0% found this document useful (0 votes)
55 views9 pages

Khyber Expedition - Battle of Mu'ta

The document provides detailed summaries of four important battles in early Islamic history: the Battle of Khaybar, the Battle of Mu'ta, the Battle of Hunain, and the Battle of Tabuk. It describes the events and outcomes of the Battles of Khaybar and Mu'ta in great depth, including the Muslim victories at Khaybar through the bravery of Hazrat Ali and the fierce fighting at Mu'ta against Byzantine forces, where the Muslims were outnumbered but fought valiantly.

Uploaded by

Aleeza Taimoor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
55 views9 pages

Khyber Expedition - Battle of Mu'ta

The document provides detailed summaries of four important battles in early Islamic history: the Battle of Khaybar, the Battle of Mu'ta, the Battle of Hunain, and the Battle of Tabuk. It describes the events and outcomes of the Battles of Khaybar and Mu'ta in great depth, including the Muslim victories at Khaybar through the bravery of Hazrat Ali and the fierce fighting at Mu'ta against Byzantine forces, where the Muslims were outnumbered but fought valiantly.

Uploaded by

Aleeza Taimoor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Q(a) Write about the main events of two battles: Khaybar, Mu’ta, Hunain,

Tabuk. [10] [June 2015P1(2058/12)]

Battle of Khyber/Khyber Expedition:


In the second year after the Battle of Badr, the Jews faced disappointment as
their hopes of ruling over Arabia faded. During the same year, members of
Banu Qainuqa insulted a Muslim woman and killed a Muslim youth. The
Prophet and his companions besieged the fort of this tribe for fifteen days,
and due to increasing starvation, Banu Qainuqa surrendered, leading to their
expulsion from Madinah. In the third year after the Hijra, the poet Qaab bin
Ashraf composed insulting poetry regarding Islam he was killed. This further
exacerbated their relationships. In the fourth year after the Hijra, Banu Nadir
violated the Treaty of Madinah and planned to assassinate the Prophet. Upon
discovering the plot, the Prophet gave them ten days to leave Madinah, but
they refused. The Muslims laid siege to their fort for fifteen days, and upon
surrender, Banu Nadir was expelled from Madinah. Banu Qurayza faced
consequences for attempting an alliance with the Allies during the Battle of
Khandaq. Many of these Jews settled in Khyber and therefore Khyber became
the major area for the conspiracies of Jews against the Muslims. The alliances
of Jews increased including the alliance with the tribe of Najd. The Jews were
planning to fight against the Muslims. When the Holy Prophet came to know
about this, he decided to march towards Khyber before the Jews could do
anything. Therefore, the Holy Prophet with 1600 men marched towards
Khyber in the month of Muharram 7A.H. The Holy Prophet had already
received the glad tidings of victory at Khyber. As stated in Surah Fath,

“Allah has promised you abundant spoils that you will capture [in the
future] and has hastened for you this [victory]” (48:20)

Khayber which means to be “fortified” was an oasis divided into two parts
with several forts. The first part had five major forts and the second part
known as ‘al-Kitabah’ had three main forts including the strongest fort; the
fort of Qammus, also known as ‘an-Nizar’. The majority of the fight took place
in the first part and all the five forts were successfully captured, including
al-Na’im. The Prophet sent Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar to capture the
fort of Qammus, but they returned unsuccessful, and all of the Muslims were
disappointed. The Holy Prophet then said,
“Tomorrow I will give the banner to someone who loves God and His
messenger, and God and His messenger love him”

The next morning the Prophet pointed his finger toward Hazrat Ali. Hazrat
Ali’s eyes were hurting and that’s why the Holy Prophet first applied ointment
to his eyes. Then the Holy Prophet himself put the armor on him, handed him
a sword, and sent him as the commander of the army. Witnessing this
Marhab came out of the fort for one-to-one combat against Hazrat Ali.
Marhab was an exceptionally brave warrior however, he was killed in the very
first attack. Then a fierce battle took place and 93 Jews were killed whereas 19
Muslims were martyred. Hazrat Ali also broke the door of the fort which was
approximately 900Kg. Therefore, Hazrat Ali was given the title of ‘Asadullah’
which means the ‘lion of God’. After this the Holy prophet told Hazrat Ali to
ask the Jews of Khyber to embrace Islam. The Holy Prophet said,

"Proceed and do not hurry. When you enter their territory, call them to
embrace Islam and inform them of Allah's Rights which they should
observe, for by Allah, even if a single man is led on the right path (of
Islam) by Allah through you, then that will be better for you than the nice
red camels.” (Sahih Bukhari: 4210)

The leader of the fort, Kinnana surrendered. The Jews refused to fight further,
and as a result, the second part of Khyber was besieged by the Muslims. Then
the Jews sent Ibn Abul Huqaiq for negotiations. Finally, the Treaty of Khyber
was signed. Under this, the Jews agreed to pay jizya which would be equal to
half of their total produce. The fight ended and the Muslims received a huge
booty. The booty was so huge that Hazrat Abdullah bin Umaar stated,

“ We never ate our fill until we conquered Khyber.”

The Quran also says in Surah Al Ahzaab,

“He has also caused you to take over their lands, homes, and wealth, as
well as lands you have not yet set foot on. And Allah is Most Capable of
everything.”

After this other Jewish territories like Fadaq, Wadi-al-Qara, Tayma, and Ayala
also embraced Islam.
Battle of Mu’ta:

Islam was not to remain confined to Makkah and Madinah. Prophet


Mohammad (S.A.W.) sent letters and messengers to different rulers and
heads of tribes and invited them to Islam. For this purpose, He (S.A.W.) sent
Al-Harith bin Umair Al-Azdi (R.A.) to Busra (currently located in Hauran, Syria).
Busra’s governor and people were Arabs but they were Christians and they
were subject to the Byzantine Empire. On his way, Al-Harith (R.A.) was
intercepted by Shurahbil bin Amrul-Ghassani, the governor of Al-Balqa and
representative of the Byzantine Emperor. When Shurahbil heard that
Al-Harith (R.A.) was the envoy of the Prophet (S.A.W.), he killed Al-Harith (R.A.)
brutally. Killing envoys and messengers used to be regarded as the most
awful crime at that time and amounted to the degree of war declaration.
When the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) heard that Al-Harith (R.A.) had been
killed, he (S.A.W.) and his companions (R.A.) became very grieved. After
evaluating the incident, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) formed an army. He
appointed Zaid bin Haritha (R.A.), his freed slave, to command the army that
consisted of 3,000 Muslims, which was their largest army. The Holy Prophet
said,

“If Zaid is killed Ja’afar bin Abu Talib will be your commander, and if he is
also martyred then Abdullah bin Rawahah will take the command. If he
too dies, then you can select a commander from among yourselves”
(Bukhari)

The Holy Prophet commanded the army,

"Fight the disbelievers in the Name of Allah, neither breach a covenant


nor entertain treachery, and under no circumstances a new-born, woman,
an aging man or a hermit should be killed; moreover neither trees should
be cut down nor homes demolished.”

The Muslims had to fight an army of 200,000, 100,000 of whom were sent by
the leader of the Romans; Heraclius. soldiers. When fighting began, Zaid Ibn
Harithah (R.A.) fought holding the Messenger's standard, until he died from
loss of blood among the spears of the enemy. Then as per instructions of
Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.), Jafar ibn Abi Talib (R.A.), who was subsequently
called "the flying Jafar" or "Jafar with two wings due to his bravery” took the
banner until he was martyred. Abdullah bin Rawaha then proceeded to hold
up the banner and fight bravely on his horseback while reciting enthusiastic
verses until he died a martyr. The honor was unanimously granted to Khalid
bin Al-Waleed (R.A.), a skilled brave fighter and an outstanding strategist. It
was reported by Al-Bukhari that he used nine swords that broke while he was
relentlessly and courageously fighting the enemies of Islam. At that time the
Prophet's eyes were shedding tears. He added,

"Then the flag was taken by a Sword amongst the Swords of Allah (i.e.
Khalid ibn Al-Walid) and Allah made them (i.e. the Muslims) victorious.”

Allah knows how many unbelievers Khalid (R.A.) were wounded and killed
while breaking nine swords.
Khalid Ibn Al-Walid (R.A.) said:

“On the day of Mu'tah, nine swords were broken in my hand and only a
Yemenite sword of mine remained in my hand.” (Sahih Bukhari: 4266)

During the night, he thought about some plans and tactics that would startle
the enemy. When the sun rose, Khalid (R.A.) positioned his men in such a way
that they appeared to look greater in number. The strategy was to cast fear
into the hearts of the Byzantines by fooling them that fresh reinforcements
had arrived. The Muslims sustained twelve martyrs (some sources say 15)
whereas the number of casualties among the Byzantines was unknown
although the details of the battle point clearly to a large number. The
Muslims were victorious but this battle led to the Arab-Romans hostility.
Q (b) Choose one of the four battles mentioned and explain what Muslim
leaders now can learn from it. [4]

Battle of Khyber:

The Battle of Khaybar exemplifies the importance of placing trust in Allah.


When Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Abu Bakr faced challenges in capturing the
fort of Qammus, Prophet Muhammad encouraged them not to lose hope. In
response, he appointed Hazrat Ali to lead the mission. The prophet once said,

"If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials."

Despite experiencing discomfort in his eyes, Hazrat Ali engaged in the battle
and successfully captured the fort of Qammus. This incident exemplifies the
importance of not losing hope and placing strong faith in Allah. Allah
manifests in Surah Al-Imran,

“So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are
[true] believers.” (3:139)

The incident highlights the importance of persistence and determination in


the face of challenges. Muslim leaders can learn to endure setbacks, remain
hopeful, and continue striving for success. Hazrat Ali's willingness to fight
despite the pain in his eyes emphasizes the concept of individual sacrifice for
the greater good. The Holy Prophet initially sought to maintain harmony with
the Jewish community by entering into the Treaty of Madinah. However,
when faced with treachery and hostile intentions, the Prophet demonstrated
the necessity of firm action in response to oppression. This teaches leaders to
initially try to sort out things through peaceful settlements, but if things get
worse, then they should also take firm action.

Battle of Mu’ta:

Even though they were vastly outnumbered, with only 3,000 Muslims against
an imposing force of 200,000 Romans, the Battle of Mu'ta imparts a crucial
lesson to Muslim leaders. They can learn that they should have strong faith in
Allah and that they should never give up. As stated in Surah Ash Sharh,

“With every hardship there is ease”(94:5)


This is exemplified by Abdullah bin Rawahah’s approach to the Muslims being
scared when met with the formidable army of the Romans. He said,

"Men, what you dislike is that which you have come out in search of, viz,
martyrdom. We are not fighting the enemy with numbers, or strength or
multitude, but we are confronting them with this religion with which
Allah has honored us. So come on! Both prospects are fine: Victory or
martyrdom."

Muslim leaders can also learn strategic planning before the planning as
exemplified by the Prophet. The Prophet had told his army that initially Zaid
would take the command if he was martyred then Ja’far and if too is martyred
then Abdullah bin Rawahah and similarly if he was also martyred then the
Muslims should choose themselves. This teaches leaders to always plan for
the worst. Muslim leaders can also learn to use diplomatic skills like Hazrat
Khalid bin Walid. He shifted the right and left flanks of his army to make the
Muslim army look bigger, the Romans thought that the Muslims had received
new reinforcements. This battle showed how strong and determined the
Muslim army was. Even though they had fewer soldiers, they fought with
courage and determination against a much larger enemy.

You might also like