The Siege of Ta’if

At the same time, the Noble Messenger ﷺ announced:

“Whoever kills a polytheist, whatever weapons and belongings that person had shall belong to him.”

After being defeated on the battlefield of Hunayn, some of the people of Banu Hawazin reached the place of Awtas.

They set up their camp there.

Blood began flowing down onto his chest.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ passed his blessed hand from his forehead down to his stomach.

The bleeding stopped immediately, and the Prophet ﷺ prayed for him.

The mark of the Prophet’s ﷺ hand remained on his forehead.

Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه was also wounded in this battle.

The Noble Messenger ﷺ applied his blessed saliva to his wound.

He says that the pain disappeared immediately.

After the defeat of the polytheists at Hunayn, many people accepted Islam.

They realized that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had the help of Allah Almighty.

Then the Prophet ﷺ ordered:

“Gather all the prisoners and the spoils of war in one place.”

When the spoils and prisoners had been gathered, the Prophet ﷺ had all of them sent to the place of Ji‘ranah.

All this remained there until the Muslims returned from the expedition to Ta’if. That is, it was distributed among the Muslims afterward.

Then the Noble Messenger ﷺ learned that Banu Hawazin and their leader, Malik ibn ‘Awf, had reached Ta’if after their defeat.

Ta’if was already a major city at that time.

These people had taken refuge inside a fortress there.

Upon receiving this information, the Noble Messenger ﷺ set out toward Ta’if.

He sent the advance detachment ahead first.

He appointed Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه as its commander.

Eventually, the army reached Ta’if and camped near the fortress in which Malik ibn ‘Awf and the remaining members of his army had taken refuge.

As soon as the polytheists saw the Muslim army, they began intense archery from the fortress.

Many Muslims were wounded by these arrows.

One arrow struck the eye of Hazrat Abu Sufyan ibn Harb رضي الله عنه.

His eye was severely affected.

He came to the Noble Messenger ﷺ holding his injured eye in his hand and said:

“O Messenger of Allah! I have lost this eye in the path of Allah.”

The Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“If you wish, I will pray, and this eye of yours will be restored to its place.

But if you do not want the eye, then in exchange you will receive Paradise.”

He replied:

“I prefer Paradise.”

He said this and discarded the injured eye.

Among those who were wounded by arrows during the Battle of Ta’if, twelve attained martyrdom.

Eventually, the Noble Messenger ﷺ moved away from the fortress and came to the place where the present-day Mosque of Ta’if stands.

While the siege of the fortress was continuing, Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه moved ahead of the army and called out:

“Is there anyone who will come out to face me?”

In response to his challenge, no one came out to face him.

From above the fortress, ‘Abd Yalil said:

“None of us will come down from the fortress to you.

We will remain inside the fortress.

We have enough food and drink to last us for years.

Until our supplies run out, we will not come outside.

If you can remain here until then, then remain here.”

When several days of the siege had passed, Hazrat ‘Umar رضي الله عنه asked the Noble Messenger ﷺ:

“Why are you not launching a decisive attack against the people of Ta’if?”

In response, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“I have not yet received the command to take action against the people of Ta’if.

I believe that we will not conquer this city at this time.”

Eventually, when no command came from Allah Almighty, the Noble Messenger ﷺ ordered the army to return.

The people did not like the idea of returning without victory.

The Noble Messenger ﷺ sensed their reluctance, so he said:

“Very well, then prepare for an attack.”

The people immediately prepared for an attack and launched an assault on the fortress.

As a result, many Muslims were wounded.

After this, the Prophet ﷺ again announced:

“Now, Insha’Allah, we are departing.”

This time, when the people heard the announcement, they became happy and began preparing to leave obediently.

Seeing this, the Prophet ﷺ smiled.

He smiled because earlier they had been ready to fight and had felt unhappy about returning, whereas now they had very quickly and happily become ready to depart.

In reality, the Companions رضي الله عنهم had now understood that the opinion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had been completely correct.

At the time of departure, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“There is no deity except Allah.

His promise is true.

He helped His servant.

He alone defeated the Ahzab.”

(Ahzab means an army in which many groups have gathered together.)

After proceeding some distance, the Prophet ﷺ said:

“We are returning, repenting, worshipping our Lord, and praising Him.”

Ta’if was the city whose people had greatly persecuted the Noble Prophet ﷺ even before the Migration and had caused him much suffering.

Despite this, the Noble Messenger ﷺ had not cursed them even then.

And now too, he ﷺ prayed for the people of Ta’if:

“O Allah! Grant guidance to Banu Thaqif and send them to us as Muslims.”

In this battle, Hazrat ‘Abdullah رضي الله عنه, the son of Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, was also wounded.

Because of the effects of this wound, he passed away several years later during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq رضي الله عنه.

During the return journey, when the Noble Messenger ﷺ descended into a valley on his way toward Ji‘ranah, he met Suraqah ibn Malik.

Suraqah was the man who, when the Noble Messenger ﷺ migrated from Makkah to Madinah with Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, had pursued him out of greed for the reward that had been announced.

When he came close, the feet of his horse sank into the ground.

He asked for forgiveness, and the horse’s feet came out.

He then advanced again with the intention of harming the Prophet ﷺ, but once again the horse’s feet sank into the ground.

This happened three times.

Eventually, he came to his senses and sincerely asked for forgiveness.

He then turned back.

At that time, he had not accepted Islam.

However, he had said to the Prophet ﷺ:

“O Muhammad! I know that one day you will become dominant throughout the world.

You will have authority over the lives of people.

Therefore, write a document for me so that when I come to you during the time of your rule, you will treat me with honor.”

At his request, the Prophet ﷺ had a document written for him by Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه or his freedman, ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah رضي الله عنه, and gave it to him.

Suraqah had now come specifically to meet the Noble Messenger ﷺ, and this meeting took place at Ji‘ranah.

At this very place, the Muslims had transferred the spoils of the Battle of Hunayn.

At that time, Suraqah ibn Malik was calling out:

“I am Suraqah ibn Malik, and I have the document of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with me.”

Hearing his words, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said:

“Today is a day of loyalty, love, and keeping promises. Bring him close to me.”

The Companions brought Suraqah close to the Noble Messenger ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ treated him with great kindness.

Then the Prophet ﷺ had the spoils of Hunayn counted and distributed them among the Muslims.

Among the prisoners captured at Hunayn was the Noble Messenger’s ﷺ foster-sister, Shayma bint Halimah as-Sa‘diyyah.

That is, she was the daughter of the Prophet’s ﷺ foster mother, Hazrat Halimah as-Sa‘diyyah, and had been his foster-sister during childhood.

When she was captured, she told the Companions:

“I am the sister of your Prophet.”

But they did not believe what Shayma said.

Eventually, a group of the Ansar brought her into the presence of the Noble Messenger ﷺ.

When Shayma came before him, she said:

“O Muhammad! I am your sister.”

The Noble Messenger ﷺ asked her:

“What proof do you have of this?”

In reply, Shayma said:

“There is a mark of your bite on my thumb from when I used to hold you in my lap.”

The Noble Messenger ﷺ recognized the mark.

As soon as he recognized it, he stood up.

He spread his own cloak for her and seated her with honor.

At that moment, tears came to his eyes, and he said:

“Whatever you ask for will be given to you.

Whatever you recommend or intercede for will be accepted.”