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The
Platoons
In the same way that the believed ones were
dispatched to the tribes, we understand that dispatching some more
platoons to all regions of Arabia is a necessity for the prevalence and
domination of security on all lands of Arabia.
Here is a list of those platoons:
- ‘Uyaina bin Hisn Al-Fazari’s platoon in Al-Muharram,
the ninth year of Al-Hijra to Bani Tamim. It consisted of fifty
horsemen, none of them was an Emigrant or a Helper.
This expedition was dispatched due to the
fact that Bani Tamim had already urged other tribes not to pay tribute
(Al-Jizya) and eventually stopped them from paying it.
Therefore, ‘Uyaina bin Hisn set out to
fight them. All the way long he marched by night and lurked by day. He
went on that way till he overtook them and attacked them in the desert.
They fled back for their lives. Eleven men, twenty-one women and thirty
boys were captured then. He drove them back to Madinah and were housed
in Ramlah bint Al-Harith’s residence. Ten of their leaders, who came to
the Prophet’s door, called out unto him saying: "O Muhammad come out and
face us." When he went out they held him and started talking.
He exchanged talk with them for a while
then left them and went to perform the noon-prayer. After prayer he sat
in the mosque-patio. They proclaimed a desire to show boasting and
self-pride. For this purpose they introduced their orator ‘Utarid bin
Hajib who delivered his speech. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] asked
Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas — the Muslim orator — to respond. He did
that. In return, they brought forth their poet Az-Zabraqan bin Badr who
recited some boastful poetry. Hassan bin Thabit, the poet of Islam,
promptly replied back. When talks and poetry came to an end, Al-Aqra‘
bin Habis said: "Their orator is more eloquent than ours, and their poet
is more poetically learned than ours. Their voices and sayings excel
ours, as well." Eventually they announced their embracing Islam.
Consequently, the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] acknowledged their
Islamization, awarded them well, and rendered them back their women and
children.
- A platoon headed by Qutbah bin ‘Amir to a spot called
Khath‘am in Tabalah, a plot of land not far from Turbah. That was in
Safar, 9 A.H. Accompanied by twenty men and only ten camels to mount
alternatively on, Qutbah raided them and fought so fiercely that a great
number of both parties were wounded and some others were killed. The
Muslims drove back with them camels, women and sheep to
Madinah.
- The mission of Dahhak bin Sufyan Al-Kilabi to Bani
Kilab in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. This mission was sent to Bani
Kilab to call them to embrace Islam. Refusing to embrace Islam, they
started to fight against the Muslims, but were defeated and sustained
one man killed.
- The three hundred men expedition of ‘Alqamah bin
Mujazziz Al-Mudlaji to Jeddah shores in Rabi‘ Al-Akhir. This expedition
was dispatched to fight against some men from (Al-Habasha) Abyssinia
(Ethiopia), who gathered together near the shores of Jeddah and
exercised acts of piracy against the Makkans. Therefore he crossed the
sea till he got to an island. But as soon as the pirates had learned of
Muslims’ arrival, they fled. [Fath
Al-Bari 8/59]
- The task of the platoon of ‘Ali bin Abi Talib was to
demolish Al-Qullus, which was an idol that belonged to Tai’ tribe. That
was in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. ‘Ali was dispatched by the
Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] with one hundred fifty men. A hundred of them
were on camels. The other fifty were on horseback. He held a black flag
and a white banner.
At dawn they raided Mahallat Hatim,
demolished the idol and filled their hands with spoils, camels and sheep
booties, whereas ‘Adi fled to Ash-Sham. The sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim was
one of the captives. Inside Al-Qullus safe, Muslims found three swords
and three armours. On the way they distributed the spoils and put aside
the best things to the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]. They did not share the
Hatims.
Upon arrival in Madinah, the sister of
‘Adi bin Hatim begged the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] to have mercy on her
and said: "O Messenger of Allâh, my brother is absent and father is
dead, and I am too old to render any service. Be beneficent to me so
that Allâh may be bountiful to you." He said: "Who is your brother?" She
said: "It is ‘Adi bin Hatim." "Is he not the one who fled from Allâh and
his Messenger?" Said the Prophet [pbuh] then went away from her. Next
day she reiterated the same thing as the day before and received the
same answer. A day later she uttered similar words, this time he made
benefaction to her. The man who was beside the Prophet, and whom she
thought to be ‘Ali, said to her: "Ask for an animal from him to ride
on." And she was granted her request.
She returned to Ash-Sham where she met her
brother and said to him: "The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] has done me such
noble deed that your father would never have done it. Therefore,
willy-nilly, frightened or secure, you should go and see him." Unsecure
neither protected by some one, not even recommended by a letter as a
means of protection, ‘Adi came and met the Prophet. The Messenger of
Allâh [pbuh] took him home with him. As soon as he sat before him, the
Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] thanked Allâh and praised him, then said:
"What makes you flee? Do you flee lest you should say there is no god
but Allâh? Do you know any other god but Allâh?" "No" he said, then
talked for a while. The Messenger of Allâh went on saying: "Certainly
you flee so that you may not hear the statement saying ‘Allâh is the
Greatest.’ Do you know anyone who is greater than Allâh?" "No" he said.
"The Jews are those whose portion is wrath, and the Christians are those
who have gone astray," the Prophet retorted. "I am a Muslim and I
believe in one God (Allâh)." ‘Adi finally proclaimed with a joyous face.
The Prophet ordered him a residence with one of the Helpers. From that
time he started calling at the Prophet [pbuh] in the mornings and in the
evenings. [Za'd Al-Ma'ad
2/205]
On the authority of Ibn Ishaq, when the
Prophet [pbuh] made him sit down in front of him in his house, the
Prophet said, "O ‘Adi, were you not cast in disbelief?" "Yes". ‘Adi
said. "Did you not share one quarter of your people’s gains?" "Yes".
Said ‘Adi. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] said: "It is sinful in your
religion to do such a thing, and you should not allow yourself to do
it." "Yes, by Allâh, that is true", said ‘Adi. "Thus I worked out that
he was a Prophet inspired by Allâh, and sent to people. He knows what is
unknown." [Ibn Hisham
2/581]
In another version, the Prophet [pbuh]
said: "‘Adi, embrace Islam and you shall be secure." "But I am a man of
religion." Said ‘Adi. "I know your religion better than you." Said the
Prophet. "Do you know my religion better than me?" ‘Adi asked. The
Prophet replied, "Yes". He said: "Are you not cast in disbelief because
you appropriate to yourself the fourth of your people’s gains?" "Yes".
Said ‘Adi. "It is unlawful in your religion to do such a thing." The
Prophet said, and ‘‘Adi added: "He did not need to say it again for I
immediately acquiesced it." [Musnad Imam Ahmad]
Al-Bukhari narrates that ‘Adi said: While
we were with the Prophet [pbuh], a man came in and complained to him
about poverty. Then another man came in and complained about highway
robbery. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] then said: "O ‘Adi, have you ever
been to Al-Hirah? If you were doomed to live long life, you would be
able to see a riding camel woman travel from Hirah till it
circumambulates Al-Ka‘bah fearing none but Allâh; and if you were to
live long enough you would open the treasures of Kisra. And if you were
to live long you would be able to see man offering a handful of gold or
silver to others but none accepts to take it." At the end of this
Hadith ‘Adi later on says: "I have seen a riding camel woman
travel from Al-Hirah till it circumambulates the Ka‘bah fearing none but
Allâh, I have also been one of those who opened the treasures of Kisra
bin Hurmuz. If you were to live long life you would witness what the
Prophet, Abul Qasim, [pbuh] had already said about ‘offering a handful
of …’ i.e. the Prophet’s prophecies did really come true." [Sahih
Al-Bukhari; Mishkat Al-Masabih
2/524]
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