THE BATTLE OF HUNAIN (SHAWWAL 8 A.H.)

After the conquest of Makkah, the Muslims remained in Makkah for two weeks during which they showed their joy over the victory which Allah had granted to them. They gave thanks that such a great victory had been achieved with such little bloodshed. The Muhajireen visited their old houses, their relatives and friends whom Allah had guided to the truth after the conquest. Everybody was satisfied that Islam was now fully established. The formidable Bedouin tribe, the Hawaazin, the Banu Thakif and various other tribes pastured their flocks on the territories bordering Makkah. Some of these tribes possessed strongly fortified towns like Taif, and they were unwilling to render obedience to the Muslims without resistance. They formed a union with the intention of over powering Rasulullah before he could make preparations to repulse (drive back) their attack. Anxious to prevent such a tragedy, they thought this hour of Muslim happiness and joy with victory, as the right time to get their forces together for an attack. It was the greater intention of these tribes of wrecking the Muslims' general plan of uniting all the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula under the banner of Islam. It was towards this end, that Malik ibn Awf al Nidri succeeded in uniting the Hawaazin and Thakif tribes and gathered the tribes of Nasr and Jusham in one front opposing the Islamic movement as a whole. Only the Ka'ba and Kilaab clans of Hawaazin refused to join the new alliance. They also engaged the services of Durayd bin Simmah to advice them on war strategy. Durayd bin Simmah, of the Jusham tribe, was a very old and blind man, too old to fight, but he was extremely wise and had the advantage of an extensive military experience and career. After eight years the victorious Muslims were back in the land of their birth; free to walk the streets, and mingle with their kith and kin; pay homage to sacred Ka'bah; listen to the soul stirring Adhaan of Hazrat Bilal Habshi (R.A.) and postrate before the creator five times a day. But all this newly found peaceful life was shattered by the news of the planned attack by the Hawaazin and Thakif tribes. When Rasulullah heard of the coming attack, he sent out a scout Hazrat Abdullah bin Hadr Aslami (R.A.) to get information of the enemy. He reported that the enemy was camped in the valley of Hunain, with 4000 men, their families and their animals. This valley was situated 24 kilometres from Makkah near Taif; in a corner of Dhul-Majaz. The Muslims set out under the leadership of Nabi with such power and such number that they themselves had never seen before. There was twelve thousand of them, ten thousand of which were those who conquered Makkah and two thousand were new comers from the Quraish including Hazrat Abu Soofyaan ibn Harb (R.A.). Their war equipment was excellent and their armies were preceded by their cavalry (soldiers on horse back) and camels carrying their provision and ammunition. Theirs was an army the like of which the Arabian and Peninsula had never seen before. It consisted of many tribes, and each tribe had its own banner which it carried high above its ranks. They arrived at the valley of Hunain in the evening of the 1st Shawwal 8 A.H. and camped at the entrance of the valley until dawn, unaware that the enemy lay in ambush in the narrow crevices of the hills. At dawn the following morning the army began to move, and Rasulullah riding his white mule 'duldul' was in the rear while Hazrat Khalid- ibn Walid (R.A.), commanded a group of soldiers from the Banu Sulaym, was in the front rank. Hazrat Ishaaq bin Jaabir ibn Abdullah (R.A.) states:
'Shortly before daybreak we reached the 'Wadi' (valley)