checkuser
53
edits
The Battle of Harra: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 82: | Line 82: | ||
On the other side, the people of Medina were preparing themselves for confrontation and defence. They had been informed that the people of Sham were moving towards Medina. | On the other side, the people of Medina were preparing themselves for confrontation and defence. They had been informed that the people of Sham were moving towards Medina. | ||
When the army of Sham | When the army of Sham got close to Medina, ‘Abd Allah ibn Hanzala called the people to the Prophet’s Mosque. The people assembled near the Prophet’s pulpit. ‘Abd Allah ibn Hanzala requested that anyone who concurred with him about this uprising should pay allegiance and promise to stand by him to the death. The people responded positively and paid allegiance to him. They promised to stand by his side to the death. | ||
‘Abd Allah went on the pulpit. After praising Allah and mentioning a few other issues, he said, “O people of Medina! We have rebelled for no other reason save that Yazid is a fornicating and adulterous man. He is a drunkard who does not pray. Tolerating his reign will bring Allah’s punishment and tribulation upon us...”<ref>Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 5, p. 47</ref> | ‘Abd Allah went on the pulpit. After praising Allah and mentioning a few other issues, he said, “O people of Medina! We have rebelled for no other reason save that Yazid is a fornicating and adulterous man. He is a drunkard who does not pray. Tolerating his reign will bring Allah’s punishment and tribulation upon us...”<ref>Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 5, p. 47</ref> | ||
| Line 89: | Line 89: | ||
To protect Medina, the Islamic resistance forces of Medina used a trench which had remained since the Prophet’s time. They neglected the eastern part of the city because they believed that there was a remote possibility that the Sham army would begin their attack from the rugged rocky area. | To protect Medina, the Islamic resistance forces of Medina used a trench which had remained since the Prophet’s time. They neglected the eastern part of the city because they believed that there was a remote possibility that the Sham army would begin their attack from the rugged rocky area. | ||
They thought that even if the Sham army were to begin their attack from this area, it was still improbable for them to achieve any success. However, the Sham army took them by surprise and began its attack on Medina from that same stony area which the Islamic | They thought that even if the Sham army were to begin their attack from this area, it was still improbable for them to achieve any success. However, the Sham army took them by surprise and began its attack on Medina from that same stony area which the Islamic resistance forces had ignored. | ||
The battle continued from morning up to afternoon. The Islamic forces of Medina were fighting and resisting fiercely. At noon, ‘Abd Allah ibn Hanzala asked one of his slaves to watch and protect him from behind so that he could recite his prayers. ‘Abd Allah then recited his prayers and returned to the battlefront to lead the valiant resistance against the Sham army.<ref>Ibid., p. 48; Al-I‘lam, vol. 4, p. 234</ref> | The battle continued from morning up to afternoon. The Islamic forces of Medina were fighting and resisting fiercely. At noon, ‘Abd Allah ibn Hanzala asked one of his slaves to watch and protect him from behind so that he could recite his prayers. ‘Abd Allah then recited his prayers and returned to the battlefront to lead the valiant resistance against the Sham army.<ref>Ibid., p. 48; Al-I‘lam, vol. 4, p. 234</ref> | ||
| Line 97: | Line 97: | ||
He showed Marwan a way which passed through the area of the tribe of Bani al-Ashhal and the Sham army used this route to infiltrate Medina.<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 211; Akhbar al-Tuwal, p. 310; Wafa’ al-Wafa’, vol. 1, p. 129</ref> | He showed Marwan a way which passed through the area of the tribe of Bani al-Ashhal and the Sham army used this route to infiltrate Medina.<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 211; Akhbar al-Tuwal, p. 310; Wafa’ al-Wafa’, vol. 1, p. 129</ref> | ||
The first line of the Islamic | The first line of the Islamic resistance fighters responsible for defending Medina suddenly heard the shout of ‘Allah-u Akbar’ by the Sham army from right inside Medina. It was not long before they realized that they were being attacked from behind by the Sham army. Many of the Islamic resistance fighters left the battlefield and returned to Medina in order to defend their women and children. | ||
The Sham army attacked and killed innocent civilians from every direction. When ‘Abd Allah ibn Hanzala was finally killed, the Sham army gained the upper hand against the resistance movement of Medina. Finally, they gained complete control of the whole city.<ref>Wafa’ al-Wafa’, vol. 1, p. 130</ref> | The Sham army attacked and killed innocent civilians from every direction. When ‘Abd Allah ibn Hanzala was finally killed, the Sham army gained the upper hand against the resistance movement of Medina. Finally, they gained complete control of the whole city.<ref>Wafa’ al-Wafa’, vol. 1, p. 130</ref> | ||
| Line 114: | Line 114: | ||
The streets of Medina were filled with dead bodies. Blood flowed on the ground up to the Prophet’s Mosque.<ref>Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 113</ref> Children were mercilessly killed in their mothers’ arms.<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 215</ref> The elderly companions of the Holy Prophet were exposed to torture and dishonor.<ref>Akhbar al-Tuwal, p. 314</ref> | The streets of Medina were filled with dead bodies. Blood flowed on the ground up to the Prophet’s Mosque.<ref>Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 113</ref> Children were mercilessly killed in their mothers’ arms.<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 215</ref> The elderly companions of the Holy Prophet were exposed to torture and dishonor.<ref>Akhbar al-Tuwal, p. 314</ref> | ||
The scale of the killings was so great that because of his extravagance in killing people, Muslim ibn ‘Aqaba was from then | The scale of the killings was so great that because of his extravagance in killing people, Muslim ibn ‘Aqaba was from then onward nicknamed “Musrif” ibn ‘Aqaba which in the Arabic language means ‘the one who is extravagant’. After this horrendous event, the people of Medina wore black mourning clothes and the sounds of their weeping could be heard from their homes for up to one year.<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 220</ref> | ||
Ibn Qutaybah narrates, “On the day of Harrah, eighty companions of the Prophet were killed and after that day there was no Badri (person that took part in the Battle of Badr) left. Seven hundred members of the Quraysh and | Ibn Qutaybah narrates, “On the day of Harrah, eighty companions of the Prophet were killed and after that day there was no Badri (person that took part in the Battle of Badr) left. Seven hundred members of the Quraysh and Ansar (helpers) were put to death and ten thousand innocent people of the community were killed from among Arabs, the tabi‘in and other virtuous people of Medina.”<ref>Ibid., p. 216; Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, vol. 8, p. 242</ref> | ||
Suyuti writes, “In the year 63 of the Islamic calendar, the people of Medina rebelled against Yazid. They even dismissed him from the caliphate. In retaliation, Yazid sent a huge army towards them with orders to kill anyone who had rebelled. After that, the army was commanded to go to Mecca and kill Ibn Zubayr. | Suyuti writes, “In the year 63 of the Islamic calendar, the people of Medina rebelled against Yazid. They even dismissed him from the caliphate. In retaliation, Yazid sent a huge army towards them with orders to kill anyone who had rebelled. After that, the army was commanded to go to Mecca and kill Ibn Zubayr. | ||
| Line 132: | Line 132: | ||
Ibn Qutaibah recounts, “When Muslim ibn ‘Aqaba finished his killing and looting in Medina, he wrote to Yazid, ‘Peace upon thee O leader of the believers… I did not recite the noon [zuhr] prayers until I conquered Medina and prayed right in the Prophet’s Mosque. This was, however, after a lot of killing and extensive looting. In keeping with your command, we followed anyone who escaped and killed all those who were wounded. We looted their houses three times just as you, the commander of the faithful, had ordered.”<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 218</ref> | Ibn Qutaibah recounts, “When Muslim ibn ‘Aqaba finished his killing and looting in Medina, he wrote to Yazid, ‘Peace upon thee O leader of the believers… I did not recite the noon [zuhr] prayers until I conquered Medina and prayed right in the Prophet’s Mosque. This was, however, after a lot of killing and extensive looting. In keeping with your command, we followed anyone who escaped and killed all those who were wounded. We looted their houses three times just as you, the commander of the faithful, had ordered.”<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 218</ref> | ||
Sibt ibn al-Jawzi narrates from Mada’ini in a book named “Harrah”, that Zuhri said, “On the day of Harrah, seven hundred people, among them the elders of the Quraysh, the Helpers, the Immigrants, and the well known and honored of Medina were killed. | Sibt ibn al-Jawzi narrates from Mada’ini in a book named “Harrah”, that Zuhri said, “On the day of Harrah, seven hundred people, among them the elders of the Quraysh, the Helpers, the Immigrants, and the well-+-known and honored of Medina were killed. | ||
In addition to this, ten thousand others including men, women and slaves were killed. There was so much bloodshed in Medina that blood reached the Prophet’s tomb, and his mosque and garden were filled with blood.” | In addition to this, ten thousand others including men, women and slaves were killed. There was so much bloodshed in Medina that blood reached the Prophet’s tomb, and his mosque and garden were filled with blood.” | ||
| Line 141: | Line 141: | ||
==Some well-known people who were executed== | ==Some well-known people who were executed== | ||
After gaining victory over the people of Medina, Muslim ibn ‘Aqaba called for an assembly of some of the well-known personalities of the uprising. After a special and summary trial, he condemned all of them to death. The | After gaining victory over the people of Medina, Muslim ibn ‘Aqaba called for an assembly of some of the well-known personalities of the uprising. After a special and summary trial, he condemned all of them to death. The purposen of these trials was to force these prominent people to promise publicly to be Yazid’s loyal slaves and servants.<ref>Al-Futuh, vol. 2, p. 182</ref> | ||
| Line 161: | Line 161: | ||
==Jabir and the event of Harra== | ==Jabir and the event of Harra== | ||
Ibn Qutaybah writes, “Jabir was a blind man when the event of Harrah took place. He used to walk | Ibn Qutaybah writes, “Jabir was a blind man when the event of Harrah took place. He used to walk on the streets of Medina and say, ‘May the person who tormented Allah and the Holy Prophet perish!’ A man asked him, ‘Who terrorized Allah and his Prophet?’ | ||
Jabir answered, ‘I heard Allah’s Prophet say, ‘Anyone who terrorizes the people of Medina has tormented that which I hold dear.’’ A man from Sham who happened to hear this conversation attacked Jabir with a sword intending to kill him. Marwan stopped that man and ordered Jabir to be taken home.”<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 214</ref> | Jabir answered, ‘I heard Allah’s Prophet say, ‘Anyone who terrorizes the people of Medina has tormented that which I hold dear.’’ A man from Sham who happened to hear this conversation attacked Jabir with a sword intending to kill him. Marwan stopped that man and ordered Jabir to be taken home.”<ref>Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 214</ref> | ||