Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
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566 The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong><br />
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba b. Mas'iid<br />
said: The apostle stayed in Mecca after he had occupied it for fifteen<br />
nights, shortening prayers. The occupation <strong>of</strong> Mecca took place on the<br />
20th Ramadan A.H. 8.<br />
THE BATTLE OF l;IUNAYN, A.H.8<br />
When Hawiizin heard how God had given the apostle possession <strong>of</strong> Mecca,<br />
Malik b. 'Auf al-Nasri collected them together. There assembled to him<br />
also all Thagif and all Nasr and Iusham; and Sa'd b. Bakr, and a few men<br />
from B. Hila!' There were no others present from Qays 'Aylan. Kab and<br />
Kiliib <strong>of</strong> Hawazin kept away and no one <strong>of</strong> ap.y importance from them was<br />
present. Among the B. Iusham was Durayd b. al-$imma, a very oldman<br />
whose sale remaining use was his valuable advice and his knowledge <strong>of</strong> war,<br />
for he was an experienced leader. Thagjf had two leaders: Qarib b. al<br />
Aswad b. Mas'ud b. Mu'attib comma~ded the A\>laf, and Dhu'l-Khimar<br />
Subay' b. al-1:Jarith b. Malik and his brother A\>mar commanded the B.<br />
Malik. The general direction <strong>of</strong> affairs lay with Malik b. 'Auf al-Na~ri.<br />
When he decided to attack the apostle he placed with the men their cattle,<br />
wives, and children. When he halted at Aulas the men assembled to him,<br />
among them Durayd b. al-$imma in a sort <strong>of</strong> howdah ih which he was<br />
carried. As soon as he arrived he inquired what wadi they were in and<br />
when he was told that it was Aups he said that it was a fine place for<br />
841 cavalry. 'Not a hill with jagged rocks, nor a plain full <strong>of</strong> dust; but why do<br />
I hear the groaning <strong>of</strong> camels and the braying <strong>of</strong> asses, and the crying <strong>of</strong><br />
children and the bleating <strong>of</strong> sheep I"~ They told him that Malik had brought<br />
them with the men, and he immediately inquired for him and said, '0<br />
Malik, you have become the chief <strong>of</strong> your people and this is a day which<br />
will be followed by great events.' He then inguired about the cattle and the<br />
women and children, and l\lalik explained that his purpose in bringing<br />
them and putting them behind the men was to make them fight to the<br />
death in their defence. He made a sound indicative <strong>of</strong> dismayz and said:<br />
'You sheep-tender, do you suppose that anything will turn back a man that<br />
runs away 1 If all goes well nothing will help you but sword and lance; if<br />
it goes ill you will be disgraced with your family and property.' Then he<br />
asked what had happened to Ka'b and Kilab; and when he heard that they<br />
were not there he said, 'Bravery and force are not here; were it a day <strong>of</strong><br />
l<strong>of</strong>ty deeds Ka'b and Kilab would not have stayed away. I wish that you<br />
had done what they have done. What clans have you got I' They told him<br />
'Amr b. 'Amir and 'Auf b. 'Amir and he said, 'Those two sprigs <strong>of</strong> 'Amir<br />
can do nothing either way. You've done no good, Malik, by sending forward<br />
the mainbody, the mainbody <strong>of</strong> Hawazin, to meet the cavalry. Send<br />
them up to the high and inaccessible part <strong>of</strong> their land and meet the<br />
I The language is the oracular style <strong>of</strong> saj'.<br />
1. Lit. 'said Tehk'; other authorities say it means snapping the fingers.<br />
The L1fe <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong> 567<br />
apostates I on horseback. If all goes well those behind can join you, and if<br />
the battle goes against you you will have saved your families and stock,'<br />
Malik answered, 'I \von't do it. You are an old dotard. You \vill either<br />
obey me, 0 Hawazin, or I will lean on my sword until it comes out from my<br />
back.' He could not bear Durayd's having any credit in the matter. Ha\vazin<br />
said that they would obey him and Durayd said, 'This is a day which<br />
I did not witness (as a warrior) and did not altogether miss.'<br />
Would that I were young again!<br />
I would ride forward gently<br />
Leading long-haired steeds<br />
Like young antelopes (819).<br />
(To Durayd was the chief <strong>of</strong> the B. Iusham and their leader and greatest T. 16 57<br />
man, but old age had overtaken him so that he was feeble. His full name<br />
was Durayd b. al-$imma b. Bakr b. 'Algama b. Iuda'a b. Ghazjva b.<br />
Iusham b. Mu'awiya b. Bakr b. Hawazin. Then Malik said to the -men<br />
'A s soon as you see them, break your scabbards and attack them as one'<br />
man.')<br />
Umayya b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. 'Uthman informed me that he was told 842<br />
that Malik sent out spies who came back with their joints dislocated. When<br />
he asked what on earth had happened to them they said, 'We saw white<br />
men on piebald horses and immediately we suffered as you see.' And, by<br />
God, even that did not turn him back from the course he intended.<br />
When the prophet heard about them he sent 'Abdullah b. Abu Hadrad<br />
al-~slami to them and ordered him to go among them and stay with them<br />
until he learned all about them, and then bring him back the news. 'Abdul_<br />
lah went and stayed with them until he learned that they had decided to<br />
fight the apostle and the dispositions <strong>of</strong> Hawazin, and then came back to<br />
tell the apostle. (T. The apostle called for 'Umar and told him what Ibn<br />
Abu 1:Jadrad had said. 'Umar said that he was a liar. He replied, 'You<br />
may call me a har, 'Umar, but for a long time you denied the truth.' 'Umar<br />
said, 'Do you not hear what he says, a apostle?' and the apostle answered<br />
'You were in error and God guided you, 'umar.') ,<br />
When the apostle decided to go out against Hawazin he was told that<br />
f;lafwan b. Umayya had some armour and weapons, so he sent to him<br />
though he was at that time a polytheist, saying, 'Lend us these weapons <strong>of</strong><br />
yours so. that we may fight our enemy tomorrmv.' $afwan asked, 'Are you<br />
demandmg them by force, <strong>Muhammad</strong> I' He said, ':-\0, they are a loan<br />
and a trust until we return them to you.' He said that in that case there was<br />
no objection and he gave him a hundred coats <strong>of</strong> mail with sufficient arms<br />
to go with them. They allege that the apostle asked for transport to carry<br />
them and he provided it.<br />
Then the apostle marched with 2,000 Meccans and 10,000 <strong>of</strong> his companions<br />
who had gone out with him when he conquered Mecca, 12,000 in<br />
I<br />
The fabi' was one who changed his religion; in this case the newly converted Muslims.