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EPISODE 14: An Overview of the Prophet’s battles with Quraysh and Others -…
EPISODE 14: An Overview of the Prophet’s battles with Quraysh and Others
Q1: Could you share with us an overview of the various confrontations and battles that the Prophet (p) had with the polytheists and Quraysh of Mecca?
Overview of Battles between the Muslims and the Quraysh
• The early battles between the Muslims and the pagans of Quraysh were clearly defensive, as the Makkans were determined to stamp out the young Muslim state in Medina.
• In the first battle at Badr, near Medina in 2nd year after Hijra, the Muslims were faced with a pagan army 3 times their number.
• A year later, the Quraysh launched a campaign to avenge their loss at Badr, which led to the Battle of Uhud, fought on the outskirts of Medina.
• At the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq), 2 years later, the Muslims were besieged by about ten thousand pagan fighters who surrounded the City of Medina.
• It is quite clear from these incidents that the pagans sent out their armies to attack the Muslims, not vice versa.
• Wherever possible, the Prophet (pbuh) also made peace treaties, such as that of Hudaibiyyah.
• This treaty was made despite repeated provocations by the pagans of Quraysh when the Muslims were on their way to Mecca to perform Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage).
• After each provocation, the Prophet (pbuh) forgave the pagans of Quraysh and persevered in seeking negotiations for a truce.
• The terms of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah heavily favoured the Quraysh.
• The treaty included that the Quraysh and the Muslims would cease hostilities for ten years, but that the Muslims would not be permitted to enter Mecca for Umrah that year.
Q2: Besides the Quraysh, the other major religious communities in the region were the People of the Book - Jews and Christians. Could you share with us an overview of the various military engagements and battles that the Prophet (p) had with these Jewish and Christian tribes?
• Likewise, the campaign against Banu al-Nadir was triggered by their infidelity and misconduct.
• They openly violated the provisions of their covenant with the Muslims by sending three of their leaders to Mecca.
• They went along with two leaders of the tribe of Banu Wa’il, to instigate the Quraysh and their allies to attack the Muslims in Medina.
• They also pledge their support. Which later on their counsel led to the campaign of Al-Khandaq [the Trench].
• In like manner, the fighting between the Islamic state and both Byzantium and Persia were commenced not because the Muslims wanted to extend the dominion of the Islamic state.
• But rather because both the Byzantines and the Persians either assailed Muslim individuals and caravans or prevented the communication of the Islamic message.
• The campaign of Dawmah al-Jandal, the first campaign against the northern Christian tribes which were Byzantine protectorates, it was a punitive expedition to avenge the attacks on the Muslim caravans to al-Sham by some of these tribes, such as Qada’ah and Banu Kalb.
• Likewise, the campaign of Mu’tah was also a punitive expedition to avenge several grave violations (and executions) against the Muslim ambassadors whom Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had sent north to call people to Islam.
• The Prophet (pbuh) also sent ‘five men to Banu Sulayman for the sole purpose of teaching them Islam, and he endured their cold-blooded murder by their hosts.
• Only their leader managed to escape, and he did so purely accidentally.
• He also sent fifteen men to Dhat al-Talh on the outskirts of al-Sham to call its people to Islam. There too, the messengers of Muhammad and the missionaries of faith were put to death in cold blood.
• It was also reported that the northern Christian tribes killed those among them who had professed Islam, leaving the Muslims therefore no choice but to fight them for their aggression and tyranny.