Ghazwa e mutah

The Battle of mutah was fought in 629 (5 Jumada al-awwal 8 AH in the Islamic calendar near

the village of Mu'tah, east of the Jordan River and Karak in Karak Governorate, between the

forces of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad and the forces of the Eastern

Roman (Byzantine) Empire.

In Muslim histories, the battle is usually described as the Muslims' attempt to take retribution

against a Ghassanid chief for taking the life of an emissary; it ended in a draw and the safe

retreat of both sides.[10] However according to Byzantine sources, the Muslims sent a force to

attack the Arab pagan settlement of Mucheon during a pagan feast day. The local

Byzantine Vicarius learns of their plans and collects the garrisons of the fortresses. The Muslims

are routed after three of their leaders are killed.

Background:

The Treaty of Hudaybiyah initiated a truce between the Muslim forces in Medina and

the Qurayshiteforces in control of Mecca. Badhan, the Sassanid governor of Yemen, had

converted to Islam and many of the southern Arabian tribes also joined the rising power in

Medina.[11] Muhammad was therefore free to focus on the Arab tribes in the Bilad al-Sham to the

North.

Muslim historians say that the immediate impetus for a military march north was the

mistreatment of emissaries. Muhammad is said to have sent emissaries to the nomadic Banu

Sulaym and Dhat al Talh tribes of the north (tribes under the protection of the Byzantines). The

emissaries were killed.[11] The expedition sent for revenge was the largest Muslim army raised

yet against a non-Meccan confederate force and would be the first to confront the Byzantines.[11] According to F. Buhl, another possible reason "seems to have been that he wished to bring the

Arabs living there under his control."

Reason:

The Muslims engaged the Byzantines at their camp by the village of Musharif and then withdrew

towards Mu'tah. It was here that the two armies fought. Some Muslim sources report that the

battle was fought in a valley between two heights, which negated the Byzantines their numerical

superiority. During the battle, all three Muslim leaders fell one after the other as they took

command of the force: first, Zayd ibn Haritha, then Jafar ibn Abi Talib, thenAbdullah ibn

Rawahah. Al-Bukhari reported that there were fifty stab wounds in Jafar's body, none of them in

the back. After the death of the latter, some of the Muslim soldiers began to rout. Thabit ibn Al-

Arqam, seeing the desperate state of the Muslim forces, took up the banner and rallied his

comrades, and managed to save the army from complete destruction. After the battle the troops

asked Thabit ibn Al-Arqam to assume command;

Lesson:

It is reported that when the Muslim force arrived at Medina, they were berated for apparently

withdrawing and accused of fleeing. Salamah ibn Hisham is reported to have prayed at home

rather than going to the mosque to avoid having to explain himself. Muhammad ordered them to

stop, saying that they would return to fight the Byzantines again and bestowed upon Khalid the

title of 'Saifullah' meaning 'The Sword of Allah'.

Today, Muslims who fell at the battle are considered martyrs (shahid). Some have claimed that

this battle, far from being a defeat, was a strategic success; the Muslims had challenged the

Byzantines and had made their presence felt amongst the Arab Bedouin tribes in the region.

A mausoleum was later built at Mu'tah over their grave.

Hannankhan888@yahoo.com