FUGITIVES OF THAQIF
THE WARRIORS OF Thaqif escaping from Hunayn returned to Tā’if. They closed the gates of the city after storing stocks of food to suffice for a year. Thus, they prepared to battle the Muslims.
The Prophet went at once to Tā’if (it was the month of Shawwal, 8 AH). After pitching his camp outside the city, he set about besieging it. The siege dragged on for some time, but the Muslims were unable to enter Tā’if whose approaches had already been blocked up by the defenders. Thaqif were good archers. The thick volley of arrows discharged by the enemy appeared like the swarms of locusts.
SIEGE OF TĀ’IF
As the Muslims’ camp was within the range of the arrows shot from the ramparts of Tā’if, the Apostle moved his camp to another side of the city. The siege continued for some twenty-five to thirty nights during which the two sides fought tooth and nail to get the better of one another and exchanged volleys of arrows. The Prophet used, for the first time, catapults in the siege of Tā’if whose entry and exit were completely blocked. The arrows shot by the enemy took its toll and several Muslims were slain.[1]
When the siege did not have the desired effect, the Apostle threatened to cut down the vineyards of Thaqif. The enemy was extremely perturbed, for its economy depended on the fine quality of grapes grown in these vineyards. Thaqif begged the Prophet in the name of God and their relationship to him to spare their crops. Taking pity on the enemy, the Apostle said, “Certainly, I leave it to God and kinship between us.”
The Apostle announced that if any slave of Thaqif came to him from the city, he would be set free. Among the ten or more slaves who deserted Tā’if, one was Abū Bakrah. Later on he distinguished himself by his deep knowledge of Traditions. The Prophet freed all of them and asked the Muslims to take care of their needs. However, the people of Tā’if were sorely angered by the desertion of their slaves.[2]
THE SIEGE RAISED
Allāh had not willed the fall of Tā’if. The Apostle asked “Umar to announce the raising of the siege and return of the army. Feeling disappointed, some of the people raised an outcry at the sudden order of retreat. They said, “Shall we go back without reducing Tā’if?” The Apostle replied, “Alright, mount an attack.” They bore down on the enemy but were repulsed with losses. Then the Apostle said, “God willing, we shall return very soon.” The people now felt relieved and started making preparations for breaking the camp. The Prophet smiled when he saw them returning.[3]
THE SPOILS OF HUNAYN
On his way back from Tā’if, the Apostle stayed over at Ji’irrānah with his men. He intended to give an opportunity to the Hawāzin to make amends by calling upon him and accepting Islam. Thereafter, he distributed the spoils. The Apostle gave out first to those whose hearts were yet to be won. Abū Sufyan and his two sons Yazid and Mu’āwiyyah were doled out handsome gifts, as well as Hakim ibn al-Hizām Naḍr ibn al-Hārith, ‘Alā’ ibn al-Hārithah and others. The leaders of the Quraysh were treated generously and finally every man in the army was awarded his share of the spoils.[4]
LOVE FOR ANSĀR AND THEIR SELFLESSNESS
The Prophet gave out a large portion of the spoils to Quraysh who had to be conciliated to Islam while the Ansār received a small share. Some of the youth among the Ansār aired their grievance at the meagre gifts made over to them. The Apostle ordered the Ansār to assemble in an enclosure. Then he gave an extremely moving speech, which stirred the hearts of the Ansār and brought them to the verge of tears.
The Apostle said, “Did I not come to you when you were aberrant and God guided you through me; you were poor and God made you rich; you were divided and He softened your hearts to unite?” The Ansār replied, “Yes, indeed, God and His Apostle are most kind and generous.” But the Apostle again asked them, “O Ansār, why don’t you answer me?” They said, “What answer can we give! O Messenger of God. Kindness and generosity belong to God and His Apostle.” The Apostle continued, “Had you wished, you could have said, and verily you would have spoken the truth and I would have acknowledged it. If you had replied, ‘You came discredited and we believed you; you came deserted and we helped you; you were a fugitive and we gave you shelter; you were poor and we comforted you.’”
The Apostle then turned to speak of the love he had for the Ansār and, at the same time, explained the reason for differentiating between them in giving out the gifts. He said, “Do you have any misgivings about me, O Ansār, because of what I have given to them for the short-lived bloom of this life by which they may become Muslims while I have entrusted you to Islam?” The Apostle then posed a question that inflamed the Ansār with the love of the Prophet. He asked, “O Ansār, are you not satisfied that these men should take away sheep and goats while you return with the Apostle of God? By Him who has the life of Muhammad in His hand, what you take back with you is better than the things with which they would return.”
“Had there been no migration I myself would have been one of the Ansār. If all the people go one way in a wadi and the Ansār take another, I would take the way of the Ansār. The Ansār are the undergarment and others are over-garments. O Allāh, have mercy on the Ansār, their children and their children’s children.”
All the Ansār wept until tears ran down their beards as they said, “We are satisfied and happy that the Apostle of Allāh falls to our lot.”[5]
CAPTIVES RELEASED
A deputation of the Hawāzin consisting of fourteen persons called upon the Apostle. They requested him to take pity on them and return their kinsmen and property. The Apostle replied, “You see the people accompanying me. What I like best is that you come out with the truth. Now tell me, which of the two is dearer to you? Your children and your women, or your property?”
They replied with one voice, “We treasure nothing more than our children and women.”
Now, the Apostle advised them, “Tomorrow morning when I have finished the prayer you get up and say: We ask the Apostle’s intercession with the Muslims, and the Muslims’ intercession with the Apostle that our children and women be returned to us.” When they did as told by the Apostle he gave the reply, “Whatever was apportioned to me and the Banū ‘Abd al-Mutṭalib is yours. To others I make a recommendation for you.”
Thereupon the Mūhājirīn and the Anṣâr said, “Whatever share has been given to us is passed on to the Apostle.”
Three persons belonging to Banū Tamīm, Banū Fazārah and Banū Sulaym refused to part with their shares. The Prophet said to them, “These fellows have come after accepting Islam. I awaited their arrival and gave them a choice but they preferred nothing over their women and children. Now, if anybody has serfs whom he wants to donate cheerfully, the way is open to him. But if anybody does not want to do so, he may refuse. He who holds a right to such captives shall be given six shares in lieu of each from the first booty Allāh grants us.”
Everyone replied, “We give back our shares cheerfully for the Apostle’s sake.” The Prophet, however, said, “I do not know who among you is contented and who is not. You go back now and your chiefs will tell me correctly about your affairs.” All of them returned the captives, women and children, and not one of them decided to retain his share. The Prophet also gifted out a garment to every released captive.[6]
LOVING KINDNESS
Among the captives rounded up during the battle, the Muslims also held Shaymā’ bint Halimah Sa’diyyah. The men who took her captive did not know her and although she told them that she was the foster-sister of the Apostle, they paid her no heed and treated her roughly.
When Shaymā’ was brought before the Apostle she said, “O Prophet of God, I am your foster-sister.” The Apostle asked for proof and she replied. “The bite you gave me in my back when I carried you at my hip. The mark is still there.” The Apostle accepted the proof and stretched out his robe for her to sit on and treated her courteously. He gave her the choice of living with him in affection and honour or going back to her people with gifts. She chose to go back to her tribe. She accepted Islam and the Prophet gave her three bondsmen, a slave girl and some goats.[7]
THE LESSER PILGRIMAGE
After distributing the spoils and captives at Jī’irrānah, the Apostle put on the ihrām to perform the lesser pilgrimage for this was the place from where the people going for pilgrimage to Makkah from Tā’if changed into ihrām. Having completed the lesser pilgrimage the Apostle returned to Madinah.[8]
The Apostle came back to Madinah in Dhū ‘l-Qa’dah, 8 AH.[9] While the forces were returning from Tā’if, the Apostle of God asked the men to recite: “We are those who revert and repent and worship and glorify our Lord.” Some of the people then asked the Prophet to call down evil on Thaqif. The Apostle raised his hands to entreat; “O Allāh! Guide Thaqif on the right path and bring them here.”
‘Urwah ibn Maś’ūd al-Thaqafī met the Apostle while he was on his way back to Madinah. He became a Muslim and returned to his people to invite them to Islam. He was very popular and enjoyed the esteem of his clansmen but when he broke the news that he had accepted Islam, the people turned against him. They shot arrows at him from all directions; one hit him and he died.
Thaqif held out for a few months after killing ‘Urwah but after taking counsel among themselves they reached the conclusion that it would be beyond their power to fight all those tribes which had already taken the oath of allegiance at the hands of the Apostle. Ultimately, they decided to send a deputation to the Apostle.
NO COMPLAISANCE TO IDOLATRY
When the deputation of Thaqif came to Madinah a tent was pitched for them in the Prophet’s mosque. They requested the Apostle not to destroy their chief deity, the idol of al-Lât, for three years. The Apostle refused; then they continued to reduce the period by one year, but the Apostle remained firm in refusing their request until they finally asked for a period of one month after they had returned to their homes. The Apostle again rejected their request and ordered Abu Sufyān and Mughirah ibn Shu’bah al-Thaqafi to destroy al-Lât. Thereafter Thaqif asked the Prophet that they might be excused from offering prayers. To this the Apostle replied; “Nothing remains of a religion which has no prayer.”
Abū Sufyān and Mughirah ibn Shu’bah accompanied the deputation of Thaqif when they returned to Tā’if. Mughirah smote al-Lât with a pickaxe and broke it into pieces. Thereupon the people of Tā’if accepted Islam. Not one of them remained attached to paganism.[10]
KA’B IBN ZUHAYR ACCEPTS ISLAM
Ka’b ibn Zuhayr paid a visit to the Apostle after the he returned to Madinah from Tā’if. Ka’b was a poet whose father had also been a versifier. He had composed many satirical poems ridiculing the Apostle but when he fell on evil days, his brother Bujayr wrote to him that he should rather go to the Apostle as a repentant sinner and accept Islam. Ka’b’s brother also warned him of the dire consequences of disregarding his advice. Ka’b, at last, came to the Apostle and composed the famous panegyric ode praising the Apostle beginning with Bāmat Su’ād.[11]
When Ka’b came to Madinah he called upon the Apostle just after he had finished the morning prayers and placed his hands in his. The Apostle, however, did not know who he was. Ka’b then said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allāh, Ka’b ibn Zuhayr has come as a repentant Muslim and asks for security from you. Will you accept his repentance?” One of the Anṣār leapt upon him saying, “O Apostle of God, let me deal with this enemy of God. I will cut off his head this instant.” But the Apostle asked him to let Ka’b alone since he had come repentant of his past deeds. It was then that Ka’b recited the well known ode beginning with the verses:
Su’ād is gone, and today my heart is lovelorn; Enthralled, in chains, no bloodwit coming to un rein.
Then, in another verse he praised the Prophet thus:
Indeed the Messenger is a light whence illumination is sought;
A drawn, sharp-edged sword, the sword of Allāh.
The Apostle gave away his robe to Ka’b when he recited these verses.[12]
***
[1] Ibn Hisham, vol. II. pp. 478-483.
[2] Zād al-Ma‘ād, vol. I, p. 457 (on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq).
[3] Ibid.
[4] Zād al-Ma‘ād, vol. I, p. 448. See also Bukhāri and Muslim; Ghazwah Tā’if
[5] The incident has been narrated in the two Ṣahjhs, but Zad al-Ma‘ād gives more details.
[6] Zad al-Ma‘ād, vol. I, p. 449; and Bukhāri.
[7] Zād al-Mā'ād, vol. I, p. 449.
[8] Ibn Hishām, vol. II. p. 500.
[9] Bukhāri.
[10] Zād al-Ma'ād, vol. I, pp. 458–59.
[11] Meaning Su'ād has departed.
[12] Zād al-Ma‘ād, vol. I, pp. 466-68. Qasṭalānī relates in the Mawahib, on the authority of Abū Bakr ibn al-ʿAnbarī that when Ka'b recited this verse, the Apostle gave his robe to him. Caliph Mu'Āwiyah offered 10,000 dinārs for the Apostle's robe, but Ka'b refused and said that he could not part with it for anything. Mu'Āwiyah obtained the robe, after the death of Ka'b, for 20,000 dinārs, from the heirs of Ka'b. Qasṭalānī further says that the robe remained with the Caliphs for a long time (Az-Zurqānī, a commentary on Al-Mawahib, vol. III, p. 70).
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