Battle of Hamra Al-Asad (3 A.H.)

Expedition Date:625 A.D./3 A.H.Month:March/ShawwalBelligerents:Muslims of Madinah/Quraysh of MakkahMuslim Force:Soldiers participated in Battle of UhudChief of Muslim Army:Prophet Muhammad ﷺChief of Quraysh Army:Abu Sufyan (later accepted Islam)Expedition Ground:Hamra Al-AsadStrategy:Muslims sets 500 camps fires alight every nightResult:Muslims Victory. The Quraysh retreated to Makkah.

LanguagesالعربیةاردوPortugueseGerman

(Mufti. Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani & Dr. Imran Khan)

Ghazwa-e-Hamra Al-Asad or Battle of Hamra Al-Asad took place in 3 A.H., ¹ just after the battle of Uhud. ² When the army of the Quraysh reached Al-Roha, Abu Sufyan and the other leaders were rethinking their strategy and were planning to return to Madinah and finish the Holy Prophet along with all other Muslims. ³ Since the Holy Prophet was aware about the probability of another attack, ⁴ he ordered the participants of the battle of Uhud to prepare for battle and pursue the army of Quraysh. ⁵ This strategy worked and the army of Quraysh refrained from attacking Madinah. ⁶

Background of Ghazwa-e-Hamra Al-Asad

In the battle of Uhud, the Muslims had faced heavy losses. Even some of their great warriors including Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib, ⁷ Mus’ab ibn Umair, ⁸ Abdullah ibn Jahash, ⁹ Amr ibn Al-Jamuh ¹⁰ etc. were martyred while numerous were severely injured. In such conditions, there was a strong chance that the Quraysh could rethink their approach and return to attack the Muslims in Madinah, rather than retreating to Makkah. The Holy Prophet was very concerned about the probability of another attack. ¹¹ Thus, he questioned a traveler who had just entered the city, regarding the whereabouts and the intentions of the Quraysh. The man informed the Holy Prophet that the Quraysh were planning to attack Madinah. He said that he had seen the leaders of the Quraysh arguing on the fact that they had made a mistake by letting the Muslim leaders live, and they should finish them while the Muslims were still weak and vulnerable. ¹²

After receiving this information, the Holy Prophet asked Bilal to gather the companions who had participated in the battle of Uhud and tell them to prepare for battle and go after the Quraysh. ¹³¹⁴ Abdullah ibn Ubayi, the leader of the hypocrites also wanted to take part in this battle, but due to his treachery at battle of Uhud, ¹⁵ the Holy Prophet did not allow him. ¹⁶ Overall, a battalion of 70 soldiers was assembled and were given orders for the expedition. ¹⁷

Jabir ibn Abdullah Included in the Battalion

Jabir ibn Abdullah was not able to take part in the battle of Uhud as he had 7 sisters to look after. Jabir’s father had requested him to stay behind and look after his sisters while his father went to fight the polytheists in the battle of Uhud. So, Jabir ibn Abdullah requested Prophet Muhammad to allow him to participate in the new expedition. The Holy Prophet accepted his valid excuse and permitted him to take part in this battle. ¹⁸

Departure for the Expedition

Even though the companions only got a single night to rest and heal their wounds and injuries, none hesitated to answer the call of the Holy Prophet and started assembling immediately. ¹⁹ Such obedience and responsiveness of the companions were praised by Allah Almighty in the Holy Quran, and they were promised great rewards as well. ²⁰

When the small army had assembled, the Holy Prophet offered two Rakats and came out of the mosque in his armor. ²¹ Then, he ordered them to pursue the army of the Quraysh, and sent two of his companions ahead of the Muslim army to locate the army of the Quraysh. These scouts followed the trail of the enemy, and as they reached Hamra Al-Asad, ²² which was about eight miles from Madinah, ²³ they located the army of the Quraysh encamped there. The guards of the Quraysh’s army found these scouts, martyred them on the spot and left their bodies there. After that, the Quraysh continued their way to Makkah. When the Muslim army reached Hamra Al-Asad under the command of the Holy Prophet , they found the bodies of their brothers, buried them at the same location and encamped there. ²⁴

Even though they were very few in number, they managed to strike fear in the hearts of the enemy by following the advice of the Holy Prophet . He had ordered the companions to gather as much wood as possible and light as much as five hundred fires around their camp site every day. The fires could be seen from a far, indicating the presence of a massive army, placing fear in the hearts of all those who witnessed it. ²⁵

Meanwhile, on their way back to Makkah, the Quraysh halted at Roha, 36 miles from Madinah. They reconsidered their decision and decided to decisively attack the Muslims at Madinah and finish everyone, including the Holy Prophet . ²⁶ That day, Ma’bad Al-Khuza’i, a local of Hamra Al-Asad, passed by the Makkan army. Abu Sufyan stopped him and asked him for Intel on the Muslims. Ma’bad told him that Muhammad was coming with a massive army to avenge the martyrs of Uhud. Abu Sufyan was surprised to hear this news and expressed deep concerns. In return, Abu Sufyan told him that the Makkans were planning to attack the Muslims once more, this time to finish them. On hearing this, Ma’bad advised them to return to Makkah for their own good. ²⁷ Safwan ibn Umayyah also advised Abu Sufyan to retreat and not engage in battle with the Muslims as the battle may not end in favor of the Makkans. After listening to Ma’bad and Safwan, Abu Sufyan decided to retreat and return to Makkah. ²⁸

However, before they retreated, Abu Sufyan wanted to put fear in the hearts of the Muslims as a last attempt to show his supremacy. He stopped small group of travelers who were heading towards Madinah and stopped them to send a message to the Holy Prophet . Abu Sufyan told them to inform Muhammad that the Makkans were coming towards Madinah for a decisive attack even though the polytheists were retreating to Makkah. Even this effort went in vain ²⁹ because when the Holy Prophet received this message, he said:

حسبنا اللّٰه ونعم الوكيل. ³⁰

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.

The Holy Prophet and the Muslim battalion stayed at Hamra Al-Asad for three days and nights. ³¹ When the Quraysh retreated to Makkah, Ma’bad Khuza’i sent a messenger to the Holy Prophet and informed about the retreat of the Quraysh. After receiving this information from Ma’bad, the Holy Prophet and the Muslim army returned to Madinah. ³²

• ¹  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar Al-Waqidi (2004), Al-Maghazi, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 284.
• ²  Husain ibn Muhammad Al-Diyar Bakri (2009), Tareekh Al-Khamees fi Ahwal Anfus Nafees, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 233.
• ³  Husain ibn Muhammad Al-Diyar Bakri (2009), Tareekh Al-Khamees fi Ahwal Anfus Al-Nafees, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 234.
• ⁴  Abu Bakr ibn Al-Husain Al-Bayhaqui (2008), Dalail Al-Nabuwah wa Ma’rifat Ahwal Sahib Al-Shariyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 312.
• ⁵  Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (2011), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 317.
• ⁶  Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2009), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 291.
• ⁷  Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (2011), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 302.
• ⁸  Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Baqi ibn Yusuf Al-Zurqani (2012), Sharah Al-Zurqani ‘Ala Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 414-416.
• ⁹  Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 557.
• ¹⁰  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar Al-Waqidi (2004), Al-Maghazi, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 262.
• ¹¹  Abu Bakr ibn Al-Husain Al-Bayhaqui (2008), Dalail Al-Nabuwah wa Ma’rifat Ahwal Sahib Al-Shariyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 312.
• ¹²  Ibid, Pg. 313
• ¹³  Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (2011), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 317.
• ¹⁴  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar Al-Waqidi (2004), Al-Maghazi, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 284.
• ¹⁵  Abu Abdullah Shams Al-Din Al-Zahabi (2010), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah Min Kitab Tareekh Al-Islam, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 370.
• ¹⁶  Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (2013), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 349.
• ¹⁷  Abu Abdullah Shams Al-Din Al-Zahabi (2010), Al-Seerah Al-Nabawiyah Min Kitab Tareekh Al-Islam, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 401.
• ¹⁸  Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 546.
• ¹⁹  Safi Al-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri (2010), Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 297.
• ²⁰  Holy Quran, Aal-e-Imran (Family of Imran) 3: 172
• ²¹  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar Al-Waqidi (2004), Al-Maghazi, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 286.
• ²²  Husain ibn Muhammad Al-Diyar Bakri (2009), Tareekh Al-Khamees fi Ahwal Anfus Nafees, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 235.
• ²³  Safi Al-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri (2010), Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 297.
• ²⁴  Muhammad ibn Yusuf Al-Salihi Al-Shami (2013), Subul Al-Huda wal-Rashad fi Seerat Khair Al-‘Ibad, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 4, Pg. 310.
• ²⁵  Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Baqi ibn Yusuf Al-Zurqani (1996), Sharah Al-Zurqani ‘Ala Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 467.
• ²⁶  Husain ibn Muhammad Al-Diyar Bakri (2009), Tareekh Al-Khamees fi Ahwal Anfus Al-Nafees, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 234.
• ²⁷  Abu Bakr Ahmed ibn Al-Husain Al-Bayhaqui (2008), Dalail Al-Nabuwah wa Ma’rifat Ahwal Sahib Al-Shariyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 315.
• ²⁸  Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2009), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 291.
• ²⁹  Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (2013), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 352.
• ³⁰  Husain ibn Muhammad Al-Diyar Bakri (2009), Tareekh Al-Khamees fi Ahwal Anfus Nafees, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 236.
• ³¹  Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Baqi ibn Yusuf Al-Zurqani (2012), Sharah Al-Zurqani ‘Ala Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 467.
• ³²  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar Al-Waqidi (2004), Al-Maghazi, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 288.