Following the Hudaibiyyah Treaty, fighting had largely halted in Arabia and the Muslims found ample opportunities to preach in peace. As a result, their strength was remarkably increasing day by day. The Quraish were very upset with the progress of the Muslims, and their tyranny and persecution of Muslims had crossed all bounds. They were therefore looking for an opportunity to incite people to wage an all-out war against the Muslims.
In the meantime, Banu Bakr, a tribe allied with the Quraish, attacked Banu Khuza‘ah, a tribe allied with the Muslims, because of their historic enmity. According to the conditions of the Hudaibiyyah Treaty, the Quraish were bound to stop Banu Bakr, but instead, they aided them with arms1 and, as a result, 20 to 30 people of the Khuza‘ah tribe were killed at the hands of Banu Bakr. A delegate of Banu Khuza‘ah appeared before Muhammad (sas) and narrated the story of their oppression in the form of a painful poetic rendition. Muhammad (sas) was very sympathetic towards them; he comforted them and assured them of his help.
After the return of the delegation of Banu Khuza‘ah, Muhammad (sas) sent one of his messengers to the Quraish and gave them three options: pay the blood money for the Banu Khuza‘ah’s murdered people; distance themselves from Banu Bakr; or break the Hudaibiyyah Treaty. The Quraish initially chose the third option2, but soon afterwards realized their lack of foresight and sent Abu Sufyan to Muhammad (sas) to renew the treaty. Muhammad (sas) had already witnessed the violation of the treaty by the Quraish, so he did not accept their demands, and Abu Sufyan returned unsuccessful.
Muhammad (sas), joined by the allied tribes, raised an army of 10,000 strong. He started preparation for an assault on Makkah, and instructed his companions to keep it confidential especially from the Quraish of Makkah. But Hatib bin Abi Balta’a (ra), sent a letter by the hand of a woman to the Quraish to alert them of the preparation of the army by Muhammad (sas). Muhammad (sas), through a Divine revelation came to know about it. He sent ’Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) and Zubair bin al-‘Awwam (ra) to intercept the woman to recover the letter and arrest her. They reached the woman at Raudatul-Jannah. On questioning, first she denied having any letter; but since they had full conviction in the words of Muhammad (sas), they searched her and found the letter in her tresses. The woman was arrested and presented in the court of Muhammad (sas). Hatib (ra) was also asked to appear before Muhammad (sas). Hatib said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I swear to God that I have faith in Allah and His Prophet. I am also certain that Allah shall give you a victory over Makkah. But since I have family members and relatives in Makkah, I wanted to do a favour to the people of Makkah. In this way, they would be obliged to me and not hurt my family members and relatives.”
‘Umar bin al-Khattab (ra), greatly angered, wanted to behead him, but Muhammad (sas) said:
O ‘Umar, Hatib is a veteran of Badr and speaks the truth. He made a mistake which can be forgiven.
Thus Hatib (ra) was forgiven.
Finally, on the 10th of Ramadan, 8 A.H., Muhammad (sas) with 10,000 men, set out to Makkah with great dignity and splendor; thus, fulfilling the prophecy of Moses (as) about the coming of a prophet with an army of 10,000 saints3 over the mountain Paran. On the way, Muhammad (sas) met his uncle ‘Abbas (ra), who had accepted Islam and was on his way to Madinah with his family. ‘Abbas (ra) joined the Muslim army and sent his family to Madinah.
When the Quraish heard about the approaching Muslim army, they sent Abu Sufyan, Hakim bin Hizam, and Budail bin Warqa’ to gather intelligence. When they neared Marraz-Zahran, they were intimidated to see so many blazing campfires spread over a vast area and were frightened by the strength of the army. In the meantime, ‘Abbas (ra), who had a strong desire for the Quraish to accept Islam, came out of the army camp riding the mule of Muhammad (sas). He hoped to find influential people of Makkah to warn them of the upcoming danger, and advocate them to accept Islam. ‘Abbas (ra) recognizing the voice of Abu Sufyan, called him, and had him ride on the mule behind him towards the army camp. On the way they met ‘Umar Farooq (ra), who recognized Abu Sufyan and wanted to kill him, but ‘Abbas (ra) was able to take Abu Sufyan to the camp of Muhammad (sas).
Since, Muhammad (sas) was a paragon of kindness; he gave respite for one night to Abu Sufyan on the intercession of ‘Abbas (ra). The next morning, Abu Sufyan accepted Islam, and became one of the passionate followers of Muhammad (sas). ‘Abbas (ra) requested, “Since Abu Sufyan is a chieftain, can he be awarded some special honour?” Muhammad (sas) said:
He who takes refuge in the house of Abu Sufyan will be safe, and he who keeps the door of his house locked will be safe, and he who lays down arms will be safe.
Abu Sufyan was greatly pleased with the honour awarded to him. He ascended to a raised spot to view the spectacle of the Muslim army and then hurried back to Makkah ahead of all to announce the directive of Muhammad (sas). This announcement of Muhammad (sas) is a clear depiction of his utmost desire to avoid bloodshed at all costs in Makkah.
As Makkah is nestled in mountains, strategically the army had to enter from multiple directions. Therefore, Muhammad (sas) instructed his army to enter from multiple directions. He asked Khalid bin Walid (ra) to enter from the upper side from where the Banu Khuza‘ah were attacked, and where lived Ikramah bin Abu Jahl. In spite of the announcement of the general pardon, the Makkans living on the upper side of the town started a fight,4 and Khalid (ra) was forced to use the sword. Muhammad (sas) was observing the entry of the army from a higher place. He was greatly disturbed to see the shine of the swords of the squad of Khalid (ra) since he clearly instructed to maintain peace. When Khalid (ra) returned, Muhammad (sas) questioned him, but was satisfied at his reasonable explanation.
Muhammad (sas) went to the Ka‘bah, and performed seven circuits while riding his mule. He cleansed the Ka‘bah from the adulteration of the 360 idols housed there. Tradition says that he kept hitting the idols with his staff while reciting the following verse5:
وَقُلۡ جَآءَ الۡحَقُّ وَزَھَقَ الۡبَاطِلُ ؕ اِنَّ الۡبَاطِلَ کَانَ زَھُوۡقًا
Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away. Falsehood does indeed vanish away fast.6
Muhammad (sas) then went to the Station of Abraham7 and offered two rak‘at of Salat. Thereafter, he entered the Ka‘bah after taking the keys from ‘Uthman bin Talhah, the doorkeeper of the Ka‘bah and offered the supplemental forenoon prayer. Then, he returned the keys to ‘Uthman saying, “These keys will always remain with you and your descendents.” ‘Uthman was so moved by the generosity of Muhammad (sas) that he immediately accepted Islam.
Thereafter, Muhammad (sas) delivered a sermon in which he described the Oneness of God, the sanctity of Makkah, and the equality of the human race. Addressing the gathering of the Quraish, he said:
O Quraish! What do you think of the treatment that I am about to accord to you?
The Quraish replied:
O noble brother and son of a noble brother! We expect nothing but kindness from you.
Upon this, Muhammad (sas) said:
I say to you what Yusuf said to his brothers.
لَا تَثۡرِیۡبَ عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡیَوۡمَ یَغۡفِرُ اللّٰہُ لَکُمۡ وَھُوَ اَرۡحَمُ الرّٰحِمِیۡنَ
No blame shall lie on you this day; may Allah forgive you! And He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.8
Ikramah bin Abu Jahl had run away from Makkah out of fear of retribution for his crimes. His wife appeared in the court of Muhammad (sas) crying and begging forgiveness for her husband. How could Muhammad’s vast mercy deny the request of a woman? He immediately pardoned him. Abu Sufyan’s wife Hind, who chewed on the liver of Muhammad’s uncle, Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib (ra), was also pardoned as she had already privately accepted Islam. Wahshi, who was responsible for the martyrdom of Hamzah (ra), was pardoned too. However, at the time of pardoning him, Muhammad (sas) did say, “Do not appear before me, as you remind me of Hamzah (ra).”
In this way, every oppressor, despot, and deceitful, dishonest, and prejudiced person was pardoned. We do not find its parallel in the entire history of mankind. Muhammad’s unmatched mercy had such a deep impact on people, that they started accepting Islam in large numbers.
The people who took the Bai‘at at the hand of Muhammad (sas) affirmed the following:
We will not associate anyone with Allah. We will not steal, fornicate, kill our children, or falsely accuse anyone. We will not disobey you in any good matter, and we will always remain steadfast on truth under any situation and always remain on the path of Allah; we will not fear the reproach of anyone who reproaches.10
The wording of the Bai‘at of the women included one extra phrase, “We will not wail on deceased people.” The ones who did not happily take the Bai‘at at this time were not out of favour by any measure. There were many such people who accepted Islam much later. Sir William Muir writes:
Although the city had cheerfully accepted his authority, all its inhabitants had not yet embraced the new religion, nor formally acknowledged his prophetic claim. Perhaps he intended to follow the course he had pursued at Madinah, and leave their conversion to be gradually accomplished without compulsion.11
The news of the victory of Makkah, and the acceptance of Islam by most of the Quraish greatly troubled the neighboring tribes. The powerful tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif who lived between Makkah and Ta’if were considered peers of the Quraish in their strength and power. They prepared a mighty army to fight with the Muslims. When Muhammad (sas) learned about their intentions, he immediately started preparation for war. He already had an army of 10,000 with him when he conquered Makkah, but now an additional 2,000 men joined him from Makkah. He reached the valley of Hunain with an army of 12,000. The enemy, well-acquainted with the place, prepared an ambush for the Muslim army by obscuring themselves in hideouts on both sides of the passage.
The Muslims had barely reached the valley, when they came under a severe barrage of arrows from both sides. At the forefront of the Muslim army was a brigade of 2,000 men from Makkah including some non-Muslims under the command of Khalid bin Walid. This squad considered itself invincible because of the strength of the army and their abundance of armour. The sudden and unexpected attack of the enemy caused them to be thrown into complete chaos and they started running away. This resulted in further pandemonium in the horses and the camels of the Muslim faithful who were right behind them, and they ran off too.
Muhammad (sas), standing on the right side of the valley, was left with a handful of companions including Abu Bakr (ra), ‘Umar (ra), ’Ali (ra), and ‘Abbas (ra). The tradition says that Muhammad (sas) in this state of concern and chaos said with great passion and majesty:
اَنَا النَّبِیُّ لَا کَذِبْ اَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ
I am the Prophet (of Allah); it is not a lie; I am from the children of ‘Abdul-Muttalib.12
Muhammad (sas) instructed ‘Abbas (ra) to call the Muslims back. ‘Abbas (ra) started calling every tribe by name, “O Ansar, God’s Messenger is calling you. O Muhajirun, come this way, the Messenger of God is here.” The Companions later recalled, “Recognizing his voice, we turned back. Those who were unable to ride as the horses and the camels were running away wildly, cut off the necks of the horses and brisked on foot to rally around Muhammad (sas).” Even then, hardly 100 people gathered around Muhammad (sas). Muhammad (sas) with this small squad raised the slogan of Allahu Akbar, and attacked the enemy in front of them so fiercely that the enemy lost its bearing and ran away in confusion. In the meantime, the Muslim army orchestrated an organized attack from all sides. In a little while, the tables were turned, the enemy was defeated, and the Muslims gained victory. In this battle, the Muslims captured 24,000 camels, more than 40,000 sheep, 4,000 silver auqiyyas, and 6,000 captives.
In the Battle of Hunain, most of the chieftains and stalwarts of the enemy were killed; nevertheless, a part of the remaining army ran away to Autas. Muhammad (sas) sent a small army there and defeated them.13 The remaining army took refuge in Ta’if. Ta’if was considered quite secure because of its fenced walls, and the people were also well versed in the art of war. They gathered food and provisions for an entire year inside the city and set up artillery around the city. Muhammad (sas) besieged the city for twenty consecutive days. During this time, most of the neighbouring tribes approached Muhammad (sas) and accepted Islam. When Muhammad (sas) saw that the siege had gone on for a long time, he took counsel with his companions and asked them for their opinion on what should be done. An experienced elderly man said:
O Prophet of Allah (sas)! The fox is hunted down in his den. We need not follow them into it, for eventually they will be compelled to emerge. If we just leave it as is, no harm will come from it, but the ultimate decision is yours.
Muhammad’s objective was to defend the Muslims from the attacks of the disbelievers, which he had accomplished. He lifted the siege and directed the army to march back.14
When Muhammad (sas) reached Al-Ji‘ranah, the captives and the spoils of the battle were distributed. According to the rules, one fifth was kept for the treasury and the rest was distributed among the army. While at Al-Ji‘ranah, a delegation of the Hawazin tribe appeared before Muhammad (sas) and reminding Muhammad (sas) of his wet nurse Halimah, pled for a pardon. Muhammad (sas) said, “The prisoners who were awarded to me and to Banu ‘Abdul-Muttalib are all free—you can take them.” Upon this, the Muhajirun and Ansar said, “O Messenger of Allah:
مَا کَانَ لَنَا فَھُوَ لِرَسُوْلِ اللّٰہِ
Our portion is the portion of the Messenger of Allah.
They freed all the prisoners of Banu Hawazin. In this way, 6,000 prisoners were freed in a short time.
Among the captives was Muhammad’s foster-sister Shima’. When she identified herself, at first Muhammad (sas) did not recognize her. But when she recalled some past incidents, he recognized her, and spread his mantle for her and seated her there with great respect and honour. He said that if she would go to Madinah with him, he would keep her with great respect, and if she wanted to go back to her people, she was free to do that. Shima’ liked the second option. Muhammad (sas) bade her well after giving her a handsome amount of money, provisions, a slave girl, and a slave boy.
After the distribution of the spoils of war, Muhammad (sas) gave generous gifts to some chieftains of the Quraish to win their hearts. A few youths of the Ansar started to grumble among themselves that their swords have not even dried up from the blood, yet Muhammad (sas) distributed the spoils among the Makkan people and his relatives among the Quraish.15 When Muhammad (sas) found out about this, he gathered the Ansar and questioned them about it. The sensible and the senior Ansar said:
None of the senior Ansar have said anything of what has been reported. A few unwise youth uttered these words.16
Muhammad (sas) said to them:
O Ansar! Is it not true that you were misguided before this time and Allah the Exalted bestowed upon you the wealth of faith through me?
The Ansar said:
Certainly, it is a great favour of Allah and His Messenger upon us.17
Muhammad (sas) said:
You were enemies to each other, and you became united through me.
The Ansar replied:
Certainly, it is true and a great favour of Muhammad (sas) upon us.
Then Muhammad (sas) said:
You were destitute, and Allah the Exalted made you rich through me.
The Ansar said:
No doubt, this is a great favour of Allah and His Messenger upon us.
Muhammad (sas) said:
You could have said that all Arabia rejected you (Muhammad (sas)) and we affirmed your truth, everyone abandoned you and we gave you refuge. You were needy, and we aided you, and I would affirm all of this. But O Ansar! Would you not rather like that the other people bring home sheep and camel, and you bring home the Messenger of Allah? I swear by God who owns my life, if people follow one course and the Ansar follow a different course, I will certainly follow the course of Ansar.
This speech had such an effect on the Ansar that though it brought tears to everyone but at the same time every heart was joyed.
The initial setback of the Battle of Hunain occurred because some of the Muslims grew overconfident, considering that they were able to defeat the enemy in the Battle of Badr when the Muslims were one third of the number of the enemy with very little provisions of war compared to the enemy. Now that they were large enough in number and well equipped with armour, they assumed victory was destined for them. They forgot that the victory of the Muslims in the Battle of Badr was not the result of any strength or bravery; but was merely because of the blessings of God the Exalted due to the prayers of the Messenger of Allah (sas) and the Muslims. The Qur’an affirmed this truth in the following words:
وَّیَوۡمَ حُنَیۡنٍ اِذۡ اَعۡجَبَتۡکُمۡ کَثۡرَتُکُمۡ فَلَمۡ تُغۡنِ عَنۡکُمۡ شَیۡئًا وَّضَاقَتۡ عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡاَرۡضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتۡ
On the Day of Hunain, when your great numbers made you proud, but they availed you naught; and the earth, with all its vastness, became straitened for you.18
The second reason was that the army included the new Muslims of Makkah as well as idolaters who were still devoid of the real strength of the true faith. Therefore, when they were attacked with a barrage of arrows from the front, they could not withstand it and ran away bewildered.
It had not been long since Muhammad (sas) returned to Madinah, when he was informed that the Christian Ghassanid king was raising a grand army to avenge the Battle of Mutah. Muhammad (sas) also learned that Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire had sent an army of 40,000 in support of the Ghassanid king, and the combined forces wanted to attack Madinah to challenge the rising power of the Muslims.
People were still being drawn in great numbers from all sides to accept Islam, and no satisfactory arrangements for the peace and security of the territory and for the education and training of the new Muslims were in place. Therefore, under these conditions, if the Christian forces were not stopped at the Syrian border, their sudden entrance into Arabia would have certainly led to great disorder. Therefore, Muhammad (sas) informed all the tribes to urgently reach Madinah to combat the combined army of Heraclius and Ghassanid. To provide the Muslim army the necessities for the journey, a large sum of money was needed. Therefore, Muhammad (sas) made a general but emphatic appeal to collect funds. ‘Uthman (ra) donated all of the trading capital that he had gathered for his upcoming trip to Syria. Other companions also participated to the best of their abilities, but the contributions of Abu Bakr (ra) and ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) are most notable.
At that time, ‘Umar (ra) had abundant possessions. He took half of his possessions and went to the court of Muhammad (sas) thinking that he would surpass Abu Bakr (ra) in sacrifice that day. When ‘Umar (ra) saw that Abu Bakr (ra) presented his entire possessions in the service of the Prophet, he felt embarrassed in his heart.
After making satisfactory arrangements, Muhammad (sas) set out with an army of 30,000 in Rajab, 9 A.H. Muhammad (sas) had barely travelled for an hour, when he reached the town of Zi-Awan. A group of Hypocrites approached Muhammad (sas) and requested him to honour a mosque built by them by offering Salat there. Muhammad (sas) told them that he would look into it upon his return from the journey.
Muhammad (sas) left ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) in Madinah to take care of his family. The Hypocrites, taking advantage of the situation, started spreading rumours that Muhammad (sas) left ‘Ali (ra) behind because he had no appreciation for him and considered him a burden. ‘Ali (ra) could not withstand this taunt. He immediately went to Muhammad (sas) who had traveled only a few miles. Muhammad (sas) said, “‘Ali, these people are liars. I left you for the caring of my family in Madinah.” Further, for the sake of encouragement, he said to ‘Ali (ra):
اَمَا تَرْضٰی اَنْ تَکُوْنَ مِنِّیْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ ھَارُوْنَ مِنْ مُوْسٰی اِلَّا اَنَّہٗ لَا نَبُوَّةَ بَعْدِی
Are you not pleased that you are to me as Aaron was to Moses except that there is no prophethood after me?19
‘Ali (ra) returned after hearing these comforting words and Muhammad (sas) ordered the army to march forward. When the army reached Al-Hijr where the ruins of the cities of the nation of Thamud were still present, Muhammad (sas) said to his army to move quickly from that land seeking forgiveness of Allah, as the punishment of God overtook Thamud in that land. When Muhammad (sas) was forced to stay for one night in the vicinity of Al-Hijr he warned the Companions not to go outside the camp alone. On seeing the ruins, Muhammad (sas) covered his face with his mantle, and ordered the army to march swiftly.
After a journey of fourteen manazil20, they reached the Tabuk spring which was their destination. Upon investigation they found out that Heraclius of Byzantine awed by the truth had not made a definite decision to fight the Muslims. Further, the Ghassanid ruler (whose formal army of 100,000 was defeated by the Muslim army of 3,000 at the Battle of Mutah) lost courage after hearing about the grand preparation of the mighty Muslim army and, thus, his army dispersed. Since Muhammad’s objective was the establishment of peace, he did not chase them. Otherwise, if he had desired, as has been alleged by the non-Muslim historians, he could have forcefully converted all the tribes to Islam by sword.
Muhammad (sas) stayed there for twenty days. During this time he signed treaties with some smaller Christian rulers. Being satisfied with the situation of peace in that land, Muhammad (sas) ordered the army to march back. When the army reached close to the mosque of the Hypocrites near Madinah, he instructed certain companions to demolish the mosque and said, “Allah the Exalted has informed me that this mosque is harmful (Masjid ad-Dirar).”21 Muhammad (sas) entered Madinah after an absence of two months, in Ramadan, 9 A.H.
As the journey to Tabuk was long and arduous, and further it was summer time when crops were almost ready, the Hypocrites came again and again with various excuses to stay behind. A few companions, who were no doubt sincere, stayed behind out of negligence. They included Ka‘b bin Malik, Mararah bin ar-Rabi‘, and Hilal bin Umayyah (ra). On return of Muhammad (sas) to Madinah, they appeared in the court of Muhammad (sas) and clearly confessed their mistake. Muhammad (sas) ruled the Companions to excommunicate them. History proves that they spent the next 50 days in such anxiety and pain that is beyond imagination. Because of their utmost sincerity, every moment of their life appeared unbearable to them. As a result of their incessant plea for forgiveness and repentance, the command about the acceptance of their repentance came from Allah the Exalted on the 50th day.22 Muhammad (sas) and all the Companions congratulated them.
These companions’ true sincerity could be judged from one incident. When the news of their boycott (over the 50-day period) reached the Ghassanid ruler, he sent a messenger to Ka‘b bin Malik and conveyed, “Muhammad has mistreated a noble and respectable chieftain like you. I have full sympathy with you at this time of distress. If you move here, you will be honoured and well recognized.” Ka‘b was enraged when he read this letter. He threw the letter in a burning oven and told the messenger to leave, and that this action of his was his response to the letter.23
When the people of Ta’if heard about the events of the Ghazwah of Tabuk, they were convinced that Muhammad (sas) could not have achieved such great victory without Divine support. They sent their chieftain, ‘Abd Yalail bin ‘Amr as their representative to Madinah. Muhammad (sas) treated him with great respect, and set up a tent for him in the courtyard of the mosque. He took the Bai‘at at the blessed hand of Muhammad (sas) representing his nation and thereafter returned.24
In those days, the Ta’i tribe started some mischief. Muhammad (sas) sent ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) with 200 riders to capture them. The captives included Safanah bint Hatim, the daughter of Hatim Ta’i.25 When Muhammad (sas) found out about her, he immediately released her as a favour. But the daughter of the generous father said that she would not like to be freed while her nation was imprisoned. Muhammad (sas) immediately ordered the release of all the captives.
Safanah’s brother ‘Adiyy bin Hatim had run away to Syria. When Safanah reached ‘Adiyy, and mentioned the favours and the generosity of Muhammad (sas), ‘Adiyy was so impressed that he immediately returned back and appeared before Muhammad (sas) and accepted Islam representing his clan.
Since the tribes of Arabia were frequently visiting Madinah during the season of Hajj26, Muhammad (sas) himself stayed in Madinah, sending a Hajj caravan to Makkah with Abu Bakr (ra) as the Chief (Amir) and instructed him in the following words:
Announce it on the day of sacrifice that no idolater after this year can perform Hajj, and no one should perform the circuit while being naked.
It was not long after the Hajj caravan had left, when the first verses of Chapter At-Taubah were revealed. Muhammad (sas) sent ‘Ali (ra) to recite these verses on the day of An-Nahr.
‘Ali (ra) joined the caravan at the place of Dhul-Halaifah and mentioned the purpose of his trip to Abu Bakr (ra). Abu Bakr led the rituals of Hajj as the Amir, and ‘Ali (ra) recited the verses of the Chapter At-Taubah. The summary of these verses is that the idolaters had proven to be dishonest about their pledges; therefore, the pledges with them were terminated. They were given a respite of four months to make appropriate arrangements for themselves. The pledges made with those idolaters who had not done any mischief against the Muslims would still be honoured.
The same year, Ummi Kulthum bint Muhammad (ra) passed away, and also the well-known Hypocrite of Madinah, ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul died.
1 At-Tabari.
2 Az-Zarqani, cited by Al-Maghazi.
3 Deuteronomy, 33:2.
4 Bukhari.
5 Bukhari (Victory of Makkah).
6 Bani Isra’il, 17:82.
7 It is a raised place next to the Ka‘bah about which it is said that Abraham (as) stood there while building the Ka‘bah. [Publisher]
8 Yusuf, 12:93.
9 Oath of allegiance to a religious leader; initiation at the hands of a prophet or his caliph. Literally means “to be sold.”
10 At-Tabari.
11 The Life of Mohammad: From the Original Sources, Sir William Muir and T. H. Weir p. 414, Published at Edinburgh by J. Grant, 1912.
12 Bukhari, Kitabul-Jihad (Book of Fighting for the Cause of Allah).
13 Musnad Ahmad.
14 Ibni Sa‘d.
15 Bukhari (Account of the Ghazwah of Ta’if).
16 Bukhari.
17 Bukhari.
18 At-Taubah, 9:25.
19 Muslim Kitabul-Manaqibil-Ansar and Tabaqatul-Kabir.
20 A distance equivalent to 19 miles [Publisher]
21 Al-Taubah, 9:107.
22 Al-Taubah, 9:118.
23 Bukhari (Account of the Ghazwah of Tabuk).
24 Sunan Abi Dawud and Ibni Majah fi Khabr at-Ta’if (Account of Ta’if).
25 An Arab whose generosity became a legend in Arabia. [Publisher]
26 Though the Hajj was performed in the month of Dhul-Qa‘dah, according to the system of counting of the months followed by the Quraish, every second or third solar year, one extra month was added to the year which was called Dhul-Hajjah and the Hajj was performed in that month. Therefore, the Hajj was performed in the virtual month of Dhul-Hajjah, which in reality was Dhul-Qa‘dah. When the Hajj was performed in the 10 A.H., Muhammad (sas) himself participated in it, and it came to be known by the name of Hajjatul-Wada‘. It was the month of Dhul-Hajjah with respect to both the counting systems since the 9 A.H. had 13 months.