Section Ten
'LET (Lashkar-e-Toiba) volunteers neither shave nor cut their hair and they are taught to kill ritualistically, by beheading or slitting of throat'---A LET member [162]
Terror Thiry-three
The Genocide of Bani Qurayzah Jews by Muhammad—February-March, 627
After Muhammad left the battlefield of the trench in the morning he returned to Medina, and while he was washing his head in the house of Umm Salamah, one of his wives, Gabriel visited him at noon and informed him that the battle was not over yet, and that Allah commanded him (Muhammad) to besiege the B. Qurayzah. He claimed that Gabriel came in the form of Dhiyah b. Khalifah al-Kalbi, a handsome and a rich merchant of Medina. Gabriel also declared his unflinching support for Muhammad in this operation. It is claimed that Gabriel arrived riding a horse and wearing a cloth of gold turban.[163]
After listening to the instruction of Gabriel, Muhammad abandoned the noon (Asr) prayer and commanded his Jihadists to march straight to the territory of B. Qurayzah, Ali being sent ahead of the rest. Muhammad informed his followers that during war, prayer can be omitted, as fighting during this time was more incumbent than praying On his way, Ali heard people talking foul about Muhammad and hurling insult at him. A disturbed Ali hastened back to Muhammad and informed him of what he had heard what people were saying about Muhammad. Muhammad consoled Ali by saying that the people dared not utter any derogatory remark about him should he (i.e., Muhammad) be personally present amongst them. This pleased Ali and he went back to his mission. In the evening, the Muslim soldiers marched toward the fortress of Bani Qurayza that lay two or three miles to the south-east of Medina. Muhammad rode an ass, while an army of three thousand Muslims, with thirty-six horses followed him. A tent in the compound of the mosque in Medina was also pitched where Sa'd b. Muadh took shelter to recuperate from his painful wound (see Terror 32).
When Muhammad was near the fortress of the B. Qurayzah Jews, he called them by yelling, 'you brothers of apes.'[164] This is elucidated in the Qur'an in verses 2:65, 5:60 and 7:166, where Allah says that He turned the Jews in to apes. Thus, as far as Islam goes, the Jews are still considered as apes, no exaggeration; it is a decree by Allah, and Muhammad had confirmed this in the operation for B. Qurayzah. Ibn Sa'd[165] writes: Muhammad said, "O brothers of monkeys and pigs! Fear me, fear me."
Not being satisfied with his vocabulary of simple 'swearing' language, Muhammad asked his poet friend Hassan b. Thabit to make verbal abuse of the Jews through poems. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari to describe the mindset of the messenger of Allah:
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 449: Narrated Al-Bara:
The Prophet said to Hassan, "Abuse them (with your poems), and Gabriel is with you (i.e, supports you)." (Through another group of sub narrators) Al-Bara bin Azib said, "On the day of Quraiza's (besiege), Allah's Apostle said to Hassan bin Thabit, 'Abuse them (with your poems), and Gabriel is with you (i.e. supports you).' "
Despite extreme provocation by Muhammad B. Qurayzah Jews were patient and courteous with Muhammad, and addressed him as Abu al-Qasim (father of Qasim, Muhammad's dead son). This is the conversation that took place between Muhammad and the B. Qurayzah Jews as written by Tabari:[166]
'When the Messenger of God had approached their fortresses, he said: "You brothers of apes! Has God shamed you and sent down his retribution on you?" they said, "Abu al-Qasim, you have never been one to act impetuously."'
The Muslims then attacked the Jews with archery but to no avail. One Muslim approached the fortress carelessly and was killed by a Jewess by casting down a millstone on him. Muhammad kept the siege on causing a great distress among the besieged Jews. Nonetheless, Muhammad was bent on a bloody revenge and refused to negotiate with the Jews.
After twenty-five days of siege, the Jews grew desperate, exhausted and terrified at their future. They were on the verge of starvation. It is claimed that Allah, through Muhammad's terrorism, cast terror into their hearts. Among the Jews was Huyayy b. Akhtab (see Terror 32) who, as a fulfillment of his pledge to be with B. Qurayzah through thick and thin, did not escape with the Quraysh and the Ghatafan, but stayed with the B. Qurayzah Jews. Unable to bear the desperate situation of the Jewish women and children, the B. Qurayzah leader, Ka'b b.Asad proposed that the Jews should accept Islam to save their lives. Almost all the Jews declined to forsake the religion of their forefathers. A distraught Ka'b proposed that they should kill their women and children, then, all the men could go out and fight Muhammad without any impediment. But the Jews did not want to kill their dearest ones with their own hands. It was impossible for them to commit such act, as they feared that it was meaningless to live without their wives and children. Ka'b then proposed an attack on Muhammad the next day which was a Jewish Sabbath day (ie Saturday). The Jews flatly declined to engage in any warfare during the Sabbath.
When the Jews could not decide on their fate themselves, they sent a message to Muhammad, asking that Abu Lubabah b. Abd al-Mundhir, their confidante from B. Aws, be sent to them for a discussion and advice. As soon as Lubabah arrived in the Jewish quarter, the weeping women and children of the Jews rushed out and grabbed him hoping that he could plead for mercy for them. Abu Lubabah was filled with pity and compassion for them. When asked what Muhammad would do with them should they decide to surrender, Abu Lubabah indicated through sign language that Muhammad had slaughter in mind and that he (Abu Lubabah) could do nothing about it.
Tabari writes:[167]
'When they saw him (i.e Abu Lubabah), the men rose to meet him, and the women and children rushed to grab hold of him, weeping before him, so that he felt pity for them. They said to him, "Abu Lubabah, do you think that we should submit to Muhammad's judgment"? "Yes", he said, but he pointed with his hand to his throat, that it would be slaughter."'
Haykal writes[168] that the Jews thought that the former allies from al-Aws tribe would give them some protection and if they were to remove themselves, to Adhriat in al Sham, Muhammad would have no objection to letting them go. So, the Banu Qurayzah sent the proposal to evacuate their territory and to remove themselves to Adhriat. Muhammad flatly rejected their proposal and insisted on their abiding by his judgment.
Having indicated by sign language what Muhammad had in mind for the Jews, Abu Lubabah felt guilty that he had broken his promise of secrecy with Muhammad. To atone for his 'misdeed' he went straight to the mosque and bound himself with ropes to one of the pillars. This pillar is known as the 'pillar of repentance' or the 'pillars of Abu Lubabah'. Allah expressed His displeasure with Abu Lubabah's conduct through verse 8:27.
When Muhammad heard of what Abu Lubabah had done, he waited for Allah to forgive him (Abu Lubabah).
Abu Lubabah remained tied with the pillar for six nights. His wife used to untie him for prayers. Allah promptly forgave Abu Lubaba in verse 9:104. So, Muhammad went to him during a morning prayer and set him free.[169]
Finding no choice, in the morning, the crestfallen B. Qurayzah Jews surrendered to Muhammad for his judgment. The male Jews were chained and kept in the fortress till a decision was made about their fate. The B. Aws people were on good terms with the B. Qurayzah Jews. They pleaded with Muhammad for mercy and a fair judgment for their Jewish allies. On this, Muhammad proposed that the judgment be passed by Sa'd b Muadh who was the B. Aws leader, recuperating from his wound in a tent nearby Medina. B. Aws and the B. Qurayzah both agreed on this proposal of Muhammad, hoping to have some mercy from Sa'd b. Muadh. Muhammad dispatched some B. Aws men to bring Sa'd to deliver his judgment. Riding a donkey Sa'd arrived at the site where all the seven or eight hundred Jewish men and many B. Aws people were standing to listen to his judgment. Their women and children, stricken with terror waited for the pronouncement of Sad's verdict. Many B. Aws people requested Sa'd to deal with the Jews with leniency and mercy.
Sa'd then asked his people if they would accept whatever judgment he pronounced. The crowd agreed.
Then Muhammad asked Sa'd b. Muadh to pass his judgment. Sa'd replied, "I pass judgment on them that the men shall be killed, the property divided, and the children and women made captives." Everyone was shocked at this bloody decree except Muhammad. He praised Sa'd for proclaiming a solemn judgment of the Almighty. He was cold and unmoved and termed Sa'd's judgment as fair and said, "You have passed judgment on them with the judgment of God and the judgment of His Messenger."[170] This statement by Muhammad clearly shows that he wanted to murder these Jews in cold blood without any compunction or mercy. Sahih Bukhari records this incidence thus:
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 148: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
Some people (i.e. the Jews of Bani bin Quraiza) agreed to accept the verdict of Sad bin Muadh so the Prophet sent for him (i.e. Sad bin Muadh). He came riding a donkey, and when he approached the Mosque, the Prophet said, "Get up for the best amongst you." or said, "Get up for your chief." Then the Prophet said, "O Sad! These people have agreed to accept your verdict." Sad said, "I judge that their warriors should be killed and their children and women should be taken as captives." The Prophet said, "You have given a judgment similar to Allah's Judgment (or the King's judgment)."
[Please note: This Hadith cannot be found in the sanitized, summarized version of Sahih Al-Bukhari; however, it can be read in the Internet version of Original Sahih Al-Bukhari]
The women and children were then separated from their husbands, others were put under the care of Abdullah, a renegade Jew. All the goods and possessions of the B. Qurayzah Jews, their camels and flocks were all brought as spoils of war to be distributed amongst the Muslims. The wine and fermented liquors were thrown away.
After Sa'd b. Muadh passed the judgment of slaughter, the B. Qurayzah Jews were brought down from their dwellings; the men were handcuffed behind their backs their women and children having already been separated. They were placed under the charge of Mohammad ibn Maslama, the assassin of Ka'b ibn Ashraf, to be despatched to Medina to the compound of the daughter of another Muslim fanatic, al-Harith before their execution in batches. A long trench was dug in the marketplace of Medina. The Prisoners were then taken there, made to kneel down and beheaded in a group of five or six. Muhammad was personally present to witness this slaughter. Ali and Zubayr cut off the heads of the Jews in front of Muhammad. Sourcing from Al-Waqidi, Tabari writes:
"…the messenger of God commanded that furrows should be dug in the ground for the B. Qurayzah. Then he sat down, and Ali and al-Zubayr began cutting off their heads in his presence."[171] Ibn Ishaq[172] writes that they were taken in groups to Muhammad for beheading in front of him.
Tabari further writes:[173]
'The messenger of God went out into the marketplace of Medina and had trenches dug in it; then he sent for them and had them beheaded in those trenches. They were brought out to him in groups. Among them were the enemy of God, Huyayy b. Akhtab, and Ka'b b. Asad, the head of the tribe. They numbered 600 or 700—the largest estimate says they were between 800 and 900. As they were being taken in groups to the Messenger of God, they said to Ka'b b. Asad, "Ka'b, what do you understand. Do you not see that the summoner does not discharge [anyone] and that those of you who are taken away do not come back? By God, it is death!" the affair continued until the Messenger of God had finished with them.'
Sir William Muir[174] describes this extremely grotesque scene thus:
'The men were penned up in a closed yard, while graves or trenches were being dug for them in the chief marketplace of the city. When these were ready, Mahomet, himself a spectator of the tragedy, gave command that the captives should be brought forth in companies of five or six at a time. Each company was made to sit down by the brink of the trench destined for its grave, and there beheaded. Party by party they were thus led out, and butchered in cold blood, till the whole were slain. One woman alone was put to death; it was she who threw the millstone from the battlements.'
A most pathetic and heart-wrenching incidence took place when Huyayy b. Akhtab, the banished B. Nadir Jewish leader was taken to the execution field. Tabari describes his execution this way:
'Huyayy b. Akhtab, the enemy of God, was brought. He was wearing a rose-colored suit of clothes that had torn all over with fingertip-sized holes so that it would not be taken as booty from him, and his hands were bound to his neck with a rope. When he looked at the Messenger of God, he said, "By God, I do not blame myself for being hostile to you, but whomever God forsakes is forsaken." Then he turned to the people and said: "People, there is no injury in God's command. It is the book of God, His decree, and a battlefield of great slaughter ordained against the Children of Israel. Then he sat down and was beheaded.'
Only one woman of the B. Qurayzah was killed. She was the wife Hasan al-Qurazi[175] and was friendly with Aisha. Aisha narrated her story of beheading thus:
'Only one of their women was killed. By God, she was by me, talking with me and laughing unrestraintedly while the Messenger of God was killing their men in the marketplace, when suddenly a mysterious voice called out her name, saying, "Where is so and so?" She said, "I shall be killed." "Why?" I asked. She said, A misdeed that I committed." She was taken away and beheaded. (Aisha used to say: I shall never forget my wonder at her cheerfulness and much laughter, even when she knew that she would be killed.).'[176]
This incident is also recorded in a Sahi (authentic) Hadith of Abu Dawud:
Book 14, Number 2665: Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
No woman of Banu Qurayzah was killed except one. She was with me, talking and laughing on her back and belly (extremely), while the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was killing her people with the swords. Suddenly a man called her name: Where is so-and-so? She said: I I asked: What is the matter with you? She said: I did a new act. She said: The man took her and beheaded her. She said: I will not forget that she was laughing extremely although she knew that she would be killed.
As told before, this unlucky Jewish woman killed one Muslim soldier by casting a millstone on his head while the Messenger of Allah besieged the B. Qurayzah fortress.
There is another poignant story of a very old Jewish man named Az-Zabir. Az-Zabir saved the life of a Muslim convert, Thabit b. Qays in the Bu'ath war. Now, when Az-Zabir was about to be beheaded Thabit requested Muhammad to save the life of this old man and his family as a return to his favor. Muhammad reluctantly agreed to spare this Jewish man and his family members. Az-Zabir then asked Thabit b. Qays about the fate of the Jewish leaders such as Ka'b b. Asad and Huayy b. Akhtab, as he preferred to die rather than to live without them. Az-Zabir said, "Then I ask you for the sake of the favor I once did for you to join me to my kinsmen, for by God there is no good in living after them. I will not wait patiently for God, not even [the time needed] to take the bucket of a watering trough, until I meet my dear ones."[177]
So Thabit brought him forward, and he was beheaded. When Abu Bakr heard what that old man said just before his execution, he said, "He will meet them, by God, in the Gehenna, there to dwell forever and forever."[178]
Muhammad commanded that all those Jewish men with puberty hair were to be killed. One Jewish boy took refuge with a Muslim woman, Salma bt. Qays. She requested Muhammad that mercy be shown to this Jewish boy. It is said that Muhammad spared his life. Here is a Hadith from Sunaan Abu Dawud on this:
Book 38, Number 4390: Narrated Atiyyah al-Qurazi:
I was among the captives of Banu Qurayzah. They (the Companions) examined us, and those who had begun to grow hair (pubes) were killed, and those who had not were not killed. I was among those who had not grown hair.
Please note that the narrator of this Hadith, Atiyyah al-Qurazi, was probably the very young brother of Hasan al-Qurazi, the executed Jew.
Having beheaded all the adult males of the B. Qurayzah Jews, the Prophet of mercy now busied himself with the distribution of the Jewish booty. He divided the wealth, the wives and the children of the B. Qrayzah Jews among his followers. Needless to say he did not miss his Khums (one-fifth of booty) that was reserved for him.
The booty rules were changed slightly. A horseman received three shares: two shares for the horse and one share for the rider. A foot Jihadist, who had no horse, received one share. It was the first booty in which shares were allotted and from which the Khums was deducted. This simplified rule on booty (fai) was followed in the later plunders.
There were thirty-six cavalry in this raid. If a man had more than two horses he could claim shares only for two horses.
[Please note: Fai is a booty taken from a country which submits to Islam without resistance.[179]
After executing all the adult male Jews, Muhammad sent Sa'd b. Zayd al-Ansari with some captives (women and children) from the B. Qurayzah to Najd to sell them in the slave market. While we do not have an accurate price of a female slave during that time, Ibn Sa'd[180] writes that Khadijah, Muhammad's first wife, bought her slave, Zayd b. Haritha, (who would later become Muuhammad's adopted son), for four hundred (400) Dirhams at the slave market of Ukaz, Mecca. In Sunaan Abu Dawud we read that the price of young slave (male or female) varied from five hundred dirhams to eight hundred (800) dirhams i.e, US$ 2,5000 to US$ 4000 (see Sunaan Abu Dawud hadis numbers, 3946 and 4563). So a reasonable price of a slave as US$ 2,500 in to-day' money will be quite a realistic assumption. Multiply this with an approximate number of women and children, say about one thousand (1,000), and we get a sum of US$ 2,500,000 (yes, a cool two and a half million US Dollars). This was a huge wind fall for the terrorists of those days. With the money raised through this slave-trading Muhammad bought more horses and arms. Among the captive women, he found a very pretty, youthful lass by the name Rayhanh bt. 'Amr b. Khunafah and took her as his concubine. It is said that when Muhammad offered to make her his wife by embracing Islam, she declined. She preferred to remain a sex slave to becoming a Muslim.
She said, "Messenger of God, rather leave me in your possession [as a concubine], for it is easier for me and for you."[181] Muhammad was quite grieved when she rejected Islam but preferred to remain a Jew. Some biographers write that Rayhana eventually accepted Islam.
A telling description of Muhammad's cruelty and lust for young women is provided by Sir Willima Muir thus:
'Having sated his revenge, and drenched the market-place with the blood of eight hundred victims, and having given command for the earth to be smoothed over their remains, Mahomet returned from the horrid spectacle to solace himself with the charms of Rihana, whose husband and all whose male relatives had just perished in the massacre. He invited her to be his wife, but she declined; and chose to remain (as indeed, having refused marriage, she had no alternative) his slave or concubine. She also declined the summons to conversion, and continued in the Jewish faith, at which the Prophet was much concerned. It is said, however, that she afterwards embraced Islam. She lived with Mahomet till his death.'[182]
After the delivery of his judgment, Sa'd was taken back on his donkey to his tent.. His wound now became fatal. He was now lying in his deathbed. Muhammad quickly went to visit him. He prayed to Allah to save Sa'd's life. However, Allah did not answer his prayer this time. Soon, Sa'd died. His corpse was carried to his home and after the forenoon prayer he was buried. His bier was very light to carry. Muhammad claimed that angels carried Sa'd's bier.
Gabriel told Muhammad that Sad B. Muadh was already in heaven;[183] claiming further that Allah's throne shook when Sad b. Muadh died. We read in Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 147: Narrated Jabir:
I heard the Prophet saying, "The Throne (of Allah) shook at the death of Sad bin Muadh." Through another group of narrators, Jabir added, "I heard the Prophet : saying, 'The Throne of the Beneficent shook because of the death of Sad bin Muadh."
What did Muhammad do with the appropriated lands of the Jews of B.Quaynuqa, B. Nadir and B. Qurayzah? He used the plundered of lands of B. Qurayzah and B. Nadir to return the gifts (debt) he received from the Ansars of Medina; he gave his share of the booty to Umm Ayman, the slave woman who nursed him in his infancy. Here is a Hadith on this from Sahih Muslim:
Book 019, Number 4376:
It has been narrated by Anas that (after his migration to Medina) a person placed at the Prophet's (may peace be upon him) disposal some date-palms growing on his land until the lands of Quraiza and Nadir were conquered. Then he began to return to him whatever he had received. (In this connection) my people told me to approach the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and ask from him what his people had given him or a portion thereof, but the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had bestowed those trees upon Umm Aiman. So I came to the Prophet (may peace be upon him) and he gave them (back) to me. Umm Aiman (also) came (at this time). She put the cloth round my neck and said: No, by Allah, we will not give to, you what he has granted to me. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Umm Aiman, let him have them and for you are such and such trees instead. But she said: By Allah, there is no god besides Him. No, never! The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) continued saying: (You will get) such and such. until he had granted her ten times or nearly ten times more (than the original gift).
Muhammad now became militarily strong and a much feared warlord in the Arabian Peninsula. Needless to say, all this was the fruits of his terror tactics.
Click here to learn the Islamic version of the massacre of B. Qurayzah Jews:
[ http://forum.bismikaallahuma.org/viewtopic.php?t=956 ]
Section Eleven
'You live here, but I live among the infidels. Please let me wash off some of my sin'---Ziad al-Jarrah[184]
Terror Thirty-four
Raid Against al-Qurata at Dariyaah by Muhammad ibn Maslama--July, 627CE
Readers might remember the name of Muhammad ibn Maslama. He was the hired killer of Ka'b b. al-Ashraf, the Jewish poet (see Terror 17, CH. 5). Hitherto, Muhammad b. Maslama was a very special person to Muhammad, the messenger of Allah. Whenever. Muhammad needed to do covert assassination; he (Muhammad ibn Maslama) was the trusted person to accomplish such an act of murder. Having been satisfied with his impeccable service for Islam (via terror), Muhammad, the messenger of Allah, decided to assign him with a much more challenging and rewarding job, i.e., committing plunder or Ghanimah.
So he dispatched Muhammad ibn Maslama, the professional killer, at the head of thirty Jihadists[185] to surround and to plunder al-Qarata, a branch of Kilab tribe that inhabited a place called Dariyyah, about fifty or sixty miles from Medina. Muhammad b. Maslama marched by night, concealing during day, and when he arrived at Dariyyah, he attacked the al-Qurata tribe suddenly, creating panic and terror amongst the people there. During this raid the Muslims killed ten people while others fled offering no resistance. The booty was enormous: one hundred and fifty camels (around US$ 52,000) and three thousand goats (around US$ 105,000) plus the household goods (unspecified sum, probably around US$ 50,000). Muhammad ibn Maslamah continued this looting for nineteen days; then he returned to Medina with the booty. Muhammad, the messenger of Allah took his share (Khums, one-fifth) and distributed the rest to his ardent companions. A camel was made equivalent to ten goats. The Muslims also brought a prisoner who was a disciple of Musaylamah, another claimant of messenger of Allah and Muhammad's bitter competitor. Muhammad, the messenger of Allah accused this prisoner of plotting to kill him in collaboration with Musaylamah. It is stated that the prisoner later accepted Islam.[186]
Terror Thirty-five
First Raid Against B. Thalabah towards Dhu al-Qassah by Muhammad ibn Maslama—July, 627CE
After a few successful raids, Muhammad's herd of camels greatly increased by the plunder. He sent this large herd of camels out to graze in the vicinity of Hayfa,[187] a place seven miles from Medina which was lush with green pastures. Due to the continuous drought prevailing in the adjoining areas during this time, B. Thalabah, a section of the Ghatafan tribe, was greatly tempted to steal from Muhammad's herd. He suspected mischievousness from these people and sent his trusted lieutenant, Muhammad b. Maslama with ten followers to plunder the vicinity of Dhu al-Qassah of B. Thalabah. It was a night's journey from Medina. B. Thalabah people were already aware of the impending attack; so they lay in wait for the Muslims, and when Muhammad b. Maslama arrived at the site, B. Thalabah, with one hundred men attacked them while the Muslims were making preparation to sleep; and after a brief resistance killed all of Muhammad b. Maslama's men. Muhammad b. Maslama himself was severely wounded in his ankle; he could not move. He was left in the field for dead. A Muslim who happened to pass that way found him and assisted him to return to Medina.
Terror Thirty-six
Second Raid against B. Thalabah at Dhu al-Qassah by Ubayda b. al-Jarrah—August, 627CE
When Muhammad, the messenger of Allah learned of this incident (Terror 35), he immediately dispatched an army of forty well-mounted soldiers under the leadership of Abu Ubayda b. al-Jarrah to punish the offenders. This plundering team arrived there (Dhu al-Qassah) just before dawn. Immediately upon their arrival, they raided the inhabitants who quickly fled to the mountains. The Muslims took their cattle, clothes and captured one man. They brought the booty to Muhammad. After taking his due share, he distributed the booty to his men. The captured man embraced (or forced to) Islam and Muhammad released him.
Terror Thirty-seven
Raid Against B. Asad at al-Ghamr by Ukkash b. Mihsan—August, 627CE
During this period, Muhammad sent out forty Jihadists under the leadership of Ukkash b. Mihsan to plunder the neighborhood of al-Ghamr (towards Syrian frontier), a watering place belonging to B. Asad b. Khuzaymah. When Ukkash arrived at the site of pillage he found that the enemy had already fled. The Jihadists captured their cattle, including two hundred camels (worth around US$ 70,000) and brought them to Medina. They also captured a spy whom they set free.
Terror Thirty-eight
Second Attack on Banu Lihyan at Ghiran by Muhammad —September, 627CE
Six months after the massacre of B. Qurayza, Muhammad went out to take revenge on the B. Lihyan people for the killing of his men, namely, Khubayb b. Adi and his companion, Zayd b. al-Dathinnah (see Terror 25, CH. 7) at al-Rajii. After the stalemate at the battle of the Trench and after the ethnic cleansing of B. Qurayzah, Muhammad felt he was militarily strong enough to exact retribution to this tribe. He selected two hundred men on camels and twenty horses.To trick and to to make a sudden and surprise attack on the enemy, he pretended to be heading north, towards Syria. After proceeding north for a short distance and when he felt secure that neither the Quraysh nor their neighbours were aware of his intentions, he made a sudden turn to the left and followed the direct route to Mecca leading him to the town of Ghiran, the abode of B. Lihyan. The B. Lihyan people were already on alert, and when they saw the Muslim army, they took up secure positions on mountain tops, taking their cattle with them, in order to confront Muhammad's army. Muhammad sent some people to search for the tribe of Lihyan, but they could not find their trace.
Having failed to attack the B. Lihyan by shock and terror, Muhammad felt frustrated. In order not to waste this trip, he thought of scaring the Meccans by approaching Mecca and showing his newly found military might. So he marched out with two hundred of his men and halted at Usfan. At Usfan, he dispatched two horsemen towards Mecca. They went up to Kuraul Ghamin and then returned back at Usfan. Then he tripped back to Medina. Ibn Sa'd[188] writes that Muhammad sent Abu Bakr with ten horsemen towards Mecca to terrorize them (the Meccans).
Terror Thirty-nine
Raid on Muhammad's Milch Camels at al-Ghabah by Uyana b. Hisn—September, 627CE
A few days after Muhammad returned Medina from the unsuccessful raid on B. Lihyan, a band of armed men of Ghatafan led by Uyanah b. Hisn raided the outskirts of the city; seized[189] twenty milch camels of Muhammad that were grazing in the area of al-Ghabah. They also killed the shepherd and took his wife as a captive. A Muslim, called Amr ibn al Akwa, saw this plunder and the carrying away of booty. He shot arrows at them and called for help. Muhammad soon heard his call and alerted the people of Medina.
Terror Forty
The Second Raid on Ghatafan at Dhu Qarad by Sa'd b. Zayd/Muhammad—September, 627CE
When Muhammad heard of the raid on his camel herd at al-Gabah by Uyanah b. Hisn, he immediately sent a battery of five hundred cavalrymen under the leadership of Sa'd b. Zayd to search and finish off the perpetrators. He told them that he would meet them later. The Muslim soldiers were more in number than the bandits. They marched out and found the bandits resting in a valley at Dhu Qarad. After a day or two, Muhammad went out with further men and halted at the mountain of Dhu Qarad where the rest of the Muslims joined him. The Muslims then attacked the armed B. Ghatafan and slew several of the marauders and recovered half of the plundered camels. In the battle that ensued, Uyanah's son, Abd al-Rahman was killed. The Muslims lost only one man.He was the son of Abu Dhar Ghifari, one of the most trusted lieutenants of Muhammad. Muhammad's army chased the attackers as far as towards Khaybar and rescued the camels and the woman. They also took as booty, the weapons from the bandits.
Later, Muhammad stayed at Dhu Qarad for a day and a night, and then the Muslims returned to Medina with the looted camels.
Terror Forty-one
Plunder of B. Sulaym at Nakhl by Zayd ibn Haritha—September, 627CE
Zayd ibn Haritha was the freed slave and the adopted son of Muhammad. Muhammad later married Zayd's wife Zaynab. It was time to reward this adopted son with booty. So Muhammad entrusted Zayd b Haritha to lead a plundering team at Jamum, near Nakhl. He captured a woman who led him to the site of B. Sulaym. Zayd's team then raided this place and captured cattle, sheep, camels and took many B. Sulaym as captives. Among the captives was the husband of the woman who led the Muslims to the plundering site. Zayd brought his booty to Muhammad. When Muhammad heard the entire story he granted the woman her freedom and released her husband, presumably for assisting the Muslims in the pillage.
Terror Forty-two
Plunder of the Quraysh at al-Is by Zayd ibn Haritha—September, 627CE
After the successful plunder of B. Sulaym by Muhammad's adopted son, Zayd ibn Haritha, Muhammad thought of entrusting him with a far richer looting operation. Muhammad had already received information that a highly rich caravan of the Quraysh was on its return journey from Syria, and he did not want to waste time to plunder it. So, in the autumn of 627 Muhammad dispatched Zayd with an army of one hundred and seventy horsemen towards al-Is, an important trading center to intercept this Quraysh caravan. The journey was four nights march from Medina. The Muslim plunderers seized the caravan and looted it entirely[190]. Needless to say, it was a highly successful raid and the Muslim army returned with a large amount of booty including plenty of silver belonging to Safwan b Umayyah as well as plenty of captives.
Among the prisoners was Abu al-As, the son-in-law of Muhammad, the husband of Zaynab, Muhammad's eldest daughter. Abu al-As was the nephew of Khadija (Muhammad's first wife) and a prosperous trader in Mecca. When Muhammad received the prophet hood, Abu al-As declined to embrace Islam. But he also refused to divorce Zaynab at the insistence of the Quraysh, for, his love for Zaynab was great. The love was mutual and Muhammad was quite happy about it. When Muhammad migrated to Medina, Zaynab, with her husband, Abu al-As remained at Mecca. In the battle of Badr II Abu al-As was taken as a prisoner. Zaynab sent a necklace of Khadijah to Muhammad as a ransom for the release of her husband. His story has already been told (see Terror 9, CH. 3).
It was after three or four years that Abu al-As was caught again as a prisoner at al-Is. When the party of prisoners arrived at Medina, Abu al-As was given the permission to meet, at night, with his ex-wife Zaynab for her protection. Then he rejoined the other prisoners. In the morning when the Muslims gathered at the mosque for prayer, Zaynab called out loudly that she had given protection to Abu al-As. Muhammad agreed that she could treat Abu al-As as an honored guest but not as her husband. He appealed to the captors to release Abu al-As along with his property, if they wished. If not, then they could keep Abu al-As as their booty. Abu al-As' captors immediately agreed to release him from their captivity. Abu al-As was greatly moved by this generosity; returned to Mecca, completed his affairs there, then returned to Medina and accepted Islam. He then rejoined his wife Zaynab. However, Zaynab died within a year after rejoining her former husband---purportedly due to the illness suffered as a result of her miscarriage.
Muhammad was greatly angered by the acts of the two Quraysh, especially Habbar who manhandled his daughter (Zaynab) during her attempt to escape from Mecca. He gave the order that both of them be burned alive. Later, at night he changed his mind and decided that they should be put to death in the ordinary way, i.e., by beheading. Ali put one of the attackers, Huweirith, to death when the Muslims captured Mecca.
Terror Forty-three
Third Raid on B. Thalabah at al-Taraf By Zayd b. Haritha—October, 627CE
With two successful looting operations by Zayd b. Haritha, Muhammad must have been very pleased with his adopted son. So, he sent Zayd with fifteen men to Al-Taraf, thirty-six miles from Medina to punish and to plunder B. Thalabah once again (see Terror 35, 36 above). When this raid took place, the Bedouin tribe of B. Thalabah fled. Zayd's booty was twenty camels. He spent four nights conducting this raid then returned to Medina with the booty.
Terror Forty-four
Raid Against B. Judham at Hisma By Zayd b Haritha—October, 627CE
In the Sirah (biography) of Muhammad we read that after his signing of Hudaibiya peace treaty with the Quraysh in Mecca, Muhammad took himself as the true messenger of Allah. To prove his clout, he sent several emissaries in a few neighboring countries, inviting them to Islam. He sent Dhiyah b. Khalifah al-Kalbi, one of his devoted followers on a mission to the governor of Syria regarding some concession on the commerce with the Roman province. In his epistle to Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor, Muhammad wrote: "In the name of God, the Merciful and compassionate. From Muhammad, the Messenger of God, to Heraclius, the ruler of the Romans. Peace to whoever follows right guidance!
To proceed: submit yourself, and you shall be safe. Submit yourself, and God shall give you your reward twice over. But, if you turn away, the sin of the Husbandmen shall be upon you."[191]
Despite Muhammad's threat and insulting remarks, Dhiya was graciously received and was presented with a dress of honor. When, after finishing his trip to Syria, Dhiya was returning to Medina with those expensive gifts from the emperor; a group of bandit belonging to B. Judham robbed him of everything when he reached Hisma, a place on way to Syria and on the west of Tabuk.
Dihya approached the neighbouring tribe (with whom he was in good terms) for help. They attacked Bani Judham, recovered the spoils and returned them to Dhiya. When the news of this robbery by B. Judham reached Muhammad, he immediately dispatched Zayd ibn Haritha with five hundred men to punish them. The Muslim army fought with B. Judham, killed several of them, including their chief, Al-Hunayd ibn Arid and his son. Zayd also killed another three men from another clan of B.Judham. The Muslims captured their women and children and plundered a great collection of herds and flocks. Another leader of B. Judham who had recently converted to Islam appealed to Muhammad to release the living captives. Muhammad sent Ali to release those captives there.
Terror Forty-five
First raid at Wadi al-Qura by Zayd b. Haritha—November, 627CE
After so many successful terror operations by Zayd b. Haritha, Muhammad rewarded him by appointing him the Amir (ruler) of the area surrounding Wadi al-Qura. This was an important oasis, about seven miles from Medina, lying in the valley of Qura and on the route to Dumat al-Jandal (Duma) and thence to Syria. It was absolutely important that Muhammad established his full military control on this region to secure his position. Zayd set out with twelve men to survey this area and to monitor the movements of enemies of Muhammad, i.e., the unbelieving tribes inhabiting this region.
However, the inhabitants in this area were unfriendly to Zayd and Islam. They attacked the Muslims, killing nine of them; the rest, including Zayd, managed to escape and returned to Medina.
Section Twelve
'Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat'---Hermann Goering (1893-1946)[192]
Terror Forty-six
The Raid on Bani al-Mustaliq by Muhammad—December, 627CE
Bani al-Mustaliq was a branch of the Khozaa (Jewish) tribe. Two months after Muhammad returned from Dhu Qarad campaign (see Terror 40, CH. 11), Allah suddenly told him that B. al-Mustaliq, under the leadership of Haritha b. Abi Dirar was mobilizing forces against him. Hitherto, B. al-Mustaliq people were friendly to Muhammad. But, out of the blue, Muhammad spread the rumour that B. al-Mustaliq were now joining with the Quraysh to launch an attack against the Muslims. The Muslims even killed a man from B. al-Mustaliq on suspicion of spying for them.[193] With this pretext Muhammad rallied all the fighting men around him to assail the B. al- Mustaliq. It is not clear why Allah had suddenly changed His mind on B. al-Mustaliq. However, the real reason was that B. al-Mustaliq were a prosperous Jewish clan who had immense wealth and property and Muhammad was eyeing to appropriate their resources through plunder. So far, he was not absolutely certain whether his terror campaign to this peace-loving Jewish clan would be a success or not. But when his ethnic cleaning of the Jews in Medina was a great accomplishment, the Jews all around Medina became fearful of his further attack on them. So B. al-Mustaliq Jews took all precautionary measures to prevent such an invasion on them. Naturally, they sought help from other clans as well. Now, a militarily strong Muhammad was poised to plunder this Jewish community to further enrich his horde of followers. We can infer this conclusion from the fact that Muhammad gave no opportunity to this clan to embrace Islam before facing ethnic cleansing—Islamic style. On previous occasions, he abided by the rule that the infidels be given a three days reprieve to decide whether to accept Islam or face liquidation. In fact, Muhammad was not at all keen on this prosperous clan to take up Islam, as that meant no booty to his ardent Jihadists. It was far better that B. al-Mustaliq did not embrace Islam so that the Muslims could pillage everything that they had through a pre-emptive attack. Here is a passage from Sahih Muslim on this raid:
Ibn 'Aun reported: I wrote to Nafi' inquiring from him whether it was necessary to extend (to the disbelievers) an invitation to accept (Islam) before m". ing them in fight. He wrote (in reply) to me that it was necessary in the early days of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) made a raid upon Banu Mustaliq while they were unaware and their cattle were having a drink at the water. He killed those who fought and imprisoned others. On that very day, he captured Juwairiya bint al-Harith. Nafi' said that this tradition was related to him by Abdullah b. Umar who (himself) was among the raiding troops.
Further confirmation of this sudden pillage is referred in Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 3, Book 46, Number 717: Narrated Ibn Aun:
I wrote a letter to Nafi and Nafi wrote in reply to my letter that the Prophet had suddenly attacked Bani Mustaliq without warning while they were heedless and their cattle were being watered at the places of water. Their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives; the Prophet got Juwairiya on that day. Nafi said that Ibn 'Umar had told him the above narration and that Ibn 'Umar was in that army.
Therefore, with clear plunder in mind, Muhammad rallied all the fighting men around him to attack the B.al- Mustaliq. Many Jihadists joined him to have a share in the loot. Muhammad gave Abu Bakr the flag for this attack. Curiously, Abdullah ibn Ubay, Muhammad's nemesis (and a hypocrite, as per Muhammad) was also made one of the leaders of this strike team. The Muslim forces then started marching with thirty horses. After eight days of marching they encamped at the wells of Muraysi near the seashore, close to Mecca. Muhammad pitched tents for himself, Aisha and Umm Salma, two of his wives who accompanied him. When the B. al-Mustaliq people heard the arrival of Muhammad's soldiers, they were dismayed, but fought gallantly. After exchanging arrows for a brief period, the Muslim forces advanced and quickly surrounded the B. al-Mustaliq, and soon B. al-Mustaliq's ranks fell in disarray and they were vanquished, having lost some of their men. Ali b. Talib killed a few wounded B. al-Mustaliq people; among them were Malik and his son.[194] Muhammad seized their cattle herd, took many as captives and divided them among the Jihadists. Two hundred families were taken as captives, two thousand camels (US$700,000) and five thousand sheep and goats (US$ 175,000), as well as a huge quantity of household goods (say US$ 100,000) were taken as booty. Juwayriah, the young, beautiful and vivacious daughter of B. al-Mutaliq chief was one of those captives.[195] The household goods were sold in an auction to the highest bidders. During the battle a Muslim was mortally wounded by another Muslim by accident. The Muslim soldiers were hungry for sex and Muhammad allowed them to rape the B. Mustaliq women captives. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 459: Narrated Ibn Muhairiz:
I entered the Mosque and saw Abu Said Al-Khudri and sat beside him and asked him about Al-Azl (i.e. coitus interruptus). Abu Said said, "We went out with Allah's Apostle for the Ghazwa of Banu Al-Mustaliq and we received captives from among the Arab captives and we desired women and celibacy became hard on us and we loved to do coitus interruptus. So when we intended to do coitus interrupt us, we said, 'How can we do coitus interruptus before asking Allah's Apostle who is present among us?" We asked (him) about it and he said, 'It is better for you not to do so, for if any soul (till the Day of Resurrection) is predestined to exist, it will exist."
After having sex (rape) with his captive-girl, Said al-Khudri took this young girl to the nearest slave market for a quick sale. Here is the continuation of the above story,as told by al-Waqidi (vol.i, p.413) and excerpted by Rodinson:[196]
"A Jew said to me: 'Abu Said, no doubt you want to sell her as she has in her belly a baby by you.' I said: 'No; I used the 'azl.' To which he replied [sarcastically]: 'Then it was lesser child-murder!' When I repeated this story to the Prophet he said: 'The Jews lie. The Jews lie.'"
In this connection it is worthwhile to mention the Sharia Law (Islamic Law) on captive women and children:
Law o9.13
Where a child or a woman is taken captive, they become slaves by the fact that of capture, and the woman's previous marriage is immediately annulled.[197]
Muhammad's marriage to Juwayriah, his seventh wife
The captives of the B. al-Mustaliq were carried to Medina. Among the captives were two hundred women. Men from B. al-Mustaliq soon arrived to make terms for their release. At first, unknown to Muhammad, the pretty Juwayriah fell in the hands of Jihadist, Thabit b. Qays, an Ansar and one of his cousins. Juwayrah was a young woman, the daughter of B. al-Mustaliq chief and married to Musab b. Safwan. As soon as she became a captive, her marriage was immediately cancelled—as per Islamic rule (see above) and she was handed over to those two Jihadists to do with her whatever they liked. It is rather curious to note why a young, beautiful woman captive be allotted to two Jihadists at the same time. I have not found any other reference of a woman captive being shared by two Muslim soldiers. However, a note in Ibn Sa'd's book[198] says: "When a slave girl was allotted to more than one person, none of them could cohabit with her." Clearly, this is a later invention by Muslim biographers to assert that Muhammad married a Juwayriah who had not been 'contaminated' by another Jihadist. Anyway, because of Juwayriah's rank, her captor/s put a ransom of nine ounces of gold (in today's estimate, around US$ 3,600). She could not raise that large sum of gold. So, she approached Muhammad while he was resting in Aisha's apartment and pleaded for some remission for the heavy price demanded for her release. As soon as Aisha saw Juwayriah she was filled with jealousy. Muhammad gently replied that he would pay her ransom and marry her. Juwayriah agreed on this suggestion. The ransom was paid and Muhammad immediately married her and built a seventh quarter to house her in his ever expanding harem. As soon as the news of marriage of Juwayriah reached to the people, they took it as a relationship between them and the B. al-Mustaliq and as such all the prisoners were let loose free. Previously her name was Barra (Pious). After Muhammad married her, he gave her the Islamic name, Juwayriah. She was only twenty (20) and Muhammad fifty-eight (58) when he married her. Aisha was only thirteen (13) at that time! Here is a Hadith from Sunaan Abu Dawud that describes how Muhammad married Juwayriah:
Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith ibn al-Mustaliq, fell to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, or to her cousin. She entered into an agreement to purchase her freedom. She was a very beautiful woman, most attractive to the eye.
Aisha said: She then came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) asking him for the purchase of her freedom. When she was standing at the door, I looked at her with disapproval. I realised that the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) would look at her in the same way that I had looked.
She said: Apostle of Allah, I am Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith, and something has happened to me, which is not hidden from you. I have fallen to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, and I have entered into an agreement to purchase of my freedom. I have come to you to seek assistance for the purchase of my freedom.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Are you inclined to that which is better? She asked: What is that, Apostle of Allah? He replied: I shall pay the price of your freedom on your behalf, and I shall marry you.
She said: I shall do this. She (Aisha) said: The people then heard that the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had married Juwayriyyah. They released the captives in their possession and set them free, and said: They are the relatives of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) by marriage. We did not see any woman greater than Juwayriyyah who brought blessings to her people. One hundred families of Banu al-Mustaliq were set free on account of her.
There is another version of this story that goes like this:
Harith ibn Abu Dirar, the father of and the chief of B. al-Mustaliq came to Muhammad to ransom his daughter, and after talking to Muhammad, he became a Muslim. It is said that he was astonished at Muhammad's incredible power of fore-knowledge of His (Harith b. Abu Dirar) secret of hidden camels. Then Juwayriyah followed her father and converted to Islam as well. As soon as she became a Muslimah, Muhammad married her and offered her a dowry of four hundred Dirhams.[199]
Still another version runs like this:
Her (Juwayriah) father was not agreeable to her marriage to Muhammad and that a relative of her intervened and gave her to the prophet against the will of her father.[200]
For more details on Muhammad's marriage to his captive woman (Juwayriyah) you may refer to: http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/Juwairiyah.htm
You may also wish to read the Islamic version on the raid on B. al-Mustaliq at: www.trueteachings,com
From this raid we also learn about the internal feud between the Muhajirs and the Ansars. Islamic history often talks of the existence of exceptionally amicable relationship between the migrant Quraysh (Muhajir) and the indigenous residents of Medina (Ansars). This is not really true when we read some details as written by several Muslim historians. Here is brief account of the acrimonious relationship that erupted in the open during the plunder of B. al-Mustaliq.
From Tabri's book,[201] we learn:
An altercation took place between the Ansars and the Mohajirs and swords were drawn while they were drawing water from a well. There was widespread dislike for the Muhajirs in Medina. Abd Allah ibn Ubayy (a local resident of Medina) was greatly disturbed that the newly arrived Muslim migrants had outnumbered them and were poised to take over the complete authority of Medina. When the verbal fight took place between an Ansar and a Muhajir, and Abd Allah ibn Ubay was further agitated at the new found audacity of the Muhajirs he said, "Have they really done it? They have tried to outrank us and outnumber us in our own lands. By God, the proverb, 'Fatten your dog and he will eat you up!' fits us and [the wearers of] the jilbab (the flowing cloak) of Quraysh to a tree. By God if we go back to Medina, those who are stronger will drive out the weaker from it."' Then he turned to his tribesmen who were with him and said: "This is what you have done to yourselves! You allowed them to settle in your lands and divided your wealth with them. Had you kept from them what you had, by God they would have moved to lands other than yours"
Very soon, these utterances of Abd Allah ibn Ubayy reached Muhammad who was then sitting with Umar b. Khattab. Umar was furious and sought Muhammad's permission to kill Abd Allah ibn Ubayy forthwith. But Muhammad refused to permit him to do so, saying that slaying of Abd Allah ibn Ubay would simply aggravate the situation further by angering the Ansars. To placate the situation, and to avoid bloodshed, Muhammad then ordered his entourage to proceed towards Medina without delaying further.
In this episode we also learn about the mindset of an Islamic fundamentalist. Abd Allah ibn Ubayy's son. Abd Allah ibn Abd Allah ibn Ubayy was such a fundamentalist. Ibn Sa'd[202] writes: 'Abd Allah ibn Abd Allah ibn Ubayy went forward and waited for his father on the way. When he saw him, he made him sit down and said: "I shall not let you go unless you realize that you have been humbled and Muhammad is honorable." That meant, for a true Jihadist, nothing, even his father, can be dearer than Muhammad.
When Abd Allah ibn Ubayy came to learn that Muhammad is already aware of his seditious statements, he went straight to him and denied all allegations against him. Muhammad now became accommodative to Abd Allah ibn Ubayy when people told him that he (Muhammad) had dashed the hope of Abd Allah ibn Ubayy who was destined to be the king of Medina.
The Muslims traveled continuously for a day and a night until dawn. Then they halted at a place, and soon they fell asleep. Muhammad did this ruse on purpose to trick the Muslims on a long and exhaustive journey, so that the talk about Abd Allah ibn Ubayy died down. In the evening, when the Muslim army rose fresh from their sleep they marched through the Hijaj and halted at a watering place called Naqa. In the afternoon, while Muhammad was at Naqa a very strong wind blew, hurting the Muslim. They became afraid and assumed that to be a curse from Allah. But Muhammad cleverly told his followers that the strong wind came to Muhammad to announce the death of one of the great men among the unbelievers. When the Jihadists arrived at Medina they heard that Rifaah b. Zayd, a prominent man among the B. Qaynuqa Jews and a great refuge for the polytheists had died. [Note: this story is completely implausible, as Muhammad had already expelled from Medina all the Jews of B. Qaynuqa]. During this journey through the desert, the Muslims did not have water to perform ablution; so Allah revealed the verse (4:43) on Tayammum (ablution using dirt).On this occasion, a complete Sura (Sura 63) was released by Allah on Abd Allah ibn Ubayy and the hypocrites like him.
When Abd Allah ibn Ubay's son, Abd Allah b. Abd Allah b. Ubayy heard of what had happened he approached Muhammad and volunteered to kill his father. He said to Muhammad: "Messenger of God, I have been told that you want to kill 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy because of what has been reported to you concerning him. If you are going to do it, command me to do it and I will bring you his head. By God, al-Khazraj know that there has never been among them a man more dutiful to his father than I. I am afraid that you may order someone else to do it and he may kill him; and then my soul will not allow me to look on the slayer of Abd Allah b. Ubayy walking among the people: I would kill him, killing a believer to avenge an unbeliever, and thereby enter the Fire [of hell]."[203] Mubarakpuri[204] calls this type of fanatic Jihadist a 'righteous' Muslim.
However, Muhammad diplomatically advised Abd Allah (son of ibn Ubayy) not to commit such an act but to be gentle with his father so long as he (Abd Allah ibn Ubayy) remained a Muslim, albeit a nominal one.
After Muhammad arrived at Medina, a polytheist from Mecca, Miqyas b. Subbah came at Medina and became a Muslim. He came to seek the blood money for his newly convert Muslim brother (Hisham b. Subbah) who was killed by mistake during the raid at B. al-Mustaliq. Muhammad paid his blood money to Miqyas.
After receiving the blood money for his brother, Miqyas stayed at Medina for a short while. Then he killed the slayer of his brother, apostatized and left for Mecca. We need to remember the name of Miqyas, as we shall see very soon that he was one of the persons whom Muhammad targeted for killing during his occupation of Mecca. Miqyas was earmarked for murder not because of his killing of his brother's killer, but because he (Miqyas) apostatized.
During this raid the affair regarding the adulterous relation of Aisha, Muhammad's youngest and the most favorite wife, with an errant Bedouin youth took place. However, since this is not a case of plunder and terror, it will not be discussed here.
Terror Forty-seven
Second Raid at Dumat al-Jandal by Abd al-Rahman b. Awf—December, 627CE
Abd al-Rahman b. Awf was one of the closest companions of Muhammad. Muhammad appointed him to make the second raid on Dumat al-Jandal (Duma). He told Abd al-Rahman, 'Fight everyone in the way of God and kill those who disbelieve in God. Do not be deceitful with spoils, do not be treacherous, nor mutilate, do not kill children. This is God's ordinance and practice of his prophet among you. '[205]
Abd al-Rahman b. Awf then set out at the behest of seven hundred men on the expedition to Dumat al-Jandal (Duma), that lay on the route to Khaybar, Fadak and then branching out to Syria and Iraq. Duma was a great trading center; the inhabitants were mainly Christians and were ruled by a Christian king. Following the Islamic rule, on reaching Duma, Abd al-Rahman b. Awf summoned the resident tribes to embrace Islam within three days or face execution. People had no choice but to comply with his dreadful ultimatum. During this ultimatum period, Al-Asbagh, a Christian chief of Bani Kalb complied and many of his followers also followed suit. Other tribes also paid tribute (Jizya) to Abd al-Rahman. On agreement to pay Jizya tax regularly, they were allowed to keep their Christianity. When this good news was communicated to Muhammad, he (Muhammad) instructed Abd al-Rahman to marry Tamadhir, the daughter of the Christian chief, Al-Asbagh. In an epistle to Abd al-Rahman, Muhammad wrote, "If they obey you, marry the daughter of their king."[206] So Abd al-Rahman married Tumadhir bt.al-Asbagh, the daughter of their Christian king and brought this lady with him to Medina. She became one of his many wives, as many as sixteen, besides many concubines.[207]
Terror Forty-eight
Raid at Fadak against B. Sad by Ali ibn Talib—December, 627CE
Muhammad received intelligence information that B. Sa'd b. Bakr, the tribe inhabiting Fadak was planning to help the Khaybar Jews. So he sent Ali b. Abi Talib to punish them. Having traveled by night and concealing by day, Ali arrived at the site and lay in wait for them during the day. The Muslims caught a spy who informed them that B. Sa'd b. Bakr had agreed to aid the Khaybar Jews in exchange for some harvest of Khaybar crop. Ali then returned Medina with the captive.
Terror Forty-nine
Raid against Umm Qirfa of B. Fazarah by Zayd b. Haritha/Abu Bakr—January, 628CE
Readers may recall Zayd b. Haritha's first raid at Wadi al-Qura (see Terror 45, CH. 11). When this raid ended in a failure, Zayd conducted several warlike raids of inferior importance. In one of these operations, he set out for a mercantile trip to Syria to do some border trading there. When he arrived at Wadi al-Qura, he again raided the inhabitants there. However, his caravan was waylaid and was attacked by B. Fazarah tribe. During the fighting B. Fazarah killed a number of Muslims including Ward b. Amr, one of Zayd's dear comrade-in-arms. Zayd himself was wounded.
After Zayd returned to Medina with his wound he vowed to avenge the death of his comrade by raiding B. Fazarah again. After his recovery from the injury Muhammad sent Zayd with an army against the B. Fazarah. He attacked them at Wadi al-Qura and inflicted heavy casualties on them. He took Umm Qirfa (her real name was Fatimah bt. Rabiah b. Badr), the wife of Malik b. Hudhayfah, the chief of B. Fazarah, as a prisoner. Umm Qirfa was a very old woman having a young and extremely beautiful daughter. She (Umm Qirfa) was the aunt of Uyeina and was married to her cousin, Malik, the uncle of Uyeina. They formed a branch of Fazarah, Fazarah tribe being a branch of the Ghatafan tribe. Zayd took her daughter as a captive and ordered a Jihadist, Qays b. Mohsin to kill Umm Qirfa. Her old age and sex did not deter her from receiving a barbaric Islamic punishment from the Muslim army (Please note here the hypocrisy of Islamic rule on killing a woman). Qays tied each of her legs with a rope and attached the ropes to two camels. Then he drove the camels in opposite directions thus renting her in two.[208] Rodinson writes that Umm Qirfa was torn from limb to limb by four camels.[209] Two brothers from the same family were also brutally executed. When told, Muhammad fully approved this ferocious punishment meted out to a grand old lady.[210] When Zayd brought Umm Qirfa's daughter to Muhammad, he allocated her to Salamah b. Amr al-Akwa, a Jihadist who captured her. She belonged to a very distinguished Arab family. Then Muhammad found that one of his maternal uncles, Hazn b. Abi Wahb was eyeing on Umm Qirfa's beautiful daughter. So he asked her owner, Salamah b. Amr b. al-Akwa, if he would give her to his (Muhammad's) uncle. Salamah readily agreed to Muhammad's request. This distinguished lady was then passed on to Muhammad's uncle for his private use.
Another version of this story says that the leader of this raid was Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafah (told by Salamah) and runs like this:
Muhammad appointed Abu Bakr as the leader of this raiding party. When Abu Bakr arrived at Wadi al-Qura, he ordered his troop to rest there; then they prayed. After prayer, Abu Bakr made a raid on B. Fazarah. The Muslims killed a number of B. Fazarah people and captured a number of their women and children. Among them was Umm Qirfa, a very old lady, wearing a worn-out piece of leather coat. With her was her young daughter, the fairest of the Arabs. Abu Bakr gave Umm Qirfa's pretty, young and vivacious daughter to, the Jihadist, who had captured her as a booty. After Salamah b. al-Akwa returned to Medina and met Muhammad at the market place, he (Muhammad) asked Salamah to give this pretty young lass to him. Salamah told Muhammad that he liked her but had not had sex with her yet. Then he offered her to Muhammad.
Quoting Salamah, Tabari (Tabari, vol. viii, p.97) writes:[211]
'When I returned to Medina, the messenger of God met me in the market and said, "Salamah—how excellent the father who begot you!—give me the woman." I said, "Messenger of God, I like her, by God, and I have not uncovered her garment." He said nothing to me until the next day, when he met me in the market and said, "Salamah—how excellent a father begot you!—give me the woman." I said: "Messenger of God, I have not touched her garment. She is yours, Messenger of God." The Messenger of God sent her to Mecca, and with her he ransomed some Muslim captives who were in the hands of the polytheists.'
There is a similar Hadith from Sahih Muslim (Refer to: Sahih Muslim: Book 19, Hadith number 4345)
Terror Fifty
Barbarous Execution of Uraynah Robbers By Muhammad—February, 628CE
Eight members B. Uraynah , a Bedouin tribe, came to Muhammad and embraced Islam. The climate of Medina did not suit them. They complained about a stomach problem they were suffering from an epidemic. Muhammad gave them some camels to take with them; instructed them to drink the camel's milk and urine as medicines. They took the camels in the plain south of Quba for grazing. Following Muhammad's prescription, they soon recovered from their stomach problem. Then they escaped with the camels by killing the camel herdsman by cutting off his hands and legs and poking thorny spikes into his tongue and eyes. When this news reached Muhammad, he dispatched twenty horsemen in hot pursuit of the robbers. They caught the robbers and recovered all the camels except one. The eight captives were then brought to Muhammad. On Muhammad's order their arms and legs were cut off and their eyes were put off. The trunks of these wretched victims were then laid side by side in the hot sun in the plain of al-Ghaba until they died.[212] On this occasion the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were released (5:39, 33).
This story is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 796: Narrated Anas:
A group of people from 'Ukl (tribe) came to the Prophet and they were living with the people of As-Suffa, but they became ill as the climate of Medina did not suit them, so they said, "O Allah's Apostle! Provide us with milk." The Prophet said, I see no other way for you than to use the camels of Allah's Apostle." So they went and drank the milk and urine of the camels, (as medicine) and became healthy and fat. Then they killed the shepherd and took the camels away. When a help-seeker came to Allah's Apostle, he sent some men in their pursuit, and they were captured and brought before mid day. The Prophet ordered for some iron pieces to be made red hot, and their eyes were branded with them and their hands and feet were cut off and were not cauterized. Then they were put at a place called Al-Harra, and when they asked for water to drink they were not given till they died. (Abu Qilaba said, "Those people committed theft and murder and fought against Allah and His Apostle.")
Terror Fifty-one
Assassination of Al-Yusayr b. Rizamand a party of Khaybar Jews at al-Qarqara—February, 628CE
Even with the assassination of Abu Rafi (also known as Sallam ibn Abul-Huqayq), the chief of Khaybar Jews in December, 624 (see Terror 20, CH. 5) Muhammad did not feel safe from the Jews of Khaybar. The new chief of the Khaybar Jews was Al-Yusayr b. Rizam. He maintained the good relation with the B. Ghatafan, the tribe that Muhammad feared a lot. Muhammad heard that Al-Yusayr b. Rizam was planning a fresh attack against him. So he quickly dispatched Abdallah ibn Rawaha, a leader of the B. Khazraj to Khaybar to gather intelligence to eliminate Al-Yusayr clandestinely. But Abd Allah ibn Rawaha found the Jews to be extremely alert for this type of covert political murder to be a success.
When he returned to Medina with this bad news, Muhammad again sent him openly with thirty men (or thirty selected killers) mounted on camels to persuade al-Yusayr b. Rizam to visit Medina. When the Muslims arrived at Khaybar the Jews treated them well. Abd Allah ibn Rawaha pretended to be friendly with the Jews and invited al-Yusayr b. Rizam to visit Medina with them.He assured al-Yusayr b. Rizam that Muhammad would make him the ruler of Khaybar, giving al-Yusayr b. Rizam a solemn guarantee of his safety. At first, al-Yusayr declined. But due to the persistence of the Muslim delegation he finally relented and went with them with a number of Jews. One of the Muslim delegates, Abd Allah b. Unays mounted al-Yusayr on his beast and rode behind him. When they arrived at al-Qarqarat, about six miles from Khaybar, al-Yusayr suspected the ill-motive of the Muslims and changed his mind about going to meet Muhammad. He dismounted from the beast he was riding with Abd Allah Unays. Abd Allah b. Unays claimed that he perceived al-Yusayr was drawing his sword. So he rushed at him and cut off his leg. Al-Yusayr hit Abd Allah b. Unays with a piece of wood and wounded his head. Ibn Ishak claims that later, God killed al-Yusayr.[213] The Muslims killed all other Jews except one who escaped on his feet. When Abd Allah b. Unays came to Muhammad, Muhammad spat on his wound in his head and it healed immediately![214] Muhammad praised Allah when he heard the news of assassination of al-Yusayr b. Rizam and the killing of the Jews.
Section Thirteen
'Violence is the repartee of the illiterate'---Alan Brien (1925-)[215]
Terror Fifty-two
The Raid on Khaybar and Fadak by Muhammad—May, 628CE
In the spring (around March) of 628 Muhammad, along with one thousand and five hundred (1,500) of his devout supporters, went on a mission to perform Umra (minor Hajj) at Mecca. However, fearing mischief, the Meccans did not allow Muhammad to enter the city, forcing him to encamp at a place called Hudaibiya in the outskirts of Mecca. While there, he negotiated a ten year peace treaty with the Quraysh that permitted him to enter Mecca beginning from the following year and perform Hajj with his followers. This is the famous Hudaibiya pact. After signing this treaty, and while returning to Mecca, he heard the murmur of discontent from his followers for entering into a treaty that was heavily in favor of the Quraysh. Besides, the nascent Jihadists also missed an opportunity to plunder further the Meccans. Muhammad was clever enough to realize that he must continue rewarding his Jihadists through ill-gotten wealth otherwise, his Jihadists would waver in their faith in him. This was also a time of severe drought at Medina. So, while he was on his way back (to Medina), he already made up his mind to conduct a fresh raid on the Jews. Since all other Jews around Medina had either been expelled or liquidated through pogrom, Muhammad decided to plunder and loot the remaining Jews at Khaybar. Haykal writes[216] that the the Jews living at Khaybar were the strongest, the richest and the best equipped for war of all the peoples of Arabia (Hykal, Ch. Khaybar expedition).To assure and to please Muhammad in this plunder, Allah revealed Sura al-Fath (Victory, Sura 48) forgiving his past and future sins (48:2) and guaranteeing him triumph (48:21) through His (Allah's) help. In verses 48:16, 20 Allah promised further booty for joining in Jihad; this was to improve the material life of the Jihadists. Mubarakpuri[217] insists that this promise of booty meant the loot of Khaybar. Emboldened by such divine promise of succor, Muhammad's followers were now ready for a new pillage, and within a few weeks after their return from Hudaibiya they headed for Khaybar to loot it. We can confirm the truth of this outright, unprovoked plundering operation from the history of al-Tabari:[218]
During the prevailing draught at Medina at that time, a group of B. Aslam who had embraced Islam came to Muhammad for assistance. But Muhammad had nothing to assist them. So he prayed to Allah so that they could plunder the richly laden fortresses of the Khyabar Jews including their luscious green agricultural lands. He said, "O God, Thou knowest their condition—that they have no strength and that I have nothing to give them. Open to them [for conquest] the greatest of the fortresses of Khaybar, the one most abounding in food and fat meat."
The next morning, Muhammad plundered the fortress of al-Sa'b b. Muadh (a Jewish chief) that had the most abundance in food.
Even Sahih Bukhari writes that the major purpose for raiding Khaybar was food:
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 547: Narrated 'Aisha:
When Khaibar was conquered, we said, "Now we will eat our fill of dates!"
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 548: Narrated Ibn Umar:
We did not eat our fill except after we had conquered Khaibar.
It is important to review this embezzling operation in detail, as the actions of the Jihadists in this terror operation portray accurately the true mindset of the messenger of Allah.
As stated earlier, after his return from Hudaibiya, Muhammad had promised his followers a great spoil of plunder. About six weeks passed without much happening. His followers became impatient. He was now looking for an excuse to perpetrate such an act of plundering the Jews. But no such opportunity came readily. So, in May, 628 he preemptively made a sudden and unprovoked assault on the Jews of Khaybar.
Muhammad's army started marching against the Khaybar Jews with a force of around one thousand and four hundred (1,400) strong men. He took a big cavalry of between one and two hundred. Many Bedouins and other tribes of Medina, who, hitherto neglected Muhammad also wanted to join in this swag. But Muhammad refused to take them in for their refusal to join in Hudaibiya in the first place. Kahybar booty was meant only for those terrorists who were willing to accompany the messenger of Allah through thick and thin. In verse 48:15 Allah also instructed him not to entrust these hypocrite Arabs. Umm Salama, one of Muhammad's seven wives accompanied the Prophet of mercy. Using lottery (his usual practice)Muhammad chose her amongst his many wives. The Muslim army covered the distance of about one hundred miles from Medina in about four or five days. Ibn Sa'd[219] writes that it was a fasting month; some Muslims fasted, some did not. Before making this wanton attack on the Khaybar Jews, Muhammad stopped at a valley named al-Rajii; not the al-Rajii near Taif where Muhammad's companions were killed (see Terror 25, CH. 7). He encamped there between the people of Ghatafan and the people of Khaybar. This was a ruse to prevent the people of Ghatafan to come to the aid of the Khaybar Jews when he attacked them.
Nonetheless, when the Ghatafan heard of Muhammad's advance they assembled their men and marched forward to help the Khaybar people. After marching for a day they heard from sources that Muhammad had attacked their (i.e., Ghatafan's) families that they had left behind. So they hastened back to protect their families. This was a clever ploy by the Muslims, because now the way to Khaybar was completely open unhindered to Muhammad. Then Muhammad offered his morning prayer and made an early morning attack on the inhabitants of Khaybar claiming that early morning times were miserable times for the infidels (see Sahih Bukhari, vol. 4, book 52, number 195).
The attack was so sudden that the farmers of Khaybar were completely stunned, when early in the morning, when they were about to go to work in their plantations, they found that the Muslim soldiers had surrounded them. This sudden invasion by the Muslim army cut off all the hopes of the Jews to get aid from B. Ghatafan.
Ibn Ishak writes that the war cry of the Muslims at Khaybar was, 'O victorious one slay, slay!'[220]
It is the Islamic custom to raid a place early in the morning invoking the name of Allah (note the timing of 9/11). Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari to confirm the sudden and unprovoked attack on the Khaybar Jews: (You will find quite a few similar Ahadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
Volume 1, Book 11, Number 584: Narrated Humaid:
Anas bin Malik said, "Whenever the Prophet went out with us to fight (in Allah's cause) against any nation, he never allowed us to attack till morning and he would wait and see: if he heard Adhan he would postpone the attack and if he did not hear Adhan he would attack them." Anas added, "We reached Khaibar at night and in the morning when he did not hear the Adhan for the prayer, he (the Prophet ) rode and I rode behind Abi Talha and my foot was touching that of the Prophet.
The inhabitants of Khaibar came out with their baskets and spades and when they saw the Prophet they shouted 'Muhammad! By Allah, Muhammad and his army.' When Allah's Apostle saw them, he said, "Allahu-Akbar! Allahu-Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. Whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight), then evil will be the morning of those who have been warned."
Initially shocked, the Khaybar Jews immediately returned to their fortresses and prepared to fight Muhammad's invading army. They had some time to rally around their new leader, Abul Huqayq and posted themselves in front of their citadel, Qamus and resolved to fight a desperate battle. Previously, Muhammad had assassinated Sallam ibn Abul-Huqayq (Abu Rafi) and another Jewish leader, Al-Yusayr b. Rizam just a few months before (see Terror 51, CH. 12). In the beginning, Muhammad made a few unsuccessful attempts to dislodge them from their formidable fortress.
Then one of the Jews, Marhab challenged the Muslims in a single combat. So, a Jihadist, Amir, confronted Marhab. Unfortunately, while attacking Marhab, Amir accidentally cut his median vein by himself that cost him his life. Many Muslims thought that Amir had committed suicide and sought Muhammad's clarification about those who commit suicide while fighting the infidels. Muhammad assured them that Amir will receive double reward for his (suicidal) action. Sourcing authentic chain of narrators, Ibn Sa'd writes: ' Salamah ibn Akwa said: " I came across the Companions of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, who declared: All the good deeds of 'Amir were lost, as he had committed suicide. Salamah said: Then I approached the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him weeping and asked : 'Were the deeds of 'Amir vain? He said: And who said this? I said some of your Companions (said this). The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him said: He who said this uttered a lie. His reward has been doubled."'[221]
This very first act of Islamic suicide 'attack' is recorded in Sahih Bukhari in this way:
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 515: Narrated Abu Huraira:
We witnessed (the battle of) Khaibar. Allah's Apostle said about one of those who were with him and who claimed to be a Muslim. "This (man) is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire." When the battle started, that fellow fought so violently and bravely that he received plenty of wounds. Some of the people were about to doubt (the Prophet's statement), but the man, feeling the pain of his wounds, put his hand into his quiver and took out of it, some arrows with which he slaughtered himself (i.e. committed suicide). Then some men amongst the Muslims came hurriedly and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allah has made your statement true so-and-so has committed suicide. "The Prophet said, "O so-and-so! Get up and make an announcement that none but a believer will enter Paradise and that Allah may support the religion with an unchaste (evil) wicked man.
After the death (suicide) of Amir, Muhammad b. Maslamah (the professional killer) went to fight with Marhab and in a grueling duel he killed Marhab. Then Marhab's brother, Yasir rushed forward to avenge his brother's death.
The Jihadist al-Zubayr went forward to meet him in a single combat. After a short fighting, al-Zubayr killed Yasir.
In this terror operation we also note the cowardice by Umar b. Khattab, whom the Islamists portray as an incredibly intrepid Jihadist.
When Muhammad encamped at the Khaybar, he gave the banner to Umar b. al-Khattab. Umar went to fight with the Jews but was chased out by them. After returning to Muhammad, his companions complained of Umar's cowardice. So next day, Muhammad gave the banner to Ali who, at that time had an inflamed eye. Muhammad spat on his eyes and Ali's eyes were healed!
Another version of killing of Marhab runs like this:
Muhammad often had migraine headache and would not come out from his hideout for a few days. When he attacked Khaybar, he was suffering from such a migraine headache, and so he did not venture out of his lair. At first, Abu Bakr went out and fought vigorously. When he returned, Umar went out and fought with more vigor and then came back to Muhammad.
After learning about the not so successful outcomes from those two lieutenants of him, on the next day, Muhammad sent Ali who arrived in the morning with inflamed eyes. Muhammad spat in his eyes and the pain departed immediately. Then Ali went out to fight. Approaching the fortress of Khyabar, he met Marhab, the commander of the fortress enticing the Jews to fight the invaders. They met in a single combat in which Ali killed Marhab by a heavy blow of sword that split Marhab's head.
A general battle now ensued and the Muslims were able to make a good advance. The situation of the Jews became desperate. Muhammad started appropriating Khaybar property piece by piece, fortress by fortress. He captured the first fortress that belonged to Na'im. Muhammad's comrade Mahmud b Maslama (Muhammad b. Maslama's brother) was killed here when a millstone was hurled at him. The next fortress to fall was Qamus, which belonged to Abul Huqayq. Then Muhammad besieged the last two of the fortresses, the fortress of al-Watih and al-Sulalim for thirteen and nineteen days respectively. The Jewish leader, Sallam ibn Mishkam was killed and al Harith ibn Abu Zaynab took over the leadership of the Jewish forces. Many Jews, after being defeated at other locations had taken sanctuary at these two fortresses that Muhammad found difficult to penetrate. So he, as per Islamic rule, cut off their water supply. The hapless Jews then had no choice but to submit to the invading Muslim army. Muhammad continued with his plunder until he finished capturing all the property that he could lay his hands on. He agreed to spare the lives of the surrendered Jews by expelling them from their ancestral homes on condition that they must hand over all their yellow and white metals (i.e. gold and silver). The Jews were permitted to take with them all their belongings that they could load on their beasts (camels and donkeys) except for gold and silver. Failure to comply with this stipulation meant a certain death—Muhammad warned. There was a severe shortage of provision for the Muslim soldiers and many of them became very hungry. Unable to find provision easily, Muhammad asked them to eat horse meat but forbade them to eat donkey meat. Other prohibitions imposed were: the eating of garlic (raw) and the 'muta' (contract) marriage. However, the Shia sect of Islam claims that no such ban on 'muta' marriage was imposed.
Thus, the Muslims had a decisive victory. The Jews lost ninety-three (93) men while the loss on the Muslim side was only nineteen (19) men. Muhammad took some Khaybar Jews as captives, including Safiyyah bt. Huyayy b. Akhtab, an exquisitely pretty young newly married bride of Kinanah b. al-Rabi b. al-Huqayq. She was the daughter of B. Nadir chief, Huayy b. Akhtab who was beheaded by Muhammad in the slaughtering of B. Qurayzah (Muhammad had already expelled B. Nadir Jews from Medina (see Terror 28, CH. 8). Kinanah had recently married Safiyyah, the young, vivacious and pouted daughter of Huyayy and had received a good treasure trove as gift. Muhammad also took two daughters of Safiyaah's paternal uncle. At first Dihyah al-Kalbi, a Muslim Jihadists asked for Safiyyah. But when Muhammad saw the unparallel beauty of her, he chose her for himself and gave her two cousin sisters to Dihyah.
"After the Messenger of God conquered al-Qamus, the fortress of Ibn Abi al-Huqyaq, Safiyyah bt. Huyayy b. Akhtab was brought to him, and another woman with her. Bilal, who was the one who brought them, led them pat some of the slain Jews. When the woman who was with Safiyyah saw them, she cried out, struck her face, and poured dust on her head. When the Messenger of God saw her, he said, "Take this she-devil away from me!" she commanded that Safiyyah should be kept behind him and that the Messenger of God had chosen her for himself."
Muslim historians write that Safiyyah's husband, Kinanah had slapped her on the previous night when she showed her fascination (as if fallen in love) for the king of Hijaz i.e., Muhammad. When Safiyyah was brought to Muhammad she still had the mark of those slaps in her face—it is purportedly claimed. When Muhammad asked her about the traces of blackness in her eyes she told him the story. These lofty claims are, of course complete fabrication, if not total lies, for, nowhere in the biography of Muhammad we note that Safiyyah had ever any loving feeling or attraction towards Muhammad. How is it possible for a teenaged B. Nadir girl to develop loving feeling for an invader of sixty years old, who, just a few years ago had expelled all the B. Nadir Jews from their ancestral abodes at Medina and had beheaded, a la Islamic style, her father?
Anyway, Muhammad accused Safiyyah's husband, Kinanah and his cousin of hiding some of their properties in contravention of the terms of surrender. He was especially angered that Kinanah had hidden the wealth (worth about ten thousad Dinars; i.e, US$ 500,000, approximately) that he received from his marriage to a B. Nadir girl (i.e. Safiyyah). A renegade Jew divulged the secret of Kinanah's hidden gold treasures. That Jew went and fetched the hidden treasures. Kinanah and his cousin were promptly arrested by the Muslims.
Then Kinanah b. al-Rabi, Safiyyah's husband was brought to Muhammad. Muhammad charged him of hiding his wealth in some underground storage. When Kinanah denied this allegation, Muhammad ordered to inflict torture on him. He was tormented by branding his chest with a heated stake and then he was beheaded (recall the recent Islamic style torturing and beheading of Nick Berg).
Sourcing Ibn Ishak, Tabari writes:[223]
'Kinanah b. al-Rabi b. al-Huqyaq who had the treasure of B. Nadir was brought to the Messenger of God, who questioned him; but he denied knowing where it was. Then the messenger of God was brought a Jew who said to him, "I have seen Kinanah walk around this ruin every morning." The Messenger of God said to Kinanah: "What do you say? If we find it in your possession, I will kill you." "All right," he answered. The Messenger of God commanded that the ruin should be dug up, and some of the treasure was extracted from it. Then he asked him for the rest of it. Kinanah refused to surrender it; so the Messenger of God gave orders concerning him to al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam, saying, "torture him until you root out what he has." Al-Zubayr kept twirling his firestick in his breast until Kinanah almost expired; then the Messenger of God gave him to Muhammad b. Maslamah, who beheaded him to avenge his brother Mahmud b. Maslamah."'
Muir[224] writes that then the heads of the two chiefs (Kinana and his cousin) were severed off.
Because of the so-called treachery by the Jews for allegedly hiding their treasures, Muhammad now allowed the Muslim Jihadists to take possession of the women and children of the Jews of Khaybar
The beheading done, Muhammad sent Bilal to fetch Safiyyah, Kinana's wife. Her beauty was well known in Medina. Her real name was Zaynab and, as told before she initially fell in the hands of a Jihadist, Dhiya al-Kalbi. However, when Muhammad heard about her extreme beauty he chose her as his Safi (i.e, special selection by Muhammad before the khums and distribution of booty to the Muslims). So when Zaynab became Muhammad's Safi she became to be known as Safiyyah (Muhammad's special selection).
Here is a Hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud narrated by none other than A'isha, Muhammad's favourite wife, also a teenager at that time:
Sunan Abu Dawud: Kitab al-Kharaj
Book 19; number 2988
'A'isha said: Safiyyah was called after the word safi (a special portion of the Prophet).
From this Hadith book we also read
Anas said: Captives were gathered at Khaibar. Dihyah came and said: Apostle of Allah, give me a slave-girl from the captives. He said : Go and take a slave-girl. He took Safiyaah daughter of Huyayy. A man then came to the Prophet (may peace be upon him) and said: You gave Safiyaah daughter of Huyayy, chief lady of Quraizah and al-Nadir to Dihyah? This is according to the version of Ya'qub. Then the version goes: She is worthy of you. He said: Call him along with her. When the Prophet (may peace be upon him) looked at her, he said to him: Take another slave-girl from the captives. The Prophet (may peace be upon him) then set her free and married her.
(Please note: those two ahadith are not available in the internet version of Sunan Abu Dawud. You can read those sunna in the original Sunan Abu Dawud, (vol. ii), translated into English by Prof. Ahmad Hasan and published by Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, India)
To enjoy this special booty, Muhammad asked Bilal, the Negro crier of prayer to fetch Safiyyah to his (Muhammad's) camp. Bilal brought Safiyyah and her cousin straight across the battlefield strewn with dead and close by the corpses of Kinana and his cousin. The two cousin sisters of Safiyyah shrieked in terror when they witnessed the grotesque scene of the slain dead bodies of their dearest relatives that they had to cross over. They tremulously begged a stone-hearted Bilal for mercy but to no avail. When they were brought to Muhammad, he cursed the panic-stricken cousins as devilish and cast his mantle around Safiyyah indicating that she was to be his own. Muhammad consoled a frustrated Dhiya by giving him Safiyyah's cousin sisters.[225]
We learn from Ibn Sa'd that Muhammad purchased Safiyyah from Dhiyah for seven camels (around US$ 2,450). On the same night that Muhammad took possession of Safiyyah, he hastened to his tent to sleep with her. Here is what Ibn Sa'd writes:[226]
: "….when it was night, he entered a tent and she entered with him. Abu Ayyub came there and passed the nigh by the tent by the tent with a sword keeping his head at the tent. When it was morning and the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, perceived (some body) moving, he asked: Who is there? He replied: I am Abu Ayub. He asked: Why are you here? He replied: O Apostle of Allah! There is a young lass newly wedded (to you) with whose late husband you have done what you have done. I was not sure of safety, so I wanted to be close to you. Thereupon the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, said twice: O Abu Ayyub! May Allah show you mercy."
To hide the lascivious character of Muhammad, Muslim biographers often mention that he married Safiyyahh before he slept with her. But they forget to mention that Muhammad did not follow the rule of waiting period (three monthly periods) to sleep with Safiyyahh.
The Islamic version of Muhammad's possession of Safiyyahh runs something like this: Muhammad quickly married Safiyyahh with a great wedding feast. After the feast was ended, Muhammad called for a screen to hide Safiyyahh from public gaze. This was a clear sign that Muhammad had married Safiyyahh and did not take her as a slave girl.
Sahih Bukhari writes:
The Prophet offered the Fajr Prayer near Khaibar when it was still dark and then said, "Allahu-Akbar! Khaibar is destroyed, for whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight), then evil will be the morning for those who have been warned." Then the inhabitants of Khaibar came out running on the roads. The Prophet had their warriors killed, their offspring and woman taken as captives. Safiya was amongst the captives, She first came in the share of Dahya Alkali but later on she belonged to the Prophet . The Prophet made her manumission as her 'Mahr'.
Muhammad was sixty (60) when he married Safiyyahh, a young girl of seventeen.[227] She became his eighth wife.
During the time of negotiation with the Khaybar Jews, Muhammad sent a message to the Jews of Fadak asking them to surrender their properties and wealth or be attacked.
When the people of Fadak had heard of what tragedy had befallen the Khaybar Jews, to spare their lives, they requested Muhammad to take over their property and banish them. Muhammad did exactly that. After the Khaybar Jews surrendered to Muhammad and having lost their only source of livelihood, they requested him to employ them back on their properties for half the share of the crop. Muhammad found it much more convenient to re-employ them, as the Jews were already very experienced with their land, whereas the Muslims (the new occupiers of their land) had no experience with agriculture and cultivation. So Muhammad made some conciliation to the Khaybar Jews by re-engaging them in their lost land, but on condition that he reserved the right to banish them at anytime he wished. The Jews had very little choice but to agree with that. Same terms were applied to the Fadak Jews. Later, when Umar became the Caliph of Islam, he expelled all the Jews from Kahybar and Fadak
Khaybar became the booty of the Muslims, but Fadak became Muhammad's private property (a Fai, to use the Islamic parlance), as there was no fighting involved in Fadak. This provision was sanctioned by Allah in verse 17:64, 59:6-7
After Muhammad had settled the affair of Khaybar, he took a rest. While he was resting, Zaynab bt.al-Harith, a Jewess and the wife of Sallam b. Mishkan (Muhammad had already killed him on charges of hiding the wealth) served him a roast sheep. It is alleged that she poisoned it to kill Muhammad. When she brought the meat to Muhammad and his companions, Muhammad took a bite of the foreleg and chewed it but suspected some foul play and did not swallow it. Two of his companions chewed the meat and then swallowed it and one of them died on the spot. Muhammad suffered from excruciating pain. Zaynab was then summoned and interrogated as to the motive of her offence. She boldly condemned the cold-blooded murder, by Muhammad, of her father, her husband and her uncle. She said, "How you have afflicted my people is not hidden from you. So I said, 'If he is a prophet, he will be informed, but if he is king, I shall be rid of him.'"[228] She was then put to death. Some say that she was set free. It is claimed that the effect of the poison lasted until the dying time of Muhammad.
The plunder from the Khaybar raid was enormous. As usual, a fifth of the booty was set apart for Muhammad. The remaining four-fifths were then divided into one thousand and eight hundred (1,800) shares. One share went for a foot soldier and three for a horseman. Different Islamic rule was applied for land grab. One half of Khaybar land was reserved for Muhammad and his family (i.e. a sort of crown property). The remaining land was divided using the same rule as for the personal booty. Only those Jihadists who had previously participated in the Hudaibiya expedition were rewarded, irrespective of whether they joined in the Khaybar plunder or not.
We read in Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 3, Book 39, Number 531: Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
Umar expelled the Jews and the Christians from Hijaz. When Allah's Apostle had conquered Khaibar, he wanted to expel the Jews from it as its land became the property of Allah, His Apostle, and the Muslims. Allah's Apostle intended to expel the Jews but they requested him to let them stay there on the condition that they would do the labor and get half of the fruits. Allah's Apostle told them, "We will let you stay on thus condition, as long as we wish." So, they (i.e. Jews) kept on living there until 'Umar forced them to go towards Taima' and Ariha'.
Muhammad used the annexed land of the Jews of Khaybar to secure the livelihood of his ever increasing number of wives in his Harem. Sahih Muslim writes:
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) handed over the land of Khaibar (on the condition) of the share of produce of fruits and harvest, and he also gave to his wives every year one hundred wasqs: eighty wasqs of dates and twenty wasqs of barley. When 'Umar became the caliph he distributed the (lands and trees) of Khaibar, and gave option to the wives of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) to earmark for themselves the land and water or stick to the wasqs (that they got) every year. They differed in this matter. Some of them opted for land and water, and some of them opted for wasqs every year. 'A'isha and Hafsa were among those who opted for land and water.
Muhammad's comrade-in arms, Umar ibn Khattab became the landlord through the land-grab at Khaybar. Here is Sahih Muslim to confirm Umar's appropriation of Jewsih land:
Ibn Umar reported: Umar acquired a land at Khaibar. He came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and sought his advice in regard to it. He said: Allah's Messenger, I have acquired land in Khaibar. I have never acquired property more valuable for me than this, so what do you command me to do with it? Thereupon he (Allah's Apostle) said: If you like, you may keep the corpus intact and give its produce as Sadaqa. So 'Umar gave it as Sadaqa declaring that property must not be sold or inherited or given away as gift. And Umar devoted it to the poor, to the nearest kin, and to the emancipation of slaves, aired in the way of Allah and guests. There is no sin for one, who administers it if he eats something from it in a reasonable manner, or if he feeds his friends and does not hoard up goods (for himself). He (the narrator) said: I narrated this hadith to Muhammad, but as I reached the (words)" without hoarding (for himself) out of it." he (Muhammad' said:" without storing the property with a view to becoming rich." Ibn 'Aun said: He who read this book (pertaining to Waqf) informed me that in it (the words are)" without storing the property with a view to becoming rich."
'Umar reported: I acquired land from the lands of Khaibar. I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: I have acquired a piece of land. Never have I acquired land more loved by me and more cherished by me than this. The rest of the hadith is the same, but he made no mention of this:" I narrated it to Muhammad" and what follows.
The Muslims became wealthy and prosperous from the booty of Khaybar. In fact, they were so handsomely rewarded that they cleared all their debts to the Ansars (helpers) and stopped becoming a burden to them. Mubarakpuri,[229] sourcing Sahih Muslim writes:
"On their return to Medinah, the emigrants were able to return to the helpers of Medinah all the gifts they had received. All of this affluence came after the conquest of Khaiber and the economic benefits that the Muslims began to reap."
Muhammad himself, became a big land-owner after he annexed the lands of the Jews i.e. B. Nadir, Khaybar and Fadak. Here is a Hadith from Sunaan Abu Dawud on Muhammad's appropriation of Jewish lands:
Book 19, Number 2961: Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:
Malik ibn Aws al-Hadthan said: One of the arguments put forward by Umar was that he said that the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) received three things exclusively to himself: Banu an-Nadir, Khaybar and Fadak. The Banu an-Nadir property was kept wholly for his emergent needs, Fadak for travellers, and Khaybar was divided by the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) into three sections: two for Muslims, and one as a contribution for his family. If anything remained after making the contribution of his family, he divided it among the poor Emigrants.
In this manner, by using terror and plunder, the Muslims found a large and a permanent source of wherewithal for their survival. In this way, Muhammad rewarded those faithfuls who showed their loyalty to him by accompanying him to Hudaibiya. The captive-women of Khaybar were distributed amongst the Jihadists. Many Jihadists wanted to copulate with these hapless women even when some of them were pregnant. So Muhammad had to promulgate the rules on co-habitation with booty-women. Quoting sources, Ibn Sa'd writes[230] that Muhammad said:
"He who believes in Allah and the last day, should not irrigate the crop of other (i.e. should not cohabit with a pregnant hand-maid before delivery). He who believes in Allah and the last day, should not cohabit with an enslaved woman till she is cleared (i.e. two periods have passed). He who believes in Allah and the last day should not sell the booty till it is divided. He, who believes in Allah and the last day, should not ride the beast of the booty of the Muslims in a way that it becomes lean and then return it to the booty of the Muslims; or wear a cloth and he return it to the booty of the Muslims when it is worn out."
On the plunder of Khaybar Sahih Bukhari writes:
Volume 2, Book 14, Number 68: Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) offered the Fajr prayer when it was still dark, then he rode and said, 'Allah Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. When we approach near to a nation, the most unfortunate is the morning of those who have been warned." The people came out into the streets saying, "Muhammad and his army." Allah's Apostle vanquished them by force and their warriors were killed; the children and women were taken as captives. Safiya was taken by Dihya Al-Kalbi and later she belonged to Allah's Apostle go who married her and her Mahr was her manumission.
It is reported that some women Jihadists did participate in the expedition of Khyabar. These Muslimahs did not receive any share of booty. Muhammad gave them small gifts from the loot (i.e., they were given from the one-fifth share of the plunder, especially reserved for Muhammad) but he did not assign any share to them.[231]
During this time, some of the exiles from Abyssinia returned to Medina. Among them was Muhammad's cousin, Jafar, Ali's brother. These newly arrived migrants shared in the booty of Khaybar.
While at Khaybar, Muhammad received, as a gift a black slave-boy, Midam, who later, was killed by an arrow. Muhammad claimed that Allah killed him for stealing booty from Khaybar spoils. Here is a Hadith from Malik's Muwatta on this:
Book 21, Number 21.13.25:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Thawr ibn Zayd ad-Dili from Abu'l-Ghayth Salim, the mawla of ibn Muti that Abu Hurayra said, "We went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the yearof Khaybar. We did not capture any gold or silver except for personal effects, clothes, and baggage. Rifaa ibn Zayd presented a black slave boy to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whose name was Midam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made for Wadi'l-Qura, and when he arrived there, Midam was unsaddling the camel of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a stray arrow struck and killed him. The people said, 'Good luck to him! The Garden!' The Messenger of Allah said, 'No! By He in whose hand my self is! The cloak which he took from the spoils on the Day of Khaybar before they were distributed will blaze with fire on him.' When the people heard that, a man brought a sandal-strap or two sandal-straps to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A sandal-strap or two sandal-straps of fire!' "
After Muhammad finished plundering Khaybar he besieged the Jews of Wadi al-Qura for some nights then returned to Medina (see Terror 53, CH. 14 for details).
Section Fourteen
'The enemy is stupid and Allah does protect the mujahideen….'---Ramzi Binalshibh[232]
Terror Fifty-three
Second Raid Against the Jews at Wadi al-Qura by Muhammad—June, 628CE
After Muhammad finished the affairs of Khaybar, while returning to Medina, without any warning, he laid a siege on the Jewish settlement at Wadi al-Qura, The site was a Jewish colony. He arrived at Wadi al-Qura in a late afternoon and besieged the Jews. Sa'd b. Ubada, the Muslim leader invited the Jews to Islam without any success So the Muslims attacked the Jews. The Jews resisted for two days then they surrendered on similar terms like the Jews of Khaybar and Fadak. Eleven Jews were slain in this skirmish. A large amount booty fell in the hands of the Muslims.
With Muhammad was a slave-boy (Midam) who was presented to him by one of his companions. While the Muslims were preparing to halt, an arrow hit the slave-boy killing him. The Muslims hailed his death as a reward in Paradise, but Muhammad objected saying that the boy had pilfered a cloak from the booty of Khaybar and his death was the punishment for stealing booty. Hearing his words, another Jihadist came forward and confessed that he too had stolen two sandals from the loot of Khaybar. Muhammad promised him the fire of hell.
After the surrender of the Jews at Wadi al-Qura, Muhammad established his full authority on all the Jewish tribes of Medina.
While at Wadi al-Qura, Muhammad and his companions overslept and missed the morning prayer at its appointed time. He performed ablution and then prayed and people followed him. He told the congregation that if one forgets to pray at its appointed time, he could perform the same prayer when he remembers Him (Allah).
The Muslim army stayed at Wadi al-Qura for four days then they returned to Medina.
Terror Fifty-four
First Raid Against B. Hawazin at Turbah By Umar b. al-Khattab—July, 628CE
After returning to Medina from Wadi al-Qura, Muhammad sent Umar b. al-Khattab with thirty men against a branch of the tribes of B. Hawazin at Turbah, a distance of four nights march from Medina. Turbah was on the way to Sana and Najjran, a Christian enclave. Umar's troop travelled by night and hid by day. By the time the Muslim army arrived at Turbah, B. Hawazin already got wind of the impending Muslim attack and they fled. Umar returned to Medina without a fight. As far as booty was concerned it was a failed robbery.
Terror Fifty-five
Raid on B. Kilab at Nejd by Abu Bakr—July, 628CE
Details on this raid are not available, although it has been learned that Abu Bakr headed a party against the Bani Kilab in Nejd. Many were killed and taken as prisoners. A Hadith from Sunaan Abu Dawud, that possibly relates to this raid by Abu Bakr, demonstrates clearly the viciousness of killing by the Muslims:
Sunaan Abu Dawud: Book 14, Number 2632: Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) appointed AbuBakr our commander and we fought with some people who were polytheists, and we attacked them at night, killing them. Our war-cry that night was "put to death; put to death." Salamah said: I killed that night with my hand polytheists belonging to seven houses.
Terror Fifty-six
First Raid on B. Murrah at Fadak by Bashir Ibn Sa'd—July, 628CE
Thirty men were sent at the behest of Bashir ibn Sa'd against the B. Murra in the vicinity of Fadak. These Bedouins were in the desert when the Muslims attacked their homesteads. Bashir drove off their camels and flocks. When the Bedouins returned they pursued the Muslim invaders, exchanged arrows with the raiders and rescued their booty. Bashir's companions were killed. He suffered injury in his ankle and returned to Medina.
Terror Fifty-seven
Fourth Raid on B. Thalabah at Mayfah by Ghalib b. Abd Allah—January, 629CE
Mayfah is ninety-six (96) miles from Medina, towards Nejd. Muhammad sent Ghalib b. Abd Allah at the behest of one hundred and thirty (130) men to plunder the tribes of B. Uwal and B. Thalabah inhabiting this site. Usmah b. Zayd (the son of Zayd b. Haritha, Muhammad's adopted son) joined this team. The attack was sudden and the Muslims killed mercilessly whomever they found and drove their camels and goats to Medina.
Usama and one of his companions killed a man, an ally of B. Murrah who uttered 'La ilah illa Allah' i.e., embraced Islam at the point of sword.[233] When Usama returned to Medina and told this story to Muhammad, Muhammad was displeased and said, "Usamah, who will [say] to you 'There is no god but God'?"[234]
Terror Fifty-eight
Second Raid on B. Murrah at Fadak by Ghalib b. Abd Allah—January, 629CE
After the mishap of Bashir ibn Sa'd (see Terror 55) during the attempt to rob the B. Murrah, Muhammad entrusted Ghalib b. Abd Allah, a fierce killer, to mop up the B. Murrah at Fadak. Muhammad said to al-Zubayr, another leader of this two hundred men strong team: "If Allah makes you victorious do not show leniency to them."[235] Usama b. Zayd also joined in this pillage. The Muslims attacked the B. Murrah in the morning; mercilessly killed many of them; seized their camels, and drove the herd to Medina.
Terror Fifty-nine
Raid on Ghatafan at al-Jinab in Yaman by Bahir b. Sa'd—February, 629CE
During the siege of Khaybar (see Terror 52, CH. 13) Muhammad heard from his guide at Khaybar, Husayl b. Nuwayrah that a party of Ghatafan, under the leadership of Uyanah b. Hisn had assembled at al-Jinab, on the opposite of Khaybar and Wadi al-Qura. So he despatched Bashir b. Sa'd with three hundred (300) men along with the guide, Husayl b. Nuwayrah to subdue the Ghatafan. Bashir's army travelled by night, concealed by day till they arrived close to the enemy site. The Muslims terrorized the tribe; seized a large number of camels and dispersed the herdsmen. Seeing the marauding Muslim army, the Ghatafan took shelter on mountain tops and highlands. The Muslims took booty and killed a slave of Uyanah b. Hisn. They captured two men and brought the camels and the prisoners to Medina.
Terror Sixty
Third Raid on B. Sulaym at Fadak by Ibn al-Awja al-Sulami—April, 629CE
B. Sulaym were a sister tribe of B. Hawazin and inhabited the area of Najran and Turbah.
Immediately upon returning to Medina after performing the Umrah, Muhammad sent Ibn al-Awja al-Sulami with fifty men to attack B. Sulaym. When Ibn Awja arrived in the B. Sulaym area, he called them to convert to Islam. When the infidels refused, the Muslims attacked them. B. Sulaym fought back, showered the Muslims with arrows and killed many of them. Ibn Awja was wounded and escaped to Medina with great difficulty. However, a year later, the B.Sulaym embraced Islam after finding that Muhammad was becoming stronger everyday.
Terror Sixty-one
Raid on B. al-Mulawwih at al-Kadid by Ghalib b. Abd Allah--May, 629CE
Muhammad sent Ghalib b. Abdallah al-Laythi, with between thirteen and nineteen men to raid the B. al-Mulawwih at al-Kadid.
When the Muslims arrived at al-Kadid they met a man, al-Harith b. Malik and took him as a prisoner. He informed Ghalib that he had come to embrace Islam. Despite this confession, for safety reasons Ghalib bound him over and secured him with a rope. Then Ghalib appointed a Negro slave to guard the prisoner, issuing strict orders to cut off al-Harith's head should he make any trouble. Ghalib then sent a Muslim who set out and found a settlement. In the afternoon he lay hidden by lying face down in the ground.
Very soon, a Bedouin man from the settlement came and spotted him as a suspected intruder and shot two arrows. Being a clever spy, the Muslim man pulled out both the arrows and remained motionless. The man thought it to be an object and left the place. The spy then waited in ambush until the cattle herd of the settlement returned in the evening from the pasture. Then, at night, when the settlement was quiet and everyone was resting, the Muslims made a sudden attack on the inhabitants. They killed some of them and drove away their herd of camels. Meanwhile, the besieged people raised an alarm and cried out for help.
Fearing reprisal from the aiding party, the marauding Muslims hurried to leave the place. While exiting, they also took the prisoner, al-Harith b. Malik, whom they had left bound and guarded by a sentry. Soon, the aid party attacked the Muslims. At this hour, a torrential rain came and nearly flooded the valley which made an attack difficult by the aiding party of the settlement. This gave the Muslims time for a quick exit. They took all the camels with them and brought them back at Medina; a great deal of booty also fell on them.
The battle cry of the Muslims on that night was "Kill! Kill!"[236]
Terror Sixty-two
Raid on B. Laith at al-Kadid—May, 629CE
A few weeks later, the Muslims conducted a raid against the B. Leith. They were seized near al-Kadid on the road to Mecca. The Muslims made a surprise attack on this tribe and took away their camels. Further details are not available.
Terror Sixty-three
Forced Jizya on Zoroastrians—case 1—June, 629CE
After robbing B. al-Mulawwih Muhammad sent the Jihadist, al-Ala b. al-Hadrami with a threatening letter to Mundhir b. Sawa al-Abdi, a Zoroastrian and the chief of B. Tamim, to exact Jizya tax from him. He wrote: "In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. From Muhammad the Prophet, Messenger of God, to al-Mundhir b. Sawa: Peace be upon you! I praise to you God, save Whom there is no god.
To proceed: I have received your letter and your messengers. Whoever prays our prayer, eats of our sacrifice, and turns to our Qiblah is a Muslim: permitted to him is what is permitted to Muslims, and incumbent on whoever refuses is [the payment of] tax."[237] A Hadith in Sunaan Abu Dawud, probably related to this affair. confirms Muhammad's doctrine, 'pay Jizya or die' (please note here that Magian means Zoroastrian):
Book 19, Number 3038: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
A man belonging to Usbadhiyin of the people of Bahrayn, who were the Magians of Hajar, came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and remained with him (for some time), and then came out. I asked him: What have Allah and His Apostle of Allah decided for you? He replied: Evil. I said: Silent. He said: Islam or killing. AbdurRahman ibn Awf said: He accepted jizyah from them. Ibn Abbas said: The people followed the statement of AbdurRahman ibn Awf, and they left that which I heard from the Usbadhi.
Having found no alternative, these Zoroastrians agreed to pay this 'protection' tax to Muhammad. Muhammad stipulated that the Muslims cannot eat the Zoroastrian's sacrificial meat nor the Muslims could marry their women.
Terror Sixty-four
Muhammad sent Amr b. al-As to Jayfar and Abbad. They were two Zoroastrian brothers in Uman. They told Amr that they believed in the ascendancy of Muhammad as a Prophet and in what he had brought. Being not satisfied with it, and finding that no booty was forthcoming, Muhammad imposed Zakat on them and forced them to pay Jizya tax. On the matter of Zakat, it is worthwhile to mention that Abu Bakr stipulated that this Islamic tax must be collected ruthlessly. Here is a Hadith from Malik's Muwatta (from the section on Collecting Zakat and Being Firm In Doing So ) on collection of Zakat:
Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said, "If they withhold even a hobbling cord I will fight them over it."
Terror Sixty-five
Raid on B. Amir at al-Siyii by Shuja ibn Wahb al-Asadi—July, 629CE
Then Muhammad sent Shuja b. Wahb with a party of tenty-four (24) men to plunder B. Amir (a branch of Hawazin tribe) at al-Siyii. Al-Siyii was five nights journey from Medina. After arriving at the enemy site, Shuja made a sudden morning-attack on B. Tamim. After terrorizing and plundering for fifteen days, the Muslims drove away their camels and sheep as booty. During this plunder, ten goats were equated to a sheep for booty distribution. In this plunder each Jihadist received as his share fifteen camels
Terror Sixty-six
Raid on B. Qudah at Dhat Atlah by Amr b Ka'b al-Ghifari—July, 629CE
During this time, Muhammad despatched Amr b. Ka'b al-Ghifari with fifteen men to raid the people of B. Qudah at Dhat Atlah, on the border of Syria. After arriving there, Amr called the inhabitants to Islam. The infidels refused. So Amr besieged the enemy. However, he faced stiff resistance from his enemy. In this battle the Muslims were routed. The enemy killed all of them except one who managed to escape and returned to Medina. Muhammad was greatly saddened by this calamity and planned to send a forceful army of Jihadists to take revenge. This plan was shelved when Muhammad learnt that the enemy had deserted the place.
Terror Sixty-seven
Raid on Mu'tah by Zayd ibn Haritha—September, 629CE
Mu'tah was a small village near al-Balqa at Damascus in Syria. After the complete routing of the Muslim raiding team at Dhat Atlah led by Amr b. Ka'b al-Ghifari, Muhammad was seeking an opportunity to attack this part of the Byzantine Empire and to teach the mainly Christian inhabitants there a lesson. This was Muhammad's first penetration into Byzantine Empire.
Another version of the reason for this invasion was that Muhammad sent a messenger with a letter to the Byzantine governor of Busra. This messenger was murdered by Shurahbil, the chief of Ma'ab or Mu'ta. The chief of Mu'ta was called Shurahbil, son of Amr. Muhammad immediately retaliated by assembling three thousand soldiers. He was also emboldened by his return from a successful raid on Khaybar. His victory at Khaybar gave him the confidence that he was powerful enough to make an onslaught on the mighty Byzantine Empire in Syria.
He appointed Zayd b. Haritha to lead this expedition, instructing him to march to the spot where Muhammad's messenger was slain; summon the inhabitants to embrace Islam, and to kill them if they refused to become Muslims. He gave directive that if Zayd was killed then Jafar b. Abi Talib (Ali's brother, and Muhammad's cousin brother) would be the commander; if Jafar is killed then Abd Allah b. Rawaha would be in command. So three thousand Jihadists marched out, equipped with swords and horses. Khalid b. Walid also joined this expedition, but as a common fighter; he was not given a senior rank at this stage, presumably because of his recent conversion to Islam. When they were ready for the march, Muhammad came out and bade them farewell. Some Jihadists recalled verse 19:71, decreeing the fate of a human being. Muhammad escorted this Jihad team up to Thaniyat, in the outskirts of Medina and amidst a band of crying Jihadists said, "May Allah defend you and may you come back pious and bring booty."[238]
The Muslim army went forward and encamped at Mu'an, a village in Syria. While there, Zayd received the startling intelligence of the preparation of Surahbil's alliance. He got the information that the enemy was encamped at Ma'ab in the territory of al-Balqa. The Muslim army also heard the rumour that Surahbil, together with Theodora, the brother of Heraclius was in the field with one hundred thousand soldiers. Another one hundred thousand Roman soldiers were readying themselves to join in the fight. However, the Syrian army was composed of Romans and, partly of the semi-Christian tribe of the desert.
Many Arab tribes like Lakham, Judham, Balqayn, Bahran and Bali had also joined Heraclius' party—Zayd heard.
After learning the news of assemblage of such a formidable Roman army and its accessory parties, the Muslims were nervous but stayed at Mu'an for two nights, contemplating about their course of action. Some of them wanted to send an urgent message to Muhammad for a reinforcement to meet the alarming army of a hundred thousand men of the Byzantine emperor. However, Abd Allah b. Rawaha invigorated his men with extreme Jihadi zeal and imbued them not to be cowed by the numerical superiority of the enemy. This was the best opportunity for a martyr—he exhorted. His men fully agreed with Abd Allah b. Rawaha and decided to engage the enemy in a fight.
The Jihadists then marched on and when they were within the boundary of Ma'ab they met the army of Heraclius at a village called Masharif. When the enemy came close to the Muslim army, the Muslims took shelter in the village of Mu'tah. A vicious battle took place there. Zayd b.Haritha fought gallantly but soon was killed by a javelin from the enemy. It is said that his body was cu into two pieces. Following the instruction of Muhammad, Jafar b. Abi Talib took up the fight. He too fought valiantly until he was also killed in the combat. After the demise of Jafar b. Abi Talib, Abd Allah b. Rawaha took up the banner and went forward to continue the battle.
Abd Allah b. Rawaha pressed ahead but soon was killed. Then Thabit b. Arqam hoisted the banner and urged the Muslims to select a leader from amongst themselves. The Muslims chose Khalid b. Walid as their new commander. However, the Muslim ranks were already broken with twelve Jihadists killed; the Byzantine casualties being unknown. However, through a series of ingenious and rapid movements Khalid was able to bring back discipline in the Muslim army ranks. He then played a trick by deluding the Romans that a great army of Muslim soldiers was expected at any time. The trick worked. The Muslims retreated and so did the Byzantine army. Thus Khalid started marching towards Medina, saving further losses to the Muslim army. A messenger ran ahead of the Muslim army to Medina to inform an anxious Muhammad the terrible news of the Muslim defeat.
In the pulpit of his mosque, Muhammad informed his congregation that he had a premonition that Zayd had attained martyrdom. Then he also testified the martyrdoms of Jafar and Abdallah b. Rawaha as well as the eventual ascent of Khalid b. Walid as the commander of the Muslims. He told the congregation:[239] "Now I have seen them in heaven sitting in thrones facing each other like brothers. In some of them I observed an aversion for using sword. And I saw Jafar like an angel with two wings smeared with blood feet dyed (in blood)." The Muslims were amazed at the predictive power of their Prophet. He gave the title 'Sword of God' to Khalid b. Walid. Then he exhorted his followers to hasten and join in to reinforce the Muslim army. So they came out and went forward in extreme heat to join their Jihadi compatriots. But it was too late. The Muslims were already in retreat.
When the Muslim army was in the vicinity of Medina, people started to throw dust at them, condemning them for withdrawing from the battle. Muhammad pacified this enraged crowd by shouting that the returning Muslims did not flee from fighting but that they would return to fight again.
Even with such passionate pleading, the crowd was not satisfied; they chased Muhammad and forced him to take shelter in the room of Umm Salamah, one of his wives. When people asked for the reason why she did not attend prayer with Muhammad, she replied:[240]
"By God, he cannot leave the house! Every time he goes out, people shout, 'Did you flee in the way of God?' So he stayed in his house and does not go out."
Section Fifteen
'The broad mass of a nation …will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one'---Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)[241]
Raid on B. Qudah at Dhat al-Salasil by Amr b. al-As—September, 629CE
Having suffered a terrible defeat in the hands of B. Qudah at Dhat Atlah, coupled with the ignoble retreat of the Muslim army from Mu'tah, Muhammad's prestige was greatly affected. It is said that he also received intelligence that a number of tribes, including B. Qudah were now preparing to attack Medina. To salvage his reputation he now empowered Amr b. al-As, the new convert of Islam, to push for a decisive raid on the stubborn B. Qudah tribe. Amr b. al-As was very furious that some of these tribes had taken the side of the Byzantine party during the Mu'tah battle. It was time to punish them—Muhammad determined.
So with three hundred (300) men and thirty horses, Amr b. al-As set out to decimate the rebellious B. Qudah who were settled at Dhat al-Salasil. It was at a distance of ten days march from Medina. Amr b. al-As' grandmother (i.e., the mother of al-As b. Wail, the father of Amr b. al-As) was a woman from Qudah or Bali tribe and Muhammad sent Amr b. al-As to convert her and her people to Islam by force. When Amr arrived at Dhat al-Salasil he found that the enemy had heavily outnumbered the Muslims.
Because of the feeble Islamic forces at his disposal Amr b. al-As sought reinforcement from Muhammad. The messenger of Allah quickly sent Abu Bakr b. Quhafa with an additional two hundred (200) men to assist Amr b. al-As. Thus, the total number of men now numbered five hundred (500).
Another version of this raid runs like this:
Muhammad sent Amr b. al-As to the territory of Bali (Bali is a branch of Qudah tribe) and Udhrah to gain their assistance for an expedition to Syria that he had been planning for some time. Amr b. al-As' grandmother (i.e., the mother of al-As b. Wali, Amr b. al-As' father) lived in Bali. So Muhammad sent Amr b. al-As to her people to invite them to Islam and to earn their goodwill. After ten days ofmarching, while on his way to Bali, Amr b. al-As came across with B. Judham, another tribe at Dhat al-Salasil and he was frightened attheir huge number. He sent an emergency message to Muhammad for additional men that Muhammad quickly complied with.
Muhammad sent this reinforcement, along with Abu Ubaydah b. al-Jarrah, Abu Bakr and Umar. Abu Ubaydah was made the leader, and Muhammad instructed them not to fight over the leadership when they had arrived at Dhat al-Salasil. Nonetheless, despite such instruction, when Abu Ubaydah arrived at Dhat al-Salasil a dispute arose regarding the leadership; Amr b. al-As insisted that Abu Ubaydah was only a reinforcement but the leadership still rested on Amr b. al-As. Abu Ubaydah agreed with Amr b. al-As, and Amr led the worship.
With this increased number of Muslim army, Amr b. al-As charged his enemy with much vigor and ferocity. The B. Qudah fighters went in panic and dispersed. After subduing the enemy the Muslims returned to Medina. No historian gives any detail about the booty the Muslims gained in this raid.
Terror Sixty-eight
Raid on B. Juhayna at al-Khabat (the expedition of fish) by Abu Ubaydah ibn Jarrah—October, 629CE
In the next month, Muhammad sent Abu Ubaydah b. Jarrah along with three hundred (300) men to attack and punish the tribe of Juhaynah at al-Khabat, on the seacoast, five nights journey from Medina. This was a very difficult expedition and the Muslims suffered from intense hunger—somuch so, that they had to divide the dates by number. They even ate the leaves of trees for a month. However, there was no fighting as the enemy had fled when they heard of the arrival of the Muslims.
In the end, the Muslims caught a dead-sea creature (a whale) that came ashore and ate it for half a month (or twenty days, according to Ibn Ishak). This is why this raid is also known as the 'expedition of fish.' They brought some of that stale meat to Muhammad and he ate it too.
Sahih Bukhari records that the Muslims ate the mountain like fish for eighteen days. Here is the Hadith:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
"Allah's Apostle sent an army towards the east coast and appointed Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah as their chief, and the army consisted of three-hundred men including myself. We marched on till we reached a place where our food was about to finish. Abu- 'Ubaida ordered us to collect all the journey food and it was collected. My (our) journey food was dates. Abu 'Ubaida kept on giving us our daily ration in small amounts from it, till it was exhausted. The share of everyone of us used to be one date only." I said, "How could one date benefit you?" Jabir replied, "We came to know its value when even that too finished." Jabir added, "When we reached the sea-shore, we saw a huge fish which was like a small mountain. The army ate from it for eighteen days. Then Abu 'Ubaida ordered that two of its ribs be fixed and they were fixed in the ground. Then he ordered that a she-camel be ridden and it passed under the two ribs (forming an arch) without touching them."
Terror Sixty-nine
Beheading the leader of B. Jusham at al Ghabah by Abd Allah ibn Hadrad –November, 629CE
Abd Allah b. Abi Hadrad al-Aslami, a Jihadist, went to Muhammad asking him for two hundred (200) Dirhams (about US$ 1,000) for the dowry he had to pay for his new bride, since he could not consummate his marriage as he was unable to pay this dowry. Muhammad claimed that he had no money to help Hadrad. A few days later, a group of B. Jusham, led by Qays b. Rifaah encamped at Ghabah, a nearby pastureland. It is alleged that they arrived there to gather their tribe to fight Muhammad. Muhammad called Abd Allah b. Abi Hadrad and two other Muslims and instructed them either to capture and bring Qays b. Rifaah or to bring further information about their movement.
The trio proceeded, armed with arrows and swords and riding a weak camel. When they approached the encampment in the evening, Abd Allah hid himself from the enemy camp and asked his two companions to conceal themselves somewhere else. He then told two of his Jihadi comrades that he was going on an assassination mission and if they happen to hear the cry of "Allahu Akbar" from afar then they should also shout "Allahu Akbar," rush out and attack the enemy simultaneously with him (Abd Allah b. abi Hadrad al-Aslami).
They waited until the darkness of night fell. During this time Qays b. Rifaa ventured outside his camp to look for one of their herdsmen who were late in returning to the camp. Qays came out of his camp defying his companions warning to not to venture out during the darkness of night. When he was within the attacking range, Abd Allah b. abi-Hadrad shot an arrow that hit Qays in his heart killing him instantly. Abd Allah then ran forward with his sword and cut off Qays' head and shouted "Allahu Akbar." His two companions responded immediately with "Allahu Akbar." The enemy was now in panic and terror and they took to the heel, taking away their wives and children. Abd Allah and his companions drove away their herd of camels, goats and sheep and brought them to Muhammad. Abd Allah presented Muhammad with the bloody head of Qays b. Rifaa. Muhammad was extremely pleased beholding the severed head of Qays b. Rifaa and rewarded Abd Allah with thirteen camels (worth about US$ 4,550) from the booty. With this booty Abd Allah paid his bride-money and consummated his marriage.
It is reported by al-Waqidi that the Jihadists also took four women, including one very beautiful and sexy girl. Muhammad gave her to Abu Qatadah, another Jihadist. When one of Muhammad's goodfriends, Mahmiyah b. al-Juz, informed himabout her extreme beauty, Muhammad wanted her back from Abu Qatadah. But Abu Qatadah objected, saying:[242] "I purchased her from the spoils." The Messenger of God said, "Give her to me." So he had no choice but to hand her over to Muhammad. Muhammad gave her as a present to Mahimiyah b. al-Jaz al-Zubaydi.
Terror Seventy
Raid on a passing caravan at Batn al-Idam by Abd Allah b. Abi Hadrad—November, 629CE
Muhammad was so pleased with the success of the terrorist, Abd Allah b. Abi Hadrad al-Aslami (see Terror 69 above), that soon after the gory and senseless beheading of Qays b. Rifaa, he despatched this extremely fanatic, fierce Jihadist, along with Abu Qatadah al-Harith b. Ribi and a group of eight terrorists to make a raid on a passing caravan at Idam, north of Medina. This raiding party arrived at Idam and waylaid for the passing caravan. A Bedouin caravan passed by and they greeted the Muslims with "Assalamu Alaikum." But the Jihadists/terrorists attacked this caravan anyway because of past enmity, killed the leader of the caravan, and made off with their camel and food. They returned to Muhammad and told him the story. Allah promptly released verse 4:94 asking the raiding party to be discriminating while committing a plunder. Historians like Ibn Sa'd describes this raid as a prelude to attack on Mecca as Muhammad wanted to divert people's attention from his 'real' intention, while covertly preparing to occupy Mecca.
Terror Seventy-one
Raid on B. Khudra at Suria by Abu Qatadah—December, 629CE
This was a petty expedition against the tribe of Khudra a sub-clan of B. Ghatafan that yielded a large plunder. Abu Qatadah led this raid in which he seized all the property of B. Khudra.
In this way Muhammad exacted his revenge on the tribes who dared to side with the Christians of Byzantine Empire. He became a very fearsome and powerful war monger and many smaller tribes decided to join the Muslim ranks to save themselves from Muhammad's unbound wrath; if you cannot beat them then join them—they thought. They also found a good opportunity to enrich themselves with the plunder, if they joined the Islamic Jihadists—they thought correctly.
Besides the above reasons, many tribes were also forced to pledge their allegiance to him. Among them were: Bani Dzobian, B. Fazara, with their chief, Uyana. B. Hisn, Bani Sulaym, a powerful tribe in the Hejaz was also forced to join in Islam (see Terror 60, CH. 14).
The Prophet Muhammad, truly, had now become a ferocious warlord.
Section Sixteen
'God knows, if we did possess (a chemical bomb), we wouldn't hesitate one second to use it'---Abu Musab al-Zarqawi[243]
Terror Seventy-two
The Occupation of Mecca by Muhammad—January, 630CE
After the debacle at Mu'tah, Muhammad remained in Mecca for about two months without significant raids or plunder, except for those described in CH.15. Then he received the news that a person, belonging to B. Bakr, a confederate of the Quraysh had killed a man from B. Khuzaa'h at a watering place at Mecca. The Khuzaa'h tribe was in alliance with Muhammad and it was reported that the person killed was a Muslim. This attack on Khuzaa'h was in retaliation for a long drawn blood feud between these two warring tribes. This cycle of revenge and counter revenge had started a long time before Muhammad was born. However, during the Hudaibiyah treaty, it was hoped that peace would finally be established between them by granting them freedom to choose whatever party they thought was friendly to them.
Some Quraysh men also joined in this melee. Muhammad considered this minor skirmish as breaking the Hudaybiah pact that was drawn between the Quraysh and Muhammad. A representative of Khuzaa'h, Amr b. Salim al-Khuzai hastened to Medina to inform Muhammad of this incident and to seek his help. Muhammad was not at all interested in peacemaking. He made no attempt to mediate the matter with the Quraysh; instead, using this trivial incidence as an alibi he found a golden opportunity to attack the Meccans. In fact, after the great plunder at Khaybar Allah had revealed to him in verse 48:27 about his conquest of the Sacred Mosque--that is, the Ka'ba in Mecca. This new development made Muhammad confirm absolutely that it was a great opportunity sent by Allah.
Having heard what the envoy from the Khuzaa'h had to say, Muhammad promised his steadfast help for them. At that time, a large cloud engulfed the sky, and a superstitious Muhammad used that as proof of his promise to B. Khuzaa'h.
Very soon, another delegation headed by Budayl b. Warqa, a Khuzaa'h met Muhammad at Medina. Muhammad reiterated his assurance towards them. Having been re-assured by Muhammad, Budayl departed for Mecca.
Meanwhile, the Quraysh, realising the gravity of the situation, wanted to have a dialogue with Muhammad to come to a peaceful settlement without bloodshed as well as to extend the term of the treaty. They sent Abu Sufyan b Harb to have a discussion with Muhammad to bring calm. On his way to Medina, Abu Sufyan met Budyal b. Warqa at Usfan and enquired whether Budayl had a dialogue with Muhammad or not.
Budayl told a blatant lie to Abu Sufyan that he had not met Muhammad. But Abu Sufyan, at hindsight, examined the camel droppings of Budayl and correctly concluded that Budayl, had indeed met Muhammad; for, Budayl's camel droppings had the distinctive Medina pits of dates that the camel had been fed. Abu Sufyan was now quite apprehensive that Muhammad was planning for some retaliatory action. He was determined to prevent further bloodshed over such a small incidence.
Upon his arrival at Medina, Abu Sufyan first met his daughter, Umm Habibah bt. Abu Sufyan. Having recently returned from Ethiopia, she had become Muhammad's ninth wife when her husband died in Ethiopia. When Abu Sufyan entered her room and was about to sit on the bed of Muhammad, she did not allow him to rest there. She berated Abu Sufyan and told her father that as a polytheist he was an unclean person, and was not entitled to sit on Muhammad's hallowed bed. Abu Sufyan was utterly displeased at her own daughter's ungracious behaviour towards him and told her that evil had betaken her since she had left him and had accepted Islam.
Then Abu Sufyan came to Muhammad and spoke with him about this matter, but Muhammad kept silent and showed no intention of mitigating the issue through dialogue. Abu Sufyan approached Abu Bakr to speak to Muhammad about the case; Abu Bakr refused. Then he met Umar b. Khattab, but Umar threatened him with war. In desperation, Abu Sufyan went to meet Ali while Ali was with Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad. Her little son, al-Hasan b. Ali was also with her. Abu Sufyan implored Ali for the sake of kinship to intercede on his behalf to avoid the fighting. Ali utterly disappointed Abu Sufyan by saying that Muhammad's mind had already been made up, no intercession would work. Then, as a last resort, Abu Sufyan turned to Muhammad's daughter Fatima saying,[244] "Daughter of Muhammad, don't you want to command your little son here to make peace among the people, so that he will be lord of the Arabs forever?"
Fatima replied, "By God, my little son is not old enough to make peace among the people, and no one can do so against the will of the Messenger of God."[245] When Abu Sufyan realised that his case was hopeless, he sought the advice of Ali as to the appropriate course of action for a peaceful settlement of the matter. Ali further let down Abu Sufyan by saying that nothing could be done to change the mind of Messenger of Allah. A frustrated Abu Sufyan went to the congregation in the mosque and said, "People, I hereby make peace among the people."[246] Having implored the Muslims for peace, Abu Sufyan mounted his camel and departed for Mecca.
When Abu Sufyan arrived at Mecca, the Quraysh asked him about the outcome of his peace mission. They heard the full story of how inflexible and belligerent Muhammad was. The Meccans chided Abu Sufyan that he had, indeed, been played out by Muhammad.
Meanwhile, after Abu Sufyan had left, Muhammad asked his people to prepare themselves for a raid, but kept the precise destination a closely guarded secret. Even Aisha, the child bride of Muhammad, was kept in the dark. To make sure that no one knew what was in his mind, he sent a contingent of Jihadists under the joint leadership of Abd Allah b. Abi Hadrad al-Aslami and Abu Qatadah al-Harith b. Ribi, to Batn. Idam, in the north of Medina to raid a passing Meccan caravan there (see Terror 70, CH. 15). He played this ruse so that people thought his mission was directed towards north; while, in secret, Muhammad was preparing a sudden attack on Mecca when the Quraysh were least prepared for it. It was indeed a great ploy and undoubtedly reflects on Muhammad's great acumen and sapiency in the conduct of terror, plunder and warfare. He was absolutely cagey in his meticulous plan for the raid on Mecca.
When everything was fully ready, Muhammad summoned his people and told them of his intention of making a surprise attack on Mecca. He also invited many other neighbouring tribes to join him in the occupation of Mecca. Fierce verses, eloquent speeches and invigorating sermons were spread out to rouse the Jihadists for this assault on Mecca.
While this readiness for the impending war was going on, a Muslim, Hatib b. Abi Baltaah wrote a letter to the Quraysh, informing them of the readiness of Muhammad to attack Mecca. An unlettered woman-slave carried the letter on her head-covering by hiding it inside her hair and proceeded to deliver it to the Quraysh. Muhammad received the news of undercover work of Hatib from heaven and sent out Ali and another Muslim to arrest the woman. They moved fast and caught up with the woman and searched her saddle but found nothing. When Ali threatened to strip her, she took out the letter from the hidden place and handed it over to Ali b. Abi Talib. Ali brought the letter to Muhammad. Having been informed of the content of the letter, Muhammad summoned Hatib. b. Abi Baltaah and asked for an explanation for what he had done. Hatib said that, as he had all the members of his family still at Mecca, he simply wanted to warn them to save them. At this, an irate Umar sought Muhammad's permission to cut off the head of Hatib. But Muhammad forgave Hatib, because Hatib was a fierce fighter for the Muslims at Badr. Allah promptly sent down verse 60:1-4 on forgiving Hatib b. Abi Baltah.[247]
With full preparation to lay a siege on Mecca, Muhammad left Medina on January 1, 630, but he kept his exact destination a secret to his followers. Some thought he was going to invade the Hawazin tribe, some thought he was going to plunder the Thaqif people, some said he was going to fight the Quraysh. Although he was carrying arms, he appointed no military commander and displayed no banner, thus making his purpose of marching a real enigma to all. There were between eight and ten thousand of men under the command of Muhammad who left Mecca with full alacrity. Two of his wives, Zaynab bt. Jahsh and Umm Salamah, accompanied him on this occasion.
It was the month of Ramadan; Muhammad fasted and so did his followers who trailed him to Mecca. When he halted at al-Kadid, the B. Sulaym leader Uyanah b. Hisn joined him. As he proceeded, many other smaller tribes residing within the vicinity also joined with Muhammad. When they asked Muhammad about his purpose of advance, Muhammad maintained his reticence. He broke his fast at al-Kadid and told his followers that they could observe the remaining fasts or discontinue if they wished; then he proceeded ahead and put up his camp at Marr al-Zahran after eight days of marching. Another one thousand-seven hundred (1,700) members from various nearby tribes also joined him in the rush for Mecca. Up to this point, the news of Muhammad's advance to Mecca was not known to the Quraysh. On the night Muhammad encamped at Marr al-Zahran, he ordered his Jihadists to light individual fires. So, ten thousand fires were kindled giving the impression of a massive mobilization of troops. Abu Sufyan b. Harb along with Hakim b. Hizam and Budayl b. Warqa went out to gather information about Muhammad's intention.
When Muhammad halted at Marr al-Zahran, al-Abbas b. Abd al-Muttalib met him. As written in a previous part of this series, al-Abbas was actually a secret agent of Muhammad, feeding him with sensitive information about the movement of the Quraysh army. Being a top-notch businessman and a banker,[248] al-Abbas was a smart, astutely worldly person. When he found, beyond a shadow of doubt, that his nephew (Muhammad) was strong enough, he joined him, but kept that a closely guarded secret from the Quraysh. He was warmly welcomed with favor and affection by Muhammad.
The reason of al-Abbas' visit to Muhammad was to secure a pledge of safety for the Meccans; for, he feared that an onslaught by so many Muslim Jihadists would completely decimate the Quraysh forever, ruining his flourishing business. He told Muhammad that once he got a pledge of safety from him, he would inform whoever he ventures to meet in the street so that the message of security would be passed to all in Mecca.
Muhammad marched forward and when he halted at Niq al-Uqh, a place between Mecca and Medina, Abu Sufyan b. al-Harith b. Abd al-Muttalib (not Abu Sufyan b. Harb; Abu Sufyan b. al-Harith was the paternal cousin of Muhammad and a poet) and another Quraysh sought an audience with Muhammad. At first, Muhammad declined to meet them, as he (Muhammad) claimed that this duo had previously tormented him while he was in Mecca. When these two Quraysh told Muhammad's wife, Umm Salamah, that they would go on a huger strike if Muhammad did not meet them, Muhammad's stony heart was slightly softened. The duo met Muhammad and became Muslims. Ibn Ishak[249] reports that an irate Muhammad punched Abu Sufyan b.al-Harith in the chest for his past action of hitting Muhammad. Abu Sufyan b. al-Harith then requested Muhammad to implore Allah to exonerate his (Abu Sufyan al-Harith) past sins.
After meeting Muhammad and securing his pledge of safety, al-Abbas set out to return to Mecca. While he reached al-Arak, he met Abu Sufyan b. Harb and Hakim b. Hizam and another Quraysh who were on their way to investigate what was going on. When they saw the huge fire that Muhammad's followers had lit they were greatly overwhelmed. They had never seen such a massive show of military power before.
When Abu Sufyan asked al-Abbas about the situation, the latter informed him that Muhammad had marched with ten thousand Muslims to invade Mecca and that if Abu Sufyan would dare to visit Muhammad, the latter would cut off his head. Having had made no preparation to meet such a menacing attack from the Muslims, a nervous and distressed Abu Sufyan sought the advice of al-Abbas. Al-Abbas took Abu Sufyan behind the mule he (al-Abbas) was riding. The other two mates of Abu Sufyan followed on foot. The duo then passed by the groupings of Muslim soldiers and came to the camp of Umar b. Khattab. Umar rushed out with naked sword to kill Abu Sufyan. So, al-Abbas moved fast to escape Umar. Then both the party (i.e., Umar and Abu Sufyan with al-Abbas) arrived at the camp of Muhammad. First, Umar entered at the camp of Muhammad and sought his permission to cut off the head Abu Sufyan. Al-Abbas then pleaded with Muhammad that he had given the pledge of protection to Abu Sufyan. On the passionate plea of al-Abbas Muhammad sent the message that he would like to meet Abu Sufyan in the morning, next day. Abu Sufyan was now in tenterhook and passed an agonizing night at Umar's camp.
In the morning, next day, Umar took Abu Sufyan to meet Muhammad. When a vaunted Muhammad extolled that he was the Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan expressed his doubt on his claim. Al-Abbas quickly warned Abu Sufyan that he should immediately submit to Islam, lest Muhammad cut off his head. This is what al-Abbas said, "Woe to you! Recite the testimony of truth before, by God, your head is cut off."[250] So, a frightened Abu Sufyan, to save his life, had no choice but to become a Muslim on the spot.
There were a few other compelling reasons for Abu Sufyan b. Harb to surrender so easily to Muhammad. Previously, he had lost his trusted and able military general, Khalid b. Walid to Muhammad when he (Khalid) became a Muslim and joined Muhammad in the business of plunder. Moreover, the marauding Jihadists had blocked the northern and southern trade routes of the Quraysh on which their livelihood was totally dependent. To add more to their misfortune, a severe famine gripped the Meccans. It is apprehended that this famine was also the creation of Muhammad. Sourcing ibn Hisham, Hamidullah quotes, "When Thumamah ibn Uthal, a chieftain of Yamamah, stopped at the instance of the Prophet, exports of grain historians record that a famine in Mecca was the result."[251] Needless to say, all these unfortunate circumstances made Abu Sufyan a desperate person and forced him to run to Muhammad just to save the lives of the Meccans from a blood-thirsty army that was ready to pounce on Mecca.
Then al-Abbas implored Muhammad to grant Abu Sufyan some glory as a token for his conversion to Islam. So Muhammad said, "Yes, whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan shall be safe; anyone who enters the sanctuary shall be safe; and anyone who locks his door behind him will be safe."[252] In this pledge of safety, sanctuary meant the area around Ka'ba.
Nonetheless, Sahih Muslim records that despite this immunity, Muhammad instructed that whoever is found at the top of mount Safa is to be killed. Here is the Hadith:
Sahih Muslim: Book 019, Number 4396:
It has been narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Rabah who said: We came to Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan as a deputation and Abu Huraira was among us. Each of us would prepare food for his companions turn by turn for a day. (Accordingly) when it was my turn I said: Abu Huraira, it is my turn today. So they came to my place. The food was not yet ready, so I said to Abu Huraira: I wish you could narrate to us a tradition from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) until the food was ready. (Complying with my request) Abu Huraira said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca. He appointed Khalid b. Walid as commander of the right flank, Zubair as commander of the left flank, and Abu 'Ubaida as commander of the foot-soldiers (who were to advance) to the interior of the valley. He (then) said: Abu Huraira, call the Ansar to me. So I called out to them and they came hurriedly. He said: O ye Assembly of the Ansaar, do you see the ruffians of the Quraish? They said: Yes. He said: See, when you meet them tomorrow, wipe them out. He hinted at this with his hand, placing his right hand on his left and said: You will meet us at as-Safa'. (Abu Huraira continued): Whoever was seen by them that day was put to death. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) ascended the mount of as-Safa'. The Ansar also came there and surrounded the mount. Then came Abu Sufyan and said: Messenger of Allah, the Quraish have perished. No member of the Quraish tribe will survive this day. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Who enters the house of Abu Safyin will be safe, who lays down arms will be safe, who locks his door will be safe. (some of) the Ansar said: (After all) the man has been swayed by tenderness towards his family and love for his city. At this, Divine inspiration descended upon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). He said: You were saying that the man has been swayed by tenderness towards his family and love for his city. Do you know what my name is? I am Muhammad, the bondman of God and His Messenger. (He repeated this thrice.) I left my native place for the take of Allah and joined you. So I will live with you and die with you. Now the Ansar said: By God, we said (that) only out of our greed for Allah and His Messenger. He said: Allah and His Apostle testify to you and accept your apology.
After his conversion to Islam and having secured the pledge of safety from Muhammad, Abu Sufyan hurriedly went ahead of the Muslim army's entry to Mecca and announced the guarantee of safety for all Meccans by Muhammad. The utterly terrorised Meccans dispersed and hurried to their homes, or headed to the sacred sanctuary – the Ka'ba. Many of them also proceeded towards Abu Sufyan's house to save their lives from the imminent attack by the Muslims.
Meanwhile, after the departure of Abu Sufyan and Hakim b. Hizam, Muhammad sent al-Zubayr giving him his banner and commanded him to plant the banner in the upper part of Mecca (i.e., the northern mountain pass) and instructed him not to depart from where he was posted. Muhammad entered Mecca from this site.
Muhammad commanded Khalid b. Walid and the recent converts like, B. Sulaym, Qudaah etc. to enter Mecca through the lower part of Mecca (i.e., the southern highway to Yemen). This was the site where the B. Bakr was. Despite the surrender by Abu Sufyan, the Quraysh leader some diehard Quraysh, under the command of Ikrimah b. Abi Jahl would not let the Muslims walk through Mecca unchallenged. So they mobilized a B. al-Harith b. Abd Manat and the Ahabish and other minor tribes in this part Mecca to fight Muhammad's army. Khalid was appointed to fight these people there. Muhammad gave instruction to Khalid to fight only those who fight with them. The army of Ikrimah resisted Khalid's aggression, so he fought back but lost the battle and took to flight. Ikrimah b. Abi Jahl was one of those who fled. Twenty-four (or twenty-eight as per Muir) of the polytheists were killed. This was the only fight in Mecca. However, a section of al-Zubayr's soldiers took a separate path than the one stipulated by Muhammad. They blocked the western route to the seacoast known as Kada road. The eastern and the northern routes were blocked by Muhammad's party. Thus, there was a four-pronged attack on Mecca, from which the Quraysh found very difficult to escape. Despite this siege all around, al-Zubayr's army met with some Quraysh soldiers on the slope of Kada and the Quraysh killed a few of them. Then Muhammad entered Mecca where al-Zubayr had planted his banner. It was January 11, 630, ten days after Muhammad had left Medina. Many Meccan people swarmed him to embrace Islam. Muhammad stayed among them for half a month.
When Muhammad entered Mecca he granted a general amnesty to the Meccans except for eight people (or ten people, according to Ibn Sa'd[253]). He ordered that those were to be killed even if they were found under the curtains of Ka'ba. Hitherto, shedding of blood in the holy precinct was strictly forbidden by the polytheists. Muhammad wanted to maintain that old tradition, but to quench his extreme thirst for revenge he proclaimed that Allah had permitted only him to cause bloodshed in the holy sanctuary, just for a few hours. Here is a Sahi Hadith from Sahhi Bukhari on Muhammad's exclusive right to shed blood at the holy sanctuary:
Volume 3, Book 34, Number 303: Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
Allah's Apostle said, "Allah made Mecca a sanctuary and it was neither permitted for anyone before, nor will it be permitted for anyone after me (to fight in it). And fighting in it was made legal for me for a few hours of a day only. None is allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs or to cut down its trees or to chase its game or to pick up its Luqata (fallen things) except by a person who would announce it publicly." 'Abbas bin 'Abdul-Muttlib requested the Prophet, "Except Al-Idhkhir, for our goldsmiths and for the roofs of our houses." The Prophet said, "Except Al-Idhkhir." 'Ikrima said, "Do you know what is meant by chasing its game? It is to drive it out of the shade and sit in its place." Khalid said, "('Abbas said: Al-Idhkhir) for our goldsmiths and our graves."
Muhammad's unbound wrath was especially reserved for those who apostatised from Islam. Among them was 1.Abd Allah b. Sa'd. His crime was that be became an apostate after embracing Islam. He was a scribe of Muhammad, but soon found out the trickery of Muhammad's claim of divine revelation, left Islam and returned to Mecca. When Muhammad wanted Abd Allah b. Sa'd killed, he fled to Uthman, his foster brother.
When the din and bustle of Mecca invasion had subsided, Uthman took Abd Allah ibn Sa'd for an audience with Muhammad and to seek his mercy upon him. When Uthman implored Muhammad to show mercy on Abd Allah ibn Sa'd, he (Muhammad) kept silence for a long time before saying, 'yes.' When Abd Allah ibn Sa'd and Uthman left, Muhammad's companions asked him about his long silence. Muhammad said that his long hush was meant for someone to stand up and kill Abd Allah ibn Sa'd. Then one Ansar asked Muhammad as to why the latter did not give a signal to kill Abd Allah ibn Sa'd. Muhammad replied, "A prophet does not kill by making signs."[254]
Among the others who were targeted for killing were: 2. Abd al-Uzza b. Khatal or Abd Allah ibn. Khatal. His offence was that he killed his slave when the slave did not cook his food (Note: killing one's slave was not a serious crime during that time). Then Abd Allah ibn. Khatal fled to Mecca and renounced Islam. He had two singing girls who used to sing satires about Muhammad. Muhammad ordered that they too are to be killed along with Abd Allah ibn Khatal. When it was discovered that Abdallah ibn Khatal was hiding inside Ka'ba hanging the curtain of Ka'ba, two Jihadists, Said b. Hurayth al-Makhzumi and Abu Barzah killed Abd Allah by ripping open his
Belly.[255] 3. One of the singing girls named Fartana was also killed. 4. The other girl fled. 5. Another Meccan killed was al-Huwayrith; Muhammad charged that he maltreated his daughter Zaynab during her escape bid from Mecca. On Muhammad's order Ali b. Talib killed him.
On the killing of the singing girl, Sunaan Abu Dawud records:
Sunaan Abu Dawud: Book 14, Number 2678:
Narrated Sa'id ibn Yarbu' al-Makhzumi:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: on the day of the conquest of Mecca: There are four persons whom I shall not give protection in the sacred and non-sacred territory. He then named them. There were two singing girls of al-Maqis; one of them was killed and the other escaped and embraced Islam.
Muhammad also killed: 6. Miqyas b. Subabah who had previously killed the killer of his brother and then fled to Mecca and apostatised (see Terror 46, CH. 12). Muhammad ordered his killing for his apostasy. Numaylah b. Abd Allah killed him.
Also in the hit list were: 7. Ikrimah b. Abi Jahl and 8. Sarah. Sarah was the freed slave-girl of one of the sons of Abd al Muttalib. Muhammad claimed that she used to molest him while he was in Mecca. It is reported that Muhammad eventually forgave Sarah. Ikrimah b. Abi Jahl fled to Yemen. Later, Ikrimah's wife pleaded for Muhammad's mercy on her husband. Muhammad forgave Ikrimah on condition that he returned to Mecca and submit to Islam. Ikramah's wife set out to find her husband when he was about to set sail for Ethiopia. She brought him back to Muhammad and both she and Ikrimah accepted Islam and saved their lives.
Besides those eight Meccans, Ibn Sa'd lists two more people whom Muhammad earmarked for killing. They were:
9. Habbar b. al-Aswad—for tormenting Muhammad's daughter Zaynab during her escape bid from Mecca. He concealed himself but was caught after a few months, repented, converted to Islam and was forgiven.
10. Hind bt. Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan b. Harb. She chewed the liver of slain Hamzah at Badr II. She accepted Islam and Muhammad pardoned her.
Later, Umar killed Sarah by causing his horse to trample her at al-Abtah. On the day of occupation of Mecca, Muhammad commanded that six men and four women be killed. The women were: 1. Hind bt. Utbah b. Rabiah, 2. Sarah, the freed slave girl of Amr b. Hashim b. Abd al-Muttalib; she was killed (waqidi) on the day of invasion. 3. Quraybah; killed on the day of invasion, 4. Fartana escaped death and lived until the Caliphate of Uthman.
Those killings of the Meccan women smacks in the face of Islam's claim that the religion forbids the killing of women in a war. In fact, we can cite Sahih (authentic) Ahadith to demonstrate that the killings of polytheist women and children and old men are definitely sanctioned by Muhammad. Here are a few samples:
It is reported on the authority of Sa'b b. Jaththama that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him), when asked about the women and children of the polytheists being killed during the night raid, said: They are from them.
Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Kill the old men who are polytheists, but spare their children.
The fate of those condemned persons had already been enumerated above.
All those killings done, Muhammad then descended into a valley, at a spot close to the tombs of Abu Talib, his uncle, and Khadija, his first wife. He pitched his tent there. When his followers asked him if he would like to visit his old home, he said, "No". The great banner was planted at the door of his tent. He was now the lord of Mecca.
After a while, he mounted on al-Qaswa, his camel, proceeded to Ka'ba and made seven circuits of the holy sanctuary. Then he pointed his staff to the idols and commanded that they be destroyed. The great idol of Hubal in front of Ka'ba was demolished. Tradition says that there were three hundred and sixty (360) idols in Ka'ba. All those idols were then destroyed in front of the bewildered Quraysh, who just a few moments ago were their idols ardent worshippers. On the destruction of the idols, and on the religious tolerance preached by Muhammad, Allah promptly sent an oracle (17:81) decreeing the banishment of falsehood and the arrival of the truth.
Having conquered Mecca with extreme ease and without much bloodshed, Muhammad halted at the door of Ka'ba and exalted Allah and thanked Him for the victory. With him were Usama b. Zayd, Uthman b. Talhah and Bilal, as recorded in Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 1, Book 9, Number 483: Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
The Prophet entered the Ka'ba along with Usama bin Zaid, 'Uthman bin Talha and Bilal and remained there for a long time. When they came out, I was the first man to enter the Ka'ba. I asked Bilal "Where did the Prophet pray?" Bilal replied, "Between the two front Pillars."
Allah also speedily sent down verse 49:13 proclaiming that mankind was created as male and female and that He had created many nations and tribes.
Then he went to the house of Abraham, twenty or thirty steps from Ka'ba, and took the key of Ka'ba and gave that to Uthman ibn Talha to keep Ka'ba's custody for posterity. Al-Abbas was appointed to serve drinks to the pilgrims. Muhammad then obliterated the pictures of Abraham and the angels that covered the walls of Ka'ba. He broke, with his own hands, a dove made of wood and threw that away. Allah hurriedly released the verse on Abraham (3:67) justifying Muhammad's obliteration of idols and images. In this verse Allah proclaimed that Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian but a Hanif (a Muslim?) and Muhammad was the nearest to Abraham.
Sahih Bukhari records Muhammad's destruction of the idols at Ka'ba in this Hadith
Volume 3, Book 43, Number 658: Narrated 'Abdullah bin Masud:
The Prophet entered Mecca and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka'ba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting: "Truth (Islam) has come and Falsehood (disbelief) has vanished."
Then Muhammad proclaimed that whoever believes in Allah must not keep any image in his/her house and should break all idols at home. He delivered a passionate speech declaring his attachment to the hallowed city. Muslim historians claim that this won the hearts and minds of the Meccans. The residents of Medina were now apprehensive that Muhammad might stay in Mecca permanently. But Muhammad consoled them that he would never quit Medina Then he returned to his tent. Abu Bakr brought his aged and blind father Abu Quahafa to Muhammad and he converted to Islam in front of Muhammad.
The destruction and the removal of all the idols from Ka'ba done, Muhammad ordered Bilal to mount its top and offer Adhaan—theMuslims prayer call. Then the Muslims gathered and offered prayer led by Muhammad.
Then Muhammad announced the general amnesty for the Meccans. He sat at al-Safa and Umar b. Khattab administered the oath of allegiance of the Meccans to Islam. First, the men swore allegiance, then the females. Among the females was Hind bt. Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan b. Harb. She was fully veiled to hide herself and she was apprehensive that Muhammad would punish her. When she met Muhammad she implored forgiveness from him. Muhammad forgave her and bound her on the pledge that she should neither commit adultery nor kill children.
Since Muhammad never shook hands with women except with those whom he was permitted, the mode of allegiance of women was that Muhammad dropped his hand in water and then she did the same.
Safwan b. Umayyah, a Quraysh and an implacable enemy of Muhammad, set out for Jeddah to leave for Yemen. When he heard the news of victory of Muhammad he was about to commit suicide by throwing himself at sea. The people approached Muhammad and told him of this. He pardoned Umayyah and gave Umayyah his turban as a symbol of his pardon. Umayr went to Safwan, showed the turban to Safwan and he was brought to Muhammad and the latter gave him four months to decide whether he should convert to Islam or die. In the end, Safwan decided to become a Muslim. His wife, Fakhitah bt. Al-Walid also became a Muslim.
Ibn Sa'd[256] writes that Muhammad also visited the house of Umm Hani (also known as Hind bt. Abu Talib), his cousin and offered the victory prayer there. She became a Muslim and her husband also joined her. Two polytheist brothers-in-law of her who were against Muhammad took shelter in her house. Ali wanted to kill them. She pleaded with Muhammad for mercy on them. It is reported that Muhammad granted amnesty to them after they embraced Islam.
Wahsi, the Abyssinian slave who slew Hamza, fled to Taif and eventually obtained a pardon.
Muhammad was quite forgiving and magnanimous after conquering Mecca. He did this for his own interest. He did what every astute politician would have done in this situation, grant a general amnesty. His forgiveness gave him wide support in Mecca. Within two weeks, two thousand Meccans embraced Islam.
Muhammad then married Mulaykah bt Dawud al-Laythiyaah. Previously, Muhammad had killed her father. This was told to her by Muhammad's wives. One of the Prophet's wives came to Mulaykah and said to her, "Are you nor ashamed to marry a man who killed your father?"[257] So, a beautiful and young Mulaykah left Muhammad. It is reported that Muhammad had killed her father on the day of the conquest of Mecca.
Muslim historians often extol Muhammad's great 'compassion' in offering a general amnesty to the Meccans. They also praise the bloodless nature of this occupation. Nonetheless, a little thought clearly demonstrates that it was in the interest of Muhammad that he should take up Mecca with the least possible bloodshed. A general genocide and an unhindered plunder would be of no advantage to him--Muhammad knew this truth very well, and therefore, he cleverly avoided unnecessary killing of his nearest kith and kin. After all, Muhammad belonged to the tribe of Quraysh. He had blood relations with many of them, and he proved once again the old adage,' blood is thicker than water.'
We can also refute the dubious claim that this occupation was relatively bloodless. We have already seen how a few polytheists did put up some resistance, however feeble it was, and that a number of them and a few Muslims died. Besides these, we shall also witness in the next few episodes the 'true' vengeance of Muhammad, when he dispatched troops after troops to annihilate any resemblance of religious tolerance in and around Mecca, and to mop up ruthlessly any possible future resistance against him.
Furthermore, less than two years after Muhammad granted general amnesty to the citizens of Mecca, he revoked this official pardon when he sent his agents, Abu Bakr and Ali to announce to the polytheists of Mecca that they face execution if they did not convert to Islam (verse 9:5, known as the verse of the sword nullified any amnesty/mercy granted to the polytheists of Mecca).
Nevertheless, one must appreciate the cleverness, the skillfulness, and the agility of Muhammad in occupying the greatest citadel of Islam, Mecca. One indeed needs the steadfastness, firmness, mercilessness, shrewdness and cunningness and above all the adherence to absolute fascism demonstrated by Muhammad to become a celebrated terrorist/warlord.
Many Jihadists were unhappy that no exquisite Meccan booty fell on them. They were grumbling and Muhammad had to borrow large sums from the wealthiest Quraysh to give fifty Dirhams (about US$ 250) each to two thousand such 'needy' Jihadists.[258]
Finally, on the day Muhammad invaded Mecca, he made it compulsory for Muslims to wage Jihad (religious war) on non-Muslims whenever they are called to do so.
Here are a few Ahadith on the compulsory nature of Jihad:
Sahih Muslims: Book 020, Number 4597:
It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said on the day of the Conquest of Mecca: There is no Hijra now, but (only) Jihad (fighting for the cause of Islam) and sincerity of purpose (have great reward) ; when you are asked to set out (on an expedition undertaken for the cause of Islam) you should (readily) do so.
Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 42:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
Allah's Apostle said, "There is no Hijra (i.e. migration) (from Mecca to Medina) after the Conquest (of Mecca), but Jihad and good intention remain; and if you are called (by the Muslim ruler) for fighting, go forth immediately.
Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 311: Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
The Prophet said, on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, "There is no migration (after the Conquest), but Jihad and good intentions, and when you are called for Jihad, you should immediately respond to the call."
Section Seventeen
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'---Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)[259]
Terror Seventy-three
The Destruction of al-Uzza at Nakhla by Khalid b. al-Walid—January, 630CE
During the next two weeks after Muhammad's occupation of Mecca (see Terror 72, CH.16), Muhammads' true notion on religious freedom and tolerance was revealed. Immediately after he seized control of Meeca, he dispatched troops all around Mecca to destroy the pagan idols and to force people to Islam. The first such 'religious cleansing,' just five nights before the end of Ramadan, was the destruction of al-Uzza by the fearsome general Khalid b. al-Walid. Al-Uzza was the biggest female idol (goddess) at Nakhla, more recent than al-Lat and was worshipped and venerated by B. Shayban, a sub-clan of B. Sulaym, Quraysh, Kinanah and al-Mudar, inhabiting in and around Mecca.
Ibn Kalbi[260] contends that Muhammad had once given an offering to al-Uzza. He writes:
'We have been told that the Apostle of God once mentioned al-Uzza saying, "I have offered a white sheep to al-'Uzza, while I was a follower of the religion of my people."'
Upon Muhammad's order, Khalid raided the temple and demolished the idol. He raided this temple twice. In his first incursion, he cut down a tree in the temple, broke the idol and killed its attendant and returned to Medina. Not satisfied with this, Muhammad sent him again. This time, Khalid went out with full fury, ransacked the temple while the custodian of al-Uzza, Dubayyah al-Sulami started to cry. Khalid killed him and cut down another tree in the temple compound. Then, while Khaild was rampaging through the shrine, a wailing, naked Ethiopian woman rushed towards Khalid. He beheaded her, took her Jewellery and brought it back to Muhammad. Muhammad was extremely pleased and claimed that that naked black woman was the real al-Uzza.
Terror Sevent-four
The Destruction of Suwa at Ruhat by Amr b. al-As—January, 630CE
Almost at the same time Muhammad sent Khalid to destroy al-Uzza, he also sent Amr b. al-As to destroy the stone idol of Suwa at Ruhat, a mere three kms from Mecca. Suwa was a stone in the shape of a woman to represent mutability and beauty[261] and was worshipped by the tribe of Hudhayl. Its custodian was a man from B. Lihyan.[262] Amr b. al-As broke the stone idol in pieces and, forced its keeper under sword to accept Islam. To his disappointment Amr did not find much valuable treasure in this temple.
Terror Seventy-five
The Destruction of al-Manat at al-Kadid by Sa'd b. Zayd al-Ashhali—January, 630CE
Then Sa'd b. Zayd went out to al-Kadid with twenty horsemen and destroyed the female idol (goddess) of Manat that the people of al-Aws al-Khazraj, and Ghassan used to worship. Manat was the most ancient of all idols around Mecca and its vicinity. When the Muslims arrived at the temple, they found there a black woman with unkempt hair. Sa'd struck her with his sword and killed her. Then Sa'd ransacked the area for valuables but found none. Some say that Manat was destroyed by Ali. Ali found two swords under the foundation of Manat and Muhammad gave those two swords to Ali.[263]
Terror Seventy-six
Plunder of B. Jadhimah at Tihamah by Khalid b. al-Walid—January, 630CE
Pleased with Khalid's service, Muhammad sent him with a detachment of three hundred and fifty (350) men to deal with the Banu Jodhimah who inhabited the low lands of Tihamah. They were not really pagans or polytheists, but Sabeans. The Sabeans claimed to be the descendants of Seth, a son of Adam. They used to worship the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, claiming their faith to be the religion of Noah.[264] Muhammad instructed Khalid to call them to Islam without fighting. However, when Khalid arrived at the site, he brought up old issue of enmity and mistreated them. B. Jadhima refused to surrender and took up arms against Khalid.
Nonetheless, after pleading from several other senior members of the tribe, they surrendered. Even then, Khalid b. Walid killed some of them. Haykal[265] writes that those who surrendered but did not accept Islam were to be killed. When Muhammad received the news of the atrocity by Khalid, he was very displeased and asked Allah to absolve him from the act of violence by Khalid, the peccant. He said, "Slay the people as long as you do not hear a Muadhdin (cryer for Islamic prayers) or see a mosque."[266]
Here is Sahi Hadith from Sahih Bukhari on the level of atrocity and cruelty perpetrated on B. Jadhimah by the Muslims:
Narrated Salim's father:
The Prophet sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to the tribe of Jadhima and Khalid invited them to Islam but they could not express themselves by saying, "Aslamna (i.e. we have embraced Islam)," but they started saying "Saba'na! Saba'na (i.e. we have come out of one religion to another)." Khalid kept on killing (some of) them and taking (some of) them as captives and gave every one of us his Captive. When there came the day then Khalid ordered that each man (i.e. Muslim soldier) should kill his captive, I said, "By Allah, I will not kill my captive, and none of my companions will kill his captive." When we reached the Prophet, we mentioned to him the whole story. On that, the Prophet raised both his hands and said twice, "O Allah! I am free from what Khalid has done."
Then Muhammad asked Ali to go to B. Jadhimah to pay the compensation for the killing by Khalid. Ali paid the B. Jadhimah the blood money and the compensation for the property that Khalid had destroyed.
As per Ibn Ishaq[267] Muhammad had commanded Khalid to kill the B. Jadhimah for their refusal to accept Islam.
Here is a pitiable tale of cruelty by the Muslim army as narrated by a Jihadist[268] when Khalid invaded B. Jadhimah
According to Sa'id b Yahya al-Umawi…….…..Abdallah b. Abi Hadrad, who said:
I was among Khalid's horsemen that day. One of their young men—he was among the prisoners, his hands were tied to his neck with a rope, and some women were gathered not far from him—said to me, "Young man!" "Yes," I said. He said: "Will you take hold of this rope and lead me by it to these women, so that I can entrust them with a needful matter of business? Then you can bring me back to do as you all please with me." I said, "By God, what you have asked me is a small thing." I took hold of his rope and led him by it until I had brought him to stand near them. He said, Farewell, Hubayshah, as life runs out!"
After the condemned man met his sweetheart, he recited a poem for her and the woman replied, "And you—may you be made to live ten and seven years uninterrupted and eight right after them!"
Then the Jihadist took him away and cut off his head. The distraught woman ran to her beheaded lover, threw herself down on him and she kept kissing him until she died beside him.
Terror Seventy-seven
Second Raid on B. Hawazin or the Battle of Hunayn by Muhammad—January, 630CE
B. Hawazin were a large group of north Arabian tribes who were bitterly opposed to the Quraysh. This hostility was due to the trade rivalry between Mecca and Taif.
The place where this battle took place was a valley, called Hunayn and was about three days march from Mecca. This battle is mentioned in the Qur'an in verse 9:25-26
Muhammad stayed in Mecca for a fortnight after conquering it; sending his troops around Mecca to remove the last vestiges of polytheism and to force the non-Quraysh people, living in the vicinity of Mecca to Islam. He did this religious persecution with ease, as most of the polytheists could not anticipate such a sudden ferocious attack on them, and were completely unprepared for this atrocity. The Hawazin and the Thaqf tribes were particularly disturbed and enraged by the destruction of pagan idols in Mecca and within its vicinity. They decided not to let this inhuman torment and barbarity of Muhammad's army go unchallenged
It is reported that when Malik b. Awf from B. Nasri (a branch of Hawazin tribe), a tribal leader of thirty, heard of the conquest of Mecca by Muhammad, he gathered a force, consisting of B. Thaqif, B. Nasr and B. Jusham and other minor tribes residing in the locality. Excepting a few minor sub-clans from the Hawazin, all other tribes inhabiting the area joined in this battle to resist the aggression of Muhammad. Towards the last few days during his stay, Muhammad received information that the Hawazin and Thaqif groups of tribes had marched out against Mecca and had already assembled at Hunayn to confront him.
The Hawazin tribe, with twenty thousand men,[269] under the leadership of Malik b. Awf marched against Muhammad with their women, children and cattle, meaning that this was a fight to death. As soon as Muhammad received the news of mobilisation of B. Hawazin and Thaqif, he sent Abd Allah b. Abi Hadrad al-Aslami to spy on them and collect information on their plan. This Muslim spy infiltrated the Hawazin and Thaqif people and brought the news that they had decided to fight Muhammad. It is reported by Tabari that when the Muslim spy, Abd Allah b. Abi Hadrad brought the information of the B. Hawazin, Umar b. Khattab did not believe him and called the Muslim spy a liar. On this accusation, the Muslim spy revealed the secret that Umar had, on some occasions, called Muhammad a liar too. This is what Abd Allah said, "O, Umar, if you accuse me of lying, then many a time you have denied the truth. You have accused the one who is better than me [i.e, the Prophet] of lying."[270]
Tabari[271] further reports that the Hawazin and the other Meccan tribes considered Muhammad an apostate of his time because he parted from the religion of the Quraysh.
Malik had vowed that either he will win against the apostate (i.e., Muhammad) or he would commit suicide. Malik's people readily agreed with him, i.e., to win or to die.
Having secured the unqualified support from his people, Malik gave order to his people that when they saw their enemy they would attack them as one body, thus maintaining the solid unity among his people.
Then the spies of Malik went out to gather information on the movement of Muhammad's army. An apocryphal account says that they saw the white men (angels?) on black and white horses they were blinded and returned quickly.[272]
After Muhammad heard from the Muslim spy the news of B. Hawazin and their confederates, he decided to march to face his new enemy. Since, he, at that time had very little money, he approached Safwan b. Umayyah (Safwan was under suspended death sentence by Muhammad—see Terror 72, CH.16), an arms manufacturer, who was still a polytheist, to lend the Muslims the weapons necessary for the war. Safwan readily accepted Muhammad's arms deal and supplied (on loan) and transported all the weapons the Muslims required for their battle.
Having procured the arms from an infidel, Muhammad now marched with ten thousand (10,000) of his Medinaan followers along with two thousand (2,000) of his new converts of Mecca, i.e., altogether twelve thousand (12,000) Muslim Jihadists against B. Hawazin and B.Thaqif. This was the second raid on B. Hawazin by the Muslims (for the first raid, see Terror 54, CH.14). He kept Attab b. Asid, a recent convert to Islam in charge of Mecca to look after the men left in Mecca. Foremost in the minds of these Muslim fighters was the exquisite booty that they could have from the B. Hawazin and their confederates. Here is a Hadith from Sunaan Abu Dawud about how Muhammad motivated his fighters with booty. This is a lengthy Hadith; I have quoted only the relevant part):
Book 14, Number 2495: Narrated Sahl ibn al-Hanzaliyyah:
On the day of Hunayn we travelled with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and we journeyed for a long time until the evening came. I attended the prayer along with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
A horseman came and said: Apostle of Allah, I went before you and climbed a certain mountain where saw Hawazin all together with their women, cattle, and sheep, having gathered at Hunayn.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) smiled and said: That will be the booty of the Muslims tomorrow if Allah wills. He then asked: Who will be on guard tonight? …………..
Muhammad arrived at Hunayn in the evening or at night and encamped there. Ibn Ishak[273] writes that while at a halt on their journey the Muslims asked Muhammad to make a tree for them to hang their swords, per the Meccan tradition whereby they would hang their swords and sacrifice their animals in such a tree. He compared this request by his followers to that of the request to Moses to make a heifer for worship during Moses' exodus across the Red sea. Allah revealed verse 7:138 in this connection. In the very early morning, before sunrise, (Muhammad's usual time to conduct terror raids) he rode Duldul (his white mule) towards the rear of the forces. In front was B. Sulaym, led by Khalid b Walid.
When the Muslims approached the valley of Hunayn and were passing through its canyon, the Hawazins, in the darkness of the dawn, suddenly attacked them like one man. The Muslims were extremely frightened and took to flight. It was each for himself as they fled. No Jihadist cared for another Jihadist. The defeat was so severe that no one even listened to Muhammad when he cried out to the fleeing Jihadists to return to fight. He said, "Where are you, O men? Come to me! I am the Messenger of God! I am Muhammad the son of Abd Allah!" But all his desperate calls fell into deaf ears.[274]
Except for a few core group of Jihadists, all the Muslim fighters ran away from the battlefield. Those who remained with Muhammad were some Muhajirs, a few Ansars and the nearest of his family members like: Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, al-Abbas and his son al-Fadl, Abu Sufyan b.al-Harith and Usamah b. Zayd b. Haritha.
When the stampede of the Muslims became quite uncontrollable, Abu Sufyan b. Harb remarked, "Their stampede will not stop until they reach the ocean!" Abu Sufyan was about to use some kind of sorcery but his half-brother Safwan b. Umayyah b.Khalaf said that sorcery was useless on that day. Safwan was still a polytheist at that time of grace period Muhammad gave him (see Terror 72, CH.16) to convert to Islam. But Abu Sufyan b. Harb was very panicky as he preferred to be ruled by a man from the Quraysh than by the Hawazin. A rumour also spread that Muhammad had been killed, creating more panic and terror among the Muslims.
However, soon the message went out that the attempt to kill Muhammad during this panicky stage of the battle was thwarted by divine intervention—it is claimed.
During this time, Muhammad met a pregnant woman, Umm Sulaym bt Milhan the wife of Abu Talhah. She advised Muhammad to kill those Jihdists who flee the battlefield just in the same manner as Muhammad kills his enemy combatants. But Muhammad was not very enthusiastic over this and said that Allah was enough for him. On that day she and her husband had come fully armed to kill as many polytheists as they could and to take their booty. Her husband, Abu Talhah, took the spoils of twenty men he had killed himself.
When Muhammad found that his call for Jihad was in vain, he summoned his uncle al-Abbas (who had a very thunderous voice), to cry out very loudly for the Muslims to return and resume fighting. Al-Abbas did the same, and, at last, one-hundred Muslims gathered around Muhammad. They started to fight the enemy with new vigour and Muhammad watched the fighting standing on his stirrup.
While this was going on, Ali b. Abi Talib attacked from behind a leading man from Hawazin, who was fighting fiercely with his lance. Ali hamstrung this man's camel. The Muslims jumped over him and cut off his foot and half of his shank. This brave Hawazin man still kept on fighting and finally died.
When the battle became very intense, Muhammad got down from his mule, Duldul, picked up some pebbles from the ground, threw them towards the enemy (remember Badr II?) and started reciting verses from Sura Ha-Mim (Sura 41); the enemy started retreating—so it is claimed. Then a black striped garment descended from the sky; it was a mass of black ants! Those were the angels descended from heaven to help the Muslims, Muhammad exhorted. The truth is that the colony of black ants was a probably a dark cloud in the sky, as Ibn Sa'd[275] writes that it rained on the day of Hunayn. With the help of those angels disguised as black ants, the Muslims finally defeated the B. Hawazin—Muslim historians assert. Some even claim that the angels wore red turbans on the day of Hunayn!
After the defeat of the B. Hawazin, there was widespread killing of them; seventy of them were slaughtered where their banner fell. Ibn Ishak[276] writes that the fierce general, Khalid b. Walid, killed some women and children of the polytheists. Muhammad reprimanded Khalid for resorting to such act.
Malik tried his best but could not rescue the women and children. So he ran away. The women and children fell in the hands of Muhammad, including their property, camp and flock. Six thousand prisoners were taken. Ibn Ishak[277] writes that a handcuffed man was beheaded for offending the Muslims. The Jihadist soldiers then engaged in stripping of the armours, coats of mail, and personal valuables from the corpses of enemy soldiers that they had killed with their own hands. One Jihadist bought his first real estate from the proceeds of such booty. Here is a Hadith from Malik's Muwatta to confirm this:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said that he had heard a man asking ibn Abbas about booty. Ibn Abbas said, "Horses are part of the booty and personal effects are as well."
Then the man repeated his question, and Ibn Abbas repeated his answer. Then the man said, "What are the spoils which He, the Blessed, the Exalted, mentioned in His Book?" He kept on asking until Ibn Abbas was on the verge of being annoyed, then Ibn Abbas said, "Do you know who this man is like? Ibn Sabigh, who was beaten by Umar ibn al-Khattab because he was notorious for asking foolish questions."
Yahya said that Malik was asked whether someone who killed one of the enemy could keep the man's effects without the permission of the Imam. He said, "No one can do that without the permission of the Imam. Only the Imam can make ijtihad. I have not heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ever said, 'Whoever kills someone can have his effects,' on any other day than the day of Hunayn."
The loss on the Muslim side was minimal; some say the loss was quite heavy—two tribes were completely annihilated for whom Muhammad offered special prayer.
Muhammad lost his maid servant, Umm Ayman in this battle.
The remaining polytheists, along with their leader Malik, fled to Taif. Some went to Nakhla, still some went to Awtas. The Awtas group then took shelter in their camp. Later, they were eventually defeated in a severe fight.
Muhammad's army followed those who fled to Nakhla but returned after a short chase. While pursuing them, the Muslim soldiers caught Durayd b. Simmah, the old man who did not fight at all in the battle. He was riding a camel litter hiding there as a woman. When Durayd asked the young Jihadist, Rabiah b. Rufay, what he intended to do with an old man like him, Rabiah said that he wanted to kill him. When Rabiah struck his sword on Durayd it did not kill him. Durayd laughed at the poor mastery of weapon by the young Jihadist. He gave his own sword to Rabiah and instructed him how to perform a slaughter. Then Durayd told Rabiah that after killing him he should go back to his mother (Rabiah) and inform her about the slaying; for he (Durayd) had previously saved many of their women.
After slaying Durayd, Rabiah returned to his mother and told her about what he had done. His mother said, "By God, he set free three mothers of yours."[278]
That was how Muhammad's fanatic Jihadists treated enemy's old men men during war. In fact, we read in an authentic Hadith that in a Jihad, it is permissible to kill old infidel men, sparing their children. Read the following Hadith:
Sunaan Abu Dawud: Book 14, Number 2664: Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub:
[Note: Sharia law (Islamic law) permits unrestrained killing of old infidel men in a Jihad. I have quoted the relevant Sharia rule on this in a previous episode (see rule o9.10, p.603, Reliance of the Traveller)]
However, in another Sahi Hadith we learn that during a night raid, Muhammad permitted the killing of the children of infidel. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Muslim on this matter:
It is narrated by Sa'b b. Jaththama that he said (to the Holy Prophet): Messenger of Allah, we kill the children of the polytheists during the night raids. He said: They are from them.
As told before, having suffered the defeat at Hunayn, Malik b. Awf fled with many of his compatriots. One B. Hawazin men, Bijad was one of them. Muhammad's intense irk fell on him as he claimed that Bijad had previously dismembered a Muslim's body and then burnt it. Muhammad gave directive that anyone who caught Bijad should not let him escape.
The Muslims hunted down Bijad along with his sister, Shayma bt. al-Harith, while they were trying to flee. The Muslims caught them, bound them like cattle, manhandled them in their captivity, and then brought them to Muhammad. It turned out that Shayma bt. al-Harith was the foster sister of Muhammad (i.e., Shyama was the daughter of Halima, Muhmmad's milk mother) but the Muslims did not believe her claim.
When she was brought to Muhammad, he wanted proof that she was indeed his foster sister. So Shayma showed Muhammad the bite on her back that Muhammad did when she carried him on her hip. This convinced Muhammad and he offered her the choice between living with him or to return to her people. She preferred the latter choice. Muhammad gave her a slave-man called Mukhul and a slave-girl. After she left Muhammad, she had these two slaves marry. Another version of this story says that Shayma embraced Islam and Muhammad gave her three slaves. It is not known what happened to Bijad.
The victory at Hunayn brought more captives and booty than the Muslims had ever seen before. The spoil was huge: twenty-two thousand (22,000) camels, forty thousand (40,000) goats and four thousand (4,000) ounces of silver. The Muslims seized all of them. This booty (worth around US$ 9 million), along with six thousand (6,000) captives (worth around US$ 12 million), mainly women and children were transported under Muslim protection to the valley of Jirana and stored in a warehouse there. The Muslims were overwhelmed with greed; they celebrated their victory and waited for the distribution of the booty. However, Muhammad commanded his men to march to the city of Taif to capture Malik. The booty had to wait till the mission to capture Malik was accomplished—Muhammad ordered.
The Thaqif who escaped from the battle of Hunayn returned to Taif and shut themselves up inside their formidable fortresses. They were well versed in modern warfare and took preparation for a long-drawn war. To meet them, Muhammad sent Urwah b. Masud and Ghaylan b. Salamah to Jurash to learn the techniques of warfare with the use of catapult and Testudo—a sort of primitive tank made from wood. These two Muslims were not present either at Hunayn or at Taif because of their duty to acquire modern warfare techniques.
Section Eighteen
'A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it'--- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)[279]
Terror Seventy-eight
The Destruction of the idol Yaghuth at Dhu al-Kaffyan by Tufayl ibn 'Amr al-Dawsi—January, 630
When Muhammad sent Urwah b. Masud and Ghaylan b. Salamah (see Terror 77, CH. 17) to Jurash to learn the techniques of warfare with the use of catapult and Testudo, he also despatched al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr al-Dawsi to destroy the idol of Yaghuth at Dhu al-Kaffyan. This idol was in the shape of a lion (or bull), signifying brute strength[280] belonged to the people of Amr ibn Humamamh al-Dawasi (Tufayl's own people). Muhammad instructed Tufayl to gather his (Tufayl's) people in this demolition and, having finished this carnage, Tufayl was to join him (Muhamad) at Taif. With the assistance of four hundred (400) of his people, Tufayl destroyed the said idol by igniting its face and setting it on fire. Then Tufayl, along with the four hundred rioters marched ahead to join Muhammad at Taif. They also brought with them the catapult and the Testudo (delivered to Tufayl by Urwah at Taif).
Terror Seventy-nine
The Siege of Taif by Muhammad—January, 630CE
As written previously (Terror 77, CH. 17), the fugitives from Thaqif and B. Hawazin, and from other tribes, after fleeing the battle of Hunayn exiled in Taif. The city of Taif was famous for its luscious vineyard and was surrounded by many strong fortresses. Ali Dashti[281] writes that Taif was a tourist resort for the Meccans and the B. Thaqif did not want to antagonise the Meccans by supporting Muhammad (Dashti, p.77). These fugitives took shelter in those fortified fortresses, shut their doors and made preparations for a war. The city was capable to withstand a siege for many months, as there was plentiful supply of water. The fugitives stocked up their sanctuary with enough provision to last them a year or so. Amongst the fugitive leaders was Malik from B. Hawazin, and Adiy, the son of famous philanthropist, Hatim of B.Tayii.
In the mean time, after the victory at Hunayn, Muhammad proceeded straight to Taif and on arriving there discovered that the Thaqif and the run-away B. Hawazin had already sheltered themselves inside those formidable fortresses. So Muhammad laid siege on them that lasted for fifteen (or twenty) days. While moving towards Taif, he left behind a trail of terror, blood and destruction. At first, he halted at Bahrat al-Rugha and built a mosque there and prayed there. Here, Muhammad ordered the killing of a Hudhayl man who had previously killed a B. Layth (Muslim) man. Then he introduced the regulation of a life for a life, or the rule on retaliation for homicide. In verse 2:178, Allah approved Muhammad's nature of justice.
Then he halted at Liyyah and ordered the destruction of the castle of Hawazin leader, Malik. As written before, Malik had already fled to Taif and put himself up in one of the fortresses of Thaqif. From Liyyah Muhammad went to Nakhb. On his way, he changed the name of some places, simply because he did not like their existing names. While at Nakhb, Muhammad ordered the destruction of the walled garden of a man because the man had refused to come out of his residence when he ordered him to do so.
Proceeding further, Muhammad halted at Taif and pitched his tent near to the main fortress where the Thaqif people had taken shelter. The people inhabiting the vicinity of the fort had to surrender to him. The Thaqif showered Muhammad's troop with arrows and killed a few of his companions. So Muhammad moved further away and put up his tent on a higher ground; built a mosque there and sheltered his two wives, Umm Salamah and Zaynab bt. Jahsh in two red tents. He continued with the siege on the Taif fortresses, prayed in the newly constructed mosque and stayed in the two tents of his two wives.
During this time, Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi, along with four hundred (400) men joined Muhammad. Previously they were at Dhu al-Kaffayn destroying an idol (see Terror 78, CH. 17).They also brought the catapult and the Testudo at Taif. The Thaqif continued with their strike on the Muslims, mainly with arrows and flames from behind their fort, never coming out of it. The Muslims could not get through the wall of the fort.
Then Muhammad decided to fight bitterly the Thaqif by using his new war machines, the catapult and Testudo. The Taif citizens were fully prepared for this type of attack. The newly arrived army used the catapult and attacked the wall of a fortress, creating a hole there. Then some Muslim soldiers were ported through this hole inside the new Testudo. When the Muslim soldiers came out of their Testudo, the Thaqif poured molten iron on them and showered them with arrows, killing some of them and wounding many. It is reported that Abu Bakr's son, Abd Allah, was gravely injured in this fight. He never recovered from his wound and eventually succumbed to his injury. The Muslims fled in alarm. Muhammad blocked the road that stopped the supply of food to the Thaqif. But the Thaqif were not alarmed. They had enough provisions to last for a very long siege. Then Muhammad ordered the famed vines of the Thaqif be cut and burned. He had already resorted to this type of slash and burn approach during the siege of B. Nadir, and recalled its supreme effectiveness. His new order was carried out with merciless vigour. The Thaqif people were terrified and they began communicating with Muhammad. On the pledge of safety by the Thaqif, Muhammad then sent Abu Sufyan b. Harb and al-Mughira b. Shuba to negotiate a deal with the besieged Thaqif. Abu Sufyan's daughter, Amina was married to the Thaqif man, Urwa b. Masud and had a son by him. Besides them, there were also a number of Quraysh and B. Kinanah women in the fort. Abu Sufyan wanted to evacuate these women and their children for, he was afraid that these women would become captives of the Muslim army. The Thaqif leader asked Muhammad to stop cutting down their valuable orchards; in exchange for that, Muhammad was free to take possession of them (i.e., the Quraysh and B. Kinanah women and children residing in their fortresses). Muhammad stopped the destruction of the orchards. Abu Sufyan asked the Quraysh women to leave the fort, but they refused to come out, preferring to remain with the Thaqif people. So Abu Sufyan's peace mission returned without any success. The siege by Muhammad continued. Soon, Muhammad enticed the Thaqif slaves with freedom if they deserted their Thaqif masters and embraced Islam. Most slaves did not respond to Muhammad's call; only a handful (numbering between 13 to 23) of them came out and embraced Islam. Muhammad set them free.
During this time, a Muslim woman approached Muhammad and requested of him that if Allah granted victory to the Muslims he should give her the jewellery of two Thaqif women, for those two women had the most expensive jewellery among the Thaqif women. Such was the cupidity of Muslims engaged in Jihad!
After a siege of fifteen days or so, Muhammad grew impatient. His followers were eagerly waiting for the distribution of booty from the plunder of B. Hawazin that they had stored at Jirana. They started pestering a demurred Muhammad. He did not know what to do.
Then, suddenly, he had a bizarre dream and Abu Bakr interpreted that dream as a negative result from this lengthy siege. Muhammad agreed with Abu Bakr's interpretation of his dream, ordered to break up the Muslim camp and proceed towards Jirana. The truth was: an expert on warfare advised Muhammad that the beleaguered Thaqif could easily be confronted at a later date as they were like foxes in their holes. A shrewd Muhammad understood the implication of such wise advice and decided to end the siege, vowing to chastise the Thaqif after he had settled the booty issue. Some of his minions were grumbling that they might miss out the rich booty and pretty women of the Thaqif. Muhammad consoled them to have patience for a later victory. He was not in a hurry.
Twelve Muslims died in the siege of Taif, seven from the Quraysh, four from the Ansars and one from B. Layth.[282]
From the account of this siege we learn quite a bit about the major motives of the Jihadists to join Muhammad. One such motive, obviously, was the greed for booty as was illustrated in the example of a Muslim woman cited above; another motive was women.
Here is an interesting anecdote:
Jihadist's only desire was women!
When the besieged Thaqif people saw the departure of Muhammad's Jihadists, they cried out in joy. Having heard their victory signal, the newly converted Muslim, Uyaynah b. Hisn expressed his solidarity with the Thaqif people by admitting that the Thaqif, indeed had the victory. Another Muslim soldier admonished him; but Uyaynah answered this Muslim Jihadist by claiming that he only came to this battle to enjoy Thaqif women. He said, "By God, I did not come to fight Thaqif with you, but I wished Muhammad to be victorious over al-Taif, so that I might obtain a slave-girl from Thaqif whom I might make pregnant so that she might bear me a son, for Thaqif are clever people." When Umar told Muhammad what Uyaynah had said, Muhammad said, "[This man exhibits] an acceptable foolishness."[283]
In the next few passages we shall witness the insatiable greed of the Jihadits for booty.
The division of spoils of B. Hawazin
After aborting the siege of Taif, Muhammad trudged straight to Jirana where all the booty of Hunayn battle was gathered (see Terror 77, CH. 17). This was one of the largest booty that the Jihadists ever had. As noted previously, the spoil consisted of six thousand (6,000) captives of women and children, twenty-four thousand (24,000) camels, forty thousand (40,000) sheep and four thousand (4,000) ounces of silver. The Muslims were extremely impatient to take hold of their respective share of the loot, and Muhammad had to abandon Taif so-soon to please them.
When Muhammad arrived at Jirana, the deputation of Hawazin came to meet him about the release of their women and children. First, they had to embrace Islam before they could even start a negotiation with Muhammad. One of them, B. Sa'd b. Bakr appealed on the ground of blood relations. They could have either their women and children or the goods, not both—Muhammad stipulated. The B. Hawazin wanted their family back, instead of their cattle and other properties. It is reported that B. Sa'd b. Bakr belonged to the clan who had nursed (by Halima) Muhammad when he was an infant. He pointed out that some of the captives were Muhammad's kin by suckling. During this distribution of captives, Muhammad met with his milk sister, Shyama, whose story had already been told before (see Terror 77, CH. 17).
This passionate plea, on the ground of kinship melted slightly Muhammad's heart. He contended that he would release his share (i.e., one-fifth, or one thousand and two women and children) of the captives and would also request other Muslims to release their captives too. It was a voluntary offer; some Muslims readily agreed on this but many refused. When Muhammad found out that there was a sense of deprivation on this voluntary surrender of their prized possessions, he set an exchange rate that whoever freed a captive would receive six camels. In this way, most of the women and children captives were finally released. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari on the release of the captives of B. Hawazin:
Volume 3, Book 46, Number 716: Narrated Marwan and Al-Miswar bin Makhrama:
When the delegates of the tribe of Hawazin came to the Prophet and they requested him to return their properties and captives. The Prophet stood up and said to them, "I have other people with me in this matter (as you see) and the most beloved statement to me is the true one; you may choose either the properties or the prisoners as I have delayed their distribution." The Prophet had waited for them for more than ten days since his arrival from Ta'if. So, when it became evident to them that the Prophet was not going to return them except one of the two, they said, "We choose our prisoners." The Prophet got up amongst the people and glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and said, "Then after, these brethren of yours have come to us with repentance, and I see it logical to return them the captives. So, whoever amongst you likes to do that as a favor, then he can do it, and whoever of you likes to stick to his share till we recompense him from the very first war booty which Allah will give us, then he can do so (i.e. give up the present captives)." The people unanimously said, "We do that (return the captives) willingly." The Prophet said, "We do not know which of you has agreed to it and which have not, so go back and let your leaders forward us your decision." So, all the people then went back and discussed the matter with their leaders who returned and informed the Prophet that all the people had willingly given their consent to return the captives. This is what has reached us about the captives of Hawazin. Narrated Anas that 'Abbas said to the Prophet, "I paid for my ransom and Aqil's ransom."
From his share of captive women, Muhammad gave his son-in-law Ali a slave-girl, Raytah bt.Hilal to enjoy her at his will. He also presented, Uthman b. Affan, another of his sons-in-law, another slave-girl, Zaynab bt. Hayyan; bestowed Umar b. Khattab with a freed girl. Umar gave that girl to his son Abd Allah. Abd Allah sent this girl to his maternal aunt to get her ready so that he could enjoy her after he had circumambulated the Ka'ba! Most of Muhammad's other elite companions received slave-girls. It is reported that Abd Allah released her sex-slave when he heard that Muhammad had advised the Muslims to release their captives.[284]
Uayanah b. Hisn received an old widow as a captive, hoping to raise good ransom for her. When he heard Muhammad's call to release the captive women, he was very disappointed and refused to release her in exchange for six camels. One of his comrades then told him 'to let her go for her mouth was neither cold nor were her breasts swelling, she could not conceive, her milk was not rich and her husband would not care.' Being saddened with such an 'expired' woman, Uayanan b. Hisn released her in exchange for six camels.
Then Uayanah met his friend al-Aqra and complained to him about his chagrin over Muhammad's call. His friend replied, "By God, you did not take her as virgin in her prime nor even full-figured in her middle age!"[285]
Muhammad then offered Malik, the leader of the Hawazin, who was hiding at Taif to come out of his recluse and pledged that if he embraced Islam then he (Muhammad) would return his family and possessions. When this news of conditional amnesty reached Malik, he decided to leave Taif stealthily; he came to Jirana where Muhammad was stationed, embraced Islam and reclaimed his family. After embracing Islam, he aided Muhammad in fighting the Thaqif people.
Apparently, the Muslims were not quite happy with Muhammad's generous gesture towards his erstwhile foes. They were apprehensive that if this 'kindness' by Muhammad continued unabated they might miss out in their fair share of the prisoners and the booty. They felt a sense of deprivation from the huge booty that they had collected after a vigorous fight. So, while Muhammad was riding away after releasing the captives of Hunayn, the Muslims ran after him saying, "O Messenger of God, divide our booty of camels and small cattle among us."[286] They were so persistent and forceful that they pushed Muhammad's back against a tree and took out his mantle. The Jihadists were simply enraged that the booty might elude them. A desperate Muhammad cried out, " Give me back my mantle, men, for by God if you had as many sheep as the trees of Tihama, I would distribute them among you; you have not found me niggardly or cowardly or false."[287] To appease this unruly bunch of booty-hungry Jihadists, he even promised them to return his personal one-fifth share (khums) of the booty. Only then did the Jihadists release a grossly distressed Muhammad.
Muhammad gave special gifts as a bribe to those newly converted Muslims whose hearts were to be won and who were eminent among the Quraysh. To support his action he claimed that the Quraysh were not strong in Islam, so he had to bribe them to buy their heart. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari on this action of bribery of Muhammad:
The Prophet said, "I give to Quraish people in order to let them adhere to Islam, for they are near to their life of Ignorance (i.e. they have newly embraced Islam and it is still not strong in their hearts."
Allah quickly approved this form of bribery in verse 9:60. Even some Quraysh who were still pagan received something.[288]
He gave one hundred (100) camels to those elite converts like, Abu Sufyan b. Harb, his two sons Muawiyah and Yazid, Safwan b. Uumayyah, Suhayl b. Amr, Uyayanah b. Hisn etc. When Abu Sufyan grumbled and asked for more he gave him and each of his sons forty (40) ounces of gold (in today's money it is around US$ 16,000). Safwan b. Umayyah wanted more, so Muhammad gave him another two hundred (200) camels, i.e., all together, he received three hundred (300) camels.[289] They became to be known as "Men of Hundreds." Not only that Muhammad 'bribed' those new converts with money and goods, but he also elevated some of them to important positions. Thus Abu Sufyan's son Yazid was made the governor of Tayma and his other son Muawiya was appointed the secretary of Muhammad.[290] Those new converts below in rank of the elite received less than one hundred camels, some of them received only fifty camels. Some new Muslims were not pleased with this type of 'bribery discrimination' and they reproached Muhammad.
To placate the 'tongues' of these new converts, Muhammad gave them more camels until they were satisfied and stopped criticising him.
When a devoted Jihadist, Juayl b. Suraqah complained about Muhammad's unfairness in the distribution of B. Hawazin booty, Muhammad replied, "By Him in whose hand is my soul, Juayl b. Suraqah is better than an entire world full of men like Uyayanah b. Hisn and al-Aqra b. Habis, but I have treated them generously so that they may embrace Islam, and I have entrusted Ju'ayl b. Suraqah to his Islam."[291]
All the booty of Hunayn were distributed among the Quraysh and the Bedouin tribes. The Ansars received nothing. They were very unhappy and this mood of their discontent reached Muhammad. The Ansars were apprehensive that Muhammad was now with his own people (Quraysh). Muhammad gathered the Ansars and told them that the others had booty but they had him as their own; that was better than booty. Then Muhammad shed tears for them and promised that he was one of the Ansars and. The Ansars expressed their satisfaction with Muhammad's explanation for 'booty discrimination.' See Sahih Muslim, book 4, Hadith number 2303 for further details.
After this meeting with the Ansars, Muhammad left Jirana and went to perform an Umra, and ordered that that the rest of the spoils be kept back in Majanna, another safe location. After returning from Umra, he left for Medina, leaving Muadh b. Jabal at Mecca in charge of teaching Islam to the new Muslims and Attab b. Asid, a new convert, as the Governor of Mecca with an allowance of one Dirham a day. The rest of the loot followed him to Medina. Muhammad arrived in Medina in April, 630.[292]
From the Jirana booty, every Jihadist got four camels and forty sheep. Every horseman got an additional share for his horse. A horseman received twelve (12) camels and one hundred and twenty (120) sheep. Convert these animals to equivalent US$ and you will surely comprehend why Jihad was such a great attraction to all those clodhoppers of Muhammad.
After Muhammad returned to Medina he appointed several tax collectors to collect Jizya taxes, by force, if necessary from those tribes who refused to accept Islam.
Terror Eighty
The Raid on B. Tamim by Uyana b. Hisn—July, 630CE
When the forced Jizya on the infidels became extremely oppressive, many tribes rebelled against Muhammad. B. Tamim, refused to pay Jizya and enticed other tribes to follow suit when the Muslim tax collector approached them. So Muhammad sent Uyana b. Hisn, at the behest of fifty horsemen to punish B. Tamim and to exact the Jizya from them. Uyana attacked B. Tamim while they were grazing their cattle in the desert. Most of B. Tamim fled in terror. Uyana took the booty of camels and flocks, captured eleven men, twenty-one women, and thirty children and brought the booty to Medina. Muhammad incarcerated the captured men, women and children. Soon, after learning about their incarceration, B.Tamim sent a ten man delegation to Muhammad to negotiate their release. These Bedouins came to Medina and called out curtly for Muhammad while the latter was resting in his apartment. Allah was displeased with this roughness towards His messenger and quickly sent down verses 49:4 admonishing this unruly bunch of Arab Bedouins and forbade raising of voice volume above that of messenger of Allah. An annoyed Muhammad talked briefly with them and then he went to perform his prayer. Allah also released verse 49:6 warning Muhammad to verify facts before acting on it. Then Muhammad entered into a prolong negotiation with the B. Tamim delegation. A poetry competition was held to judge whose religion was better---Islam or paganism. Of course, Islam won the competition; the B. Tamim converted to Islam and Muhammad released their men, women and children. When they converted to Islam, Muhammad praised them and Bibi Aisha released a slave that belonged to B. Tamim. Here is a Hadith on B. Tamim from Sahih Bukhari:
I have loved the people of the tribe of Bani Tamim ever since I heard, three things, Allah's Apostle said about them. I heard him saying, These people (of the tribe of Bani Tamim) would stand firm against Ad-Dajjal." When the Sadaqat (gifts of charity) from that tribe came, Allah's Apostle said, "These are the Sadaqat (i.e. charitable gifts) of our folk." 'Aisha had a slave-girl from that tribe, and the Prophet said to 'Aisha, "Manumit her as she is a descendant of Ishmael (the Prophet)."
Terror Eighty-one
Terrorising B. al-Mustaliq for Jizya—July, 630CE
As per the Islamic rule on subjugated people, a tax collector went to collect Jizya tax from the B. al-Mustaliq people. This tribe surrounded the tax collector. Apprehending violence, the tax collectors fled to Medina. Muhammad threatened them with terror and revenge. The frightened B. Mustaliq then received the tax collector with courtesy and paid the Jizya due on them.
Terror Eighty-two
Surprise Raid on B. Khatham at Talabah by Qutbah ibn Amir ibn Hadidah—August, 630CE
During this period Muhammad sent Qutbah ibn Amir at the head of twenty men to conduct a surprise raid on B. Khatamah, inhabiting Tabalah near Turbah, apparently for no good reason other than pure pillage. The Muslims killed a man who pretended to be dumb. Then they attacked the infidels while they were asleep. The Muslims slaughtered whomever they could and took a great number of camels, goats and women as booty.
Section Nineteen
'Generally nobody behaves decently when they have power'-- Kingley Amis (1922-1995)[293]
Terror Eighty-three
Raid Against B. Kilab at al-Zuji by al-Dahak ibn Sufyan al-Kilabi—August, 630CE
Muhammad sent al-Dahak ibn Sufyan to al-Zuji to invite the people of B. Kilab to embrace Islam. When they refused, the Muslims attacked them and forced them to flee in terror. Among the Muslims was a devoted Jihadist, al-Asyad. He found his father, Salamah mounted on his own horse and asked him to accept Islam. The father berated al-Asyad for entering Islam. Al-asyad, became angry and hamstrung his father's horse. When his father fell down, al-Asyad held his father till other Muslims surrounded him and killed the father. To hide this shameful, barbaric and unconscionable murder, Muslim historians, like Ibn S'ad specifically says that al-Asyad did not kill, with his own hands, his father.[294]
Terror Eighty-four
Forced Conversion of Poet Ka'b—August, 630CE
Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, a Meccan poet used to construct vicious poetry against Muhammad [Remember? the poets in those days were what journalists are today]. When Muhammad captured Mecca, he forced Ka'b's brother, Bojayr (another poet) to convert to Islam. After becoming a Muslim Bojayr rejected his brother and came to Medina. Then he wrote to Ka'b that the Prophet was executing people who had lampooned him or otherwise offended him, and that every poet who had done such thing now fled Mecca and advised him (Ka'b) to come to Medina and submit to Muhammad or face a certain death. However, Ka'b replied in displeasing verses against his brother's conversion to Islam. Muhammad was highly incensed and threatened Ka'b with terror. Ka'b, in desperation, to escape the wrath of Muhammad, sought asylum elsewhere but was unsuccessful. So with hopelessness, he presented himself before Muhammad and pleaded for a pardon. When he embraced Islam, Muhammad pardoned him.
Terror Eighty-five
Raid Against Abyssinian at Jeddah Coast by Alaqamah b. Mujazziz—September, 630CE
A group of Abyssinian (Ethiopian) people arrived at the coastal port city of Jeddah. The Muslims feared that they were pirates and fled the town. When Muhammad learned about these purported attacks by these pirates, he dispatched, Alaqamah b. Mujazziz at the head of three hundred strong Muslim army. He chased the Abyssinians (or al-Habasha) and pursued them to their sanctuary at an island. When the tides rose, these so-called pirates fled fearing an attack from the Muslims.
Terror Eighty-six
Revenge Killing at Dhu Qarad by Alaqamah b. Mujazziz—September, 630CE
After the successful operation on the Abyssinians at the coast of Jeddah by Alaqamah b. Mujazziz, Muhammad sent him to take revenge of the killing of the son of Abu Dhar Ghifari (Terror 40, CH. 11) on the day of Dhu Qarad. Alqama and his companions returned without fighting
Terror Eighty-seven
Destruction of B. Tayii idol Yakut at al-Fuls by Ali b. Talib—September, 630CE
Ali marched out at the head of two hundred horsemen to plunder the worshipping place of the Tayii people Although many B. Tayii people were polytheists, its leader Adi b. Tayii, the son of the legendary generous Arab philanthropist Hatim Tayii was a Christian. Previously, he entered the fort of the Thaqif people at Nakhla who were mostly polytheists. This clearly indicates that, contrary to what the Muslim historians write about Jahiliya, the religious tolerance before the advent of Islam was impeccable in the Arabian Peninsula. When Muhammad attacked the Thaqif, Adi b. Hatim Tayii fled and stayed with his own people at al-Fuls. Ali made an early-morning surprise attack at al-Fuls, the temple where the idol of Yakut was held. Yakut was the idol of a horse representing swiftness.[295] When the Muslim invaders destroyed this idol, Tayii leader, Adi b. Tayii again took to heels to Syria to join his Christian allies. The Muslims burned the al-Fuls temple to ground, plundered it and took plenty of booty, including three famous swords from under the rubble of Yakut. They also took a number of men, women and children as captives.
Among the prisoners was Hatim's daughter (i.e., Adi b. Hatim's sister). Ali brought the sister of Adi and other captives to Muhammad. Hatim's daughter and other Tayii prisoners were incarcerated in a mosque.
She was a very old woman and pleaded mercy from Muhammad and requested his help to track down her brother, Adi. On her pitiful, repeated pleading, Muhammad released her and provided assistance to her to locate her fugitive brother.
She came to her brother Adi in Syria mounted on the camel provided by Ali and pleaded with Adi to embrace Islam as she found Muhammad to be very kind and considerate. Adi followed her advice, came to Muhammad and listened to Muhammad's harangue on Islam. As stated earlier, Adi b. Hatim was a Christian chief. He also used to collect one-fourth from the spoils of war. Muhammad accused him of collecting one-fourth of spoils from his men contravening the teachings of Christianity. (Note: Muhammad's collection of spoils of war was one-fifth of spoils).
When Muhammad asked the reasons for his hesitancy to embrace Islam, Adi pointed out to Muhammad that very few people accepted Islam those days. Then Muhammad promised a great wealth to whoever embraced his new faith. He also predicted the capture of Babylon. Hearing Muhammad's promise of great wealth, Adi embraced Islam and Muhammad appointed him again the chief of B. Tayii.
During this time, Muhammad's predicted that the symbol for the last day was that a woman rides a camel without protection.
Terror Eighty-eight
Raid Against al-Jinab and B. Udrah at Bali by Ukkash b. Mihsan—October, 630CE
Muhammad sent a strong army, led by Ukkash b. Mihsan to Bali to subdue the tribe of Udrah and al-Jinab. No details of this terror campaign are available.
Terror Eighty-nine
Killing of Polytheists is Laudable—October, 630CE
When the various tribes of Arabian Peninsula realized the savage power of Muhammad's army, they accepted the fact that it pays to succumb to Islam--at least materially. Many of these tribal leaders made deputations to Muhammad and offered their allegiance to him in return for a share in the plunder and the Islamic tax, viz: Jizya and Zakat. Some of the kings of Himyar (the rulers of Southern Arabia: Yemen, Hadhramaut, Oman, Bahrain, etc.) did just that. These kings were the vassals of the Persian Emperor. At that time the Persian Empire was on decline and these greedy kings did not mind changing their allegiance to Muhammad in return for good reward and to maintain their status-quo. They sent letters to Muhammad declaring their acceptance of Islam, and their desire to share the plunder and the revenue raised through extortion.
Muhammad expressed his satisfaction over the acceptance of Islam by the Himyar kings. He lauded them for killing the polytheists and instructed them to obey Allah and His messenger, pay Zakat, give Khums (one-fifth of spoils) to Muhammad, the right of Muhammad of his special selection from the booty (Safi) in addition to Khums. Muhammad then enumerated details on Zakat. If a Jew or a Christian embraces Islam then his rights are the same as that of an ordinary Muslim. Jews and Christians are not to be forced to convert as long as they pay the Jizya tax of one Dinar for every adult or its equivalent in cloth. If they refuse to pay the Jizya then they become the enemy of Allah and Muhammad and are to be killed.
Then Muhammad instructed the Himyar kings to hand over the Zakat and other payments to Muhammad's tax collectors until they are satisfied with the collection. He further wrote thanking the Himyar kings for killing the polytheists. Muhammad wrote, "Malik B. Murrah al-Rahawa has reported to me that you were the first from Himyar to embrace Islam and that you have killed the polytheists, so rejoice at your good fortune. The Messenger of God is the master of [both] your rich and your poor. Alms are neither lawful to Muhammad nor to his family; it is a purifying tax to be spent on poor Muslims and the wayfarer….."[296]
Terror Ninety
The Raid on Tabuk by Muhammad—October, 630CE-April, 631CE
After his return from the siege of Taif, Muhammad stayed in Medina for a few months, conducting a few more terror campaigns against the Arab tribes living nearby. Those raids and plunders have been described previously. Then, through grapevine, he received the news that the Byzantines were readying their troops at Tabuk to attack Medina. This was in retaliation against the unprovoked attack by the Muslims at Mu'tah, he surmised. It was also rumoured that the Roman emperor had paid their soldiers one year's salary in advance to buy their loyalty. Muhammad immediately gave an order of general mobilisation for a military confrontation with the Byzantine army.
It was a season of hard times with oppressive heat and a severe dry spell. So, many Muslims were reluctant to join in the Jihad. They were also quite tired of endless wars; they wanted to enjoy in peace, their new found wealth from spoils of wars in peace. Many approached Muhammad with an alibi to be exempt from the forthcoming war. Muhammad accepted the excuses of eighty-two of them, and they were given a reprieve from this Jihad. Breaking his tradition of maintaining secrecy on the destination of Jihad, Muhammad announced that the expedition would be against the Byzantine king at Tabuk. Despite their dislike for further Jihad, thirty-thousand Muslims got ready to take part in this expedition. This was the largest assembly of Muslim army ever put in motion in Arabia. Out of the thirty-thousand men, no less than ten thousand were cavalry. The only problem was the intense heat and the severe shortage of water.
In the narration of this expedition, we gather some interesting insight into the Jihadists' motivation for raid and plunder. Besides booty, enjoying infidel women was one of the prime reasons to join Jihad. Here is one such narration:
A Jihadi, Jadd b. Qays was reluctant to go to Jihad when Muhammad approached him. He was fond of women. He replied, "O Messenger of God, please excuse me from this and do not prompt me. By God, my folk know no better admirer of women than I. I fear that if I see the women of the Banu Asfar (i.e., the Byzantine women) I shall not be able to control myself. Muhammad turned away from him saying, "I excuse you." It was Jadd on whom Allah revealed verse 9:49, berating those who prefer to stay at home instead of fighting[297] Allah also revealed verses 9:42-48 admonishing those who are reluctant to join in Jihad
Another hypocrite incited the people not to join in the Jihad because of the intense heat and also by spreading rumours about Muhammad. To reprimand these hypocrites, Allah released verses 9:81-82, warning them that the heat of hell is far more intense. Many hypocrites gathered at the house of Suwaylim, the newly converted Muslim (previously, a Jew) to prevent men from joining Muhammad in the looming war. Muhammad instructed Talha b. Ubaydullah along with a few men to burn down Suwaylims's house with all the people inside. Talha did just that. Most people escaped unharmed. However, one person broke his leg while jumping from the roof of the house.[298]
Muhammad sought financial help from the well-to-do people and many of them contributed generously towards this adventure. His son-in law Uthman b. Affan donated one thousand (1,000) Dinars, the highest contribution. However, a few Jihadists were turned away because Muhammad could not provide them with the resources to fight the war. They were chagrined. Some Jihadists were provided with only a camel and some dates to join in the expedition.
Despite the odds, having made full preparation for the war, Muhammad set out for Tabuk with full alacrity. Tabuk was about 250 miles from Medina, on the border of the Byzantine Empire. At first, he pitched his tent at Thaniyat al-Wada. Abdullah ibn Ubayy, Muhammad's nemesis joined him but he encamped separately from Muhammad. Then, when Muhammad started to march for Tabuk, Abdallah ibn Ubayy stayed behind with the hypocrites and the doubters.
So, Allah revealed verse 9:48 regarding the futility of the machinations of the hypocrites. Abdallah ibn Ubayy died soon after Muhammad returned from Tabuk.
Muhammad left behind Ali b. Abi Talib to look after his family. Some hypocrites angered Ali by spreading the slander that he was a burden to Muhammad. A furious Ali, taking his weapons, set off to meet Muhammad who was already on his way to Tabuk. Ali traveled swiftly and met Muhammad who was camped at al-Jurf. He then expressed his dismay at what the hypocrites were fabricating about him. Muhammad told Ali that hypocrites had lied; Muhammad asked Ali to return to his family and assured him that he Ali was to him as Aaron was to Moses with the exception that there would be no prophet after him (Muhammad). Pleased and satisfied with the answer of Muhammad, Ali went back to his family and Muhammad resumed his journey for Tabuk.
While Muhammad was at al-Hijr, people drew water from a well to drink. After departing al-Hijr, he forbade his people from drinking or making ablution with water from a well in an area inhabited by Allahless people. If they used that water to make dough to prepare food then that food should be fed to the camels. He also forbade that none of his people should go out alone at night without a companion. One Jihadi violated this rule. He went alone at night to relieve himself and was choked on his way. Another Jihadist went out alone at night to look after his camel; he was carried away by the violent sandstorm. When Muhammad prayed for the man who was choked, he recovered. The other man was blown away and somehow returned to Medina.
When people complained about no water, Muhammad prayed to Allah and He quickly sent a heavy cloud and it rained very profoundly.
Muhammad moved on. On his way, his camel strayed and his companions went searching for it. One hypocrite then said that even being a prophet, Muhammad did not know where his camel was. Having heard of such an insult on his prophethood, Muhammad predicted where the strayed camel could be located. The searcher of the camel went there and found the lost camel.
A band of hypocrites joining the Tabuk expedition expressed their doubt about winning the battle against the Byzantine and said some words to that effect. When Muhammad showed his displeasure at what they had uttered, these hypocrites told him that they were simply playing with words. On this, Allah revealed 9:65 that foretold of the hypocritical playful words of them.
Terror Ninety-one
Forced Conversion and Forced Jizya on Christians and the Jews—December, 631CE
When the Muslim army was quite near to Tabuk, they found that there was no mobilisation of the Byzantine force whatsoever. The entire expedition was of no use and many of them became frustrated that they missed a great booty. To please his greedy Jihadists, Muhammad planned to raid the nearby tribes and to extort money from them. So, when he reached Tabuk he announced his threat to the nearby rulers. He sent a letter to Yuhanna b. Ru'bah (John), the Christian prince of Ayla asking him to submit to Islam or face being attacked. The prince quickly came with his cross and embraced Islam. He then concluded a treaty with Muhammad that forced him to pay Jizya tax of three hundred (300) Dinars (US$ 15,000) per year (i.e., one Dinar per-head, as there were three hundred inhabitants there) and, in the event of not following Muhammad's injunction, old people are to be slain and the children to be taken as captives. Muhammad also ordered John to pay tributes to his favourite commanders like Zayd, Khalid, Maslama…etc.
Similar treaties were also signed with the Jewish settlements of Makna, Adhruh and Jarba (an ancient fortress on the Roman road from Busra to Red sea). They were required to submit to Islam. To each was given a specified tax to be paid and Muhammad bound them to afford refuge and aid to any Muslim traveler or Muslims merchants who might need their assistance. Muhammad fixed the tax as fourth of whatever they produced.
A few more acts of terror while at Tabuk will be illustrated in the next part of this episode.
Muhammad wandered over the border for ten nights, inviting all to fight or make peace with him. Then he returned to Medina.
The last (or the second last) Sura (9) was revealed during this period. A few of the most notorious verses on terror e.g., the verse of 'sword' (9:5) was revealed during this time, after Muhammad's return from Tabuk. When he returned to Medina he rebuked those who stayed back in Medina without his permission. Allah approved His messenger's admonition in verses 9:39-51. The most censured were the Bedouins who stayed away (9:97) from the Jihad.
It is claimed by some biographers[299] that, while returning from Tabuk an attempt was made by some of Muhammad's soldiers (hypocrites) to kill him by throwing him over a cliff. However, these 'hypocrites' were not successful in their attempt, as Allah cast fear in them. When this attempt on Muhammad's life was unsuccessful, Allah revealed the verse 9:73-74 asking Muhammad to be harsh with the infidels and the hypocrites.
Section Twenty
'Here is America struck by Almighty Allah…..'--- Osama b. Ladin[300]
Terror Ninety-two
Third Raid at Dumat al-Jandal: Forced Jizya on Ukaydir by Khalid b. Walid—March-April, 631
After the withdrawal from Tabuk, and after the signing of a peace treaty with a few non-Muslim tribes, Muhammad felt secure. His terror tactics had been immensely successful, and he found no reason to move further. The only one he feared now was Ukaydir ibn Abd al-Malik al-Kindi, the Christian prince of Dumat al-Jandal (Duma). Without any firm evidence, Muhammad spread a rumour that Ukaydir was preparing to launch a treacherous attack on him. So, while readying the Muslim soldiers to return to Medina from Tabuk, he sent Khalid ibn Walid with five hundred cavalrymen to deal with this threat. The rest of the Muslim army were to return to Medina.
Khalid seized this opportunity and attacked Duma. He met with very little resistance in the city. Its gates, however, remained tightly closed. When Khaild attacked Ukaydir's fort, the latter was at the roof of his fortress with his wife. Ukaydir's brother, Hasan, hearing some noise from the wild cows, mounted his horse and went out to hunt them. Khalid seized Hassan and killed him as he (Hasan) returned home from the hunting trip. Then he threatened to kill Ukaydir, unless the gates of the city were flung open. Ukaydir yielded. The Muslim army entered the fort and caught Ukaydir. Khalid took the gold-brocaded gown of Hassan and sent that to Muhammad through a courier. On receiving this golden gown, Muhammad slighted these royal outfits by saying, that Sa'd b. Muadh's napkin in paradise was better than that. Then the Muslim army plundered the city of Dumah. They took two thousand camels, eight hundred sheep and four hundred armoury suits and a huge cache of arms. Khalid then returned to Tabuk with the booty, Ukaydir and another of Ukaydir's brothers, Musad. When Khalid brought Ukaydir and his brother to Muhammad, the latter spared their lives on condition of payment of Jizya tax. Ukaydir and his brother Musad were released and they returned to their village kingdom. Sunaan Abu Dawud records that Muhammad spared Ukaydir's life in exchange of Jizya.
Book 19, Number 3031: Narrated Anas ibn Malik ; Uthman ibn Abu Sulayman:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) sent Khalid ibn al-Walid to Ukaydir of Dumah. He was seized and they brought him to him (i.e. the Prophet). He spared his life and made peace with him on condition that he should pay jizyah (poll-tax).
As recorded in Sahih Bukhari 1.2.24, on this occasion Muhammad also declared that he had been ordered to fight the non-Muslims.
Volume 1, Book 2, Number 24: Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform a that, then they save their lives an property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."
Terror Ninety-three
The Destruction of Wadd at Dumat al-Jandal by Khalid ibn Walid—April, 631CE
Wadd,[301] representing manly power, was the statue of a huge man, covered with two robes, clothed with one and cloaked with the other, carrying a sword on his waist and a bow on his shoulder. It was probably located in one of the palatial buildings of Duma. When Khalid b. Walid was at Duma, Muhammad gave him instructions to destroy this beautiful statue. Khalid proceeded to demolish the statue but faced resistance from B.Abd Wadd and B. Amir al-Ajdar who fought to defend the statue. In the fight that ensued, Khalid defeated them; then he smashed the statute into pieces and demolished the shrine. A man of B. Abd Wadd was killed. His grief stricken mother fell over his body and died.[302]
Terror Ninety-four
The Destruction of an Opposition Mosque at Dhu Awan by Muhammad--April, 631CE
Proceeding further from Tabuk on his way to Medina, Muhammad halted at Dhu Awan at Quba (about 4 kms. from Medina), an hour's journey from Medina. There, an opposition Muslim group had built a mosque. Previously, while Muhammad was making preparations for the march to Tabuk, this group of Muslims approached Muhammad and said, "O Messenger of God, we have built a mosque for the sick and needy and for rainy and cold nights, and we would like you to visit us and pray for us."[303] Because Muhammad was too busy with his preparations for Tabuk, he excused himself from visiting this mosque but assured the dissident group that he would call on their mosque while returning to Medina (from Tabuk).
When Muhammad halted at Dhu Awan, he accused its builders of being unjust and sent a band of Jihadists to burn and destroy the newly constructed mosque. He said to his band of destroyers, "Go to this mosque whose owners are unjust people and destroy and burn it."[304] His band of arsonists entered the mosque and set fire to it when it was filled with people assembled for the evening prayer. The worshippers dispersed in terror. Allah promptly sent down verse 9:107, 110, justifying the destruction of opposition mosques. To further validate his gutting of this mosque, Muhammad concocted the story that he suspected that the builders of the 'Mosque of Dissent' were planning to assassinate him.
Then he extolled the virtue of the first mosque (known as Masjid Takwa) that was built by him at Quba when he migrated to Medina and where he had asked his followers to pray. This instruction is written in the Qur'an in verses 9:108-109.
After the Jihadists returned to Medina, some of them started selling their arms, thinking that Jihad had ended; but Muhammad stopped that saying, "A party of my people will continue fighting for truth till the emergence of Antichrist."[305] He also claimed that Allah had ordered him to fight the infidels until the entire world is converted to Islam. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari on this:
Allah's Apostle said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform that, then they save their lives an property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."
Terror Ninety-five
Destruction of al-Lat at Taif by Abu Sufyan b. Harb—April, 631CE
Even after ten months since Muhammad lifted his siege on the Thaqif at Taif, the people there still practiced idolatry. As stated in an earlier part of this series, Urwa b. Masud, a Thaqif and the Quraysh negotiator at Hudaibiya went to Yemen to train on the use of war machines. On his return he found that all Meccans, except the tribes of Taif (i.e., Thaqif) had submitted to Islam. Realising the potential material gain to be had, he went to Medina and embraced Islam in the presence of Muhammad. Then Urwa wanted to return to Taif and invited his people to enter Islam too. Muhammad cautioned him saying that his people would fight him viciously because of his conversion to Islam, but Urwah was very confident that he would prevail.
After arriving at Taif in the evening, Urwa announced his conversion in public and invited other Taif people to follow suit. Ascending the upper balcony of his palace, he called out the cry for prayer (Adhaan) at the top of his voice. The Taif people were greatly angered by his audacity, and showered arrows at him from all sides. He was gravely wounded in the arm and later died of this wound. When the news of his death reached Muhammad, he greatly praised Urwa for his bravery. Muhammad compared him to the prophet Yasin, who was slain by his people.
The Thaqif people were pleased at the killing of Urwa, but their joy was very short-lived. They were now continuously harassed by attack from B. Hawazin under Malik These ferocious attacks cut off the cattle in the field, and destroyed the wells and pasture lands. Their resources started to dwindle fast and soon they did not have enough strength to fight back the Muslim Arabs surrounding them. So they sent a deputation of six Thaqif chiefs with fifteen or twenty followers to Medina to Muhammad. The leader of this delegation was Abd Yalil b. Amr b. Umayr. They started their journey a fortnight after Muhammad's return to Medina from Tabuk. When the Taif party arrived at Medina, Muhammad gave them a cordial reception and pitched a tent near the mosque for their accommodation. The Thaqif delegates had no choice but to convert to Islam before starting to negotiate with Muhammad.
A treaty was then drafted between the Thaqif people and Muhammad. During this stage they requested Muhammad to not demolish the idol of al-Lat for three years; Muhammad promptly declined their request.
Then they reduced the time to a year but Muhammad refused—then for a month; still, Muhammad rejected their plea. The Thaqif people simply wanted a little time to prepare their women folk to bear the abject sorrow of demolishing al-Lat. The delegation then requested that they be exempted from prayer and from destroying their idols with their own hands. Allah sent down verse 17:73 warning Muhammad not to give any concession on prayers. So, on the question of prayer, Muhammad was stiff; on the matter of using their own hands to destroy the idol, Muhammad agreed that they would be exempt from it. Thus, the Thaqif people were compelled to embrace Islam on Muhammad's terms. Nevertheless, Rodinson writes that Muhammad did make some compromise on observing the fast, i.e., he made fasting less strict for the Thaqif people.[306] Even though they were very distraught, they said, "O Muhammad, we will give in to you on this issue even though it is demeaning."[307] Curiously, the treaty with the Thaqif people mentions Muhammad as Muhammad ibn Abdallah and not Muhammad the Messenger of Allah.[308]
After the Thaqif delegation left Muhammad, he sent Abu Sufyan b. Harb and al-Mughirah b. Shubah to destroy al-Lat. Al-Lat, a more recent idol than Manat, stood at Taif. She was a cubic rock.[309] When they arrived at Taif, al-Mughirah demolished the idol of al-Lat with a pickaxe, then he burnt the temple to the ground. After the obliteration of al-Lat and her temple, al-Mughirah warned that all the Thaqif people will be killed if they retaliated.[310] The women of Thaqif came out wailing bitterly and lamenting with their heads uncovered. After the idol of al-Lat was demolished, al-Mughirah took from under its foundation its jewellery and ornaments that were made of gold and onyx and sent them to Abu Sufyan. Muhammad instructed Abu Sufyan to pay off, from this loot, the debts of Urwah b. Masud and Urwa's brother, al-Aswad b. Masud.
With the destruction of al-Lat and the conversion of Thaqif, the subjugation of Hejaz to Islam was now complete.
Terror Ninety-six
The Genocide at Jurash, Yemen by Surad b. Abd Allah—October, 631CE
Muhammad now envisaged the conquest of entire southern Arabia, especially Yemen. His previous attempts on this part of Arabia were not successful. Now that the entire Hejaz was under the grip of Islam, he commissioned Surad b. Abd Allah to attack Yemen.
Having secured the authority from Muhammad to fight (i.e., to kill) the polytheists and having been provided with an army to do so, Surad b. Abd Allah al-Azdi made an attack at Jurash, a closed city, inhabited by the Yemeni tribes. Surad's old enemy Khattam had taken refuge at this palace/fort. When the Yemenis learnt that the Muslim army was marching to strike, they shut themselves up in their city. The siege lasted for a month but Yemeni tribes would not come out of their sanctuary. So, Surad pretended to retreat. The Jurash inhabitants, thinking that the danger was over, came out from their refuge. The Muslims attacked them from behind with ruthless viciousness and inflicted heavy casualties.
Before this attack came to the Jurash people, they had sent a team of two men to Muhammad for talks on peace. While they were at Medina, they learned that Surad had been despatched to Jurash but the team stayed in Medina while Surad was conducting the genocide there (Jurash). So, while with Muhammad, they enquired him of what was going on with their people at their land. Muhammad told the team that the Jurash people were being slaughtered like camels. Then Abu Bakr or Uthman advised the team of Jurash to implore Muhammad to save their people. They did accordingly, and Muhammad prayed to Allah for their people. When this team returned to Jurash they were astonished at the scale of pogrom by the Muslims.
With fear and terror the delegation of Jurash then returned to Muhammad and embraced Islam.
Terror Ninety-seven
Plunder and Forced Conversion of B. Nakha at Mudhij, Yemen by Ali—October, 631
Then Ali led a campaign with three hundred horsemen to Yemen against the B. Nakha, residing at Mudhij, announcing to them an ultimatum to accept Islam or face death. This was the first terror raid in Yemen with cavalry by Ali. This was also the first army of Hejaz led by Ali ever sent to conquer Yemen. Hitherto, it was always the Yemen army that was sent to conquer the Hejaz. At first, the tribe refused to accept Islam. A battle ensued and Ali's army killed twenty enemy men. In the end the B. Nakha lost the fight, surrendered to Ali and embraced Islam. Some other tribes of the Mudhaj in Yemen also followed them. The Muslim raiders took hold of anything they could catch---booty, spoils, women, children, camels and goats.[311] Ali returned with the booty and on reaching Mecca, joined Muhammad in his last pilgrimage.
During this raid and plunder, Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law) engaged in sex with captive women and Muhammad was quite pleased with his son-in-law's lasciviousness. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari on the moral rectitude of Hazrat Ali:
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 637: Narrated Buraida:
The Prophet sent 'Ali to Khalid to bring the Khumus (of the booty) and I hated Ali, and 'Ali had taken a bath (after a sexual act with a slave-girl from the Khumus). I said to Khalid, "Don't you see this (i.e. Ali)?" When we reached the Prophet I mentioned that to him. He said, "O Buraida! Do you hate Ali?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Do you hate him, for he deserves more than that from the Khumlus."
The B. Nakha then surrendered themselves to Muadh, Muhammad's envoy in Yemen. Two hundred of them set out to tender a personal allegiance to Muhammad. They reached Medina at the beginning of the eleventh year of Hijra. This was the last deputation received by Muhammad. When Muhammad sent Muadh as the governor of Yemen he told him not to plunder the Yemeni people if they wilfully surrendered to Islam; otherwise, he was to take the best of their possessions. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari containing Muhammad's instruction to Muadh:
Volume 2, Book 24, Number 573: Narrated Abu Ma'bad:
(the slave of Ibn Abbas) Allah's Apostle said to Muadh when he sent him to Yemen, "You will go to the people of the Scripture. So, when you reach there, invite them to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Apostle. And if they obey you in that, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in each day and night. And if they obey you in that tell them that Allah has made it obligatory on them to pay the Zakat which will be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor among them. If they obey you in that, then avoid taking the best of their possessions, and be afraid of the curse of an oppressed person because there is no screen between his invocation and Allah."
Terror Ninety-eight
Forced Conversion of Hamdan People at Yemen by Ali—December, 631CE
With the successes of wanton genocide at Jurash and the forced conversion at Mudhij in Yemen, Muhammad now wanted to bring under the sword of Islam all the tribes living in Yemen. He, at first, sent Khalid b. Walid to convert all the people of Yemen. Khaild spent six months there inviting them to Islam but with very little success. So, Muhammad asked Khalid to return and sent Ali as his replacement. This was Ali's second venture in Yemen. When Ali arrived in the city of Hamdan in Yemen, he offered his morning prayer there; people gathered around him; Ali lined up his soldiers in a row and read out the letter from Muhammad, commanding the people there to enter Islam or face the sword. Having heard of the scale of genocide at Jurash, all the terrified Hamdan people embraced Islam on the same day. When Muhammad received the news of conversion of Hamdan people through fear and coercion, he offered peace to them. Soon after the conversion of the Hamdan people, the rest of Yemen followed suit.
Terror Ninety-nine
Forced Conversion of Najran at North Yemen by Khalid b. Walid—February, 632CE
This raid took place towards the last days of Muhammad, when there prevailed relative "Islamic peace" in Medina. Muhammad sent Khalid to Najran, in north Yemen against B. al-Harith b. Ka'b to call on the people of Najran (Christians, idolaters and those not in treaty with Muhammad) to embrace Islam or fight the Muslims. Najran was famous for its largely prosperous Christian community. There was also a sizeable number of pagans who lived amicably with their Christian brethren. All the Najran people belonged to the tribe of B. al-Harith. On arriving at Najran, Khalid issued an ultimatum, giving the residents three days notice to submit to Islam or face death.
He proclaimed, "O people, accept Islam, and you will be safe."[312]
The Najran people were now forced to accept Islam. Khalid stayed with them teaching them the Qur'an and Sunnah.of Muhammad.Then Khalid wrote to Muhammad informing him of the acceptance of Islam by B. al-Harith people under terror.
Muhammad was pleased that B. al-Harith people accepted Islam through intimidation and without fighting. He wrote to Khalid to return to Medina and to bring along a delegation of B. al-Harith. When Khalid arrived with the delegates, Muhammad asked Khalid who those people were because they looked more like Indians. When Khalid informed the messenger of Allah that they were Yemeni Arabs, Muhammad admonished them repeatedly for resorting to fighting on previous occasions. He said, "Had Khalid b. al-Walid not written to me that you had surrendered and had not fought, I would have thrown your heads under your feet."[313]
B. al-Harith people were the sons of slaves and had never committed injustice or fought unjustly. But Muhammad insisted that they did fight back in the pre-Islamic days. On this they replied, "O Messenger of God, we used to overpower those who fought us because we were the sons of slaves and were united, not divided, and never committed an injustice against anyone." Muhammad agreed on what they said and he appointed Qays b. al-Husayn as their leader.
Muhammad appointed Amr b. Hazm al-Ansari to instruct the B. al-Harith on Islam and to collect Zakat from them. He wrote a few instructions for Amr before he (Amr) set out for Najran: To fulfil contracts (5:1), to fear Allah (16:128), none but the purified shall touch the Qur'an (56:79), be severe with those who are unjust and inform people about the good news on paradise (11:18) and warn them of hell-fire, forbid people from praying in one garment unless it be garment whose ends could be doubled over the shoulders, can't wrap oneself in one garment, can't appeal to tribes and kinsmen when there is a dispute but appeal only to Allah, those who appeal to tribes and kinsmen should be put to the sword, perform ablution thoroughly with plentiful of water, offer prayers at appointed times, Ghusl (bath) is obligatory for prayers in congregation, the tax collector can take one-fifth of booty and Zakat from landed property—one-tenth from the land watered by streams and rain, one-twentieth from land watered by a leather bucket; two sheep for every ten camels, a cow for every forty cows and a bull or a cow calf for every thirty cows; one sheep for every forty sheep at pasture.
Another version of this raid says that al-Harith was a Christian Bishop who refused to accept Islam. So, a delegate of them came to Medina to discuss theological matters. It is said that the Muslims were shocked and dazzled by the richness of the bishop of B. al-Harith when he visited Medina. Allah revealed verse 3:61 admonishing those who dispute with His Messenger[314] In the end, al-Harith and his people decided to pay the Jizya tax to escape regular Muslim invasion in their territory. Muhammad accepted their decision and the Christian delegate returned to Najran.[315]
The Jizya tax was set as one dinar(or its substitute in clothes) for every adult, male or female, free or slave. If the Jews and the Christians refuse to pay Jizya tax then they become the enemy of Allah (so, liable to be killed).
Terror One-hundred
Destruction of Idol at Dhul Khalasa in Yemen and Forced Conversion of Various Tribes by Jarir ibn Abd Allah—April, 632CE
Having witnessed, through terror, plunder and wanton genocide the ferocious power of Islam, many Yemeni tribes had no choice but to submit themselves to Muhammad and Islam. Amongst the Yemeni tribes who readily surrendered to Islam were the B. Murad, B. Zubaid, inhabiting the sea coast of Yemen and B. Kahlan who lived in Khaulan and B. Bajila. Muhammad sent Jarir ibn Abd Allah to Dhul Khalasa and forced the B. Bajila to destroy, with their own hands their famous idol of there. This idol of B. Bajilah was known as the Ka'ba of Yemen was a white quartz idol that stood between Mecca and Sa'na. The invading Muslims destroyed the temple, set it on fire and killed a hundred B. Bajila men including the custodian of the idol temple. Another two hundred men, belonging to B. Qubafah were also slaughtered. Other tribe of Yemen that was forced to submit to Muhammad was B. Jorsh. Sahih Bukhari narrates this genocide and plunder this way:
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 641: Narrated Jarir:
In the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance there was a house called Dhu-l-Khalasa or Al-Ka'ba Al-Yamaniya or Al-Ka'ba Ash-Shamiya. The Prophet said to me, "Won't you relieve me from Dhu-l-Khalasa?" So I set out with one-hundred-and-fifty riders, and we dismantled it and killed whoever was present there. Then I came to the Prophet and informed him, and he invoked good upon us and Al-Ahmas (tribe).
A similar Hadith is narrated in 5.59.642 of Sahih Bukhari
After completing the genocide at Dhu Khalasa, while Jarrir was returning to Medina, a messenger brought the news of that Muhammad had died. This is recorded in Sahih Bukhari in Hadith 5.59.645.
C O N C L U S I O N
This authentic compilation of Muhammad's personal lengthy history of Islamic propagation has proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the central doctrine behind all the mindless terror, murder, and genocide carried out by the Jihadists of today is deeply rooted in the belief system of Islam. It is foolhardy and rather too simplistic to assume that the war on Islamic terror is not a war with Islam. A good Muslim (i.e. a Muslim by the Book) is a terrorist---it is the main message of the Qur'an, the holiest book of Islamic faith. Read the Qur'an from the beginning to the end, several times, and you will understand why the Islamic terrorists do what they are doing today all over the world. Read all the chapters of this book one more time and you will, for sure, grasp a true picture of the messenger of Allah, his aims, objectives and most importantly, his plans, methods, actions and all the logistics necessary to achieve the goal that he had set for the Muslims to achieve; that is, to make Islam the world religion even at the cost of the death of millions of lives.
A Muslim who does not resort to Jihad (read violence, terror and murder) in order to force Islam on the world population is not a Muslim at all. Most Muslims do not follow Islam by the Book (Qur'an); and that is why they are not terrorists. Once they come to learn the 'real Islam'-- the Islam preached and practiced by Muhammad -- they get a shock, bewildered and confused-they just search where could they find the 'peaceful, tolerant, non-violent' Islam that they always thought the religion to be. Alas! There is no peace in Islam, and there is no tolerance in Islam; there is no compromise or negotiation in Islam. There is only 'submission' in Islam-the submission to the sword of Islam, as Muhammad said so eloquently, 'Paradise is under the shades of swords (Sahih Bukhari; 4.52.73).'
Let's not kid ourselves; the politically correct world may not be at war with Islam, but surely, Islam itself is at perpetual war with the civilized world. At the beginning of this treatise, it was mentioned that this 'war of Islam against the entire civilized world' had been declared during the second pledge of Aqaba, when the nascent community of the Jihadists declared they were ready to fight and give up their lives for the protection of Muhammad and his Islam. The Islamists will not end this war until all people on earth surrender (read submit) to Islam, and, if necessary, by the sword (read war) and a wide slaughter. Imagine what will happen if the 'true Muslims' are able to stockpile a few nuclear bombs or biological and chemical weapons and their means of delivery. Nothing will stop them from dropping those bombs in the Western capitals, such as New York, Washington, London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, …and so on.
Please consider the economy of Jihad and Islamic terror. Please think how cheaply the Islamists run their terror operations, how inexpensively they buy the lives of young Jihadists to be sacrificed to commit un-imaginable terror and murder. It costs them virtually next to nothing, save for their training and the logistics, to recruit these live terrorists, and despatch them on terror missions. Please reflect on what motivates these terrorists to do what they do---it is none other than the Qur'an and ahadith. Islamic terrorism emanates from the teachings and practices of Muhammad. This book has proved this beyond any doubt by citing episode after episode, and by pointing out many uncanny similarities between the Islamic terrorism of today and those of Muhammad's time. The Jihadists of today are following the exact footsteps of Muhammad---make no mistake on this. While the world is spending billions of dollars to fight Islamic terrorism militarily, doesn't it make more sense to spend a fraction of that billion to unmask the fascistic face of Islam and the doctrine of terrorism that is an integral part of it? Let the vast majority of innocent Muslims who are not terrorists and who do not have an iota of what Islam is all about get this shocking message that Islam is not what they always thought it to be---that is, a peaceful religion. The sooner they realise this appalling truth, the sooner they will become a part of the civilised world and be respected. So long as they are in denial, they will, for sure, be a community despised and looked upon with suspicion. Let the Muslims themselves start fighting Islamic terrorism by its root.
B I B L I O G R A P H Ykeep this bibliography handy for cross-referencing and verification.
1. "The Holy Qur'an," the internet version of three English translations can be read at: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/]
2. Ali, Abdullah, Yusuf, "The Holy Qur'an: Translation and Commentary," Amana Corp., Brentwood, Maryland, 1983.
3. "The Holy Qur'an," translated by Maulana Sher Ali, Islam International Publications Ltd., Telford, Surrey, U.K., 1997.
4. "The Koran, " Penguin Classic (1956), translated by N.J. Dawood, Penguin Books, London reprint, 1999.
5. "The Koran," translated by J.M. Rodwell; first published in 1909; reissued by Phoenix Press, London, 1994.
6. Pickthall, Mohammad Marmaduke, "The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, Translation and Explanation"; reprinted by Adam Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi, India, 1996.
7. al-Hilali, Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din(Dr.) and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, "The Noble Qur'an Transliteration in Roman Script And English Translation of the Meanings," Darussalam Publishers, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1996. [The internet version of the English translation by these two modern translators can be read at: [ http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/ ]
8. Makhlaf, Ash-Shaikh Hasnain Muhammad, "Kalimatul Qur'an," translated by Duraid & Faiz Fatouhi, Kitab Bhavan, 1784 Kalam Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi, 2nd. ed. 2002.
9. Abu Dawud, Sulayman b. al-Ash'ath, "Al-Sunaan," a collection of Hadith, translated in English by Prof. Ahmad Hasan: [http://www.luc.edu/orgs/msa/abudawud/index.htm ]
10. al-Bukhari, Muhammad b. Ismail b al-Mughira, "Sahi al-Bukhari," translated in English by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan: [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/ ]
11.Muslim, Abu al-Hussain b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushairi, "Sahi Muslim," translated in English by Adul Hamid Siddiqui: [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/ ]
12. Malik, ibn Anas ibn Malik, Abdullah al-Asbahi al-Himyari, "Muwatta," translated in English by A'sha Abdurrahman at-Tarjumana and Ya'qub Johnson: [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muwatta/ ]
13. Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad b. Yasr, "Sirat Rasul Allah," translated in English by A. Guillaume; first published by Oxford University Press, London in 1955; fifteenth reprint by Oxford University Press, Karachi, Pakistan, 2001.
14.  al-Mubarakpuri, Saifur Sahman, "The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum)," revised edition; translated in English from Arabic by Mahir Abu Dhahab, Darussalam Publishers, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2002. [An older edition of this book can be read online at: http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/SM_tsn/index.htm ]
15. Ibn Sa'd, Abu Abd Allah Muhammad, "Kitab al-Tabaqat," vol ii, translated in English by S. Moinul Haq, Kitab Bhavan; 1784, Kalan Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi, India, 1972.
16. al-Tabari, Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Jarir, "Muhammad at Mecca," vol. vi, translated and annotated by W. Montgomery Watt and M.V. McDonald, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1988.
17. al-Tabari, Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Jarir, "The Foundation of the Community, Muhammad at al-Medina," vol. vii, translated and annotated by M.V. McDonald and W. Montgomery Watt, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1987.
18. al-Tabari, Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Jarir, "The Victory of Islam," vol. viii, translated by Michael Fishbein, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1997.
19. al-Tabari, Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Jarir, "The Last Years of the Prophet," vol. ix, translated by Ismail K. Poonwala, , State University of New York Press, Albany, 1990.
20. Rodinson, Maxine, "Muhammad," translated from French by Anne Carter; first published in 1971; The New York Press publication, 2002,
21.Muir, William, "Life of Mahomet" in four volumes, Smith, Elater & Co. London, 1861: [http://www.answering-islam.org/Books/Muir/index.htm ]
22.  Haykal, Muhammad Hussain, "The Life of Muhammad," translated by Isma'il Razi A. al-Faruqi: [ http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/MH_LM/default.htm ]
23. Dashti, Ali, "23 Years: A Study in the Prophetic Career of Mohammad," translated from Persian by F.R.C. Bagley, Mazda Publishers, Costa Masa, California, 1994.
24. Hamidullah, Muhammad, "The Battlefields of The Prophet Muhammad," 3rd. ed., Kitab Bhavan; 1784, Kalan Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi, India, 4th., reprint, 1992.
25. Hughes, Patrick Thomas, "A Dictionary of Islam;" first published in 1886; latest reprint by Kazi Publications Inc,, Chicago, 1994.
26.Ibn al-Kalbi, Hisham, "The Book of Idols (Kitab Al-Asnam)," translated in English by Nabih Amin Faris, Princeton University Press, 1952. [http://www.answering-islam.org/Books/Al-Kalbi/index.htm ]
27. al-Misri, Ahmed ibn Naqib, "Raliance of the Traveller ('Umdat al-Salik)," revised edition, translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Amana Publications, Bettsville, Maryland, 1999.
28. Hamilton, Charles, "Hedaya," translated in English in 1870 from the Persian version; reprinted by Kitab Bhavan, 1784 Kalan Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi, 1994.
29. Doi, Abdur Rahman I.," Shari'ah: The Islamic Law;" first published in London, in1984; Malaysia reprint by A.S. Noordin, G.P.O. Box No. 10066, 50704, Kuala Lumpur, 1998.
30. Fouda, Yosri and Nick Fielding, "Masterminds of Terror," Penguin Books, Australia, 2003.
[1] Masterminds of Terror, p.88; Khalid was the Chief Al-Qaeda Planner of 9/11
[2] Ibn Ishak, pp.204-205
[3] Tabari, vol. vi, p.134
[4] Rodinson, p.162
[5] Haykal, Ch. The First Raids and Skirmishes
[6] Master Minds of Terror, p.36
[7] Hughes Dictionary of Islam, p.139
[8] Dashti, p.86
[9]Hughes Dictionary of Islam, p.139
[10]The Counterfeiters
[11] Ibn Ishaq, p.293
[12] Rodinson, p.162
[13] Mubarakpouri, p.251
[16] Hamidul, p.30
[18]Ibid
[19]Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, p.11
[20] Ibid, p.11
[21]Mubarakpouri, p.257
[22] Tabari, vol.vii, p.44
[23]Ibn Sa'd, vol ii, p.22
[25]Tabari vol.vii, p.55
[26]Ibn Ishaq, p.300
[27]Tabari, vol.vii. p.56
[30] Ibn Ishaq p.307
[32] Ibn Ishaq, p.303, Tabari vol. vii, p.61
[33] Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, p.29
[34]Tabari, vol.vii, p.57
[39]Ibn Ishaq, pp.305-306
[40]Ibn Ishak, p.337
[41]Rodinson, p.168
[43] Muir, p.109, footnote 48
[44]Tabari, vol. vii, p.65
[47] Ibn Ishaq, p.312; Tabari, vol.vii, p.71
[49] Hamidullah, p.43
[51] Proper Studies (1927)
[53] Ibn Sa'd, vol. ii, p.30
[55] Ibn Ishak, p.676
[58] Ibn Sa'd. vol.ii, p.31
[60] Haykal
[66] Rodwell, p.440, note 50
[70]In Seldes, Sawdust Caesar
[72] Mubarakpuri, p.286
[73]Ibn S'ad, p.40
[74] Ibn Sa'd, p.41
[76] Tabari vol.vii, pp.97-98
[77]Tabari, vol vii, p.99
[78]Tabari, vol vii, p.103
[79] Masterminds of Terror; The manual of terror was found in the possession of 9/11 terrorist
[83] Haykal, Ch. Uhud
[84] Mubrakpuri, p.295-296
[87]Iibid, p.50
[90] Ibn Ishaq, p.372-373
[92] Mubarakpuri, p.3
[95] Tabari, vol.vii, p.114
[97] Tabari, vol. vii, p.120
[99] Ibn Sa'd vol.ii, p.50
[100] Tabari, vol.vii, p.121
[101] Mubarakpuri, p.323
[102] Ibn Ishaq, p.754; Ibn Hisham's note
[103] Heykal, Ch. Uhud
[104] Ibn Ishak, p.388
[106] Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, p.50
[108] Masterminds of terror, p116; Ramzi Binalshibh was one of the planners of 9/11
[109]Tabari, vol. vii, p.140
[110]Tabari, vol. vii, p.141-142
[111] Ibn Ishaq, pp.755- 756, Ibn Hisham's note
[112] Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, p.150
[113] Hughes, dictionary of Islam, p.459
[115] Ibid
[116] Ibn Ishaq, p.664-665
[117]Ibn Sa'd vol.ii, p.66
[120]Tabari vol. vii, p.148
[121]Ibn Sa'd, vol ii, p.116
[122]Tabari, vol. vii, p.153, footnote 219
[124]Mubarakpuri, p.354
[125] Heykal, Ch. B. Nadir
[127] Rodinson, p.192
[128] Tabari, vol. vii, p.158-159
[129] Ibn Ishaq, p.438
[130] Reliance of the Traveler, law o9.15, p.604
[133] Haykal, Ch. Between Badr and Uhud
[134] Dictionary of Islam, p.139
[135] Ibn Sa'd, p.74
[136] Middle march (1827)
[140] Muir, vol.iii, ch.17, p.256
[141] Hamidullah, p.68
[142]Hamidullah, p71
[144]Tabari vol. viii, p.8.9
[145]Ibid
[146]Tabari, vol.viii, p.11 and Ibn Ishak
[147] Muir, vol iii, Ch.17, p.259
[148] Haykal, Ch. The Campaign of Khandaq and B. Qurayzah
[149]Tabari, vol. viii, p.16
[151]Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, p.84
[152] Tabari, vol.viii, p.17
[155] Muir, vol.iii, p.263
[156]Ibn Ishaq, p.457, Tabari, vol. viii, p.19
[157]Tabari, vol.viii, p.22, footnote 113
[162] Masterminds of Terror, p.45
[163]Ibn Sa'd, vol. ii, p.94
[164]Tabari, vol viii, p.28
[166]Tabari, vol.viii, p.28
[172]Ibn Ishaq, p.464
[173]Tabari, vol viii, pp.35-36
[174]Muir, vol. iii, p.276…
[175]Dashti, p.91
[176]Ibn Ishak, pp.464-465
[179] Hughes Dictionary of Islam, p.114
[180] Ibn Sa'd, vol.i, p.591
[184] Masterminds of Terror, p.128; Ziad was a 9/11 terrorist
[191]Tabari, vol viii, p.104
[192] Broadcast, 1936
[195] Muir, vol. iii, p.238
[196]Rodinson, p.197
[197]Reliance of the Traveller, p.604
[199] Haykal, Ch. The Campaign of B. al-Mustaliq
[201] Tabari, vol. viii, pp.52-53
[206] Tabari, vol. viii, p.95
[207] Muir, vol. iv, p.12, Waqidi's note
[210] Muir, vol.iv, p.13
[212] Ibn Ishak, pp.677-678
[215] Punch, 1973
[216] Hykal, Ch. Khaybar expedition
[218]Tabari, vol.viii, p.117
[221]Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, p.138
[223] Tabari vol. viii. p.123
[224] Muir, vol .iv, p.68
[225] Muir, vol iv, p.69
[228] Tabari, vol.viii, p.124
[232]Masterminds of Terror, p.143; Ramzi Binalshibh was an Al-Qaeda planner of 9/11
[233] Ibn Sa'd, vol ii, p.149
[239] Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, pp.161-1612
[240] Tabari, vol viii, p.160
[241] Main Kampf (1925)
[243] Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the Islamic terrorist who beheaded Nicholas Berg amidst the chanting of Qur'anic versess as shown in a video tape; reported by Robert Leiken and Steven Brooke (The Australian, Worldwide section, p12, May 24, 2004
[244] Tabari, vol. viii, p.164
[245] Tabari, vol .viii, p.165
[253] Ibn Sa'd, vol. ii, p.165
[255] Ibn Sa'd, vol.ii, p174
[259] Foundation (1951)
[260] Ibn al-Kalbi, p.16
[261] Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Appendix xiii, p.1619
[262] Ibn al-Kalbi, p.8
[265] Haykal, Ch. The Conquest of Mecca
[270] Tabari, vol. ix, p.6, footnote 45
[271] Tabari, vol ix, p.5, footnote 38
[272] Tabari, vol. ix, p.6
[275] Ibn Sa'd, vol. ii, p194
[276] Ibn Ishak, p.566-576
[278] Tabari, vol. ix, p.17
[279] Sebastian Melmoth (1904)
[281] Dashti, p.77
[283] Tabari, vol.ix, p.25
[284] Tabari, vol. ix, pp.29-30
[285] Tabari, vol. ix, pp.29.30
[288] (Rodinson, p.264
[292] Tabari, vol ix. p.38
[293] Radio Times, 1992
[294]Ibn Sa'd, vol. ii p.201
[297] Tabari, vol ix, p.48
[299]Mubarakpuri, pp.504-505
[300] Masterminds of Terror, p.168
[311] Ibn Sa'd, p.210
[314] Rodwell, p.438, note 19