The Compensatory 'Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage):

When Dhul Qa'da month approached towards the close of the seventh year A.H., the Prophet peace be upon him ordered his people, and the men who witnessed Al-Hudaibiyah Truce Treaty in particular, to make preparations to perform Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). He proceeded with 2000 men besides some women and children, and 60 camels for sacrifice, to visit the Holy Sanctuary in Makkah. The Muslims took their weapons with them fearing the treachery of the Quraishites, but left them with a party of two hundred men at a place some eight miles from Makkah. They entered the city with the swords in their scabbards, with the Prophet peace be upon him at their head on his she-camel, Al-Qaswa, while the surrounding Companions attentively focusing their look on him, all saying: “Here I am! at Your service O Allah!“ The Quraishites had left the place and retired to their tents on the adjoining hills. The Muslims performed the usual circumambulation vigorously and briskly; and on recommendation by the Prophet peace be upon him they did their best to appear strong and steadfast in their circumambulation as the polytheists had spread rumours that they were weak because the fever of Yathrib (Madinah) had sapped their strength. They were ordered to run in the first three rounds and then walk in the remaining ones. The Makkans meanwhile aligned on the top of Qu'aiqa'an Mount watching the Muslims, tongue-tied at witnessing their strength and devotion. When they entered the Holy Sanctuary, Abdullah bin Rawaha walked before the Prophet peace be upon him reciting:

“Get out of his way, you disbelievers, make way, we will fight you about its revelation with strokes that will remove heads from shoulders and make friend unmindful of friend.“ After ritual walking and running between the two hills of Makkah, Safa and Marwah, the Prophetpeace be upon him with the Muslims halted at the latter spot to slaughter the sacrificial animals and shave their heads.

The main body of the pilgrims had now performed the basic rites of the lesser pilgrimage, but there remained those who were entrusted the charge of the weapons. The Prophet had these relieved, and they went through the same devotions as the others did.

On the morning of the fourth day of the pilgrimage, the notables of Quraish asked Ali bin Abi Talib to tell the Prophet peace be upon him to leave Makkah along with his Companions. He, of course, could not conceive of violating the terms of Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty, therefore he ordered his men to depart for a village called Sarif where he stayed for some time.

It was during this visit of the Prophet peace be upon him to Makkah for pilgrimage that his uncle Abbas offered the hand of his sister-in-law, Maimuna - the daughter of Harith, to him. The Prophet peace be upon him was kind enough to accept this offer since it was an effective step towards cementing the ties of relationship between the Prophet peace be upon him and the influential men of Makkah. The wedding took place in Sarif.

Narrators attached different designations to this lesser pilgrimage. Some called it the compensatory lesser pilgrimage, performed instead of that uncompleted of Hudaibiyah; and the other one, given preponderance by jurists, is the lesser pilgrimage consequent on certain terms of a treaty already agreed upon. On the whole, compensatory, judicial consent, retribution and reconciliation are all terms applicable to that visit.

Some military operations, directed against some still obdurate desert Arabians, took place at the conclusion of the lesser pilgrimage, of which we could mention:

1. A platoon of 50 men led by Ibn Abi Al-Awja was despatched by the Prophet peace be upon him to the habitations of Bani Saleem inviting them to embrace Islam, but all the words fell on deaf ears. Fierce fighting erupted between both parties during which the Muslim leader was wounded, and two of the enemy were captured.

2. Ghalib bin Abdullah at the head of 200 men was despatched to Fadak where they killed some rebels and a lot of booty fell to their lot.

3. Banu Quda'a had gathered a large number of men to raid the Muslim positions. On hearing the news, the Prophet peace be upon him despatched Ka'b bin Umair Al-Ansari at the head of 15 men to deal with this situation. They encountered the army, and called them to enter into the fold of Islam but the rebels gave a negative response and showered the Muslims with arrows killing all of them except one who was carried back home later seriously wounded.

There was also an insignificant skirmish that occurred in Rabi Al-Awwal 8 A.H. Shuja bin Wahab Al-Asadi, along with 25 men, marched towards Bani Hawazin tribe where they encountered no resistance but managed to gain some booty.

The Battle of Mu'tah:

It was the most significant and the fiercest battle during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him, a preliminary and a prelude to the great conquests of the land of the Christians. It took place in Jumada Al-Ula 8 A.H. / September 629 A.D. Mu'ah is a village that lies on the borders of geographical Syria.

The Prophet peace be upon him had sent Al-Harith bin Umair Al-Azdi on an errand to carry a letter to the ruler of Busra. On his way, he was intercepted by Sharhabeel bin Amr Al-Ghassani, the governor of Al-Balqa and a close ally to Caesar, the Byzantine Emperor. Al-Harith was tied and beheaded by Al-Ghassani.

Killing envoys and messengers used to be regarded as the most awful crime, and amounted to the degree of war declaration. The Prophet peace be upon him was shocked on hearing the news and ordered that a large army of 3000 men be mobilized and despatched to the north to discipline the transgressors. It was the largest Muslim army never mobilized on this scale except in the process of the Confederates Battle.

Zaid bin Haritha was appointed to lead the army. Ja'far bin Abi Talib would replace him if he was killed, and Abdullah bin Rawaha would succeed Ja'far in case the latter fell. A white banner was raised and handed over to Zaid.

The Prophet peace be upon him recommended that they reach the scene of Al-Harith's murder and invite the people to profess Islam. Should the latter respond positively, then no war would ensue, otherwise fighting them would be the only alternative left. He ordered them:

“Fight the disbelievers in the Name of Allah, neither breach a covenant nor entertain treachery, and under no circumstances a new-born, woman, an ageing man or a hermit should be killed; moreover neither trees should be cut down nor homes demolished.“ At the conclusion of the military preparations, the people of Madinah gathered and bade the army farewell. Abdullah bin Rawaha began to weep at that moment, and when asked why he was weeping, he swore that it was not love for this world nor under a motive of infatuation with the glamour of life but rather the Words of Allah speaking of Fire that he heard the Prophet peace be upon him reciting:

“There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished.“ [19:71]

The Muslim army then marched northward to Ma'ân, a town bordering on geographical Syria. There news came to the effect that Heraclius had mobilized a hundred thousand troops together with another hundred thousand men of Lakham, Judham and Balqain - Arabian tribes allied to the Byzantines. The Muslims, on their part had never thought of encountering such a huge army. They were at a loss about what course to follow, and spent two nights debating these unfavourable conditions. Some suggested that they should write a letter to the Prophet peace be upon him seeking his advice. Abdullah bin Rawaha was opposed to them being reluctant and addressed the Muslims saying: “I swear by Allah that this very object which you hold in abhorrence is the very one you have set out seeking, martyrdom. In our fight we don't count on number of soldiers or equipment but rather on the Faith that Allah has honoured us with. Dart to win either of the two, victory or martyrdom.“ In the light of these words, they moved to engage with the enemy in Masharif, a town of Al-Balqa, and then changed direction towards Mu'tah where they encamped. The right flank was led by Qutba bin Qatadah Al-Udhari, and the left by Ubadah bin Malik Al-Ansari. Bitter fighting started between the two parties, three thousand Muslims against an enemy fiftyfold as large.

Zaid bin Haritha, the closest to the Messenger's heart, assumed leadership and began to fight tenaciously and in matchless spirit of bravery until he fell, fatally stabbed. Ja'far bin Abi Talib then took the banner and did a miraculous job. In the thick of the battle, he dismounted, hamstrung his horse and resumed fighting until his right hand was cut off. He seized the banner with his left hand until this too was gone. He then clasped the banner with both arms until a Byzantine soldier struck and cut him into two parts. he was posthumously called “the flying Ja'far“ or “Ja'far with two wings“ because Allah has awarded him two wings to fly wherever he desired there in the eternal Garden. Al-Bukhari reported fifty stabs in his body, none of them in the back.

Abdullah bin Rawaha then proceeded to hold up the banner and fight bravely on his horseback while reciting enthusiastic verses until he too was killed. Thereupon a man, from Bani Ajlan, called Thabit bin Al-Arqam took the banner and called upon the Muslims to choose a leader. The honour was unanimously granted to Khalid bin Al-Waleed, a skilled brave fighter and an outstanding strategist. It was reported by Al-Bukhari that he used nine swords that broke while he was relentlessly and courageously fighting the enemies of Islam. He, however, realizing the grave situation the Muslims were in, began to follow a different course of encounter, revealing the super strategy-maker, that Khalid was rightly called. He reshuffled the right and left flanks of the Muslim army and introduced forward a division from the rear in order to cast fear into the hearts of the Byzantine by deluding them that fresh reinforcements had arrived. The Muslims engaged with the enemies in sporadic skirmishes but gradually and judiciously retreating in a fully organized and well-planned withdrawal.

The Byzantines, seeing this new strategy, believed that they were being entrapped and drawn in the heart of the desert. They stopped the pursuit, and consequently the Muslims managed to retreat back to Madinah with the slightest losses. The Muslims sustained twelve martyrs, whereas the number of casualties among the Byzantines was unknown although the details of the battle point clearly to a large number. Even though the battle did not satisfy the Muslims objective, namely avenging Al-Harith's murder, it resulted in a far-ranging impact and attached to the Muslims a great reputation in the battlefields.

The Byzantine Empire, at that time, was a power to be reckoned with, and mere thinking of antagonizing it used to mean self-annihilation, let alone a three-thousand-soldier army going into fight against 200,000 soldiers far better equipped and lavishly furnished with all luxurious conveniences. The battle was a real miracle proving that the Muslims were something exceptional not then familiar. Moreover, it gave evidence that Allah backed them and their Prophet, Muhammad, was really Allah's Messenger. In the light of these new strategic changes, the archenemies among the desert bedouins began to reconcile themselves with the new uprising faith and several recalcitrant tribes like Banu Saleem, Ashja, Ghatfan, Dhubyan, Fazarah and others came to profess Islam out of their own sweet free will.

Mu'tah Battle, after all, constituted the forerunner of the blood encounter to take place with the Byzantines subsequently. It pointed markedly to a new epoch of the Islamic conquest of the Byzantine empire and other remote countries, to follow at a later stage.