islamic project

T H E
B A T T L E S
O F
P R O P H E T
M U H A M M E D
( P B U H )
Fatema Akter
11-G

INDEX
S.No.
Title
Pg No.
1.
The Battle of Badr 3
2. The Battle of Uhu 6
3. The Battle of Ghaza 8
4. The Battle of Banu Quraizah 11
5. The Battle of Al-Muraisi' 15
6. The Battle of Khaibar 19
7. The Battle of Mu’tah 22
8. The Conquest of Makkah 26
9. The Battle of Hunain 30
10. The Battle of Tabuk 35

The Battle of Badr (Arabic: بدر ‏,(غزوة was fought on March 17,
Battle of Badr
624 CE of Western Arabia (present-day Saudi Arabia). It was a
key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in
Prophet Muhammad's struggle with his opponents among
the Quraysh in Mecca. The battle has been passed down
in Islamic history as a decisive victory because of divine
intervention. Also, it is attributed to the geniusness of
Muhammad (SAW). Although it is one of the few battles
specifically mentioned in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an,
virtually all contemporary knowledge of the battle at Badr
comes from traditional Islamic accounts, both hadiths and
biographies of Muhammad (SAW), written decades after the
battle.

The Battle of Uhud (Arabic: أحد ‏(غزوة was fought on 23 March
625 (3 Shawwal 3 AH in the Islamic calendar) at Mount Uhud,
Battle of Uhud
in what is now North-Western Arabia. It occurred between a
force from the Muslim community of Medina led
by Muhammad (SAW), and a force led by Abu Sufyan
from Mecca, the town from which many of the Muslims had
previously emigrated (Hijra). The Battle of Uhud was the
second military encounter between the Meccans and the
Muslims, after the Battle of Badr in 624, where a small Muslim
army had defeated the larger Meccan army. For the Muslims,
the battle was a big setback. Muhammad (SAW) had preached
the religion of Islam in Mecca from 613 to 622. He had
attracted a small community of followers, but also had
opposition from the rest of the Quraysh, the clan that ruled
Mecca and to which he belonged. The Muslims fled Mecca in
622 after years of persecution and established themselves at
Medina (formerly known as Yathrib). They considered
themselves to be in a state of war with Mecca and raided
Meccan Caravans. The Meccans sent out a small army to
punish the Muslims and stop their raiding. At the Battle of
Badr in 624, a small Muslim force defeated the much larger
Meccan army. Many Muslims considered this beany victory a
proof that they had been favored by Allah (SWT), and believed
they were assured such victories in the future.

Jabal al Rumah جبل الرماه where
archers were placed, but most of
them left the place.
Ravine of Mount Uhud (bifurcated
mount just seen below in line of tower
structure) where Muhammed was taken
for rest after injury.
Muslim archers positioned on a hill during the Battle of
Uhud, as depicted in Moustapha Akkad's 1976 film - The
Message.
Masjid adjacent to cemetery of Uhud.
Grave of Hamza, Mount Uhud, Medina.

The battle of the Trench is also known as Ghazwa Khandaq, it
was the 30-day long fight of Yathrib by Arabian and Jewish
Battle of Ghazwa
tribes. The defenders of Medinah were Muslims led by
Prophet Muhammad PBUH, he ordered a Trench to be dug
after taking a suggestion from Salman Farsi (RA). These
trenches gave Muslims the benefit of defeating enemy armies
of suffering fewer casualties. The commanders of Muslims in
this battle were Prophet Muhammad PBUH, Ali Ibn Abi Talib
(RA) and Salman Farsi (RA). And on the enemy’s side, the
commanders were Abu Sufyan, Amr Ibn Abd Al Wud and
Tulayha. After a fight from Makkah, Muslims fought Quraysh
at the Battle of Badr in 624, and after that in 625, Muslims
fought Battle of Uhud, in which Muslims were never lost or
won at the battle, but Muslims’ army was growing at a rapid
scale. The reason of starting the Battle of the Khandaq
(Trench) was to protect Madinah from the attack that was led
by Banu Qaynuqa and Nazir tribes who were in alliance with
the Quraish tribe to attack as an act of revenge from expelling
them from Medina during the invasion of Banu
Nadir and Banu Qanquya. A group of Jews, Sallam ibn Abi al-
Huqayq and Huyayy ibn Akhtab, together with a number of
Banu Wa’il, went to Quraish Tribe and told them they have
Jews’ full support to attack Makkah and start a war against
Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

The Jews group went to Ghatafan and Qays Aylan tribes and urged
them to start a war against Prophet Muhammad PBUH and gave them
the same support. When Prophet Muhammad PBUH heard about this
news that Jews are lobbying against Muslims, he called up his
companions. As usual, Prophet Muhammad PBUH started taking
suggestions from his companions. Salman Farsi (RA) was the one
who told Prophet Muhammad PBUH to start digging a Trench around
the Madina, there is also a story of sheep is linked to this incident
when Muslims were digging the trench. It took Muslims 6 whole days
of hard work to dig it. Prophet Muhammad PBUH divided Muslims
into groups of 10 and dug the trench alongside them. He also
ate Dinner at Jabir RA’s house, whose miracle is also in Hadiths. Due
to this ditches dug by Muslims, the Muslims who were in fewer
numbers were able to defeat the enemy forces, and the victory of this
war had already predicted by Prophet Muhammad PBUH while he
was digging the ditch, he said “This is Quraish’s last attempt to
destroy Islam and Muslim, and from now on we will rule over them.”
Muslim won this battle very easily, Although Muslims were just 3,000
and enemy forces were 10,000 yet Muslims only suffered 1 to 5
casualties while the opponents ended up losing 80% of their army

Judaism was already well established in Medina two
Battle of Banu Quraizah
centuries before Muhammad's PBUH birth. Although
influential, the Jews did not rule the oasis. Rather, they
were clients of two large Arab tribes there, the Khazraj and
the Aws of Allah, who protected them in return for feudal
loyalty. Medina's Jews were expert Jewelers, and weapons
and armor makers. There were many Jewish clans-some
records indicate more than twenty, of which three were
prominent-the Banu Nadir, the Banu Qaynuqa, and the
Banu Qurayza. Various traditions uphold different views,
and it is unclear whether Medina's Jewish clans were
Arabized Jews or Arabs who practiced Jewish monotheism.
Certainly they were Arabic speakers with Arab names.
They followed the fundamental precepts of the Torah,
though scholars question their familiarity with the Talmud
and Jewish scholarship, and there is a suggestion in the
Qur'an that they may have embraced unorthodox beliefs,
such as considering the Prophet Ezra the son of God.

There were rabbis among the Jews of Medina, who
appear in Muslim sources soon after Muhammad PBUH
proclaimed himself a Prophet. At that time the quizzical
Meccans, knowing little about Monotheism, are said to
have consulted the Medinan Rabbis, in an attempt to put
Muhammad PBUH to the test. The Rabbis posed three
theological questions for the Meccans to ask
Muhammad PBUH, asserting that they would know, by
his answers, whether or not he spoke the truth.
According to later reports, Muhammad PBUH replied
to the Rabbis' satisfaction, but the Meccans remained
unconvinced. Muhammad PBUH arrived in Medina in
622 believing the Jewish tribes would welcome him.
Contrary to expectation, his relations with several of
the Jewish tribes in Medina were uneasy almost from
the start. This was probably largely a matter of local
politics.

Medina was not so much a city as a fractious agricultural
settlement dotted by fortresses and strongholds, and all
relations in the oasis were uneasy. In fact, Muhammad
PBUH had been invited there to arbitrate a bloody civil war
between the Khazraj and the Aws of Allah, in which the
Jewish clans, being their clients, were embroiled. At
Muhammad's PBUH insistence, Medina's pagan, Muslim
and Jewish clans signed a pact to protect each other, but
achieving this new social order was difficult. Certain
individual pagans and recent Medinan converts to Islam
tried to thwart the new arrangement in various ways, and
some of the Jewish clans were uneasy with the threatened
demise of the old alliances. At least three times in five years,
Jewish leaders, uncomfortable with the changing political
situation in Medina, went against Muhammad PBUH,
hoping to restore the tense, sometimes bloody-but
predictable-balance of power among the tribes. According
to most sources, individuals from among these clans plotted
to take his life at least twice, and once they came within a
bite of poisoning him. Two of the tribes-The Banu Nadir and
the Banu Qaynuqa, were eventually exiled for falling short
on their agreed upon commitments and for the consequent
danger they posed to the nascent Muslim community.

The danger was great. During this period, the Meccans
were actively trying to dislodge Muhammad PBUH
militarily, twice marching large armies to Medina.
Muhammad PBUH was nearly killed in the first
engagement, on the plains of Uhud just outside of Medina.
In their second and final military push against Medina,
now known as the Battle of the Trench, the Meccans
recruited allies from northwestern Arabia to join the
fight, including the assistance of the two exiled Jewish
tribes. In addition, they sent envoys to the largest Jewish
tribe still in Medina, the Banu Qurayza, hoping to win
their support. The Banu Qurayza's crucial location on the
south side of Medina would allow the Meccans to attack
Muhammad PBUH from two sides

Among the expeditions sent by the Prophet , the one against
Battle of Al-Muraisi
Banu Al-Mustaliq in Sha’ban, 5 or 6 A.H., was a prominent
event in Islamic history. A branch of the Banu Khuzaa clan,
which was on friendly terms with the Muslims, Banu Al-
Mustaliq had sided with the Quraysh and were preparing for
an attack on the Prophet. Baridah bin Khusayb was sent to
gather intelligence and came back to Madinah and
confirmed the report. Once more it was time for the Prophet
PBUH to leave Madinah in the hands of another, some say it
was Zayd bin Haritha, and march out against the
enemy. With an army of 700 men, the Prophet PBUH
surprised Banu Al-Mustaliq who were encamped at a spring
named Muraysi’ on the outskirts of Qudayd. Some of them
were killed, their women and children were rounded up, and
their property and livestock seized. The operation lasted two
nights. Among the prisoners was Juwayriyah, the daughter
of the wealthy Harith bin Darar. She accepted Islam in
Madinah, and the Prophet set her free and married her. In
defence to Juwayriyah, who gained the status of “Mother of
the believers” with her marriage to the Prophet PBUH, 100
families from Banu Al- Mustaliq were set free. They had
entered Islam, and the Prophet’s Companions released them
saying they were the Prophet’s relatives by marriage.
Juwayriyah had thus brought her people good fortune. As
expeditions go, the campaign against Banu Al-Mustaliq was
noteworthy not because of its military importance but
because it gave rise to two extremely distressing and painful
events which rent the Muslim community and the Prophet’s
heart.

While the Muslims were at the spring in Muraysi, a man
from the Ansar clashed with a Muhajir. The Ansari was
beaten and called the other Ansari to his rescue, while
the Muhajir called out to the Muhajireen. The people
who came up polarised themselves according to their
place of origin – Makkah and Madinah. As the calls “O
Ansar!” “O Muhajireen!” rang out, the Prophet PBUH
recognised the ugly spirit of factionalism threatening
the brotherhood of Muslims, and he intervened
immediately. “I am still among you,” he said. “I hear
calls from the Days of Ignorance. Ignore them, for they
are foul.” Contritely, the two groups dispersed and
returned to the path of brotherhood and
unity. Meanwhile, a large number of men from the
faction of the Hypocrites were present on this
expedition, as was their leader, Abdullah bin Ubayy.
The incident at the spring was fodder for making
mischief and nurturing resentment, He addressed
the Ansar:“How dare they [the Muhajireen] rise up
against us? Here we are in our own country and they
have come in and tried to outnumber us.

By God, it is just as the ancients said: Feed the dog, and it will bite you. I
swear by God that when we return to Madinah, the worthy and noble
ones will drive out the unworthy wretches.” By the worthy, he was
referring to himself, of course, while the unworthy one in his eyes who
deserved to be driven out was the Prophet PBUH. They told the Prophet
(SAW) that they would not go out in such intense heat. Despite these
setbacks, the Prophet (SAW) was able to gather a force of 30,000 fighters
— the largest Muslim fighting force so far — and marched to Tabuk. The
army crossed deserts and baked plains, and had very little water because
they camped in lands which once belonged to the Thamud. Eventually
their thirst was so great that Allah (SWT) sent down torrents of rain to
aid them. When the Muslim forces reached Tabuk, there were no
Byzantines there: by that time, they had abandoned the border towns, so
the Prophet (SAW) gave orders for the return march. However, this
daring venture made such an impression on the pro-Byzantine tribes in
northern Arabia that they shifted their allegiance from Constantinople
to Madinah, in the same way that the conquest of Mecca had cleared
opposition from those regions. Where they had previously feared the
near impregnable power of the Roman legions, Muslims were now
prepared to throw down the gauntlet for the superpower of that era. It is
very uncommon in the history of conflict that any conqueror shed so
little blood for such a victory. Admonishing his men, he continued: “You
yourselves have wrought this. You allowed them to settle in your
country and shared your property with them. By God, had you held back
and not been so generous, they would have surely gone
elsewhere.” Listening to Abdullah spew out his venom was a young
Companion of the Prophet , Zayd bin Arqam , who immediately brought
the matter to the Prophet’s attention. Abdullah bin Ubayy was sent for
and asked about his diatribe, which he denied upon oath, swearing the
Prophet had been misinformed. His glib words saved him on that
occasion, but the revelation of Surah Al-Munaafiqoon published the
truth, and the name of Abdullah bin Ubayy stands disgraced until the Day
of Judgment. Ironically, Abdullah’s son, who bore the same name as his
father, was a true believer who was incensed by his father’s
machinations.

He rushed to Madinah ahead of the running troops and
stood there barring his father’s way. As he faced his
father, he said: “By Allah, until the Prophet permits,
you will not be allowed to advance an inch, for it is he
who is honourable and you who are
dishonourable.” The Prophet told Abdullah to allow his
father back into Madinah and a mortified Abdullah bin
Ubayy brooded over how to destroy the peace. What had
begun as a simple disagreement between two men at a
spring had escalated into a rift dividing an entire
community and a father and his son, but this episode
also showed that the only kinship of consequence is
through righteousness and faith.

Battle of Khaibar
This is the place near Kerak, in southern Jordan where the
Muslims fought a famous battle against a combined
Byzantine/Ghassanid army during the lifetime of the
Prophet Muhammed ‏(ﷺ)‏ in the year 629 CE. Of the epistles
(letters) that the Prophet ‏(ﷺ)‏ despatched to various kings,
inviting them to Islam, one was sent to the King of Bursa
through Haris-bin-Umair Azdi الله عنه)‏ ‏.(رضي When Haris
reached Mu’ta, he was killed by Sharjeel ‏(رضي الله عنه)‏
Ghassani, one of the governors of the Qaiser. The murder of
the envoy was against all laws of inter-tribal morality. The
Prophet ‏(ﷺ)‏ was naturally very much upset when the news
reached him. He collected an army, 3,000-strong, to advance
against the enemy. This was the first time the Muslims
would fight the Byzantines (The Roman Empire during the
رضي)‏ Middle Ages). While nominating Zaid-bin-Haritha
said: “If ‏(ﷺ)‏ to command the army, the Prophet ‏(الله عنه
Zaid is killed, then Jafar-bin-Abi Talib will be your Amir and
if he is also martyred, then Abdullah-bin-Rawahah will take
the command. If he also dies, then you can select a
commander from among yourselves.”

A Jew, who was listening to this, said: “All the three must
die. This is exactly how the earlier Prophets used to
prophesy." The Prophet ‏(ﷺ)‏ gave Zaid a white flag made by
himself. He then accompanied the army for some distance
out of Madinah and prayed for them saying: “May Allah
bring you back safely and triumphantly, May He guard you
against all evils.” When Sharjeel received intelligence
about this army, he prepared an army 100,000 strong and
another army of 100,000 was raised by the Qaiser himself to
meet the Sahabah. When the Sahabah heard the rumour of
the impending army they hesitated whether they should
face such heavy odds or inform the Prophet ‏.(ﷺ)‏ Abdullah
bin Rawahah الله عنه)‏ ‏(رضي exhorted them to advance and
they faced the army in the battlefield of Mu’ta. A fierce
battle raged in which, as prophesised, Zaid-bin-Haritha
followed by Jafar-bin-Abi Talib and ‏,(رضي الله عنه)‏
Abdullah-bin-Rawahah were martyred. After the last
leader had fallen, Thabit bin Aqram الله عنه)‏ ‏(رضي ran to
receive the flag and rose it high, so that the Muslims would
not disperse in chaos. Thabit الله عنه)‏ ‏(رضي then handed
the flag to Khalid-bin-Waleed الله عنه)‏ ‏(رضي and called the
Muslims publicly to accept his leadership. They
unanimously agreed and for the first time Khalid-bin-
Waleed الله عنه)‏ ‏(رضي headed a Muslim army.

Back in Madinah the Prophet ‏(ﷺ)‏ was fully informed of the
happenings of the war. One morning, he ‏(ﷺ)‏ addressed the
Sahabah saying, “Zaid has taken up the flag and now he has
been martyred. Jafar has now taken it and he has also been
martyred. Ibn Rawahah has taken it and he has also been
martyred.” Saying this, tears welled up in the eyes. Thereafter
he mentioned, “Now the flag has been hoisted by a sword from
among the swords of Allah Ta’ala and Allah Ta’ala has granted
رضي)‏ the Muslims victory on his hands.” Khalid-bin-Waleed
reported that the fighting was so intense that he used ‏(الله عنه
nine swords which broke in the battle. Seeing that the situation
was hopeless, he prepared to withdraw the army. He
continued to engage the Byzantines in skirmishes, but avoided
pitched battle. One night he completely changed his troop
positions and brought forth a rearguard that he had equipped
with new banners; all this was intended to give the impression
that reinforcements had arrived from Madinah. He also
ordered his cavalry to retreat behind a hill during the night,
hiding their movements, and then return during daytime
when the battle resumed, raising as much dust as they could.
This also was intended to create the impression that further
reinforcements were arriving. The Byzantines believed in the
fictitious reinforcements and withdrew, thus allowing the
Muslim force to safely retreat to Madinah. Today, those
Muslims who fell at the battle are considered martyrs
(shaheed). Far from being a defeat, this battle was a strategic
success; the Muslims had challenged the Byzantines and had
made their presence felt amongst the Arab Bedouin tribes in
the region.

Battle of Mut'ah

After the conversion to Islam of most parts of Arabia, Prophet
Muhammad PBUH sent emissaries to the nomadic Arabian
tribes in the north. His envoys were killed there, and
Muhammad PBUH sent 3000 troops to punish the tribes. Those
tribes were Ghassanids which was the name of a group of
Hellenized Arabian Christian tribes that had emigrated in the
early 3rd century from Yemen to Southern Syria, Jordan,
Lebanon and the Holy Land where they eventually merged with
Greek-speaking Early Christian communities. Traditionally,
the Ghassanids were allies of Byzantium.The leader of the
Ghassanids had received word of the expedition and prepared
his forces; He also sent to the Byzantines for aid. Muslim
historians report that the Byzantine emperor Heraclius
gathered an army and hurried to the aid of his Arab allies.

It was a fierce battle which ended with a victory of the
Byzantines, although Muslim historians described it as a
draw. During the battle, all three Muslim leaders fell one
after the other as they took command of the force. Finally,
Khalid Ibn al-Walid took over. Khalid, seeing that the
situation was hopeless, prepared to withdraw. He continued
to engage the Byzantines in skirmishes, but avoided pitched
battle. In the night, he completely changed his troop
positions and brought forth a rearguard that he had equipped
with new banners; all this was intended to give the
impression that reinforcements had arrived from Medina.
He also ordered his cavalry to retreat behind a hill during the
night, hiding their movements, and then to return during
daytime when the battle resumed, raising as much dust as
they could. This also was intended to create the impression
that further reinforcements were arriving. The Byzantines
believed in the fictitious reinforcements and hesitated, thus
allowing the Muslim force to safely retreat to Medina.

Noteworthy:
The fight was so intense that Khalid ibn al-Walid had to use
nine swords which broke in the battle.
Aftermath:
It was the first battle between the Byzantines and the Arabs.
For the Byzantines, it was, most probably, a minor
skirmish. For the Arabs however, it was a milestone.

The Conquest of Makkah
So many hundreds of years ago, Muslims entered the holy city of
Makkah – with dignity, glory and pride – from where they were forced
to migrate. The holy Prophet (PBUH) and his companions had to
migrate to Madina but enemies of Islam tried their best to harm
Muslims. In this regard, various wars were also imposed by the Quraysh
in order to destabilize the Madina state. Despite all the bitter
experiences of past, the Prophet (pbuh) preferred to set an example by
announcing amnesty for everyone on the occasion of the conquest of
Makkah. Even, today it is highly regarded as the only applicable
roadmap process to resolve bilateral conflicts for the sake of
humanity.During the holy month of Ramazan, God’s blessing is
showered equally on every person and an opportunity is granted to
everyone for the practical implementation of teachings based on
patience, brotherhood, tolerance and endurance. The Message,
released in 1976, is one of the most popular Hollywood movies of all
time. The movie, produced with the collaboration of different Middle
Eastern countries, serves as an introduction to early Islamic history and
important events. The movie was released separately in both Arabic and
English versions. Geo Television Network performed a wonderful job
by dubbing it into Urdu language. The climax of this movie is really very
impressive and highly laudable. In the movie, Muslims are shown angry
towards the Quraysh over the violation of the peace agreement. A large
number of tribes start supporting the Prophet (PBUH) for moving
towards Makkah. Muslims enter Makkah with the announcements that
“Even he who enters the house of Abu Sufyan will be safe, He who lays
down arms will be safe, He who locks his door will be safe”.

On hearing this unbelievable notice, Hind, wife of ruler of
Makkah Abu Sufyan expresses with satisfaction that no storm
has come so far. The leader of Quraysh replies that an invisible
storm has come but in the hearts of the people that have been
won over by the last Prophet (PBUH). After the conquest of
Makkah, the Prophet (PBUH) neither took any revenge nor let
others harm anyone. Open amnesty was announced for
everyone. In this way, the Prophet PBUH once again
demonstrated that the message of peace, love, brotherhood,
forgiveness and tolerance is not for any specific community
but for every creature. There are three major lessons that we
should learn from the historical conquest of Makkah. First, we
may have to face many difficulties in our life struggle but if we
keep moving consistently towards right direction with a trust
in God then obviously we will be successful at the end of the
day. Second, we should not forget that God has promised to
help those who follow the right path, and thus, there is no
need to become hopeless and desperate due to temporary
hurdles and obstacles. The third lesson is about promoting
tolerance, high moral values and forgiveness. History
discloses that many mighty victorious rulers used to destroy
cities, shed rivers of blood, and murdered their opponents
along with families brutally. However, the Prophet
Muhammad SAW set a new example that forgiving your
enemy is very important in order to achieve sustainable peace.

The Battle of Khaybar took place in the 7th year
Battle
of
of
Hijrah.
Hunayn
The
opponents in this battle were the Jews of Khaybar. This battle
came about because the Jews had amassed an army of 10000 and
were ready to attack Medina. Among these 10,000 were included
some tribes of Jews who had taken part in hostilities against the
Muslims in cooperation with the Quraish infidels. The less
numbered Muslims decided to confront the large numbered Jews
and the Muslims moved to Khaybar. The chief of the Fort of
Khaybar was Marhab; and his brother Harith was a well-known
warrior like Marhab. Thus, these two brothers were well-known
brave warriors and apparently had no equal. During this
engagement, the Holy Prophet (SAW) was having a migraine and
was therefore in his tent, but the Muslim army launched attacks
for three days yet returned defeated. This continued for three
days and whichever Muslim fighter went to confront the Jews,
was killed by Harith. When two people used to be killed, no one
from the Muslim army had the guts to go further companions for
cowardice while his companions used to hold him responsible.

The Muslim army suffered this degradation for three days.
Everyday, it had become a routine for the Muslim army to go
to the battlefield, attack and suffer defeat and then return to
their camps dejected. One day Abu Bakr took a contingent and
attacked Khaybar but he returned defeated. In the same way,
Umar launched an attack twice but both the times returned
completely unsuccessful. Marhab and Harith pursued the
Muslim army and chased them up to their camps and quite
often the Holy Prophet (S) who was in the tent nearby learnt of
these developments. It seems that Marhab and Harith were
great warriors of their time because Umar could not bear to
face them even for a short while. Shah Abdul Aziz writes that
Umar used to return every time and blame his companions for
cowardice while his companions used to hold him
responsible. Thus, the army of Islam was involved in terrible
difficulties in this way and they did not know what to do. The
cause of their problems was that till now, the Holy Prophet
(SAW) had not been able to accompany them in the battle. Ali
(A.S.) had remained behind in Medina due to sore eyes. That is
why he was apparently not fit to participate in the war, but he
came to the army of Allah to contribute to the help of the
Prophet. Doubtlessly, this is true faith and assistance of Islam!
Glory be to Allah, he could not bear separation from the
Prophet PBUH, even during an illness and he was so eager to
offer his services that he came from Medina to the Muslim
camps at Khaybar, but due to the severity of the discomfort,
he could not fight for three days.

When the army of Islam was defeated for the third consecutive
day, the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Tomorrow, I will hand over
the flag of the Islamic army to a person who is brave and who
does not flee from the battlefield. That is one who is absolutely
courageous and never bolts from the field. One who loves Allah
and the Messenger and Allah and the Messenger love him. He
will not return till Allah does not grant victory at his hands.”
This is what happened. And that Prophetic tradition is
mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, Khasais Nasai and Tabari. But the
Holy Prophet (SAW) gave the standard to a person who had
already been tested in the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq
and one who had till date, continued to save the religion of Allah
from destruction. Anyway, the next morning the Holy Prophet
(SAW) applied his saliva to the sore eyes of Ali (A.S.), which
cured him completely. He then handed him the standard and
gave permission to initiate the battle. After this, the Holy
Prophet (SAW) recited the famous words of supplication: “Call
Ali, the one who shows extraordinary wonders of God…” (Naade
A’liyyan maz’haral ajaaibi…)The valiant warrior rushed to the
battlefield, engaged his opponents in combat and soon
dispatched Marhab and Harith to Hellfire, then he uprooted the
gate of Khaybar and conquered the fort. The followers of Ali
(A.S.) should know that such unimaginable feats are not possible
without divine help.

Without any doubt, Ali (A.S.) was helped by Allah. If it had
not been so, it would have been impossible for him to
perform such feats. How can a person who lived on barley
bread and fasted often, rout the enemies of Islam time and
again? How can he subdue a warrior like Amr bin Abde
Wudd? How can he slay people like Marhab and Harith?
And in addition to that, he uprooted the gate weighing 700
mounds, and then used this gate as a shield to deflect the
strikes of the foes. O people of justice! Do you think such
feats are possible without divine help? It is well known to
people who know that the uprooting of the gate of Khaybar
is a historical fact and it is not a work of fiction. It is
recorded in history. Even the historians who are among the
opponents of Islam have recorded this incident in their
books. Washington Irving has recorded this incident in his
book on Islamic history.

Thus, it is surprising that people of later generations have
started to consider it fictional and tend to ignore this
achievement of Ali (A.S.). In view of the writer, only such
people can deny such incidents, who have not brought faith
in the Messenger of Allah (SAW), because when the Holy
Prophet (SAW) had called Ali (A.S.) as, “one who shows
extraordinary wonders” (Mazharul Ajaaib) on the basis of
divine revelation, one who does not accept it to be true,
cannot be considered a Muslim. In short, in this battle also,
Ali (A.S.) offered such incomparable services to Islam that
were not offered by anyone else. Yet, the opponents of Ali
(A.S.) refrain from confessing to the bravery of Ali (A.S.).
While they are bent to make Abu Bakr and Umar the bravest
ones of the companions and the most brave ones of men, as
apparent from the writings of Suyuti. O God! There is indeed
something like justice! Abu Bakr and Umar had no
connection with valor and bravery. In such a condition,
neither Abu Bakr nor Umar could be called the bravest ones.
They did not perform any feat during the lifetime of the
Prophet, which can make them eligible to be called the
bravest ones. Leave alone being the bravest ones, how can a
person like Ali (A.S.), who never fled from the battlefield and
continued to often rout the enemies of Islam, should be
considered inferior to those who always bolted from battles
and did not even scratch the enemy of Islam. Now the
readers are invited to study the account of the Battle of
Hunayn.

The tribes of the Hawazin and Thaqif were of the final few
Battle of Tabuk
tribes that did not accept the message of Islam in Mecca and
they fought against Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The battle
took place during the month of Shawwal in the eighth year of
Hijrah. Under his command, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had
12,000 armed soldiers. 1o,000 of them were of those who
accompanied him during his journey from Madina to
Makkah, and the remaining two thousand were those from
amongst the Quraysh who had just embraced the message of
Islam. At that time, this was considered to be a large army,
causing the Muslims to be filled with overconfidence in
achieving an effortless victory. The Hawazin were a group of
idol worshippers that were unwilling to accept the message
of Islam. Their tribe leader, Malik ibn Awf Al-Nasri ordered
his men to gather all the women, children, money and live
stock and prepare to set off as an entire village with the
intention of overwhelming Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It
was an old Arab practice for the women and children to be
brought with the army to motivate the soldiers. The thought
of knowing that their women, children, and live stock were
at risk gave them the will to fight more fiercely in battle.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) discovered through his scout
that the Hawazin camp was preparing for an attack on the
Muslims. Malik ibn Awf also sent a spy to gather information
about the Prophet’s (SAW) army.

The leader of the Hawazin was intimidated that the Prophet’s
(SAW) army outnumbered his own. He decided that if he was to
defeat Prophet Muhammad (SAW) , he had to devise a plan. The
battle took place at Hunayn, a valley between Mecca and Ta’if. As
Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) troops were approaching the valley,
barely equipped in their armor, they were showered with arrows.
His men began to panic, yelling and rushing out of the valley as
quickly as possible. The Prophet (SAW) tried his best to yell over the
crowd of panicking men, but did not succeed. Only 9 of the 12,000
men that ventured with the Prophet (SAW) stood by his side. The
Prophet was calm in his faith and wisdom in that hour of danger
and spurred his horse forward. His uncle Abbas was on his right
and Fadl, the son of Abbas, on his left. In order to calm the Muslims
and bring them back the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “I am the
Prophet of Allah and never tell a lie and Allah has promised me
victory.” His men took notice of his words, and were reminded of
putting their trust in Allah (SWT) . The power of Prophet
Muhammad’s (SAW) army then overwhelmed the leaders of the
Hawazin and Thaqif tribe and the battle ended with victory for the
Muslims. The Hawazin leader and the remaining troops ran away
to regions of Autas and Nakhlah and to the forts of Ta’if leaving
behind 24,000 horses, 40,000 sheep and thousands of women. The
lesson learned from the battle of Hunayn is that victory always
comes from Allah (SWT) regardless of the number of men in the
army of Muslims. As mentioned in the Qur’an: "Allah has helped
you on many occasions including the day of Hunayn. When you
were happy with the number of your men who proved to be of no
help to you and the whole vast earth seemed to have no place to hide
you (from your enemies) and you turned back in retreat. " (Surah al-
Tawbah, 9:25)

They did not wish to strive in Allah’s way with their wealth and
their selves; and they said (to the others), “Do not go in the
heat”. Say (O Muhammad), “The fire of Hell is fiercer in heat”; if
only they could understand.— Surah at-Tawbah, 9:81. In the 9th
year of the Muslim calendar, the Byzantine forces converged on
the borders of Syria, planning to mount an invasion of the infant
Muslim territories. Rumours of the danger were carried to
Mecca by traders. They said the invading army of Heraclius
(then-Byzantine emperor) numbered anywhere from 40,000 to
100,000 men. On top of this, several Arab tribes such as the
Lakhm and Judham were allies with the Byzantines. Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) heard about it and decided that best course
of action was a preemptive strike. He urged affluent Muslims to
make significant donations. A number of them who were
unable to make donations or volunteer were so disconsolate that
Allah (SWT) sent down a revelation exempting them from the
obligation of joining the expedition. There were other Muslims
who refused to join the expedition despite being in good health
and having ample funds.

They told the Prophet (SAW) that they would not go out in such
intense heat. Despite these setbacks, the Prophet (SAW) was able
to gather a force of 30,000 fighters — the largest Muslim fighting
force so far — and marched to Tabuk. The army crossed deserts
and backed plains, and had very little water because they camped
in lands which once belonged to the Thamud. Eventually their
thirst was so great that Allah (SWT) sent down torrents of rain to
aid them. When the Muslim forces reached Tabuk, there were no
Byzantines there: by that time, they had abandoned the border
towns, so the Prophet (SAW) gave orders for the return march.
However, this daring venture made such an impression on the
pro-Byzantine tribes in northern Arabia that they shifted their
allegiance from Constantinople to Madinah, in the same way that
the conquest of Mecca had cleared opposition from those
regions. Where they had previously feared the near impregnable
power of the Roman legions, Muslims were now prepared to
throw down the gauntlet for the superpower of that era. It is very
uncommon in the history of conflict that any conqueror shed so
little blood for such a victory

Bibliography
www.google.com
www.al-islam.org
www.mercyprophet.org
www.ilmfeed.com
en.wikishia.net
kids.kiddle.co
www.britannica.com
www.islamicfinder.org
www.islamiclandmarks.com
military.wiki.org
islamhouse.com
www.historynet.com
xxx End of Project work xxx
Jazak Allahu Khairan