The treaty of al-Hudaibiyah marked a new phase in the development of Islamic action and life of the Muslims. The Quraish, who were a bitter enemy to the Islamic faith, now withdrew from the arena of war and embraced a peaceful agreement with the Muslims, thus another support of the tripartite alliance (the Quraish, Ghatafan and the Jews) was broken. As Quraish were perceived as the holders of the banner of paganism in Arabia, the other pagan tribe’s aggressive feelings towards Islam considerably subsided.
The tribe of Ghatafan no longer constituted a remarkable threat on their own, and their provocative deeds were mainly Jewish-instigated actions. The Jews, after being exiled from Madinah, moved their attention to Khaibar, to change it into a hot bed of plots against the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). From there, they would hatch their plots, ignite the fires of conflict, and allure the Arabs living in the vicinity of Madinah to join them in eliminating the new Islamic state, or at least inflict heavy losses on the Muslims. The Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who was not neglectful of their devilish schemes, placed as his first priority shortly after the above-mentioned treaty a decisive battle with them. The treaty of Hudaibiyah allowed the Muslims to intensify their Islamic calling and multiply their ceaseless efforts in propagating their religion. Consequently, they gave this sort of action a greater preference over any military activities. Hence, we can divide this post-treaty stage into two sections:
- Continuous peaceful efforts in propagating the Islamic Da’wah (call) and initiating correspondences with kings and dignitaries of the neighboring kingdoms.
- Military activities.
The Prophet’s Plans to Spread The Message of Islam Beyond Arabia
In the late in the 6th A.H., on his return from Hudaibiyah, the Prophet decided to send messages to the kings beyond Arabia calling them to Islam. In order to authenticate the credentials of his messengers, a silver seal was made in which were engraved the words: ‘‘Muhammad the Messenger of Allah’’ in the following formation:
الله
رسـول
مـحـمـد
Envoys were chosen on the basis of their experience and knowledge,and sent on their tasks in Muharram,7 A.H., a few days before heading to Khaibar.
1. Letter to Abysinia (Ethiopia)
Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), whose name was Ashamah bin AlAbjar, received the Prophet’s message which was sent with Amr bin Umaiyah Ad-Damri(May Allah be Pleased with him). At-Tabari states that this took place either late 6th or early 7th A.H. Scrutiny of the letter shows that it was not the one that was sent after the event of Hudaibiyah. Rather, the wording of the letter indicates that it was sent to that king when Ja`far and his companions emigrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the Makkan period. One of its sentences read: “I have dispatched my cousin, Ja`far with a group of Muslims, to you, so be generous towards them and do not oppress them.’’
Al-Baihaqi, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq, gave the following narration of the Prophet’s letter sent to Negus:
“This letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet to Negus al-Ashamah, the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and believes in Allah and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, alone with no associate. He has taken neither a wife nor a son, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I invite you to enter Islam; if you embrace Islam, you will find safety:
``Say (O Muhammad): ‘O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: `Bear witness that we are Muslims.’ ’’ [3:64]
Should you reject this invitation, then you will be held responsible for all the evils of your Christian people.’’
Dr. Hameedullah (Paris), a reliable verifier, has presented a version of the above letter disclosed only a short time ago and identical to Ibn AlQaiyim’s narration. Dr. Hameedullah exerted painstaking effort and used all means of modern technology to verify the text of the letter, which reads as follows:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. To proceed: I praise Allah, there is no God but He, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the Preserver of safety. I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allah and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the pure, so that she conceived Jesus. So, she conceived him from Allah’s spirit and breathing as He created Adam by His Hand. I call you to Allah alone with no associate and to His obedience and to follow me, and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. I invite you and your men to Allah, the Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness that I have communicated my message and advice. I invite you to listen and accept my advice. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance.’’
The text of this letter is doubtlessly authentic, but to maintain that it was written after the events of Hudaibiyah is still a question that lacks definite evidence.
The version Al-Baihaqi reported from Ibn Ishaq resembles the letters to the kings and princes of the Christians after Hudaibiyah, since in mentions within it:
``Say (O Muhammad): ‘O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: `Bear witness that we are Muslims.’” [3:64]
Similar to what is mentioned in the others. It also clearly mentions the name Ashamah. As for the text that Dr. Hameedullah, may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned, it appears to me to be a letter that was written after the death of Ashamah, addressed to his successor, and perhaps this is why his name is not mentioned. This is my observation with no decisive proof other than the contents of the texts, but what is odd is that the Dr. Hameedullah seems certain that the text mentioned by Al-Baihaqi from Ibn `Abbas is the one written after the death of Ashamah, addressed to his successor, when the name of Ashamah is clearly mentioned in it. The truth of this is known only to Allah.
When `Amr bin Umaiyah Ad-Damri (May Allah be Pleased with him) delivered the letter to Negus, the latter took the parchment and placed it on his eye, descended to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam and wrote the following reply to the Prophet :
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Negus Ashamah to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet of Allah, and the mercy and blessing from Allah beside Whom there is no God. I have received your letter in which you have mentioned Jesus, and by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, Jesus is no more than what you say. We fully acknowledge that with which you have been sent to us and we have entertained your cousin and his companions. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, true and confirming (those who have gone before you). I pledge to you through your cousin and surrender myself through him to the Lord of the worlds.’’
The Prophet asked Negus to send Ja`far and his companions, the emigrants to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), back home. They came back to see the Prophet in Khaibar. Negus later died in Rajab 9 A.H., shortly after the Invasion of Tabuk. The Prophet announced his death and observed the funeral prayer in absentia for him. Another king succeeded Negus to the throne and another letter was sent to him by the Prophet but whether or not he embraced Islam is still a question unanswered.
2. Letter to the King of Egypt, Muqawqis
The Prophet wrote to Juraij bin Matta, called Muqawqis, the King of Egypt and Alexandria stating:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Muqawqis, the leader of the Copts.
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. I invite you to accept Islam. If you want security, accept Islam. If you accept Islam, Allah, the Sublime, shall reward you doubly. But if you refuse to do so, you will bear the burden of the transgression of all the Copts.
``Say (O Muhammad): ‘O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: `Bear witness that we are Muslims.’” [3:64]
Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah (May Allah be Pleased with him), who was chosen to communicate the message, requested a meeting with Muqawqis before conveying the contents of the letter. He addressed Egyptian ruler saying: “There used to be someone before you who had acquired the status of the supreme lord, so Allah punished him and made an example of him in the Hereafter and in this life; so, take warning and never set a bad example to others.”
Muqawqis answered: “We are in no position to give up our religion except for a better one.’’
Hatib resumed: “We invite you to embrace Islam, which will suffice you for all that you may lose. Our Prophet has called people to profess this faith, the Quraish and the Jews stood against him as bitter enemies, whereas Christians stood closest to his call. Upon my life, Moses’ news about Jesus is identical to the latter’s good tidings about the advent of Muhammad.
Likewise, this invitation of ours to you to embrace Islam is similar to your invitation to the People of Torah to accept the New Testament. Once a Prophet rises in a nation, he is eligible for positive response; hence you are subject to the same Divine Law. Bear in mind that we have not come to turn you away from the religion of Jesus, but rather request you to adhere to its true principles.’’
Muqawqis pondered deeply over the contents of the letter and said: “I have come to the conviction that this Prophet proposes nothing repulsive; he is neither a straying magician nor a lying soothsayer. He bears the true manifest seeds of Prophethood, and so I will consider the affair deeply.’’ He took the parchment and ordered that it be kept in an ivory casket. He called a scribe to write the following reply in Arabic:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muqawqis to Muhammad bin `Abdullah.
Peace be upon you. I have read your letter and understood its contents, and what you are calling for. I already know that the coming of a Prophet is still due, but I used to believe he would be born in Syria. I am sending as presents to you two maids, who come from noble Coptic families, along with clothing and a steed for riding. Peace be upon you.”
It is noteworthy that Muqawqis did not avail himself of this priceless opportunity and he did not embrace Islam. The presents were accepted. Mariyah, the first maid, stayed with the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and gave birth to his son Ibrahim. The other, Sirin, was given to Hassan bin Thabit Al-Ansari (May Allah be Pleased with him). The steed’s name was Duldul and it lived until the time of Mu`awiyah (May Allah be Pleased with him).
3. Letter to Chosroes, Emperor of Persia
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Chosroes, king of Persia.
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance, believes in Allah and His Messenger and testifies that there is no God but Allah, alone with no associate, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I invite you to accept the religion of Allah. I am the Messenger of Allah sent to all people in order that I may instill fear of Allah in every living person, and that the charge may be proved against those who reject the Truth. Accept Islam as your religion so that you may live in security, otherwise, you will be responsible for all the sins of the Magians.”
‘Abdullah bin Hudhafah As-Sahmi (May Allah be Pleased with him) was chosen to carry the letter to Chosroes. He carried it to the governor of Bahrain, but we do not know as of yet if the latter dispatched it to Chosroes by one of his men or chose `Abdullah himself.
The proud king was filled with anger by the style of the letter, as the name of the Prophet had been put above his own name. He tore the letter into pieces and sent a command to his governor in Yemen to send a couple of men to arrest the Prophet and bring him in his presence. The governor, Badhan, immediately sent two men to Madinah for the purpose. As soon as the men reached Madinah, the Prophet was informed by Divine Revelation that Pervez, the emperor of Persia, had been murdered by his son. The Prophet disclosed the news to them and they were stunned. He asked them to relate to their new king that Islam would prevail everywhere and exceed the kingdom of Chosroes himself. They hurried back to Badhan and communicated to him what they heard. Meanwhile, Sherweh, the new king sent a letter to Badhan confirming the news and ordering him to stop any procedures in regards to the Prophet until further notice. Badhan, together with the Persians in Yemen, went into the folds of Islam, and gladly signified his adhesion to the Prophet.
4. The Envoy to Caesar, King of Rome
Al-Bukhari records a long narration of the contents of the letter sent by the Prophet to Heraclius, emperor of the Byzantines:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger to Heraclius, the king of the Byzantines.
Blessed are those who follow true guidance. I invite you to embrace Islam so that you may live in security. If you come within the fold of Islam, Allah will give you a double reward, but if you turn your back upon it, then the burden of the sins of all your people will fall on your shoulders.
``Say (O Muhammad): ‘O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: `Bear witness that we are Muslims.’ ’’ [3:64]
Dihyah bin Khalifah Al-Kalbi (May Allah be Pleased with him) was ordered to hand the letter to the governor of Busra, who would in turn, send it to Caesar.
Incidentally, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who at that time had not yet embraced Islam, was summoned to the court and Heraclius asked him many questions about Muhammad and the religion that he preached. The testimony which this open enemy of the Prophet gave regarding the personal excellence of the Prophet’s character and the good that Islam was doing for humanity left Heraclius wonder-struck.
Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be Pleased with him), narrated that Heraclius sent for Abu Sufyan and his companions, who happened to be trading in Sham (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan) and had come to Iliya’ (Baitul-Maqdis). This was during the truce that had been concluded between the polytheists of Quraish and Allah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Heraclius, seated among his chiefs of staff, asked, “Who amongst you is the nearest relative to the man who claims to be a Prophet?’’ Abu Sufyan relates the story: “I replied: ‘I am the nearest relative to him from amongst the group.’ So they made me sit in front of him and made my companions sit behind me. Then he called upon his translator and said (to him). `Tell them (i.e., Abu Sufyan’s companions) that I am going to ask him (i.e., Abu Sufyan) about that man who claims to be a Prophet. If he tells a lie, they should contradict him (instantly).’ By Allah had I not been afraid that my companions would consider me a liar, I would have told lies.’’
Abu Sufyan’s continued: “’Muhammad descends from a noble family. No one from his family happened to assume kingship. His followers are those considered weak, with numbers ever growing. He neither tells lies nor betrays others, we fight him and he fights us but with alternate victory. He bids people to worship Allah, alone with no associate, and abandon the beliefs of forefathers. He orders us to observe prayer, honesty, abstinence, and the maintaining of strong family ties.’’’ Heraclius, on hearing this testimony, turned to his translator and ordered him to communicate to us his impression, which revealed full confidence in the truthfulness of Muhammad’s Prophethood: ‘I fully realize that Prophets come from noble families; he does not have any previous example of Prophethood. Since none of his ancestors was a king, we cannot then claim that he is a man trying to reclaim his father’s kingdom. So long as he does not tell lies regarding people, he is for the more reason, immune to telling lies in regards to Allah. Concerning his followers being those considered weak, with numbers ever growing, this is the case with faith until it is complete. I have understood that no instance of apostasy has yet appeared among his followers, and this points to the bliss of faith that finds its place in the human heart. Betrayal, as I see, is alien to him because real Prophets hold themselves from betrayal. You said he orders the worship of Allah with no associates, observance of prayer, honesty, abstinence, and prohibition of paganism, if this is true, he will soon rule the place beneath my feet. I have already known that a Prophet would arise but it has never occurred to me that he will be an Arab from among you. If I was sure, I would be faithful to him; I might hope to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet.’ Heraclius then requested that the Prophet’s letter be read. The observations of the emperor and finally the definite and clear-cut exposition of the Islamic message could only create a tense atmosphere amongst the clergy present at the court. They were ordered to leave.’’
Abu Sufyan continued, “While coming out, I said to my companions, `The matter of Ibn Abi Kabshah (i.e., Muhammad) has become so prominent that even the king of Banu Al-Asfar (i.e., the Romans) is afraid of him.’ So I continued to believe that Allah’s Messenger would be victorious, until Allah made me embrace Islam.’’ The king did not embrace Islam, for it was differently ordained. However, the Muslim envoy was returned to Madinah with the felicitations of the emperor.
On his way back to Madinah, Dihyah Al-Kalbi (May Allah be Pleased with him) was intercepted by people from the tribe of Judham in Hisma, who looted the presents sent to the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Zaid bin Harithah (May Allah be Pleased with him) at the head of five hundred men was dispatched to that spot; he inflicted heavy losses on those people and captured 1000 camels, 5000 of their cattle and a hundred women and boys. One of the chiefs of Judham who had embraced Islam, filed a complaint with the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who gave a positive response to his protest, and ordered that all the spoils and captives be returned.
Most of the authors on the battles of the Prophet state that this event occurred before Al-Hudaibiyah, however this is an obvious mistake since he (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent the letter to Heraclius after Al-Hudaibiyah. This is why Ibn Al-Qaiyim said, “It was after Al-Hudaibiyah without a doubt.’’
5. Letter to Mundhir bin Sawa, Governor of Bahrain
The Prophet dispatched Al-`Ala’ bin Al-Hadrami (May Allah be Pleased with him) to the governor of Bahrain, with a letter inviting him to embrace Islam.
In reply, Al-Mundhir bin Sawa wrote the following letter:
“Allah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I read your letter, which you wrote to the people of Bahrain extending to them an invitation to Islam. Islam appealed to some of them and they entered the fold of Islam, while others did not find it appealing. In my country, there live Magians and Jews, and therefore you may inform me of the treatment to be extended to them.”
The Prophet wrote the following letter in reply to his:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah, to Mundhir bin Sawa.
Peace be on you! I praise Allah, who has no associates, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
I remind you of Allah, the Mighty and the Glorious. Whoever accepts admonition does it for his own good. Whoever follows my envoys and acts in accordance with their guidance, has in fact accepted my advice.
My envoys have highly praised your behavior. You shall continue in your present office. Give the new Muslims a full chance to preach their religion. I accept your recommendation regarding the people of Bahrain, and I pardon the offences of the offenders; therefore, you may also forgive them.
Of the people of Bahrain whoever wishes to continue in their Jewish or
Magian faith should be made to pay the Jizyah (security tax).’’
6. Letter to Haudhah bin `Ali, the Governor of Yamamah
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah to Haudhah bin `Ali.
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Be informed that my religion shall prevail everywhere. You should accept Islam, and whatever is under your command shall remain yours.’’
The envoy chosen was Sulait bin `Amr Al-’Amiri (May Allah be Pleased with him), who after communicating his message, carried back the following reply to the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
“The Faith, to which you invite me, is very good. I am a famous orator and poet, the Arabs highly respect me and I hold a position among them. If you include me in your government, I am prepared to follow you.”
The governor then bestowed a reward on Sulait and presented him with clothes made of Hajar fabric. Of course, he put all those presents before the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
The Prophet did not accept Haudhah’s demand. He usually turned down such authoritative tone, and would say that the whole matter was in the Hand of Allah, Who gave His land to whoever He desired. Jibreel later came with the Revelation that Haudhah had died. The Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in the context of his comment on this news, said:
``As for Yamamah, from it will come a liar claiming prophethood after me, but he shall be killed.’’
When someone asked who would kill him, he replied:
``You and your companions.’’
And it occurred as he said.
7. Letter to Al-Harith bin Abi Shimr Al-Ghassani, the king of Damascus
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah to Al-Harith bin Abi Shimr.
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance, believes in it and trusts it. I invite you to believe in Allah, alone with no associate, and your kingdom will remain yours.’’
Shuja’ bin Wahb (May Allah be Pleased with him) had the honor of taking the letter to Harith, who upon hearing the letter read in his audience, was madly infuriated and uttered: “Who dares to dispose me of my country, I will fight him (the Prophet),’’ and arrogantly rejected the Prophet’s invitation to the fold of Islam.
8. Letter to the King of Oman, Jaifer, and His Brother `Abd bin Al-Julandai
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad bin `Abdullah to Jaifer and `Abd, the sons of AlJulandai.
Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. I invite both of you to the call of Islam. Embrace Islam. Allah has sent me as a Prophet to all His creation in order that I may instill fear of Allah in the hearts of His disobedient creatures, so that there may be left no excuse for those who deny Allah. If you two accept Islam, you will remain in command of your country; but if you refuse my call, you must remember that all your possessions are perishable. My cavalry would take possession of your land, and my Prophethood will assume superiority over your kingship.”
`Amr bin Al-`As (May Allah be Pleased with him), who was chosen to carry the letter, narrated the following story that happened before he was admitted into the audience of Jaifer: “When I arrived in Oman I contacted `Abd, who was known to be more mild-tempered than his brother, the following dialogue took place between him and me:
`Amr: I am the envoy of Allah’s Prophet coming to see both you and your brother.
`Abd: You have to see my brother and read to him the letter you are carrying. He is my senior in both age and kingship. Incidentally, what is the purpose of your mission?
‘Amr: We invite you to believe in Allah, alone with no associate, to discard any other deities and testify to the Messengership of Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
`Abd: O `Amr! You come from a noble family, but first of all, tell me what was your father’s attitude concerning this faith? You know, we used to follow his steps.
`Amr: Death overtook him before believing in Muhammad’s mission; I wish now he had embraced Islam and had faith in it before his death. I myself had adopted the same attitude until Allah guided me towards Islam.
`Abd: When did you embrace Islam?
`Amr: When I was in the court of the Negus, who also entered Islam.
`Abd: What was the reaction of his people?
`Amr: They approved of him and followed his steps.
`Abd: The bishops and monks as well?
`Amr: They did the same.
`Abd: Beware of lying `Amr, for this soon disgraces a person than any other thing.
`Amr: I never tell lies; additionally, our religion does not permit it.
`Abd: Has Heraclius been informed that the Negus has accepted Islam?
`Amr: Yes, of course.
`Abd: How did you happen to know that?
`Amr: The Negus used to pay land tax to Heraclius, but when the former embraced Islam, he swore he would discontinue that tax. When this news reached Heraclius, his brother Al-Yannaq advised him to take action against Negus but he refused and added that he himself would do the same if he were not greedy of his kingship.
`Abd: What does your Prophet order you to do?
`Amr: He orders us to obey Allah, the All-Mighty and the All-Glorious, to be pious and maintain good ties with family; he forbids aggression, adultery, disobedience, wine, idolatry and devotion to the cross. `Abd: Fair words and fair beliefs are those you are calling for.
I wish my brother would follow me to believe in Muhammad and profess his religion, but my brother is too greedy of his kingship to become a subordinate.
`Amr: Should your brother surrender himself to Islam, the Prophet would give him authority over his people and take alms tax from the wealthy to be given to the needy.
`Abd: That is fair behavior. But what is this alms tax you have mentioned? `Amr: It is a divine commandment that alms tax be taken from the well-todo people who have surplus wealth and be distributed to the poor.
`Abd: I doubt if this can work among our people.”
`Amr stayed for some days to be admitted into Jaifer’s court until he was finally granted this permission. He said: “He asked me to hand him the letter to read it. After that he asked me how the Quraish had reacted and I answered: `They had followed him, some out of their own freewill and others overpowered by military fighting. Now, people have chosen Islam in preference to other creeds, and have realized through their mental insight that they had been straying in darkness. None, except you, is now out of the domain of Islam, so I advise you to embrace Islam so that you can provide security to yourself and your country.’ Here, he asked me to call on him the following day.
The following day he showed some unwillingness in receiving me but his brother, `Abd, interceded and I was given the chance to see him again, but this time he addressed me in a threatening arrogant tone. However, after a private talk with his brother and reconsidering the whole situation, both brothers embraced Islam and proved to be true to Islam, which had begun to make its way into this new area.
The context of this story reveals that this letter was sent at a much later date than the others, most likely after the conquest of Makkah.
Through these letters, the Prophet managed to communicate his Message to most of the kings at that time; some believed, while others remained obstinate and persisted in their disbelief. However, the idea of embracing Islam, and the advent of a new Prophet preoccupied all of them.
Post-Hudaibiyah Hostilities The Invasion of Ghabah or Dhi Qarad
It was in fact not a battle but a clash carried out against a platoon of Bani Fazarah. It occurred at Dhi Qarad, a water reservoir situated at a day’s journey from Madinah. Al-Bukhari named a chapter about it in which he indicated that it occurred three days before the battle of Khaibar. Muslim reported a chain of narration from Salamah bin Al-Akwa’ (saying the same). The majority of the writers on the battles of the Prophet list it before
Al-Hudaibiyah, but what is most correct is what Al-Bukhari and Muslim mention.
It has been narrated on the authority of Salamah bin Al-Akwa’ (May Allah be Pleased with him), the hero of this battle: “Allah’s Messenger sent one of his slaves Rabah with his camels to a nearby pasture. I, taking Talhah’s horse, went there for the same purpose. When the day dawned, `AbdurRahman Al-Fazari made a raid, drove away all the camels, and killed the man who looked after them. I told Rabah to ride the horse, take it to Talhah and inform Allah’s Messenger that the polytheists had made away with his camels. Then I stood upon a hill and turning my face to Madinah, shouted thrice: `Come to our help!’ After that I set out in pursuit of the raiders, shooting at them with arrows and chanting (self-eulogistic) Verse:
I am the son of Al-Akwa’
Today is the day of defeat for the mean.
By Allah, I continued shooting at them and killing their animals. Whenever a horseman turned upon me, I would come to a tree sit at its base, shoot at him and killing his horse. At last they entered a narrow mountain gap. I ascended that mountain and held them at bay by throwing stones at them. I continued to chase them in this way until I got all the camels free, none remaining with them. They fled in all directions and I followed shooting at them continually until they dropped more than thirty mantles and thirty lances, lightening their burden. On everything they dropped, I put a mark with some stones so that Allah’s Messenger and his Companions might recognize them (as booty left by the enemy). They went on until they came to a narrow valley. They sat down to eat something, and I sat on top of a tapering rock. Four of them ascended the mountain coming towards me. When they were near enough to hear me, I shouted: `Do you recognize me?’ They said: `No. Who are you?’ I said: ‘I am Salamah, son of AlAkwa’. I can get anyone of you, but none of you can get me.’ So they returned.
I did not move from my place until I saw the horsemen of Allah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who came riding through the trees. The foremost among them was Akhram, behind him was Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari followed by Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad (May Allah be Pleased with him). Akhram and `Abdur-Rahman Al-Fazari met in combat. Akhram killed `Abdur-Rahman’s horse but the latter managed to strike him with his lance and kill him. `Abdur-Rahman turned around riding Akhram’s horse. Abu Qatadah, seeing this, engaged in a fierce combat with `Abdur-Rahman, struck him a fatal blow with his lance. The polytheists consequently fled and I went in their pursuit. Before sunset they reached a valley with a spring of water called Dhi Qarad. They rested there to have a drink, but I, having been in their pursuit, turned them out of the valley before they could drink a drop of water.
Later on, the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), along with his Companions, overtook me. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), let me select from our people one hundred men and I will follow the plunderers and finish them.’ In reply, the Prophet said: `Ibn Al-Akwa’, you have taken enough and so now you have to show nobility; they have reached the locality of Ghatafan where they are having a feast.’ He added: `Our best horseman today is Abu Qatadah, and our best footman today is Salamah.’ He allotted me two shares of the booty: the share meant for the horseman and the other meant for the footman. Intending to return to Madinah, as an honor, he made me mount behind him on his she-camel called Al-’Adba’.’’
Ibn Umm Maktum was given the administration of Madinah, and Miqdad bin `Amr the standard by the Prophet during this invasion.