ZAID THE LITTLE SLAVE

Little Zaid was crying his heart out, for he was far away from
his house and alone. Bandits had kidnapped him from his
family and taken him to a place that he did not know. They wanted
to earn money by selling him to the wealthy people.

The Importance of Prophet Muhammad and His Status as a Role Model

The life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is full of countless examples that show his status as a role model for Muslim societies and individuals. His life is one that was dominated by a superior morality, good habits, noble and gentle feelings and superior skills, all of which are characteristics that help prevent people from getting entangled in a web of sin. The rich and the prosperous, the poor and the needy, the ruler and the ruled, the weak and the lonely, the conqueror and the victorious commander, the teacher and the student, the preacher and the mentor, the merchant and the craftsman, the employer and the employee - in other words, every sort of person can find truths in Prophet Muhammad's life that constitute an example for them to follow.

Prophet Muhammad's status as a role model is an issue based on the Holy Quran and the sunnah. Islamic scholars, as with many other issues, have examined the status of the Prophet as a role model and leader not in a sectional framework, but from a unified perspective, and they have reached the conclusion that the best method is to examine the verses of the Holy Quran that determine and demonstrate the status of the Prophet as a whole. For this reason, when discussing the status of the Prophet as a role model, issues such as believing in the Prophet, obedience to the Prophet, following the Prophet, and disagreeing with the Prophet also come to the fore.

Environment Awareness During TheTime Of THE PROPHET

Muslims are taught to respect and protect everything in existence, knowing that “The seven heavens and the earth, and whoever is therein, glorify Him. There is nothing that does not glorify Him with His praise.” (Isra 17:44) Therefore, no Muslim should knowingly cause harm to the environment nor mistreat nature in any way. 

Required is awareness of the needs of one’s environment. A person with such awareness will be ever mindful of his dealings in the environment, and therefore act accordingly.  At the very least he will accept creatures of the environment as his friends and aids. As he benefits from these creatures, he will also take care not to disturb the balance of nature. The Qur’ân’s declarations that waste is a sin, and extravagance is the brother of the Satan (Araf 7:31, Isra 17:26-27) and the Prophet’s advice not to waste water while performing ablution, even if it was a flowing river (Ibn Majah) is a pertinent warning which arouses environmental awareness within Muslims.

Quddus, one of the attributes of Allah means sacred and pure.

What The Companions Thought About Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the embodiment of love and the peak of affection for all of mankind; from the time of Prophet Adam (pbuh) there has been no one of true faith who has not loved him.

The souls of all the living and non-living are full of affection for him, as stated in the following hadith: “Every being between the heavens and the earth, all but the jinn and the disobedient among mankind, knows that I am Allah’s Messenger.” (Imam Ahmad)

All the Prophets and friends of Prophet Muhammad and Companions of Allah knew him with love and affection; they were more loyal to him than they were to themselves. Those who embraced him with affection were concerned for his every need; they committed their entire lives to Prophet Muhammad and his struggle. Their devotion and affection was frequently displayed and mentioned; in each instance they would say: “You are dearer to us than our mothers and fathers.”


HE MADE THE PEOPLE LOVE HIM…

Prophet Muhammad was so loved by the Companions that it is not possible to understand the true depth of this affection; this love came from divine attachment, and was a manifestation of their affection for Allah, a love for the truth. This abundance love and affection for Prophet Muhammad was from the One Who called him ‘The loved one’, Allah. The affection for the Prophet displayed by a woman who was from the Dinar tribe and who had lost three martyrs, her husband, her father and her brother, in the battle of Uhud was so great! When the Companions went to visit and comfort her, the first thing she asked was: “Is the Messenger of Allah alive?” Then she said: “Show him to me.” When she saw Prophet Muhammad she said: “All praise is to You, Allah...! If I hadn’t seen him alive then nothing could have comforted me...”

Prophet Muhammad has bee recorded in history with the following words uttered by his Companions:

The Last Days of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), His Sickness and His Death

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) became ill after he had returned to Medina from the Farewell Pilgrimage. During these days, he visited the martyrs of Uhud and performed funeral prayers for them. One night, he went to the Jannatu al-Baqi graveyard and requested Allah to show forgiveness to them. Meanwhile, Aswad al-Ansi from the Mazhij tribe proclaimed his false prophethood in Yemen. Aswad marched through Sana'a with about 600 cavalry that he had collected from his tribe. He killed Shahr, the son of Basan, the first Muslim governor of Yemen, a man who had opposed Aswad. Aswad had forcibly married Shahr's wife Azad and took the control of the region. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent letters to the governors of the region and prominent people to stop Aswad. Eventually Aswad was killed with the help of Azad (Rabi' al-awwal 8, 11/June 3, 632). At the same time, Musaylima al-Kadhdhab from the Banu Hanifa had sent a delegation to Medina; he apostatized after the delegation returned to Yamama and began to claim his prophethood. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent him a letter, inviting him to Islam again. In his answer, Musaylima proposed a partnership with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), claiming half the world belonged to him and the other half belonged to the Quraishis. In his reply Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated that the world belongs to Allah, and He lets whom He will of His creatures inherit it and it is for the pious. Musaylima was killed during the caliphate of Abu Bakr.

In the last days of the month of Safar in the 11th year of the hijrah (May, 632), Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) decided to send an army, led by Usama ibn Zayd, to the land of Byzantines to fight the Battle of Muta. The army established its headquarters in the Juruf region outside of Medina. Meanwhile Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s condition deteriorated and Usama decided not to march but to wait.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was suffering from headaches that sometimes became unbearable and a high fever. He was leading the prayers in al-Masjid al-Nabawi during his sickness with the help of his Companions. One day, he climbed to the pulpit and said, "Behold, Allah gave to one of His bondmen the choice between this world and that which is with Him; he chose that which is with Allah." Abu Bakr understood the significance of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s words, for he knew that it was Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself who had been given this choice. Abu Bakr broke into tears and exclaimed, "May our own fathers and mothers be your ransom". Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) calmed Abu Bakr and told him that he was pleased with him. Then, he reminded the ansars and the muhajirs of their mutual altruism and virtues and advised them to act together. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked for those people to whom he owed something to take their rights. He warned people to care about the rights of the believers, to pay their debts in time, and to avoid from making his tomb into a temple like the tombs of some historical figures.

The will left by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to his daughter Fatima and to his aunt Safiyya is interesting. "Do good deeds that are valuable for Allah. Otherwise, I cannot save you from the judgment of Allah on issues of the lawful and the unlawful."

One of the last wills left by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to the Muslims contains the following points: to treat people who are under their responsibility well, to take care that the necessary preparations are made with a good conscience, as they will be held accountable before Allah, and to treat foreign messengers well and give them presents.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) spent his final days with Aisha; his health deteriorated three days before his death and he commanded Abu Bakr to lead the prayers. When he felt better, he went to the masjid with the help of Ali and Fazl ibn Abbas; when Abu Bakr, who was leading the prayer, saw the Prophet he wanted to retreat and give the place to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); however, the Prophet nodded towards Abu Bakr to continue and stood next to him during the prayer. After the morning prayer of the next day he passed away; Abu Bakr visited him and when he saw that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was getting better, he asked for permission to go home. But the health of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) suddenly deteriorated. According to Aisha Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said "La ilaha illallah, how hard it is to give away your soul!" in a low voice, and then he abandoned his soul in her arms saying "ila'r-rafiq al-a‘la" (to the most divine friend) (13 Rabi'al awwal 11 / June 8th 632 Monday)

The death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) deeply saddened all the Muslims; some Companions, such as Umar, felt that the polytheists were happy about this situation and for this reason said that the Prophet had not died. After Abu Bakr received the news of the Prophet's death, he came before the corpse, lifted the veil that was over his face and kissed the Prophet, saying "O Messenger of Allah, may my own father and mother be your ransom! You were beautiful when you were alive; you are still beautiful though you are dead". Then, he went to the masjid and said the following: "O People! If there is anyone who wants to worship Muhammad, he should know that Muhammad has died. He who worships Allah should know that Allah is immortal" (Ibn Hisham, II, 655-656). Then he read the following verse: "Muhammad is but a messenger, messengers have passed away before him. Will it be that, when he dies or is slain, you will turn back on your heels? He who turns back on his heels will not be able to harm Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful." (Al Imrân 3/144). The body of the Muhammad was washed on Tuesday by Ali with the help of Fadl and Qutham, the sons of Abbas. The funeral prayer was not performed in a congregation; first the men, then the women and later the children came in groups before the body of Muhammad and performed the prayer one by one. In accordance with the hadith conveyed by Abu Bakr from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his body was put in the grave by Ali, Fadl, Qutham and Usama, which had been dug where he had died.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) lived a simple life, spending his wealth in the way of Allah; he left behind an extremely moderate heritage. As a matter of fact, he had said "We prophets do not leave a will. The only kind of wealth that we leave is sadaqas" (Ibn Sa‘d, II, p. 314; Buhari, "Humus", 1). When he died, he had a white mule, weapons and lands. He had ordered that the income of his lands be spent for his family and the rest be handed over to the treasury. Shortly before his death, the Prophet said that he would be embarrassed before Allah and thus commanded that his remaining 7 dirhams be distributed among the poor. Some armor that belonged to him was held in pawn by a Jew in return for his debts. The spiritual heritage of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is extremely great and valuable both for his ummah (community) and indeed for all of mankind. As he stated in his Farewell Sermon, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) left us the Quran and the sunnah. The religion of Islam and Islamic civilization have been shaped around these two sources; a vast geography has been influenced for centuries and has taken its place in the history of mankind.

THE FAREWELL HAJJ AND THE FAREWELL SERMON

It is known that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) met Gabriel in months of Ramadan and read the verses that had been revealed to that date. In the month of Ramadan in the 10th year of the hijrah (December, 631) Gabriel said that they would read the Holy Quran aloud two times. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) understood that this meant his time on earth was coming to an end, and told his daughter Fatima. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) normally performed itiqaf (being secluded in a place while fasting for the sole purpose of worshipping Allah) for ten days during the month of Ramadan, but he performed itiqaf for twenty days in the last Ramadan of his life.

It is known that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) met Gabriel in months of Ramadan and read the verses that had been revealed to that date. In the month of Ramadan in the 10th year of the hijrah (December, 631) Gabriel said that they would read the Holy Quran aloud two times. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) understood that this meant his time on earth was coming to an end, and told his daughter Fatima. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) normally performed itiqaf (being secluded in a place while fasting for the sole purpose of worshipping Allah) for ten days during the month of Ramadan, but he performed itiqaf for twenty days in the last Ramadan of his life.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) started to prepare for the hajj in the same year (10/632) and told everyone to join him. Along with his wives and his daughter Fatima, he set out on Dhu al-Qi'dah 26, 10 (February 23, 632) with Muslims, who consisted of the muhajirs, Companions and tribes that had come to Medina. He put on the ihram in Zulhulayfa and reached Mecca on Dhu al-Hijjah 4 on his camel who was called Qasva (Qusva) with the people who joined him along the way. After performing the umrah, he stayed in a tent that had been set up for him in the Abtah region. On Dhu al-Hijjah 4 Thursday, he left Mecca, went to Mina and spent the night there. On Dhu al-Hijjah 9 Friday, he set out for Arafat after sunrise along the Muzdalifa road and settled in a tent in Namira. He made his famous speech, known as the Farewell Sermon, to a crowd of over 120,000 companions in the Arafat valley in the afternoon.

In his speech, after praising and thanking Allah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that all people are servants of Allah, that they all descended from the same mother and father, all people are equal, regardless of their race, color, language and class; the measure of superiority is their piety before Allah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) generally mentioned about the human rights. He emphasized the security of life, property and chastity. He ordered that people should be careful about human rights, avoid cruelty and haram (religiously forbidden) food and protect trusts; he threw light on the mutual rights, obligations and duties of the husband and wife. The Prophet also stated that all Muslims are brothers and sisters, and he emphasized the importance of unity and cooperation. He ordered people to perform the prayer, fast, pay zakat, and perform hajj, as well as telling them to obey the moral rules. He mentioned some concepts and traditions from the Age of Ignorance, and he announced that interest and blood feud were now forbidden, and he invalidated the institutions and practices of the Age of Ignorance related with administration of Mecca and the Kaaba. He frequently asked, "Have I conveyed the message?" to his Companions in order to confirm his words. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ended his sermon by saying "O Allah, be my witness! O Allah, be my witness!" In the verse sent before Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) left Arafat it was stated that the religion had been perfected and completed and that Islam is a religion that is in keeping with the consent of Allah: "This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam" (Al-Maida 5/3).

With Usama ibn Zayd mounted on his camel, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) descended from Arafat. When he reached Muzdalifa, he performed the evening and night prayers there. After performing the morning prayer, he arrived in Jamratu al-Aqabah and threw seven stones and said the takbir for each one. Then he went to Mina and after making a speech for his companions he sacrificed an animal. Then he shaved and took off his ihram and came to the Kaaba, which he circumambulated. After returning to Mina, he completed the Djamras (devil stoning). On the next day he returned to Mecca and before the sunrise he performed his farewell circumambulation. With the permission of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the Hajjis who had come from outside Mecca and Medina left the city on the fifth day of the festivity to go to their cities. Then Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) performed the pilgrimage with the muhajirs and ansars and taught the Muslims how to perform this worship, and then returned to Medina.

Due to the fact that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "I may not be able to meet you here again after this year", and died shortly after, this hajj is known as "The Farewell Hajj" and this sermon as "The Farewell Sermon". Actually, it is known that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made more than one speech at various places and at various times during this journey.

The Assignment of Abu Bakr as the Instructor of Hajj and the Last Invitation to Mushriks.

With the conquest of Mecca, the Muslims assumed control of the city and the control of Kaaba, but although the polytheist Arabian tribes had accepted Islam there were those who continued in their idolatry. Some of these tribes were still allies of the Muslims. After the conquest of Mecca, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made agreements with neighboring tribes such as the Damra, Ghifar, Juhayna and Ashja along with the Huzaa and Mudlij; he had preserved good relations with all of these since the first year of the hijrah. These agreements prescribed that no person who visited the Kaaba for either of the pilgrimages, hajj or umrah, would be obstructed and no one need be in fear during the sacred months. After returning from the Tabuk Campaign, knowing that there would still be polytheists in Mecca and that some of would want to circumambulate the Kaaba nude, in accordance with their traditions, the Prophet did not wish to go on pilgrimage. He assigned Abu Bakr to be the instructor of hajj and sent him to Mecca along with 300 companions (Dhu al-Qi'dah-Dhu al-Hijjah 9/ March 631). Then the first twenty-eight verses of Surah Tauba were revealed in relation to the general conditions of the polytheists and their agreements with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)- in accordance with the Arabic tradition in which a leader or a member of his family might have a say over the agreements - assigned Ali to convey the provisions of these verses. Ali caught up with Abu Bakr, who was on his way to Mecca, and told him about the situation, notifying him that he was to continue his assignment as instructor of hajj. The first verses of Surah Tauba constitute a "warning" to the polytheists and were read by Ali to those who had gathered in Mina on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, the first day of the festivity. The following points were explained by him: "Non-believers will never reach an eternal redemption nor enter heaven. From this year on the polytheists will not be able to go on hajj nor will they get close to al-Masjid al-Haram; no one will circumambulate the Kaaba nude, those who have agreements with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will be able to use their rights until the agreement expires, however should they not become Muslims afterwards, their lives shall not be under protection." This notification had its effect. Although some of the polytheists objected, without waiting the four months almost all of them became Muslim after taking into consideration the fact that "even the Quraishis had become Muslims". Thus, the existence of idolatry in the Arabian Peninsula came to an end. In accordance with the principles established by the Prophet Ishmael and Prophet Abraham, the Kaaba was now allocated to the believers who possessed the faith of tawhid (one God). With the 29th verse of the same Surah, the basic Islamic understanding was put into effect, prescribing the protection of the lives and goods of the People of the Book and of the members of the other religions on the condition that they pay jizya and providing them with the freedom to continue practicing their own religion

Arabian Tribes Representatives at Medina

The 9th year of the hijrah (630-631) was known as "the year of the delegations" (sanatu al-wufud). The conquest of Mecca, the acceptance of Islam by the Hawazins, a large and strong tribe, the fact that people of Saqif, who were living in Taif, had made a pledge with Medina, and Northern Arabia coming under the sovereignty of Islam caused the Arab tribes who were living in various parts of the peninsula to send delegations to Medina and give their allegiance. Among these developments, the Quraishis' acceptance of Islam was of particular importance. The Arab tribes began to accept the religion of Allah when the Quraishis, who of great importance among the Arab tribes and who had been the most significant opponents of the Muslims, accepted Islam. Surah An-Nasr reports this issue: "When Allah's succor and the triumph come and you see mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops, hens hymn the praises of Allah, and seek forgiveness of Him. O! he is ever ready to show mercy" (An-Nasr, 110/1-3). The delegations who came to Medina and talked to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on behalf of their tribes stated that they had become Muslim and they took pledges for themselves and on behalf of their tribes; they wanted to learn the religion directly from its Messenger and sometimes requested tutors to be sent to the tribe. Among these delegations, there were representatives of the Saqif and Hanifa tribes. Some of the people who came to Islam tried to make terms, asking to be excluded from some of the basic forms of worship in Islam and to be allowed to ignore some of the prohibitions. There were also people who accepted the sovereignty of the Islamic state without becoming Muslim, who paid the jizya, such as the Christians of the Najran and Taghlib tribes. Visits from such delegations gave Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) an opportunity to talk about the Islam. Such delegations stayed in the houses of Abdurrahman ibn Awf, Ramla bin Harith, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari or Khalid ibn al-Walid, or they sometimes stayed in the (porch or veranda of al-Masjid al-Nabawi) or in tents pitched in the courtyard of the masjid. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave importance to the members of the delegations; he read the Holy Quran for them and told them the basics of the religion and the moral rules. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also gave them information about significant issues and sent them back with presents, assigning governors, zakat and jizya collectors or teachers of Islam; he prepared written documents concerning these matters. The visits of the delegations indicate that tribes living in various places of Arabia became Muslim and Medina was accepted as the capital of the peninsula. In his work, Ibn Sa'd mentions seventy-one delegations that came from various parts of Arabia in the 9th (630) and 10th years; he also gives some information about each tribe (see Ibn Sa'd, I, 291-359).

Attitudes of Some Bedouin Tribes

Although many Arab tribes became Muslim, it is difficult to say that Islam spread among the Bedouin tribes; in particular the Banu Ghatafan and its various branches, the Banu Hanifa and Banu Asad did not become Muslim. In the Holy Quran, the Bedouins who were hostile against Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Muslims were criticized and the negative attitudes shown by many of them were referred to as a whole under the word a'rab (See Al-Tauba, 9/90, 93-99, 101-102, 107-110, 120; Al-Ahzab, 33/20; Al-Fath, 48/11-17; Al-Hujurat, 49/14-18). The Bedouins began to oppose Islam from the time of the Battle of Badr (Al-Ahzab, 33/20). When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was about to perform the lesser pilgrimage (6/628), he sent messages to the Bedouin tribes around the city, such as the Juhayna, the Muzayna, the Ascha and the Aslam, telling them to join him. However, they did not obey Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s order because they were not loyal to Islam or Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); after the umrah they apologized for this (See Al-Fath, 48/11-12, 16). A similar condition was experienced during the Battle of Tabuk (See Al-Tauba, 9/90, 97, 101, 120). Various branches of the Bedouin Ghatafan tribe were involved in several raids and killings, starting from the 3rd year after the migration (624). They accepted Islam in the year of the delegations (9/630-631), but did not follow it very strictly. As a matter of fact, after the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Uyayna ibn Hisn, the leader of the Fazara branch, apostatized and joined Tulayha ibn Huwaylid al-Asadi, who claimed that he was a prophet. Apart from this, the Banu Hanifa, most of whom lived a Bedouin life, tried to keep away from Islam. The delegation of Banu Hanifa led by Salama ibn Hanzala became Muslim when they came to Medina in the 10th year of the hijrah (631). However, the people of Banu Hanifa had political and economic interests and they apostatized, joining Musaylimat al-Kadhdhab who claimed that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) shared in his prophethood.

On the other hand, the Banu Asad thought that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Muslims had lost power after the Battle of Uhud and thus they planned to make a sudden attack. During the Battle of the Trenches they were involved with an alliance of enemy groups which were led by Tulayha ibn Huwaylid. In year 9 (630), they came to Medina with a delegation, one of whom was Tulayha, and they pretended to be Muslims, requesting financial support during the famine and asking permission to gather and distribute their zakats among themselves. Since they were rude during these talks, and they were so intent on their own interests, and were merely pretending to have faith and oblige Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the verses of Surah Al-Hujurat were revelaed (49/14-18). During the illness of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Tulayha declared his prophethood, and then during the caliphate of Abu Bakr he revolted after gaining the support of some Bedouin tribes, like the Fazara, Zubyan, Tay and Abs.

Tebuk War

In the 9th year after the emigration (630 AD) Medina received the news that the Byzantine Emperor Herakleios had begun war preparations against the Muslims after having gained the support of allied Christian Arabian tribes, such as the Lahm, Juzam, Amila and the Ghassanis. Upon this, although it was a time of drought and famine, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) started war preparations. His goal was to defend the Muslims against enemy attacks duly and repel any possible danger. It can be understood from the Holy Quran (see Al-Tauba 9/38-106) and Islamic historical sources that the Muslims regarded the Byzantines as a serious force that had gained absolute dominance over the Sasanid Empire. As a matter of fact, although Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would generally keep the destination of a campaign secret, he openly announced that the target for these preparations was the Byzantine Empire. This was due to the fact that the path to be covered was long, the enemy was strong and numerous, the weather was very hot and it was time for the harvest.
During the campaign preparations, and many companions, first among them being Uthman, made great contributions to the armament of the Islamic army. Uthman provided 1,000 mounts and also equipped 10,000 soldiers, for each of which he spent one gold coin. Abdurrahman ibn Awf and Talha ibn Zubayr made great donations. Umar donated half of his total property holdings and Abu Bakr donated all of his property. Almost everybody made efforts and helped the Islamic army.

Unlike the sincere, unselfish and diligent Muslims, the hypocrites were, as always, hostile. They talked about the power of the Byzantines and they tried to dishearten the Muslims by saying that it would be useless to set out on a campaign in such a hot season when there was famine. On the other hand, there were Muslims who sincerely shed tears because they could not join in the campaign as they could not afford to buy mounts.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) set out for Tabuk on the road to Syria; Tabuk was 700 km away from Medina to the north, with an army of 30,000 men 10,000 of whom were riding horses. This army was the greatest Islamic army of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s period. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) established his headquarters in Tabuk (Rajab 9/September 630). The army stayed there for fifteen or twenty days, but there was no sign of the Byzantine army. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent units to the Jarba, Ayla, Azruh, Makna and Maan tribes, most of which were Christian, with the remainder being Jewish. These tribes held great lands in the west and the reason for sending off these units was to invite these tribes to Islam. Their representatives stated that they would not become Muslims but they would pay the tax (jizya). In other words, they accepted the rule of the Islamic state on the condition that their lives, properties and freedom of faith were guaranteed. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wrote agreements for each of these regions and gave these texts to them. Meanwhile, a military unit composed of 400 men, led by Khalid ibn al-Walid, was sent to Dumatu al-Jandal, an important center on the Iraqi road. Khalid ibn al-Walid captured Dumatu al-Jandal castle and took Uqaydir ibn Abdulmalik, the leader of the region, prisoner, bringing him to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made an agreement with Uqaydir on the condition that he would pay jizya, and set him free. In this way, the people of Dumatu al-Jandal accepted the sovereignty of the Islamic state by paying jizya.

It is reported that while in Tabuk, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent a second letter of invitation to Islam to the Byzantine Emperor Heraklios, who was in Hims or Damascus, with Dihya al-Kalbi. In this letter, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) presented three options to Heraklios: he could accept Islam, pay the jizya, or fight. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) requested that if the emperor were to choose either of the last two options, than at least he should not permit those who wanted to become Muslims from doing so. After receiving the letter the emperor discussed the issue with his religious and military officials. He sent an emissary from the Banu Tanuh, an Arab tribe, to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The emissary was welcomed in accordance with the conditions of the campaign and Uthman gave him some expensive clothing as a gift.

The campaign of Tabuk, which was the last battle that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) participated in, was an important test for the Muslims. The army involved in the Battle of Tabuk was known as the jayshu al-usra, meaning "the army of hard times", in accordance with Surah Al-Tauba (9/117), which states that the battle was fought during difficult times (sa'atu al-usra). There are many verses in the Holy Quran which mention the Muslims who participated in this campaign; in addition those who could not participate in the battle due to a legitimate excuse, those who did not participate in without a legitimate excuse, and the hypocrites, who did not participate in the campaign and who tried to discourage people from joining the campaign are also mentioned (see Al-Tauba 9/38-106, 117-118).

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) went to Medina after the Tabuk campaign. He prayed in gratitude in al-Masjid al-Nabawi. After the prayer, he was congratulated by those who had been unable to join the campaign. He appeared to accept the congratulations of those hypocrites who said that they could not join in the campaign due to various excuses. Indeed, the hypocrites were making up false excuses and they were lying (Al-Tauba 9/94-97). Ka'b ibn Malik, one of the famous poets of the time, Hilal ibn Umayya from the veterans of Badr, and Murara ibn Rabi did not participate in the campaign, even though they were in good financial positions and they were healthy. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) treated them coldly and told them to wait for the judgment of Allah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prohibited other Muslims from speaking with them. The ban was extended to their wives, who were ordered to divorce their spouses. All of the women obediently yielded to the command. This was unbearable for these men. They could not go to public places because of their shame and they could not look people in the eye. They said, "We cannot live with this shame." They prayed to Allah for days, without eating and drinking anything. Eventually, after depicting their psychological conditions during this time (Al-Tauba 9/118) it was stated in the Qu'ran that Allah had forgiven them and that He had accepted their penance after fifty days. These three companions, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and other Muslims were content with this divine forgiveness. Ka'b ibn Malik wanted to donate all his property to the poor as a means of penitence, but Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told him that it would be more beneficial to retain some of his property. Accordingly, Ka'b donated all his belongings except for his land in Khaybar.

One of the activities that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) performed in the aftermath of the campaign of Tabuk was to destroy al-Masjid al-Dirar which had been built by the hypocrites as center in which to conspire against the Muslims. While Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was involved in preparations for the campaign of Tabuk, a group of hypocrites came to him and said that they had built a masjid for the elderly and infirm in which they could perform their prayers on rainy and cold nights; they asked for permission from the Prophet to open this masjid and asked him to lead the prayer. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told them that he was about to set out a campaign and he could lead the prayer after the campaign. While Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was camping in Zuavan with his army after the campaign, some of the hypocrites came to him and asked him again to lead the prayer in their masjid. At that time, the verses (Al-Tauba 9/107-110) about the so-called masjid and the intention of its builders were revealed. These verses stated that those who had built the masjid were liars, and that their intention was to harm the believers, deny Allah, and create conflict between the believers. Moreover, the al-Masjid al-Dirar was described as a masjid of harm, dissension and hostility. In these verses it was stated that it would be inappropriate for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to lead the prayer in this masjid, and that it would be better to lead a prayer in a masjid that had been built on the fear of Allah (al-Masjid al-Quba or al-Masjid al-Nabawi). With these verses, it became clear that this masjid was a center of conspiracy and treachery against the Muslims, and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told two companions to destroy the building.

Distribution of the Captured Goods in Jirana

After Taif, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) returned back to Jirana where the prisoners and the goods captured were being kept. The number of prisoners, including women and children was around 6,000. Among the captured goods there were more than 24,000 camels, more than 40,000 sheep, and 4,000 silver coins. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ordered that those prisoners in need of clothing be dressed and he waited before distributing the captured goods. His intention was to return these goods to the people of Hawaz if they were to come to him as Muslims. However, when the delegation of Hawazin did not appear, some hypocrites and some Bedouins who had recently accepted Islam and who did not possess an Islamic consciousness put a great deal of pressure on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to immediately distribute the goods.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reserved one-fifth of the goods as a bayt al-mal share, and then he distributed the rest of the captured goods among the people. After the conquest of Mecca, in order to bring the people closer to Islam, more shares were provided to some of the Quraishis who were referred to as muallafa-i qulub in the sources; that is they had asked for a grace period of four months before becoming Muslim. After the distribution of the captured goods, a delegation came from the Hawazin to say that they had become Muslims and to request that their prisoners and goods be returned to them. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) he said that he had waited for them before distributing the goods, but that at this stage it would be difficult to fulfill their request; he then asked them to choose between their prisoners and their goods. When they chose the prisoners, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) obtained the consent of his companions and fulfilled their request. Although some of the Bedouin Muslims refused to give up their prisoners, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) persuaded them by promising them more shares from the next victory to be won. Meanwhile, as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had given more shares to the muallafa-i qulub, people began to think that he was favoring the Quraishis and even that he was going to forsake the Ansar and stay in Medina. Upon this, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brought together the Ansar and explained to them why he had given more shares to the muallafa-i qulub, underlining the virtues of the Ansar and saying that he would always be with them and pray for them and their children; the Ansar's regretted their thoughts, expressed their sorrow and agreed with the actions he had taken.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stayed in Jirana for two weeks and after the distribution of the goods he went to Mecca to perform the pilgrimage (Umra, the lesser pilgrimage). After the Umra he returned to Medina. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ordered that Ummu Abdullah bint Abu Umayya take care of the households and goods of Malik ibn Awf, the commander of the Hawazin army who had had to flee to Taif after the defeat of Hunayn. He sent a message to Malik announcing that should he become Muslim, he would be returned his household and goods, and be granted 100 camels. Upon this, Malik ibn Awf came to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and accepted Islam, and those things that had been promised him were returned. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) involved Malik ibn Awf with the muallafa-i qulub, assigning him as agent to his own tribe and to the tribes that resided in Taif and in the surrounding areas. Malik ibn Awf had a great influence on the arrival of the Saqifis in Medina in year 9 (631) and in their acceptance of Islam.

Siege of Taif

Although the Muslims won the Battle of Hunayn, the soldiers who fled the battle joined other tribes who were opposed to Islam. Thus, a new risk came into being. The most prominent counterforce was the People of Taif. The People of Taif had made clear their animosity against the Islam with an arrogant attitude, which they exhibited from time to time. Those who tried to form organizations against Islam and the poets who satirized Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Muslims had fled to Taif when their lives came under threat. As a consequence, Taif had become a enemy location. The Hawaz army, who had been defeated in Awtas, had also taken shelter there. Shortly after the battle of Hunayn, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) decided to attack Taif with an army led by him.

After a reconnaissance unit of 1,000 men, led by Khalid ibn Walid, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) arrived in Taif and besieged the Saqif and Hawazin, who had taken shelter in the fortresses, for almost a month. Since the people of Taif were inside their fortresses, they were able to mount a strong defense by constantly shooting arrows at the Muslims who were attacking from the open. In this siege, where various strategies and tactics were employed, the Muslims put to use weapons like the catapult. As the sacred month approached and as it became understood that the people of Taif had stored provisions to sustain them for a year Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) lifted the siege and came to Jirana, where the captured goods had been stored. During the siege of Taif, it is said that the Muslims lost 12 men and the number of enemies killed was 3.

Battle of Hunayn

After the conquest of Mecca one of the tribes that concerned Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the Hawazin. The Hawazin had many branches and resided in the regions between Mecca and Najid, stretching in the south to Yemen. The people of Saqif, who constituted a major branch of this tribe, were living in Taif. The animosity between the Hawazin tribe and the Quraishi, which had been continuing since the Age of Ignorance due to the influence of trade relations, was now directed against Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as he was a member of the Quraishi tribe, as well as against Islam, which had been introduced by him. Some branches of the tribes had violated the provisions for travel security found in the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, thus Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent some troops against them. However, as the resentment and animosity of the Hawaz people continued to increase, they became one of the most important targets for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) after the Quraishis. While Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was in Mecca, a spy who had been captured provided him with information about the preparations of the Hawazin for a war against the Muslims. On the other hand, upon the destruction of the idol Uzza, which was located on the road to Taif, the Saqif people feared that their own idol Lat would also be destroyed, thus they joined the Hawazin, who had gathered in Awtas. The commander of the Hawazin army was Malik ibn Awf an-Nasri, who was about thirty years old. Despite opposition from experienced figures, Malik ibn Awf ordered that the women, children, goods and animals be brought to the frontlines in order to keep his soldiers on the battlefield, and this lead to a battle by the entire community against the Muslims.

After Abdullah ibn Abu Hadrad al-Aslami, who had been sent to gather intelligence, confirmed that the Hawazin and Saqif tribes had gathered in the valley of Awtas, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) begun battle preparations. Seventeen days after the conquest of Mecca, on 6 Shawwal 8, (January 27th 630) the Prophet set out on a campaign with his army that numbered nearly 12,000 along with 2,000 Muslims from Mecca who had recently joined the army. In the Islamic army there were also women like Ummu Umara, Ummu'l-Harith and Ummu Sulaym.

The Islamic army headed to Awtas on 11 Shawwal 8 (February 1st, 8) and reached Hunayn at night, waiting there until the break of dawn. At dawn, the army took action behind a reconnaissance unit of 100 cavalry, led by Khalid ibn Walid. The Hawazin had reached the Hunayn valley before the Muslims and set up an ambush on the narrowest part of the valley; they began to fire arrows against the enemy and this was the actual start of the battle. As it was dark, it was very difficult to locate the enemy who were lying in ambush. In addition to this, the chaos and atmosphere of panic that occurred when the horses and camels were spooked led to a disorderly retreat of the central units. In short, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had very few soldiers around him. In the Quran it is stated that this debacle was caused by the Muslims thinking of themselves as being superior to the enemy, and thus their faith in Allah had not yet been completely fulfilled; after this bitter experience, it is stated that the Muslims became triumphant with the spiritual support of Allah (Al-Tauba 9/25-26). The dispersed army quickly reassembled with the warnings and brave and decisive intervention of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and victory was assured after a fierce battle. Most of the Hawaz army, along with their commanders took shelter in Taif, with others going to Awtas, and the rest fleeing to Nahla. Thus, the zenith of the struggle of the Bedouin Arabs against the Muslims ended with the victory of the Muslims.

It is reported that in this battle four Muslims were martyred and 70 enemy soldiers were killed, among whom was the famous poet and warrior Durayd ibn Simna. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had ordered his Companions not to kill the children, women, servants and the slaves, yet he was saddened when one a woman was killed that day.

After the defeat, most of the fleeing Hawazin army, along with their commanders, as stated above, took shelter in Taif and others in Awtas, with the rest heading to Nahla. One day after the battle, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) went to Taif and sent a squadron to Awtas and Nahla. The squadron that was sent to Nahla abandoned their pursuit and returned as the fleeing enemy army withdrew to the mountains. The unit which was sent to Awtas under Abu Amir al-Ash'ari was triumphant over the Hawazin army, but Abu Amir was martyred. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari took over the commandership and in accordance with the orders of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) he brought back the properties and prisoners that had been seized to Ji'rana, where the loot from the Battle of Hunayn were kept.

The Conquest of Mecca

The Treaty of Hudaibiyah had eliminated the blood feud between Banu Bakr ibn Abdumanat and Banu Khuza'a that had existed since the Age of Ignorance. Banu Bakr had allied with the Quraishis and Banu Khuza'a had entered into an alliance with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) . However, Banu Bakr performed a night raid on Banu Khuza'a with the support of the Quraishis and killed the tribal leader Ka'b ibn Amr and several members of the tribe. The people of Buna Kuza'a sent a delegation to Medina to ask for help from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Indeed, the people of Banu Khuza'a had been fond of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the religion he conveyed from the beginning; they helped the Muslims, particularly in the gathering of intelligence; and all the members of the tribe accepted Islam before the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent a letter to the Quraishis to confirm what had happened and also to allow the Quraishis to redress the wrong. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) offered two alternatives to the Quraishis. They could either pay the blood money for the victims of Banu Khuza'a or terminate their alliance with the aggressors who belonged to the Banu Bakr; failing these would mean the violation of the treaty and revenge would be sought. The Quraishis accepted neither paying the blood money for the victims of Banu Khuza'a nor terminating their alliance with Banu Bakr; they sent Abu Sufyan to Medina to renew the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. However, Abu Sufyan returned to Mecca without obtaining a positive result from his efforts in Medina.

Battle of Muta

Muta is located to the south of Lake Galilee, 50 km from Jerusalem. At the beginning of the 8th year (Gregorian 629) Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent Harith ibn Umayr al-Azdi with a letter of invitation to Islam to the governor of Busra, who was a representative of the Byzantine Empire. While the messenger was passing through the lands of Shurahbil ibn Amr, the emir of Gassani, he was killed by ibn Amr. Harith ibn Umayr is the only messenger of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to have been killed. As a result of the open violation of international laws that prescribed the immunity of the messengers, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prepared an army of 3,000 and assigned Zayd ibn Haritha as its commander.

The Conquest of Khaybar

Khaybar was a significant trade and agriculture center which stretched through the vast valley that was 180 km north of Medina on the Medina-Syria road; it was a place where many Jews resided. After the treaty of Hudaibiyah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began to take into consideration the risk that Khaybar constituted for the Muslims. After having been expelled from Medina, the Banu Nadir Jews settled in Khaybar along with other Jews, and began to act with animosity towards Medina, forming an alliance with some of the Arab tribes in addition to the Meccan mushriks. The Battle of the Trench was the last of such activities. Shortly after returning back from Hudaibiyah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) decided to attack Khaybar and left Medina with a force of 1,600 men, 200 of which were cavalry (or 1,500 men 300 of which were cavalry) (end of Muharram 7/June 628). The people of Khaybar received information about this plan and began to make preparations. According to the accounts they had 20,000, or at least 10,000 warriors. They also had a defensive advantage with their solid fortresses and they had an abundance of weapons. The siege continued for almost a month with fierce battles occurring from time to time. As a result of the siege, four of the seven fortified fortresses were captured in battles, with the other three being taken through peaceful means. Ali and the Muslims exhibited great courage in the capture of Kamus, the greatest fortress in Khaybar. During the capture of this fortress, ninety-three Jews died, whereas the number Muslim martyrs ranged from 15 to 20.
During the battle, many Jews were taken prisoner, including warriors, women and children. As stated by Muhammad Hamidullah, if the ruling had been carried out in accordance with the Torah, all the adult men would have been executed by the sword and the women and children would have become slaves. However, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) spared the lives of all the Jews and gave them permission to leave the city. In return for this, they asked permission to work in their fields where a considerable amount of dates were cultivated. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) accepted this proposal. After Khaybar, he made similar agreements with the people of Wadilqura and Fadaq.
In Khaybar, a large number of animals, household goods and jewelry were impounded. This property constituted one of the greatest treasures of the period of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in terms of number, variety and value. There are various accounts within the sources as to the distribution and the amount of movable and immovable assets. Among this treasure were copies of the Torah which were returned to their owners by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

During the siege, a black shepherd, a slave of a Khaybari Jew came to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and acquired information about Islam, taking the oath of faith and deciding to fight alongside the Muslims. As the sheep in his herd had been entrusted to his custody, the shepherd asked Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) what he should do with the sheep. Upon this, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated that Islam commanded compliance with a trust and ordered him to herd the sheep to the fortress of their owner. The shepherd, whose name is recorded as Yasar did what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had told him and after ensuring that the sheep had entered the fortress he returned and fought alongside the Muslims. After a while he was martyred. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) approached the martyr and told his companions that Yasar was a person of heaven. Thus, the shepherd who had acquired a martyr status without even performing a single prayer has been engraved on the memories of Muslims.

During the conquest of Khaybar, Zaynab bint Harith, the wife of Sallam ibn Mishkam one of the Jewish leaders, sacrificed a sheep and invited Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to a feast. Yet her real intention was to poison the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took Bishr ibn Bara with him and attended this feast. But he understood that the meal had been poisoned and removed a morsel from his mouth before swallowing it. Bishr ibn Bara on the other hand died because of the poison.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) freed Safiyya, the daughter of Huyay ibn Ahtab, a Jewish leader among the Khaybar captives, and took her as his wife.

Letters of Invitation to Islam

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had his clerks write six letters of invitation to Islam after he had returned from Hudaibiyah. He sent these letters via his emissaries to prominent state leaders of that time (Muharram 7/May 628). Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) carefully selected emissaries from people who knew the region and the people that they would address; he selected people who had positive physical and moral attributes, who were skillful in terms of rhetoric and representation. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took diplomatic tradition into consideration and for the first time he had a seal made which read "Muhammad Rasulullah" (Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah), and the letters were sealed with this seal.
Two of these letters were sent to the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanian Empire, two great states and super powers of the time. In the Middle East at this time there was great competition between these two super powers, and it had been continuing for several centuries. The Sassanians had occupied Jerusalem in 614; they took the Holy Cross, which was very significant for the Christians, and brought it to their capital Madain (Ktesiphon); in 619 they invaded Egypt and reached the borders of Istanbul in 629 by crossing through Anatolia. The Byzantines were continuing their struggle against the Sassanians. In 627 Emperor Herakleios defeated the Sassanians' main army in Ninova and gained the ultimate victory.
The letter of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) calling to Islam was brought to the Sassanian emperor Khusraw Parviz II by Abdullah ibn Khuzafa. Seeing that his name had been written after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s name, Khusraw became incensed and tore up the letter. He asked his governor in San'a, Bazan, for some information about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Muhammad was notified that Khusraw had torn up his letter. He became sad and asked Allah to punish him for this shameful act. Not long after, this Bazan, the governor of Yemen, sent off two men to Medina. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) learned that Khusraw Parviz had been killed by his son through a revelation. He told Bazan that if he became Muslim, he would be able continue his governorship. Upon this, Bazan and the people of Yemen became Muslims. Islam began to spread to Yemen with Bazan, the first Muslim governor of the area. Many Arabian tribes informed the Prophet that they had accepted Islam, sending delegations at different times.
Dihyah ibn Khalifa al-Kalbi was assigned to deliver the letter to the Byzantine emperor, Herakleios. The letter was composed of the following words, and is an example of other invitational letters:

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, servant and messenger of Allah, to Herakleios, Emperor of Rome;
Peace upon those who follow the Guidance. I invite you to Islam; accept Islam, you will be safe. Allah will grant you a two-fold reward; if you turn away, the sin of the wrong doings of all the people will be upon you. "O People of the Book: Come to an agreement between us and you; that we worship none but Allah, and that we shall associate no partners to Him, and that none of us shall take others for Lords besides Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we have surrendered to Him." (Al-i Imran 3/64).
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s messenger Dihyah ibn Khalifa al-Kalbi met Herakleios at a time when Herakleios was returning victorious from war with Persia and had recaptured the cross which had been taken by the Persians when they had occupied Jerusalem. Herakleios had taken a vow to perform a pilgrimage to Jerusalem on foot and return the cross to its original place. It was he then that he received the latter. According to some accounts, Herakleios sought someone who could give him more information about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Abu Sufyan and his friends happened to be in Syria at the time and he was called before the Roman Emperor. Abu Sufyan gave a truthful version of the character of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the message of Islam. Herakleios stated that the Abu Sufyan's words about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were in keeping with the features of a prophet. Herakleios gave presents to the emissary after welcoming him in accordance with diplomatic protocol.
The third letter was sent to Negus Ashama ibn Abjar, the king of Abyssinia with the emissary Amr ibn Umayya Ad-Damri. Ashama had treated the Muslims who had performed hijrah to Abyssinia before well, and he had refused to return them despite the request of the Quraishis. Ashama gave an affirmative answer to the invitation letter and accepted Islam. he sent various presents to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Upon Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s request, Ashama sent the last muhajirs in Abyssinia on a ship along with the emissary.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent the fourth letter with Hatib ibn Abu Baltaa to the high governor of Egypt, Muqawqis Jurayj ibn Mina. Hatib ibn Abi Baltaa gave him the letter and explained the basic teachings of Islam. Muqawqis did not accept Islam, but treated the envoy with respect and honor, sending some presents to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with a letter. These presents included two girls named Mariya and Sirin, a eunuch slave, 1,000 misqal of gold, a white mule, which came to be known as Duldul, precious dresses and cloths. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married Mariya, and Ibrahim was the child of this marriage.
The fifth letter was sent to Harith ibn Abu Shamir Al-Ghassani, the king of Ghassanis, with the emissary Shujah ibn Wahb al-Asadi. Harith became angry with this letter and threw it on the floor. He also threatened to strike Medina.

The sixth letter was sent to the ruler of the Banu Hanifa in Yamama, Houza ibn Ali Hanafi, with the emissary Sulait ibn Amr. Houza ibn Ali Hanafi was known for his poems and speeches. He treated the emissary with respect and gave him presents. However, he wrote a letter explaining that he did not accept Islam.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sent these letters, which were written to convey the Islam, to many tribal leaders who were living in various regions of the Arabian Peninsula; he also sent some letters to individuals. These letters were written concisely and the addressees were referred to by their titles. No threatening or insulting remarks were placed in the letters. The addressees were only invited to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and His messenger. Particularly in the letters sent to the tribal leaders, it was stated that they could continue to live on their own lands if they accepted Islam; their lives and properties would be protected, the lands, fields or mining regions would be given over to some of the tribes. It was emphasized in particular that those who accepted Islam should obey Allah and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), perform their prayers, and give zakat (charitable alms). In the letters written after the jizya verses (Al-Tauba 9/29), which was sent in the 9th year of the hijrah (630 AD), it was stated that jizya (a form of tax) would be taken from Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians who did not accept Islam although they recognized the sovereignty of the Muslims.

The Battle of Banu Qurayza

The Banu Qurayza resided within fortresses called utum, which were located in the prairie region that stretched throughout the southeast of Medina. This tribe, which was related to the Banu Nadir, engaged in agricultural and trade activities. The Banu Qurayza and the Banu Nadir Tribes were allies of the Aws tribe and they had participated in the Medina Document as allies of the Aws tribe.

Since the Banu Qaynuqa and the Banu Nadir were broken the agreement and betrayed the Prophet (pbuh) they were exiled; still there were Banu Qurayza Jews in Medina. In accordance with the Medina Document, the Banu Qurayza were required to participate in the defense of the city, but the tribe had violated this condition during the Battle of the Trench and the Banu Qurayza, under the influence of Huyay ibn Ahtab, the leader of the Banu Nadir, had formed an alliance with this tribe who settled in Khaybar after exile. However, since the Prophet had made an agreement with them, he did not have a trench dug along the area in which the Banu Qurayza resided. Moreover, some of the equipment, such as pickaxes and shovels that were used to dig the trenches, were provided by the Banu Qurayza.
After being betrayed by the Banu Qurayza, the Prophet sent a unit of 300 men, led by Salama ibn Alsam al-Ashali and another unit of 200 men, led by Zayd ibn Haritha, in order to intimidate them so that they would not organize a sudden attack on Medina. During the most critical point of the Battle of the Trench, the Muslims had been let down by the betrayal of Banu Qurayza. Meanwhile, Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud, a prominent member of the Gatafan tribe, became Muslim and in accordance with the decision of the Prophet he played both ends against the middle between the Banu Qurayza and its allies. This ended the Battle of the Trench and eliminated any element of risk for the Muslims.
According to accounts found in the sources, the Prophet received a revelation after returning back home after the Battle of the Trench. Upon this he called Bilal al-Habashi and commanded him to tell the Companions to perform the afternoon prayer within the lands of the Banu Qurayza. Then he donned his armor, took his weapons and mounted his horse. He gave the banner to Ali and sent him ahead with the scouts. The Prophet assigned Abdullah ibn Ummu Maktum as proxy in Medina and set out on campaign (23 Dhu al-Qidah 5 /April 15th 627).
Some of the units moved at different hours; at the time of the afternoon prayer there was a disagreement as to whether they were going to perform the prayer before entering the lands of the Banu Qurayza or whether this was against the orders of the Prophet. Some of the units performed the afternoon prayer on time while others performed it along with the night prayer, after reaching the lands of the Banu Qurayza. When the situation was conveyed to Prophet Muhammad, he did not criticize any of the units; thus it can be understood that both actions were appropriate.
Ali had reached the fortresses of the Banu Qurayza before Prophet Muhammad and he heard that the Jews were speaking negatively about the Prophet and his wives. He thought that the Prophet would be upset and thus Ali asked him not to approach the location of the Jews. The Prophet reminded him that Moses had faced more difficult situations and then he moved towards their fortresses, saying that when the Banu Qurayza saw Him they would not utter a word. Prophet Muhammad spoke with the leaders of each tribe and invited them to become Muslim. Upon receiving their negative responses, he asked them to yield to Allah and His prophet and to surrender. This too they refused to do and subsequently the battle began. The Banu Qurayza was besieged for fifteen or twenty-five days, during which there was an intensive rain of arrows and stones. While the Muslims consisted of 3,000 warriors and 36 cavalry, while the Banu Qurayza warriors numbered 600 to 700. They were led by their leaders Ka'b ibn Asad and his ally Huyay ibn Ahtab.
The number of Banu Qurayza warriors was said to have ranged from between 400 to 800 or 900. Meanwhile, the hypocrites went to the Banu Qurayza and encouraged them not to yield to the Muslims, promised them that they would help if they continued their resistance. The Jews saw that the help promised by the hypocrites did not arrive and thus they became desperate and decided to negotiate with the Prophet. The conditions were provided by the Banu Nadir; they suggested pulling out of Medina, leaving behind their assets and weapons and taking only one camel load of possessions for each person. Prophet Muhammad saw that the Banu Nadir, whom he had released two years ago on the condition that they leave Medina, had now sided with the enemies during the Battle of the Trench. Thus, the Prophet did not agree to this proposal and told them that they must surrender unconditionally. The Banu Qurayza asked Prophet Muhammad to send Abu Lubaba ibn Abdulmundhir, a member of their ally Avs, to them so that they could discuss some issues with him. The Jews asked Abu Lubaba to save them from this predicament and asked him what Prophet Muhammad was planning for them. Abu Lubaba indicated his throat, implying that they were to be executed. However, after a while Abu Lubaba thought that he was betraying Allah and His prophet by giving them information and became regretful. He went to the al-Masjid al-Nabawi and tied himself to a pole and remained there for days, only fulfilling his basic needs until he was forgiven by Allah and untied by the Prophet. After his repentance had been accepted (al-Anfal 8/27 or al-Tauba 9/102) Abu Lubaba wanted to distribute his assets as donation, yet upon the advice of the Prophet he gave away only one-third of his assets.
The Banu Qurayza were left without hope after the siege and accepted the rulings of the Prophet and surrendered. Meanwhile, taking into account that Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul acted as an intermediary and had saved his allies, the Banu Qaynuqa Jews, from the death sentence, the Aws tribe went to the Prophet and requested that their ally the Banu Qurayza be treated well. In order to make a ruling concerning the Banu Qurayza, it was decided, on their suggestion, that Sa'd ibn Mu'az from the Aws tribe be assigned as arbitrator. Due to the wounds he had suffered in the Battle of the Trench, Sa'd ibn Muadh was being treated in a tent in Medina. When he was taken to where Prophet Muhammad resided, the people of Aws kept asking him to make a ruling in favor of their allies, the Banu Qurayza. Sa'd received promises from the Aws, the Banu Qurayza and Prophet Muhammad that they would all consent to his ruling and then he pronounced his judgment. The men who were old enough to fight were to be executed, the women and the children would be taken as prisoners and the assets were to be distributed among the Muslims. The Prophet stated that Sa'd had made a ruling with the verdict of Allah and approved. Moreover, it is seen that this Sa'd's ruling was in accordance with the Torah (Tasniya, XX/10-15) and that such a decision also existed in the Quran (al-Maida 5/33-34) among the punishments to be given to those who started wars against Allah and His Prophet and those who would tyrannize on earth.
While the prisoners of the Banu Qurayza were being held, the loot was gathered together. It is reported that there were 1,500 swords, 300 suits of armors, 2,000 spears, and 1,500 shields taken from the Banu Qurayza. After this, trenches were dug and the people who had been sentenced to death were executed. A woman named Nubata was executed because she had killed Khallad ibn Suvayd by toppling a rock over him upon the request of her husband. The Prophet permitted the people of the Banu Qurayza who were sentenced to death to read the Torah and they were given food and drink, and their executions were carried out in cool places.
Some of the women and children prisoners, whose numbers were said to have been around 1,000 were released. Some of them were given to the companions; some of them were sold and the earnings from their sale were used to buy horses and arms for jihad. The Prophet ordered that little children were not to be separated from their mothers, and orphans should be sold to Muslims instead of idolaters or Jews. After the khumus was taken from the loot, the remaining four-fifths of it was shared out between the warriors. The infantries were given one share of goods from the loots, and the cavalries were given two shares from it. The Prophet gave some presents to the women who had participated in the battle. A share was allocated to the heirs of Khallad ibn Suvayd who had been martyred by millstone and to Abu Sinan ibn Mihsan who had died from natural causes during the siege.
Several people accepted Islam during the Battle of Banu Qurayza. The Prophet married Rayhana bint Zayd ibn Amr, who was among the prisoners after she had accepted Islam. It is considered that the 26th and 27th verses of Surah al-Ahzab refer to the Battle of Banu Qurayza.

The Battle of the Trench

The Battle of the Trench was the last attack of the Quraishis on Medina. The name of this battle comes from the trenches that were dug around Medina to prevent the enemy attack. Apart from the Quraishis, Arab tribes, such as the Gatafan, the Fazara, the Sulaym, the Qinana, the Sakif, and the Banu Nadir had been expelled from Medina; the Banu Qurayza Jews in Medina participated in this battle as well. For this reason, the battle is also known as The Battle of al-Ahzab (the groups or tribes). The Battle of the Trench differs from the previous battles in terms of politics, strategy and tactics. It was a battle fought not against a single and specific enemy, but was rather a defensive battle fought against all enemy groups in the Arabian Peninsula. This battle is important due to the fact that the Jewish tribes, the Quraishis and the Arab tribes allied together in the realization that they could not defeat the Muslims alone.
Prominent figures belonging to the Banu an-Nadir, such as Huyay ibn Ahtab and Sallam ibn Abu'l-Huqayq, who had settled in Khaybar after being expelled from Medina, called upon the Quraishis of Mecca and invited them to annihilate the Muslims together. An alliance was thus formed and they created a large army by allying with the surrounding tribes. When the Prophet learned of this development, he conferred with his Companions on how to treat the threat. A Persian Companion, called Salman al-Farisi, advised digging a trench alongside Medina, which otherwise was open to cavalry attack. The Prophet also participated in the digging of the trench. The trench was completed in several weeks thanks to the great efforts of the Muslims. According to the estimates of Muhammad Hamidullah, the trench was 5,5 km in length, 9 m in width, 4,5 m in depth.
After the Muslims had finished digging the trench, the enemy units, led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, whose numbers were 10,000 (or 12,000), reached Medina and camped in a place to the north of Medina where the Battle of Uhud had earlier taken place. The banner of the idolaters was carried by Uthman ibn Talha from the Banu Abduddar. The number of Muslim soldiers was about 3,000. Zayd ibn Haritha was the flagman for the emigrants while Sa'd ibn Ubada was the flagman of the Companions. The Prophet knew that they were outnumbered against this army and he decided to launch a defensive war, resisting the attack of the enemy against the city instead of facing the coalition in a pitched battle outside. He ordered that the women and children stay in the castles and fortresses. Prophet Muhammad built his headquarters on the edges of Mount Sal, facing the trench. Thus they were defended by Mount Sal from behind. The Prophet placed guards at points where the trench was not very deep and at some entrance points. This strategy was to show the strength of the Muslims and make the Quarishis feel that they were dependent on Him for the trade route; he hoped that they would embrace Islam and the new formation in Medina.
The Quraishis were surprised when they saw the trench, which was not known in Arabia as defensive method. During the siege, both sides shot arrows and threw stones at each other. The Islamic army not only tried to prevent the enemy army from infiltrating into the city from other points, but they also tried to weaken them along the trench. The enemy units attacked in turns. These units were commanded by famous warriors such as Abu Sufyan, Hubayra ibn Abu Wahb, Ikrima ibn Abu Jahil, Umar's brother Dirar ibn Khattab, Khaled ibn Walid and Amr ibn As. One day the tent of the Prophet was heavily attacked by arrows, but this attack failed, as the Companions counterattacked with arrows and stones.
In the course of the battle, several cavalries passed over the trench at a narrow spot onto the side of the Islamic army. One of these was Amr ibn Abduved, who was known for his courage and bravery. Amr ibn Abduved desired that a warrior from the Muslims step out for hand-to-hand combat. Young Ali came forward to fight with him. The Prophet gave his sword to Ali and wrapped his turban around him. Amr underestimated Ali and he was killed by Ali with a sweeping blow of the sword. Nawfal ibn Abdullah died, falling into the trench. The other horsemen rapidly retreated back across the trench.
Although there were some fights during the siege, which lasted in total about twenty days, the allied forces did not achieve any results. Due to the fact that the idolaters had prepared for a short battle, the food supplies of their warriors and horses soon ran out. Meanwhile, the food and feed carried by twenty camels sent by the Khaybar Jews were intercepted by the Muslims. During a rain storm the people of Mecca underwent difficult times; their tents were destroyed by the storm and they panicked. It was the end of the month of Shawwal; Dhu al-Qi'dah, the first of the sacred months, was fast approaching and the hajj season was close. Due to all these factors, Abu Sufyan raised the siege and returned to Medina, realizing that he could not win any significant gains (Dhu al-Qi'dah 5/April 627).
Six Muslims were martyred and eight enemy soldiers were killed in the Battle of the Trench, which was a turning point in Islamic history. The Muslims suffered many obstacles during the Battle, and they were worried about the large enemy army. Prophet Muhammad never missed any prayers during any of the confrontations, and the fact that he now had to perform the noon, afternoon, evening and night prayers together shows that he and his Companions were fighting under very harsh conditions. Surah Al-Ahzab, which gives this battle its name, mentions the fear of the Muslims of the allied armies and states that this was a test of faith; it goes on to say that Allah supported the Muslims with unseen armies (al-Ahzab 33/9-12, 25).
With the Battle of the Trench the idolaters' last attempt to kill the Prophet and the Muslims failed. Prophet Muhammad implemented a policy that would create hostility between the Jews and their Arab allies, and he received a great deal of intelligence. This played a great role in defeating the enemy. One of the measures taken by the Prophet to weaken the enemy alliance was related to Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud. Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud was the leader of the Banu Ascha tribe. He had become Muslim but he did not tell this to anyone. Upon a request from the Prophet s request, Mas'ud had sown dissension throughout the ranks of the Banu Qurayza and the Quraishis, and weakened the trust among each group.

After this battle, Prophet Muhammad revised his battle strategy. It was now understood seen that acting immediately before the enemy forces had had a chance to form battle preparation against the Muslims, and to strike rapidly was important. Accordingly a campaign was carried out against the Banu Qurayza.

The Incident of Ifk

When the Prophet (pbuh) left Medina for the Battle of the Banu Mustaliq, He took his wife Aisha with him. On the way back to Medina, the Muslim army stopped for a rest, but then the Prophet unexpectedly ordered the army to continue the march. Aisha noticed that her onyx necklace, which had been brought from Yemen (Zafar), a souvenir from her older sister or her mother, was missing, so she retraced her steps to find it. When she finally found it and returned to the camp, the Muslim army had already left without her. Her litter was veiled so her absence had not been noticed. Aisha began to wait for someone to notice that she was missing and to come back for her. Fortunately, she did not have to wait long, for a young Muslim man called Safwan ibn Muattal as-Sulami, who had fallen behind the army after taking a rest, reached the camp during the night and found her lying fast asleep. Safwan recognized her and escorted her back to the Muslim army and the Prophet. Unfortunately, some hypocrites who had seen Safwan and Aisha arrive alone together began to gossip and spread slanderous lies about the two young people. Naturally, the believers were certain that nothing had happened, but the hypocrites thought otherwise. Eventually the story reached Aisha and she became ill. Aisha, the Prophet, Abu Bakr and his family were greatly saddened by the gossip. Aisha thought that the Prophet believed the gossip. She said that if she were to tell the Prophet that she was innocent perhaps he would not believe her. If she were to say that something had happened while Allah knew of her innocence the Prophet still would believe her. She asserted that by Allah, she could only say what Jacob, the father of Prophet Joseph had said: "Patience is beautiful, and Allah is my protection against what you describe" (Joseph 12/18). None other than Allah Himself could declare Aisha's innocence and vindicate her of the slander levied against her. Allah revealed to the Prophet the following verses, condemning those Hypocrites who had doubted Aisha's innocence and who had slandered her honor: "Since you received it with your tongues, and repeated what you did not know anything about with your mouths, you thought it was a trifle, but in the sight of Allah it is serious." "Why, when you heard it, did you not say: ‘It is not for us to repeat this, Glory be to You (O Allah), this is a serious slander.'" "Allah warns you to never repeat anything like this again, if you are indeed believers!" "And Allah makes the signs clear to you; and Allah Knows, Wise." "Surely those who love to spread around slander about those who believe will have a painful punishment in this world and in the next world; and Allah knows and you do not know." (An-Nur 24/11/19). The Prophet read the above verses to the Muslims in al-masjid al-Nabawi. Hassan ibn Thabit, Mistah ibn Usase and Hamna bint Jahsh were punished in accordance with the fourth verse of Surah Nur. According to some accounts, the famous poet Hassan ibn Thabit participated in this slander because of the hostility between him and Safwan ibn Muattal; Mistah ibn Usase participated in this slander because he felt inferior as his relatives were constantly receiving help from Abu Bakr, while Hamna bint Jahsh participated in this slander to degrade the position of Aisha and raise the position of her sister Zaynab. Aisha realized that this incident was in fact important and that she had been greatly honored by the ten verses sent in relation to this matter.