The tribes of Banu Hawazin and Banu Thaqif lived in the valley of Hunain, forty (40) kilometers from Makkah. They were very proud of their power. They were not willing to accept the power of Muslims. After the conquest of Makkah, they incited the surrounding tribes to oppose the Muslims, joined them and started planning to attack Makkah. After staying in Makkah for nineteen (19) days after the conquest, on Shawwal 8 Hijri, with an army of twelve thousand men, the Holy Prophet advanced to the valley of Hunain. The idea came to the minds of some neo- Muslims that no force can defeat them today because of their apparent strength and abundance. Allah Almighty did not like their pride about strength and number.
On the other hand, the enemies of Islam had reached the battlefield before the Muslims and had adopted war tactics. As soon as the Muslims entered the battlefield, the infidels suddenly attacked and showered arrows on the Muslims, due to which the Muslims suffered mismanagement. The Muslims were bewildered by this sudden attack and temporarily the feet of the Muslims were shaken.
On this occasion, Hazrat Muhammad stood firm in the field, showing unparalleled courage and bravery. The Holy Prophet was riding on his mule, whose stirrup was held by Hazrat Abu Sufyan and the bridle was held by Hazrat Abbas (45 años). The Holy Prophet dismounted from the mule and proceeded towards the enemy reciting the following words:
أنَا النَّبِيُّ لَا كَذِبُ۔۔۔۔۔ أَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ
Translation:
"I am a prophet, there is no lie in that. I am the son of Abdul Muttalib."(Sahih Bukhari: 4315)
The Holy Prophet had complete trust in Allah Almighty and had complete faith that Allah Almighty will surely help them and the religion of Islam will prevail.
The Holy Prophet asked his uncle Hazrat Abbas to call the Mujahideen to remain steadfast. He called the Mujahideen loudly and said, "Allegiance to the Rizwan! Where are you? Hearing this voice, all the Muslims turned back and only in a little while, the battlefield was filled with Mujahideen. A fierce battle began against Bin Hawazin, and soon the enemy's feet began to move.
In this battle, Allah granted many miracles to the Holy Prophet . Upon seeing the severity of the war, the Holy Prophet picked up a handful of dust and threw it towards the infidels. That handful of dust went into the eyes of enemy, and the rows of their men scattered and they fled the field. Allah Almighty helped the Muslims in this battle through the angels. In the battle of Hunain, Hazrat Abu Talha Ansari alone killed 30 polytheists, while the total number of dead infidels was more than three hundred. Four Muslims were martyred in this battle. In the Battle of Hunain, Allah Almighty gave countless booty to the Muslims. In this booty, there were six thousand prisoners of war, twenty four thousand camels, forty thousand goats and four thousand ounces of silver shawls. The Holy Prophet didn't distribute the booty at once, rather he waited for two weeks so that perhaps the Banu Hawazin would embrace Islam and the booty would be returned to them, but when this did not happen, the Holy Prophet divided the booty. Because of this battle of Hunain, many tribes embraced Islam and Islam spread in more remote areas.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran about the triumph of Muslims in the Battle of Hunain:
لَقَدْ نَصَرَ كُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنِ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثُرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُّدْبِرِينَ
Translation:
"Allah has surely blessed you with His help on many battlefields, and on the day of Hunain, when you were proud of your great number, then it did not help you at all, and the earth was straitened for you despite all its vastness, then you turned back on your heels."(Surah At-Taubah: 25)
The Battles of Hunain and Badr are the two conquests whose names are mentioned in the Holy Quran. Allah Almighty told us through the test that the Muslims should not rely on their numbers and the abundance of equipment, but should always adopt the attitude of humility and modesty while putting their trust in Allah, because in spite of abundance, they may face defeat. From this battle, we get a lesson that we should always believe in the help and support of Allah. Instead of reliance on outward possessions and reasons, one should pray to Allah for help and support while fully trusting Allah.
