The Sealed Nectar (40 page)

The Prophet [pbuh] was so deeply moved by this tragedy and that of Ar- Raji‘ that he used to invoke Allâh’s wrath against those people and tribes who killed his Companions. Anas reported that for thirty days the Prophet [pbuh] supplicated Allâh against those who killed his Companions at Ma‘una Well. Every dawn prayer he would invoke Allâh’s wrath against Ri‘l, Dhakwan, Lihyan and ‘Usaiyah. He would say, " ‘Usaiyah disobeyed Allâh and His Messenger." Therefore Allâh ÚÒ æÌá, sent down unto His Messenger a Qur’ânic verse that we kept on reciting till it was abrogated later on: ‘Inform our folk that we have encountered our Lord and He is satisfied with us and we are satisfied with Him.’ So the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]

stopped his invocation. [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/586-588]

Bani An-Nadeer Invasion

We have already spoken about the disgraceful behaviour of the Jews and how they were always thirsting to shed the blood of the Muslims and undermine the cause of Islam despite all the covenants and pledges they had given to the Prophet [pbuh].

Their behaviour fluctuated between resignation and slackness after the Banu Qainuqa‘ event and the murder of Ka‘b bin Al- Ashraf, and rebellion coupled with treacherous clandestine contacts with Quraish and the hypocrites in order to establish an alliance against the Muslims after the battle of Uhud ['Aunul Ma'bood 3/116- 117]. Being inexperienced in war tactics, they resorted to conspiracy and intrigue hatching. They first of all declared open hatred and enmity, and chose to play all sorts of tricks that might harm the Muslims, but were very careful not to initiate any sort of hostilities that might involve them in open war.

The Prophet [pbuh], on his part, exercised the highest degree of patience with them but they went too far in their provocative deeds, especially after Ar- Raji‘ and Ma‘una Well events; they even made an attempt on his life.

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Once the Prophet [pbuh] with some of his Companions set out to see Banu Nadeer and seek their help in raising the blood- money he had to pay to Bani Kalb for the two men that ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad- Damari had killed by mistake. All of that was in accordance with the clauses of the treaty that both parties had already signed. On hearing his story they said they would share in paying the blood- money and asked him and his Companions Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Ali and others to sit under a wall of their houses and wait. The Jews held a short private meeting and conspired to kill the Prophet [pbuh]. The most wicked among them, ‘Amr bin Jahsh, volunteered to climb up the wall and drop a large millstone on his head. One of them, Salam bin Mashkam, cautioned them against perpetrating such a crime, predicting that Allâh would divulge their plot to him, and added that such an act would constitute a manifest violation of the pact concluded with the Muslims.

In fact, Gabriel did come down to reveal to the Prophet [pbuh] their wicked criminal intention, so he, with his Companions, hurried off back to Madinah. On their way, he told his Companions of the Divine Revelation.

Soon after, the Prophet [pbuh] delegated Muhammad bin Maslamah to communicate an ultimatum to Bani Nadeer to the effect that they should evacuate Madinah within ten days, otherwise, their heads would be cut off. The chief of the hypocrites,

‘Abdullah bin Ubai, urged the Jews not to pay heed to the Prophet [pbuh]’s words and to stay in their habitations, offering to run to their support with two thousands of his followers, and assuring them of help to come from Quraizah tribe and former allies Banu Ghatfan. In this regards, Allâh says:

"If you are expelled, we (too) indeed will go out with you, and we shall
never obey anyone against you, and if you are attacked (in fight), we shall
indeed help you."
[Al- Qur'an 59:11]

The Jews regained their confidence and were determined to fight. Their chief Huyai bin Akhtab relied hopefully on what the chief of the hypocrites said. So he sent to the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] saying: "We will not leave our houses. Do whatever you like to do."

Undoubtedly the situation was awkward for the Muslims. Launching a war against their opponents at this critical stage could entail terrible far reaching ramifications in the light of the unfavourable conditions they were passing through, besides the hostile environment growing in power and hatred around them, the harbinger of which assumed the form of killing the Muslim missions, as it has been already introduced.

The Jews of Bani Nadeer were also a power to count for, and the prospects of inflicting a military defeat on them was precarious; consequently forcing them into war engagement would be attended with unpredictable risks. On the other hand, the continual state of repeated assassinations and acts of treachery carried out against the Muslims individually and collectively brought about unbearable headache to Muhammad [pbuh]’s followers. Having judged all the prevalent status quo in this perspective, and in the light of the disgraceful attempt on the life of the Prophet

[pbuh], the Muslims made the decisive decisions of taking up arms whatever turn the consequences could assume.

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When the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] received the reply of Huyai bin Akhtab he said:

"
Allâhu Akbar, Allâhu Akbar.
" (Allâh is the Greatest of all) and his Companions repeated after him. Then he set out to fight them after appointing Ibn Umm Maktum to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his absence. The standard was entrusted to

‘Ali bin Abi Talib. He laid siege to their forts for six nights — in another version, fifteen.

Banu Nadeer resorted to their castles, mounted them and started shooting arrows and pelting stones at the Muslims enjoying the strategic advantage that their thick fields of palm trees provided. The Muslims were therefore ordered to fell and burn those trees. In this respect, Allâh, the All- Mighty, states in the Qur’ân:

"What you (O Muslims) cut down of the palm- trees (of the enemy), or you
left them standing on their stems, it was by leave of Allâh."
[Al- Qur'an 59:5]

Quraizah tribe remained neutral, and the hypocrite ‘Abdullah bin Ubai as well as Ghatfan failed to keep their promises of support. In this regard Allâh says:

"(Their allies deceived them) like Satan, when he says to man: ‘Disbelieve in
Allâh.’ But when (man) disbelieves in Allâh, Satan says: ‘I am free of you.’"

[Al- Qur'an 59:16]

The siege did not last long for Allâh, the All- Mighty, cast horror into the hearts of the Jews, and they willingly offered to comply with the Prophet [pbuh]’s order and leave Madinah. The Prophet [pbuh] accepted their request and allowed them to carry as much luggage as their camels could lift, arms were excepted. Of course, they had no choice but to carry out the orders, so they took with them everything they could carry even the pegs and beams of ceilings. Their caravan counted 600 loaded camels including their chiefs, Huyai bin Akhtab and Salam bin Abi Al- Huqaiq, who left for Khaibar whereas another party shifted to Syria. Two of them embraced Islam, Yameen bin ‘Amr and Abu Sa‘d bin Wahab, and so they retained their personal wealth.

The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] seized their weapons, land, houses, and wealth.

Amongst the other booty he managed to capture, there were 50 armours, 50

helmets, and 340 swords.

This booty was exclusively the Prophet [pbuh]’s because no fighting was involved in capturing it. He divided the booty at his own discretion among the early Emigrants and two poor Helpers, Abu Dujana and Suhail bin Haneef. Anyway the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] spent a portion of this wealth on his family to sustain their living the year around. The rest was expended to provide the Muslim army with equipment for further wars in the way of Allâh.

The invasion of Bani An- Nadeer took place in Rabi‘ Al- Awwal, 4 A.H. i.e. in August 625 A.D. Almost all the verses of
Sûrah Al- Hashr
(Chapter 59 - The Gathering) describe the banishment of the Jews and reveal the disgraceful manners of the hypocrites. The verses manifest the rules relevant to the booty. In this Chapter, Allâh, the All- Mighty, praises the Emigrants and Helpers. This Chapter also shows the legitimacy of cutting down and burning the enemy’s land and trees for military purposes. Such acts cannot be regarded as phenomena of corruption so long that they are in the way of Allâh.

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In this very Chapter, Allâh recommends the believers to be pious and prepare themselves for the world to come and He ends it with a compliment upon Himself and a manifestation of His Holy Names and Attributes.

As this Chapter concentrates on Bani An- Nadeer and their banishment, Ibn ‘Abbas used to describe it as ‘An- Nadeer Chapter’. [Ibn Hisham 2/190-192; Za'd Al-Ma'ad 2/71; Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/574-575]

The Invasion of Najd

With the peaceful victory that the Muslims achieved at Bani An- Nadeer invasion, their control over Madinah was undisputedly established, and the hypocrites receded to a state of silence and stopped their artful machinations publicly. Consequently the Prophet [pbuh] had ample time to direct all his energies and human resources towards suppressing the desert bedouins and curbing their harmful provocations and wicked malicious practices of killing his missionaries and even contemplating an invasion of Madinah itself. [Fiqh As- Seerah p.214] Meanwhile, the Muslim scouting groups reported building up of bedouin troops of Bani Muharib and Tha‘labah of Ghatfan around Madinah. The Prophet [pbuh], with the Muslims, hurriedly set out to discipline those new outlaws, cast fear into their hearts and deter them from perpetrating further wicked practices. These deterring operations were carried out repeatedly and did produce effective results. The rebellious hard- hearted desert bedouins were terrorized into the mountains, and Madinah remained completely immune against their raids.

In the context of these invasions, it is interesting to draw some prominence to a significant one ¾
Dhat Ar- Riqa‘
(rags) campaign ¾ which some scholars claim, took place in Najd ( a large area of tableland in the Arabian Peninsula) in Rabi‘ Ath- Thani or Jumada Al- Ula, 4 A.H. They substantiate their claim by saying that it was strategically necessary to carry out this campaign in order to quell the rebellious bedouins in order to meet the exigencies of the agreed upon encounter with the polytheists, i.e. minor Badr Battle in Sha‘ban, 4 A.H. The most authentic opinion, however, is that
Dhat Ar- Riqa‘
campaign took place after the fall of Khaibar. This is supported by the fact that Abu Hurairah and Abu Musa Al- Ash‘ari [R] witnessed the battle. Abu Hurairah embraced Islam only some days before Khaibar, and Abu Musa Al- Ash‘ari came back from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and joined the Prophet [pbuh] at Khaibar. The rules relating to the prayer of fear which the Prophet [pbuh] observed at
Dhat Ar- Riqa‘
campaign, were revealed at ‘Asfan Invasion and this beyond a shadow of doubt took place after
Al- Khandaq
(the trench) Battle in late 5 A.H.

The Invasion of Badr, the Second

When the Muslims destroyed the power of the Arab- desert tribes and guarded themselves against their evils, they started preparations to encounter their great enemy. A year elapsed since they fought Quraish at Uhud. So it was due time to meet them and start war again in order to determine which of the two parties was worthy of survival. [Fiqh As-Seerah p.315]

In Sha‘ban 4 A.H., January 626 A.D., the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] set out to Badr accompanied by one thousand and five hundred fighters and ten mounted horsemen, and with ‘Ali bin Abi Talib as standard bearer. ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah was given 192

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authority over Madinah during the Prophet [pbuh]’s absence. Reaching Badr, the Muslims stayed there waiting for the idolaters to come.

Abu Sufyan’s forces comprised two thousand footmen and fifty horsemen. They reached Mar Az- Zahran, some distance form Makkah, and camped at a water place called Mijannah. Being reluctant, discouraged and extremely terrified of the consequences of the approaching fight, Abu Sufyan turned to his people and began to introduce cowardice- based flimsy pretexts in order to dissuade his men from going to war, saying: "O tribe of Quraish! Nothing will improve the condition you are in but a fruitful year — a year during which your animals feed on plants and bushes and give you milk to drink. And I see that this is a rainless year, therefore I am returning now and I recommend you to return with me."

It seems that his army were also possessed of the same fears and apprehensions, for they readily obeyed him without the least hesitation.

The Muslims, who were then at Badr, stayed for eight days waiting for their enemy.

They took advantage of their stay by selling goods and earning double as much the price out of it. When the idolaters declined to fight, the balance of powers shifted to rest in favour of the Muslims, who thus regained their military reputation, their dignity and managed to impose their awe- inspiring presence over the whole of Arabia. In brief, they mastered and controlled the whole situation.

This invasion had many a name. It is called ‘Badr the Appointment’, ‘Badr, the Second’, ‘Badr, the Latter’, and ‘Badr Minor’. [Ibn Hisham 2/209-210; Za'd Al-Ma'ad 2/112]

The Invasion of Doumat Al-Jandal

With the Messenger [pbuh]’s return from Badr, peace and security prevailed the whole area; and the Islamic headquarters, Madinah, enjoyed full security. The Prophet [pbuh] then deemed it fit and appropriate to head for the most distant areas of Arabia in order to subdue all hostile elements in order to force undisputed recognition out of friend and enemy alike.

After a six- month lull of military activities, the Prophet [pbuh] was reported that some tribes, in the vicinity of Doumat Al- Jandal, on the borders of Syria, were involved in highway robbery and plundering, and were on their way to muster troops and raid Madinah itself. He immediately appointed Siba‘ bin ‘Arfatah Al- Ghifari to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his absence, and set out at the head of 1000