Malik Shakur
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Australian Politics
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Auckland, New Zealand
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The next battle was the Battle of Mutah in 7 A.H. (629 CE). As mentioned before, after the peace treaty had been signed with the Pagans, Muhammad pbuh sent emissaries out to other leaders inviting them to accept Islam. Some, like Negus, the Christian King of Abyssinia did accept Islam as did his people. But others, such as the Byzantine King at the time did not, not only did he not accept the invitation, but he killed the emissary. As I am sure you are all aware, emissaries are diplomats and under international law of then and now it was forbidden to murder such people. They were there to negotiate and the arrogant Byzantine King killed him.
The prophet Muhammad pbuh sent out an army of 6000 to exact revenge for the death of his emissary. This army came up against the Byzantine army which was numbered at 200,000. The Muslims had two options, either stay and fight to the death and achieve Martyrdom or flee back to Madinah. The Muslims decided to stay and fight. In the battle the Muslims killed 20,000 Byzantine soldiers but were themselves routed after losing the Prophet pbuh's cousin Jaafr ibn abi Talib (Ali a.s. brother). The remnants of the Muslim army returned shamed and defeated while those who were martyrd were held with high esteem.
After this battle, the Banu Khuza'a an ally of the Muslims were attacked by the Banu Bakr who were an ally of the Pagan's of Makkah. As per the treaty, the Pagans were supposed to renounce their alliance with the Banu Bakr to allow the Muslims and Banu Khuza'a to fight them and exact revenge for their transgression. The Pagans from Makkah however, having already thinking the Muslims as weak for signing such an unfair treaty in the first place and then seeing their defeat agains the Byzantine's decided that the treaty was not worth the paper that it was written on and then informed Muhammad pbuh that the treaty that guaranteed 10 years of peace was no longer valid. The Muslims then, mobilized a huge army for its next battle.
The Conquest of Makkah. 8 A.H. (630 CE) was the great victory Muhammad had prophesised. After the Pagans tore up the treaty that guaranteed peace for 10 years, the Muslims launched an army to conquer Makkah. The Muslims raised an army of 10,000 and marched to Makkah. On seeing their grave error, the Pagans tried to make another treaty with the Muslims but the Muslims wouldn't make another one. They gave every opportunity for the Pagans to behave according to the previous treaty which was unfair to the Muslims and the Pagans spat in their faces for it. The Muslims camped outside of Makkah and the Pagans realised that they had no other option but to discuss terms. The Pagans had no negotiating chips and were guilty of some of the greatest crimes agains the Muslims. Instead of taking over the city and putting all of the men to the sword while dividing the women and children up as slaves, as the Jews and Pagans would have done. But what did Muhammad do? He entered the city triumphantly with his soldiers, and anyone who stayed in thier homes was spared bloodshed. After he reached the Ka'aba and along with Ali a.s. destroyed the 360 idols there he gathered all of the Pagan Quraish there at the Ka'aba. Did he murder them for their transgressions? No.. What did he say?
"There is no god but Allah. He has no associate. He has made good His promise that He held to his bondman and helped him and defeated all the confederates. Bear in mind that every claim of privilege, whether that of blood or property is abolished except that of the custody of the Ka'aba and of supplying water to the pilgrims. Bear in mind that for any one who is slain the blood money is a hundred camels. People of Quraish, surely God has abolished from you all pride of the time of ignorance and all pride in your ancestry, because all men are descended from Adam, and Adam was made of clay."
Then Muhammad turning to the people said:
"O ye Quraish, what do you think of the treatment that I should accord you?" And they said, "Mercy, O Prophet of Allah. We expect nothing but good from you." Thereupon Muhammad declared: "I speak to you in the same words as Joseph spoke to his brothers. This day there is no reproof against you; Go your way, for you are free."
Instead of murdering them as the Jews or Pagans would have done, he forgave them and gave them their freedom. He let them keep their possessions also. He established monotheism once again in Makkah as it was established by the Prophet Ishmael and his father Abraham, peace be upon them.
The Battle of Hunain 8 A.H. (630 CE) occurred only two weeks after liberating Makkah from polytheism. On hearing that Muhammad pbuh had left Madinah towards Makkah the pagan armies from the bedouin Thaqif and Hawzin tribes thought they would surprise Muhammad with an army of 4,000 from behind. The Muslims fought the enemies with an army of 12,000 and it resulted in a decisive victory for the Muslims.
The Expidition of Tabuk 8 A.H. (630 CE) was an expidition to prevent the Byzantines from invading further into Arabia, Muhammad left Madinah with an army of 30,000 soldiers. They were prepared to face upto 100,000 soldiers and camped at Tabuk for a few days, no Byzantine soldiers appeared and the Muslims preached Islam to the surrounding tribes. With the tribes either accepting Islam or coming under the protection of the Islamic state and paying the Jizyah protection tax.
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