PART 4 · THE MADINAN PERIOD · الْعَهْدُ الْمَدَنِيُّ
STAGE 4 · THE MESSAGE COMPLETED
غَزْوَةُ حُنَيْنٍ وَالطَّائِفِ
Chapter 26: Ḥunayn and Ṭā’if
Twelve thousand soldiers, a surprise in the valley — and a lesson about numbers
Sheikh Mohamed Fawzyالشيخ محمد فوزي
© 2026 Sheikh Mohamed Fawzy. All rights reserved. Version 1.7
After the Conquest بَعْدَ الْفَتْحِ
A new danger after the Conquest
Hawāzin and Thaqīf
Soon after Makkah was conquered, the large tribes of Hawāzin and Thaqīf gathered a great army to fight the Muslims. They even brought their families, sheep and camels with them, so that no one would run away.
Ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm: the battle was in Shawwāl, 8 AH. The Muslim army was about 12,000: the 10,000 who had conquered Makkah and 2,000 from the people of Makkah. Hawāzin were led by Mālik ibn ‘Awf. Anas mentions “ten thousand and the freed people of Makkah” (al-Bukhari 4337); in one narration in Muslim (1059) he says “we had reached six thousand” — the reports differ.
On the way ذَاتُ أَنْوَاطٍ
“This is what the people of Mūsā said!”
On the way to Ḥunayn, some men who had just become Muslim passed a tree called Dhāt Anwāṭ. The idol-worshippers used to hang their weapons on it for blessing. The new Muslims asked: “Make for us a Dhāt Anwāṭ, as they have one.”
The Prophet’s answer
He said: “Subḥān Allāh! This is like what the people of Mūsā said: ‘Make for us a god, as they have gods’ [al-A‘rāf 7:138]. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will follow the ways of those who came before you.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī (2180), from Abū Wāqid al-Laythī — told here in translation. al-Tirmidhī: ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ; al-Albānī: ṣaḥīḥ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 2180).
Blessing comes only from Allah. Seeking it from trees, stones or objects is a door to shirk — even a small step toward it was stopped at once.
The Qur’an إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ
“When your great number pleased you”
The Muslims had never had such a big army. Allah describes what happened:
لَقَدۡ نَصَرَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٖ وَيَوۡمَ حُنَيۡنٍ إِذۡ أَعۡجَبَتۡكُمۡ كَثۡرَتُكُمۡ فَلَمۡ تُغۡنِ عَنكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَضَاقَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتۡ ثُمَّ وَلَّيۡتُم مُّدۡبِرِينَ ٢٥ ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودٗا لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَعَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٢٦
25 Allah has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing 26 Then Allah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down soldiers [i.e., angels] whom you did not see and punished those who disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the disbelievers.
Surat al-Tawbah 9:25–26سورة التوبة: ٢٥–٢٦
The surprise الْكَمِينُ
“I am the Prophet — this is no lie!”
عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ: قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِلْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَفَرَرْتُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ قَالَ لَكِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَفِرَّ، إِنَّ هَوَازِنَ كَانُوا قَوْمًا رُمَاةً، وَإِنَّا لَمَّا لَقِينَاهُمْ حَمَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فَانْهَزَمُوا، فَأَقْبَلَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَى الْغَنَائِمِ وَاسْتَقْبَلُونَا بِالسِّهَامِ، فَأَمَّا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمْ يَفِرَّ، فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ الْبَيْضَاءِ وَإِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ آخِذٌ بِلِجَامِهَا، وَالنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ «أَنَا النَّبِيُّ لَا كَذِبْ أَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ».
Abū Isḥāq said: A man said to al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib: ‘Did you run away from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the day of Ḥunayn?’ He said: ‘But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not run away. Hawāzin were a people of [skilled] archers. When we met them, we charged at them and they were defeated. Then the Muslims turned to the spoils, and they met us with arrows. As for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he did not run away. I saw him on his white mule, with Abū Sufyān [ibn al-Ḥārith, his cousin] holding its bridle, and the Prophet ﷺ was saying: “I am the Prophet — this is no lie! I am the son of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib!”’
Sahih al-Bukhari 2864Sahih
Hawāzin had hidden archers in the narrow valley before dawn (Ar-Raḥīq). The young, lightly armed men at the front were hit first and fell back — but the Prophet ﷺ rode forward, not back.
The call يَا أَصْحَابَ السَّمُرَةِ
The Companions turn back
قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ: ... فَلَمَّا الْتَقَى الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَالْكُفَّارُ وَلَّى الْمُسْلِمُونَ مُدْبِرِينَ فَطَفِقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَرْكُضُ بَغْلَتَهُ قِبَلَ الْكُفَّارِ قَالَ عَبَّاسٌ وَأَنَا آخِذٌ بِلِجَامِ بَغْلَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَكُفُّهَا إِرَادَةَ أَنْ لَا تُسْرِعَ وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ آخِذٌ بِرِكَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «أَيْ عَبَّاسُ نَادِ أَصْحَابَ السَّمُرَةِ». فَقَالَ عَبَّاسٌ وَكَانَ رَجُلًا صَيِّتًا فَقُلْتُ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِي أَيْنَ أَصْحَابُ السَّمُرَةِ قَالَ فَوَاللَّهِ لَكَأَنَّ عَطْفَتَهُمْ حِينَ سَمِعُوا صَوْتِي عَطْفَةُ الْبَقَرِ عَلَى أَوْلَادِهَا. فَقَالُوا يَا لَبَّيْكَ يَا لَبَّيْكَ ...
al-‘Abbās said: “…When the Muslims and the disbelievers met, the Muslims turned back and fled. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ began spurring his mule on towards the disbelievers. I was holding the bridle of the mule of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, holding it back so that it would not go too fast, and Abū Sufyān [ibn al-Ḥārith, his cousin] was holding the stirrup of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘‘Abbās, call out to the people of the Samurah tree!’ ‘Abbās — who had a very loud voice — said: So I called out at the top of my voice: ‘Where are the people of the Samurah tree?’ By Allah, when they heard my voice, they turned back to him as cows turn back to their calves, saying: ‘Here we are! Here we are!’”
Sahih Muslim 1775Sahih
Victory النَّصْرُ
“Now the battle is hot!”
قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ: ... فَنَظَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ كَالْمُتَطَاوِلِ عَلَيْهَا إِلَى قِتَالِهِمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «هَذَا حِينَ حَمِيَ الْوَطِيسُ». قَالَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَصَيَاتٍ فَرَمَى بِهِنَّ وُجُوهَ الْكُفَّارِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «انْهَزَمُوا وَرَبِّ مُحَمَّدٍ». قَالَ فَذَهَبْتُ أَنْظُرُ فَإِذَا الْقِتَالُ عَلَى هَيْئَتِهِ فِيمَا أَرَى - قَالَ - فَوَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلَّا أَنْ رَمَاهُمْ بِحَصَيَاتِهِ فَمَا زِلْتُ أَرَى حَدَّهُمْ كَلِيلًا وَأَمْرَهُمْ مُدْبِرًا.
al-‘Abbās said: “…The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, on his mule, looked at their fighting, stretching up as if to see better, and said: ‘Now the battle is hot!’ Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took some small stones and threw them at the faces of the disbelievers, and said: ‘They are defeated, by the Lord of Muḥammad!’ I went to look, and the fighting seemed as it had been. But by Allah, as soon as he threw his small stones at them, I kept seeing their strength grow weaker and their side turning back.”
Sahih Muslim 1775Sahih
Allah sent down His calm and His unseen soldiers (9:26). Victory came from Allah — not from numbers.
Ṭā’if حِصَارُ الطَّائِفِ
“We will return, if Allah wills”
Thaqīf ran to their strong walled city of Ṭā’if. The Muslims surrounded it, but it did not open.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: لَمَّا حَاصَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الطَّائِفَ فَلَمْ يَنَلْ مِنْهُمْ شَيْئًا قَالَ «إِنَّا قَافِلُونَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ». فَثَقُلَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَالُوا نَذْهَبُ وَلَا نَفْتَحُهُ وَقَالَ مَرَّةً نَقْفُلُ فَقَالَ «اغْدُوا عَلَى الْقِتَالِ». فَغَدَوْا فَأَصَابَهُمْ جِرَاحٌ فَقَالَ «إِنَّا قَافِلُونَ غَدًا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ». فَأَعْجَبَهُمْ فَضَحِكَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ...
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ besieged al-Ṭā’if and did not gain anything from them, he said: ‘We will return [to Madinah], if Allah wills.’ This was hard for them, and they said: ‘Shall we go without conquering it?’ — [the narrator] once said: ‘Shall we return?’ — so he said: ‘Then go out to fight in the morning.’ They went out in the morning and many were wounded. Then he said: ‘We will return tomorrow, if Allah wills.’ That pleased them, and the Prophet ﷺ laughed…
Sahih al-Bukhari 4325Sahih
How long? Anas says “we besieged them forty nights” (Muslim 1059); historians give different lengths, and Ar-Raḥīq mentions the difference. A year later, Thaqīf came to Madinah by themselves and accepted Islam (Chapter 27).
The Anṣār أَلَا تَرْضَوْنَ؟
The sheep and camels — or the Prophet ﷺ?
The Prophet ﷺ gave generous gifts from the spoils to the new Muslims of Makkah, to make their hearts firm in Islam. Some of the Anṣār felt left out…
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ قَسَمَ فِي النَّاسِ فِي الْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ، وَلَمْ يُعْطِ الْأَنْصَارَ شَيْئًا، فَكَأَنَّهُمْ وَجَدُوا إِذْ لَمْ يُصِبْهُمْ مَا أَصَابَ النَّاسَ فَخَطَبَهُمْ فَقَالَ «يَا مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْصَارِ أَلَمْ أَجِدْكُمْ ضُلَّالًا فَهَدَاكُمُ اللَّهُ بِي، وَكُنْتُمْ مُتَفَرِّقِينَ فَأَلَّفَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِي وَعَالَةً، فَأَغْنَاكُمُ اللَّهُ بِي». كُلَّمَا قَالَ شَيْئًا قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمَنُّ. قَالَ «مَا يَمْنَعُكُمْ أَنْ تُجِيبُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ». قَالَ كُلَّمَا قَالَ شَيْئًا قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمَنُّ. قَالَ «لَوْ شِئْتُمْ قُلْتُمْ جِئْتَنَا كَذَا وَكَذَا. أَتَرْضَوْنَ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ النَّاسُ بِالشَّاةِ وَالْبَعِيرِ، وَتَذْهَبُونَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى رِحَالِكُمْ، لَوْلَا الْهِجْرَةُ لَكُنْتُ امْرَأً مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ، وَلَوْ سَلَكَ النَّاسُ وَادِيًا وَشِعْبًا لَسَلَكْتُ وَادِيَ الْأَنْصَارِ وَشِعْبَهَا، الْأَنْصَارُ شِعَارٌ وَالنَّاسُ دِثَارٌ، إِنَّكُمْ سَتَلْقَوْنَ بَعْدِي أَثَرَةً فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّى تَلْقَوْنِي عَلَى الْحَوْضِ».
‘Abdullāh ibn Zayd ibn ‘Āṣim said: When Allah gave His Messenger ﷺ the spoils on the day of Ḥunayn, he divided them among the people whose hearts were to be won over [to Islam], and gave the Anṣār nothing. It was as if they felt upset that they had not received what the others had received. So he addressed them and said: ‘O Anṣār! Did I not find you astray, and Allah guided you through me? You were divided, and Allah united you through me; and poor, and Allah made you rich through me?’ Every time he said something, they said: ‘Allah and His Messenger have done us the greater favour.’ He said: ‘What stops you from answering the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?’ Every time he said something, they said: ‘Allah and His Messenger have done us the greater favour.’ He said: ‘If you wished, you could say: “You came to us like this and like this…” Are you not pleased that the people go away with sheep and camels, while you take the Prophet ﷺ back to your homes? If it were not for the Hijrah, I would have been one of the Anṣār. If the people went through a valley and a mountain pass, I would go through the valley and the pass of the Anṣār. The Anṣār are the inner garment, and the people are the outer garment. After me you will see others preferred over you — so be patient until you meet me at the Ḥawḍ [the Pond].’
Sahih al-Bukhari 4330Sahih
In Anas’s version (al-Bukhari 4337) the Anṣār answer: “Yes [we are pleased]”, and in Muslim 1059: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah, we are pleased.” The famous addition that they wept until their beards were wet is not in al-Bukhari or Muslim, so it is not quoted here.
Lessons دُرُوسٌ وَعِبَرٌ
What we learn
1
Victory is from Allah
Twelve thousand did not help them when they relied on their number; Allah’s help did.
2
Pure Tawḥīd
He stopped even a small step toward seeking blessing from a tree.
3
Love above wealth
The Anṣār chose the Prophet ﷺ over sheep and camels.
Review مُرَاجَعَةٌ
Quick quiz
Score: 0 / 4
1.What did Allah say happened at Ḥunayn (9:25)?
Correct.
“Your great number pleased you, but it did not help you at all.”
2.What did the Prophet ﷺ say when people ran back?
Right (al-Bukhari 2864).
“I am the Prophet — this is no lie! I am the son of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib!”
3.Whom did al-‘Abbās call back?
Yes (Muslim 1775).
The people of the Samurah tree — those who pledged at al-Ḥudaybiyah.
4.What did the Anṣār take home instead of sheep and camels?
Correct (al-Bukhari 4330).
They went home with the Prophet ﷺ.
Victory comes from Allah alone
ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam ﷺ
NEXT · Chapter 27: Tabūk and the Year of Delegations · تَبُوكُ وَعَامُ الْوُفُودِ