Battle of Hunain - The First Battle After the Conquest of Makkah

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 The Battle of Hunayn (known as Ghazwa Hunayn in Arabic) was fought in 8 AH (630 AD), soon after the conquest of Makkah. Despite initial losses and panic, the battle ended with a decisive victory for Muslims. The battle was significant because it was one of the last battles commanded by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The battle is also mentioned by its name in the Holy Quran.

Background

Muslims conquered Makkah in 630 after remaining in Madinah for 8 years. This resulted in the end of hostilities between Muslims and all the clans of the Quraysh tribe, most of whom had now embraced Islam. This alarmed other tribes in Arabia, who considered the unity of Quraysh under the leadership of Muhammad (PBUH) against their interests.

The tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif were already antagonists to Quraysh. They were located in Taif and nearby areas, just a few kilometers away from Makkah.

Hawazin and their allied tribes planned to invade Makkah even before the arrival of Muslims from Madinah. Their initial plan was to attack Muslims during their siege of Makkah. But Muslims could conquer Makkah rapidly without much bloodshed, which sabotaged their plan.

March towards Hunayn

Soon after the conquest of Makkah, Banu Hawazin started uniting and mobilizing other nearby tribes against Muslims to prevent them from taking control of their areas. After hearing about their preparations against Muslims, Muhammad (PBUH) decided to move toward these tribes instead of waiting for them to invade Makkah.

For this purpose, 12,000 Muslims marched towards Hunayn Valley, 12 km from Makkah and on the route to Taif. Around 10,000 of these Muslims were those who invaded Makkah, while 2,000 belonged to the newly converted Muslims of Quraysh.

The Battle

On the other hand, Banu Hawazin and their allies got information about the departure of Muslims for Hunayn through their spies. They positioned 4,000 archers and other soldiers on the elevated ground around Hunayn and instructed them to hurl arrows and stones at Muslims at night. This surprise attack started after midnight and near dawn when Muslims were encamping. This created panic among the ranks of Muslims, and many of them fled.

But Muhammad (PBUH) stood his ground along with several other Muhajirin. Later, Muhammad (PBUH) asked his uncle Abbas to call Muslims. He summoned them forcefully, and they started returning to the battlefield. Soon, the tides were turned. Muslims attacked ferociously, after which Hawazin lost around 70 of their men and retreated in fear. Muslims captured prisoners and a large amount of spoils, including camels and silver.

Several members of Hawazin and its allies fled in two groups. One moved towards nearby Autas, where the battle of Autas took place. They were sounded and defeated by Muslims. The other group ran towards their stronghold, Taif. It resulted in the Siege of Taif.

Importance of the Battle of Hunayn

  • The Battle of Hunayn was fought just a few weeks after the conquest of Makkah. This battle not only strengthened the grip of Muslims on Makkah but also pacified the nearby areas. It also delivered a message to other tribes of Arabia that Muslims are the most powerful group in this area.
  • This battle weakened Banu Hawazin and Thaqif. Few of them embraced Islam. Though they survived the Siege of Taif the same year, they were soon overpowered by Muslims and were unable to start hostilities in the future. 
  • Banu Hawazin and their allied tribes were arch-enemies of Quraysh. Muhammad (PBUH) took charge against them, which cemented the relations between Muslims and newly converted members of Quraysh.

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