Battle of Mu’tah

Write about the main events of the Battle of Mu’tah. 

Causes of the Battle of Mu’tah

In 7 A.H., the Prophet (S.A.W.) began conveying the message of Islam to various non-Muslim rulers in the Arabian Peninsula. He had sent Hazrat Harith bin Umair with the letter to the ruler of Basra. But he was intercepted and killed by Shurahbil bin Amr Ghassani, the Roman governor of Al-Balqa and a close ally of Heraclius, Caesar of the Roman Empire. It was a violation of diplomatic norms and traditions of the time. In response, in 629 A.D. / 8 A.H., Mohammad (S.A.W.) dispatched an army of 3000 under Hazrat Zaid bin Harith (R.A.) to teach Shurahbil a lesson and tell all such rulers that Muslims were now a force which could not be dealt with in an insulting manner.

Events of the Battle of Mu’tah

Mohammad (S.A.W.) knew that Muslims had to confront the Romans, not any weak tribe. He (S.A.W.) also advised them to fight for Allah. Accordingly, he explained that if Hazrat Zaid bin Harith (R.A.) was martyred, the command would be handed over to Hazrat Jaffer (R.A.), and if he too died, Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawahah (R.A.) should lead the troops. He (S.A.W.) instructed them to invite them to Islam. If they agreed, then no war would follow; otherwise, fighting them would be the only alternative. He (S.A.W.) ordered them to avoid the violation of treaties, forbade the killing of children, women, old people, and hermits (loners), and discouraged hiding or stealing of booty, cutting down trees and demolishing houses. Prophet (S.A.W.) escorted the troops up to Thaniyat Al Wada and then bade them farewell.

Strategy for Fighting & Encouragement

On the other side, the Romans sent 100,000 troops, along with another 100,000 allied tribes from Arabia to fight the Muslim army. The news worried the Muslims; they were confused about what to do. For two nights, they sat conferring about the situation, wondering whether to wade into the battlefield outnumbered or to send for reinforcements. Then Abdullah bin Rawahah (R.A.) gave an impassioned speech to his Muslim brothers, encouraging them to fight for the religion bestowed upon them by Allah. Afterwards, the Muslim army got ready to fight.

Proceeding in the Combat

Muslim forces reached Mu’tah and offered the enemy the chance to accept Islam, but they chose to fight. 3000 soldiers from the Muslim army challenged the 200,000-strong Roman army to fight. Hazrat Zaid bin Harith (R.A.) was the adopted son of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and fought with his absolute strength and bravery until he was fatally stabbed. Next, the banner was given to Hazrat Jaffer bin Abu Talib; he also fought courageously. Dismounting from the horse, he resumed fighting until his right hand was cut off; he seized the banner with his left hand until it was also cut. He then held onto the standard with both arms until the Byzantine soldier cut him into two pieces. He had ninety wounds on his body, none of them in the back.

Later, Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawahah proceeded to hold the standard, fought bravely and attained martyrdom. On the same day, while sitting in Medina, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) received inspiration from Allah about the events of Mut’ah on the battlefield. He (S.A.W.) informed the people of the martyrdom of the three Muslim commanders.

Unique Planning

After Abdullah bin Rawahah, Muslims chose Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R.A.) unanimously as their fourth leader. Hazrat Khalid (R.A.) showed his skills as a strategist. He (R.A.) rearranged the army’s right and left wings, moving the rear division to the front. This tactic worked; Khalid bin Walid (R.A.) succeeded in instilling fear in the enemy’s hearts and deceiving them into believing that fresh forces had arrived to fight them. He (R.A.) fought a mild war and ordered his troops to retreat. Rather, opponents assumed the Muslims’ retreat was a trick. Thus, the opponents became completely dismayed.
He (R.A.) fought valiantly, and nine of his swords were broken in this battle. Later, the Prophet (S.A.W.) bestowed upon him the title “Saifullah”(The Sword of Allah).

Consequences of the Battle

Khalid bin Walid (R.A.) engaged in a strategic retreat, commanding his troops to withdraw. In response to their leader’s orders, the Muslim forces retreated gradually and in an organized manner. Meanwhile, the Byzantine forces misinterpreted the Muslims’ movements, believing it to be a clever trick. They thought they were being lured into a trap in the heart of the desert. This misunderstanding left them dismayed and prompted them to halt their pursuit of the Muslim army. The Muslim army successfully retreated to Madinah with limited losses. Only 16 -18 Muslims were martyred in this combat. The Muslims did not avenge Harith (R.A.)’s murder, but they proved to be a force to reckon with.

Explain the importance of the Battle of Mu’tah.

The Battle of Mu’tah ended inconclusively, yet it had major impacts. Muslims fought this battle because the Roman had unjustly killed a Muslim envoy, which was a violation. In response, the Prophet (S.A.W.) challenged the Romans. Muslim army fought valiantly in this battle and proved that they had become a regional force capable of facing major empires.

The Battle of Mu’tah was full of lessons, as the brave Muslim soldiers, numbering just 3000 faced the strong army of 200,000. They combated for the religion that had blessed them. They knew they would profit in both ways. Either they would win, or they would earn martyrdom.

Prophet (S.A.W.) appointed three commanders in succession to lead the battle, but they were all martyred. Then Khalid bin Walid, a great warrior of Islam, was chosen to command the army. Under the command of Khalid bin Walid, Muslims achieved a strategic success due to his wise decisions. He arranged a strategic withdrawal to preserve much of the army. It reveals that during combat, particularly when you are confronting major enemies, tactical flexibility, reconnaissance, and planned evacuation in the face of overwhelming odds can help the army successfully retreat.
In the end, the battle was a miracle, proving Muslims were something uncommon, which the Romans were unaware of. Moreover, it provided evidence that Allah backed them and that their Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was a Messenger of Allah.

Choose one of these battles and explain why it was important for the Muslims of Madinah in it. 

Battle of Mu’tah

Muslims had to fight this battle because the Romans had unjustly killed a Muslim envoy. Such killing was a terrible act and a violation of international diplomatic norms. And in those days, it was seen as an open declaration of war. The Quran strongly condemns the unjust killing of any human, Muslims or non-Muslims, as it says, “that if anyone slew a person, unless it is for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it would be as if he slew the whole people.” (5:32, al-Ma’ida)

If He (S.A.W.) had ignored the killing of al-Harith, they would have been even more encouraged. So, the Prophet (S.A.W.) notified the Romans that Muslims had a power to be reckoned with.

Muslims fought this battle with only 3,000 soldiers against a vast army. Still, the battle ended inconclusively, though it changed the perceptions of the provincial tribes. The Battle of Muta’h demonstrated the growing strength and resilience of the Muslim community. Romans and allied forces realized that they couldn’t overpower Muslims; thus, they began to consider Muslims a strong community.

Battle of Khyber

The Jews were a major threat to the Muslims of Madinah. They had been creating trouble continually for Muslims during their settling in Madinah and after being expelled to Khyber. For instance, in 5 A.H, the Banu Nadir had instigated the Quraish to raise an army of allies. Whereas in Khyber, they were supporting the Quraish, as well as finding supporters against the Muslims. The objective of the siege was to end the Jewish threat and make Madinah a safe place for the Muslim community.

Thus, after the victory of Khyber, Muslims became stronger, and their prestige increased throughout Arabia, while Jews failed to support the enemies of the Muslims in the future. Also, Muslims gained wealth and land, which helped improve their economic position.