Narrated Burayd:
When the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) appointed anyone as leader of an army or detachment he would especially exhort him to fear Allah and to be good to the Muslims who were with him. He would say: Fight in the name of Allah and in the cause of Allah. Fight against those who do not believe in Allah. Wage a holy war: do not embezzle the spoils, do not break your pledge, do not mutilate (the dead) bodies and do not kill the children.
When you meet enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and restrain yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of Muhajirs and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajirs. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muslims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not receive any share from the spoils of war or Fay' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the nonbelievers). If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizyah. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold your hand. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them.
When you lay siege to a fort and the besieged appeal to you for protection in the name of Allah and His Prophet, do not accord to them the guarantee of Allah and His Prophet, but accord to them your own guarantee and the guarantee of your companions. It is a lesser sin that the security given by you or your companions be disregarded than that the security granted in the name of Allah and His Prophet be violated. When you besiege a fort and the besieged want you to let them out in accordance with Allah's Command, do not let them come out in accordance with His Command, but do so at your (own) command, for you do not know whether or not you will be able to carry out Allah's behest with regard to them.
Narrated AbuMusa:
It has been narrated on the authority of AbuMusa that when the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) deputed any of his Companions on a mission, he would say: Give tidings (to the people); do not create (in their minds) aversion (towards religion); show them leniency and do not be hard upon them.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said on the day of the Battle of Uhud: O Allah, if Thou wilt (defeat Muslims), there will be none on the earth to worship Thee.
Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:
Mus'ab ibn Sa'd said: My father took a sword from Khums and brought it to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Grant it to me. He refused.
At this Allah revealed (the Qur'anic verse): "They ask thee concerning the spoils of war. Say: The spoils of war are for Allah and the Apostle" (viii.1).
Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) gave us an extra (camel) besides our share of Khums; (and in this extra share) I got a Sharif (and a Sharif is a big old camel).
Narrated Awf ibn Malik:
A man from the Himyar tribe killed an enemy and wanted to take the booty. Khalid ibn Walid, who was the commander over them, forbade him. Awf ibn Malik (the narrator) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and informed him (to this effect). The latter asked Khalid: What prevented you from giving the booty to him? Khalid said: I thought it was too much. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Hand it over to him.
Now when Khalid passed by Awf, the latter pulled him by his cloak and said (by way of chaffing him): Hasn't the same thing happened as that which I reported to you from the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)? When the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) heard it, he was angry (and said): Khalid, don't give it to him, Khalid, don't give it to him. Are you going to desert the commanders appointed by me? Your similitude and theirs is like a person who took camels and sheep for grazing. He grazed them and when it was time for them to have a drink, he brought them to a pool. So they drank from it, drinking away its clear water and leaving the turbid water below. So the clear water (i.e. the best reward) is for you and the turbid water (i.e. blame) is for them.
Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
It has been reported by Salamah ibn al-Akwa': We fought the Battle of Hawazin with the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). (One day) when we were having our breakfast with the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), a man came riding a red camel. He made it kneel down, extracted a strip of leather from its girth and tethered the camel with it. Then he began to take food with the people and look (curiously around). We were in a poor condition as some of us were on foot (being without any riding-animals).
All of a sudden, he left us hurriedly, came to his camel, untethered it, made it kneel down, mounted it and urged the beast which cantered off. A man on a brown she-camel chased him (taking him for a spy). Salamah (the narrator) said: I followed on foot. I ran on until I was near the thigh of the she-camel. I advanced further until I was near the haunches of the camel. I advanced still further until I caught hold of the nose-string of the camel. I made it kneel down. As soon as it placed its knees on the ground, I drew my sword and struck at the head of the rider who fell down.
I brought back the camel, driving it along with the man's baggage and weapons. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came forward to meet me and the people were with him. He asked: Who has killed the man? The people said: Ibn Akwa'. He said: Everything belonging to the man is for him (Ibn Akwa').
Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
We fought against the Fazarah and AbuBakr was the commander over us. He had been appointed by the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). When we were only an hour's ride from the water of the enemy, AbuBakr ordered us to attack.
We made a halt during the last part of the night for rest and then we attacked from all sides and reached their watering-place where a battle was fought. Some of the enemy were killed and some were taken prisoner. I saw a group of people that consisted of women and children. I was afraid lest they should reach the mountain before me, so I shot an arrow between them and the mountain. When they saw the arrow, they stopped. So I brought them, driving them along.
Among them was a woman from Banu Fazarah. She was wearing a leather coat. With her was her daughter who was one of the prettiest girls in Arabia. I drove them along until I brought them to AbuBakr who bestowed that girl upon me as a prize. So we arrived in Medina.
I had not yet disrobed her when the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) met me in the street and said: Give me that girl, O Salamah. I said: Messenger of Allah, she has fascinated me. I have not yet disrobed her. When on the next day, the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) again met me in the street, he said: O Salamah, give me that girl, may God bless your father. I said: She is for you, Messenger of Allah! By Allah, I have not yet disrobed her. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) sent her to the people of Mecca, and surrendered her as ransom for a number of Muslims who had been kept as prisoners at Mecca.
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: If you come to a township (which has surrendered without a formal war) and stay therein, you have a share (that will be in the form of an award) in (the properties obtained from) it. If a township disobeys Allah and His Messenger (and actually fights against the Muslims) one-fifth of the booty seized therefrom is for Allah and His Apostle and the rest is for you.
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: "We do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is a charitable endowment."
Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:
Umar heard the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslims.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) wrote to Chosroes (King of Persia), Caesar (Emperor of Rome), Negus (King of Abyssinia) and every (other) despot inviting them to Allah, the Exalted. And this Negus was not the one for whom the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had said the funeral prayers.
Narrated Abbas ibn AbdulMuttalib:
I was in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) on the Day of Hunayn. AbuSufyan ibn Harith ibn AbdulMuttalib and I stayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and we did not separate from him. And the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was riding on his white mule which had been presented to him by Farwah ibn Nufathah al-Judhami.
When the Muslims had an encounter with the nonbelievers, the Muslims fled in retreat, but the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) began to spur his mule towards the nonbelievers. I was holding the bridle of the mule of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), checking it from going too fast. AbuSufyan was holding the stirrup of the (mule of the) Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), who said: Abbas, call out to the people of as-Samurah. Abbas (who was a man with a loud voice) called out at the top of his voice: Where are the people of Samurah? (Abbas said:) And by God, when they heard my voice, they came back (to us) as cows come back to their calves, and said: We are here, we are here!
Abbas said: They began to fight the infidels. Then there was a call to the Ansar. Those (who called out to them) shouted: O. ye party of the Ansar! O party of the Ansar! Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj were the last to be called. Those (who called out to them) shouted: O Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj! O Banu Harith ibn al-Khazraj! And the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), who was riding, his mule, looked at them fighting with his neck stretched forward and he said: This is the time when the fight is raging hot.
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) took (some) pebbles and threw them in the face of the infidels. Then he said: By the Lord of Muhammad, the infidels are defeated. Abbas said: I went round and saw that the battle was in the same condition in which I had seen it. By Allah, it remained in the same condition until he threw the pebbles. I continued to watch until I found that their force had been spent and they began to retreat.
Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
We fought by the side of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) at Hunayn. When we encountered the enemy, I advanced and ascended a hillock. A man from the enemy side turned towards me and I shot at him with an arrow. He (ducked and) hid himself from me. I could not understand what he did, but (all of a sudden) I saw that a group of people appeared from the other hillock. They and the companions of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) met in combat, but the companions of the Prophet turned back and I too turned back defeated. I had two mantles, one of which I was wrapping round the waist (covering the lower part of my body) and the other I was putting around my shoulders. My waist-wrapper got loose and I held the two mantles together. (In this downcast condition) I passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) who was riding his white mule. He said: The son of Akwa' finds himself to be utterly perplexed.
When the Companions gathered round him from all sides, the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) got down from his mule, picked up a handful of dust from the ground, threw it into their (enemy) faces and said: May these faces be deformed! There was no one among the enemy whose eyes were not filled with the dust from this handful. So they fled in retreat, so Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, defeated them, and the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) distributed their booty among the Muslims.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
When (the news of) the advance of AbuSufyan (at the head of a force) reached him, the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) held consultations with his companions. The narrator said: AbuBakr spoke (expressing his own views), but he (the Holy Prophet) did not pay heed to him. Then spoke Umar (expressing his views), but he (the Holy Prophet) did not pay heed to him (either). Then Sa'd ibn Ubadah stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, you want us (to speak). By God in Whose control is my life, if you order us to plunge our horses into the sea, we should do so. If you order us to urge our horses to the most distant place such as Bark al-Ghimad, we should do so. The narrator said: Now the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) called upon the people (for the encounter). So they set out and encamped at Badr. (Soon) the water-carriers of the Quraysh arrived. Among them was a black slave belonging to Banu al-Hajjaj. The companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) caught him and interrogated him about AbuSufyan and his companions. He said: I know nothing about AbuSufyan, but AbuJahl, Utbah, Shaybah and Umayyah ibn Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him. Then he said: All right. I shall tell you about AbuSufyan. They stopped beating him and then asked him (again) about AbuSufyan. He again said: I know nothing about AbuSufyan, but AbuJahl, Utbah, Shaybah and Umayyah ibn Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him in the same way.
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was standing in prayer. When he saw this he finished his prayer and said: By Allah in Whose control is my life, you beat him when he is telling you the truth, and let him go when he tells you a lie.
The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: This is the place where so and so will be killed. He placed his hand on the earth (saying) here and here. (And) none of them were struck down outside the place which the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had indicated by placing his hand on the earth.
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
Abdullah ibn Rabah said: Many deputations came to Mu'awiyah. This was in the month of Ramadan. We would prepare food for one another. AbuHurayrah was one of those who frequently invited us to his house. I said: Should I not prepare food and invite them to my house? So I ordered meals to be prepared. Then I met AbuHurayrah in the evening and said: (You will have) your meals with me tonight. He said: You have forestalled me. I said: Yes; and invited them.
(When they had finished the meal) AbuHurayrah said: Should I not tell you one of your traditions, O ye assembly of the Ansar? He then gave an account of the Conquest of Mecca and said: The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) advanced until he reached Mecca. He deputed Zubayr on his right flank and Khalid on the left, and he despatched AbuUbaydah with the force that had no armour.
They advanced to the interior of the valley. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was in the midst of a large contingent of fighters. He saw me and said: AbuHurayrah. I said: I am here at your call, Messenger of Allah! He said: Let no one come to me except the Ansar, so call to me the Ansar (only).
AbuHurayrah continued: So they gathered round him. The Quraysh also gathered their ruffians and their (lowly) followers, and said: We send these forward. If they obtain anything, we shall be with them (to share it), and if misfortune befalls them, we shall pay (as compensation) whatever we are asked for.
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said (to the Ansar): You see the ruffians and the (lowly) followers of the Quraysh. And he indicated by (striking) one of his hands over the other that they should be killed, and said: Meet me at as-Safa'. Then we went on (and) if any one of us wanted a certain person to be killed, he was killed, and none could offer any resistance.
AbuHurayrah continued: Then came AbuSufyan and said: Messenger of Allah, the blood of the Quraysh has become very cheap. There will be no Quraysh from this day on. Then he (the Holy Prophet) said: Whoever enters the house of AbuSufyan, will be safe. Some of the Ansar whispered among themselves: (After all), love for his city and tenderness towards his relations have overpowered him.
AbuHurayrah said: (At this moment) revelation came to the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and when he was going to receive the Revelation, we understood. When he was (actually) receiving it, none of us would dare raise his eyes to the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) until the revelation came to an end.
When the revelation came to an end, the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: O ye assembly of the Ansar! They said: Here we are at your disposal, Messenger of Allah. He said: You were saying that love for his city and tenderness towards his people have overpowered this man. They said: So it was. He said: No, never. I am a bondsman of God, and His Messenger. I migrated towards God and towards you. I shall live with you and die with you.
So, they (the Ansar) turned towards him in tears and they were saying: By Allah, we said what we said because of our tenacious attachment to Allah and His Messenger. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Surely, Allah and His Messenger testify to your assertions and accept your apology.
The narrator continued: People turned to the house of AbuSufyan and people locked their doors. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) proceeded until he approached the (Black) Stone. He kissed it and circumambulated the Ka'bah. He reached an idol by the side of the Ka'bah, which was worshipped by the people.
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had a bow in his hand, and he was holding it from a corner. When he came near the idol, he began to pierce its eyes with the bow and (while doing so) was saying: Truth has been established and falsehood has perished.
When he had finished the circumambulation, he came to Safa', ascended it to a height from where he could see the Ka'bah, raised his hands (in prayer) and began to praise Allah and prayed what he wanted to pray.
Narrated Muti' ibn al-Aswad al-Adawi:
I heard the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) say on the day of the Conquest of Mecca: No Qurayshite will be killed bound hand and foot from this day until the Day of Judgment.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Quraysh made peace with the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). Among them was Suhayl ibn Amr. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said to Ali: Write "In the name of Allah, most Gracious and most Merciful." Suhayl said: As for "Bismillah", we do not know what is meant by "Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim" (In the name of Allah, most Gracious and most Merciful). But write what we understand, i.e. Bismika Allahumma (in thy name, O Allah). Then the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Write: "From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah." They said: If we knew that you were the Messenger of Allah, we should follow you. Therefore, write your name and the name of your father. So the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Write "From Muhammad ibn Abdullah."
They laid the condition on the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) that anyone who joined them from the Muslims, the Meccans would not return him; and anyone who joined then (the Muslims) from them, the Muslims would send him back to them. The companions said: Messenger of Allah, should we write this? He said: Yes. One who goes away from us to join them--may Allah keep him away! And one who comes to join us from them (and is sent back)--Allah will provide him with relief and a way of escape.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
When they (Companions of the Prophet) were overwhelmed with grief and distress on his return from Hudaybiyyah where he had slaughtered his sacrificial beasts (not being allowed to proceed to Makkah), the Qur'anic verse: Verily We have granted thee a manifest victory ... to ... the highest achievement (48:1-5), was revealed to him. (At this) he said: On me has descended a verse that is dearer to me than the whole world.
Narrated Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman:
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said: Nothing prevented me from being present at the Battle of Badr except this incident. I came out with my father Husayl (to participate in the Battle), but we were caught by the disbelievers of Quraysh. They said: (Do) you intend to go to Muhammad? We said: We do not intend to go to him, but we wish to go (back) to Medina.
So they took from us a covenant in the name of God that we would turn back to Medina and would not fight on the side of Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him). So, we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and related the incident to him. He said: Both of you proceed (to Medina); we will fulfil the covenant made with them and seek God's help against them.
Narrated Hudhayfah:
It has been narrated by Ibrahim on the authority of his father who said: We were sitting in the company of Hudhayfah. A man said: If I had been alive at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), I should have fought by his side and should have striven hard for his causes. Hudhayfah said: You might have done that (but you should not make a flourish of your enthusiasm).
I was with the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) on the night of the battle of Ahzab and we were gripped by a violent wind and severe cold. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Hark, the man who (goes reconnoitring and) brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the Day of Judgment by Allah (the Glorious and Exalted).
We all kept quiet and none of us responded to him. (Again) he said: Hark, a man who (goes reconnoitring and) brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the Day of Judgment by Allah (the Glorious and Exalted). We kept quiet and none of us responded to him. He again said: Hark, a man who (goes reconnoitring and) brings me the news of the enemy shall be ranked with me on the Day of Judgment by Allah (the Glorious and Exalted). Then he said: Stand up, Hudhayfah, bring me the news of the enemy. When he called me by name, I had no alternative but to stand up. He said: Go and bring me information about the enemy, and do nothing that may provoke them against me. When I left him, I felt warm as if I were walking in a heated bath, until I reached them.
When I saw AbuSufyan warming his back against the fire, I put an arrow in the middle of the bow, intending to shoot at him, but I recalled the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)--"Do not provoke them against me." Had I shot at him, I should have hit him. But I returned and (felt warm as if) I were walking in a heated bath (hammam). Presenting myself to him, I gave him information about the enemy. When I had done so, I began to feel cold, so the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) wrapped me in a blanket that he had surplus his own requirements and with which he used to cover himself while saying his prayers. So I continued to sleep until it was morning. When it was morning he said: rise, O heavy sleeper.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
It has been reported on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that (when the enemy got the upper hand) on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was left with only seven men from the Ansar and two men from the Quraysh. When the enemy advanced towards him and overwhelmed him, he said: Whoever turns them away from us will attain Paradise or will be my companion in Paradise.
A man from the Ansar came forward and fought (the enemy) until he was killed. The enemy advanced and overwhelmed him again and he repeated the words: Whoever turns them away from us will attain Paradise or will be my companion in Paradise. Another man from the Ansar came forward and fought until he was killed. This state of affair continued until the seven Ansar were killed (one after the other). Now the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said to his two companions: We have not done justice to our companions.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had his front teeth damaged on the day of the Battle of Uhud, and got a wound on his head. He was wiping the blood (from his face) and was saying: How will these people attain salvation who have wounded their Prophet and broken his tooth while he called them towards God? At this time, God, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed the Verse: "Thou hast no authority" (iii.127)
Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
We arrived at Hudaybiyyah with the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and we were fourteen hundred in number. There were fifty goats with us which could not be watered (by the small quantity of water in the local well). So, the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) sat on the brink of the well. Either he prayed or spat into the well. The water welled up. We drank and watered (the beasts as well).
Then the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) called us to take the vow of allegiance, as he was sitting at the base of a tree. I was the first man to take the oath. Then other people took the oath. When half the number of people had done so, he said to me: You take the oath, Salamah. I said: I was one of those who took the vow in the first instance. He said: (you may do) again. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) saw that I was without weapons. He gave me a big or a small shield.
Then he continued to administer vows to the people until it was the last batch of them. He said (to me): Won't you swear allegiance, Salamah? I said: Messenger of Allah, I took the oath with the first batch of the people and then again when you were in the middle of the people. He said: (Doesn't matter), you may (do so) again. So I took the oath of allegiance thrice.
Then he said to me: Salamah, where is the shield which I gave to thee? I said: Messenger of Allah, my uncle Amir met me and he was without any weapons. So I gave the shield to him. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) laughed and said: You are like a person of the days gone by who said: O God, I seek a friend who is dearer to me than myself. (When all Companions had sworn allegiance to the Holy Prophet), the polytheists sent messages of peace, until people could move from our camp to that of the Meccans and vice versa. Finally, the peace treaty was concluded.
I was a dependant of Talhah bin Ubaydullah. I watered his horse and rubbed its back. I served Talhah (doing odd jobs for him) and partook from his food. I had left my family and my property as an emigrant in the cause of Allah and His Messenger (peace_be_upon_him). When we and the people of Mecca had concluded a peace treaty and the people of one side began to mix with those of the other, I came to a tree, swept away its thorns and lay down (for rest) at its base.
(While I lay there), four of the polytheists from the Meccans came to me and began to talk ill of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). I got enraged with them and moved to another tree. They hung their weapons (to the branches of the trees) and lay down (for rest). (While they lay there), somebody from the lower part of the valley cried out: Run up, O Muhajirs! Ibn Zunaym has been murdered. I drew my sword and attacked these four while they were asleep. I seized their arms and collected them up in my hand, and said: By the Being Who has conferred honour upon Muhammad, none of you shall raise his head, else I will smite his face.
(Then) I came driving them along to the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). (At the same time), my uncle Amir came (to him) with a man from Abalat called Mikraz. Amir was dragging him on a horse with a thick covering on its back along with seventy polytheists. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) cast a glance at them and said: Let them go (so that) they may prove guilty of breach of trust more than once (before we take action against them).
So the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) forgave them. On this occasion, God revealed the Qur'anic verse: "It is He Who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca after He has granted you a victory over them" (xiviii.24).
Then we started moving back to Medina, and halted at a place where there was a mountain between us and Banu Libyan who were polytheists. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) asked God's forgiveness for one who ascended the mountain at night to act as a scout for the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and his Companions. I ascended (that mountain) twice or thrice that night.
Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
(At last) we reached Medina. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) sent his camels with his slave, Rabah, and I was with him. I (also) went to the pasture with the horse of Talhah along with the camels.
When the day dawned, AbdurRahman al-Fazari made a raid and drove away all the camels of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), and killed the man who looked after them. I said: Rabah, ride this horse, take it to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah and inform the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) that the polytheists have made away with his camels.
Then I stood upon a hillock and turning my face to Medina, shouted thrice: Come to our help!
Then I set out in pursuit of the raiders, shooting at them with arrows and chanting a (self-eulogising) verse in the Iambic meter:
I am the son of al-Akwa' And today is the day of defeat for the mean.
I would overtake a man from them, shoot at him an arrow which, piercing through the saddle, would reach his shoulder, and I would say: Take it, chanting at the same time the verse:
And I am the son of al-Akwa' And today is the day of defeat for the mean.
By God, I continued shooting at them and hamstringing their animals. Whenever a horseman turned upon me, I would come to a tree and (hid myself) sitting at its base. Then I would shoot at him and hamstring his horse. (At last) they entered a narrow mountain gorge. I ascended that mountain and held them at bay throwing stones at them.
I continued to chase them in this way until I got all the camels of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) released and no camel was left with them. They left me; then I followed them shooting at them (continually) until they dropped more than thirty mantles and thirty lances, lightening their burden. On everything they dropped, I put a mark with the help of (a piece of) stone so that the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and his Companions might recognise them (that it was booty left by the enemy).
(They went on) until they came to a narrow valley when so and so, son of Badr al-Fazari joined them. They (now), sat down to take their breakfast and I sat on the top of a tapering rock.
Al-Fazari said: Who is that fellow I am seeing? They said: This fellow has harassed us. By God, he has not left us since dusk and has been (continually) shooting at us until he has snatched everything from our hands.
He said: Four of you should make a dash at him (and kill him).
(Accordingly), four of them ascended the mountain coming towards me. When it became possible for me to talk to them, I said: Do you recognise me? They said: No. Who art thou? I said: I am Salamah, son of al-Akwa'. By the Being Who has honoured the countenance of Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him) I can kill any of you I like but none of you will be able to kill me. One of them said: I think (he is right).
So they returned. I did not move from my place until I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), who came riding through the trees. Lo! the foremost among them was Akhram al-Asadi. Behind him was AbuQatadah al-Ansari and behind him was al-Miqdad bin al-Aswad al-Kindi.
I caught hold of the rein of Akhram's horse. (Seeing this), they (the raiders) fled. I said (to Akhram): Akhram, guard yourself against them until Allah's Messenger and his Companions join you. He said: O Salamah, if you believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment and (if) you know that Paradise is a reality and Hell is a reality, you should not stand between me and martyrdom. So I let him go.
Akhram and AbdurRahman (Fazari) met in combat. Akhram hamstrung AbdurRahman's horse and the latter struck him with his lance and killed him. AbdurRahman turned about riding Akhram's horse. AbuQatadah, a horseman of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), met AbdurRahman (in combat), smote him with his lance and killed him.
By the Being Who honoured the countenance of Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him), I followed them running on my feet (so fast) that I couldn't see behind me the Companions of Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him), nor any dust raised by their horses. (I followed them) until before sunset they reached a valley which had a spring of water, which was called Dhu Qarad, so that they could have a drink, for they were thirsty. They saw me running towards them. I turned them out of the valley before they could drink a drop of its water. They left the valley and ran down a slope. I ran (behind them), overtook a man from them, shot him with an arrow through the shoulder blade and said: Take this.
I am the son of al-Akwa'; And today is the day of annihilation for the people who are mean.
The fellow (who was wounded) said: May his mother sweep over him! Are you the Akwa' who has been chasing us since morning? I said: Yes, O enemy of thyself, the same Akwa'. They left two horses dead tired on the hillock and I came dragging them along to the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
I met Amir who had with him a container having milk diluted with water and a container having water. I performed ablution with the water and drank the milk.
Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) while he was at (the spring of) water from which I had driven them away.
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had captured those camels and everything else I had captured and all the lances and mantles I had snatched from the polytheists; and Bilal had slaughtered a she-camel from the camels I had seized from the people, and was roasting its liver and hump for the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
I said: Messenger of Allah, let me select from our people one hundred men and I will follow the marauders and I will finish them all so that nobody is left to convey the news (of their destruction to their people).
(At these words of mine), the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) laughed so much that his molar teeth could be seen in the light of the fire, and he said: Salamah, do you think you can do this? I said: Yes, by the Being Who has honoured you. He said: Now they have reached the land of Ghatafan where they are being feted.
(At this time) a man from the Ghatafan came along and said: So and so slaughtered a camel for them. When they were taking off its skin, they saw dust (being raised far off). They said: (Akwa' and his companions) have come. So, they went away fleeing.
When it was morning, the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Our best horseman today is AbuQatadah and our best footman today is Salamah.
Then he gave me two shares of the booty - one share meant for the horseman and the other share meant for the footman - and combined both of them for me.
Intending to return to Medina, he made me mount behind him on his she-camel named al-Adba'.
While we were travelling, a man from the Ansar who could not be beaten in a race said: Is there anyone who could compete (with me) in a race to Medina? Is there any competitor? He continued repeating this.
When I heard his talk, I said: Don't you show consideration to a dignified person and don't you have awe for a noble man? He said: No, unless he be the Messenger (peace_be_upon_him). I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be thy ransom, let me get down so that I may beat this man (in the race). He said: If you wish, (you may). I said (to the man): I am coming to thee.
I then turned my feet, sprang up and ran and gasped (for a while) when one or two elevated places were left and again followed his heel and again gasped (for a while) when one or two elevated places were left and again dashed until I joined him and gave a blow between his shoulders.
I said: You have been overtaken, by God. He said: I think so.
Thus, I reached Medina ahead of him.
Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':
By God, we had stayed there (in Medina) only three nights when we set out to Khaybar with the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). (On the way) my uncle, Amir, began to recite the following rajaz verses for the people:
By God, if Thou hadst not guided us aright, We would have neither practised charity nor offered prayers. (O God!) We cannot do without Thy favours; Keep us steadfast when we encounter the enemy, And descend tranquillity upon us.
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Who is this? Amir said: It is Amir. He said: May thy God forgive thee!
The narrator said: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) asked forgiveness for a particular person, he was sure to embrace martyrdom.
Umar bin al-Khattab who was riding on his camel called out: Prophet of Allah, I wish you had allowed us to benefit from Amir.
Salamah continued: When we reached Khaybar, its king named Marhab advanced brandishing his sword and chanting:
Khaybar knows that I am Marhab (who behaves like) A fully armed, and well-tried warrior, When the war comes spreading its flames.
My uncle, Amir, came out to combat with him, saying:
Khaybar certainly knows that I am Amir, A fully armed veteran who plunges into battles.
They exchanged blows. Marhab's sword struck the shield of Amir who bent forward to attack his opponent from below, but his sword recoiled upon him and cut the main artery in his forearm which caused his death.
Salamah said: I came out and heard some people among the Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) as saying): Amir's deed has gone waste; he has killed himself.
So I came to the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) weeping and I said: Messenger of Allah, has Amir's deed gone waste? The Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Who passed this remark? I said: Some of your Companions. He said: He who has passed that remark has told a lie, for Amir there is a double reward.
Then he sent me to Ali who had sore eyes, and said: I will give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger or whom Allah and His Messenger love. So I went to Ali, brought him beading him along as he had sore eyes, and I took him to the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), who applied his saliva to his eyes and he got well.
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) gave him the banner (and Ali went to meet Marhab in a single combat). The latter advanced chanting:
Khaybar knows certainly that I am Marhab, A fully armed and well-tried valorous warrior (hero) When war comes spreading its flames.
Ali chanted in reply:
I am the one whose mother named him Haydar, (And am) like a lion of the forest with a terror-striking countenance. I give my opponents the measure of sandara in exchange for sa' (i.e. return their attack with one that is much more fierce).
The narrator said: Ali struck at the head of Marhab and killed him, so the victory (capture of Khaybar) was due to him.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
Eighty persons from the inhabitants of Mecca swooped down upon the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) from the mountain of Tan'im. They were armed and wanted to attack the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and his Companions unawares. He (the Prophet) captured them but spared their lives.
So, God, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed the verses: "It is He Who restrained your hands from them and their hands from you in the valley of Mecca after He had given you a victory over them."
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
On the Day of Hunayn, Umm Sulayman took out a dagger she had in her possession. AbuTalhah saw her and said: Messenger of Allah, this is Umm Sulayman. She is holding a dagger. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) asked (her): Why are you holding this dagger? She said: I took it up so that I might tear open the belly of a polytheist who comes near me. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) began to smile (at these words).
She said: Messenger of Allah, kill all those people--other than us--whom thou hast declared to be free (on the day of the Conquest of Mecca). (They embraced Islam because) they were defeated at your hands (and as such their Islam is not dependable). The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Umm Sulayman, God is sufficient (against the mischief of the polytheists) and He will be kind to us (so you need not carry this dagger).
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) allowed Umm Sulayman and some other women of the Ansar to accompany him when he went to war; they would give water (to the soldiers) and would treat the wounded.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
On the Day of Uhud some of the people, being defeated, left the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him), but AbuTalhah stood before him covering him with a shield. AbuTalhah was a powerful archer who broke two or three bows that day. When a man passed by carrying a quiver containing arrows, he would say: Spare them for AbuTalhah. Whenever the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) raised his head to look at the people, AbuTalhah would say: Prophet of Allah, may my father and my mother be your ransom, do not raise your head lest you be struck by an arrow shot by the enemy. My neck is before your neck.
The narrator said: I saw Aisha bint AbuBakr and Umm Sulayman. Both of them had tucked up their garments, so I could see the anklets on their feet. They were carrying water-skins on their backs and would pour water into the mouths of the people. They would then go back (to the well), fill them again and return to pour water into the mouths of the soldiers. (On this day), AbuTalhah's sword dropped down from his hands twice or thrice because of drowsiness.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
It has been narrated on the authority of Yazid ibn Hurmuz that Najdah wrote to Ibn Abbas inquiring of him five things. Ibn Abbas said: If I had not the fear of committing (sin) in concealing knowledge, I should not have written to him.
Najdah wrote to him saying (after praising the Almighty and invoking blessings on the Holy Prophet): Tell me whether the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) took women to participate with him in Jihad; (if he did), whether he allotted them a regular share from the booty; whether he killed the children (of the enemy in the war); how long an orphan would be entitled to consideration as such; and for whom the Khums (fifth part of the booty) was meant.
Ibn Abbas wrote to him: You have written asking me whether the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) took women with him to participate in Jihad. He did take them to the battle and sometimes he fought alongside them. They would treat the wounded and were given a reward from the booty, but he did not assign any regular share for them.
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) did not kill the children of the enemy, so you should not kill the children. Also you have written to me asking me when the orphanhood of an orphan comes to an end. By my life, if a young man has become bearded but is still incapable of obtaining his due from others as well as meeting his obligations towards them, (he is yet an orphan to be treated as such), but when he can look after his interests like grown-up people, he is no longer an orphan.
You have written to me, inquiring about Khums, namely, for whom it is meant. (In this connection) we (the kinsmen of the Messenger of Allah) used to say: It is for us, but those people (i.e. Banu Umayyah) have denied it to us.
Narrated Umm Atiyyah:
I took part with the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) in seven battles. I would stay behind in the camp of men, cook their food, treat the wounded and nurse the sick.
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
I fought in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) nineteen battles. Jabir said: I did not participate in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud. My father prevented me (from participating in these battles as my age was tender).
After Abdullah (my father) was killed on the Day of Uhud, I never lagged behind the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and joined every battle (he fought).
Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:
The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) conducted nineteen military campaigns and he (actually) fought in eight of them.
Narrated Aisha:
It has been narrated on the authority of Aisha, wife of the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) set out for Badr. When he reached Harrat al-Wabarah (a place four miles from Medina), a man met him who was known for his valour and courage. The companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) were pleased to see him.
He said: I have come so that I may follow you and receive a share of the booty. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said to him: Do you believe in Allah and His Apostle? He said: No. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Go back, I shall not seek help from a Mushrik (polytheist). He went on until we reached Shajarah, where the man met him again. He asked him the same question again and the man gave him the same answer. He said: Go back, I shall not seek help from a Mushrik. The man returned and overtook him at Bayda. He asked him as he had asked previously: Do you believe in Allah and His Apostle? The man said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said to him: Then come with us.