FAREWELL PLIGRIMAGE AND THE LAST SERMON (10AH):
In the tenth year of Hijrah, the Prophet declared his intension to go for pilgrimage. When this news spread outside Medina, people flocked to the city wanting to accompany him. Throngs of people also joined him on the way. Its reported 111400 followers accompanied him in the farewell pilgrimage. The Prophet left Medina on the 25th of Zul-Qa’dah after offering his Zuhur prayers.
The party reached Makkah on the 4th of Dhul Hajj after a journey of 19 days. He went straight to Masjid al-Haram and performed Tawaaf of the Kabah and sa’ey between Safa and Marwa. He stayed in Makkah for 4 days and then on the 8h of Dhul Hajj went to Mina with his companions. He offered the Zuhur and Asr prayer there and spent the night. At sunrise on the 9th he left Mina for Arafat followed by all the pilgrims. It was a Friday. Down in the valley he delivered a great sermon to the people while sitting on his camel. The Prophet said: ‘’ O people! Listen to my words. I don’t know whether after this year I shall be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words those who could not be present here today.’’
Protection of life, property and honour: ‘’O people! Just as you regard this month, this day and this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.”
Usury prohibited: ‘’Allah has forbidden you to take usury therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived (ignored)....’’
Beware of Satan: ‘’ He (Satan) has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.’’
Rights of women: ‘’O people! It is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have a right over you. If they abide by your right, then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and your committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.’’
Pillars of Islam: O people! Listen to me in earnest. Worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.’’
Brotherhood and equality: ‘’ You know that every Muslim is a brother of another Muslim. You are all equal nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good action.’’
Rights of slaves: ‘’ See that you feed your slaves such food as you eat and clothe them with what you wear; if they commit a fault which you are not inclined to forgive then part from them and do not treat them harshly.’’
Day of Judgement: ‘’Remember one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.’’
Finality of the Prophet: ‘’ O people! No prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born.’’
Adherence to Qur’an and Sunnah: ‘’I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and my example, the Sunnah; and if you follow these, you will never go astray.’’
Message to be conveyed: ‘’ all those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O Allah! That I have conveyed Your message to them”
When the sermon was over, the Prophet said his Zuhur and Asr prayers combined. At this time the last revelation came ‘’....This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my blessing upon you and chosen as your religion, Islam (total devotion to God)....’’ (5:3). After sunset he left Arafat for Muzdalifah. At Muzdalifah he offered the Maghrib and Isha prayers combined and then slept until morning. At dawn he offered Fajr prayer and then rode until he came to Mash’ar al-Haram the sacred site at Muzdalifah. He faced the Qiblah and began to make supplications. He left Muzdalifah before sunrise and travelled quickly to the Jamrat-ul-Aqabah at Mina where he threw pebbles at the symbol of Satan. Then he went to the place of sacrifice where he sacrificed 63 camels, one for each year of his life. After this he shaved his head. Then he rode to Makkah and performed Tawaf-al-Ifadah. He came back the same day and spent 3 days at Mina to perform the ritual stoning of Satan. After the completion of the pilgrimage he went back to Medina.
On his return to Medina, he organised the provinces and tribal communities. He appointed officers to collect Zakah from the newly converted tribes and people of the peninsula. Meanwhile many more deputations arrived at Medina to accept Islam.
This farewell Pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) may rightly be called the culminating point in his prophetic career. The Holy Prophet's mission, had, by this time, been completed to all intents and purposes. To a people steeped in ignorance, he gave light and inspired them with belief in Allah, the sole Creator, Master and Sustainer of the Universe. In short Muhammad had delivered to the human race the final truth with all its necessary implications. The completion of his prophetic mission implied his departure from his earthy home to his heavenly abode. The Holy Prophet had clearly visualized it. He therefore decided to give the finishing touch to his massive work and to imprint its salient points on the minds of his devoted followers so that they might always keep before them the system of life given by Islam.
The sermon of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is not only remarkable for its eloquence, but it contains a sublime (inspiring) message for the whole of the human race. The world has not been able to lay down better principles of ethics and morality than those expressed. Every word of it breathes a spirit of magnanimity (generosity) and aims at establishing righteousness and fair dealing among people on a workable basis. It establishes brotherhood among Muslim irrespective of the divergences of their geographical, racial and colour background and provides an outline of a social order, perfectly free from oppression and injustice. The address of the Prophet encompasses all the requisite ingredients of an Apostle's perfect message meant for the Muslim as well as the rest of mankind. It is remarkable for its length, lucidity (simplicity) and enthusiasm. He declared the inviolability (holiness) of a Muslim's life property and honour. Everyone who had received a deposit was asked to return his trust. The charging of interest on loans or capitals was condemned.
In social relationships the Holy Prophet laid emphasis on the rights of women or wives and their obligations towards their men or husbands. They were to be regarded as trusts form God and not maltreated unnecessarily or deal with illegally. Likewise, Muslims were forbidden to steal others’ assets or take away their property without permission or agreement. From the above analysis of the Holy Prophet's Address, it should not be difficult to conclude that touched the chords of realism, justice and equity and that it could offer enough guidance for an ideal human life.
DEATH (11AH): Read from the book
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FEB WEEK 5 (SURAH FATIHA)
SURAH 6: Al-Fatiha
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,
Most Gracious, most Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship, and Your aid we seek.
Show us the straight way,
They of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace,
Those whose portion is not wrath (anger), and who go not astray.
The Main Theme(s)
This is the opening Surah of the Quran and its theme is Tauheed or absolute oneness of Allah, and man’s relationship with Allah. It tells us that Allah alone deserves worship because He has the power to ensure sustenance of all, extend mercy to all and dispense ultimate justice because He alone will be the Judge and Master on the day of judgement. We need to seek his guidance in order to receive His favour by following the path of righteousness; and avoid the ill fate of misguided communities by deviating from the straight way. This guidance is contained in the Quran and the Prophet’s Sunah.
The Presentation of the Theme in a distinctive way.
The focal point of the Surah is the Guidance in the light of which man can guarantee success for himself in this world and Hereafter. This guarantee lies in treading path of righteousness designed and shown by Allah as contained in the Quran and the Sunah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). This is the first Surah of the Qur’an in the form of a supplication or plea; and the answer to this plea is the rest of the Book, which is a complete code of life. This path has been given the name in 3:103 as the “Rope of Allah” that ensures collective survival of the believers. The Surah also stresses on seeking Allah’s help and kindness in all affairs of life because Allah alone is the source of help. The last two Surahs of the Quran (al- Muawwazatain) provide similar guarantee by asking the believers to seek Allah’s refuge against all evils.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Week 4
THE HOLY PROPHET AND THE JEWS OF MEDINA:
The Jews were well settled in Medina long before the advent of Islam there In spite of inter marrying and mingling with the Arabs with whom they had many customs in common, they adhered firmly to their religion. But mutual business interests bound them close to all Arab tribes in and near Medina. There were three main Jewish tribes settled in Medina at that time: Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza. As soon as the Holy Prophet arrived in Medina, he tried to win over the Jews living there. He made a treaty with them which is known as the Charter or Treaty of Medina. Besides this treaty, which gave them political rights, the Holy Prophet made several religious concessions to them in order to win their loyalty to the new Muslim state. Jerusalem was made the Qiblah of the Muslims. Following the practice of the Jews the Muslims kept the fast of the Ashura; the Holy Prophet gave verdicts according to the Torah till the time the Muslim laws were revealed. He permitted Muslims to eat food with the Jews and to marry Jewish women. Before the Prophet’s coming to Medina, the Jews knew from their Book that it was time of coming of a prophet in their midst and when he came to Medina; they recognized him to be the promised prophet. However, they were not ready to accept him as he was not from the line of Bani Israel. The increasing power of the prophet and the victory of the Muslims in the battle of Badr, made the Jews extremely hostile. The growing power of Islam was against their economic interests. The Jews were also very furious when one of their scholars, Abdullah bin Salam of Banu Qainqah, accepted Islam.
Banu Qainqah were mainly goldsmiths and they lent money to the Aus and Khazraj and charged heavy interest. They were the first tribe to break the treaty with the Muslims. During the battle of Badr they did not help the Muslims according to the Charter of Medina. Then an incident occurred that became the immediate reason for their expulsion from Medina. A Muslim woman was insulted in the market and the Jews jeered at her. A skirmish took place and as a result a Jew and a Muslim were killed. When the matter was brought to the Prophet, he immediately raised an army and laid siege to their fortress. The siege lasted for 15 days and finally the Jews surrendered. The Prophet decided to execute them but then changed the punishment into exile on the request of Abdullah bin Ubbay. They were forced to leave Medina taking their wives and children within three days, leaving behind their tools. They went to Syria.
Banu Nazir and Banu Quraizah were agriculturists and possessed some of the richest lands in Medina where date palms were grown.
In 4AH (625AD), the Banu Nazir broke their treaty with the Muslims by not helping them in the battle of Uhad. Then the incident of Bir Mauna and its after math caused the Prophet to exile them from Medina. The Prophet went to their fortress to ask for their share of the blood money for the tragedy of Bir Mauna and they asked the Prophet to wait under the wall of their stronghold. The Prophet was divinely informed of the Jewish designs to kill him by rolling of a big stone from above the wall. He immediately left for Medina. He then sent them an ultimatum asking them to leave Medina within 15 days with their belongings and pay half of the agricultural produce of their lands. Upon their resistance the Prophet laid siege to their fortresses which lasted for 15 days. The Jews began to lose hope especially when the Muslims began to destroy their palms. Finally they gave in and they were told to leave their weapons and to have nothing from their lands. They left for Khyber.
In 5AH, the battle of trench took place. The Quraish, along with the Jews of Khyber and the desert Bedouin tribes, attacked Medina. The Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza which still lived in Medina openly sided with the Quraish and tried to attack the Muslims from the rear. If they had succeeded the results would have been fatal for the Muslims. After the battle the Prophet laid siege to their fortress which lasted for 25 days. They offered to surrender on the condition that their former ally Saad bin Muaz gave the verdict. Saad gave the verdict according to the Torah; their men were killed and their women and children were made slaves and their property divided amongst the Muslims.
Reasons for the change in the Prophet’s attitude towards the Jews:
There were a number of reasons and developments that led to drastic changes in the relations between the Muslims and the Jews. The Holy Prophet had made every sincere effort to make friends with the Jews. He tried to highlight similarities between the two communities by declaring the Jews and Muslims as a single Ummah, by granting them religious liberty and equal status in the Charter of Medina, and by declaring them as the People of Book. The Jews, however, did not reciprocate, and never accepted the Holy Prophet whole heartedly. As a matter of fact, rise of the Holy Prophet and Islam in and around Medina had seriously threatened their designs of establishing their supremacy over Medina and then all of Arabia. During the early days of Hijrah, they tried to exploit Islam for promoting their own interests, but the gradual popularity of Islam and the Muslim victory at Badr frustrated them a lot. So, they had religious, socio-economic and political reasons to remain hostile towards Islam. The monetary position of Banu Qainnuqa was affected, as the Muslims turned against them after the verses against Riba (usury) were revealed. The economic interests of Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza were threatened as pressure on land increased after the arrival of Muhajireen in Medina. The two Jewish tribes possessed some of the richest and fertile lands in Medina. They could not take the arrival of Muslims from Makkah lightly. Similarly, the Jews used to find defects in the Holy Prophet and the teachings of Islam. They would mock the Muslims for adopting Jerusalem as their Qiblah and for sharing a number of other religious rites of Jews such as Ashura fast. They would compose anti-Islamic verses and mispronounce the Qur’anic verses with the intention of changing their meanings. Thus, the relations between the Holy Prophet and the Jews began changing for the worse.
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JAN WEEK 3 (TRENCH)
BATTLE OF TRENCH (AHZAB):
Causes:
1. After the battle of Uhad, Abu Sufyan had threatened the Prophet and the Muslims that he would attack Medina the following year. According to this challenge the Holy Prophet took 1500 men the next year and went to Badr and waited for the Quraish for eight days. This embarrassed the Quraish who then began to prepare themselves for the next war.
2. The growing power and influence of the Muslims frightened the Quraish and threatened their trade.
3. The loss of the Muslims at Uhad also encouraged the Quraish to attack Medina.
4. The role of the Jews was an important factor which led to the war because they not only invited the Makkans to attack Medina but also instigated other tribes to fight against the Muslims. The Jewish tribes that had been driven out of Medina to Khyber also started plotting against the Muslims. A Jewish delegation went to Ghaftan and other desert tribes and asked them to join hands with the Quraish. The Jews agreed to give one year’s harvest of Khyber to the Ghaftan for their participation in the battle against Muslims. For this reason it was given the name of battle of Ahzab or confederate (partner in crime). It was also called the battle of Khandak or Trench as the Muslims had dug a trench around Medina to protect its inmates.
Events:
All the Jews, idolaters, Quraish and their allies combined and an army of 10,000 men started towards Medina to uproot Islam. The Qur’an refers to this battle in the following verses: ‘’they massed against you from above and below: your eyes rolled (with fear), your hearts rose into your throats; and you thought (ill) thoughts of God. There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken.’’ (33:10-11)
When the Holy Prophet learned about the preparations of the Quraish, he consulted his companions. Sulaiman Al-Farsi, a companion from Persia, suggested that a ditch be dug around the city. The proposal was readily accepted. Medina was safe on three sides on account of population and oasis. The fourth side that was on the Syrian route was unsafe. The Holy Prophet, therefore, decided that a trench be dug on the side that was open to attack. 3000 companions worked along with the Prophet in digging the trench. They worked for eight days and nights and made the trench broad enough to be impassable by man or horse. The enemy arrived and settled on the other side of the trench finding no way to approach the Muslims, hopeless against the superior planning of the Prophet. The first effort to cross the trench was made by Amr bin Abd Wud. He crossed the trench and challenged the Muslims to a duel. Hazrat Ali stepped forward and killed him. Two others followed but one of them met the same fate and the other escaped. Whenever the enemy came near the trench the Muslims hurled stones and arrows at them. The Muslims had to remain vigilant all the time and could not assemble for prayers. Meanwhile Banu Quraiza, the Jewish tribe broke the treaty with the Muslims. They conspired with the Quraish and planned to attack the Muslims from the rear. The Prophet put a small detachment near their forts to watch their movements. The Prophet also used secret agents to cause a sense of insecurity among the Banu Quraiza and mistrust was built between them and their allies. At the same time the Holy Prophet succeeded in winning over the majority of Banu Ghaftan who started to consider some kind of compromise with him. He sent a man from Ghaftan tribe who enjoyed a good relationship with both the Quraish and the Muslims and told the Quraish that the Jews were trying to enter into an understanding with the Muslims which would leave the Quraish isolated. Similarly a spy was sent to the Jews and the seed of mistrust was planted. As a result, a split developed between the allies that broke their unity.
More than three weeks passed and the pagans faced shortage of food particularly fodder for their animals. The harsh climate provided help to the Muslims and stormy winds started to blow. Finally, one night strong winds blew which overturned the enemy’s camp and forced them to retreat. The next day none of them could be seen anywhere. The supreme strategy of the Holy Prophet and the unprecedented unity of the Muslims proved superior to the lack of discipline and effort among the allies. The Prophet was also informed by Allah that it was the last attack by the Makkans. Allah says: ‘’ O you who believe! Remember Allah’s blessing on you when mighty armies massed against you. We sent a violent wind and invisible forces against them’’ (33:9). Again He says: ‘’God sent back the disbelievers along with their rage—they gained no benefit and spared the believers from fighting. Surely Allah is strong and mighty’’ (33:25).
Results:
1. The reason why the Quraish failed in their designs was the superior strategy of the Prophet. Such a way of defence was unknown to the Arabs who were baffled to see a formidable (difficult) obstacle that they failed to cross. He knew that his opponents would not be logistically prepared for a long drawn battle. He also took full advantage of agents and sowed the seeds of mistrust between the two allies which broke their will to fight.
2. After this battle the people of Medina recognized the Holy Prophet as the absolute ruler of the city.
3. The victory over a disproportionate superior force produced a great effect on the neighbouring tribes, who recognizing the emerging power of the Muslims voluntarily became their allies. Henceforth Islam began to spread rapidly among the neighbouring tribes.
4. After this battle the Holy Prophet had to lead 17 expeditions against the Bedouin tribes because the Quraish had made agreements with them before the war.
5. The influence of the Quraish amongst the Arab tribes received a serious blow.
6. Trade of the Quraish with Syria stopped and their position was damaged beyond repair.
7. The Prophet took action against Banu Quraiza who had helped the enemy in the battle.
8. It was clear that if the Muslims would remain firm on faith nobody could harm or defeat them.
9. For the first time, spying was used during the war.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2011
JAN WEEK 3 (UHAD)
THE BATTLE OF UHAD:
Causes:
Some of the causes of the Battle of Uhad were the same as that of Badr.
1. The pagans wanted to take revenge.
2. The people of Makkah wanted to regain their lost prestige.
3. The Jews and the hypocrites of Medina again invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
4. Some of the Makkans had vowed they would not take a bath until they had taken their revenge.
5. After Badr the business community of Makkah set aside a certain amount of their income for the next battle.
6. Ka’ab bin Ashraf of Banu Nazir went to Makkah to participate in the mourning for those killed at Badr. He and other Jewish poets wrote poems to instigate the Quraish to fight against the Muslims.
7. The Jews of Banu Nazir promised to help the Makkans.
8. After the battle of Badr there was a constant threat to the trade caravans of Makkah from the people of Medina.
9. Hind (Abu Sufyan’s wife) vowed she would take revenge for her brother and father killed in the battle of Badr and thus inspired the Makkans to fight too.
Events:
The Makkan army comprised of three thousand fully armed warriors with camels. Fifteen women were also allowed to accompany the army. Amongst them were Hind, Umme Hakim, Abu Jahal’s granddaughter and Fatimah, Khalid bin Waleed’s sister. They reached the Uhad Mountain on Friday, 6th Shawal 3AH. Their general was Abu Sufyan while the cavalry command was under Khalid bin Waleed who was assisted by Ikramah, Abu Jahal’s son.
The Prophet held a meeting with the companions after receiving the news of Makkan Army’s advancement towards Medina. The prophet along with other senior companions, suggested they should stay in Medina and defend it. He wanted the enemy to exhaust itself outside and save the Muslims from the risk of open war. The men could fight from the mouths of the lanes and the women could help them from the roof tops of the house. The chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubay, supported the Prophet’s suggestion. But the younger men were eager to fight in the open. The Prophet yielded to the opinion of the majority and soon one thousand men joined him.
The next the Muslim army marched towards Uhad and encamped on the rising ground with Uhad behind it. This had the advantage that it became difficult for the Makkan army to approach them thus reducing the numerical superiority. The Prophet divided his army into three battalions. The Muslim army consisted of a thousand fighters out of which only one hundred were armed. The women also participated in the battlefield for the first time. Amongst them were Ayesha, Umme Salma and Umme Ammara who supplied water to the wounded soldiers and dressed their wounds.
The first Muslim army was arranged in two rows and fifty skilful archers were ordered to stay on the mountain so that the enemy could not attack from behind. The Holy Prophet strictly advised them not to leave their place unless the Prophet ordered them to do so. When the Muslim army was very close to the Makkan army, Abdullah bin Ubay rebelled against the Prophet and separated 300 of his fighters from the Muslim army claiming that his opinion about fighting from inside Medina was not accepted and he found no reason to fight. Thus the Prophet was left with an army of 700. When the two armies were face to face, the Holy Prophet appointed one man on the right and one on the left and advised them to keep an eye on Khalid bin Waleed’s squad. When the fighting started, the Quraish attacked first. The Muslims fought bravely and killed and wounded many warriors of the Quraish. The news of the martyrdom of Hazrat Hamza, the dearest uncle of the Holy Prophet, by Wahshi bin Harb with a spear which went through his stomach, saddened them. Soon they recovered from this grief and the situation remained under control. The idolaters began to flee from the battlefield and their womenfolk; particularly Hind was seen running back to Makkah. The Muslims pursued the enemy putting them to the sword and collecting the spoils. At the same time the archers who were appointed on the mountainside committed a fatal mistake. They left their post against the orders of the Holy Prophet to collect the spoils until only nine of them were left behind. Khalid bin Waleed found a chance and took them by surprise. The nine archers fought bravely but could not stop the advance of the idolaters. So the main army of the Muslims was attacked from behind which took the Muslims by surprise. The pagans gathered again and the Muslims were sandwiched between the pagan army from both sides.
As a result confusion was created in their ranks and they started to flee the battlefield. Some retreated to the top of the mountain. The Quraish attacked the Prophet who was surrounded and was being protected by some of his companions. He suffered wounds on the face, lost a tooth and became unconscious. A rumour spread that he had been killed. This totally disheartened the Muslims some of whom threw away their arms in despair. Later, when the Muslims came to know that the Prophet was alive, they started to fight with renewed vigour. Seeing this, the Quraish lost their will to press on and started retreating. The pagans thought that they had taken the revenge of Badr and were successful but actually they had failed in their aim to destroy the Muslims as a whole. A total of 74 Muslims were martyred while 20 Makkans were killed. The loss of Hamza was the greatest. Hind returned and sought the body of Hazrat Hamza, cut his abdomen, took out his liver and chewed it. But afterwards threw it out of her mouth.
Allah says about this battle: ‘’God fulfilled His promise to you. You were routing them with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order and disobeyed, after he had shown you that for which you longed. Some of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come...’’ (3:152). The Makkans before their departure declared that this day was in return for Badr and they challenged the Muslims to meet them the next year. The Muslims returned to Medina, but the next day when the Prophet heard that the enemy was still lurking in the vicinity of Medina; he led out a force against them. When the Quraish learned about this, they retreated to Makkah. The Prophet stayed outside Medina for several days, thus demonstrating to the desert tribes that the Quraish’s victory was a hollow triumph.
Results:
1. Defeat in the battle of Uhad came as great shock to the Muslims. They could not understand how they could achieve victory at Badr, when they were heavily outnumbered and shabbily equipped and then suffer defeat at the hand sof an army which they had already forced to retreat. Their defeat, however, made it clear to the early Muslims that victory was not theirs by right and they could not expect to win every battle they fought.
2. A mistake was made the men on the mountains left their positions against the Prophet’s orders. It was a moment of weakness which overcame those believers who wanted to get a share in the booty. This battle convinced the Muslims that Allah supported them only as long as they supported his cause.
3. Another sign of weakness exposed at that time was that when the rumour of the Prophet’s death was spread, some of the Muslims dropped their weapons thinking that there was no more reason for them to continue fighting. It was not proper for a people who believe in Allah to stop fighting if the Prophet was killed. The Qur’an says: ‘’Mohammad is no more than a messenger. Many were the messengers that passed before him. If he died or were slain will you then turn back on your heels?’’
4. The loss of the Muslims had a negative effect on the relations with the neighbouring tribes who started to make plans against the Muslims.
5. Many tribes broke their treaties with the Muslims because they took their defeat as a sign of their weakness.
6. Some of the tribes became treacherous (disloyal) like Banu Salma who invited seventy missionaries to preach Islam among them and then killed them.
7. The Holy Prophet had to lead many campaigns to bring treacherous tribes back to submission.
8. During the battle, the Jewish tribe Banu Nazir, broke their treaty with the Muslims and sided openly with the Quraish. They also tried to kill the Prophet and after the battle they started showing their hostility openly. They were asked to leave Medina. They settled in Khyber while some of them went to Syria.
9. The Muslims lost their great commander Hamza.
The Jews were well settled in Medina long before the advent of Islam there In spite of inter marrying and mingling with the Arabs with whom they had many customs in common, they adhered firmly to their religion. But mutual business interests bound them close to all Arab tribes in and near Medina. There were three main Jewish tribes settled in Medina at that time: Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza. As soon as the Holy Prophet arrived in Medina, he tried to win over the Jews living there. He made a treaty with them which is known as the Charter or Treaty of Medina. Besides this treaty, which gave them political rights, the Holy Prophet made several religious concessions to them in order to win their loyalty to the new Muslim state. Jerusalem was made the Qiblah of the Muslims. Following the practice of the Jews the Muslims kept the fast of the Ashura; the Holy Prophet gave verdicts according to the Torah till the time the Muslim laws were revealed. He permitted Muslims to eat food with the Jews and to marry Jewish women. Before the Prophet’s coming to Medina, the Jews knew from their Book that it was time of coming of a prophet in their midst and when he came to Medina; they recognized him to be the promised prophet. However, they were not ready to accept him as he was not from the line of Bani Israel. The increasing power of the prophet and the victory of the Muslims in the battle of Badr, made the Jews extremely hostile. The growing power of Islam was against their economic interests. The Jews were also very furious when one of their scholars, Abdullah bin Salam of Banu Qainqah, accepted Islam.
Banu Qainqah were mainly goldsmiths and they lent money to the Aus and Khazraj and charged heavy interest. They were the first tribe to break the treaty with the Muslims. During the battle of Badr they did not help the Muslims according to the Charter of Medina. Then an incident occurred that became the immediate reason for their expulsion from Medina. A Muslim woman was insulted in the market and the Jews jeered at her. A skirmish took place and as a result a Jew and a Muslim were killed. When the matter was brought to the Prophet, he immediately raised an army and laid siege to their fortress. The siege lasted for 15 days and finally the Jews surrendered. The Prophet decided to execute them but then changed the punishment into exile on the request of Abdullah bin Ubbay. They were forced to leave Medina taking their wives and children within three days, leaving behind their tools. They went to Syria.
Banu Nazir and Banu Quraizah were agriculturists and possessed some of the richest lands in Medina where date palms were grown.
In 4AH (625AD), the Banu Nazir broke their treaty with the Muslims by not helping them in the battle of Uhad. Then the incident of Bir Mauna and its after math caused the Prophet to exile them from Medina. The Prophet went to their fortress to ask for their share of the blood money for the tragedy of Bir Mauna and they asked the Prophet to wait under the wall of their stronghold. The Prophet was divinely informed of the Jewish designs to kill him by rolling of a big stone from above the wall. He immediately left for Medina. He then sent them an ultimatum asking them to leave Medina within 15 days with their belongings and pay half of the agricultural produce of their lands. Upon their resistance the Prophet laid siege to their fortresses which lasted for 15 days. The Jews began to lose hope especially when the Muslims began to destroy their palms. Finally they gave in and they were told to leave their weapons and to have nothing from their lands. They left for Khyber.
In 5AH, the battle of trench took place. The Quraish, along with the Jews of Khyber and the desert Bedouin tribes, attacked Medina. The Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza which still lived in Medina openly sided with the Quraish and tried to attack the Muslims from the rear. If they had succeeded the results would have been fatal for the Muslims. After the battle the Prophet laid siege to their fortress which lasted for 25 days. They offered to surrender on the condition that their former ally Saad bin Muaz gave the verdict. Saad gave the verdict according to the Torah; their men were killed and their women and children were made slaves and their property divided amongst the Muslims.
Reasons for the change in the Prophet’s attitude towards the Jews:
There were a number of reasons and developments that led to drastic changes in the relations between the Muslims and the Jews. The Holy Prophet had made every sincere effort to make friends with the Jews. He tried to highlight similarities between the two communities by declaring the Jews and Muslims as a single Ummah, by granting them religious liberty and equal status in the Charter of Medina, and by declaring them as the People of Book. The Jews, however, did not reciprocate, and never accepted the Holy Prophet whole heartedly. As a matter of fact, rise of the Holy Prophet and Islam in and around Medina had seriously threatened their designs of establishing their supremacy over Medina and then all of Arabia. During the early days of Hijrah, they tried to exploit Islam for promoting their own interests, but the gradual popularity of Islam and the Muslim victory at Badr frustrated them a lot. So, they had religious, socio-economic and political reasons to remain hostile towards Islam. The monetary position of Banu Qainnuqa was affected, as the Muslims turned against them after the verses against Riba (usury) were revealed. The economic interests of Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza were threatened as pressure on land increased after the arrival of Muhajireen in Medina. The two Jewish tribes possessed some of the richest and fertile lands in Medina. They could not take the arrival of Muslims from Makkah lightly. Similarly, the Jews used to find defects in the Holy Prophet and the teachings of Islam. They would mock the Muslims for adopting Jerusalem as their Qiblah and for sharing a number of other religious rites of Jews such as Ashura fast. They would compose anti-Islamic verses and mispronounce the Qur’anic verses with the intention of changing their meanings. Thus, the relations between the Holy Prophet and the Jews began changing for the worse.
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JAN WEEK 3 (TRENCH)
BATTLE OF TRENCH (AHZAB):
Causes:
1. After the battle of Uhad, Abu Sufyan had threatened the Prophet and the Muslims that he would attack Medina the following year. According to this challenge the Holy Prophet took 1500 men the next year and went to Badr and waited for the Quraish for eight days. This embarrassed the Quraish who then began to prepare themselves for the next war.
2. The growing power and influence of the Muslims frightened the Quraish and threatened their trade.
3. The loss of the Muslims at Uhad also encouraged the Quraish to attack Medina.
4. The role of the Jews was an important factor which led to the war because they not only invited the Makkans to attack Medina but also instigated other tribes to fight against the Muslims. The Jewish tribes that had been driven out of Medina to Khyber also started plotting against the Muslims. A Jewish delegation went to Ghaftan and other desert tribes and asked them to join hands with the Quraish. The Jews agreed to give one year’s harvest of Khyber to the Ghaftan for their participation in the battle against Muslims. For this reason it was given the name of battle of Ahzab or confederate (partner in crime). It was also called the battle of Khandak or Trench as the Muslims had dug a trench around Medina to protect its inmates.
Events:
All the Jews, idolaters, Quraish and their allies combined and an army of 10,000 men started towards Medina to uproot Islam. The Qur’an refers to this battle in the following verses: ‘’they massed against you from above and below: your eyes rolled (with fear), your hearts rose into your throats; and you thought (ill) thoughts of God. There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken.’’ (33:10-11)
When the Holy Prophet learned about the preparations of the Quraish, he consulted his companions. Sulaiman Al-Farsi, a companion from Persia, suggested that a ditch be dug around the city. The proposal was readily accepted. Medina was safe on three sides on account of population and oasis. The fourth side that was on the Syrian route was unsafe. The Holy Prophet, therefore, decided that a trench be dug on the side that was open to attack. 3000 companions worked along with the Prophet in digging the trench. They worked for eight days and nights and made the trench broad enough to be impassable by man or horse. The enemy arrived and settled on the other side of the trench finding no way to approach the Muslims, hopeless against the superior planning of the Prophet. The first effort to cross the trench was made by Amr bin Abd Wud. He crossed the trench and challenged the Muslims to a duel. Hazrat Ali stepped forward and killed him. Two others followed but one of them met the same fate and the other escaped. Whenever the enemy came near the trench the Muslims hurled stones and arrows at them. The Muslims had to remain vigilant all the time and could not assemble for prayers. Meanwhile Banu Quraiza, the Jewish tribe broke the treaty with the Muslims. They conspired with the Quraish and planned to attack the Muslims from the rear. The Prophet put a small detachment near their forts to watch their movements. The Prophet also used secret agents to cause a sense of insecurity among the Banu Quraiza and mistrust was built between them and their allies. At the same time the Holy Prophet succeeded in winning over the majority of Banu Ghaftan who started to consider some kind of compromise with him. He sent a man from Ghaftan tribe who enjoyed a good relationship with both the Quraish and the Muslims and told the Quraish that the Jews were trying to enter into an understanding with the Muslims which would leave the Quraish isolated. Similarly a spy was sent to the Jews and the seed of mistrust was planted. As a result, a split developed between the allies that broke their unity.
More than three weeks passed and the pagans faced shortage of food particularly fodder for their animals. The harsh climate provided help to the Muslims and stormy winds started to blow. Finally, one night strong winds blew which overturned the enemy’s camp and forced them to retreat. The next day none of them could be seen anywhere. The supreme strategy of the Holy Prophet and the unprecedented unity of the Muslims proved superior to the lack of discipline and effort among the allies. The Prophet was also informed by Allah that it was the last attack by the Makkans. Allah says: ‘’ O you who believe! Remember Allah’s blessing on you when mighty armies massed against you. We sent a violent wind and invisible forces against them’’ (33:9). Again He says: ‘’God sent back the disbelievers along with their rage—they gained no benefit and spared the believers from fighting. Surely Allah is strong and mighty’’ (33:25).
Results:
1. The reason why the Quraish failed in their designs was the superior strategy of the Prophet. Such a way of defence was unknown to the Arabs who were baffled to see a formidable (difficult) obstacle that they failed to cross. He knew that his opponents would not be logistically prepared for a long drawn battle. He also took full advantage of agents and sowed the seeds of mistrust between the two allies which broke their will to fight.
2. After this battle the people of Medina recognized the Holy Prophet as the absolute ruler of the city.
3. The victory over a disproportionate superior force produced a great effect on the neighbouring tribes, who recognizing the emerging power of the Muslims voluntarily became their allies. Henceforth Islam began to spread rapidly among the neighbouring tribes.
4. After this battle the Holy Prophet had to lead 17 expeditions against the Bedouin tribes because the Quraish had made agreements with them before the war.
5. The influence of the Quraish amongst the Arab tribes received a serious blow.
6. Trade of the Quraish with Syria stopped and their position was damaged beyond repair.
7. The Prophet took action against Banu Quraiza who had helped the enemy in the battle.
8. It was clear that if the Muslims would remain firm on faith nobody could harm or defeat them.
9. For the first time, spying was used during the war.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2011
JAN WEEK 3 (UHAD)
THE BATTLE OF UHAD:
Causes:
Some of the causes of the Battle of Uhad were the same as that of Badr.
1. The pagans wanted to take revenge.
2. The people of Makkah wanted to regain their lost prestige.
3. The Jews and the hypocrites of Medina again invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
4. Some of the Makkans had vowed they would not take a bath until they had taken their revenge.
5. After Badr the business community of Makkah set aside a certain amount of their income for the next battle.
6. Ka’ab bin Ashraf of Banu Nazir went to Makkah to participate in the mourning for those killed at Badr. He and other Jewish poets wrote poems to instigate the Quraish to fight against the Muslims.
7. The Jews of Banu Nazir promised to help the Makkans.
8. After the battle of Badr there was a constant threat to the trade caravans of Makkah from the people of Medina.
9. Hind (Abu Sufyan’s wife) vowed she would take revenge for her brother and father killed in the battle of Badr and thus inspired the Makkans to fight too.
Events:
The Makkan army comprised of three thousand fully armed warriors with camels. Fifteen women were also allowed to accompany the army. Amongst them were Hind, Umme Hakim, Abu Jahal’s granddaughter and Fatimah, Khalid bin Waleed’s sister. They reached the Uhad Mountain on Friday, 6th Shawal 3AH. Their general was Abu Sufyan while the cavalry command was under Khalid bin Waleed who was assisted by Ikramah, Abu Jahal’s son.
The Prophet held a meeting with the companions after receiving the news of Makkan Army’s advancement towards Medina. The prophet along with other senior companions, suggested they should stay in Medina and defend it. He wanted the enemy to exhaust itself outside and save the Muslims from the risk of open war. The men could fight from the mouths of the lanes and the women could help them from the roof tops of the house. The chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubay, supported the Prophet’s suggestion. But the younger men were eager to fight in the open. The Prophet yielded to the opinion of the majority and soon one thousand men joined him.
The next the Muslim army marched towards Uhad and encamped on the rising ground with Uhad behind it. This had the advantage that it became difficult for the Makkan army to approach them thus reducing the numerical superiority. The Prophet divided his army into three battalions. The Muslim army consisted of a thousand fighters out of which only one hundred were armed. The women also participated in the battlefield for the first time. Amongst them were Ayesha, Umme Salma and Umme Ammara who supplied water to the wounded soldiers and dressed their wounds.
The first Muslim army was arranged in two rows and fifty skilful archers were ordered to stay on the mountain so that the enemy could not attack from behind. The Holy Prophet strictly advised them not to leave their place unless the Prophet ordered them to do so. When the Muslim army was very close to the Makkan army, Abdullah bin Ubay rebelled against the Prophet and separated 300 of his fighters from the Muslim army claiming that his opinion about fighting from inside Medina was not accepted and he found no reason to fight. Thus the Prophet was left with an army of 700. When the two armies were face to face, the Holy Prophet appointed one man on the right and one on the left and advised them to keep an eye on Khalid bin Waleed’s squad. When the fighting started, the Quraish attacked first. The Muslims fought bravely and killed and wounded many warriors of the Quraish. The news of the martyrdom of Hazrat Hamza, the dearest uncle of the Holy Prophet, by Wahshi bin Harb with a spear which went through his stomach, saddened them. Soon they recovered from this grief and the situation remained under control. The idolaters began to flee from the battlefield and their womenfolk; particularly Hind was seen running back to Makkah. The Muslims pursued the enemy putting them to the sword and collecting the spoils. At the same time the archers who were appointed on the mountainside committed a fatal mistake. They left their post against the orders of the Holy Prophet to collect the spoils until only nine of them were left behind. Khalid bin Waleed found a chance and took them by surprise. The nine archers fought bravely but could not stop the advance of the idolaters. So the main army of the Muslims was attacked from behind which took the Muslims by surprise. The pagans gathered again and the Muslims were sandwiched between the pagan army from both sides.
As a result confusion was created in their ranks and they started to flee the battlefield. Some retreated to the top of the mountain. The Quraish attacked the Prophet who was surrounded and was being protected by some of his companions. He suffered wounds on the face, lost a tooth and became unconscious. A rumour spread that he had been killed. This totally disheartened the Muslims some of whom threw away their arms in despair. Later, when the Muslims came to know that the Prophet was alive, they started to fight with renewed vigour. Seeing this, the Quraish lost their will to press on and started retreating. The pagans thought that they had taken the revenge of Badr and were successful but actually they had failed in their aim to destroy the Muslims as a whole. A total of 74 Muslims were martyred while 20 Makkans were killed. The loss of Hamza was the greatest. Hind returned and sought the body of Hazrat Hamza, cut his abdomen, took out his liver and chewed it. But afterwards threw it out of her mouth.
Allah says about this battle: ‘’God fulfilled His promise to you. You were routing them with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order and disobeyed, after he had shown you that for which you longed. Some of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come...’’ (3:152). The Makkans before their departure declared that this day was in return for Badr and they challenged the Muslims to meet them the next year. The Muslims returned to Medina, but the next day when the Prophet heard that the enemy was still lurking in the vicinity of Medina; he led out a force against them. When the Quraish learned about this, they retreated to Makkah. The Prophet stayed outside Medina for several days, thus demonstrating to the desert tribes that the Quraish’s victory was a hollow triumph.
Results:
1. Defeat in the battle of Uhad came as great shock to the Muslims. They could not understand how they could achieve victory at Badr, when they were heavily outnumbered and shabbily equipped and then suffer defeat at the hand sof an army which they had already forced to retreat. Their defeat, however, made it clear to the early Muslims that victory was not theirs by right and they could not expect to win every battle they fought.
2. A mistake was made the men on the mountains left their positions against the Prophet’s orders. It was a moment of weakness which overcame those believers who wanted to get a share in the booty. This battle convinced the Muslims that Allah supported them only as long as they supported his cause.
3. Another sign of weakness exposed at that time was that when the rumour of the Prophet’s death was spread, some of the Muslims dropped their weapons thinking that there was no more reason for them to continue fighting. It was not proper for a people who believe in Allah to stop fighting if the Prophet was killed. The Qur’an says: ‘’Mohammad is no more than a messenger. Many were the messengers that passed before him. If he died or were slain will you then turn back on your heels?’’
4. The loss of the Muslims had a negative effect on the relations with the neighbouring tribes who started to make plans against the Muslims.
5. Many tribes broke their treaties with the Muslims because they took their defeat as a sign of their weakness.
6. Some of the tribes became treacherous (disloyal) like Banu Salma who invited seventy missionaries to preach Islam among them and then killed them.
7. The Holy Prophet had to lead many campaigns to bring treacherous tribes back to submission.
8. During the battle, the Jewish tribe Banu Nazir, broke their treaty with the Muslims and sided openly with the Quraish. They also tried to kill the Prophet and after the battle they started showing their hostility openly. They were asked to leave Medina. They settled in Khyber while some of them went to Syria.
9. The Muslims lost their great commander Hamza.
Week 3
BATTLE OF HUNAIN (8AH):
When the news of the conquest of Makkah reached the leaders of Hawazin and Saqeef tribe, two very strong and warring tribes of Taif, they became enraged. They could not allow the Muslims to control the Kabah, the house of their idols. They decided to make a last effort against Islam. When the Prophet received the news of the declaration of a war against the Muslims, he raised an army of 12000 men and set out to meet the enemy. When the Muslims were marching through a steep and narrow valley the enemy suddenly sprang upon them. This unexpected attack broke the Muslims’ formation and many of them turned back and fled in panic.
The Prophet with a handful of companions stuck to his place and shouted at the Muslims to come back. They soon came back and rallied around the Prophet and fighting was renewed with vigour. The enemy fled and most of them took refuge in Taif. The initial reason for the Muslims’ defeat was that some of them were over confident because of their strength and number forgetting that victory came only from Allah. The Quran talks about this battle in the following verses: ‘’ assuredly Allah did help you in many battlefields even on the day of Hunain. You were well pleased with your large numbers, but they were of no use to you. The earth seemed to close in on you despite its spaciousness and you turned tail and fled. Then God sent His calm down to His messenger and the believers and sent down invisible forces. He punished the disbelievers—this is what disbelievers deserve.’’ (9:25, 26)
Consequences of the battle: This was an important battle fought by the Prophet. The Hawazin was mainly a nomadic tribe which was war like and stubborn. No other tribe posed such a threat to the Prophet as the Hawazin. Their defeat convinced the other nomadic tribes that the Prophet was invincible. Thus the supremacy of Islam and sovereignty of Medina was established all over Arabia.
SIEGE OF TAIF (8AH): Read from the book.
TABUK EXPEDITION (9AH):
Causes
The relations between the Muslims and Christians were strained since the Battle of Ma’uta. The byzantine Christians could not view with equanimity the growing unity of Arabia and the spread of Islam. The Emperor Heraclius collected a large force to attack Madinah. When the Holy Prophet (pbuh) learned about it he gave a call for Jihad.
Events
The time of expedition was unfavourable as there was draught and famine in Arabia. The summer was exceptionally hot. The date crop was ready to be harvested. The Arab tribes were reluctant to combat the Byzantinians whom they regarded with awe, particularly after the battle of Ma’uta. It was a long journey through arid desert towards a formidable enemy army. Moreover, the hypocrites under the leadership of ‘Abdullah bin Ubay’ were busy spreading discontentment and fear. They made various excuses not to accompany the Messenger of Allah and said that they feared the enemy and the intense heat. Allah said of them, “Those who were left behind were happy to stay behind when God’s Messenger set out; they hated the thought of striving in God’s way with their possessions and their persons. They said to one another, ‘Do not go (to war) in this heat.’ Say ‘Hellfire is hotter.’ If only they understood!” (9:81)
The Prophet (pbuh) asked the Muslims for contributions for the preparation of the expedition. The Muslims contributed a large number of equipment; Abu Bakr gave all his possessions while Umar gave half of his. Usman gave 300 camels and 1000 dinars, women donated their ornaments.
The Prophet (pbuh) collected an army of 30,000 and marched out of Madinah. The hypocrites joined the Muslim army in the beginning but soon afterwards, they excused and returned.
After seven days of journey, the Muslims reached Tabuk, but the enemy had already dispersed when they heard about the advance of such a huge army. The Prophet (pbuh) sent small expeditions against various Christian and Jewish princes in the neighbourhood. Many Christian tribes entered into alliance with the Muslims and came under their protection and agreed to pay Jizyah. In return The Prophet (pbuh) guaranteed their protection of their borders and territories, their caravans and their ships travelling by land and sea. Agreements to this effect were delivered to all parties.
Then came the news that the Romans had withdrawn from their border towns. They had decided not to encroach on the Muslim land. The Prophet (pbuh) could see no reason to pursue them into their territory as his goal had already been achieved. After staying in Tabuk for twenty days the Prophet (pbuh) returned to Madinah.
Significance of Expedition of Tabuk
• The Tabuk expedition did not achieve any military objectives, it nevertheless indicated the direction, from which Islam would face the greatest danger.
• One indirect result of the expedition of Tabuk was the final extinction of the hypocrites of Abullah bin Ubbay. They always plotted against the Muslims and helped the enemies during the battle. They even built a mosque at Quba. The Prophet (pbuh) on his return from the expedition of Tabuk ordered it to be demolished, as it had become a gathering place for disaffected elements in Madinah. After two months of the return from Tabuk Abdullah bin Ubay died and with his death, the hypocrites ceased to exist.
The expedition to Tabuk in Rajab 9 A.H. was the last campaign of the Prophet. In all, the Muslims had fought in twenty-seven and taken part in sixty forays and expeditions. No conqueror had ever achieved such success with so little loss of life. Throughout all the campaigns, a total of only one thousand and eighteen people from both sides had been killed. Eventually Arabia was so safe that a woman pilgrim could travel all the way from Hirah to Makkah without anyone fearing anyone except Allah.
REVIEW OF THE BATTLES FOUGHT BY THE PROPHET: Read from the book
YEAR OF DEPUTATIONS (10AH): Read from the book
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JAN WEEK 4 ( CONQUEST OF MAKKAH)
CONQUEST OF MAKKAH (8AH):
Causes:
The defeat of the Muslims at Mu’tah encouraged the Quraish to adopt a hostile attitude towards the Muslims. In the treaty of Hudaibiya, it was laid down that anyone who wanted to enter into a treaty with the Prophet (PBUH) or the Quraish could do so. The Banu Bakr entered into an alliance with the Quraish while the Banu Khuza’ah made a pact with the Prophet (PBUH).
Two years after the treaty of Hudaibiya, Banu Bakr attacked and killed the men of Banu Khuza’ah. A deputation of the Banu Khuza’ah came to the Holy Prophet and asked for his aid and protection. The Holy Prophet promised to help them. He sent a messenger to the Quraish offering them three alternatives:
1. To pay compensation or blood money for the men of Banu Khuza’ah.
2. To dissolve their alliance with Banu Bakr.
3. To declare that the treaty of Hudaibiya stood dissolved.
The Quraish opted for the third alternative but soon realized that they were no match for the Muslims and sent Abu Sufyan to settle the affair as best as he could. Abu Sufyan went to Medina and first went to see his daughter Umme Habiba, one of the wives of the Prophet but she refused to help him. Then he went to Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali, but they all expressed their inability to intercede on his behalf. Then he went to the mosque of the Prophet and shouted that the Quraish would guarantee peace and protection to all, but the Prophet rejected the offer.
Events:
The Prophet prepared an army of 10000 men; he maintained complete secrecy to prevent Quraish from organizing an alliance with their neighbouring tribes. The Holy Prophet set out to Makkah on the 10th of Ramazan 8AH. The Muslims camped outside Makkah. The Quraish were taken by complete surprise. They came to know of it when they saw 10000 fires lit on the hills outside Makkah. The Prophet had ordered his followers to light up these torches so that the Makkans should know what they were up against. The sight of so many fires magnified the size of the Muslim army in the eyes of the Quraish and they were demoralized, over awed and completely unnerved. Abu Sufyan came to spy for the Quraish and was completely taken aback. The guards of Allah’s apostle caught him and brought him to the Prophet. At that point Abu Sufyan embraced Islam.
Before entering Makkah the Prophet proclaimed that whosoever remained in his own house would be safe, whoever was in Kabah would be safe and those who entered the house of Abu Sufyan would be safe. Thus safety was guaranteed to virtually everyone. The Prophet told his army not use arms against anyone when they entered Makkah unless they met with resistance or were attacked. He ordered them to avoid bloodshed; they were to resort to arms if absolutely unavoidable. He ordered that the old, the women and the children should not be harmed. He divided his army into four columns; each column was assigned a specific part of Makkah to capture. They entered peacefully. The column of Khalid bin Waleed was showered with arrows and he had to fight back 13 men from the Quraish. In the skirmish two Muslims were martyred. The Prophet went to the Kabah and performed Tawaaf. He went inside and prayed, then he purified it. There were about 360 idols in the Kabah, while destroying the idols he recited the following verse: ‘’ and say the truth has come and falsehood has passed away, falsehood is bound to pass away’’ (17:81). The Messenger of Allah opened the door of the Kabah. The Quraish had filled the mosque and were waiting to see what he would do. Before the Zuhr prayer the Prophet directed Bilal to ascend the roof of the Kabah and announce the azaan. After the prayers the Holy Prophet proceeded to the Safa Hill and people came in crowds to embrace Islam. He then delivered a sermon on the unity of God, abolition of the customs of the ignorance and practices of the Quraish and laid emphasis on the duty of man to God and Mankind.
At the end of the sermon he asked them ‘’ what do you think I am going to do to you?’’ They said ‘’ you are a noble brother and a son of a noble brother.’’ The Prophet said ‘’ no blame on you be this day. Go, you are free.’’ The Quraish were dumbfounded, they never expected to escape so lightly. The mercy of the Prophet captivated their hearts. Even the bitterest enemy amongst them was convinced of the supreme moral virtues of Islam. The truth of Islam penetrated deep into their hearts. The prophet stayed in Makkah for about 20 days during which he made final arrangements for the administration of the city. He defined the boundaries of Haram of Makkah by erecting pillars of stones at proper places. Most of the offices and the privileges of the Quraish were abolished. The Quran says regarding the conquest of Makkah: : ‘’When God’s help comes and he open up your way [Prophet], when you see people embracing God’s faith in crowds, celebrate the praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness...’’ (110:1-3).
Significance:
The conquest of Makkah was not only due to the superb leadership of the prophet but also due to his magnificent character, his tact, diplomacy, administrative skill and statesmanship that he exhibited as the head of the new Islamic state of Medina as well as his deep faith in his mission and profound trust in Allah. The conquest of Makkah produced the following results:
• The Muslims recovered their native homeland.
• The Kaabah was purified of idols.
• The Muslims conquered the economic, cultural, political, spiritual, social and international centre of Arabia.
• The Holy Prophet pardoned everyone and showed that he was sent as a mercy for the whole world.
• Many people accepted Islam in groups including Abu Sufyan who was a bitter enemy of Islam.
• The Holy Prophet, for the first time appointed someone as the governor of Makkah, and went back to Medina.
• The whole Arabia came under the control of the Muslims.
Allah’s promise proved true that after the Battle of Trench, the Makkans would not attack the Muslims and with the conquest of Makkah their chances of attacking Medina vanished forever.
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JAN WEEK 4 ( KHYBER, UMRAH, MAUTAH)
KHYBER EXPEDITION (7AH):
The Bani Nazir and other Jewish tribes after being exiled from Medina had settled at Khyber where they were always plotting against the Muslims. They had the support of the Ghatafan tribe and the hypocrites of Medina. When they came to know of the terms of Hudaibiya, they took it as a sign of weakness or almost a defeat of the Muslims and began to make preparations for attacking Medina. Khyber was a group of strongly fortified fortresses in the northeast of Medina, the principal of which was called Al Qamas. The Holy Prophet came to know of these developments and marched with an army of 1600 men against the Jews of Khyber. The hypocrites of Medina warned the Jews who at once dispatched the message to the Ghatafan tribe, promising half of the produce of their fruit crop, if they could beat the Muslim expedition. The Muslim army headed by the Holy Prophet marched to Isra Mountain and encamped in a valley called Al-Raji to prevent the mingling of the Ghatafan with the Jews of Khyber.
The Prophet did not want a long siege, so he ordered an attack. The Muslims captured all fortresses without much difficulty, but when they reached the fort of Qamas, the fight prolonged for 20 days. Each day they had to return without success, until one day, the Prophet sent Hazrat Ali as commander of the troops for the day’s fight. Hazrat Ali pledged to fight until the enemy would embrace Islam. Seeing the Muslims under the command of Hazrat Ali, Mahrab, the famous warrior of the Jews came out of the fort to fight. Hazrat Ali killed him in the first attack. Then a fierce battle started in which the Jews were forced to surrender and the Muslims captured the fort. The Jews requested the Holy Prophet to grant them peace and so the Prophet allowed them to stay in Khyber on the condition that they would live in peace and give half of the produce of their land to the Muslims.
UMRAH (7AH):
According to the treaty of Hudaibiya, signed in 6AH, Muslims could perform Umrah the next year. They were also entitled to stay for three days in Makkah. So 2000 men with some women and children having 60 camels for sacrifice advanced towards Makkah. When they were 8 miles away, the Holy Prophet appointed 200 men with weapons there and the remaining Muslims entered Makkah with sheathed swords. The Quraish shifted to their camps on a mountain from where they were watching the caravans of the Muslims. All the rituals were performed with full dignity and freedom by the Muslims. The Quraish were tongue tied for three days. After that as per the treaty, they asked the Muslims to leave Makkah. After Umrah, the next phase of the Islamic revolution started and the glory of Islam increased.
BATTLE OF MU’TAH (8AH):
The Holy Prophet sent a letter to the Roman Emperor who was a Christian, inviting him to Islam. The messenger was killed at Mu’tah, a place in Syria. The Holy Prophet therefore sent an army of 3000 Muslims under the leadership of Zaid bin Haris. The Muslims had not fought such a huge army before. Zaid bin Haris fought bravely but fell due to injuries and Hazrat Jaffar took the flag. His right hand was cut and he seized the flag in his left hand but that too was cut and he seized the flag with both arms until a soldier cut him in two. Then Abdullah bin Rawahah (RA) proceeded reciting the verses of the Holy Qur’an enthusiastically until he was also martyred. The Muslims chose Khalid bin Waleed as the flag bearer and he planned a strategy to terrify the enemy. The enemy was misled because they assumed that a fresh army had joined the Muslims. They believed that they were being entrapped. They stopped pursuing the Muslim army and the Muslims safely retreated to Medina. The number of martyrs was 12 while the casualties of the Byzantines were large in number. Although the Muslims were not satisfied with the result of the war but their reputation in warfare intimidated the non-Muslims when they came to know that only 3000 men with simple equipment had fought so bravely against such a large army.
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JAN WEEK 4 (HUDAIBIYA)
TREATY OF HUDAIBIYA (6AH):
In 6 A.H., the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had a dream that he had entered the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, he decided to go to Makkah for performing Umrah, or the minor pilgrimage. The Quran says: “Allah indeed fulfilled the vision for His Messenger with truth. You shall certainly enter the Sacred Mosque if Allah pleases in security.” (Al-Fath 48:27)
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) washed his clothes, mounted his camel Qaswa and marched towards Makkah in the company of 1400 companions including his wife Umm-e-Salma. When the Quraish heard of the approach of the Muslims they were prepared to resist their entry by force of arm, they sent a force under the command of Khalid bin Waleed and Ikramah bin Abu Jahl. As the Prophet (pbuh) had no intention to fight, he left the main road and led the Muslims towards the less frequented road. They camped at a place called Hudaibiya, which was some miles from Makkah, the Quraish resolved to fight rather than allow Muslims to enter Makkah. The Prophet (pbuh) sent a Messenger to Makkah who was ill-treated by the Quraish. Then, he sent Uthman ibn Affan (RA) who had a powerful clan to protect him in Makkah. Since Uthman ibn Affan (RA) was detained for a long time, a rumour broke out in the Muslim camp that he had been killed by the Quraish.
The Prophet (pbuh) called his companions to take a pledge to fight and avenge the blood of Uthman (RA). This pledge was taken on the hand of Prophet (pbuh) while he stood under a tree, hence it became known as Bayt Al Ridwan, the pledge of tree or the Pledge of God’s Pleasure. Allah says, “Allah indeed was pleased with the believers, when they swore allegiance to you under the tree and He knew what was in their hearts, so he sent down peace on them and rewarded them with clear victory.” (48:18)
The arrogant Quraish now realized that the Muslims were strong enough to defend their faith and evil tactics could not frighten them. So they decided to conclude a treaty of reconciliation and peace with the Muslims. Sohail bin Amir was sent to write a treaty. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) started dictating the treaty with the words “Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem.” At this Sohail insisted upon the customary words “Bismika Allahuma.” The Muslims felt uneasy at these words, but the Holy Prophet (pbuh) agreed to Sohail’s wish. Then he went on to dictate, “This is what Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, has agreed to with Sohail bin Amr.” Upon that Sohail bin Amr again protested that the Makkans had not acknowledged Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah. He should write his own name and the name of his father. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself erased the words and instead dictated “Muhammad the son of Abdullah.” The clauses of the treaty go as follows:
1) The Muslims shall return this year and come back next year, but they shall not stay in Makkah for more than three days. They must be unarmed but can bring with them swords only which should be sheathed and these shall be kept in bags.
2) War activities shall be suspended for ten years, during which both parties will live in full security and neither will raise sword against the other.
3) If a tribe wishes to join the Holy Prophet (pbuh) or enter into a treaty with him, they should have the liberty to do so; and likewise whosoever wishes to join the Quraish or enter in a treaty with them should be allowed to do so.
4) If anyone from the Quraish goes to Muhammad (pbuh) without his guardian’s permission, meaning fugitive, he should be sent back to the Quraish, but should any of Muhammad’s (pbuh) followers return to the Quraish he shall not be sent back.
Many of the Muslims including Hazrat Umar were not happy over the terms of the treaty which were very harsh and against the interest of Muslims. Yet the Holy Prophet (pbuh) accepted them with the command of Allah Who Himself, declared this treaty to be a manifest victory for the believers by saying: “Truly, We have opened up a path to clear triumph for you.” (48:1).
Importance/ effects of Hudaibiya:
• By entering into ten years truce with the Quraish, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) reaped several political and strategic advantages. Firstly, Medina started to be reckoned as an equal power with Makkah in the eyes of the whole of Arabia. Secondly, the Quraish became neutral in the struggle between the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on one side and the Jews and Bedouin on the other. Thirdly, Medina became a centre around which all the tribes were united under the banner of Islam.
• In the two that followed, more people accepted Islam than in the preceding six years. The great Muslim Khalid bin Waleed and Amr bin Aas accepted Islam during this period.
• The Quraish had imposed an unjust term of repatriation (send someone back to their own country), which laid down that the converts from Makkah could not go to Medina. These converts instead of going to Medina fled and settled on a hilly track on road to Syria from where they posed a threat to the trade caravans of the Quraish. The Quraish were forced to beg the Muslim to cancel this clause from the Treaty.
After the Treaty, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) sent messages of Islam to kings and emperors some of whom embraced Islam. The Treaty of Hudaibiya was a turning point in the great struggle of Islamic revolution which laid the foundation of later successes. It ultimately paved the ground for the peaceful and bloodless conquest of Makkah.
When the news of the conquest of Makkah reached the leaders of Hawazin and Saqeef tribe, two very strong and warring tribes of Taif, they became enraged. They could not allow the Muslims to control the Kabah, the house of their idols. They decided to make a last effort against Islam. When the Prophet received the news of the declaration of a war against the Muslims, he raised an army of 12000 men and set out to meet the enemy. When the Muslims were marching through a steep and narrow valley the enemy suddenly sprang upon them. This unexpected attack broke the Muslims’ formation and many of them turned back and fled in panic.
The Prophet with a handful of companions stuck to his place and shouted at the Muslims to come back. They soon came back and rallied around the Prophet and fighting was renewed with vigour. The enemy fled and most of them took refuge in Taif. The initial reason for the Muslims’ defeat was that some of them were over confident because of their strength and number forgetting that victory came only from Allah. The Quran talks about this battle in the following verses: ‘’ assuredly Allah did help you in many battlefields even on the day of Hunain. You were well pleased with your large numbers, but they were of no use to you. The earth seemed to close in on you despite its spaciousness and you turned tail and fled. Then God sent His calm down to His messenger and the believers and sent down invisible forces. He punished the disbelievers—this is what disbelievers deserve.’’ (9:25, 26)
Consequences of the battle: This was an important battle fought by the Prophet. The Hawazin was mainly a nomadic tribe which was war like and stubborn. No other tribe posed such a threat to the Prophet as the Hawazin. Their defeat convinced the other nomadic tribes that the Prophet was invincible. Thus the supremacy of Islam and sovereignty of Medina was established all over Arabia.
SIEGE OF TAIF (8AH): Read from the book.
TABUK EXPEDITION (9AH):
Causes
The relations between the Muslims and Christians were strained since the Battle of Ma’uta. The byzantine Christians could not view with equanimity the growing unity of Arabia and the spread of Islam. The Emperor Heraclius collected a large force to attack Madinah. When the Holy Prophet (pbuh) learned about it he gave a call for Jihad.
Events
The time of expedition was unfavourable as there was draught and famine in Arabia. The summer was exceptionally hot. The date crop was ready to be harvested. The Arab tribes were reluctant to combat the Byzantinians whom they regarded with awe, particularly after the battle of Ma’uta. It was a long journey through arid desert towards a formidable enemy army. Moreover, the hypocrites under the leadership of ‘Abdullah bin Ubay’ were busy spreading discontentment and fear. They made various excuses not to accompany the Messenger of Allah and said that they feared the enemy and the intense heat. Allah said of them, “Those who were left behind were happy to stay behind when God’s Messenger set out; they hated the thought of striving in God’s way with their possessions and their persons. They said to one another, ‘Do not go (to war) in this heat.’ Say ‘Hellfire is hotter.’ If only they understood!” (9:81)
The Prophet (pbuh) asked the Muslims for contributions for the preparation of the expedition. The Muslims contributed a large number of equipment; Abu Bakr gave all his possessions while Umar gave half of his. Usman gave 300 camels and 1000 dinars, women donated their ornaments.
The Prophet (pbuh) collected an army of 30,000 and marched out of Madinah. The hypocrites joined the Muslim army in the beginning but soon afterwards, they excused and returned.
After seven days of journey, the Muslims reached Tabuk, but the enemy had already dispersed when they heard about the advance of such a huge army. The Prophet (pbuh) sent small expeditions against various Christian and Jewish princes in the neighbourhood. Many Christian tribes entered into alliance with the Muslims and came under their protection and agreed to pay Jizyah. In return The Prophet (pbuh) guaranteed their protection of their borders and territories, their caravans and their ships travelling by land and sea. Agreements to this effect were delivered to all parties.
Then came the news that the Romans had withdrawn from their border towns. They had decided not to encroach on the Muslim land. The Prophet (pbuh) could see no reason to pursue them into their territory as his goal had already been achieved. After staying in Tabuk for twenty days the Prophet (pbuh) returned to Madinah.
Significance of Expedition of Tabuk
• The Tabuk expedition did not achieve any military objectives, it nevertheless indicated the direction, from which Islam would face the greatest danger.
• One indirect result of the expedition of Tabuk was the final extinction of the hypocrites of Abullah bin Ubbay. They always plotted against the Muslims and helped the enemies during the battle. They even built a mosque at Quba. The Prophet (pbuh) on his return from the expedition of Tabuk ordered it to be demolished, as it had become a gathering place for disaffected elements in Madinah. After two months of the return from Tabuk Abdullah bin Ubay died and with his death, the hypocrites ceased to exist.
The expedition to Tabuk in Rajab 9 A.H. was the last campaign of the Prophet. In all, the Muslims had fought in twenty-seven and taken part in sixty forays and expeditions. No conqueror had ever achieved such success with so little loss of life. Throughout all the campaigns, a total of only one thousand and eighteen people from both sides had been killed. Eventually Arabia was so safe that a woman pilgrim could travel all the way from Hirah to Makkah without anyone fearing anyone except Allah.
REVIEW OF THE BATTLES FOUGHT BY THE PROPHET: Read from the book
YEAR OF DEPUTATIONS (10AH): Read from the book
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JAN WEEK 4 ( CONQUEST OF MAKKAH)
CONQUEST OF MAKKAH (8AH):
Causes:
The defeat of the Muslims at Mu’tah encouraged the Quraish to adopt a hostile attitude towards the Muslims. In the treaty of Hudaibiya, it was laid down that anyone who wanted to enter into a treaty with the Prophet (PBUH) or the Quraish could do so. The Banu Bakr entered into an alliance with the Quraish while the Banu Khuza’ah made a pact with the Prophet (PBUH).
Two years after the treaty of Hudaibiya, Banu Bakr attacked and killed the men of Banu Khuza’ah. A deputation of the Banu Khuza’ah came to the Holy Prophet and asked for his aid and protection. The Holy Prophet promised to help them. He sent a messenger to the Quraish offering them three alternatives:
1. To pay compensation or blood money for the men of Banu Khuza’ah.
2. To dissolve their alliance with Banu Bakr.
3. To declare that the treaty of Hudaibiya stood dissolved.
The Quraish opted for the third alternative but soon realized that they were no match for the Muslims and sent Abu Sufyan to settle the affair as best as he could. Abu Sufyan went to Medina and first went to see his daughter Umme Habiba, one of the wives of the Prophet but she refused to help him. Then he went to Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali, but they all expressed their inability to intercede on his behalf. Then he went to the mosque of the Prophet and shouted that the Quraish would guarantee peace and protection to all, but the Prophet rejected the offer.
Events:
The Prophet prepared an army of 10000 men; he maintained complete secrecy to prevent Quraish from organizing an alliance with their neighbouring tribes. The Holy Prophet set out to Makkah on the 10th of Ramazan 8AH. The Muslims camped outside Makkah. The Quraish were taken by complete surprise. They came to know of it when they saw 10000 fires lit on the hills outside Makkah. The Prophet had ordered his followers to light up these torches so that the Makkans should know what they were up against. The sight of so many fires magnified the size of the Muslim army in the eyes of the Quraish and they were demoralized, over awed and completely unnerved. Abu Sufyan came to spy for the Quraish and was completely taken aback. The guards of Allah’s apostle caught him and brought him to the Prophet. At that point Abu Sufyan embraced Islam.
Before entering Makkah the Prophet proclaimed that whosoever remained in his own house would be safe, whoever was in Kabah would be safe and those who entered the house of Abu Sufyan would be safe. Thus safety was guaranteed to virtually everyone. The Prophet told his army not use arms against anyone when they entered Makkah unless they met with resistance or were attacked. He ordered them to avoid bloodshed; they were to resort to arms if absolutely unavoidable. He ordered that the old, the women and the children should not be harmed. He divided his army into four columns; each column was assigned a specific part of Makkah to capture. They entered peacefully. The column of Khalid bin Waleed was showered with arrows and he had to fight back 13 men from the Quraish. In the skirmish two Muslims were martyred. The Prophet went to the Kabah and performed Tawaaf. He went inside and prayed, then he purified it. There were about 360 idols in the Kabah, while destroying the idols he recited the following verse: ‘’ and say the truth has come and falsehood has passed away, falsehood is bound to pass away’’ (17:81). The Messenger of Allah opened the door of the Kabah. The Quraish had filled the mosque and were waiting to see what he would do. Before the Zuhr prayer the Prophet directed Bilal to ascend the roof of the Kabah and announce the azaan. After the prayers the Holy Prophet proceeded to the Safa Hill and people came in crowds to embrace Islam. He then delivered a sermon on the unity of God, abolition of the customs of the ignorance and practices of the Quraish and laid emphasis on the duty of man to God and Mankind.
At the end of the sermon he asked them ‘’ what do you think I am going to do to you?’’ They said ‘’ you are a noble brother and a son of a noble brother.’’ The Prophet said ‘’ no blame on you be this day. Go, you are free.’’ The Quraish were dumbfounded, they never expected to escape so lightly. The mercy of the Prophet captivated their hearts. Even the bitterest enemy amongst them was convinced of the supreme moral virtues of Islam. The truth of Islam penetrated deep into their hearts. The prophet stayed in Makkah for about 20 days during which he made final arrangements for the administration of the city. He defined the boundaries of Haram of Makkah by erecting pillars of stones at proper places. Most of the offices and the privileges of the Quraish were abolished. The Quran says regarding the conquest of Makkah: : ‘’When God’s help comes and he open up your way [Prophet], when you see people embracing God’s faith in crowds, celebrate the praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness...’’ (110:1-3).
Significance:
The conquest of Makkah was not only due to the superb leadership of the prophet but also due to his magnificent character, his tact, diplomacy, administrative skill and statesmanship that he exhibited as the head of the new Islamic state of Medina as well as his deep faith in his mission and profound trust in Allah. The conquest of Makkah produced the following results:
• The Muslims recovered their native homeland.
• The Kaabah was purified of idols.
• The Muslims conquered the economic, cultural, political, spiritual, social and international centre of Arabia.
• The Holy Prophet pardoned everyone and showed that he was sent as a mercy for the whole world.
• Many people accepted Islam in groups including Abu Sufyan who was a bitter enemy of Islam.
• The Holy Prophet, for the first time appointed someone as the governor of Makkah, and went back to Medina.
• The whole Arabia came under the control of the Muslims.
Allah’s promise proved true that after the Battle of Trench, the Makkans would not attack the Muslims and with the conquest of Makkah their chances of attacking Medina vanished forever.
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JAN WEEK 4 ( KHYBER, UMRAH, MAUTAH)
KHYBER EXPEDITION (7AH):
The Bani Nazir and other Jewish tribes after being exiled from Medina had settled at Khyber where they were always plotting against the Muslims. They had the support of the Ghatafan tribe and the hypocrites of Medina. When they came to know of the terms of Hudaibiya, they took it as a sign of weakness or almost a defeat of the Muslims and began to make preparations for attacking Medina. Khyber was a group of strongly fortified fortresses in the northeast of Medina, the principal of which was called Al Qamas. The Holy Prophet came to know of these developments and marched with an army of 1600 men against the Jews of Khyber. The hypocrites of Medina warned the Jews who at once dispatched the message to the Ghatafan tribe, promising half of the produce of their fruit crop, if they could beat the Muslim expedition. The Muslim army headed by the Holy Prophet marched to Isra Mountain and encamped in a valley called Al-Raji to prevent the mingling of the Ghatafan with the Jews of Khyber.
The Prophet did not want a long siege, so he ordered an attack. The Muslims captured all fortresses without much difficulty, but when they reached the fort of Qamas, the fight prolonged for 20 days. Each day they had to return without success, until one day, the Prophet sent Hazrat Ali as commander of the troops for the day’s fight. Hazrat Ali pledged to fight until the enemy would embrace Islam. Seeing the Muslims under the command of Hazrat Ali, Mahrab, the famous warrior of the Jews came out of the fort to fight. Hazrat Ali killed him in the first attack. Then a fierce battle started in which the Jews were forced to surrender and the Muslims captured the fort. The Jews requested the Holy Prophet to grant them peace and so the Prophet allowed them to stay in Khyber on the condition that they would live in peace and give half of the produce of their land to the Muslims.
UMRAH (7AH):
According to the treaty of Hudaibiya, signed in 6AH, Muslims could perform Umrah the next year. They were also entitled to stay for three days in Makkah. So 2000 men with some women and children having 60 camels for sacrifice advanced towards Makkah. When they were 8 miles away, the Holy Prophet appointed 200 men with weapons there and the remaining Muslims entered Makkah with sheathed swords. The Quraish shifted to their camps on a mountain from where they were watching the caravans of the Muslims. All the rituals were performed with full dignity and freedom by the Muslims. The Quraish were tongue tied for three days. After that as per the treaty, they asked the Muslims to leave Makkah. After Umrah, the next phase of the Islamic revolution started and the glory of Islam increased.
BATTLE OF MU’TAH (8AH):
The Holy Prophet sent a letter to the Roman Emperor who was a Christian, inviting him to Islam. The messenger was killed at Mu’tah, a place in Syria. The Holy Prophet therefore sent an army of 3000 Muslims under the leadership of Zaid bin Haris. The Muslims had not fought such a huge army before. Zaid bin Haris fought bravely but fell due to injuries and Hazrat Jaffar took the flag. His right hand was cut and he seized the flag in his left hand but that too was cut and he seized the flag with both arms until a soldier cut him in two. Then Abdullah bin Rawahah (RA) proceeded reciting the verses of the Holy Qur’an enthusiastically until he was also martyred. The Muslims chose Khalid bin Waleed as the flag bearer and he planned a strategy to terrify the enemy. The enemy was misled because they assumed that a fresh army had joined the Muslims. They believed that they were being entrapped. They stopped pursuing the Muslim army and the Muslims safely retreated to Medina. The number of martyrs was 12 while the casualties of the Byzantines were large in number. Although the Muslims were not satisfied with the result of the war but their reputation in warfare intimidated the non-Muslims when they came to know that only 3000 men with simple equipment had fought so bravely against such a large army.
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JAN WEEK 4 (HUDAIBIYA)
TREATY OF HUDAIBIYA (6AH):
In 6 A.H., the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had a dream that he had entered the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, he decided to go to Makkah for performing Umrah, or the minor pilgrimage. The Quran says: “Allah indeed fulfilled the vision for His Messenger with truth. You shall certainly enter the Sacred Mosque if Allah pleases in security.” (Al-Fath 48:27)
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) washed his clothes, mounted his camel Qaswa and marched towards Makkah in the company of 1400 companions including his wife Umm-e-Salma. When the Quraish heard of the approach of the Muslims they were prepared to resist their entry by force of arm, they sent a force under the command of Khalid bin Waleed and Ikramah bin Abu Jahl. As the Prophet (pbuh) had no intention to fight, he left the main road and led the Muslims towards the less frequented road. They camped at a place called Hudaibiya, which was some miles from Makkah, the Quraish resolved to fight rather than allow Muslims to enter Makkah. The Prophet (pbuh) sent a Messenger to Makkah who was ill-treated by the Quraish. Then, he sent Uthman ibn Affan (RA) who had a powerful clan to protect him in Makkah. Since Uthman ibn Affan (RA) was detained for a long time, a rumour broke out in the Muslim camp that he had been killed by the Quraish.
The Prophet (pbuh) called his companions to take a pledge to fight and avenge the blood of Uthman (RA). This pledge was taken on the hand of Prophet (pbuh) while he stood under a tree, hence it became known as Bayt Al Ridwan, the pledge of tree or the Pledge of God’s Pleasure. Allah says, “Allah indeed was pleased with the believers, when they swore allegiance to you under the tree and He knew what was in their hearts, so he sent down peace on them and rewarded them with clear victory.” (48:18)
The arrogant Quraish now realized that the Muslims were strong enough to defend their faith and evil tactics could not frighten them. So they decided to conclude a treaty of reconciliation and peace with the Muslims. Sohail bin Amir was sent to write a treaty. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) started dictating the treaty with the words “Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem.” At this Sohail insisted upon the customary words “Bismika Allahuma.” The Muslims felt uneasy at these words, but the Holy Prophet (pbuh) agreed to Sohail’s wish. Then he went on to dictate, “This is what Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, has agreed to with Sohail bin Amr.” Upon that Sohail bin Amr again protested that the Makkans had not acknowledged Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah. He should write his own name and the name of his father. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself erased the words and instead dictated “Muhammad the son of Abdullah.” The clauses of the treaty go as follows:
1) The Muslims shall return this year and come back next year, but they shall not stay in Makkah for more than three days. They must be unarmed but can bring with them swords only which should be sheathed and these shall be kept in bags.
2) War activities shall be suspended for ten years, during which both parties will live in full security and neither will raise sword against the other.
3) If a tribe wishes to join the Holy Prophet (pbuh) or enter into a treaty with him, they should have the liberty to do so; and likewise whosoever wishes to join the Quraish or enter in a treaty with them should be allowed to do so.
4) If anyone from the Quraish goes to Muhammad (pbuh) without his guardian’s permission, meaning fugitive, he should be sent back to the Quraish, but should any of Muhammad’s (pbuh) followers return to the Quraish he shall not be sent back.
Many of the Muslims including Hazrat Umar were not happy over the terms of the treaty which were very harsh and against the interest of Muslims. Yet the Holy Prophet (pbuh) accepted them with the command of Allah Who Himself, declared this treaty to be a manifest victory for the believers by saying: “Truly, We have opened up a path to clear triumph for you.” (48:1).
Importance/ effects of Hudaibiya:
• By entering into ten years truce with the Quraish, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) reaped several political and strategic advantages. Firstly, Medina started to be reckoned as an equal power with Makkah in the eyes of the whole of Arabia. Secondly, the Quraish became neutral in the struggle between the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on one side and the Jews and Bedouin on the other. Thirdly, Medina became a centre around which all the tribes were united under the banner of Islam.
• In the two that followed, more people accepted Islam than in the preceding six years. The great Muslim Khalid bin Waleed and Amr bin Aas accepted Islam during this period.
• The Quraish had imposed an unjust term of repatriation (send someone back to their own country), which laid down that the converts from Makkah could not go to Medina. These converts instead of going to Medina fled and settled on a hilly track on road to Syria from where they posed a threat to the trade caravans of the Quraish. The Quraish were forced to beg the Muslim to cancel this clause from the Treaty.
After the Treaty, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) sent messages of Islam to kings and emperors some of whom embraced Islam. The Treaty of Hudaibiya was a turning point in the great struggle of Islamic revolution which laid the foundation of later successes. It ultimately paved the ground for the peaceful and bloodless conquest of Makkah.
WEEK 2
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE SOCIETY SET UP BY THE PROPHET (PBUH):
Islam aims at establishing a happy and contented society. Great stress has been laid on man’s ethical behaviour and conduct in life. Before Islam lawlessness, kufr, shirk, blood feuds, gambling, drinking, superstitions prevailed in the society. The Prophet brought changes through the teachings of Islam and set up a society which is unparallel in the history of Islam. The most important quality of Islamic society is to believe in the unity of Allah with all His names and attributes that He is the Creator, The Sustainer, The Majestic and the Supreme Authority. The Prophet (PBUH) taught through his preaching that every believer should have firm belief that there is no god but Allah and He is the sole authority of our accountability and no one can be there like Him.
Another feature of an ideal society is brotherhood. Before Islam blood feuds, enmity and hatred were very common in the society. But the teachings of Islam made them brothers. The prophet said: Muslims are like one man if his eye suffers, the whole body suffers. The Prophet showed a practical example when he gave the hand of each Muhajir into the hand of one Ansar and made them brothers.
People remembered their creator all the time and that kept them away from an unpardonable sin shirk. They loved Allah and His Messenger. The Holy Quran says: “Those who have attained faith love Allah more than anything else” (2:105).
The Prophet gave the footing of such a society where people had fear of Allah and they did not commit evil not for the fear of punishment, but having great love for Allah. Justice was another important feature of that society. Before Islam, ‘might is right’ was the order of the day. But Allah ordained that Muslims must be just in words and deeds without any racial, social, tribal and linguistic consideration. The Prophet (pbuh) said: if Muhammad (pbuh)’s daughter Fatima committed the crime she would have borne the punishment.
Islam taught the lesson of equality to the people of different tribes and different nations. In the construction of the mosque of the prophet and digging the ditch for the battle, the Prophet (pbuh) worked with the Muslims like an ordinary man.
Self sacrifice is the act of seeking the welfare of others at the cost of one’s own self. Quran says, “You shall never achieve piety till you give away from what you love” Hazrat Ayesha was fasting when a beggar asked for food she gave away the only piece of bread she was keeping for herself to break the fast.
It is the duty of every Muslim to guide the other person to the right path. According to Surah Al Imaran “ And let there be among you a body of men who should invite to goodness and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and it is they who shall prosper”
According to a Hadith “If any one sees an abomination he should change it with his hand if he cannot he should do it with his tongue if he cannot he should do it in his heart, that being the weakest form of faith.”
Another feature of society was peace. Before the advent of Islam corruption, immorality, chaos, disintegration, bloodshed prevailed in the society but because of the teachings of Islam, each person’s life and property became safe and sacred for everyone. Tolerance for other faiths was exercised in that society. The success of the Muslim society depended to a great extent on honesty and trust worthiness manifested by the members of the society both collectively and individually. It not only gave power and glory to the Islamic society but it also enhanced the prestige of the nation. In the age of ignorance, confusion, mistrust and apprehensions had engulfed the society and had ruined it but Islam attached great importance to fulfilment of pledges. Last but not the least is that Islam encouraged people to earn by lawful means. It emphasised on lawful and legal trade and it considered hoarding, games of chance and gambling as illegal.
These were the distinctive qualities of a society that Prophet (pbuh) had given to us and all the Muslims of this world are trying their level best to implement these golden rules among their societies.
CHANGE OF QIBLAH:
The Prophet (PBUH) as well as the Muslims had been facing towards Jerusalem while worshipping. Such practice was followed for one year and four months after migrating to Madinah. It was the wish of the Prophet (PBUH) and the other Arab converts, that the K'abah be made the Qiblah for prayers, for they had been holding the sanctuary at Makkah in a respectful regard since the time of Prophet Ibrahim (RA). To them, the house of worship built by Ibrahim and Ismail was the holiest of the holy ones, incomparable in sanctity to any other sanctum or shrine. They were put to a severe test by being asked to face Jerusalem instead of K’abah and they withstood this trial by dutifully obeying the divine command. Such was their devotion to the Prophet (PBUH) that they always replied, whether they found anything to their linking or not: "...We hear, and we obey..." [24:51] and "We believe in it, it is all from our Lord..." [3:7]. Thus, after the faith of the earliest Muslims had been brought to a test and they had passed it successfully, the Qiblah for prayer was changed to the K'abah. "We have made you (believers) into a just community, so that you may bear witness (to the truth) before others and so that the Messenger may bear witness (to it) before you. We only made the direction the one you used to face (Prophet) in order to distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels.... “[Qur'an 2:143]. The Muslims changed their direction promptly in prayer, in compliance with divine command, towards the K'abah which was henceforth selected as the Qiblah for all the believers, living in any part of the World, for all
The battle of Badr was the first battle fought between the Muslims and the pagans. It happened on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH.
Causes:
1. The people of Makkah were very furious because they had failed to kill the Holy Prophet (PBUH) before the migration.
2. The Quraish were greatly displeased with the people of Medina for giving shelter to the Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims. They asked the Medinites to hand over the Prophet (PBUH) and the Emigrants to them, which they refused. Hence they contacted the Jews and the hypocrites and sought their help.
3. There were some skirmishes between the Muslims and the people of Makkah: The Quraish’s cavalry would occasionally reach the borders of Medina and attack the grazing areas used by the Muslims’ animals and carry off some of the camels and cattle of the Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) also started sending parties to patrol the out skirts of Medina. Once during patrolling a skirmish took place in which some member of Quraish was killed though the Prophet (PBUH) never gave the patrol party such permission, this is known as the incident of Nakhala. This increased the level of hostility in the Quraish who were now eager to avenge the blood of the slain member.
4. Some Jews and hypocrites invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
5. Trade caravans of the Quraish used to pass through Medina. The Prophet (PBUH) decided to threaten the caravans, which would hurt the Quraish economically. The Prophet (PBUH) started sending parties to watch the caravans. He also made alliance with some of the Bedouin tribes to deny the Quraish safe route to their caravans.
6. Abu Sufyan was returning from Syria with caravan carrying merchandise. He asked the Quraish to send an armed expedition to escort him home safely. The Quraish despatched an army to join Abu Sufyan in Syria. When Abu Sufyan reached Makkah safely he asked the army to return but they refused to do so. Some of the leaders, like Abu Jahal, insisted on advancing towards Medina. In the month of Safar 2 AH, Allah had already given permission to fight against the unbelievers. ‘’Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you.’’ (2:190)
Events:
When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) learnt that the Quraish were advancing towards Medina with the intension to attack, he immediately called the Muslims to take necessary steps. The Muhajirin and the Ansar got together to defend themselves. They were 313 men in all with only 2 horses and a few camels.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) advanced to the valley of Badr, where he occupied the water sources and rendered others useless except the one nearest to Makkah. It was the first strategic supremacy which the Prophet (PBUH) showed. All night he prayed for Divine help for the Muslims which was granted. A few Muslim soldiers were stationed on firm ground on the slope of a hill. In the morning the sun was on the back of the Muslims. The rainfall at night refreshed the tired Muslim army. Sound sleep at night also made them fresh and ready to fight. The Qur’an describes the scene: ‘’Remember when He gave you sleep as a reassurance from Him, and sent down water from the sky to cleanse you, to remove Satan’s pollution from you, to make your hearts strong and your feet firm ’’ (8:11). As Allah never breaks His promise, divine help which was promised, came to the aid of the Muslims and He sent 1000 angels to assist them in their fight. Allah says in the Qur’an: ‘’you have already seen a sign in the two armies that met in a battle, one fighting for God’s cause and the other made up of disbelievers. With their own eyes [the Muslims] saw [the pagans] to be twice their number, but God helps whoever he will....’’ (3:13)
The great expedition of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH. Allah called this battle the ‘Day of the decision’. Allah says: ‘’....if you believe in Allah and the revelation We sent down Our servant on the day of the decision, the day when the two forces met in battle....’’ (8:41). The Makkans were 1000 in number and armed to the teeth, with several horses and a large number of weapons. All the nobles except Abu Lahab had joined the army.
Before the battle as per the custom of Arabia, Utbah bin Rabiah, his brother Shaibah and his son Waleed stepped forward from the Quraish side and asked the Muslims to send forward their warriors for individual combat. When three youths from the Ansar went out to meet them, they refused to fight with them saying that they wanted to contest with their equals from their own tribe. So the Holy Prophet (PBUH) sent Ubaidah bin Al-Harith (RA), Hamza (RA) and Ali (RA) to fight them. Hamza (RA) killed Shaibah, Ali (RA) killed Waleed while Ubaidah (RA) was seriously injured but before he fell, Hamza (RA) cut the throat of Utbah. Ali (RA) and Hamza (RA) carried Ubaidah (RA) back to their camp. After this some other duels were also fought in which the Quraish were badly beaten which greatly set them back. The Muslims first shot arrows at the attacking Makkans, then threw stones upon them and lastly fought with swords. A total of 70 Makkans including Abu Jahal, Umayyah bin Khalf and other prominent leaders were killed. Also a total of 70 pagans became prisoners including Abbas (Prophet’s uncle) and a son of Abu Sufyan. On the other hand 14 Muslims were martyred. The Muslims got 115 camels, 14 horses and a rich store of clothes and carpets and equipment of war as booty. When the news of this defeat reached Makkah the whole town was struck with grief. Pledges were taken to avenge the blood of their kinsmen. In Medina the captives were dealt with very mercifully. All those captives who could pay were freed after the payment of ransom. Those who could read and write were charged with the duty of teaching 10 Muslims each to get their freedom after a fixed period of teaching.
Results:
1. It was the most important and decisive victory in the history of the Islamic world. It determined the destiny of Islam.
2. It was the first fight between the Muslims and the Makkans which was declared as a fight between truth and falsehood.
3. The victory of this battle encouraged the Muslims and made them strong believers.
4. The victory also strengthened Islam. The Bedouin tribes around Medina were watching the events closely. Seeing the outcome of the battle, they formed alliances with the Muslims and also signed treaties.
5. The hypocrites under the leadership of Abdullah bin Ubay also became more careful.
6. All the prominent leaders of the Quraish were killed in the battle and the leadership passed to Abu Sufyan.
7. The people of Makkah became more furious and grieved because they were not expecting such a result.
8. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed his great skill as a military commander.
Islam aims at establishing a happy and contented society. Great stress has been laid on man’s ethical behaviour and conduct in life. Before Islam lawlessness, kufr, shirk, blood feuds, gambling, drinking, superstitions prevailed in the society. The Prophet brought changes through the teachings of Islam and set up a society which is unparallel in the history of Islam. The most important quality of Islamic society is to believe in the unity of Allah with all His names and attributes that He is the Creator, The Sustainer, The Majestic and the Supreme Authority. The Prophet (PBUH) taught through his preaching that every believer should have firm belief that there is no god but Allah and He is the sole authority of our accountability and no one can be there like Him.
Another feature of an ideal society is brotherhood. Before Islam blood feuds, enmity and hatred were very common in the society. But the teachings of Islam made them brothers. The prophet said: Muslims are like one man if his eye suffers, the whole body suffers. The Prophet showed a practical example when he gave the hand of each Muhajir into the hand of one Ansar and made them brothers.
People remembered their creator all the time and that kept them away from an unpardonable sin shirk. They loved Allah and His Messenger. The Holy Quran says: “Those who have attained faith love Allah more than anything else” (2:105).
The Prophet gave the footing of such a society where people had fear of Allah and they did not commit evil not for the fear of punishment, but having great love for Allah. Justice was another important feature of that society. Before Islam, ‘might is right’ was the order of the day. But Allah ordained that Muslims must be just in words and deeds without any racial, social, tribal and linguistic consideration. The Prophet (pbuh) said: if Muhammad (pbuh)’s daughter Fatima committed the crime she would have borne the punishment.
Islam taught the lesson of equality to the people of different tribes and different nations. In the construction of the mosque of the prophet and digging the ditch for the battle, the Prophet (pbuh) worked with the Muslims like an ordinary man.
Self sacrifice is the act of seeking the welfare of others at the cost of one’s own self. Quran says, “You shall never achieve piety till you give away from what you love” Hazrat Ayesha was fasting when a beggar asked for food she gave away the only piece of bread she was keeping for herself to break the fast.
It is the duty of every Muslim to guide the other person to the right path. According to Surah Al Imaran “ And let there be among you a body of men who should invite to goodness and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and it is they who shall prosper”
According to a Hadith “If any one sees an abomination he should change it with his hand if he cannot he should do it with his tongue if he cannot he should do it in his heart, that being the weakest form of faith.”
Another feature of society was peace. Before the advent of Islam corruption, immorality, chaos, disintegration, bloodshed prevailed in the society but because of the teachings of Islam, each person’s life and property became safe and sacred for everyone. Tolerance for other faiths was exercised in that society. The success of the Muslim society depended to a great extent on honesty and trust worthiness manifested by the members of the society both collectively and individually. It not only gave power and glory to the Islamic society but it also enhanced the prestige of the nation. In the age of ignorance, confusion, mistrust and apprehensions had engulfed the society and had ruined it but Islam attached great importance to fulfilment of pledges. Last but not the least is that Islam encouraged people to earn by lawful means. It emphasised on lawful and legal trade and it considered hoarding, games of chance and gambling as illegal.
These were the distinctive qualities of a society that Prophet (pbuh) had given to us and all the Muslims of this world are trying their level best to implement these golden rules among their societies.
CHANGE OF QIBLAH:
The Prophet (PBUH) as well as the Muslims had been facing towards Jerusalem while worshipping. Such practice was followed for one year and four months after migrating to Madinah. It was the wish of the Prophet (PBUH) and the other Arab converts, that the K'abah be made the Qiblah for prayers, for they had been holding the sanctuary at Makkah in a respectful regard since the time of Prophet Ibrahim (RA). To them, the house of worship built by Ibrahim and Ismail was the holiest of the holy ones, incomparable in sanctity to any other sanctum or shrine. They were put to a severe test by being asked to face Jerusalem instead of K’abah and they withstood this trial by dutifully obeying the divine command. Such was their devotion to the Prophet (PBUH) that they always replied, whether they found anything to their linking or not: "...We hear, and we obey..." [24:51] and "We believe in it, it is all from our Lord..." [3:7]. Thus, after the faith of the earliest Muslims had been brought to a test and they had passed it successfully, the Qiblah for prayer was changed to the K'abah. "We have made you (believers) into a just community, so that you may bear witness (to the truth) before others and so that the Messenger may bear witness (to it) before you. We only made the direction the one you used to face (Prophet) in order to distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels.... “[Qur'an 2:143]. The Muslims changed their direction promptly in prayer, in compliance with divine command, towards the K'abah which was henceforth selected as the Qiblah for all the believers, living in any part of the World, for all
The battle of Badr was the first battle fought between the Muslims and the pagans. It happened on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH.
Causes:
1. The people of Makkah were very furious because they had failed to kill the Holy Prophet (PBUH) before the migration.
2. The Quraish were greatly displeased with the people of Medina for giving shelter to the Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims. They asked the Medinites to hand over the Prophet (PBUH) and the Emigrants to them, which they refused. Hence they contacted the Jews and the hypocrites and sought their help.
3. There were some skirmishes between the Muslims and the people of Makkah: The Quraish’s cavalry would occasionally reach the borders of Medina and attack the grazing areas used by the Muslims’ animals and carry off some of the camels and cattle of the Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) also started sending parties to patrol the out skirts of Medina. Once during patrolling a skirmish took place in which some member of Quraish was killed though the Prophet (PBUH) never gave the patrol party such permission, this is known as the incident of Nakhala. This increased the level of hostility in the Quraish who were now eager to avenge the blood of the slain member.
4. Some Jews and hypocrites invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
5. Trade caravans of the Quraish used to pass through Medina. The Prophet (PBUH) decided to threaten the caravans, which would hurt the Quraish economically. The Prophet (PBUH) started sending parties to watch the caravans. He also made alliance with some of the Bedouin tribes to deny the Quraish safe route to their caravans.
6. Abu Sufyan was returning from Syria with caravan carrying merchandise. He asked the Quraish to send an armed expedition to escort him home safely. The Quraish despatched an army to join Abu Sufyan in Syria. When Abu Sufyan reached Makkah safely he asked the army to return but they refused to do so. Some of the leaders, like Abu Jahal, insisted on advancing towards Medina. In the month of Safar 2 AH, Allah had already given permission to fight against the unbelievers. ‘’Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you.’’ (2:190)
Events:
When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) learnt that the Quraish were advancing towards Medina with the intension to attack, he immediately called the Muslims to take necessary steps. The Muhajirin and the Ansar got together to defend themselves. They were 313 men in all with only 2 horses and a few camels.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) advanced to the valley of Badr, where he occupied the water sources and rendered others useless except the one nearest to Makkah. It was the first strategic supremacy which the Prophet (PBUH) showed. All night he prayed for Divine help for the Muslims which was granted. A few Muslim soldiers were stationed on firm ground on the slope of a hill. In the morning the sun was on the back of the Muslims. The rainfall at night refreshed the tired Muslim army. Sound sleep at night also made them fresh and ready to fight. The Qur’an describes the scene: ‘’Remember when He gave you sleep as a reassurance from Him, and sent down water from the sky to cleanse you, to remove Satan’s pollution from you, to make your hearts strong and your feet firm ’’ (8:11). As Allah never breaks His promise, divine help which was promised, came to the aid of the Muslims and He sent 1000 angels to assist them in their fight. Allah says in the Qur’an: ‘’you have already seen a sign in the two armies that met in a battle, one fighting for God’s cause and the other made up of disbelievers. With their own eyes [the Muslims] saw [the pagans] to be twice their number, but God helps whoever he will....’’ (3:13)
The great expedition of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH. Allah called this battle the ‘Day of the decision’. Allah says: ‘’....if you believe in Allah and the revelation We sent down Our servant on the day of the decision, the day when the two forces met in battle....’’ (8:41). The Makkans were 1000 in number and armed to the teeth, with several horses and a large number of weapons. All the nobles except Abu Lahab had joined the army.
Before the battle as per the custom of Arabia, Utbah bin Rabiah, his brother Shaibah and his son Waleed stepped forward from the Quraish side and asked the Muslims to send forward their warriors for individual combat. When three youths from the Ansar went out to meet them, they refused to fight with them saying that they wanted to contest with their equals from their own tribe. So the Holy Prophet (PBUH) sent Ubaidah bin Al-Harith (RA), Hamza (RA) and Ali (RA) to fight them. Hamza (RA) killed Shaibah, Ali (RA) killed Waleed while Ubaidah (RA) was seriously injured but before he fell, Hamza (RA) cut the throat of Utbah. Ali (RA) and Hamza (RA) carried Ubaidah (RA) back to their camp. After this some other duels were also fought in which the Quraish were badly beaten which greatly set them back. The Muslims first shot arrows at the attacking Makkans, then threw stones upon them and lastly fought with swords. A total of 70 Makkans including Abu Jahal, Umayyah bin Khalf and other prominent leaders were killed. Also a total of 70 pagans became prisoners including Abbas (Prophet’s uncle) and a son of Abu Sufyan. On the other hand 14 Muslims were martyred. The Muslims got 115 camels, 14 horses and a rich store of clothes and carpets and equipment of war as booty. When the news of this defeat reached Makkah the whole town was struck with grief. Pledges were taken to avenge the blood of their kinsmen. In Medina the captives were dealt with very mercifully. All those captives who could pay were freed after the payment of ransom. Those who could read and write were charged with the duty of teaching 10 Muslims each to get their freedom after a fixed period of teaching.
Results:
1. It was the most important and decisive victory in the history of the Islamic world. It determined the destiny of Islam.
2. It was the first fight between the Muslims and the Makkans which was declared as a fight between truth and falsehood.
3. The victory of this battle encouraged the Muslims and made them strong believers.
4. The victory also strengthened Islam. The Bedouin tribes around Medina were watching the events closely. Seeing the outcome of the battle, they formed alliances with the Muslims and also signed treaties.
5. The hypocrites under the leadership of Abdullah bin Ubay also became more careful.
6. All the prominent leaders of the Quraish were killed in the battle and the leadership passed to Abu Sufyan.
7. The people of Makkah became more furious and grieved because they were not expecting such a result.
8. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed his great skill as a military commander.
WEEK 1
CONDITIONS OF MEDINA:
When the Prophet (PBUH) migrated to Medina, the Jews and two Arab tribes of Aus and Khazraj inhabited the city. These tribes fought continuously with each other, murder and bloodshed were common. In order to put an end to their troubles, both parties were almost ready to choose Abdullah bin Ubay, one of the leaders of Khazraj, as their leader or King. However before this plan materialised, the Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Medina.
The Jews comprised of three main tribes, they were Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza. They exploited both Aus and Khazraj by lending them money on high interest rates. The Jews were settled in Medina because they knew from their scriptures that this was the time and the place for the coming of the Last Prophet. So when the people of Medina heard about the advent of the Prophet (PBUH), they met him first and readily accepted him. In the Prophet (PBUH) they found a ruler who would keep them united and they preferred to choose a stranger who would remain impartial in their internal tribal quarrels. This development made Abdullah bin Ubay into a lifelong enemy of the Prophet and Islam.
MOSQUE OF THE PROPHET:
The first thing that the Prophet (PBUH) did after his arrival at Medina was to build a mosque. The land was bought by the Prophet from two orphans. The Prophet (PBUH) himself participated in the building of the mosque. The walls were made of unbaked bricks, the roof was of mud and palm leaves and the trunks of date palm trees were used for pillars. A large platform with a thatched roof was built in one of the corners of the mosque. This was known as Suffah. It became the training centre for Islamic education and also a shelter for poor Muslims, especially the emigrants from Makkah. A few rooms were added for the abode (home) of the Prophet (PBUH) and his family.
ADHAN:
The Prophet (PBUH) wanted to devise a way to call the Muslims for prayer. Some suggested the Jewish way of beating a drum or the Christians’ way of ringing a bell should be adopted but the Prophet rejected it. Ibn Zubair (RA) had a dream; someone taught him the words of Adhan. Umar (RA) had a similar dream, so it was adopted. The prophet chose Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) to deliver the Adhan.
BROTHERHOOD:
The companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) from Makkah had brought almost nothing with them. Therefore the first essential task for the Prophet (PBUH) was to help the emigrants by arranging homes, food and money for them. Mahajirin or emigrants were the fellow tribesmen of the Prophet (PBUH) who had migrated from Makkah to Medina. The Ansar or the helpers were the inhabitants of Medina who had accepted Islam.
To form a strong bond of brotherhood based on faith, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) gathered the Emigrants and the Helpers. In the meeting the Prophet (PBUH) paired each of the Emigrants with a Helper. Thus the Holy Prophet solved the problem of refugees. According to this brotherhood, the hosts shared all their possessions with the Emigrants. This is an event unmatched in human history. The Qur’an praises the Helpers and Emigrants by saying: ‘’those who believe, emigrate and struggle in Allah’s way and those who give shelter and help, they indeed are the true believers. For them will be forgiveness and honourable provision.’’ (8:72)
The Emigrants and the Hosts were united in a bond of brotherhood, which proved, in practice, to be stronger than real brother hood. Even the enmity between the two tribes of Medina, Aus and Khazraj was forgotten. This is mentioned in the Holy Quran:’’.... and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by his grace, you become brothers....’’ (3:103)
CHARTER OF MEDINA:
After establishing brotherhood, the Prophet (PBUH) turned his attention to the problem of mutual relations between the Jews and the Muslims. There were three main tribes of the Jews: Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza, settled in the suburbs of Medina in their own strong fortresses. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) realized that the foundation of the Islamic empire would be very weak unless it was based upon the support of all the people living in Medina. So he summoned the leaders of the Jews and told them that they live in one city and therefore were one community. They should live in peace and help each other. The Jews accepted the idea and reached an agreement. The Prophet (PBUH) wanted the agreement to be written so that everyone would know their obligations. It was the first written legal agreement between the Muslims and the Jews in history. The terms of the charter were as follows:
1. Both the parties will enjoy complete religious freedom and tolerance.
2. Muslims and Jews must help to defend each other against foreign attackers.
3. In the case of a war, both Jews and Muslims will share the expenses of the battles.
4. Whoever rebels or promotes disorder will be considered a common enemy to be fought against by all.
5. No one will have the right to make any deals or treaties with the Makkans or their allies.
6. The Prophet (PBUH) will decide all the disputes and his decision would be final.
By virtue of this agreement, the relations between the Muslims and the Jews were regulated and a basis for the governance of Medina was provided. By integrating the defence and administration of Medina, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) provided an ideal atmosphere for the newly-founded state to flourish peacefully. The treaty also established the Prophet (PBUH) as the leader and the head of the state of Medina. He came to be recognized as the undisputed leader, ruler, judge and the commander of the people of Medina.
HYPOCRITES:
At the time of the Prophet’s (PBUH) migration, many people accepted Islam. However among them there were some who did not like the success of the Prophet’s (PBUH) mission. They are known as ‘Hypocrites’ or ‘Munafiqin’. The Qur’an that says the following about them: ‘’When it is said to them, come to what Allah has revealed, you see the hypocrites avert their faces from thee in disgust.’’ (4:61).To all appearances, they became Muslims and prayed and fasted as if they belonged to the Muslim community. Deep at heart, however, they did not believe. Their hearts were full of hatred for the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions. They proved to be more dangerous than the unbelievers, because they were able to know the secrets of the Muslims and pass them on to their enemies. Their leader was Abdullah bin Ubbay of the Khazraj tribe. Abdullah bin Ubbay was a very prominent personality of Medina. He was an intelligent, experienced and a very shrewd person. He had developed a great influence over the tribes of Aus and Khazraj. Whenever these warring tribes took up arms against each other, Abdullah bin Ubbay intervened to bring about peace between them. All his efforts were directed to the fact that he be acknowledged the leader of Medina. He had succeeded in this quest for fame with the help of his Jewish ally Banu Qainqah. Preparations were well under way for a magnificent coronation. A crown had been made for the occasion. It was at this stage that Muhammad (PBUH) arrived in Medina. In due course, nearly all the people of Medina including the Jews acknowledged Muhammad (PBUH) as their leader, and as the supreme authority on matters affecting the whole population of Medina. Abdullah bin Ubbay’s hopes of becoming king of Medina were dashed to the ground. But being a cunning person, he did not confront Muhammad (PBUH) and show his rivalry openly. A team of ‘lukewarm’ Muslims supported him most of which had been the confederates (partners) of Banu Qainqah. They were ever ready to turn against the Muslims at the first opportunity. . Abdullah decided that it would be in his own interest to work from within the Muslims fold to pursue his worldly ambitions. With a group of his followers, he embraced Islam. On the occasion of the expulsion of Banu Qainqah, they together with Abdullah wanted a milder punishment for the Jews. They were a source of considerable danger to the new born commonwealth. Towards them (munafiqeen) Muhammad (PBUH) always showed the greatest patience and forbearance, hoping in the end to win them over to Islam. These Munafiqeen began to spy on the Muslims and sow seeds of mutiny, revolt and mischief. They befriended the Jews and assured them that they were their ally against the Muslims. When in the company of the Muslims, they expressed piety and holiness. He had great influence over all those who viewed Islam with hatred and suspicion. He continuously met and planned with the chiefs of Makkah to wage war against the Muslims. His behaviour at the time of battle of Uhad, when he withdrew 300 of his supporters, was damaging to the cause of Islam. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) even then did not take any punitive (disciplinary) action, though his followers desired so. Some months after the battle of Uhad the Muslims sent an ultimatum to the Jewish tribe Banu Nazir to leave Medina. The hypocrite party asked them to resist and promised them of their support which never came. After the battle of Trench, he was in secret contact with the Jews who had been exiled from Medina, to inform them of the movement of the Muslims. Abdullah went to the extent of spreading a false rumor about one of the Prophet’s (PBUH) wives and he did not stop his efforts to disgrace and hurt the Prophet (PBUH) till her innocence was revealed in the Qur’an. His attitude was so damaging and hurtful that although the Prophet (PBUH) kept on forgiving him time and again, his own son offered to kill his hypocrite father. He built a mosque outside Medina where he used to hold meetings against the Prophet (PBUH). When Allah revealed verses against this house of conspiracy, it was demolished and burnt by the order of the Holy prophet (PBUH).
Soon after the Tabuk expedition, Abdullah fell ill and died; his funeral prayer was offered by the Holy Prophet (PBUH). With his death many of the hypocrites repented and turned to genuine faith.
When the Prophet (PBUH) migrated to Medina, the Jews and two Arab tribes of Aus and Khazraj inhabited the city. These tribes fought continuously with each other, murder and bloodshed were common. In order to put an end to their troubles, both parties were almost ready to choose Abdullah bin Ubay, one of the leaders of Khazraj, as their leader or King. However before this plan materialised, the Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Medina.
The Jews comprised of three main tribes, they were Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza. They exploited both Aus and Khazraj by lending them money on high interest rates. The Jews were settled in Medina because they knew from their scriptures that this was the time and the place for the coming of the Last Prophet. So when the people of Medina heard about the advent of the Prophet (PBUH), they met him first and readily accepted him. In the Prophet (PBUH) they found a ruler who would keep them united and they preferred to choose a stranger who would remain impartial in their internal tribal quarrels. This development made Abdullah bin Ubay into a lifelong enemy of the Prophet and Islam.
MOSQUE OF THE PROPHET:
The first thing that the Prophet (PBUH) did after his arrival at Medina was to build a mosque. The land was bought by the Prophet from two orphans. The Prophet (PBUH) himself participated in the building of the mosque. The walls were made of unbaked bricks, the roof was of mud and palm leaves and the trunks of date palm trees were used for pillars. A large platform with a thatched roof was built in one of the corners of the mosque. This was known as Suffah. It became the training centre for Islamic education and also a shelter for poor Muslims, especially the emigrants from Makkah. A few rooms were added for the abode (home) of the Prophet (PBUH) and his family.
ADHAN:
The Prophet (PBUH) wanted to devise a way to call the Muslims for prayer. Some suggested the Jewish way of beating a drum or the Christians’ way of ringing a bell should be adopted but the Prophet rejected it. Ibn Zubair (RA) had a dream; someone taught him the words of Adhan. Umar (RA) had a similar dream, so it was adopted. The prophet chose Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) to deliver the Adhan.
BROTHERHOOD:
The companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) from Makkah had brought almost nothing with them. Therefore the first essential task for the Prophet (PBUH) was to help the emigrants by arranging homes, food and money for them. Mahajirin or emigrants were the fellow tribesmen of the Prophet (PBUH) who had migrated from Makkah to Medina. The Ansar or the helpers were the inhabitants of Medina who had accepted Islam.
To form a strong bond of brotherhood based on faith, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) gathered the Emigrants and the Helpers. In the meeting the Prophet (PBUH) paired each of the Emigrants with a Helper. Thus the Holy Prophet solved the problem of refugees. According to this brotherhood, the hosts shared all their possessions with the Emigrants. This is an event unmatched in human history. The Qur’an praises the Helpers and Emigrants by saying: ‘’those who believe, emigrate and struggle in Allah’s way and those who give shelter and help, they indeed are the true believers. For them will be forgiveness and honourable provision.’’ (8:72)
The Emigrants and the Hosts were united in a bond of brotherhood, which proved, in practice, to be stronger than real brother hood. Even the enmity between the two tribes of Medina, Aus and Khazraj was forgotten. This is mentioned in the Holy Quran:’’.... and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by his grace, you become brothers....’’ (3:103)
CHARTER OF MEDINA:
After establishing brotherhood, the Prophet (PBUH) turned his attention to the problem of mutual relations between the Jews and the Muslims. There were three main tribes of the Jews: Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza, settled in the suburbs of Medina in their own strong fortresses. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) realized that the foundation of the Islamic empire would be very weak unless it was based upon the support of all the people living in Medina. So he summoned the leaders of the Jews and told them that they live in one city and therefore were one community. They should live in peace and help each other. The Jews accepted the idea and reached an agreement. The Prophet (PBUH) wanted the agreement to be written so that everyone would know their obligations. It was the first written legal agreement between the Muslims and the Jews in history. The terms of the charter were as follows:
1. Both the parties will enjoy complete religious freedom and tolerance.
2. Muslims and Jews must help to defend each other against foreign attackers.
3. In the case of a war, both Jews and Muslims will share the expenses of the battles.
4. Whoever rebels or promotes disorder will be considered a common enemy to be fought against by all.
5. No one will have the right to make any deals or treaties with the Makkans or their allies.
6. The Prophet (PBUH) will decide all the disputes and his decision would be final.
By virtue of this agreement, the relations between the Muslims and the Jews were regulated and a basis for the governance of Medina was provided. By integrating the defence and administration of Medina, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) provided an ideal atmosphere for the newly-founded state to flourish peacefully. The treaty also established the Prophet (PBUH) as the leader and the head of the state of Medina. He came to be recognized as the undisputed leader, ruler, judge and the commander of the people of Medina.
HYPOCRITES:
At the time of the Prophet’s (PBUH) migration, many people accepted Islam. However among them there were some who did not like the success of the Prophet’s (PBUH) mission. They are known as ‘Hypocrites’ or ‘Munafiqin’. The Qur’an that says the following about them: ‘’When it is said to them, come to what Allah has revealed, you see the hypocrites avert their faces from thee in disgust.’’ (4:61).To all appearances, they became Muslims and prayed and fasted as if they belonged to the Muslim community. Deep at heart, however, they did not believe. Their hearts were full of hatred for the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions. They proved to be more dangerous than the unbelievers, because they were able to know the secrets of the Muslims and pass them on to their enemies. Their leader was Abdullah bin Ubbay of the Khazraj tribe. Abdullah bin Ubbay was a very prominent personality of Medina. He was an intelligent, experienced and a very shrewd person. He had developed a great influence over the tribes of Aus and Khazraj. Whenever these warring tribes took up arms against each other, Abdullah bin Ubbay intervened to bring about peace between them. All his efforts were directed to the fact that he be acknowledged the leader of Medina. He had succeeded in this quest for fame with the help of his Jewish ally Banu Qainqah. Preparations were well under way for a magnificent coronation. A crown had been made for the occasion. It was at this stage that Muhammad (PBUH) arrived in Medina. In due course, nearly all the people of Medina including the Jews acknowledged Muhammad (PBUH) as their leader, and as the supreme authority on matters affecting the whole population of Medina. Abdullah bin Ubbay’s hopes of becoming king of Medina were dashed to the ground. But being a cunning person, he did not confront Muhammad (PBUH) and show his rivalry openly. A team of ‘lukewarm’ Muslims supported him most of which had been the confederates (partners) of Banu Qainqah. They were ever ready to turn against the Muslims at the first opportunity. . Abdullah decided that it would be in his own interest to work from within the Muslims fold to pursue his worldly ambitions. With a group of his followers, he embraced Islam. On the occasion of the expulsion of Banu Qainqah, they together with Abdullah wanted a milder punishment for the Jews. They were a source of considerable danger to the new born commonwealth. Towards them (munafiqeen) Muhammad (PBUH) always showed the greatest patience and forbearance, hoping in the end to win them over to Islam. These Munafiqeen began to spy on the Muslims and sow seeds of mutiny, revolt and mischief. They befriended the Jews and assured them that they were their ally against the Muslims. When in the company of the Muslims, they expressed piety and holiness. He had great influence over all those who viewed Islam with hatred and suspicion. He continuously met and planned with the chiefs of Makkah to wage war against the Muslims. His behaviour at the time of battle of Uhad, when he withdrew 300 of his supporters, was damaging to the cause of Islam. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) even then did not take any punitive (disciplinary) action, though his followers desired so. Some months after the battle of Uhad the Muslims sent an ultimatum to the Jewish tribe Banu Nazir to leave Medina. The hypocrite party asked them to resist and promised them of their support which never came. After the battle of Trench, he was in secret contact with the Jews who had been exiled from Medina, to inform them of the movement of the Muslims. Abdullah went to the extent of spreading a false rumor about one of the Prophet’s (PBUH) wives and he did not stop his efforts to disgrace and hurt the Prophet (PBUH) till her innocence was revealed in the Qur’an. His attitude was so damaging and hurtful that although the Prophet (PBUH) kept on forgiving him time and again, his own son offered to kill his hypocrite father. He built a mosque outside Medina where he used to hold meetings against the Prophet (PBUH). When Allah revealed verses against this house of conspiracy, it was demolished and burnt by the order of the Holy prophet (PBUH).
Soon after the Tabuk expedition, Abdullah fell ill and died; his funeral prayer was offered by the Holy Prophet (PBUH). With his death many of the hypocrites repented and turned to genuine faith.
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