Treasures of biography | Sheikh Othman Al-Khamis | Episode (36)

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:03 Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).

0:06 The Battle of Mu'tah.

0:10 In the eighth year of the Hijrah.

0:13 It was the most formidable and daunting war the Muslims fought during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

0:22 It took place at the beginning of the eighth year of the Hijrah, in Jumada al-Ula,

0:27 approximately eighty kilometers from Jerusalem.

0:32 The cause of this battle:

0:34 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

0:37 sent Al-Harith ibn 'Umayr with his letter to the ruler of Busra.

0:42 On his way, Shurahbil ibn 'Amr al-Ghassani intercepted him;

0:46 he was the governor of Al-Balqa' in the land of Sham on behalf of Caesar.

0:51 So he seized him and bound him,

0:53 then brought him forward and beheaded him.

0:56 The established custom in diplomacy was that he was an emissary,

0:59 and emissaries are never killed, no matter the circumstances.

1:02 Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) dispatched against them

1:06 an army numbering three thousand warriors.

1:10 This was the largest Muslim army

1:13 assembled up to that time, unsurpassed except at the Battle of the Trench (Al-Ahzab),

1:16 which was close to this number.

1:19 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) appointed

1:22 Zayd ibn Harithah as commander over this army,

1:25 and he said:

1:26 "If Zayd is killed, then Ja'far;

1:29 and if Ja'far is killed, then 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah."

1:33 He tied a white banner for them

1:35 and handed it to Zayd ibn Harithah.

1:38 It was called the Expedition of the Commanders,

1:41 because he designated three commanders in succession for it.

1:44 Then he (peace be upon him) exhorted them

1:47 with his customary instructions to armies whenever they set out.

1:51 On the authority of Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:

1:54 Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

1:57 appointed a commander over an army or an expeditionary force,

2:00 he would personally counsel him to be mindful of Allah,

2:03 and to treat the Muslims with him well.

2:06 Then he would say:

2:08 "Fight in the name of Allah, in the cause of Allah!

2:11 Fight those who disbelieve in Allah!

2:13 Fight, but do not embezzle spoils, do not commit treachery,

2:16 do not mutilate,

2:18 and do not kill a newborn child.

2:20 When you meet your enemy among the polytheists,

2:23 invite them to three choices:

2:26 whichever of them they accept,

2:28 accept it from them and withhold yourselves from harming them."

2:31 This demonstrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him)

2:34 was not eager for fighting for its own sake,

2:36 but rather resorted to it out of absolute necessity.

2:40 He said:

2:41 "First:

2:42 Invite them to Islam.

2:44 If they accept,

2:46 accept it from them and withhold yourselves from harming them.

2:49 Then invite them to migrate

2:50 from their land to the abode of the Emigrants (Muhajirun),

2:53 and inform them that if they do so,

2:56 they shall enjoy the rights of the Emigrants

2:58 and share the obligations of the Emigrants.

3:01 But if they refuse to migrate from their land—

3:04 meaning, to emigrate—

3:06 inform them that they will be like the Bedouin Muslims:

3:10 subject to the law of Allah that applies to the believers,

3:14 but they will have no share in the spoils of war or *fay'*,

3:18 because they refused to emigrate."

3:20 He said:

3:22 "They shall have no share in spoils

3:23 unless they fight alongside the Muslims.

3:27 Second:

3:28 If they refuse Islam,

3:29 ask them to pay the *jizyah*.

3:32 If they accept,

3:33 accept it from them and withhold yourselves from harming them.

3:36 Third:

3:38 If they refuse,

3:39 seek Allah's help and fight them.

3:42 And if you besiege the people of a fortress

3:44 and they demand that you grant them

3:46 the protection of Allah and the protection of His Prophet,

3:49 do not grant them the protection of Allah or the protection of His Prophet;

3:53 rather, grant them your own protection and the protection of your companions.

3:57 For it is less grave for you to violate your protection and that of your companions

4:01 than to violate the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger.

4:06 And if you besiege the people of a fortress

4:08 and they demand that you make them surrender according to the judgment of Allah,

4:11 do not make them surrender according to the judgment of Allah,

4:14 but make them surrender according to your own judgment;

4:16 for you do not know whether you will hit upon Allah's judgment concerning them or not."

4:21 There is no contradiction whatsoever between this and the word of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted.

4:26 “There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.” (2:256)

4:29 For we do not fight people to force them into entering Islam;

4:32 rather, we fight if they refuse Islam and refuse to pay the *jizyah*.

4:37 Fighting is a means, not an end in itself.

4:40 But why do we require the *jizyah*?

4:44 We must understand that the earth belongs to Allah.

4:47 Since that is the case,

4:49 Allah created human beings upon this earth solely to worship Him.

4:54 Allah Almighty says:

4:56 “I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.” (51:56)

5:00 Yet many people refused to worship Allah,

5:04 while continuing to dwell upon His earth.

5:06 So Allah sent servants of His

5:08 and commanded them to invite those people to Islam.

5:11 If they refused, then the *jizyah*;

5:14 and if they refused that, He commanded them to fight those people—

5:18 those who dwelt upon His earth

5:20 yet refused to enter His religion and worship Him, Glorified and Exalted be He,

5:25 and refused to pay the *jizyah*.

5:28 Thereupon, the Muslim army prepared to depart.

5:32 The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave them his final instructions

5:36 and bade them farewell.

5:38 One of the commanders of the army wept—

5:41 namely, 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him).

5:44 They asked, "What makes you weep?"

5:46 He said:

5:48 "By Allah, I have no love for this world nor any longing for you,

5:53 but I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

5:57 reciting a verse from the Book of Allah mentioning the Fire:

6:02 Allah Almighty says:

6:03 “There is not one of you but shall approach it. That is a fixed ordinance of thy Lord.” (19:71)

6:07 'This is an inevitable decree upon your Lord.'

6:12 How then can I be sure of returning after passing over it?"

6:16 The Prophet (peace be upon him) bade them farewell,

6:19 as did his Companions who remained with him in Medina.

6:24 On that occasion, 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah recited:

6:27 "Rather, I ask the Most Merciful for forgiveness,

6:30 and a piercing strike that spews forth foam,

6:34 or a thrust by the hand of a furious attacker, delivered

6:38 with a spear that passes through the bowels and liver—

6:42 so that it may be said when they pass by my grave:

6:46 'May Allah guide a warrior who was indeed rightly guided.'"

6:50 The army set out

6:51 until it reached an area called Ma'an in the land of Sham.

6:56 News then reached them

6:58 that Heraclius had encamped in an area called Ma'ab

7:02 in the land of Al-Balqa',

7:04 leading one hundred thousand Romans,

7:06 joined by another one hundred thousand Christian Arabs.

7:11 The Muslims had never anticipated

7:13 that an army of such immense size would march out against them.

7:17 So they stayed in Ma'an for two nights,

7:19 deliberating over their situation and taking counsel together.

7:23 They said, "Let us write to the Messenger of Allah

7:26 to inform him of the number of our enemy,

7:29 so he may either reinforce us with men

7:31 or issue a command for us to proceed."

7:34 But 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah said:

7:36 "O my people!

7:38 By Allah, the very thing you dislike

7:40 is that which you came out seeking: martyrdom!

7:43 We do not fight people with numbers, strength, or abundance;

7:47 we fight them only with this religion with which Allah has honored us.

7:52 So march onward!

7:53 For it is bound to be one of the two best outcomes:

7:56 either victory or martyrdom."

7:59 Thus the matter was settled upon 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah's word,

8:03 and they did not write to the Prophet (peace be upon him).

8:07 That was because those impassioned words of 'Abdullah

8:11 had a profound impact upon them,

8:14 so feelings of hesitation vanished from their ranks,

8:17 and they resolved to face the enemy—

8:20 may Allah be pleased with them.

8:22 When the enemy drew near the Muslims,

8:25 the Muslims moved to a place called Mu'tah,

8:29 where they encamped and arrayed themselves for battle.

8:33 The two forces met:

8:35 one hundred thousand against three thousand!

8:39 Yet it was faith—

8:41 when its winds blow, it works wonders.

8:45 Zayd ibn Harithah took up the banner

8:48 and began fighting fiercely and courageously alongside the Muslims.

8:53 Zayd continued fighting until he was killed (may Allah be pleased with him)

8:57 and fell slain upon the battlefield.

8:59 Salamah ibn al-Akwa' said:

9:02 "I fought in nine military expeditions alongside Zayd,

9:05 and the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to appoint him as commander over us."

9:09 And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

9:13 "I entered Paradise,

9:14 and a young maiden met me.

9:18 I asked, 'To whom do you belong?'

9:20 She replied, 'To Zayd ibn Harithah.'"

9:23 After Zayd was martyred,

9:25 Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) took up the banner

9:29 and began fighting with intense ferocity.

9:32 When the fighting exhausted him, he recited:

9:36 "O how wonderful is Paradise and its approaching,

9:40 sweet and cool is its drink!

9:43 And the Romans—their punishment draws near;

9:46 disbelievers, distant in their lineage.

9:50 Upon me is to strike them whenever I meet them!"

9:53 So he continued to fight until he dismounted his horse and hamstrung it—

9:58 and he was the first to hamstring his horse in Islam.

10:01 He held fast to the banner (may Allah be pleased with him)

10:04 until his right arm was severed;

10:06 so he took the banner in his left hand,

10:08 whereupon his left arm was severed.

10:10 He then embraced the banner with the stumps of his upper arms,

10:13 and kept it raised until he was killed.

10:16 So Allah granted him in exchange two wings in Paradise,

10:20 with which he flies wherever he wills.

10:23 For this reason, he was called Ja'far al-Tayyar (Ja'far the Flying).

10:27 Whenever 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father)

10:30 greeted 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far, he would say to him:

10:34 "Peace be upon you, O son of the Two-Winged One."

10:37 Ja'far was also called

10:40 Abu al-Masakin (Father of the Poor).

10:42 He had made both migrations:

10:44 to Abyssinia and to Medina.

10:47 Al-Bukhari recorded in his Sahih

10:50 from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father)

10:53 that he stood over Ja'far at Mu'tah while he lay slain,

10:57 and said:

10:58 "I counted fifty wounds on him, between stabs and strikes,

11:02 not a single one of which was in his back."

11:05 Ja'far died

11:07 at the age of thirty-three.

11:11 Then, after the martyrdom of Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him), the banner was taken up by

11:15 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah.

11:17 He advanced with it,

11:19 but experienced a brief moment of hesitation,

11:22 so he addressed his own soul, saying:

11:25 "I swear, O soul, you shall descend [to battle],

11:28 willingly or unwillingly!

11:31 Though the people have gathered and the clamor has grown loud,

11:34 why do I see you reluctant to enter Paradise?"

11:38 Then he dismounted.

11:39 A cousin of his brought him a meat bone

11:43 and said:

11:44 "Strengthen yourself with this."

11:46 He took it from his hand,

11:48 took a single bite from it,

11:50 then tossed it aside, grasped his sword, advanced,

11:54 and fought until he was killed,

11:56 with the banner still in his hand.

11:58 Then a man from the tribe of Banu 'Ajlan stepped forward,

12:01 named Thabit ibn Arqam,

12:04 who took the banner and said:

12:06 "O assembly of Muslims,

12:08 agree upon a man among you [to lead],

12:11 for there must be a commander whose orders are obeyed."

12:14 They said: "You take it."

12:16 He replied:

12:17 "I am not fit to do so."

12:19 So the people agreed upon Khalid ibn al-Walid.

12:23 When he took the banner,

12:24 he fought with immense ferocity.

12:27 Khalid said:

12:29 "On the day of Mu'tah,

12:32 nine swords broke in my hand,

12:34 and nothing remained in my hand except a broad Yemeni blade."

12:38 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had already informed [the companions in Medina]

12:41 about what was taking place,

12:42 as he was sitting on the pulpit with the Companions around him.

12:46 He said:

12:48 "Then Zayd took the banner and was slain,

12:51 then Ja'far took it and was slain,

12:53 then Ibn Rawahah took it and was slain"—

12:57 while the eyes of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were overflowing with tears.

13:02 For these three were among his closest Companions:

13:05 Zayd was his freed slave,

13:06 who used to be called Zayd ibn Muhammad;

13:10 Ja'far was his cousin;

13:12 and 'Abdullah was his poet and one of the prominent leaders of the Khazraj.

13:16 The Prophet (peace be upon him) continued:

13:19 "...until a sword from the swords of Allah took the banner,

13:23 until Allah granted them victory."

13:26 Indeed, Allah granted them victory in this great battle,

13:30 in that only a small number of Muslims were killed,

13:34 while far more were killed among the disbelievers.

13:38 When Khalid took the banner,

13:40 he stood firm throughout the day

13:42 until night fell and fighting ceased.

13:46 Then he executed a remarkable strategy (may Allah be pleased with him):

13:50 he took the right wing and moved it to the left,

13:53 took the left wing and moved it to the right,

13:56 put the vanguard at the rear,

13:58 and brought the rear guard to the front.

14:01 It is also said that he dispatched a detachment to raise clouds of dust in the distance at dawn.

14:07 When morning came,

14:09 the Byzantines remained in their positions,

14:12 but those who had been fighting the right wing

14:15 now faced entirely different faces,

14:17 as did those fighting the left wing and the front line,

14:21 in addition to seeing the dust rising from afar.

14:24 So they were certain that reinforcements had reached the Muslims,

14:28 and they said to themselves:

14:30 "If we could not overcome them when they were so few,

14:34 how can we now that reinforcements have arrived?"

14:37 At that point, the Byzantines disengaged from the battle,

14:40 so Khalid pulled back his forces,

14:42 and the Byzantines retreated to their lands,

14:44 while Khalid led his men back to Medina.

14:48 This was the true victory:

14:50 that he managed to save the Muslims from certain annihilation.

14:55 Those martyred among the Muslims in this battle were:

14:59 Zayd,

15:00 Ja'far,

15:01 Ibn Rawahah,

15:03 Mas'ud ibn al-Aswad,

15:05 Wahb ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh,

15:07 'Abbad ibn Qays,

15:09 Al-Harith ibn al-Nu'man,

15:11 Suraqah ibn 'Amr,

15:14 Jabir ibn 'Amr,

15:16 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn al-Harith,

15:18 and 'Amir ibn Sa'd ibn al-Harith—

15:21 making twelve in total.

15:23 In this battle, a level of courage and valor was displayed

15:27 the likes of which no other nation had ever seen.

15:31 This spirit of faith that they possessed

15:35 gave them an extraordinary boldness

15:38 that humbled the pride of those mighty nations

15:41 known for their sheer power and vast numbers.

15:45 All of this confirms that the Muslims were of an entirely different caliber

15:49 than any people humanity had ever known.

15:52 After this battle,

15:54 several Arab tribes entered Islam,

15:58 including Banu Sulaym, Ashja',

16:00 Ghatafan, and Fazarah.

16:02 The Muslims returned to Medina,

16:05 and the believers rejoiced at their arrival.

16:08 As for the report claiming

16:11 that when they returned,

16:13 the people of Medina met them saying:

16:17 "O flee-ers! O flee-ers!"

16:19 and that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

16:22 "Rather, they are the persistent attackers,"

16:24 this is a weak report and is not authentic.

Treasures of biography | Sheikh Othman Al-Khamis | Episode (36) | Battle of Mu'tah

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