Imam Ali (as) and the battle of Hunayn

Now the most tribes of Arabia had turned Muslims except two tribes; Thaqeef and Hawazin. They were strong enough and had resided about Ta’if, a country place in the east and north east of Mecca. When they knew that the Muslims had conquered Mecca, they decided to attack it before the Prophet would declare war against them. The matter was reported to the Prophet (s) by the spies; therefore he set out towards them with a strong army of twelve thousand men.

Some other Arab families joined Thaqeef and Hawazin. They were about thirty thousand men accompanied by their households and cattle. They came to a wide area named Hunayn. The Muslims had to pass a narrow valley to get to Hunayn. The enemy came down from the rear mouth of the valley and hid themselves behind big stones and rocks in the slopes.

When the Muslims came in sight, the enemy attacked them by a shower of stones and arrows.

Consequently the Muslims were frightened. They escaped and left the Prophet alone.

Only a few ones; Ali (s), Abbas, the Prophet’s uncle, ibn Harith, the Prophet's cousin, Al-Fadhl ibn Abbas and Abdullah ibn Mas’ud stood against the enemy before the Prophet (s). The historians mentioned that forty warriors had been killed by Ali(s).

A gigantic man, mounting on a red camel and trying from behind to send the Muslims into troubles, came to face Ali (s). Ali (s) at first cut off his camel's leg and then halved him into two by his sword.

The Prophet (s) and his uncle Abbas called repeatedly upon the runaways to come back to the field. They came back and forced the enemy to retreat and to run away towards Ta’if.

The Muslims gained great spoils; forty thousand sheep, twenty-four thousand camels, a good quantity of silverwares and six thousand persons as captives.

The Muslims chased the runaway enemy unto Ta’if but they had to waste a long time in order to conquer its strong fort. Hereon, they, according to the Prophet's command, went back to Medina for performing other essential affairs.

Adopted from the book : "Imam Ali (a.s.); Sunshine of Civilized Islam" by : "Muhammad Huseyn Tahmasebi"