Book: Dalail an-Nubuwwah by Bayhaqi

The Prophet's Throwing Pebbles at Disbelievers and the Fear Cast into Their Hearts

In this passage, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is described as throwing pebbles at the faces of the disbelievers, instilling fear in their hearts. The descent of angels during this event is also mentioned, along with the visible signs of prophethood present in each of these events.

Narrators of the Hadith

Various narrators in the chain of transmission of this hadith are listed:

• Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz informed us
• Abu Al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub narrated
• Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd Al-Hakam reported
• Ibn Wahb and Yunus relayed the information

Witness Account of Al-Abbas during the Battle of Hunayn

Al-Abbas, the paternal uncle of the Prophet, recounted his experience during the Battle of Hunayn. He mentioned how he and Abu Sufyan ibn Al-Harith were with the Prophet Muhammad during the battle and did not leave his side. The Prophet, riding a white mule gifted to him by Firuz, a companion, spurred on when Muslims turned back during the encounter with the disbelievers.

Additional Notes:

• Abu Sufyan ibn Al-Harith is identified as the paternal cousin of the Prophet
• The mount that the Prophet was riding in different narrations is described as both a white mule and a white female mule
• Scholars note that the Prophet did not ride any other mount during this event apart from the mentioned one, known as Duldul

Translation of Classical Arabic Text

Key Points:

1. Abbas holds the reins of the Prophet's horse to prevent it from rushing.
2. Abu Sufyan holds the bridle of the Prophet's horse.
3. The Prophet instructs Abbas to call the Ansar (helpers) at the Battle of Uhud.
4. The Ansar respond fervently, leading to conflict with the disbelievers.
5. The call for help specifically targets the Banu Harith bin Khazraj.

Transliterated Text

Baghlatuhu qibla al-kuffar. Qala Abbas: Wa ana akhithun bi lijami baghlati rasulillahi sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. Akuffuha iradatan an la tusri'a, wa Abu Sufyan akhithun bi rikabi rasulillahi sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. Faqala rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam: "Ayi Abbas! Nad as-haba as-samurah." Faqala Abbas: Wa kana rajulan sayyitan. Faqultu bi a'la soty ayu as-haba as-samurah! Qala: Fa wallahi lak'annama 'atfatum hina sami'u sawti 'atfatul baqri 'ala awlad'ha, faqalu: Ya labbayka! Ya labbayka! Faqtatalu hum wal-kuffar wal-da'wat fi al-ansar yaqulun: Ya ma'shara al-ansar! Ya ma'shara al-ansar! Thum qusiratida'wat 'ala bani al-harith bin al-khazraj, faqalu: Ya bani al-harith bin al-khazraj, ya bani al-harith bin al-khazraj! Fa nathara rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam wa huwa (yarkud baghlatuhu) ay yadribuha birajlihi ash-sharifah 'ala kabidha li tusri'a. Ma bayna al-hasirtayn saqa min al-usul, wa astabtanahu min sahih muslim (3:1398). Layisa fi al-usul, wa astabtaha min sahih muslim. As'hab as-samurah huwa ash-shajarat al-lati ba'i'u tahta-ha bi'ahat al-ridwan. Wa ma'nahu: Nad ahla bay'at ar-ridwan yawm al-hudaybiyah. Sayyitan ay qawiyy al-sawt. Dhakara al-hazimiyu fiil mu'talif 'an al-'abbas radiyallahu ta'ala 'anhu kan yaqifu 'ala sula'in fayunadi ghulmanahu fi akhir al-layl, wa hum fi al-ghabah, fayasmi'uhum. Qala: Wa baina sula'in wa al-ghabah thamaniyat amyiya. Lakann 'atfatum hina sami'u sawti 'atfatul baqri 'ala awlad'ha: Ay audhum limakanatihim wa iqbalihim ilayhi sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam 'atfatul baqri 'ala awlad'ha. Ay kan fiha injadhabu mithla ma fi al-ummahat hina hannat 'ala al-awladi. Qala an-nawawi: Qala al-ulama: Fi hatha al-hadith dalilun 'ala anfirarih lam yakin ba'idan. Wa annahu lam yahsul al-firar min jami'ihim, wa innama fathhahu 'alayhim man fi qalbihi maradun min muslimat ahl makkah al-mu'allafati wa mushrikiiha alladhina lam yakunu aslamu. Wa innama kanat haziimatu-hum faj'ah li-insibabihim 'alayhim duwat wahidah, wa rushqihim bil-saham. Wa la ikhtilat ahl makkah ma'ahum mimman lam yastaqir al-imanu fi qalbihi wa mimman yaturabbasu bilmuslimina ad-duwayir. Wa fi-him nisaa'un wa sabiyyan kharaju lil-ghanimah, fa taqaddamu akhfa'uhum. Falamma rushquhum binnabli wa lau falquw fainqalabat aulahum 'ala akhirahum. Ila an anzala allahu sakina tis'al-mu'minina, kama dhakara Allah ta'ala fi al-quran. Wal-kuffar: Hakaitha huwa fi an-naskh. Wa huwa binsab al-kuffar. Ay ma'al kuffar. Wal-da'wat fi al-ansar: Hiya bifath ad-dal. Ya'ni al-istighathah wa al-munadah ilayhim.

Translation of Classical Arabic Text

The Prophet's Leadership in Battle

Upon his horse, resembling a professional rider heading into battle, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The confederates have indeed been defeated." Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, took a handful of pebbles, throwing them at the faces of the disbelievers and declaring: "Be routed! By the Lord of Muhammad!" I went to take a look, and I saw the battle as if it were on a plate, exactly as I could see it. By Allah, it was only the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who hurled the pebbles at them. I did not cease to see their losses mounting, with their command in disarray. This is narrated in the hadith of Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, reported by Muslim in the Sahih, through Abu al-Tahir.

It was narrated that Abu Abdillah al-Hafiz reported from Abu al-Fadl ibn Ibrahim, who reported from Ahmed ibn Salamah, who reported from Ishaq and Muhammad ibn Rafi', from 'Abd al-Razzaq, who reported from Ma'mar, from Al-Zuhri: With a similar chain of narration, not mentioning him, it was narrated that Furwah ibn Na'amah al-Judhami and others said: "Be routed! By the Lord of the Kaaba." The narration continued until Allah defeated them. It is as if I see the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, riding his horse in pursuit of them.

Al-Zuhri narrated that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Azhar used to report that Khalid ibn al-Walid headed out that day, riding the same horses as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Azhar said: "Then I saw the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, after Allah had routed the disbelievers and the Muslims had returned to their ranks; he was walking slowly."

[Selective translations from the passage: 'The confederates have indeed been defeated,' 'Be routed! By the Lord of Muhammad!' 'I did not cease to see their losses mounting, with their command in disarray.')

Translation of Classical Arabic Text

Hadith Regarding the Battle of Hunayn

In a narration regarding the Battle of Hunayn, it is reported by Muslim on the authority of Ishaq and Muhammad ibn Rafi', without the mention of Ibn Azhar. Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us that Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Yazid al-Hafiz told us that Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili informed him that Zuhayr ibn Harb told him that Amr ibn Yunus narrated to him that Ikrimah ibn Ammar informed him that Iyas ibn Salamah said: "My father told me that we participated in the Battle of Hunayn with the Prophet (peace be upon him). When we faced the enemy, I went forward like a predatory wolf, and I confronted an enemy soldier, shot an arrow at him, and then took cover. I was unaware of what had happened. I then looked towards the people and saw them emerging from another direction, meeting the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions. The Prophet's companions turned away, defeated, while I returned, defeated, and I was wearing two layers of armor, supported by one, and wearing the other. I loosened my waistband and wrapped it tightly around me, passing by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a defeated state, as he sat on his reddish-white she-camel. He said, 'The son of the twisted rib saw something frightening.' When the enemy overwhelmed the Prophet (peace be upon him), he dismounted from the she-camel, took a handful of soil from the ground, faced their direction, and said, 'May their faces be disfigured.' Every person among them had his eyes filled with the soil from that handful. They turned their backs and were fought against by Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) distributed their spoils of war among the Muslims."

Hadith from the Battle of Hunayn

It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih from Zuhayr ibn Harb that Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Furak informed us, saying: Ibn Ja'far al-Asbahanu told us, saying: Yunus ibn Habib narrated to us, saying: Abu Dawud informed us, saying: Hammad ibn Salamah told us, from Ya'la ibn 'Ata', from 'Abdullah ibn Yasr, also known as Abu Hamam, from Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fahriyy, who said:

"We were with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at Hunayn when we marched on a scorching hot day. When the sun had set, I wore my armor and mounted my horse. I approached the Prophet, who was in his tent, and greeted him. I said: 'Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah, and the mercy of Allah. The time of cooling has come, O Messenger of Allah.' He replied: 'Indeed.' Then the Messenger of Allah said: 'O Bilal!' A man arose who looked like a shadow of a bird under the thorn-tree. He said: 'Here I am at your service. I am pleased for your pleasure.' The Prophet then ordered: 'Saddle my horse.' They brought him two saddles made of a kind of fine leather, without any faults. He mounted his horse, and we marched. We encountered the enemy and the two horsemen charged at them. We fought them, and the Muslims turned back, just as Allah the Almighty said."

"The Messenger of Allah then proclaimed: 'O servants of Allah! I am the servant of Allah and His Messenger. O people! I am the servant of Allah and His Messenger.' He then charged at the enemy, and someone who was closer to him than me told me that he took a handful of soil, threw it towards the faces of the people, and said: 'May their faces be defaced with dust.' Ya'la ibn 'Ata' reported that their descendants narrated from their forefathers that they said: 'There was not a single one of us left whose eyes and mouth were not filled with dust. We heard a clanging sound from the sky, like the clanging of iron on an anvil, and Allah defeated them."

Translation of classical Arabic text

Hadith narration:

Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz informed us, saying: Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Balawayah informed us, saying: Ishaq ibn Al-Hasan Al-Harbi informed us, saying: Affan ibn Muslim informed us, saying: Abd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad informed us, saying: Al-Harith ibn Hasirah informed us, saying: Al-Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman narrated from his father, saying: Ibn Mas'ud said, "I was with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, on the day of Hunayn. The people turned away from him, but I remained with him along with eighty men from the Muhajirun and the Ansar. We stumbled over our feet like camels stumble and did not turn our backs, as they were the ones upon whom Allah had sent down tranquility. The Messenger of Allah was riding his mule and advancing. His mule stumbled, so he leaned towards the saddle and pulled him back. I said, 'May Allah elevate you!' He replied, 'Turn me a handful of dust.' I turned it towards them and he threw it in their faces, filling their eyes with dust. He then said, 'Where are the Muhajirun and the Ansar?' I said, 'They are here.' He ordered, 'Rally them.' So I called out to them and they came wielding their swords in their hands like shooting stars, while the polytheists turned their backs.

Another narration:

Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz informed us, saying: Abu Al-Husayn informed us that Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Tamim Al-Qantari narrated to us, saying: Abu Qilabah informed us, saying: Abu Asim informed us, saying: Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman Al-Ta'ifi informed us, saying: Abdullah ibn Uyayd ibn Al-Harith Al-Ansari narrated from his father that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came to Hawazin with twelve thousand men and the people of Ta'if who were killed on the day of Hunayn were equal to those killed on the day of Badr. The Messenger of Allah took a handful of pebbles and threw them at their faces, causing us to scatter in defeat."

Account of the Battle of Hunayn

Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Abdan reported: Ahmad ibn Ubayd informed us that Al-Asfati said Musaddad told us that Ja'far ibn Sulaiman informed us that Awf said that Abdul Rahman, the freed slave of Umm Burthun, who was among those who witnessed the Battle of Hunayn as a disbeliever, said: When we met the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims, they did not stand up to greet us. We drew our swords and brandished them before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) until handsome men appeared between us and him. They said, "Put your swords down." So we sheathed our swords. Abu Al-Husayn ibn Al-Fadl Al-Qattan from Baghdad reported: Abdullah ibn Ja'far Al-Nahwi informed us that Ya'qub ibn Sufyan told us that Abu Saeed, Abdul Rahman ibn Ibrahim said that Al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated from Muhammad, son of Abdullah Al-Sha'bi, from Al-Harith ibn Badl Al-Nasri, from a man of his people who witnessed that day and Amr ibn Sufyan Al-Thaqafi said: The Muslims were defeated on the day of Hunayn, and only Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib and Abu Sufyan ibn Al-Harith remained with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took a handful of pebbles, threw them in their faces, and said, "Then we were defeated. It seemed to us that every rock and tree was a Persian seeking us out." Al-Thaqafi said: "I could not even stay on my horse until I reached Ta'if."

Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Abdan reported: Ahmad ibn Ubayd Al-Saffar informed us that Al-Kudaimi said Musa ibn Masud told us that Said ibn Al-Sayib Al-Taifi, from Al-Sayib ibn Yasir, from Yazid ibn Amir Al-Suway said: When the Muslims were exposed at the Battle of Hunayn, the disbelievers followed them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) took a handful of soil, threw it in the faces of the polytheists, and said, "Go back in disgrace."

The Faces of People

In his book, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Umar ibn al-Hamamiyy al-Muqri (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Baghdad, saying: "Ahmad ibn Salman informed us that Hasan ibn Salamam narrated to us that Abu Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) told us. Abu Sa'id Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Fadl informed us, and according to him, he said: 'Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Saffar told us that Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Birtiyy the judge told us that Abu Hudhayfah told us that Said ibn al-Sa'ib ibn Yasir al-Ta'ifi told us, on the authority of my father: al-Sa'ib Yasir reported, saying: 'I heard Yazid ibn Amir al-Suwayi who witnessed the Battle of Hunayn with the polytheists, then later embraced Islam. We asked him about the terror that Allah placed in the hearts of the polytheists on the day of Hunayn, and how it was.' He said: 'He would take stones for us and throw them into the containers, making them sound...' We used to find such things in our containers."

Further, the narration of Hasan ibn Salamam, from his father, quoting Yazid ibn Amir al-Suwayi: "We asked him about the terror, and he described it." Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir then followed the narration from Ma'n, from Sa'id ibn al-Sa'ib, in both narrations.

Abu Tahir al-Faqih said: "Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Qattan narrated to us." Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Dawud al-Alawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Abu al-Qasim Ubaydullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Balwayh al-Muzakki informed us."

Hadith on the Prophet's Confidence in the Battle of Hunayn

Ali ibn Abu Talib reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "I was given victory by awe, and I was given concise speech. This was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih from Muhammad ibn Rafi' from Abdul Razzaq."

Abu Bakr Al-Hudhali reported: I heard Ikrimah, the servant of Ibn Abbas, say, "When I saw the Messenger of Allah on the Day of Hunayn exposed, I remembered my father and uncle being killed, Ali and Hamzah. I said, 'Today I expect vengeance from Muhammad.'"

Ibn Abbas' servant continued: "He went down to seek refuge and found Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib standing with a white shield like silver. I said, 'His uncle will not forsake him.'"

He further narrated: "I came from his left and found Abu Sufyan ibn Harith ibn Abdul Muttalib. I said, 'His cousin will not forsake him.' Then I came from behind, and all that remained was to grasp his collar with a sword, when suddenly I saw a flame of fire between us. It was like lightning, and I feared he would hit me, so I placed my hand on my eye and I walked backwards. The Messenger of Allah turned and said, 'Old man, old man, come closer to me.' He prayed, 'O Allah, remove the devil from him.' I raised my eyes to him; he was more beloved to me than hearing and sight. He said, 'Old man, fight the disbelievers, for he has a witness from the campaigns of Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar.'

Hadith Report on the Battle of Hunayn

In the chain of narration leading to the account of the Battle of Hunayn, it is reported that Sayyiduna Mus'ab ibn Shaybah narrated from his father, who said: "I went out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of Hunayn, not out of belief or knowledge of him, but to ensure that the Meccans do not rejoice over Quraysh."

The narration continues that during the battle, the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a group of horses and remarked that only a disbeliever could see them. He then prayed for the guidance of Mus'ab, hitting his chest three times each time praying for his guidance.

Outcome of the Battle

After the Muslim forces were victorious in the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed them, asserting his prophethood and lineage, while battling with swords. He declared, "Now, Defend your teeth!"

This account is narrated in Ibn Mardawih and Ibn Asakir, through Mus'ab ibn Shaybah, and also reported by Al-Zarqani in Al-Mawahib, and Ibn Kathir in Al-Tarikh.

Glossary

• The Black Hackamore: Refers to the covering worn by the horses.

Passage by Ibn Ishaq and Ibn 'Awja Al-Nasri:

When we approached Hunayn and its water... we saw a dark appearance, indescribable in color, vast... and a tawny hue that resembled the leaves... of the 'ud tree, then they advanced ranks... and if my people had obeyed me, they would not have met... the openly displayed enemy; they did not meet... the troops of the family of Muhammad, eighty thousand strong, armed with lances... And Malik ibn 'Awf mentioned their march after their conversion to Islam,

He said, "I recall their march for the people when they gathered... and Malik was above them with fluttering banners; none was above him... during the Day of Hunayn, with the crown on his head shining... until they encountered people in adversity, with white faces and bare bodies... and shields, they clashed with the people until they did not see anyone... around the Prophet until nightfall,

Until Gabriel descended with his help... The people were defeated and put to flight. If not for Gabriel fighting us... our swords would have been stilled... and Umar al-Faruq fulfilled it, when they were defeated, with a stroke that pierced... even the saddle under his body."