Message for Muslims

This article covers the final removal of the Jews from Arabia by the conquest of Kheiber and how Muhammad was poisoned by a Jewess. We also describe how Mecca fell with little resistance and Muhammad’s  expression of his permanent attachment to his native city while at the same time assuring the citizens of Medina that he will never leave them.

Muhammad’s resolve to attack the Jews at Kheiber

On his return from Hodeiba Muhammad had promised to those who accompanied him in the pilgrimage the early prospect of a rich and extensive plunder. Summer passed but he decided that in the autumn of the year 628 to make an unprovoked invasion on the fertile land of the Jewish territory of Kheiber. He marched out of Medina with an army sixteen hundred men strong; being about the same number as had followed the Prophet on his pilgrimage to Hodeibia.  The distance, perhaps one hundred miles, was accomplished in three forced marches. So quick was the movement and surprise, that the cultivators coming out in the morning suddenly found themselves confronted by a great army.

Muslims Success at Kheiber

The rich vale of Kheiber was studded with villages and fortresses rudely built but posted strongly on the rocks of eminences which here and there rose above the luxuriant date-groves and fields of corn. One by one, before any general opposition could be organised, these forts were attacked and taken. The region of Kuteiba did have time to rally around their leader Kinana, and after Muhammad failed to dislodge them he handed the great black flag, to Ali.  The Jewish warrior Marhab challenged his adversaries to single combat, the first Muslim who answered the challenge failed, then Ali advanced saying: ’I am he whom my mother named The Lion; like a lion of the howling wilderness, I weigh my foes in a giant’s balance. ’ Ali cleft off the head of Marhab while Zubeir slew Marhab’s brother. The Muslim line now made a general advance in which Ali performed great feats of prowess in which tradition has magnified the hero into a second Samson. The victory for the Muslims was decisive, for the Jews lost ninety-three men while only nineteen Muslims were killed throughout the whole campaign.

The Jewish chief Kinana is tortured and put to death.

The surrender of the Jewish fortresses was made on the condition that the inhabitants were free to leave the country, but that they should give up all their property to the conqueror. Muhammad accused Kinana of keeping back, in contravention of the pact, a portion of riches. These riches were certain gold vessels believed to be still in the possession of the Jews at Kheiber. Kinana claimed that they no longer had these articles but a traitorous Jew divulged to Muhammad their whereabouts. Kinana, having agreed beforehand that if he had concealed anything from Muhammad, then he would have to face fearful consequences. On the discovery of the wealth, Kinana was subjected to cruel torture in the hope that he would confess where the rest of his treasures were concealed. Muhammad then gave his command, that the heads of the chief and his cousin should be severed from their bodies.

Marriage of Muhammad with Safia, Kinana’s bride.

The scene of torture and bloodshed was hardly ended when Muhammad sent Bilal to fetch the bride of Kinana, a young lady of seventeen or eighteen years of age. Finding with Safia another lady, her cousin, he brought them both straight across the battlefield strewed with the dead, and close by the corpses of Kinana and his cousin. At the ghastly sight of their headless trunks, the companion of Safia screamed wildly, beating her face, and casting dust upon her head and Muhammad chided Bilal for his want of consideration in bringing the women so near the bodies of their relatives. Muhammad cast his mantle around Safia, in token that she was to be his own, and then gave her over to the care of Bilal.

Muhammad eats of the poisoned kid

The nuptials of Muhammad were dampened by the revenge of Zeinab, sister of the warrior Marhab, who had lost her husband, father, brothers and other relatives in the battle. She dressed a kid, and having steeped it in deadly poison, placed the dish with fair words before Muhammad at his evening meal. Graciously accepting the gift, he took the shoulder (the part he loved to eat, and to which Zeinab had therefore impregnated the most strongly) for himself, tore off a choice bone for Bishr a follower who sat next to him, and distributed portions to Abu Bakr and his other friends around. Scarcely had he swallowed a mouthful, when he exclaimed : ’Hold ! Surely this shoulder hath been poisoned; ’ and he spat out what was in his mouth. Bishr, who had eaten more than Muhammad, at once changed colour, and stirred neither hand nor foot until he died; Muhammad himself, was seized with excruciating pain. Zeinab was then summoned, and interrogated as to the motive of her offence. She replied boldly ’Thou hast inflicted, these grievous injuries on my people; thou hast slain my father, and my uncle, and my husband. Therefore I said within myself, if he is a Prophet he will be aware that the shoulder of the kid is poisoned; but if he be a mere pretender, then we shall be rid of him, and the Jews again will prosper.’ She was put to death and the effect of the poison was felt by Muhammad to his dying day.

The Plunder of Kheibar

The plunder of Kheiber was rich beyond all previous experience. Besides vast stores of dates, oil, honey and barley flocks of sheep and herds of camels, the spoil in treasure and jewels was very large. A fifth of the whole was as usual set apart for the use of the Prophet, and for distribution at will among his family and the destitute poor. The remaining four -fifths were divided into one thousand eight hundred sha res, being one share for a foot soldier, and three for a horseman. The villages and lands were disposed of upon another principle. One half, embracing all the places which surrendered without fighting, was reserved for Muhammad, and constituted thereafter a species of Crown domain. The rest was divided into one thousand eight hundred portions, and allotted by the same rule as the personal booty.

Those portions of Kheiber which were gained by force, were apportioned as private property, it was found expedient, in the absence of other cultivators, to leave the Jewish inhabitants in possession, on the same condition as of public lands, namely surrendering half the produce. This arrangement continued till the Caliphate of Umar, when there being no scarcity of Moslem husbandmen, the Jews were expatriated and the entire possession taken of their lands.

Various tribes tender their submission to Muhammad

Most of the tribes  in the vicinity  of Medina had already recognised the supremacy of Muhammad. The courteous treatment  which the deputations  of these various  clans experienced from the Prophet, his ready attention to their grievances, the wisdom  with which he composed their disputes, and political assignments  of territory by which he rewarded  an early declaration  in favour of Islam, made his name to be popular, and spread  his fame as a great and generous prince  throughout the Peninsula. And, moreover, the accession  of so many tribes enabled him, whenever occasion might require, to call into the field a far more imposing force than he ever before  aspired to command.

Pretext arises for advance upon Mecca

The truce of Hodeibia had been now nearly two years in force, when an alleged  infraction of its terms by the Qurraish against another tribe afforded Muhamma d  a fair pretext  for the grand object of his ambition of Mecca. A deputation of forty men from the injured tribe spread the wrongs  done to them before Muhammad and pleaded that the treacherous murderers might be avenged.  The Qurraish, aware of this deputation, were thrown into alarm. They despatched  Abu Sofian to Medina in the hope of renewing  and extending the compact of peace. His mission was unsatisfact ory in that he could not gain any assurance  from Muhammad of pacific designs. They perceived that they were in an evil plight but they did not suspect that Muhammad  had any immediate  designs against them.

Muhammad had resolved  to make a grand attack upon his native city, but he had kept his own council secret even from his closest friends as long as it was possible. Meanwhile he summoned his allies  amongst the Bedouin  tribes to join him at Medina, or to meet him at certain convenient points, on the road to Mecca. At last he ordered his followers in the city to arm themselves, announced his intentions  and enjoined on all the urgent command that no hint regarding his hostile designs should in any way reach Mecca.

Army marches out in A. H. 8, January A. D. 630

The largest force Medina had ever seen set out. The tents of the Bedouin  auxiliaries darkened the plain for miles around, and several important  tribes fell in with Muhammad on the line of march. Two of these, the Mozeina and Suleim, contributed each a thousand soldiers. Muhammad headed between eight and ten thousand men. On the seventh  or eighth day the army encamped, one stage away from Mecca at Marr al Tzaharan  and at night they lit their fires so that ten thousand fires blazed on the tops of Marr al Tzaharan.

The conversion of Abu Sofian

Tradition informs us that Abu Sofian  visited Muhammad’s camp. Abbas accompanied him to Muhammad’s tent who when seeing him said’ hast thou not yet discovered  that there is no God but the Lord alone ? ’ And dost thou not acknowledge that I am the Prophet of the Lord ? ’ Noble and generous Sire! ’ he said’ Had there been any God beside, verily he had been some avail unto me as to the latter  thing; there is yet in my heart some hesitancy. ’ Abbas exclaimed ’Woe is thee! It is no time for hesitancy. Believe and testify forthwith  the creed of Islam, or else thy neck shall be in danger! ’ So Abu Sofian, finding no alternative left to him, repeated the formula of belief in God and in his Prophet. Muhammad seeing  his long term antagonist now a suppliant believer at his feet said ’ Haste thee to Mecca! Haste thee to the city: no one that taketh refuge in the house of Abu Sofian  shall be harmed  this day. And Hearken! Speak unto the people, that whoever closeth the door of his house, the inmates thereof shall escape in safety. ’ Abu Sofian returned  to Mecca assuring  them that if they entered the house of Abu Sofian, or shut their doors or entered into the Holy House they would be safe. So the people  fled in all directions to their houses, and to the Kaa’ba.

The army converges on Mecca

The army was now in full march on Mecca, had any general  opposition been organised against  Muhammad it would have occurred when he reached the plain of Dzu Towa, near the city, yet no army appeared in sight. The forces  of Muhammad’s were wisely distributed in order to resist  any opposition.Only Khalid’s column  experienced opposition as he faced the bitterest of Muhammad’s enemies. They had taken up a defensive  position and perhaps in despair were preparing for a hasty flight towards the sea-shore. Under the leadership of Safwan, Suheil and Ikrama they showered  Khalid’s battalion with arrows  but they were eventually overcome and lost twenty-eight  citizens in the conflict. Khalid lost only two men. Muhammad showed concern  that such an encounter had taken place and said to Khalid,’ Did I not strictly command that there should not be any fighting? ’

Muhammad worships at the Ka’aba and destroys its idols

Muhammad descended into the valley and assuring himself that Mecca was now wholly at his will having seated  himself again on Al Caswa proceeded to the Ka’aba, reverently saluted  with his staff the sacred stone, and made the seven circuits of the temple. Then, pointing with the staff one by one to the numerous idols placed around, he commanded that they should be hewn down. The great image of Hubal, reared as the tutelary  deity of Mecca in front of the Ka’aba, shared the common  fate. ’ Truth hath come,’ exclaimed  Muhammad, in words of Al-Isra 17:81, as it fell with a crash to the ground, ’ and falsehood hath vanished; for falsehood is but evanescent.’ Tradition  says that there were three hundred  and sixty idols ranged round the Ka’aba, and that as Muhammad pointed  to each one in succession  with his staff, reciting this verse, the idol of its own accord fell forwards on its face. The use of metaphorical language in describing the actual scene would easily give rise to such tales.

Muhammad’s attachment to Mecca

Having destroyed the images he then obliterated the pictures of Abraham and of the angels which (it is said) covered the walls of the Ka’aba. Muhammad desired Bilal to sound the call for prayer from the top of the Ka’aba, and worship was performed, and has been daily ever since at the holy Shrine according  to the ritual  of the great Mosque of Medina. Muhammad then sent a crier through the streets of Mecca with this proclamation: ’Whoever  believeth in God and in the day of Judgement , let him not leave in his house.’

He won the hearts of the inhabitants by his passionate declaration to their city: He said: ’Thou art the choicest portion  of the earth unto me and the most loveable thereof. If I had not been cast forth from thy borders I never had forsaken thee! ’ The men of Medina now began to fear that, as the Lord had given him victory over his native city, he would return to his home. Muhammad overheard them conversing and calling them around him assured them that he would never quit Medina: ‘God forbid it, ’ he said  ‘where ye live there I shall live, and there too shall I die.’

The General Amnesty

From the general amnesty extended to the citizens of Mecca, Muhammad excluded ten or twelve persons. Of these, however, only four were actually  put to death. Huweirith was put to death by Ali. Two renegade Muslims who, having shed blood at Medina had fled to Mecca and abjured Islam were slain and also a singing  girl who had been in the habit of annoying  the Prophet by abusive verses.

The conduct of Muhammad on the conquest of Mecca was marked by singular magnanimity and moderation. It was indeed for his own interest to forgive the past and to cast into oblivion all its slights and injuries. Muhammad had his reward, for the whole population of his native city at once gave in their adhesion and espoused his cause with alacrity and apparent  devotion. Within a few weeks we find two thousand of the Meccan citizens fighting faithfully by his side.

Parties sent out to destroy images

The succeeding fortnight  was occupied in the arrangement  of public affairs  at Mecca. Parties  were sent out into the adjoining  areas to destroy the idolatrous shrines and secure the submission of the surrounding  tribes. Khalid demolished the fame of Al Uzza at Nakhla, the famous goddess  of the Meccan  tribes; Amru broke in pieces Suwa, an image adored by the Bani Hodzeil; and Manat, the divinity worshipped at Qudeid, was destroyed by a band of citizens of Medina  who had formerly  been especially devoted to its service.

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