Siege of Ta'if

The Siege of Ta'if took place in 630, as the Muslims besieged the city of Ta'if after their victory in the Battle of Hunayn and Autas. However, the city did not succumb to the siege. One of their chieftains, Urwah ibn Mas'ud, was absent in Yemen during that siege.[1] Muhammad brought catapults and testudos to use against the fortress, but was unable to penetrate it, with the weapon.[2]

Battle

Sunni sources state regarding the Siege of Ta'if:

Abu Sufyan ibn Harb lost his first eye in the Siege of Ta'if. He told Muhammad of his loss for God to which Muhammad said “Which would you prefer: An eye in heaven or shall I pray to Allah that he brings it back?” To this Abu Sufyan said he would rather have his eye in heaven. He lost his other eye in the Battle of Yarmouk.[3]

Blockade of Ta'if

A few unsuccessful tries were made by Muhammad to break through the gates of Ta'if. Muhammad may have even used the Roman Testudo formation in this siege, but it was reported that the Ta'if inhabitants break this siege by dropping hot irons upon the Muslim armies from the city walls. Muhammad allegedly told them that he would burn and cut down the vineyard, as he saw no other way to make the people of Ta'if surrender. He offered amnesty to those who surrendered themselves to Islam. Only twenty people surrendered and became followers of Muhammad.[4]

The siege went on for half a month and some soldiers were becoming impatient. [5]

Muhammad desired to get the chief of the Banu Hawazan (called Malik) on his side, and promised that his family will be released and all his property given back, if he embraced Islam. He accepted the offer and became a Muslim and aided Muhammad in his blockade of Ta'if. Malik took their cattle's wherever they grazed. [6]

Aftermath

Although the siege was unsuccessful, Muhammad vowed to return to Ta'if after the sacred months in which fighting was forbidden were over. During this period, the inhabitants of Ta'if, the Banu Thaqif, sent a delegation to Mecca; they demanded that Muhammad let them continue to worship their goddess Al-lāt for a period of three years, Muhammad refused the proposal, he would only accept their surrender if they agreed to adopt Islam and let the Muslims destroy their temple, eventually the Banu Thaqif consented to Muhammad's requests, so they then surrendered and allowed the Muslims into their city to destroy the temple.[1]

Participants

References

  1. 1 2 The Year of Deputations and Abu Bakr's Leadership of the Pilgrimage
  2. ↑ The life of Mahomet and history of Islam, Volume 4, By Sir William Muir, Pg 145
  3. ↑ Sahaba.net :: Stories of the Companions - An Eye Now or an Eye in Heaven?
  4. ↑ Muir, William (August 1878), The Life of Mahomet, Kessinger Publishing Co (10 August 2003), p. 433, ISBN 978-0-7661-7741-3
  5. ↑ Muir, William (August 1878), The Life of Mahomet, Kessinger Publishing Co (10 August 2003), p. 434, ISBN 978-0-7661-7741-3
  6. ↑ The life of Mahomet and history of Islam to the era of the Hegira: Volume 4, By Sir William Muir, Pg 155
  7. ↑ Sahaba.net :: Stories of the Companions - An Eye Now or an Eye in Heaven?
  8. ↑ Campaigns of Hunayn and al Ta'if

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