The Book of Jihad and Expeditions Hadith

Many deputations came to Mu’awiya. This was in the month of Ramadan. We would prepare food for one another. Abu Huraira was one of those who frequently invited us to his house. I said: Should I not prepare food and invite them to my place? So I ordered meals to be prepared Then I met Abu Huraira in the evening and said: (You will have) your meals with me tonight. He said: You have forestalled me. I said: Yes, and invited them. (When they had finished with the meals) Abu Huraira said: Should I not tell yon a tradition from your traditions, O ye assembly of the Ansar? He then gave an account of the Conquest of Mecca and said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) advanced until he reached Mecca. He deputed Zubair on his right flank and Khalid on the left, and he despatched Abu Ubaida with the force that had no armour. They advanced to the interior of the valley. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in the midst of a large contingent of fighters. He saw me and said: Abu Huraira. I said: I am here at your call, Messenger of Allah I He said: Let no one come to me except the Ansar, so call to me the Ansar (only). Abu Huraira continued: So they gathered round him. The Quraish also gathered their ruffians and their (lowly) followers, and said: We send these forward. If they get anything, we shall be with them (to share it), and if misfortune befalls them, we shall pay (as compensation) whatever we are asked for. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said (to the Ansar): You see the ruffians and the (lowly) followers of the Quraish. And he indicated by (striking) one of his hands over the other that they should be killed and said: Meet me at as-Safa. Then we went on (and) if any one of us wanted that a certain person should be killed, he was killed, and none could offer any resistance. Abu Huraira continued: Then came Abu Sufyan and said: Messenger of Allah, the blood of the Quraish has become very cheap. There will be no Quraish from this day on. Then he (the Holy Prophet) said: Who enters the house of Abu Sufyan, he will be safe. Some of the Ansar whispered among themselves: (After all), love for his city and tenderness towards his relations have overpowered him. Abu Huraira said: (At this moment) revelation came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and when he was going to receive the Revelation, we understood it, and when he was (actually) receiving it, none of us would dare raise his eyes to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) until the revelation came to an end. When the revelation came to an end, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: O ye Assembly of the Ansar! They said: Here we are at your disposal, Messenger of Allah. He said: You were saying that love for his city and tenderness towards his people have overpowered this man. They said: So it was. He said: No, never. I am a bondman of God and His Messenger. I migrated towards God and towards you. I will live with you and will die with you. So, they (the Ansar) turned towards him in tears and they were saying: By Allah, we said what we said because of our tenacious attachment to Allah and His Messenger. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Surely, Allah and His Messenger testify to your assertions and accept your apology. The narrator continued: People turned to the house of Abu Sufyan and people locked their doors. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) proceeded until he approached the (Black) Stone. He kissed it and circumambulated the Ka’ba. He reached near an idol by the side of the Ka’ba which was worshipped by the people. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a bow in his hand, and he was holding it from a corner. When he came near the idol, he began to pierce its eyes with the bow and (while doing so) was saying: Truth has been established and falsehood has perished. When he had finished the circumambulation, he came to Safa’, ascended it to a height from where he could see the Ka’ba, raised his hands (in prayer) and began to praise Allah and prayed what he wanted to pray.

(i) Then be (the Messenger of Allah) said with his hands one upon the other: Kill them (who stand in your way)…. (ii) They (the Ansar) replied: We said so, Messenger of Allah! He said: What is my name? I am but Allah’s bondman and His Messenger.

We came to Mu’awiya b. Abu Sufyan as a deputation and Abu Huraira was among us. Each of us would prepare food for his companions turn by turn for a day. (Accordingly) when it was my turn I said: Abu Huraira, it is my turn today. So they came to my place. The food was not yet ready, so I said to Abu Huraira: I wish you could narrate to us a tradition from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) until the food was ready. (Complying with my request) Abu Huraira said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca. He appointed Khalid b. Walid as commander of the right flank, Zubair as commander of the left flank, and Abu ‘Ubaida as commander of the foot-soldiers (who were to advance) to the interior of the valley. He (then) said: Abu Huraira, call the Ansar to me. So I called out to them and they came hurriedly. He said: O ye Assembly of the Ansaar, do you see the ruffians of the Quraish? They said: Yes. He said: See, when you meet them tomorrow, wipe them out. He hinted at this with his hand, placing his right hand on his left and said: You will meet us at as-Safa’. (Abu Huraira continued): Whoever was seen by them that day was put to death. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ascended the mount of as-Safa’. The Ansar also came there and surrounded the mount. Then came Abu Sufyan and said: Messenger ot Allah, the Quraish have perished. No member of the Quraish tribe will survive this day. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Who enters the house of Abu Safyin will be safe, who lays down arms will be safe, who locks his door will be safe. (some of) the Ansar said: (After all) the man has been swayed by tenderness towards his family and love for his city. At this, Divine inspiration descended upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: You were saying that the man has been swayed by tenderness towards his family and love for his city. Do you know what my name is? I am Muhammad, the bondman of God and His Messenger. (He repeated this thrice.) I left my native place for the take of Allah and joined you. So I will live with you and die with you. Now the Ansar said: By God, we said (that) only out of our greed for Allah and His Messenger. He said: Allah and His Apostle testify to you and accept your apology.

The Prophet (ﷺ) entered Mecca. There were three hundred and sixty idols around the Ka’ba. He began to thrust them with the stick that was in his hand saying:” Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Lo! falsehood was destined to vanish” (xvii. 8). Truth has arrived, and falsehood can neither create anything from the beginning nor can It restore to life

Zahaqa, (This version) does not contain the second verse and substitutes Sanam for Nusub (both the words mean” idol” or” image” that is worshipped).

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say on the day of the Conquest of Mecca: No Quraishite will be killed hound hand and foot from this day until the Day of judgment.

” No rebellious Quraishite with al-Asi as his name embraced Islam that day except Muti. His name-was al-Asi, but the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) changed his name to Muti.

‘Ali b. Abu Talib penned the treaty between the Prophet (ﷺ) and the polytheists on the Day of Hudaibiya. He wrote: This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has settled. They (the polytheists) said: Do not write words” the Messenger of Allah”. If we knew that you were the Messenger of Allah, we would not fight against you. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to ‘Ali: Strike out these words. He (Ali) said: I am not going to strike them out. So the Prophet (ﷺ) struck them out with his own hand. The narrator said that the conditions upon which the two sides had agreed included that the Muslims would enter Mecca (next year) and would stay there for three days, and that they would not enter bearing arms except in their sheaths or bolsters.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made peace with the people of Hudaibiya, ‘Ali drew up the agreement between them, and so he wrote: Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. (This is followed by the same wording as we have in the previous tradition except the omission of the words: This is what he has settled.)

When the Prophet (ﷺ) was checked from going to the Ka’ba, the people of Mecca made peace with him’on the condition that he would (be allowed to) enter Mecca (next year) and stay there for three days, that he would not enter (the city) except with swords in their sheaths and arms encased in their covers, that he would not take eway with him anyone from its dwellers, nor would he prevent anyone from those with him to stay on in Mecca (if he so desired). He said to ‘Ali: Write down the terms settled between us. (So ‘Ali wrote): In the name of Allah, most Gracious and most Merciful. This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has settled (with the Meccans), The polytheists said to him: If we knew that thou art the Messenger of of Allah, we would follow you. But write: Muhammad b. ‘Abdullah. So he told ‘Ali to strike out these words. ‘Ali said: No, by Allah, I will not strike them out. The Messenger of Allah (may Peace be upon him) said: Show me their place (on the parchment). So he (‘Ali) showed him their place and he (the Holy Prophet) struck them out; and ‘Ali wrote: Ibn ‘Abdullah. (According to the terms of the treaty, next year) the Prophet (ﷺ) stayed there for three days When it was the third day, they said to ‘Ali: This is the last day according to the terms of your companion. So tell him to leave. ‘Ali informed the Prophet (ﷺ) accordingly. He said: Yes, and left (the city). Ibn Janab in his version of the tradition used:” we would swear allegiance to you” instead of” we would follow you”.

Write” In the name of Allah, most Gracious and most Merciful.” Suhail said: As for” Bismillah,” we do not know what is meant by” Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim” (In the name of Allah most Gracious and most Merciful). But write what we understand, i. e. Bi ismika allahumma (in thy name. O Allah). Then, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Write:” From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.” They said: If we knew that thou welt the Messenger of Allah, we would follow you. Therefore, write your name and the name of your father. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Write” From Muhammad b. ‘Abdullah.” They laid the condition on the Prophet (ﷺ) that anyone who joined them from the Muslims, the Meccans would not return him, and anyone who joined you (the Muslims) from them, you would send him back to them. The Companions said: Messenger of Allah, should we write this? He said: Yes. One who goes away from us to join them-may Allah keep him away! and one who comes to join us from them (and is sent back) Allah will provide him relief and a way of escape.

Sahal b. Hunaif stood up on the Day of Siffin and said: O ye people, blame yourselves (for want of discretion) ; we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Day of Hudaibiya. If we had thought it fit to fight, we could fight. This was in the truce between the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the polytheists. Umar b. Khattab came, approached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, aren’t we fighting for truth and they for falsehood? He replied: By all means. He asked: Are not those killed from our side in Paradise and those killed. from their side in the Fire? He replied: Yes. He said: Then why should we put a blot upon our religion and return, while Allah has not decided the issue between them and ourselves? He said: Son of Khattab, I am the Messenger of Allah. Allah will never ruin me. (The narrator said): Umar went away, but he could not contain himself with rage. So he approached Abu Bakr and said: ‘Abu Bakr, aren’t we fighting for truth and they for falsehood? He replied: Yes. He asked: Aren’t those killed from our side in Paradise and those killed from their side in the Fire? He replied: Why not? He (then) said: Why should we then disgrace our religion and return while God has not yet decided the issue between them and ourselves? Abu Bakr said: Son of Khattab, verily, he is the Messenger of Allah, and Allah will never ruin him. (The narrator continued): At this (a Sura of) the Qur’an (giving glad tidings of the victory) was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He sent for Umar and made him read it. He asked: Is (this truce) a victory? He (the Messenger of Allah) replied: Yes. At this Umar was pleased, and returned.

I heard Sahl b. Hunaif say at Siffin: O ye people, find fault with your (own) discretion. By Allah, on the Day of Abu Jandal (i. e. the day of Hudaibiya), I thought to myself that, if I could, I would reverse the order of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (the terms of the truce being unpalatable). By Allah, we have never hung our swords on our shoulders in any situation whatsoever except when they made easy for us to realise the goal envisaged by us, but this battle of yours (seems to be an exception). Ibn Numair (in his version) did not mention the words:” In any situation whatsoever”

Ila amrin yofzi’una instead of Ila amrin na’rifuhu.

I heard Sahl b. Hunaif say at Siffin: Blame (the hollowness) of your views about your religion. I thought to myself on the day of Abu Jandal that if I could turn down the order of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I would. The situation was so difficult that if we mended it at one place, it was rent at another.

When they (Companions of the Holy Prophet) were overwhelmed with grief and distress on his return from Hudaibiya where he had slaughtered his sacrificial beasts (not being allowed to proceed to Mecca), the Qur’anic verse: Inna fatahna… laka fathan mobinan to fauzan ‘aziman, was revealed to him. (At this) he said: On me has descended a verse that is dearer to me than the whole world.

This tradition has been narrated through a different chain of transmitters.

Nothing prevented me from being present at! he Battle of Badr except this incident. I came out with my father Husail (to participate in the Battle), but we were caught by the disbelievers of Quraish. They said: (Do) you intend to go to Muhammad? We said: We do not intend to go to him, but we wish to go (back) to Medina. So they took from us a covenant in the name of God that we would turn back to Medina and would not fight on the side of Muhammad (ﷺ). So, we came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and related the incident to him. He said: Both, of you proceed (to Medina) ; we will fulfil the covenant made with them and seek God’s help against them.

We were sitting in the company of Hudhaifa. A man said: If I were in the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I would have fought by his side and would have striven hard for his causes. Hudhaifa said: You might have done that, (but you should not make a flourish of your enthusiasm). I was with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the night of the Battle of Abzib and we were gripped by a violent wind and severe cold. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be him) said: Hark, the man who (goes reconnoitring and) brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the Day of Judgment by Allah (the Glorious and Exalted). We all kept quiet and none of us responed to him. (Again) he said: Hark, a man who (goes reconnoitring and) brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the Day of Judgment by Allah (the Glorious and Exalted). We kept quiet and none of us responded to him. He again said: Hark, a man who (goes reconnoitring and) brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the Day of Judgtuent by Allah (the Glorious and Exalted) Then he said: Get up Hudhaifa, bring me the news of the enemy. When he called me by name I had no alternative but to get up. He said: Go and bring me information about the enemy, and do nothing that may provoke them against me. When I left him, I felt warm as if I were walking in a heated bath untill I reached them. I saw Abu Sufyan warming his back against fire I put an arrow in the middle of the bow. intending to shoot at him, when I recalled the words of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)” Do not provoke them against me.” Had I shot at him, I would have hit him. But I returned and (felt warm as if) I were walking in a heated bath (hammam). Presenting myself before him, I gave him information about the enemy. When I had done so, I began to feel cold, so the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wrapped me in a blanket that he had in excess to his own requirement and with which he used to cover himself while saying his prayers. So I continued to sleep until it was morning. When it was morning he said: Get up, O heavy sleeper.

Whoso turns them away from us will attain Paradise or will be my Companion in Paradise. A man from the Ansar came forward and fought (the enemy) until he was killed. The enemy advanced and overwhelmed him again and he repeated the words: Whoso turns them away, from us will attain Paradise or will be my Companion in Paradise. A man from the Arsar came forward and fought until he was killed. This state continued until the seven Ansar were killed (one after the other). Now, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to his two Companions: We have not done justice to our Companions.

The face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was injured, his front teeth were damaged and his helmet was crushed. Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), was washing the blood (from his head), and ‘Ali b. Abu Talib was pouring water on it from a shield. When Fatima saw that the bleeding had increased on account of (pouring) water (on the wound), she took a piece of mat and burnt it until it was reduced to ashes. She put the ashes on the wound and the bleeding stopped.

By God, I know the person who washed the wound of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who poured water on it and with what the wound was treated. Then Sahl narrated the same tradition as has been narrated by ‘Abd al-‘Azlz except that he added the words:” And his face was injured” and replaced the word” Hushimat” by” Kusirat” (i. e. it was broken).

The same tradition has been narrated on the authority of Sahl b. Sa’d through a different chain of transmitters with a slight difference in the wording.

How will these people attain salvation who have wounded their Prophet and broken his tooth while he called them towards God? At this time, God, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed the Verse:” Thou hast no authority” (iii. 127).

It appeared to me as if I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (and heard him) relate the story of a Prophet who had been beaten by his people, was wiping the blood from his face and was saying. My Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know.

A version of the tradition with a slightly different wording has been narrated by another chain of transmitters.

This is what has been related to us by Abu Huraira from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). (With this introduction) he narrated a number of traditions. One of these was that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Great is the wrath of Allah upon a people who have done this to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he was at that time pointing to his front teeth. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) also said: Great is the wrath of Allah upon a person who has been killed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the way of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.

While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was saying his prayer near the Ka’ba and Abu Jahl with his companions was sitting (near by), Abu Jahl said, referring to the she-camel that had been slaughtered the previous day: Who will rise to fetch the foetus of the she-camel of so and so, and place it between the shoulders of Muhammad when he goes down in prostration (a posture in prayer). The one most accursed among the people got up, brought the foetus and, when the Prophet (ﷺ) went down in prostration, placed it between his shoulders. Then they laughed at him and some of them leaned upon the others with laughter. And I stood looking. If I had the power, I would have thrown it away from the back of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) had bent down his head in prostration and did not raise it, until a man went (to his house) and informed (his daughter) Fatima, who was a young girl (at that time) (about this ugly incident). She came and removed (the filthy thing) from him. Then she turned towards them rebuking them (the mischief-mongers). When the Prophet (ﷺ) had finished his prayer, he invoked God’s imprecations upon them in a loud voice. When he prayed, he prayed thrice, and when he asked for God’s blessings, he asked thrice. Then he said thrice: O Allah, it is for Thee to deal with the Quraish. When they heard his voice, laughter vanished from them and they feared his malediction. Then he said: O God, it is for Thee to deal with Abu Jahl b. Hisham, ‘Utba b. Rabi’a, Shaiba b. Rabi’a. Walid b. Uqba, Umayya b. Khalaf, Uqba b. Abu Mu’ait (and he mentioned the name of the seventh person. which I did not remember). By One Who sent Muhammad with truth, I saw (all) those he had named lying slain on the Day of Badr. Their dead bodies were dragged to be thrown into a pit near the battlefield. Abu Ishiq had said that the name of Walid b. ‘Uqba has been wrongly mentioned in this tradition.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was lying postrate in prayer and around him were some people from the Quraish, ‘Uqba b. Abu Mu’ait brought the foetus of a she-camel and threw it on the back of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He did not raise his head until Fatima arrived, removed it from his back and cured him who had done that (ugly act). He said: O Allah, it is for Thee to deal with the chiefs of the Quraish. Abu Jahl b. Hisham, ‘Utba b. Rabi’a. Uqba b. Abu Mu’ait, Shaiba b. Rabi’a, Umayya b. Khalaf or Ubayy b. Khalaf (Shu’ba, one of the narrator of this tradition is in doubt about the exact person). I saw that all were slain in the Battle of Badr and their dead bodies were thrown into a well, except that of Umayya or Ubayy which was cut into pieces and was thrown into the well.

He (the Messenger of Allah) loved to repeat the supplication thrice. He was saying: O Allah, it is for Thee to deal with the Quraish (repeating these words thrice). And among the Quraish, he mentioned (the names of) al-Walid b. ‘Utba and Umayya b. Khalaf. (The narrator says there is no doubt about the names of these persons but he has forgotten the name of the seventh man).

It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah that, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned his face towards the Ka’ba and invoked God’s imprecations upon six men of the Quraish, amorig whom were Abu Jahl. Umayya b. Khalaf, Utba b. Rabi’a, Shaiba b. Rabi’a and ‘Uqba b. Abu Mu’ait I swear by God that I saw them lying slain in the battlefield of Badr. It being a hot day, their complexion had changed (showing signs of decay).

Messenger of Allah, has there come upon you a day more terrible than the day of Ubud. He said: I have experienced from thy people and the hardest treatment I met from them was what I received from them on the day of ‘Aqaba. I betook myself to Ibn Abd Yalil b. Abd Kulal with the purpose of inviting him to Islam, but he did not respond to me as I desired. So I departed with signs of (deep) distress on my face. I did not recover until I reached Qarn al-Tha’alib. Where I raised my head, lo! near me was a cloud which had cast its shadow on me. I looked and lo! there was in it the angel Jibril who called out to me and said.: God. the Honoured and Glorious, has heard what thy people have said to thee, and how they have reacted to thy call. And He has sent to thee the angel in charge of the mountains so that thou mayest order him what thou wishest (him to do) with, regard to them. The angel in charge of the mountains (then) called out to me, greeted me and said: Muhammad, God has listened to what thy people have said to thee. I am the angel in charge of the mountains. and thy Lord has sent me to thee so that thou mayest order me what thou wishest. If thou wishest that I should bring together the two mountains that stand opposite to each other at the extremities of Mecca to crush them in between, (I would do that). But the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said to him: I rather hope that God will produce from their descendants such persons as will worship Allah, the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him.

A finger of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was wounded in one of the encounters He said: Thou art just a little finger which has bled, and what thou hast experienced is in the cause of Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in a cave (or raid) when his finger was hurt.

” Wa’dd hd wa’l-laili iza saja, ma wadda’ka Rabbuka wa’ ma qala” [By the glorious morning light, and by the night when it is still: thy Lord has not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased].

I heard Jundub b. Sufyan say: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fell ill and did not wake up for two or three nights (for prayers) A woman came to him and said: Muhammad, I hope that your satan has left you. I haven’t seen him approach you for two or three nights. The narrator says: At this, Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, revealed:” By the Glorious……”

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Aswad b. Qais with the same chain of transmitters.