Battle of Buzakha - First Victory Against the False Prophethood

-

The Battle of Buzakha was the first major battle during the Ridda Wars. It was fought between the forces of the Rashidun Caliphate, headed by Khalid ibn al Walid, and followers of the false prophet Tulayha. The self-proclaimed prophet received support from his tribe, Banu Asad, and other rebel tribes. The battle ended with a convincing victory for Muslims and laid the foundation for successful anti-rebel invasions by the Caliphate.

Background

Most Arabian tribes rebelled against the Caliphate after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Few tribes refused to pay obligatory zakat, while others followed self-proclaimed prophets. Tulayha was one of these false prophets whose claim was well-received by his tribe, Banu Asad.

In the initial stages of the rebellion, tribes of Banu Ghatafan, Hawazin, and Tayy surrounded the capital city, Madinah, from two sides (east and northeast) to launch an attack. They were aided by Tulayha. But their initiative failed thanks to surprise attacks by Abu Bakr, forcing them to retreat from their positions.

These tribes later gathered at Buzakha, a stronghold of Tulayha and his Banu Asad tribe. Abu Bakr sent Khalid bin Walid with 4,000 men to face the combined forces of apostate tribes. 

Map highlighting Ha'il and its surrounding areas
Buzakha is located southweat of Ha'il, capital of al-Rashid Dynasty

Events before the Battle

The tribe of Tayy joined the rebellion, but their chief, Adi bin Hatim, was a devoted Muslim. He urged his people to revert to Islam. He was able to convince Banu Tayy, who deserted Tulayha and secretly joined the forces of Khalid before the start of the battle. It favored the Rashidun Army, which swelled to 6,000 men against the 15,000-strong army of Tulayha.   

Battle

The battle of Buzakha was fought in September 632 (Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 11 Hijri) on the plain of Buzakha. Khalid bin Walid was leading the Muslim army, while the military leader of the apostates was Uaina, chief of the powerful Banu Fazara. Tulayha had his camp close to the battlefield, where he pretended to receive revelation from God.

The battle started when apostates remained silent after hearing the call for prayer (adhan). It was a clear message that they had left Islam. Khalid soon ordered his men to charge. The two armies met with great valor. Muslims initially faced stiff resistance from apostates. However, the continuous and strong attacks soon turned the situation in favor of Muslims.

At this moment, Uaina went to Tulayha and asked about the revelation of God regarding this situation. But Tulayha replied with meaningless rhymes. Uaina became convinced that Tulayha couldn’t assist them in the battle. He ordered his men to retreat. Tulayha also retreated and left his men in disarray. The departure of the false prophet and the military commander forced the apostates to abandon their positions. It effectively ended the battle with a clear victory for Muslims.

Aftermath

Muslims followed the retreated rebels. These rebels gathered again at Ghamra, 60 miles from Buzakha. Muslims under Khalid bin Walid fought the Battle of Ghamra against Uiana and remnants of the Battle of Buzakha. It also ended with a comprehensive Muslim victory, and Uiana was captured alive. He and his tribesmen accepted Islam and asked for forgiveness. Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) pardoned them.  The battle of Gharma completed the initial campaign of Khalid bin Walid to subjugate Tulayha and his followers.  

Tulayha retreated towards northern Arabia and took refuge under Banu Kalb. But he and his tribe, Banu Asad, re-entered Islam after a while. All these converted prostates were prohibited from taking part in any campaigns during the era of Abu Bakr. Later, Umar (RA) allowed them to rejoin Muslim forces during campaigns in Syria and Persia.

Reasons for Muslim Victory in the Battle of Buzakha

  • Muslims were fighting for a (religious) cause and had already defeated most of these tribes during their defense of Madinah. Their morale was high, and they were well-disciplined.
  • Comparatively, the apostates had no clear goal. Tulayha and his tribe, Banu Asad, were eager to gain prominence through the self-proclamation of prophethood. On the other hand, Banu Ghatfan and other supporting tribes were behind the false prophet to save themselves from zakat and other compulsions under Islam. There wasn’t much coordination between these tribes.
  • Tayy had left Islam after the death of Muhammad (PBUH), but their enmity against Islam wasn’t harsh. Therefore, it was easier for their chief, Adi bin Hatim, to convince them to rejoin Muslims. Their inclusion in the Muslim army strengthened them and slightly demoralized the apostates.

Importance of Battle of Buzakha

  • The battle of Bazukha was the first major battle of the Ridda Wars. Muslim victory in this battle (along with the Battle of Ghamra) demoralized several other rebellious Arabian tribes. They were now ready to re-enter Islam and submit to the Caliphate.
  • This easy victory allowed Muslims to march towards other rebel tribes quickly. It was important to stop these tribes from joining together.
  • This victory also manifested that the rebel tribes were no match for the religiously motivated and disciplined Muslim force. It was difficult for them to defeat Muslims despite outnumbering them heavily.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reasons for the Fall of the Umayyad Dynasty

-
Umayyad Caliphate was the second Muslim Caliphate that emerged after Rashidun Caliphate. However, it is commonly known as Umayyad Dynasty due to its centralization on the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe of Makkah.  At its peak, the Umayyad Dynasty ruled the  Middle East, North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Persia, and Central Asia . It makes it the largest Muslim dynasty and one of the largest empires in human history. Umayyad Caliphate also kept the unity of the Islamic Caliphate as more than one Muslim dynasty appeared soon after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty. But despite these prominent political and military achievements, Umayyad Dynasty could only last for around 90 years. The Abbasids took the throne from them in 750 AD (Later, Umayyad ruled the Iberian Peninsula from 756 to 1031 AD). Fall of Umayyad Dynasty - Main Reasons Surprisingly, such a vast and politically powerful umpire could only last 90 years. There are several reasons behind the fall of t...
Read more

Reasons for the Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate

-
Abbasid Caliphate was the third Muslim Caliphate after the Rashidun and Umayyad caliphates. It was also the second Muslim dynasty after Umayyad Dynasty, as the rulers during this dynasty belonged only to the Abbasid family.  The Abbasids took the throne in 750 AD after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty . They ruled almost the entire Muslim world (directly or indirectly) for more than 500 years till 1258 AD. In 1258, Mongols occupied Baghdad and assassinated the last Abbasid caliph Mustasim, thus effectively bringing  the downfall of  the Abbasid Caliphate. Though Abbasids remained caliphs for over 500 years, the gradual decline of their empire started almost from the beginning. The following are the top reasons behind the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate. Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate - Main  Reasons Differences with Shia Abbasids and Shia were together during the Hashemite movement, which overthrew the  Umayyad Caliphate . But differences between t...
Read more

Muslim Migration to Abyssinia - Difficulties and Significance

-
Migration to Abyssinia is a significant event in Islamic History. Through this migration (Hijrah), several Muslims saved themselves from the persecution of the  Quraysh tribe of Makkah. The helpful experience of this migration paved the way for a far more fruitful Muslim Migration to Madinah, which later proved to be the basis of the formation of the Islamic Caliphate. Situation Before Hijrah Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started preaching Islam secretly in 610 AD. After three years, he publically started teaching Islam and declared his prophethood. Quraysh became furious at his teachings as it was against the way of their forefathers. They started mistreating those few people who accepted Islam, and life became difficult for Muslims in Makkah.  First Hijrah to Abyssinia At that time, Muslims heard about a kind-hearted king of Abyssinia (now in Ethiopia and Eritrea), Najashi . On seeing the difficulties of people and the cruelty of Quraysh, Muhammad (PBUH) allowed ...
Read more