In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Treasures of the Prophetic Biography.
The ruling on seeking assistance from non-Muslims.
Scholars have mentioned two opinions regarding this matter.
First:
It is permissible to seek assistance from polytheists.
Second:
It is not permissible.
And this second opinion is the correct one,
based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
when he went out for one of his military expeditions,
and a man came to him and said:
"I wish to fight alongside you."
He asked:
"Do you believe in Allah and His Messenger?"
The man replied, "No."
So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Then turn back,
for I will never seek the help of a polytheist."
We have already expounded upon this issue
during our discussion on the Battle of Uhud,
where we noted that it is permissible only in cases of genuine need.
Otherwise, when there is no need,
it is not permissible for a Muslim to seek assistance from polytheists.
This is precisely what is indicated by
the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Treasures of the Prophetic Biography.
The departure of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to Hunayn.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set out in Shawwal
of the eighth year after the Hijrah
from Makkah, leading twelve thousand Muslims.
He appointed 'Attab ibn Asid over Makkah.
Those who went out with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were:
ten thousand of his Companions
and two thousand from the people of Makkah.
Treasures of the Prophetic Biography.
An educational pause.
On their way to Hunayn,
a major incident occurred that must be highlighted,
namely:
among those accompanying the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
were individuals who had only recently left Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance).
Along the way, they passed by a huge lote tree
known as *Dhat Anwat*.
The Arabs used to hang their weapons upon it to seek blessings so they might achieve victory.
When the army reached the lote tree,
they said: "O Messenger of Allah,
designate for us a *Dhat Anwat* just as they have a *Dhat Anwat*!"
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exclaimed:
"*Allahu Akbar!* (Allah is the Greatest!)
By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, you have said
just as the people of Moses said to Moses: ◁ Make for us a god just as they have gods. ▷
“And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and they came unto a people who were given up to idols which they had. They said: O Moses! Make for us a god even as they have gods. He said: Lo! ye are a folk who know not.” (7:138)
“And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and they came unto a people who were given up to idols which they had. They said: O Moses! Make for us a god even as they have gods. He said: Lo! ye are a folk who know not.” (7:138)
Indeed, these are the ways of the past!
You shall surely follow the ways of those before you."
This great hadith
illustrates a paramount issue for us,
which is
that the ranks must be purified
of anything that might corrupt them in the future.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not say:
"We are going into battle right now,
so it is fine—
we will give you a *Dhat Anwat* later,"
nor did he remain silently tolerant
and defer his response to them until the battle ended—
never!
Rather, he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) paused,
standing firm as a sincere, guiding leader.
He halted the army
and addressed them with what we mentioned earlier.
Therefore, it is unacceptable to say:
"What matters is that he is outwardly a Muslim,
regardless of his creed or ideology."
Such a notion is entirely false;
rather, the ranks must be purged
and purified,
instilling firm faith
and sound creed within the hearts of the people,
after which fighting takes place,
and only then does victory arrive from Allah, Blessed and Exalted.
When some people saw the vast numbers of the Muslims, they remarked:
"We shall not be defeated today for lack of numbers!"
Meanwhile, Malik ibn 'Awf
had reached Hunayn ahead of the Muslims.
He moved his army into the valley under the cover of night,
positioning his ambushers—
a contingent of the army hidden along the paths and passes—
and instructed them
to rain arrows upon the Muslims the moment they emerged before them,
and then charge as one man.
At the break of dawn,
the Muslims entered the valley of Hunayn
and began descending into it,
completely unaware of the hidden ambushers.
As they were descending,
suddenly arrows began showering upon them from every direction!
Then the enemy cavalry charged,
launching a unified assault against the Muslims.
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:
"When we faced the valley of Hunayn,
we descended into a deep, steep valley of Tihamah;
we were simply descending rapidly into it.
In the morning,
the enemy had preceded us and lain in wait in its ravines and narrow passes."
Following that, a wave of panic swept through the Muslims,
scattering their ranks.
Malik’s men capitalized on this confusion,
as their battalions attacked
and the cavalry charged those at the front.
Consequently, the Muslims turned back in defeat,
no one paying heed to anyone else,
with camels crashing into one another,
utterly bewildered as to what to do.
Yet, there remained steadfast alongside the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
a group from the Muhajirun and the Ansar.
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on the day of Hunayn.
The people turned and fled from him,
but eighty men from the Muhajirun and the Ansar stood firm with him."
And Ibn 'Umar said:
"I saw us on the day of Hunayn,
when the people had turned away,
and there were not even one hundred men remaining with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)."
Ibn Sa'd recorded
on the authority of Shaybah ibn 'Uthman al-Hajabi, who said:
"In the year of the Conquest,
when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Makkah by force,
I said to myself: 'I will march with Quraysh against Hawazin at Hunayn,
so that if the forces mix in battle,
I might catch Muhammad off guard
and avenge myself upon him,
thus being the one who took revenge on behalf of all Quraysh.'
And I used to say:
'Even if not a single person among the Arabs or non-Arabs remained
except that they followed Muhammad,
I would never follow him.'
So I stayed on the watch when I went out,
and this resolve only grew stronger in my heart.
When the armies clashed and mingled,
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) dismounted from his mule,
so I unsheathed my sword
and drew near him, intending what I intended.
I raised my sword
until I was about to strike him with it—
meaning I was about to kill him—
when a flare of fire like lightning rose before me,
almost scorching me.
I placed my hand over my eyes out of fear for them.
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned to me,
called out to me, and said:
'O Shaybah!
Come near me.'
So I drew near him,
and he wiped over my chest and prayed:
'O Allah, protect him from Satan.'
Shaybah said:
"By Allah,
at that very moment, he became dearer to me than my hearing, my sight, and my own soul,
and Allah removed all that was in my heart.
Then he said to me:
'Draw near and fight!'
So I stepped in front of him, striking with my sword;
Allah knows that I wished to shield him from everything with my own life.
Had I met my own father at that hour, were he alive,
I would have brought the sword down upon him!
I remained by his side wherever he moved,
until the Muslims rallied and counterattacked as one man.
Then the mule of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was brought close,
he mounted it,
and advanced in pursuit of them until they scattered in every direction.
He returned to his camp and entered his tent,
and I entered upon him—
no one else entering upon him besides me—
driven by the desire to see his face and out of joy in his presence.
He said:
'O Shaybah,
what Allah intended for you
was far better than what you intended for yourself.'
Then he related to me everything I had harbored in my heart,
which I had never mentioned to anyone."
Shaybah said:
"I said:
'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
and that you are the Messenger of Allah.'
Then I said:
'Ask forgiveness for me!'
He replied:
'May Allah forgive you.'"
I find no comment on this incident except to say:
Read it again a second, third, fourth, and fifth time!
Treasures of the Prophetic Biography.
Why did vanity touch the hearts of some Muslims?
First:
The majority of Muslims felt
that Jahiliyyah was breathing its last,
so vanity entered the hearts of some of them.
Second:
Many of them relied upon the army's large numbers,
Without relying on the fact that victory comes solely from Allah.
Third:
They had previously seen themselves victorious while they were few,
So how could they be defeated when they possessed such vast numbers?
Treasures of the Seerah.
The bravest of creation:
After the polytheists, led by Malik Ibn 'Awf, launched a surprise attack on the Muslims,
And arrows rained down upon them from every direction,
The camels began trampling over one another,
The horses bolted in terror,
Some of the Muslims were put to flight,
Not knowing where to turn,
Yet the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stood his ground and did not flee,
Along with those who remained by his side,
For he would never flee.
Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, displayed astonishing courage;
While the Muslims were retreating,
And the polytheists were pressing their assault,
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was charging directly toward the polytheists,
Proclaiming:
"I am the Prophet, no lie!
I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib!"
Abu Sufyan Ibn al-Harith,
The cousin of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Was holding the reins of his mule,
While al-'Abbas held its stirrup,
Both trying to restrain the mule of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
From charging further ahead,
While the Prophet repeated:
"I am the Prophet, no lie!
I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib!"
Such matchless bravery could belong to no one
Except the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Al-Bara' Ibn 'Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
"By Allah, when the fighting grew fierce and intense,
We used to shield ourselves behind him,
And the truly brave among us was the one who could stand alongside him."
Treasures of the Seerah.
The victory of the truth:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to al-'Abbas:
"Call out to the Emigrants and the Ansar!
Call out to the Companions of the Tree!"
Meaning those who had pledged allegiance to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
In the Pledge of al-Hudaybiyyah beneath the tree,
Which was an acacia tree.
So al-'Abbas stood and called out at the top of his voice:
"O Companions of the Tree!
O Ansar!
O men of Khazraj!"
He specifically called out to al-Khazraj,
For they were renowned for steadfast endurance in battle.
Then the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, took handfuls of dust
And hurled them into the faces of the disbelievers, then said:
"By the Lord of Muhammad, they are defeated!"
No sooner had he thrown the dust at them
Than their edge was blunted and their retreat began.
Al-'Abbas said:
"By Allah, it was as if their return, upon hearing my voice,
Was like cows rushing back to protect their calves,
Crying out: 'Here we are at your service! Here we are at your service!'"
A man among them would try to turn his camel around to go back,
But if the camel refused to obey,
He would dismount from it,
Don his armor, and rush on foot back to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Those who had remained firmly beside the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Standing close to him without budging,
Were ten:
Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Ali, al-'Abbas,
Al-Fadl Ibn al-'Abbas,
Rabi'ah Ibn al-Harith,
Abu Sufyan Ibn al-Harith,
Usamah Ibn Zayd,
Ibn Mas'ud,
And Ayman Ibn Umm Ayman,
The maternal brother of Usamah;
He was the only one among these ten who was martyred.
Al-'Abbas recited:
"Nine of us supported the Messenger of Allah in battle,
While those who fled turned their backs and scattered;
And our tenth faced death itself with his own soul,
Feeling no pain for what befell him for the sake of Allah."
Others mentioned among those who stood firm with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, include:
Qutham Ibn al-'Abbas,
Ja'far Ibn Abi Sufyan Ibn al-Harith,
As well as 'Utbah and Mu'attib,
The sons of Abu Lahab.
When the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who had fled rallied back to him,
The two sides engaged in fierce, relentless combat,
And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, looked upon the battlefield
And said: "Now the furnace of war grows hot!"
Treasures of the Seerah.
"Whoever slays an enemy is entitled to his spoils":
Abu Qatadah said:
"We set out with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in the year of Hunayn.
When we met the enemy, the Muslims initially suffered a setback.
I saw a man from the polytheists overpowering one of the Muslims,
So I struck him from behind on his shoulder blade with my sword,
Cutting through his armor. He turned upon me
And squeezed me so violently that I felt the very scent of death,
But then death overtook him and he released me."
That is to say, this enemy warrior was massive, powerful,
Brave, and formidable.
"I then caught up with 'Umar and asked him:
'What is the matter with the people?'
He replied: 'It is the decree of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.'"
Then the Muslims returned to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, after al-'Abbas had called them back.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sat
After victory was secured in the battle,
And announced:
"Whoever slays an enemy and brings clear proof,
To him belong his spoils."
Abu Qatadah said: "I stood up and said, 'Who will bear witness for me?'
But no one spoke,
So I sat down.
Then the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, repeated the same statement.
I stood up again and said, 'Who will bear witness for me?'
Then the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, repeated it a third time,
So I stood up and said, 'Who will bear witness for me?'
Then I sat down.
Thereupon the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
'What is the matter with you, O Abu Qatadah?'
So I informed him of what had happened.
A man then stood up and said: 'He has spoken the truth;
The slain man's spoils are in my possession,
So persuade him to forfeit his claim in my favor.'
Abu Bakr said: 'No, by Allah!
The Messenger of Allah will not bypass one of the lions of Allah,
Who fights for the cause of Allah and His Messenger,
To hand his spoils over to you!'
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
'He has spoken the truth,
So give the spoils to him.'
Abu Qatadah said: 'So I took the spoils from him,
And with them I bought a date-palm garden in the land of Banu Salimah,
And it was the very first property I acquired in Islam.'"
The Muslims had rallied back to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And fought the disbelievers fiercely
Until the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and those with him prevailed
Through the divine victory granted by Allah Almighty.
Regarding this event, Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, revealed:
﴿And on the day of Hunayn,
“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)
When your great numbers elated you,
But availed you nothing,
And the earth, vast as it is, constrained you,
“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)
Then you turned back in retreat.
“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 punished those who disbelieved;
Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.﴾