Chapter 7 - BATTLE AFTER BATTLE

Thirteen months after Hijra, the Prophet led a force of 200 Muslim riders to intercept a Quraish caravan going to Syria and led by Abu Sufyan. The caravan consisted of 1000 camels loaded with goods. Abu Sufyan took another path and was not intercepted. The Prophet sent Abdulla Ibn Jahsh Al Asadi to constantly observe the caravan route. During the month of fasting (Ramadan) of year 624 AD (corresponding to year 2 AH), the Quraish caravan led by Abu Sufyan was spotted 50 miles south west of Medina while it was coming back from Syria. The Prophet put together a force of 313 men along with 70 camels and 5 horses and proceeded to meet the caravan. Abu Sufyan who learned about the imminent danger, sent a message to Mekka asking for help from Quraish, redirected his caravan route and was able to lead it out to safety. When they received Abu Sufyan’s message about the danger to their caravan, the Quraish rapidly put together a well-equipped force of 1000 men with 170 camels and 300 horses and marched toward Medina.

Having missed the caravan, the Muslims moved toward a watering spot (close to Medina) called Badr. The Quraish marched toward Badr to do battle against the Muslims despite the fact that they learned that their caravan was safe. After all they had not come all that way for nothing! The smaller Muslim force took charge of the wells and waited for the assault. Fighting started with duels between three Quraish leaders (Utba, Shaiba and Walid) all from the same family against three Muslim leaders (Ali, Hamza and Ubayda Ibn Al Harith). Muslim victory in the duels was followed by an all-out battle between the two armies. Led by Hamza and Ali, Muslims concentrated on the leaders of the Quraish army. Abu Jahl was wounded then died. Bilal killed off his former mean master. Most of the Quraish leaders that had plotted to kill the Prophet two years earlier were eliminated. Under the Prophet’s leadership, Muslims won the Battle of Badr even outnumbered by three to one. Muslims lost 14 men and Quraish lost 70 men. Muslims also made 70 prisoners and captured much weaponry.

After the Battle of Badr

The Quraish prisoners were treated humanely and were allowed to buy back their freedom either by paying a ransom or by teaching Muslim children how to read and write. Ransoms were in the range of a few thousand Dirhams. A small anecdote that happened would soften anybody’s heart. The husband of Zaynab (the Prophet’s daughter) was one of the Quraish prisoners. Zaynab (still living in Mekka) sent as ransom to free her husband a necklace that she had gotten from her mother Khadija. When the Prophet saw the necklace, it conjured many emotions and took him back to the memory of his dear wife Khadija and his sweet daughter Zaynab. He sent both the necklace and Zaynab’s husband back to Mekka. Zaynab ended up leaving Mekka soon after that and joined the Muslims in Medina.

A series of revelations were made. These spelled out the right of orphans and widows and encouraged the Muslims against any form of weakness reminding them that hardship was not over. Muslims were also warned of a group of “Hypocrites” that had not participated in the defense of their community. These were led by Abdulla Ibn Ubay who was very resentful of his loss of power and prestige to the Muslims. He had become Muslim but his heart did not receive the message.

In Mekka, Quraish tribe leaders were mad at the outcome of their first military encounter with the Muslims. It was supposed to be an easy victory against the small unskilled Muslim army. Abu Lahab who did not join the battle because of his old age could not take the defeat and died “of shame”. The Quraish women started calling for revenge. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan refused any marital relationship with her husband till her father and brother (who had died during the battle) would be avenged. Abu Sufyan himself who had not participated in the battle because he was leading the caravan decided not to take a bath till the Quraish honor would get restored.

The Jewish tribe living in Medina (the Bani Qaynuqa) who had sided with Quraish started creating problems. A Muslim woman was ridiculed in their goldsmith market. Fight ensued between Muslims and members of the Bani Qaynuqa tribe and resulted in killings on both sides. Some Jewish poets who had become virulent with their verses against Islam and the Prophet were killed. The Muslims put their village under siege for two weeks till they decided to surrender. In order to save their lives, they agreed to leave Medina for good. They went to settle with other Jewish tribes at Khaybar and Um Al Qura (cities north of Medina).

Ali who was 27 years old got married to Fatima, the Prophet’s youngest daughter. She was around 20 years old. They had two sons, Al Hasan and Al Husain. The Prophet’s other daughters Ruqaya and Um Kulthum were married to two of Abu Lahab’s sons before the advent of Islam. The blatant enmity of Abu Lahab and his family against the Prophet and the Muslims had forced both of them to divorce. They had joined their father in Medina. A dear companion of the Prophet, Uthman Ibn Affan married Ruqaya at first. Ruqaya died after the Battle of Badr. Uthman actually stayed at the side of his dying wife and did not participate in the Battle of Badr. After a while, Uthman married Um Kulthum. He was referred to as Thul Noorayn (the One with Two Lights). The Prophet himself got married to Hafsa, daughter of Umar Ibn Al Khattab and widow of a companion. Back then, marriage was the only security for a woman, especially a widow.

The Battle of Badr gave the Muslims a reputation of strength. Surrounding tribes (some of which were allies to the Quraish) were worried about this new factor in the region that was breaking the balance of power among tribes. Muslims kept on their guard and kept well informed. As soon as they would hear of a threat mounting against them, they would preempt the situation by confronting the enemy before it had a chance to gather a full force. A troop of 200 Quraish men led by Abu Sufyan conducted a surprise operation close to Medina and killed two Muslims before retreating in a hurry.

The Battle of Uhud

The Quraish tribe decided to take revenge for their loss at the Battle of Badr. They gathered a strong force of 3000 well equipped men led by Abu Sufyan. They took 200 horses and 300 camels and headed for Medina. Even women led by Hind (Abu Sufyan’s wife) went to cheer up the soldiers. The Prophet’s uncle Al Abbas who was still living in Mekka alerted the Muslims of the imminent thread. When he received the secret message, the Prophet consulted with his companions. Young companions wanted to confront the Quraish and dismissed advice from elders about fortifying the city of Medina and avoiding confrontation. The Prophet followed the opinion of the majority even though he did not feel comfortable with it. He could muster only 700 Muslim men that marched and waited for the huge Quraish army at Mount Uhud (5 miles north of Medina). The Prophet put 50 archers at the end of a pass in order to protect the Muslim army’s back. They were to stay there in any circumstance.

The Quraish army was led by experienced fighters like Abu Sufyan, Khalid Ibn Al Walid and Ikrima Ibn Abu Jahl. After the initial assault, the Muslims were winning. Muslims focused on the Quraish leaders. Ali killed Talha and his son Saad, Hamza killed the other son Uthman. The Quraish were retreating. Seeing this initial success, the archers got overconfident and left their post in order to participate in the action (and get some booty). Khalid Ibn Al Walid at the head of the Quraish cavalry saw their mistake and attacked the Muslim army from the back. Outnumbered, the Muslims were being attacked from both sides. They became confused and were badly hurt by the Quraish army led by Abu Sufyan. The Prophet was wounded by a rock and lost two front teeth. He killed the leader of an attacking party with a javelin. Muslims retreated to the top of a hill where they were able to defend themselves and stabilize their situation. The Battle of Uhud ended up as a draw. The Muslims lost 70 men during the battle. The Prophet’s uncle Hamza died by a javelin thrown by Wahsh Al Habashi, a slave servant of Quraish who was promised his freedom by Hind (wife of Abu Sufyan) who wanted to avenge the death of her father and brother. Hind mutilated the body of Hamza. Quraish lost 18 leaders and many soldiers. The next morning the Muslims confronted the Quraish army again. These retreated and did not attempt to enter Medina.

The Battle of Uhud was a close call for the Muslims who almost lost. The Muslims took many lessons from this. Zeal of the young Muslims who were eager to do battle was not the best thing. Indiscipline of the archers (who left their post) costed the Muslims dearly. Muslims should hold together and increase discipline if they are to survive. A series of revelations stressing these points ensued.

After the Battle of Uhud

The Battle of Uhud weakened the reputation of the Muslims in Medina. Local tribes wanted to take advantage of the situation and raid Medina. Muslims had to go on a series of preemptive strikes against groups that were getting ready to attack. A Muslims force went and deterred the Bani Asad tribe. This was followed by the Battle of Raji where 6 Muslims were killed, then by the Battle of Bir Mawna.

The second Jewish tribe living in the outskirts of Medina (the Bani an-Nadir) felt emboldened by these events and decided to kill the Prophet. They attracted him to a gathering and were planning on dropping a heavy rock on him. He caught on to their plot when they started whispering among themselves and got away safely. They had broken their promise of peace with the Muslims. The Prophet gave them 10 days to leave Medina. When this did not happen, the Muslims sieged them. After 30 days, they surrendered. The Muslims let them leave Medina safely but with only part of their belongings. The rest was distributed among the Muslims. The Bani an-Nadir tribe went north to Khaybar and Adhriat (farther north). The Muslims took their land which was distributed to the Muhajiroon who finally became land owners like the Ansars.

Up to that time, the Prophet’s secretary was a Jewish member of the community. After these events, the Prophet appointed a young Muslim called Zayd Ibn Thabit as his secretary. Zayd learned Hebrew and Syriac quickly in order to help the Prophet with official communications with the outside world. Zayd also learned the Qur’an and was helping write it down. The Prophet made sure that revelations got written down by many scribes as soon they were revealed. Many companions also memorized most of the Qur’an.

The Prophet married Umm Salama, another widow that needed protection. By her persistence, Umm Salama prompted a series of revelations spelling out women’s rights. Other issues related to inheritance, marriage, the right of orphans and property rights were also sorted out. The Prophet was 58 years old. The number of Muslims was increasing and Medina became the first experiment in the building of a Muslim nation.

The Battle of the Trench

In year 627 AD (or 5 AH) the Quraish leadership in Mekka, the remaining Jewish tribes in Arabia and all other disgruntled tribes got together and planned to attack and raid Medina to “finish off the Muslims for good”. They put together a 10,000 men strong army (referred to as the Allies Army) with good weaponry and full armor. They took 3,000 horses and 1,500 camels in their expedition and marched for Medina. The Muslims heard about the imminent threat. The Prophet convened an emergency meeting asking for opinions. A companion called Salam Al Farisi suggested digging a trench all around Medina and defending the city from behind the trench. He had seen the effectiveness of this war tactic when he was a child growing up in Persia. The Prophet thought that it was a brilliant idea and decided to adopt it. Muslims dug a 15 foot- wide by 15 foot-deep trench around Medina in six days and prepared for the defense of their city (they fortified some buildings). Muslims were able to gather 3,000 men behind the trench. Half of these were archers. Women and children stayed safety at the heart of the city.

The last Jewish tribe living close to Medina (the Bani Qurayda) decided at first to stay neutral in the conflict and let the Muslims use their tools in the digging of the trench. The strong Allies Army led by Abu Sufyan marched to Medina and was in for a shock when they saw the trench. This changed their plan of attack. They decided to undertake a siege of the city. Nothing happened for days then weeks, just the occasional exchange of javelins across the trench. A Quraish fighter named Amr Ibn Abdwid was able to cross the trench and challenged the Muslims. Ali killed him in a duel.

Muslims were skilled at implanting spies inside the Quraish camp and at keeping informed of their plans. They also succeeded at inserting doubt into their morale and at dividing the various groups. Quraish leaders on the other hand tried to keep and even increase their coalition before the big assault. Members of the Bani an-Nadir tribe (that had been expelled from Medina) convinced the Bani Qurayda tribe to join the planned attack. After one month of siege, the Quraish plan however, was cancelled when severe weather ensued. In the middle of the night, and in the middle of a sand storm, there was panic in the Quraish camp following rumors that the Muslims were attacking. The Quraish army retreated in a state of chaos. The next morning brought relief to the Muslims who had experienced another close encounter. They had gotten out of this one with very little damage.

After the Battle of the Trench

The third and last Jewish tribe (the Bani Qurayda) living close to Medina had to be dealt with to avoid future threats from within. Muslims sieged them for 25 days after which they agreed to the arbitration of Saad Ibn Muad (a member of the Aws tribe of Medina) who was respected by both sides. He got them to deposit their weapons then used an old Torah law applicable in similar circumstances. All fighters of the Bani Qurayda tribe were executed and all women and children were taken as captives. Some members of the Bani Qurayda tribe showed extreme dignity in the face of such adversity. For example, a companion of the Prophet Thabit Ibn Qays owed a heavy debt of gratitude to Zubayr Ibn Bata (a member of the Bani Qurayda tribe) and asked the Prophet to spare his friend’s life. The Prophet accepted but Zubayr refused to live when so many other members of his tribe were being executed. He asked to be executed with them.

Historians agree that this was the saddest moment in the early history of Islam. After all of the persecution and attacks against them, Muslims had panicked and wanted to eliminate a potential future foe. They had allowed the members of the Bani an-Nadir tribe to leave Medina only to see them come back as a powerful enemy a couple of years later. They had blinked and allowed themselves to butcher unarmed members of the Bani Qurayda tribe. This drastic measure eliminated all Jewish influence from Medina but created resentment in the hearts of those of the Jewish faith towards Islam for centuries to come. Muslims split the “spoils of war” including the women and children captives. Some were kept for a life of servitude while others were sold to slavery.

The Battle of the Trench had not been a definite victory for either side. The general sense of Muslim weakness was still lingering. Muslims conducted many campaigns such as against the Bani Libyan (near Mekka), or against the Bani Al Mustaliq. Muslims killed 100 men and confiscated cattle and took many captives. The Prophet ransomed one of the captives (Al Jawayhiriya) who was the daughter of the defeated leader and married her. Following his example, all other Muslims freed their captives.

Medina was bubbling with activity and energy. All of the captured wealth and the freedom that they enjoyed helped Muslims live better lives. The building of a nation was at work. There was still friction among the Muslims. The group of hypocrites led by Abdulla Ibn Ubay would

occasionally call on old tribal values to stir up the Ansars against the Muhajiroon. Abdulla started a controversy involving Aisha, the Prophet’s wife. After a period of doubt and after specific revelation, she was exonerated from any ill behavior.

Muslims experienced short periods of peace in which many social issues were addressed. The issue of the veil for Muslim women and the issue of limiting Muslim men to four wives are examples. Marriage was a form of security for women (some of which were widows). A Muslim man could take on more than one wife at the condition that he could be equally fair to them. Sex offenses and slander against women were severely punished. A revelation prohibiting completely the drinking of alcoholic beverages was established.