The
Truth came and Falsehood vanquished:
Destruction of idols installed in
the Ka'bah meant the destruction of the idols all over Arabia. Likewise, the
entry of the Quraish into Islam implied the whole Arabia coming to the fold of
Islam, for all eyes were fixed on the Quraish of Makkah to see whether they
accepted Islam or not.
A large number of the Quraish were
converted to Islam after the conquest of Makkah. However, many of them still
remained immovable and unyielding. But none of them were compelled to accept
Islam. The sole aim before the Muslims was to do away with disruptions, bring
perfect peace and confer on them complete religious freedom. With peace
prevailing and freedom of religious practice granted, the idol worshippers got
a full opportunity to study, observe and watch Islam in operation. It resulted
in their quick conversion to Islam in large numbers.
After the conquest of Makkah, the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) announced throughout
the land that nobody becoming a Muslim was allowed to keep an idol in his
house. Following this he sent a few parties to destroy idols installed in the
area around Makkah. He sent Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) at the head of thirty soldiers to break Uzza, the idol of Banu
Kinânah and to pull down its temple. Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) went and broke Uzza to pieces and razed
its temple to the ground. Amr bin Al-Âs (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
was sent to destroy Suwa', the idol of Banu Hudbail. When Amr bin Al-Âs (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reached the spot, the priest said,
"How will you be able to overpower it?" Amr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said, "Just watch." Saying this
he entered the temple and broke the idol to pieces. Seeing this, the priest
renounced idolatry and embraced Islam on the spot. Saad bin Zaid Ashhali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was sent to Qadid to
destroy Manât. The priests were sure the Muslims would fail in their task but
they saw with their own eyes the believers break the idols and pull the temple
down. All idols and temples were destroyed.
The first priority being completed,
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
resumed his mission of preaching Islam through Muslim missionaries and sent
them near and far. Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) was sent to Banu Jadhimah with the order to avoid a fight. But
the situation demanded it and a few from Banu Jadhimah were killed. When Khâlid
bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) returned to Makkah
with the booty, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
expressed regret and sent back the booty along with blood money through Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ).
Battle
of Hunain
The resounding victory of the
Muslims over the Quraish and the ever-increasing conversions to Islam
frightened the enemies of Islam out of their senses. Those tribes who were not
allies of the Muslims were disturbed and worried. The Hawâzin and the Thaqif
were the two tribes who were most hostile to Islam and they also were old
arch-rivals of the Quraish. Living between Tâ'if and Makkah, they expected to
become the next target of attack by the Muslims. The Hawâzin Chief, Mâlik bin
Auf brought around him all the tribes of Banu Hawâzin and Banu Thaqif to fight
against the Muslims. Several other tribes like Nasr, Jusham and Saad also
joined hands with the Hawâzin. Their troops concentrated at Autâs. On receiving
this information, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
sent Abdullah bin Abu Hadrad Aslami (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) as a spy. He came back with the news that the enemy had
already completed its military preparations and they were ready to fight.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ordered quick preparations and led an
army of twelve thousands comprising ten thousand men from the Muhâjirin and the
Ansâr and two thousand new entrants to Islam from Makkah. The Muslim army
reached Hunain on Shawwâl 10, 8 AH. The enemy had already taken its position in
the depressions and hollows and the craters of the valley. As the Muslim army
started descending into the valley in the half light of morning, the enemy
suddenly rose from their place of ambush and started to attack with full force.
Since the Muslims were caught
unaware by the celebrated archers of Hawâzin, they could not withstand the
sudden onslaught of the enemy and their flanks fell back. The two thousand
Makkans were the first to flee in terror no one paying attention to the other.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
was then on the right side of the valley along with Abu Bakr, Umar Faruq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), Ali, Abbâs, Fadl
bin Abbâs, and Abu Sufyân bin Al-Hârith (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
had all the while stood firm in his place, riding his white mule without any
fear or nervousness. Abbâs bin Abdul-Muttalib (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was holding the bridle of his mule, while the Prophet of Allâh
(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was calling aloud:
"Verily, I am the Prophet without falsehood; I am son of Abdul-Muttalib."
When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) saw his men in confusion, he said,
"O Abbâs, call the Muslims to this side." The Muslims recognized his
voice and rushed towards the Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وآله وسلم). However, not more than about a hundred men could rally around
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
for the rest were barred by the intervening enemy and resumed fighting from
where they had been.
Calling out Allâhu Akbar (Allâh is
the Most Great), the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
advanced with his mule and launched such a fierce attack that the enemy plunged
into disorder and confusion and fled from the scene. Now the Muslim troops
gathered and bore down upon the army, which resulted in a smashing defeat of
the enemies of Islam. At the outset, when the Muslims were suffering reverses,
a rude fellow from Makkah who had joined the Muslim army but was still not
strong in faith, let out his antipathy to Islam saying, "The spell of
their sorcery has ended today." Another person of the same category
remarked, "Their flight will not stop before they get to the sea." A
man named Shaibah stepped forward towards the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) with the evil intention of taking revenge
on him but fell down unconscious.
The Hawâzin paid a heavy toll in the
battle before escaping in terror. Banu Thaqif then attempted to fill the gap
but in vain. They could not resist the advancing flood of Muslim troops and
fled from the battle field after suffering terrible loss of life. Notable
chieftains of the enemy were killed but their commander-in-chief, Mâlik bin Auf
escaped unhurt and took refuge in Tâ'if. A part of the fugitives gathered in
Autâs while another fled to Nakhlah for their lives. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) sent military
detachments chasing them and fighting took place at both locations again, they
could not withstand the heavy onslaught of the Muslims and gave in.
The Muslims returned victorious with
booty and captives. When the captives and spoils of Hunain were brought to the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), he ordered them to
be taken to Ji'rânah and appointed Mas'ud bin Amr Ghifâri (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to be in charge. The spoils of this
battle, known as the Battle of Hunain, went up to six thousand captives,
twenty-four thousand camels, more than forty thousand sheep and goats, and four
thousand Uqiyyah (a measure of weight) of silver.
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