Day: August 11, 2025

The first encounter took place between Ali and Talha Ibne Talha. This encounter carries with it an incident of marvellous chiavalry by Ali, which I have narrated elsew. here. Talha suffered defeat at the hands of Ali and died. He was flag bearer of Quraish’s army. His death brought his four sons and one grandson to face Ali, and each one of them was killed by him and other flag bearers followed them and were in turn killed by Ali; then a general encounter took place in which Ali and Hamza carried the day and Muslims came out victorious. “But eagerness for spoils threw the ranks of Muslim army into disorder, Ali however tried to keep them in order, but it was not to be. Khalid Ibne Waleed immediately attacked them from the rear and the flank, he wounded the Holy prophet (A.S.) with a Javelin; and had also stoned him, face of the prophet was also wounded and he had fallen down from the horse. Khalid Ibne Waleed started shouting with a loud voice ‘the lying prophet is slain’ upon which without stopping to ascertain the followers of Islam fled panic stricken” (Devonport). The wounded prophet was left in the battle-field with only Ali, Hamza, Abu Dajana and Zakwan to defend him. These brave warriors fought fiercely and during this encounter Hamza was killed, Zakwan and Abu Dajana lay seriously wounded and Ali was left alone in the battle-field. He had received 16 wounds but he searched and found the Holy prophet (A.S.) lying wounded and surrounded by enemies under command of Khalid who were trying to kill him; he fought against these six men, killed two of them and scattered the rest; he bodily lifted the Holy prophet (A.S) and carried him to a mount; he kept on attacking the rallying armies of the enemy; and kept on shouting that “the Holy prophet (A.S.) is alive and calling Muslims to come back.” Those Muslims who had not fled very far came back, saw the wounded prophet, saw his daughter, Fatima (who had come out of Madina hearing the rumour of her father’s death) attending him, they took heart and gathered again under the comman of Ali and started fighting again, and victory was ained. The most peculiar aspect of this battle was that the greed of the Muslim warriors had converted a hard earned victory into a ignominious defeat and Ali had reconverted this defeat into a glorious victory. He thus once again saved the day, saved the face of the fleeing Muslims and the most important of all he saved was the life of the Holy prophet (A.S.), but without Ali the Holy prophet would have been killed.

Twenty eight famous warriors of Arabia were killed by Ali in this battle of whom seventeen were flag bearers of Quraish. The Holy Prophet (A.S.) declared that the Angel Gabriel was loud in the praise of Ali and had said “there is no braver youth than Ali and no better sword than his Zulfiquar’. A detailed account of this battle may be read in:-

1. Waquadi’s history of Prophets 2. Shah Ismail Hamveenee’s history ‘Abul Fida 3. Tabaree’s history

(v) The third momentous armed encounter of Muslims with Quraish is called the battle of clans (Ahzab) or battle of the moat or ditch (Khundaque). It is so called because many clans of Arabs were persuaded by Abu Sufyan to help him to annihilate Islam and the Muslims and because when these forces invaded Madina, the Holy prophet (A.S.) was obliged to dig a moat or ditch arround his army. This battle also proves that the Holy prophet (A.S.) was forced to take up arms in defence of his followers and his mission. It took place on the 23rd Zeequadh in the year 5 A.H.

The defeat at Ohad was great blow to Quraish and their leader Abu Sufyan. While

retreating from Ohad he had promised that he will come back again to avenge the defeat. He instigated the clans of Bani Nazeer, Bani Ghuthfan, Ham Sleem and Bani Ki nana and also succeeded in persuading Bani Khariza, who till then had not sided with any party, to join their forces against Islam. Abu Sufyan was very sure of his success. He specially relied upon the fame of Omer Ibne Abd-e-Woodh, who was as famous in Arabia as Rustam was in Persia. He had gathered an army of about 9 to 10 thousand soldiers under command of this famous warrior.

encounter. They marched upon Madina, the Holy prophet (A.S.) could barely muster 2000 Muslims to face this army. For nearly a month the armies stood facing each other and one day Omer jumped the moat and faced the Muslim army, challenging them for an He was accompanied by Akrama-Ibne-Abu Jehat, Abdullah-Ibne- Mogheera, Zarar-Ibne-Khattab, Nofil-Ibne-Abdullah and others. His bravery, his va lour and coulage were so well known in Arabia that none of the Muslims except Ali dared face him. The assemblage of famous warrior tribes and the presence of Omer Ibne Abd-e-Woodh as their commander had made the Muslims so nervous that even the Qu ran says that “Their eyes were petrified and their hearts were beating violently and they were thinking of running away.” Thrice Omer-Ibne-Abd-e-Woodth challenged them to out and every time none but Ali stood up and asked the permission of the Holy propliet (A.S.) to face him. Twice the Holy prophet (A.S.) refused him the permission, but in the end he allowed him, saying that “Today faith in embodiment is facing embodied infide. lity” then he raised his hands in prayers and beseeched God, saying “Lord! I am sending Ali alone in the battle-field, do not allow me to be left alone, you are the best Compa nion and the best Guardian”. Muslims were so certain of Ali being killed by Omer that some of them came forward to have a last look at his face. The encounter ended in Ali’s success and Omer’s death, after Omer he faced Abdullah-Ibne-Mogheera and Nofil Ibne-Abdullah and killed them both. Thus a victory was won without any Muslims, except Ali, coming out of the ranks. In the encounter with Omer and the defeat and death of this great warrior Ali again exhibited such a chivalrous attitude that the sister of Omer composed a poem in praise of the man who faced her brother, fought bravely against him and paid such a noble and chivalrous tribute to his vanquished enemy. In it she said “if anyone else than Ali had killed her brother, she would have wept over the infamy her life long, but not now”. The death of Omer had completely demoralised the various clans gathered and they started leaving the army and going back to their countries. Quraish went back to Mecca sad and dejected.

Thus Ali brought an end to the hostilities of Quraish in three encounters of Bader, Ohad and Khundaque. Their best warriors were killed, their unity against Islam was crushed, their pride was humiliated and their prestige before Arab clans lowered by him and by him alone.

He furhter raised the status of Muslims among the haughty, merciless and warring tribes of Arabia. In all these three battles not more than sixty Muslims were killed, and he alone had killed more than seventy enemies of Islam, every one of whom was the head of some clan or a sub-clan, a warrior famous for his bravery or a deadly enemy of the Holy prophet (A.S.) and Islam.

For a detailed account of this battle following books n:ay be consulted.

1. Shah Waiullah Dehlavi’s Izabuth-ul-khifa.

2. Kamil Ibne Asi’r History Vol. II 3. Seyoothee’s Durray Munshoor. 4. Tabarce’s History.

(vi) In their struggle for existence Muslims had to face a very serious opposition from Jews. In the beginning they tried to help Quraish against Islam surreptitiously and then openly. But when Ali broke through the enmity of Quraish and when Holy prophet (A.S.) was forced to banish the Jews from Madina, they decided to try their fate gainst Islam with the help of Bani Asad, Bani Kinana and Bani Ghathfan. Khyber was the province, which they had occupied since the times of their banishment from Palestine, It contained a few fortresses, the biggest of them was called Qumoose, which was on a steep hill. In these fortresses they started gathering in large-numbers and in the end they raised an army of about 10 to 12 thousand warriors and were scheming to march on Madina. Hearing these serious news the Holy prophet (A.S.) decided to face them at Kyber only. He marched at the head of an army of 3000 soldiers. This battle took place in Moharrum of the year 7 A.H.

Ali then was suffering from sour eyes and was left at Madina. The Muslim army succeeded in defeating the Jews in minor skirmishes but when they tried to capture the main fort of Qumoose they had to face a set back; they could not succeed though they tried for days at a stretch. The defeats sustained there, were sadly demoralizing the Mu- slim army. Holy prophet (A.S.) had allowed every important person to command the Muslim forces day by day, but each day the result was fresh defeat, fresh demoralization, fresh boldness of Jews and daily increasing danger of some more clans, emboldened by the weakness and defeats of Muslims, joining hands with the Jews. There were still many such tribes who were deadly against Islam and wanted to harm it, but Muslims victories at Bader, Ohad and Khundaque had made them nervous. The news of the defeats at Khyber were making them bold. “The Jews of Khyber united by an ancient alliance with Beduin horde of the Bani Ghatafan were incessantly working for the formation of a powerful coalition against the Muslims, and the Holy prophet (A.S.) knew fully well the power possessed by the desert races to injure Muslims (The Spirit of Islam)”. There was further danger of Munafiqueen (hypocrites and double dealers) staging a revolt in Madina. Promp measures were needed to avert these evils. Only a victory could have saved the situation which was getting more and more critical day by day. The prophet was himself ill and sadly felt the need of Ali at his side. He knew that though ill yet Ali had not left him alone and had followed him; therefore ill or not ill Ali had to come to the succour of Muslims, Islam and the Holy prophet (A.S.). When the news of the last disastrous repulse of the Muslims were brought to him, the Holy prophet (A.S.) said, “Tomorrow I shall give the command (the flag, an ensignia of the command) of this army to a man who is brave, who will keep on attacking, who will not run away from the battle-field, who loves God and His prophet and is beloved by God and His prophet and who will not come back to me without success. “Next day Ali was called from his bed and was handed over the command. He took the fort by storm; killed Marhab, Anther, Murra, Harris and four other chieftains of the Jew tribes in hand to hand combats, broke the door of the fort single handed, carried his army inside the fort and within four hours he flew the flag of the Holy prophet (A.S.) on the biggest fortress of Arabia and thus once more saved Islam from a disastrous end.

The news of success so pleased the Holy prophet (A.S.) that he, though ill, came

out to greet the victor, embraced him said “Ali had I not been afraid that Muslims will start regarding you as Christians regard the Christ, I would have said things about you which would have made the Muslims venerate you and to consider the dust of your feet as something worth venerating; but it will suffice to say that you are from me and I am from you; you will inherit me and I will inherit you; you are unto me what Aron was unto Moses, you will fight for my cause, you will be nearest to me on the day of Judgement; you will be next to me on the fountain of Kauser; enmity against you is enmity against me; a war against you is a war against me; your friendship is my friendship; to he at peace with you is to be at peace with me; your flesh is my flesh; your blood is my blood; who will obey you will obey me. Truth is on your tongue, in your heart and in your mind. You have as much faith in God as I have. You are door to me. As per orders of God I give you these tidings that your friends will be rewarded in the Heaven and your enemies will be punished in the Hell.

For further details of the above Hadith and the battle of Khyber, following books may be consulted:-

1. Moarej-un-Naboovath Vol. IV page 216

2. Almanquibe of Akthab-e-Kharzami

Refer for the Hadith quoted above.

3. Mulah Ali Hamdani’s Unabee-ul-Moaduth

4. Ibne Hasham’s Seerut page 187

6. Tabari’s History

Refer for details of the battle.

(vii) The victory which Ali brought to Islam in Khyber proved of great consequence to its mission and its followers. It gave such an importance and prestige over the infidels of the Quraish that they, who till then had complete control and sway over Mecca and did not even allow the Holy prophet (A.S.) and his followers to come for Haj and Umra and had forced them for the treaty of Hudaibia, were now obliged to surrender the city to him and Mecca fell before the superior forces of Islam.

The causes of the invasion and fall of Mecca are not to be discussed here; suffice it to say that Abu Sufyan who had brought it all upon the heads of Quraish, later leaving the contry and contrymen to the devil started running after every important person to secure his own and his family’s freedom of life and property from the Holy prophet (A.S.) and through the mediation of Abbas (uncle of Holy prophet, A.S.) he received the pardon seeked for. The behaviour of the Holy prophet (A.S.) against these murderers of Muslims and the enemies of Islam was so merciful, benign and humane that he pardoned every one of them, a clemency and kindness which was and shall ever remain umparallel in the history of man kind. But Mecca was taken over by the Muslims, the precints of Ka’aba were cleared of all idols by the person of the Holy prophet (A.S.) and Ali, and it ceased to exist as the centre of infidelity and polytheism in Arabia.

The fall of Mecca which took place in the Ramazan of 8 A.H. (January 630 A.D.) was accompanied with serious repurcussions. The success of Islam since the Hijruth had brought many followers to its fold. Those were of three types, some had seen the truth in

its preaching and had accepted it sincerely and faithfully, some were such that they wanted to bask in the glory of a religion which was fast becoming a mighty temporal power and they wished to make their worldly positions good through its influence and had accepted it with those ulterior motives, while there were some whose conversion was under false impression that unless they had accepted Islam their lives and properties were not safe. The fall of Mecca had very sad effect upon those two latter groups. They were not expecting that Abu Sufyan and Quraish would succumb so easily to the pres sure of Muslim invasion. Clearing of idols from the preemnts of Ka’aba and closing its doors to the infidels was a sadder blow, it became more poignant when they found that their age long enemy, the man whose valour and whose sword brought all these victories to Islam and disastrous defeats to their side, that is, Ali was the flag bearer a (comman der) of the Holy prophet’s (A.S.) forces on the occasion of the fall of Mecca, and along with the Holy prophet (A.S.) he was the man who cleared Ka’aba of its idols. There still were many pobytheist clans in Arabia, to them Mecca was the centre of worship, amongst them there were two powerful beduin tribes; Bani Hawaazen and Bani Sa querf. They now were joined by Bani Nusser, Bani Saad, Bani Hushum and Bani Hilal. Those tribes decided to stage a come back and were quietly promised help by the hypocrite