The Battle of Hunayn

In Autas

A part of the routed enemy fled to Ta’if and shut the gates of the city. The chief of Hawazin, Malik b. ‘Auf, was also with them. A detachment sent by the Apostle under Abu ‘Amir al-Ash’ari overtook another party of the enemy encamped at Autas, engaged it to a duel and routed it completely.2 When the captives and spoils of Hunayn were brought to the Apostle, he ordered that they be brought to Ji’rrana3 and be kept under custody there.4

The captives of Hunayn numbered six thousand. The spoils included twenty-four thousand camels, forty thousand or more goats and four thousand awqiya of silver. This was the largest spoil so far to have fallen into the hands of the Muslims. The Apostle had given orders to the troops before the conquest started mandating them to shun the women, children, men hired for non-combatant purposes and the slaves from the wrath of their hands. A woman was, however, killed in the process. This incident did not elude the Apostle causing him to feel remorseful about it afterwards.5

Footnotes:

1. Sahi Muslim, Kitab-ul-Jihad, Ghazwa Hunayn.
2. Ibn Kathir, Vol. III, p. 460
3. An stopover on the road leading to north-east from Mecca.
4. Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 459
5. Ibn Kathir, Vol. III, p. 638

The Last Encounter

The bitterness and rancor borne by the pagans against Islam dissipated after the battle of Hunayn. The last stronghold of paganism was thus toppled down thru this battle such that no formidable opponent of Islam remained in Arabia. The surviving tribes proceeded to Medina from every part of Arabia to put their trust in Allah and His Apostle.

Victory And Peace Of God

The Muslims had to suffer this defeat after the brilliant victory at Mecca as if by way of punishment for reliance on their strength and numbers instead of the succor of God. Their faith needed to be sustained by a misadventure for they have to realize that both victory and defeat came from God and that neither one should make man exultant or the other despondent. The Muslims were all too preoccupied with their miserable plight when the peace of God seemed to be descending on them and the Apostle. The Prophet had all the while stood firm on his place, riding his white mule, without any fear or shivers. Only a few of the Ansar and Muhajirin or of his relatives were then with him. ‘Abbas b. ‘Abdul Muttalib was holding the bridle of his mule while God’s Apostle was calling aloud: “Verily, I am the Prophet without falsehood; I am son of ‘Abdul Muttalib.”1

In the meantime, a detachment of the enemy advanced towards him. The Prophet took a handful of dust and threw it into their eyes.

When the Apostle saw his men in confusion, he said, ‘O ‘Abbas call out, O Ansar, O comrades of the acacia tree.”2 All those who heard the cry, responded, “Here we are ”. ‘Abbas had a loud voice. Whoever heard him calling got off from his camel and came to the Apostle. When sufficient number of men had gathered around, they rallied upon the enemy. A collision between the two parties started anew. The Apostle then proceeded to an elevated area along with some of his companions. He saw both forces grappling with one another, which prompted him to remark: “now the battle has grown hot.”3 He then threw a few pebbles on the enemy. ‘Abbas relates that he saw the enemy started becoming lackadaisical thereafter, finally conceding the day to the Muslims.4

Both groups of armies fought bravely. However, before all those Muslims who had fled away had returned, the enemy was discomfited and a party of handcuffed prisoners was brought before the Apostle.5 Allah helped the Apostle with the hosts of heaven to win the day and brought Hawazin to eventual surrender.6

“Allah hath given you victory in many fields and on the day of Hunayn, when ye exulted in your multitude but it availed you naught, and the earth, vast as it is, was straightened for you; then ye turned back in fight" (Qur’an 9:25)

“Then Allah sent His peace of reassurance down upon His messenger and upon the believers, and sent down hosts ye could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such is the reward of the disbeliever. (Qur’an 9:26)

Footnotes:

1. According to Bukhari Abu Sufyan b. Al-Harith was holding the bridle.
2. Refers to the companions who had the pledge of Rizwan at Hudaybia.
3. Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 445
4. Sahi Muslim
5. Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 445
6. Sahi Muslim, Kitab-ul-Jihad, Ghazwa Hunayn.

Rift Within The Lute

Some of the rude fellows from Mecca who had joined the Muslim army but were not strong in faith started talking about their dissatisfaction and frustration with Islam. One said, “their exodus will stop before they get at the sea.” Another man remarked,” The spell of their sorcery has ended today.”1

Footnotes:

1. Ibid pp. 442-43

In The Wadi Of Hunayn

It was the 10th of Shawwal, 8 A.H. when the army reached Hunayn. Descending the wadi in the morning twilight, the enemy had already taken its position. Through the glens, hollows or craters, the volley of arrows was all that the Muslims saw of the enemy, then suddenly the enemy followed up the attack with full force. Hawazin were celebrated archers.1

The sudden assault forced the Muslim contingents to charge back and they fled in terror with none heeding the other. The battle had taken a dangerous turn, as a complete rout of the Muslims was already imminent without any possibility of an orderly retreat or rallying of their force again. As in the battle of Uhod, when the rumor of the Apostle’s death had depressed the Muslims, the troops were once more driven to despair in Hunayn under a similar extent.

Footnotes:

1. Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 442.

Not A Sign Of Idolatry

The people of Mecca who had joined the Apostle in this battle were fresh from paganism. And during the days of heathenism, some tribes of Arabia used to venerate a great green tree known as Dhat-u-Anwat, under which they stayed for a day suspending their weapons thru its branches and offering sacrifices beneath it. When these men were traveling together with the army, they happened to pass by a big shady tree, which reminded them of the one they had adored in the past. They immediately requested the Apostle: “make us a tree, as we used to have Dhat-u-Anwat, O Messenger of Allah. “The Prophet replied, “God is Great! He, who holds my life in His hand, you say what the people of Moses said to him: Make for us a god even as they have gods. He (Moses) said: Lo! Ye are a folk who know not.” (Qur’an 7:138) The Apostle then added, “Verily, you would follow every custom of the people before you.”1

Footnotes:

1. Ibid., Vol. II, p. 442

Assemblage Of Hawazin

Hawazin were the old enemies of the Quraish who equated themselves as their rivals in power and prestige. The submission of the Quraish to the rising power of Islam had made them undisputed champions of paganism, as they began to harbor hopes of earning the laurels by bringing the Muslims down their knees. They saw a God-sent opportunity to build up their strength on the declining prestige of the Quraish.

The Hawazin chief, Malik b. ‘Auf al-Nasari declared he was against the Muslims which was seconded by several other chieftains and tribesmen of Thaqif, Nasr, Jusham and Sa'ad b. Bakr. Two clans of Hawazin, Ka'b and Kilab, dissociated from Malik b. ‘Auf, but the rest of the alliances commissioned their forces to charge upon the Prophet. They also took their cattle, women and children, staking everything on the looming battle, in order to ensure that everyone would fight to the last and that nobody would retreat or get back to their homes.

An old veteran Durayd b. Al-Simma, who was known for his competence in the art of warfare, also accompanied the Hawazin army that bivouacked at Autas.1 Their camp reverberated with the groaning of the camels, braying of the asses, bleating of the sheep and goats as well as with the crying of the children. Malik instructed his men: “break your scabbards as soon as the Muslims are in sight and then attack them as one man.” 2

The Apostle had with him two thousand Meccans, some of whom were recent converts while others had yet to accept Islam, along with the ten thousand troops he had brought from Medina. This was thus the strongest force mobilized so far to defend the honor of Islam. The Muslims were naturally overconfident because of their great strength with some even exultantly boasting that there's no way they could lose for want of numbers.3

The Apostle obtained, on this occasion, some coats of mail and arms from Safwan b. Umayyah although the latter was yet a polytheist.4

Footnotes:

1. A Wadi near Ta’if, in the territory of Hawazin, where the battle of Hunayn was fought.
2. Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, pp. 437-39
3. Tafsir Tabari, Vol. X, pp. 63-64
4. Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 440

Battle Of Hunayn

The resounding victory of the Muslims over the Quraish and the ever-increasing conversions to the fold of Islam deeply frightened the enemies out of their senses. Thus, they made another attempt, as a last remedy of sort, to check Islam’s fast growing power and popularity but all these failed, rendering their efforts completely inutile.