In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Abridged Prophetic Biography (Seerah),
Authored by Sheikh Musa ibn Rashid al-Azimi,
May Allah preserve him.
The Descent of the Angels
Allah aided His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And the believers by sending down His angels,
And they routed Hawazin.
Allah Almighty said:
“Allah hath given you victory on many fields and on the day of Huneyn, when ye exulted in your multitude but it availed you naught, and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you; then ye turned back in flight;” (9:25)
◁And on the day of Hunayn,▷
◁When your great numbers pleased you,▷
◁But they availed you nothing,▷
◁And the earth grew narrow for you,▷
◁Vast as it was; then you turned back, fleeing.▷
“Then Allah sent His peace of reassurance down upon His messenger and upon the believers, and sent down hosts ye could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such is the reward of disbelievers.” (9:26)
◁Upon His Messenger and upon the believers,▷
“Then Allah sent His peace of reassurance down upon His messenger and upon the believers, and sent down hosts ye could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such is the reward of disbelievers.” (9:26)
◁And He punished those who disbelieved.▷
◁And that is the recompense of the disbelievers.▷
“Then afterward Allah will relent toward whom He will; for Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (9:27)
◁Upon whomever He wills,▷
◁And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.▷
Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari said:
"Allah, Blessed and Exalted, informs them
That victory is entirely in His hand and from Him alone,
And that it is not achieved by sheer numbers or overwhelming force,
But that He grants victory to the few over the many whenever He wills,
And He may abandon the many as well as the few,
Causing the greater force to be routed."
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad with a good chain of transmission
On the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
"The men fought fiercely,
And by Allah, the routed Muslims had not even begun to return from their retreat
— meaning those Muslims who had fled at the outset of the battle —
Before they found the captives bound in fetters
Before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad with an authentic chain of transmission
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
"When the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) saw that, he dismounted,
And Allah routed them, so they turned their backs and fled.
Then the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up when he witnessed the victory,
And the prisoners began to be brought before him, one by one."
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad and Abu Dawud in his Sunan with an authentic chain of transmission
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
"Allah routed the polytheists,
Without a sword being struck or a spear being thrust.
On that day, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) proclaimed:
'Whoever kills an enemy combatant is entitled to his spoils.'
So Abu Talha killed twenty men on that day
And took their spoils."
Imam al-Baghawi said:
"This hadith contains proof that every Muslim who kills a polytheist in battle
Is entitled to his spoils over all other beneficiaries of the spoils of war,
And that such personal spoils are not subject to the deduction of the fifth, whether they be little or much."
Gathering the Spoils of Hunayn
Hawazin abandoned their women, children, camels, and sheep at Hunayn,
And those of them who survived fled toward the valley of Awtas,
While others fled to al-Ta'if.
Thus these immense spoils fell to the Muslims,
Just as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had said:
"That will be the Muslims' booty tomorrow, if Allah wills."
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered the spoils gathered,
So the camels, sheep, and captives were brought together,
And he commanded that they be driven to al-Ji'ranah
To be held there.
Ibn Ishaq said:
"Then the captives and property of Hunayn were gathered before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And Mas'ud ibn 'Amr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) was placed in charge of the spoils.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered that the captives and property be taken to al-Ji'ranah,
Where they were kept under guard."
Hawazin's Retreat to the Valley of Awtas
Factions of Hawazin retreated,
Following their defeat at Hunayn,
Toward the valley of Awtas.
So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) dispatched against them
Abu 'Amir al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) at the head of a detachment,
Accompanied by his nephew, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him).
The two Shaykhs recorded in their Sahih collections
On the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
"When the Prophet (peace be upon him) had finished with Hunayn,
He dispatched Abu 'Amir at the head of an army to Awtas.
There he encountered Durayd ibn al-Simmah;
Durayd was killed, and Allah routed his companions."
Abu Musa said: "And he had sent me along with Abu 'Amir.
Then Abu 'Amir was struck in the knee;
A man from Banu Jusham shot him with an arrow
That lodged firmly in his knee.
I rushed to him and said:
'O uncle, who shot you?'
Abu 'Amir pointed him out to Abu Musa,
Saying: 'That man is my killer;
Look, it is he who shot me.'
Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
'So I aimed for him, bore down upon him, and caught up with him.
When he saw me, he turned away and fled,
So I pursued him, shouting to him:
"Have you no shame? Are you not an Arab?
Will you not stand and fight?" So he stopped.
We closed in on each other
And exchanged two blows;
I struck him with my sword and killed him.
Then I returned to Abu 'Amir and said:
"Allah has killed your adversary."
He said: "Now pull out this arrow."
I pulled it out, and fluid gushed from the wound.
He then said: "O son of my brother,
Go to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
Convey my greetings of peace to him,
And say to him: Abu 'Amir says to you:
'Ask forgiveness for me.'"
Abu Musa said: 'Abu 'Amir then appointed me
Over the men, survived only a short while,
And then passed away.
When I returned to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
I entered upon him while he was in a house,
Lying on a bed woven from palm-fiber ropes with a thin mattress upon it,
And the texture of the bed's woven cords had left marks upon the back
And sides of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
A "marmail" bed
Means one woven with cordage,
Which are the twisted reed ropes used to interlace beds.
I informed him of our news
And the news of Abu 'Amir, and told him:
"He said: 'Ask him to pray for my forgiveness.'"
So the Prophet (peace be upon him) called
For water and performed ablution,
[Then raised his hands and said:] "O Allah, forgive 'Ubayd, Abu 'Amir,"
Until I saw the whiteness of his armpits.
Then he said: "O Allah,
Place him on the Day of Resurrection above many
Of Your creation" — or: "of mankind."
I said: "And for me, O Messenger of Allah,
Pray for forgiveness!" So the Prophet,
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"O Allah, forgive 'Abdullah ibn Qays
And admit him on the Day of Resurrection
To an honorable entrance."'
Imam Muslim recorded in his Sahih
On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him)
Who said that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Dispatched an army on the day of Hunayn
Toward Awtas, where they encountered an enemy force,
Fought them, prevailed over them,
And took female captives from them.
Some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
Felt uneasy about having marital relations with them
Because of their polytheist husbands.
So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed concerning this:
◁And [also prohibited to you are] married women,▷
◁Except those whom your right hands possess.▷
Meaning: they are lawful for you
Once their waiting period ('iddah) has ended.
Abridged Prophetic Biography (Seerah)
Though the longing of people
For one another may endure,
The longing felt for you
Exceeds all fathomable bounds.
May Allah send blessings upon you
Whenever the call to prayer is raised,
And whenever lips move
In everlasting remembrance
Of His praise.