Envoys Inviting to Islam.
By Al-Hussaini.
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger
Description: After the
Treaty of Hudaibiyah the Prophet Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam sent messages neighboring sovereign
inviting them to Islam: Abbysinia, Egypt, Persia, Rome, Bahrain,Yamamah,
Damascus, Oman. The Prophet(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also led a campaign against Khaibar that
became a hornets’ nest of his enemies.
Envoys.
Envoys.
After Treaty
of Hudaibiyah, in late 6th Hijrah the
Prophet (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) took steps to send messages beyond Arabia calling them to
Islam by dispatching several envoys to the neighboring sovereigns. Among them
the envoy to the king of Persia, Chosroes Parvis, was received with disdain. He
was haughtily amazed at the boldness of the Makkan fugitive in addressing him
on terms of equality. He was so enraged that he tore up into pieces the
Prophet's letter of invitation to Islam and dismissed the envoy from his
presence with great contempt. When the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) received information on this treatment, he
calmly observed: "Thus
will the Empire of Chosroes be torn to pieces."
The envoy to Heraclitus, the Emperor of the Romans, was received much more
politely and reverentially. He treated the envoy with great respect and sent
the Prophet a gracious reply to his message. Another envoy was sent to an Arab
price of the Ghassanite tribe, a Christian feudatory of Heraclius. This prince,
instead of receiving the envoy with any respect, cruelly murdered him. This act
caused great consternation among the Muslims, who considered it as an outrage
of the obligations.
‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu’anhu) narrated
as follows: Abu Sufian Ibn Harb informed me that Heraclius had sent a
messenger to him while he had been accompanying a caravan from Quraish. They
were merchants doing business in
Sham [Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan]
at the time when Allah's Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had a truce with Makkans idolators. Abu Sufian
and his companions went to Heraclius at Ilya [Jerusalem].
Heraclius called them in the court and he
had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for a translator to
translate his question, and said : "Who
among you is closely related to that man who claims to be a Prophet?" Abu Sufian replied: "I am the nearest relative to
him." Heraclius said: "Bring Abu Sufian close to me and
make his companions stand behind him."
Abu Sufian added: "Heraclius
told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions
to me regarding the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and if I told a lie they should contradict me.
By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I would
have not have spoken the truth about the Prophet(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)."
Abu Sufian's narration continues: "The
first question he asked me about him was; what is his family status among
you?" "I replied: "He belongs to a good noble family
amongst us."
Heraclius further asked: "Has
anybody among you ever claimed the same [to be a Prophet] before him?" I replied: "No." He
said: "Was anybody amongst his ancestors
a king?" I replied: "No."
Heraclius asked: "Do
the nobles or the poor follow him?" I
replied: "It is the poor
who follow him." He
said: "Are his followers increasing or
decreasing?" I
replied: "They are
increasing."
He then asked: "Does anybody amongst those who
embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion
afterwards?" I
replied: "No."
Heraclius said: "Have
you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim [to be a Prophet]?" I replied: "No."
Hereaclius said: "Does he break his promises?" I replied: "No. We
are at truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it." I could not find opportunity to say
anything against him except that.
Heraclius asked: "Have
you ever had a war with him?" I
replied: "Yes." Then he said: "What was the outcome
of the battles?" I replied: "Sometimes
he was victorious and sometimes we."
Heraclius said: "What does he order you to do?" I said: "He tells us to worship Allah and
Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all
that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be
chaste and to keep good relations with our kith and kin."
Heraclius asked the translator to convey to me the following: "I asked you about his family and
your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact, all the
Messengers come from noble families among their respective peoples. I
questioned you whether anybody else among you claimed such a thing; your reply
was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have
thought that this man was following the previous man's statement. Then I asked
you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative,
and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man
wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom.
I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what
he said and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does
not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allah. I then asked you
whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the
poor who followed him. And, in fact, all the Messengers have been followed by
this veryclass of people. Then I asked you whether his followers were
increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and, in fact,
this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects.
I further asked you whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his
religion, became displeased and discarded his religion. You reply was in the
negative, and, in fact this is [the sign of] true faith, when its delight
enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had
ever betrayed. You replied in the negative, and likewise the Messengers never
betray.
Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to
worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and
forbade you to worship idols, and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth and
to be chaste. If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this
place underneath my feet and I knew it [from the scriptures] that he was going
to appear but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I could reach
him definitely, I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I
would certainly wash his feet."
Heraclius then asked for the letter addressed by Allah's Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) which had been delivered by Dihya to the
Governor of Busra, who forwarded it to Heraclius to read. The contents of the
letter were as follows:
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, and the Merciful. [This letter is]
from Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger to Heraclius the ruler of
Byzantine. Peace be upon him who follows the right path. Furthermore, I invite
you to Islam, and if you become a Muslim you will be safe, and Allah will
double your reward, and if you reject this invitation of Islam, you will be
committing a sin by misguiding your subjects. And I recite to you Allah's
Statement: Say [O Muhammad]: 'O People of the Scripture [Jews &
Christians]: Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship
none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him and that none of us
shall take others as lords besides Allah.' Then, if they turn away, say: 'Bear
witness that we are Muslims.' "
Abu Sufian then added: When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the
letter; there was a great hue and cry in the Royal Court. So we turned out of the
court. I told my companions that the question of Ibn-Abi-Kabsha [the Prophet Muhammad] had
become so prominent that even the King of Bani Al-Asfar [Byzantine] was afraid
of him. Then I started to become sure that he [the Prophet] would be the
conqueror in the near future till I embraced Islam [Allah guided me to it].
Another narrator added that Ibn An-Natur was the Governor of Ilya [Jerusalem]
and Heraclius was the head of the Christians of Sham. Ibn An-Natur narrated
that once while Heraclius was visiting Ilya [Jerusalem], he got up in the
morning with a sad mood. Some of his priests asked him why he as in that mood.
Hreaclius was a foreteller and an astrologer. He replied: "At night when I
looked at the stars, I saw that the leader of those who practice circumcision
had appeared [become the conqueror]. Who are they who practice
circumcision?" The people replied: "Except the Jews, nobody practices
circumcision, so you should not be afraid of them [Jews]. Just Issue orders to
kill very Jew present in the country.'
While they were discussing it, a messenger sent by the king of Ghassan to
convey the news of Allah's Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to
Heraclius was brought in. Having heard the news, Heraclius ordered the people
to go and see whether the messenger of Ghassan was circumcised. The people,
after seeing him, told Heraclius that he was circumcised. Heraclius then asked
him about the Arabs. The messenger replied: "Arabs also practice
circumcision."
After hearing that Heraclius remarked that sovereignty of the Arabs had been
appeared. Heraclius then wrote a letter to his friend in Rome who was as good
as Heraclius in knowledge. Heraclius then left for Homs [a town in Syria] and
stayed there till he received the reply of his letter from his friend, who
agreed with him in his opinion about the emergence of the Prophet and the fact
that he was a Prophet. On that, Heraclius invited all the heads of the
Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When they assembled, he ordered
that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and said: "O Byzantines! If success is your
desire and if you seek right guidance and want your empire to remain and then
give a pledge of allegiance to this Prophet [embrace Islam]."
On hearing the views of Heraclius, the people ran towards the gates of the
palace like onagers but found the doors closed. Heraclius realized their hatred
towards Islam and when he lost the hope of their embracing Islam, he ordered
that they should be brought back in audience.
When they returned Heraclius said: "What
was already said was just to test the strength of your conviction and I have
seen it." The people prostrated
before him and became pleased with him, and this was the end of Heraclius's
story. [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
The
Campaign of Khaibar
In the 7th year or the Hijrah the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), led a campaign against Khaibar, the
stronghold of the Jewish tribes in Khaibar, North Arabia, which had become a
hornets’ nest of his enemies. The Jews of Khaibar lived in a strongly fortified
territory at a distance of four days' journey from Medinah. They showed
implacable hatred towards the Muslims. United by alliance with the tribe of
Ghatfan, as well as with other cognate tribes, the Jews of Khaibar made serious
attempts of coalition against the Muslims. The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his adherents
were informed of this movement and immediate measures were taken in order to
repress any new attack upon Medinah. An expedition of 1400 men was soon
prepared to march against Khaibar.
It was at Khyber that a Jewish woman prepared poisoned meat for the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), of which he only
tasted a morsel. Hardly had the morsel touched his lips than he became aware
that it was poisoned. Without swallowing it, he warned his companions of the
poison, but one Muslim, who had already swallowed a mouthful, died later. The
woman who had cooked the meat was put to death.
The allies of the Jews left them to face the war with the Muslims all alone.
The Jews firmly resisted the attacks of the Muslims, but eventually all their
fortress had to be surrendered, one after the other to their enemies. They
sought for forgiveness, which was accorded to them on certain conditions. Their
lands and immovable property were secured to them, together with the free
practice of their religion. After subduing Khaibar, the Muslims returned to
Medinah in safety.
Pilgrimage
to Makkah
Before the end of the year, it being the 7th year of the Hijrah the Prophet’s vision was fulfilled,
he visited Makkah: the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his adherents availed themselves of their
armistice with the Quraish to visit the Holy Ka’bah. The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), left Madinah under
the charge of Abu Ruhm Al-Ghifari, left fo Makkah accompanied by two hundred
Muslims, went to to perform 'Umrah or Lesser Pilgrimage. In accordance with the
terms of the truce the idolaters evacuated the city, and from the surrounding
heights watched the procedure of the Muslims which lasted the three days.
The Orientalist, Sir William Muir, in his book, Life of Mohammed Vol. III
comments on the incident as follows: It was surely a strange sight, which at
this time presented itself at the vale of Mecca, a sight unique in the history
of the world. The ancient city is for three days evacuated by all its
inhabitants, high and low, every house deserted, and as they retire, the exiled
converts, many years banished from their birth-place, approach in a great body
accompanied by their allies, revisit the empty homes of their childhood and
within the short allotted space, and fulfil the rites of pilgrimage. The
outside inhabitants, climbing the heights around take refuge under tents or
other shelter among the hills and glens; and clustering on the overhanging peak
of Abu Qubeis, thence watch the movements of the visitors beneath, as with the
Prophet SAW at their head, they make the circumbulation of the Ka'abah hand
rapid procession between Saffa and Marwah, and anxiously scan every figure, if
perchance they may recognize among the worshippers some long lost friend or
relative. It was a scene rendered only by the throes, which gave birth to
Islam.
In accordance with the terms of the treaty, the Muslims left Makkah at the end
of three day's visit. This peaceful visit was followed by important conversions
among the Quraish. Khalid
Ibn Al-Walid, known
as the Sword of Allah, who, before this, had been a bitter enemy of Islam and
who commanded the Quraish cavalry at Uhud; and Amr Ibn Al' As, another important character and
warrior, adopted the new faith of Islam.
Campaign
against Ghassanite.
When the Prophet (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) and his followers
returned to Medinah, they arranged in expedition to exact retribution from the
Ghassanite prince who had killed the Muslim envoy. A force of three thousand
men, under the Prophet's adopted son Zaid
bin Harithah, was sent to take
reparation from the offending tribe.
Prophet
Muhammad (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
sent envoys sent to the rulers and emperors of neighboring countries to convey
the message of Islam and call on them to submit themselves to Allāh.
Al-Harith ibn Umayr (radiyallāhu’anhu)
was the one sent to Shurahbil ibn ‘Amr
of the Arab tribe of Ghassan, who
was the ruler of Busra in the south
of present-day Syria. Busra was a
governorate of the Byzantine Empire. It enjoyed a form of political
autonomy, since that area was inhabited by immigrant Arabs who belonged to the tribe of Ghassan.
Far
from the varying degrees of hospitality the rulers and emperors showed to the
prophet’s envoys, with some of them replying cordially, others sending the
Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) some presents and others, such as Negus of Abyssinia and the ruler of Yemen, were soon to
become Muslims. Shurahbil
ibn ‘Amr exceeded all limits of diplomatic
standards and values. He gave orders for Al-Harith
ibn Umayr (radiyallāhu’anhu)
to be tied up and then beheaded, whereas
the tradition that messengers and ambassadors must be treated well, regardless
of the nature of the message they carried, was an age old one.
When
the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came
to know of this, he felt that the treatment of his envoy represented an insult
and a challenge which called for a firm reply. As Islam was still consolidating
its position in Arabia itself, the steady progress of the Muslim
state was an important factor to ensure that it was held in awe by all
neighboring powers.
The
people in Arabia were convinced that Islam could not be overcome by
any other force. The Muslims enjoyed God’s support, and that support was enough
to defeat all their enemies. This general feeling was responsible for the
conversion of a large number of people in Arabia who embraced Islam
either because they feared it or because they wanted to be part of its success.
If Islam was seen to be weakening in front of larger forces, the position of
many of those who were prepared to join the ranks of the Muslims would be
violently shaken. The implications would then be very serious indeed.
Hence,
the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was
keen that the position of the new Muslim state should be safeguarded. No one
could be allowed to level an insult against Islam or the Muslim state and
manage to get away with it. People inside and outside Arabia must
feel that Islam was a force to be reckoned with. So, the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) decided to send an expedition to teach the
aggressor a lesson and to show the world at large that no ambassador of the
Muslim state could be killed and forgotten. His killers must be brought to
justice and must be made to pay a heavy price for their aggression.
Peace In First Place
The
Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called
on his companions to join the army he was sending to Busra. The response was,
as usual, highly favorable. A force of 3,000 soldiers was thus raised. When
they were ready to march, the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) named three of his companions as
commanders who should succeed one another in case any of them was killed. Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself was heavily engaged in Madinah and
could not take the command of the army himself. Zayd ibn Harithah (radiyallāhu’anhu), who had been the first man ever to
become a Muslim, was appointed as the first leader. The Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) told the army that if Zayd ibn Harithah (radiyallāhu’anhu)were to be killed, the commander would be Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (radiyallāhu’anhu). In case he also was killed, ‘Abdullāh ibn Rawahah (radiyallāhu’anhu) was to assume the command of the army.
The
Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ordered the army to travel until they reached
the district where Al-Harith
ibn Umayr (radiyallāhu’anhu)
was killed, and to call on the people of
that area to accept Islam. If they did, the Muslims were to leave them alone.
If they did not, then they should fight them, praying God to help them. Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also ordered them not to break any promises
they gave and not to kill a child, a woman, an old man or a monk praying in
seclusion. They were not to cut down any trees or destroy any buildings. The
Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went out with the army to the outskirts of
Madinah, where he bade the commanders and soldiers farewell. The Muslim army
tried to conceal its purpose in order to be able to take the enemy by surprise.
The news of its march, however, was soon known to its enemies, who started to
get ready.
Shurahbil
ibn Amr mobilized all the Arab tribes under his
control. These tribes were able to provide a very large force indeed. Most
historians set the figure of their forces in this encounter at 100,000.
Moreover, Heracules, the Byzantine Emperor, sent his local governor a further
force of 100,000 Byzantine soldiers. Thus, an army of 200,000 was preparing to
meet the Muslim army of 3,000 soldiers only.
Nevertheless,
the disparity between the two forces was so marked that the Muslims felt that
they needed to stop and think about what they were about to face. When they
reached Ma’an,
in the south of present-day Jordan, they received intelligence of the size
of the forces preparing to meet them. They stopped at Ma’an
for two nights in consultation on what their next step should be. Some of them
suggested that they should write to the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informing him of the situation and of the
forces of their enemies, and await his orders. He might either send some
support or give them further instructions. ‘Abdullah
ibn Rawahah(radiyallāhu’anhu), the third commander named by the Prophet(sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam), felt that the matter did not warrant
that sort of delay. Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) encouraged the Muslims not to hesitate before
confronting their enemy:
The cause of your hesitation now is the
very prize which you have set out to achieve: namely, martyrdom. We have never
fought any enemy on the basis of our numerical strength, or our better
equipment, or our superior number of horses. We fight them only with this
religion with which God has blessed us. Let us march on. I attended the Battle
of Badr when we had only two horses. At the Battle of Uhud, there was only one
horseman in our ranks. March on, brothers. We stand to win one of two great
prizes: either we will achieve victory – and this is what God and His messenger
have promised us, and it is a promise which never fails – or we will achieve
martyrdom, in which case we join our brethren who went before us into Heaven.
These
words were very touching to the Muslim army. This was no vain discourse. What Abdullah ibn Rawahah (radiyallāhu’anhu)
said was something in which they all
believed. To a Muslim, any fight for the cause of Islam can end either in an
honorable victory or in martyrdom. It is a case of either a victory for the
community or a victory for the individual. Hence, they marched on. Two more
nights and they reached the area to which they were sent. They found out that
the enemy forces were encamped in a village called Masharif. As enemy forces started to draw near them, they,
therefore, moved to a village called Mu’tah, where they took their positions.
At Mu’tah
Although
the decision reached by the Muslim army may seem unwise, considering the
enormous disparity between their forces and those of their enemies, the Muslims
always had their own criteria when they considered any serious matter. That
particular army, which included many soldiers who took part in earlier battles
the Muslims fought against their enemies, was generally aware that numerical
inferiority could be compensated for by superior spiritual strength. The speech
of Abdullah ibn Rawahah (radiyallāhu’anhu)rekindled the enthusiasm of the Muslim
soldiers to the extent that they were eager to face their enemy.
When
the Muslim army took its position at the village of Mu’tah, the Byzantine forces marched towards them in great
numbers, seeking to overwhelm the Muslims by sheer numerical strength. The
Muslims deployed their forces, adopting the tactics of concentrated pressure at
the centre while preventing the outside flanks of their enemy from trying to
encircle them. The Muslim commander of the right flank was Qutbah ibn Qatadah (radiyallāhu’anhu); his counterpart on the left flank was Ubadah ibn Malik (radiyallāhu’anhu). These two commanders and their units
fought very hard to protect the central units from being overwhelmed.
Till The Last Breath
The
battle was now being fought in earnest as Zayd
ibn Harithah (radiyallāhu’anhu), the first Muslim commander, carried the Muslim flag
and fought hard. Apparently the Byzantine forces concentrated their efforts on
trying to kill the Muslim commander, so they pressed hard where Zayd ibn Harithah (radiyallāhu’anhu) was fighting and were soon able to kill
him. The banner was taken over by Ja’far
ibn Abi Talib (radiyallāhu’anhu), who again was the target for a concentrated enemy
attack. Ja’far was a great fighter who struck the enemy soldiers right, left
and centre.
Ja’far
ibn Abi Talib (radiyallāhu’anhu), could not,
however, withstand the continuous pressure against him and he felt that he
could fight better if he were to dismount. He continued to fight on foot, still
carrying the flag in his right hand. As he fought on, he was hit several times.
Then an enemy soldier was able to chop off his right hand, but Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (radiyallāhu’anhu)automatically carried the flag with his
left hand. Again, he was hit hard, and his left hand was chopped off.
Nevertheless, he would not drop the flag.
Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (radiyallāhu’anhu), held it tightly with the upper parts of his arms and
faced the enemy. His position was no longer tenable and he was soon killed. It
is reported that when he was about to be buried, they counted on his body something
like ninety wounds.
The
flag was taken over by Abdullah
ibn Rawahah (radiyallāhu’anhu), who had demonstrated, ever since he joined the army
that he dearly wished to be killed in battle. The fighting was so hard that the
Muslim soldiers did not have any food because they were preoccupied with the
battle.
A
cousin of Abdullah ibn Rawahah
(radiyallāhu’anhu),, however, gave him a piece of meat and said: “Eat this and strengthen yourself. You
have nearly exhausted your energy today.” When
he had his first bite Abdullah
ibn Rawahah (radiyallāhu’anhu), heard the
noise of fighting from one side and said to himself: “And I am still in this
world?” He dropped the piece of meat and fought hard until he was killed.
A Veteran’s Strategy
It
was nearly evening when ‘Abdullāh
ibn Rawahah (radiyallāhu’anhu), was killed and before the Muslims, according to the
Prophet’s instructions, were to choose their own commander should all three
commanders appointed by him be killed. Their choice was Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu), who had joined the Muslim ranks only a
few months earlier.
It
was Khalid’s first battle with the Muslims. Khalid
ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu) was a gifted military commander. He realized that
total victory could not be achieved by the Muslims in such a greatly
ill-balanced confrontation. His immediate thoughts were to engage the enemy for
the rest of the day in such a way as to avoid heavy casualties among the
Muslims.
When
darkness fell and the two armies were separated for the night, Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu) still had a great deal to do. Taking
stock of the situation, he realized that the best that the Muslims could
achieve in that confrontation was to try to maximize the losses of their
enemies while minimizing their own and avoiding an outright defeat. Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu)
redeployed his forces completely, moving his right flank to the left and
his left flank to the right. He also exchanged the positions of the front and
rear forces. This total redeployment was completed during the night. Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu)
then ordered a detachment of his forces to raise as much dust as
possible behind the army and to cause a great deal of noise.
At
daybreak, fighting was resumed. The Byzantine forces were surprised to see new
faces all round. They thought that the Muslims must have received fresh help.
They were somewhat scared to go into battle in earnest. The Muslims were able
to take the initiative and fought hard, killing a large number of enemy
soldiers.
Khalid
ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu), however, did not intend the battle to go on
indefinitely. As his forces were fighting hard, he was, at the same time,
drawing back very slowly and skillfully. The Byzantine commanders thought that
he was trying to drag them slowly into the desert. They felt that if they were
to be dragged that far, they would lay themselves open to greater risks. Hence,
they thought it was wiser to resist the temptation. They stood their ground. Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu), on the other hand, was able to disengage
his forces in that way, without incurring any great losses.
Not Victorious, Yet Victory
Historians
agree that this withdrawal was a great success as it was indeed, in that very
confrontation, much more difficult than achieving victory, had the forces of
the two sides been equally balanced. A lesser commander would not have been
able to withdraw safely.
Moreover,
the Muslims managed to inflict heavy losses on their enemies. The Muslims lost
only 12 martyrs in this battle. Among these were the three commanders of the
army named by the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) .
This was because the Byzantine army concentrated its attack on those commanders
because, in those days, killing the commander ensured winning the battle.
The
discipline of the Muslims, however, brought new factors into the equation and
the Muslims lost three commanders without their morale being affected in any
way. In order to describe the ferocity of that battle, one need only remember
how Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (radiyallāhu’anhu)
fought until he was killed. Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu)
said about that battle: “Nine swords were broken in my hand at
the Battle of Mu’tah.”
That was a large number of swords for the Muslim commander to use.
The
great achievement of that battle was that it gave the Byzantines and their Arab
agents an idea of what fighting the Muslims meant and what they can do. At no
time afterwards did the Byzantine forces look forward to meeting the Muslim
forces. Every time a battle was looming on the horizon, and there were many
battles to come between the two sides, the Byzantines approached it with fear
in their hearts. Moreover, this battle inspired great respect for the Muslims
among the Arabian tribes in the north, such as those of Sulaym, Ashja’, ‘Abs and Dhubyan, who started to join the Muslim ranks.
Loving-Kindness
Back
in Madinah, the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed the Muslims of the events of the
battle: “Zayd took the banner until he was
killed. It was then taken over by Ja’ far until he was killed. Then Ibn Rawahah
carried the flag until he was killed.” The
Prophet’s eyes were tearful as he said this. “It was taken over,” he continued, “by
a man who is one of God’s swords, and he fought until God granted them
success.” This is a testimony by
the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that
what Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiyallāhu’anhu) and the Muslims did in that battle was a
great success. No other testimony or opinion is needed in addition to this one.
Nevertheless,
when the army arrived back in Madinah, children met them with jeers and
denunciation. They said to them: “You
deserters. You desert a battle being fought for God’s cause?” The Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam), however, set things right when he said
to them: “These are no
deserters. They will live to fight another day.” The children’s attitude gives an impression of what
sort of society the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) built in Madinah, and
in Arabia at large.
A
few days later, the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was
speaking about the commanders who were killed at the Battle of Mu’tah. Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to his companions: “They would not wish to be with us now.” This is most certainly the case. No
martyr would like to return to his home after enjoying God’s blessings which
come with his martyrdom.
The
Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also
visited the family of his cousin, Ja’far bin Abu Talib, the second commander.
Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to them: “Do not cry for my brother’s death any more. Let me
see his children.” The
three boys were brought to him and he called in a barber to cut their hair. Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to them:
“Muhammad,
son of Ja’far, resembles our uncle, Abu Talib. ‘Abdullāh
has a likeness to me in shape and manners.” Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then
took ‘Abdullāh by the hand and waved his hand, praying
in these words: “My Lord, look after Ja’far’s family. Bless every transaction
‘Abdullāh
makes.”
Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) repeated that three times. ‘Abdullāh
bin Ja’far was to grow up as one
of the most generous people that ever lived. Their mother spoke about their
being orphans and the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to her: “Do you fear that they will live in
poverty when I am their patron in this world and in the world to come?” This is just an example of the sort of
care the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took of his companions, especially those who
fought hard for the cause of Islam.
And Allāh Almighty Knows best.
