The Universal Prophethood of Muhammad (sws)
Although the Prophet (sws) received his
apostleship among the Quraysh; the revelation he possessed was
in the language of the Quraysh and it was among the Quraysh
that he fulfilled his obligations of preaching the faith, this
did not mean that he had been sent only for bringing about
reforms in the Quraysh. Reforming the Quraysh was indeed his
foremost responsibility, as in the verse: “And warn your
tribesmen and relatives,” (26:214) required him to do, but it
was also clear to him that his work did not end with preaching
to the Quraysh, but that his addressees were also other tribes
and nations. Not only this, but God had assigned prophethood
to him so that the religion of Islam would gain dominance over
other faiths, regardless of whether the idolaters tried to
stop him as much as possible. This can be explained in another
way, by saying that there were two aspects to the Prophet (sws)’s
divine mission. His specific prophethood was towards the
Quraysh and the tribes of the Ishmaelites and the universal
one towards people of the rest of the world. According to the
demands of the former, he fought with the Idolaters of Arabia
and the People of the Book at every stage. Additionally, he
made it clear to his companions that two religions could not
exist in Arabia. At the time of victory of Khaybar, when he
appointed the Jews to work on the land, he had made it clear
to them that this was a temporary arrangement and that
whenever the Islamic government wished, they could be sent
away. This is exactly what happened because at an appropriate
time, they were ejected from their lands.
Requirements of Universal Prophethood
This fact was also obvious from the
predictions of previous prophets. For example, the promise
made to Abraham (sws) by God has been quoted as:
The progeny of Ibrahim would be the owners
of the gates and all forces in the world will gain blessings
through his generations. (Genesis, 22:18).
This condition for all nations of the world
to be blessed through the progeny of Abraham (sws) was never
met before the Prophet (sws). Christianity gained popularity
in the nations of the world but this was not through the
progeny of Abraham (sws), but through other people.
In the gospel of John, the Prophet (sws)
has been called the leader of the world, (John, 14:30), who
would come and hold the world to be in the wrong about sin,
righteousness and justice (John 16:8), he will be the spirit
of truth and will show the path towards purity of truth (John
16:13), he will be such a supporter who will stay with people
until the end of the world (John. 14:16). In the history of
the world, there is no one who comes close to these
predictions other than the Prophet (sws).
There are three points that are prominent
in these predictions. One, that this messenger would possess
complete truth. In other words, the religions which other
prophets had brought were based on the needs of their nations
or times and were incomplete, but the Prophet (sws) would
present a complete religion and he would finalize it. Second,
his prophethood would be until the end of the world.
Obviously, remaining until the end of the world does not mean
physical presence because no one possesses the ability to live
forever. It means that the teaching and guidance of this
prophet will remain forever. Therefore, the Qur’an is the only
divine Book which exists in its original and complete form and
will remain so. No prophet shall come after the Prophet (sws).
He will be the last prophet. Third, he will be a messenger for
the entire world and all nations of the world will benefit
from him. His prophethood will not be only for one nation but
for all humanity and it will take into consideration the
specific needs of humans. This condition, too, does not meet
any other prophet’s personality. Jesus (sws) was a great
prophet but he came only for the Isrealites. He had clarified
this very openly and the Qur’an quotes his statement that he
was a prophet only for the Israelites. This part of the
predictions too is fulfilled by the nature of the Prophet (sws).
The Qur’an has articulated all of these points about the
Prophet (sws):
We sent you not, but as a Mercy for all
creatures. (21:107)
We have not sent you but as a universal
[messenger] to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them
[against sin], but most men understand not. (34:28)
Practically it was impossible for the
Prophet (sws) to reach out to all people of the world and
inform them of the true religion, give glad tidings to those
who believed in it and warn those who denied it, of their
fate. The Qur’an made it clear that his responsibility would
be to provide guidance only to the people he was addressing
directly. Those who believed in him would become witness upon
the rest:
Thus, have We made of you an ummah justly
balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the
Messenger a witness over yourselves. (2:143)
Invitations to Foreign Kings
When matters in the country settled down
after the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet (sws) sent his
ambassadors to the tribes of Arabia in general and to the
rulers and kings of surrounding states in particular, writing
to them to invite them towards Islam. This was the requirement
of the status according to which he had been granted
prophethood for all nations. Thus, he initiated a process
which was to be completed by his ummah which he was preparing.
The letters were written to the kings of
Abyssinia, Rome, Persia, Damascus, Pope of Rome and many
governors. A brief mention of these is as follows:
1. Letter to the King of Abyssinia
Ashamah, the king of Abyssinia, allowed
Muslims frustrated with the conditions in Makkah, to stay in
his country and provided them with full protection. These
muhajirs returned to Madinah after the migration to Madinah.
Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib reached there after the victory of
Khaybar. At this, the Prophet (sws) said: “I cannot say
whether I am happier at the victory of Khaybar or at the
return of Ja‘far from Abyssinia”.
The Prophet (sws) first sent a letter to
Ashamah and invited him to accept Islam but he declined with
an apology despite being impressed with Islam’s teachings,
saying that his supporters within the government were few. He
was trying to garner more support so that the conditions for
Islam in his country might improve. Since considerable time
had elapsed since then, the Prophet (sws) sent another letter,
which was as follows:
In the name of the Most Compassionate and
Merciful God, from Muhammad, the Messenger of God to Najashi,
the King of Abyssinia.
Peace be upon him who adopts the way of
guidance. After this, in front of you, I thank God, other than
Whom no one is worthy of being worshipped; He, who is the Real
King, the purest being, peace in totality, provider of safety
and protection. I testify that ‘Īsa ibn Maryam is the act of
God and that word which, when He had inspired upon virgin,
pure and pious Maryam, she became pregnant through His action
and divine inspiration. This happened in the same way as God
created Adam through His power.
I call you towards God, the One and Only
God, and invite you to establish a shared connection through
obedience to Him. I invite you to follow me and believe in the
message that has come to me, because I am God’s Messenger. I
call you and all your armies towards the Almighty and Majestic
God. I have communicated my message to you and fulfilled my
obligation to advise; therefore, please accept this advice.
Peace be upon him who walks upon the path of guidance.
Muhammad the Messenger of God
This letter was taken by ‘Amr ibn Umayyah
rta). When Najashi listened to its contents, he was very
impressed. He kissed the letter and placed it upon his head.
Then he wrote in answer, saying that he was witness to the
Prophet (sws) being a true messenger of God. He had taken oath
upon the hand of his cousin, Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib and had
entered the fold of Islam. He was sending his son and will
soon come to meet the Prophet (sws) if instructed.
This letter from the Prophet (sws) exists
even now and its copies can be seen in books documenting
letters of the Prophet (sws).
The Prophet (sws) sent a message to Najashi
(rta), proposing marriage to Umm Habibah
bint Abi Sufyan (rta). Umm Habibah
Ramla (rta) had migrated to Abyssinia with her husband
‘Ubaydullah ibn Jahash. ‘Ubaydullah had adopted Christianity
after being influenced by the environment there and had passed
away afterwards. Umm Habibah (rta)
was the daughter of Abu Sufyan, the leader of Makkah and
became a widow while in a foreign country. When the Prophet (sws)
found out, he made Najashi (rta) his representative and
proposed marriage to Umm Habibah(rta).
Najashi (rta) talked with Umm Habibah’s
relative, Khalid ibn Sa‘id ibn al-‘Ās (rta). When Umm Habibah
(rta) agreed, Najashi (rta) gave 400 dirhams in dower and
carried out the nikah. Umm Habibah (rta)
came to Madinah with a caravan of Muslims.
2. Letter to the King of Rome
Rome was split into two parts at that time.
The capital of the eastern side was Constantinople and that of
the western side was Rome. The eastern side included modern
Turkey, Syria and Palestine. Their ruler was called Caesar.
During the times of the Prophet (sws), Heraclius was the king
of Rome. The Prophet (sws) sent Ḍahyah ibn Khalifah Kalbi (rta)
to Heraclius with a letter. Ḍahyah went to the governor of
Basrah and through him, gained access to Heraclius. The latter
ordered to find out whether anyone from the community of this
person who claimed prophethood was there or not. When people
investigated, it was found that Abu Sufyan had come with a
group for trade purposes. All of them were called and invited
to be seated in front of Heraclius. He asked the person who
had the closest relationship with the one who claimed
prophethood to come to him. When Abu Sufyan was presented,
Heraclius addressed the others and said that he would be
asking a few questions of Abu Sufyan. If he lied, they should
expose him. Abu Sufyan used to say that if he had not been
afraid of becoming known as a liar, he would have included
some lies in his replies. With the help of a translator, the
following exchange took place:
Heraclius: what is the status of this
person in your community?
Abu Sufyan: He is of a high status
(belonging to a reputed family)
Heraclius: Has there been a king among his
ancestors?
Abu Sufyan: No
Heraclius: before he claimed prophethood,
have you ever accused him of falsehood?
Abu Sufyan: No
Heraclius: Do his followers include the
weak or leaders of the nation?
Abu Sufyan: They are weak people
Heraclius: Are their numbers increasing or
decreasing?
Abu Sufyan: These people are increasing
Heraclius: Has any person who entered this
faith left it after being disappointed?
Abu Sufyan: No
Heraclius: have you ever fought a battle
with him?
Abu Sufyan: Yes
Heraclius: What was the result of the
battle?
Abu Sufyan: The battle was even. We harmed
him and he harmed us
Heraclius: Does he break his promises?
Abu Sufyan: No. we are in a period of
peace. Nothing can be said about what he might do during this
period.
Heraclius: Has anyone else claimed
prophethood before this?
Abu Sufyan: No
After this, Heraclius asked his translator
to tell Abu Sufyan that, according to him, the man was from a
reputable family; prophets always came from among respected
groups. There had been no king among his ancestors. Had there
been one, he would have said that this man wanted to gain
power over his lost state. His followers were weak people;
followers of prophets were always weak. He did not lie, so why
would a person who did not lie to humans place a false claim
upon God? People who believed in him never became renegades;
this was exactly what happened when the warmth of faith
kindled within the heart. That was why his followers were
increasing in numbers. The competition in battles was even;
prophets became successful only after passing through
challenges and tests. He did not break his promises; this was
how prophets behaved.
Then Heraclius asked about the teachings of
the Prophet (sws) to which Abu Sufyan answered that he advised
them to worship one God and not to associate anyone with Him;
to perform regular prayers; pay zakah; be conscientious
towards relatives and live a life of high morals and purity.
After this, Heraclius said that if Abu
Sufyan was telling the truth, this was a true prophet and,
soon, he would conquer the land where his feet were now
resting. He knew that a prophet was coming but he was unaware
that he would arise from among Abu Sufyan’s people. Had
Heraclius been there, he would have washed his feet. Saying
this, Heraclius asked for the letter to be read out. The
content of the letter was as follows:
In the name of the Most Compassionate, the
Most Merciful God, from Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, the Messenger
of God, to Heraclius, the ruler of the state of Rome. Safety
be upon him who follows guidance from God. After this, I
invite you towards the message of Islam. If you accept Islam,
you will find refuge. God shall grant you a dual reward. If
you turn away, the sin of the entire populace will be upon
your shoulders.
O People of the Book! Come to the matter
that is common between you and us. And that is, we should not
worship anyone except one God; not associate anyone with Him
and not make anyone our Lord except God. If they turn away
their faces, say that be witness: we have our heads bowed.
Muhammad, Messenger of God.
At this, the courtiers became furious. When
the situation became serious, Heraclius apologized and said
that what he was saying was deliberate, in order to assess
their faithfulness to Christianity. Hearing this, the anger of
the courtiers and clergymen subsided but Heraclius could not
find the courage to accept Islam.
In his conversation with Abu Sufyan,
Heraclius appears to be a ruler of great political acumen,
having a keen understanding of the history of prophets, aware
of the sunnah of God related to His messengers, knowledgeable
about the predictions about the last prophet and a very wise
man. In his questions, he has developed such rational
standards to judge the veracity of anyone who claims to be a
prophet that could only have been thought of by one who was
very wise. He had accepted in his heart that the writer of the
letter was a true prophet, his success was as clear as the day
and ultimately, he would conquer his kingdom too. But he did
not possess the strength to face resistance from his courtiers
and clergymen, or to sacrifice his status as king, so he
remained bereft of faith.
This letter from the Prophet (sws) exists
and its copies can be seen in books.
3. Letter to the Ruler of Egypt
The eastern side of Rome was under
Heraclius, but its western side, the capital of which was
Rome, was completely separate. It was ruled by Egypt and the
deputy of state, Maqawqas, ruled over Egypt. The Prophet (sws)
had a letter written to Maqawqas exactly on the same lines as
to Heraclius. The only difference was that the words “sins of
the entire populace” were replaced by “sins of the Copts.”
This letter can be found in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul.
Hatib ibn Abi
Baltbin Abi Balta‘ah took this letter to Maqawqas in
Alexandria. He wrote back, saying that he had known that a
prophet would be coming, but he thought that this would happen
in Syria. He had kept the Prophet’s messenger with respect and
dignity and sent him two girls from a respectable family,
Mariyah and Sirin who were sisters, garments and one high bred
donkey as gifts. The Prophet (sws) married Mariyah and gave
Sirin to Hassan ibn Thabit (rta).
Mariyah gave birth to the Prophet’s son, Ibrahim, who died at
the age of 18 months only.
Maqawqas neither expressed a desire to
accept Islam, nor did he do so. The Prophet (sws) accepted his
gifts, but commented upon his letter, saying that the rule of
the state had kept Maqawqas from accepting Islam, although his
power was unstable.
4. Letter to the Pope in Rome
When Dahyah ibn Khalifah Kalbi (rta) took
the letter to Heraclius, he also took one addressed to the
Pope, Honorius. The content of the letter was:
In the name of the Most compassionate, the
Most merciful God; peace be upon him who believes in God. I am
upon the belief that ‘Īsa ibn Maryam is the spirit of God and
His word that was inspired within the pure Maryam by God. I
believe in God, His instructions and all of His books that
were revealed to me, and that were revealed to Abraham (sws),
Ishmael (sws), Isaac (sws), Jacob (sws) and their progeny and
those that were given to Moses and Jesus and other prophets by
their Lord. We do not differentiate between prophets and we
bow our heads in front of God. Peace be upon him who follows
guidance.
The Pope read this letter in the church and
testified to its veracity. His listeners became so infuriated
that they beat him to death.
5. Letter to the King of Persia
At that time, Khusru Parvayz was the ruler
of the great kingdom of Persia. The Prophet (sws) sent his
letter to him through ‘Abdullah ibn Hudhayfah
Sahmi (rta). He was then living in Nineveh. The King was
seated on a magnificent throne, demonstrating all the grandeur
and majesty he could when a simple but courageous man, attired
in ordinary clothes was presented before him by his courtiers.
The letter that ‘Abdullah presented was as follows:
In the name of the Most Compassionate, the
Most Merciful God, from Muhammad, the Messenger of God to
Caesar, King of Persia. Peace be upon him who follows the
guidance from God, believes in God and His Messenger and
testifies that there is no deity except God. He is One, there
is no one who can be associated with Him. Also, that Muhammad
is His servant and prophet. I invite you towards the message
from God because I am the Messenger of God for all people, so
that all humans who are alive may be warned and God’s decree
may be proven upon those who deny it. If you accept Islam, you
shall be safe. If you refuse, the sins of all Zoroastrians
shall be upon your shoulders.
Khusru was unfamiliar with being addressed
in such a manner and he could not imagine the violation of the
etiquette of his court. He became extremely angry, tore up the
letter and shouted: “How could our servant possess the
audacity to write such a letter to us.” He sent an order to
Badhan, the governor of Yemen, to arrest the Arab who claimed
to be a prophet and present him in court. ‘Abdullah ibn
Hudhayfah made a short speech in the court. He warned the
King, alerted him to his sorry fate and proceeded to Madinah.
When he informed the Prophet (sws) what had had transpired, he
said: “Khusru’s statehood will also be ripped off in the same
manner in which he tore up my letter.”
Badhan sent his people to Madinah, who read
out the governor’s order and told them that if the order was
not obeyed, Khusru would destroy their country. The Prophet (sws)
asked them to return, since Khusru had been killed by his own
son, Shirawayh. “Tell your master that the Islamic rule will
soon reach the capital of Caesar.” When Badhan’s people
returned, he received news from Persia that Khusru had been
killed because of his excessively oppressive ways and that now
no hostility should be adopted towards the Prophet of Arabia.
Badhan came to believe that Muhammad (sws) was really a
messenger of God and he accepted Islam.
This letter from the Prophet (sws), written
on very thin parchment and mended in many places because of
being torn was discovered in the ancestral library of Henry
Phiron, an ex Foreign Minister of Lebanon in 1963. A copy can
be seen in the Documents of the Prophet (sws).
6. Letter to Governor of Yamamah
Yamamah, a region in Arabia was then under
Persia and Hawdhah ibn ‘Ali was its governor. The Prophet (sws)
sent a letter to him through Saliṭ ibn Qays Ansari, inviting
him to accept Islam and proposing that in case he did so, his
country would remain under his control. Hawdhah replied that
if the Prophet (sws) included him in his government, he would
be willing to accept the offer. The Prophet (sws) did not
accede to this condition and soon afterwards, Hawdhah died.
7. Letter to King of Syria
The progeny of Ghasan was ruling Syria and
Harith was its king. The Prophet (sws)
sent his letter through Shuja ibn Wahb al-Asadi (rta), in
which he proposed if he accepted Islam, his country would
remain with him. Harith said that no
one dared to look at his country with bad intentions. When the
Prophet (sws) came to know his views, he said that his rule
would end soon. Thus, this government that had been stable for
500 years ended in 14 AH.
Contents of the Letters
The letters which the Prophet (sws) wrote
to Christian rulers contained the beliefs explained in the
Qur’an about Jesus (sws), and after this, an invitation to
believe in him. All three letters quoted Qur’anic verses. The
letters to idolatrous rulers highlighted monotheism but the
verses were not quoted.
The rulers were made aware of the fact that
they were not only responsible for themselves, but also for
their populace. If the latter remained deprived of faith
because of their own disbelief, this collective sin would also
be on their own shoulders.
When Heraclius and Caesar did not accept
Islam, the Prophet (sws) said: “Caesar has been killed. There
shall be no Caesar after him. When Heraclius is killed, there
shall be no Heraclius after him. By the Being who controls my
life, you shall spend the treasures of both empires in the way
of God.”
This is exactly what happened. When
Heraclius returned to Constantinople from Īliyah, he did not
return to Syria while he lived. According to Tabari, while
leaving Syria, Heraclius cast his eyes on the land and said:
“O Syria! I am leaving you forever.” When Caesar received the
Prophet’s letter, he was preparing for a decisive battle with
Rome. He was defeated in this battle. During this time, an
internal rebellion arose and his son had him and his 18 sons
killed. The kingship in Persia ended completely during the
time of ‘Umar Faruq (rta). Similarly, the regions of Syria,
Palestine and Egypt came under the Islamic Caliphate. In later
stages, Islam spread throughout the East, West and the North
and thus all nations of the world benefitted from the global
mercy of the Prophet (sws).
Missions towards Northern Arabia
The south of Arabia, where Jews and
Christians had a heavy influence, received less attention from
the Prophet (sws) during many years after migration because
the Quraysh were a barrier to its approach. It posed a danger
for Muslim groups to go there which could be surrounded and
suffer excessive loss of life and property. In contrast, the
route to Northern Arabia was constrained only by Jewish areas.
Therefore, many commissions to preach Islam were sent and
agreements made with the tribes there. During Rabi al-Awwal
5th AH, the Prophet (sws) went with a mission to Dawmah al-Jandal,
an important city that controlled trade routes towards Syria
and Iraq and which was under the rule of Akidar ibn ‘Abd al-Malik,
a Christian leader. Madinah had received the news that an army
was being prepared in Dawmah al-Jandal to fight against the
Muslims. When the Prophet (sws) arrived, there was no such
gathering and if it was, it had dispersed. Hence, he used the
opportunity of this travel to develop relations with many of
the tribes.
The next year, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (rta)
was sent with a large group to Banu Kalb. These people
continued to preach for many days in this area. Finally, al-Asbagh
ibn ‘Amr accepted Islam. Under his influence, many other
people also accepted the faith. A similar group was sent to
Itlah for preaching. Its leader was Ka‘ab ibn ‘Umayr al-Ghifari
(rta) and it included only 15 members. They met another group
on the way, which started to throw spears at them, as a result
of which all except one Muslim were martyred.
The Battle of Mu’tah
After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah,
the Prophet (sws) sent a letter to the governor of Rome who
was based in Basrah. The Prophet’s ambassador, Harith
ibn ‘Umayr al-Azdi (rta) was going with this letter when a
Ghassanid leader, Sharjil ibn ‘Amr killed him in a city called
Mu’tah in what is now in south Jordan. The killing of an
ambassador was an inciting incident which took place while the
Roman government was active. It seems that government
officials did not take this matter seriously enough due to
which it became necessary to take some strong steps in order
to prevent such happenings in future. The Prophet (sws)
prepared an army of 3,000, led by Zayd ibn Harithah
(rta). When seeing them off to Basrah, the Prophet (sws) gave
instructions that if Zayd (rta) was martyred, Ja‘far ibn Abi
Talib (rta) should take command. And if he was also martyred,
‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah (rta) was to assume commandership. When
this army reached the place of Ma‘an, they found that a vast
Roman army was in front and were assisted by the Christian
tribes of Lakham, Jadham and Qufḍa‘ah. The army suggested that
the Prophet (sws) should be informed of this situation and new
instructions taken from him. But the spirit of faith prevented
the companions from accepting this advice. ‘Abdullah ibn
Rawahah (rta) said that people of faith had never succeeded on
the basis of their numbers. They should either gain success or
be martyred; either of these was better for them, so they
should fight with the enemy courageously. This advice was
accepted and the army faced the Romans after reaching their
destination. When the battle took place at Mu’tah, all three
commanders: Zayd ibn Harithah (rta),
Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib (rta) and ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah (rta)
were martyred one after the other. All led the army with great
valour and steadfastness and, when they were martyred, it was
impossible to count the number of wounds on their bodies.
According to one narrative, after ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah (rta)
was martyred, Khalid ibn Walid (rta) took up the flag and
fighting continuously, brought his army out of the circle of
the enemy. According to another narrative, which seems to be
more believable, it was evening when ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah (rta)
was martyred and both armies retired to their camps as per
rules. The next morning, the Muslim army nominated Khalid ibn
Walid (rta) as their commander and he restructured the army,
changing the positions of many sections. The right section
became the left and vice versa; the front took up positions at
the back and that at the back came to the front. When the
armies came to the battle field, the Romans found different
people in front of them. They thought that the Muslims had
been strengthened by fresh troops from Madinah and were
demoralized. Khalid (rta) fought with unmatched bravery.
Narratives have stated that nine swords were broken in his
hands. When the courage and energy of the enemy ended, they
retreated. Surprisingly, only 12 people from the Muslim army
were martyred in this battle, while the Roman’s loss of life
was much higher. It is generally said that Muslims were
defeated in this battle and Khalid ibn Walid (rta) had to face
criticism on his return. This is not so. Had Muslims been
defeated, the Roman army would have followed them and
destroyed them completely. Not following them is evidence of
the fact that Muslims fought with great valour, because of
which the Romans suffered huge losses and they were not ready
to take any more risks. Furthermore, when the army reached
Madinah, the Prophet (sws) greeted them and, while
congratulating Khalid ibn Walid (rta), conferred upon him the
title of Sayfullah (the Sword of Allah). Had he faced defeat
or run away from the battle front and come to Madinah, it
would have been misplaced for the Prophet (sws) to
congratulate him.
The commission sent to Mu’tah was not meant
to conquer any region. Its purpose was to ensure that Islam
would be recognized as a force within north Arabia and this
purpose was achieved. The Arab tribes received the message
that people who could take on Romans were rising up from
within them and that their struggle was not political, but
religious and moral. The Romans had not given importance to
the followers of Islam until then and now they realized that
if they did not act with justice in matters related to
Muslims, things could go out of hand and a great power could
confront them.
The very next month, the news reached
Madinah that the Christian tribe, Quda‘ah
was regrouping its numbers in allegiance with the Romans. The
Prophet (sws) sent a group of 300 companions under the command
of ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās to put down the Quda‘ah.
He instructed the commander to take help from the Muslim
tribes of Bala, ‘Adhrah and Balqayn which would come on the
way. ‘Amr (rta) found out that the number of soldiers with the
enemy was larger. He asked for additional troops from Madinah
and a group of 200, led by Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (rta)
reached them immediately. The armies met at the place of Dhat
al-Salasil and the Quda‘ah were
dispersed. This mission was also effective in impressing the
Christian tribes of north Arabia.
(Translated by
Nikhat Sattar)
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