The Prophet's Battles, Armies and Expeditions

By Imâm ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah [rahimahullâh]

From "Zâd al-Ma'âd fî Hadyi Khayri-l 'Ibâd"

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All of the Prophet's Ghazwat, Bu'uth and Saraya [1] occurred after the Hijrah, within a span of ten years. There were either twenty-seven Ghazwat, or twenty-five, or twenty-nine. The Prophet[saw] had to fight in nine battles, Badr, 'Uhud, al-Khandaqh, Quraidhah, al-Mustaliqh, Khaybar, al-Fath' (Conquering of Makkah), 'Hunayn and Tâ'if. It was said that the Prophet sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam also fought against Banî an-Nadhîr (a Jewish tribe) and at al-Ghabah and Wadi al-Qura, which was a suburb of Khaybar.

As for the Saraya of the Prophet[saw] and the armies he sent, they numbered close to sixty. There were seven major battles: Badr, 'Uhud, al-Khandaqh, Khaybar, al-Fath', 'Hunayn and Tabuk. [2] Several parts of the Qur'ân mentioned these major Ghazwat. For instance, Sûrah al-Anfâl (chapter 8) was revealed about Ghazwat Badr, while the last part of Sûrah ali-'Imrân (chapter 3) was about Ghazwat 'Uhud, from Allâh's statement,

"And (remember) when you [Muhammad[saw] left your household in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle"
[EMQ - Surah Al-Imran - 3:121]
until just before the end of the Sûrah.

The beginning of Sûrah al-Ahzâb (chapter 33) was revealed about the battles of al-Khandaqh, Quraydhah and Khaybar. Sûrah al-'Hashr (59) was revealed about Banî an-Nadhîr, al-Fath' (48) about al-'Hudaibiyyah and the battle of Khaybar. The conquering of Makkah was mentioned indirectly in Sûrah al-Fath' and directly in Sûrah an-Nasr (110).
The Messenger Muhammad[saw] was wounded during the battle of 'Uhud. [3] The angels fought alongside the Messenger[saw] during the battles of Badr [4] and 'Hunayn. They also descended during the battle of al-Khandaqh [5] , where they shook the Mushriks [surrounding Madînah] and defeated them. During that battle, the Prophet[saw] threw a handful of sand at the faces of the Mushriks (Polytheists) and they fled [without a fight]. [6]

The Messenger Muhammad[saw] won decisively in two battles, Badr and 'Hunain. He used al-Manjaniq (mongonel, or catapult) during on battle, at-Tâ'if, and took cover behind a trench during Ghazwat al-Khandaqh, also known as Ghazwat al-Ahzâb. Salmân al-Farsi [ra] suggested that the trench be dug in that battle.

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Footnotes

[1] 'Ghazwat', pl. for 'Ghazwah', means battles. The battles that the Prophet[saw] led himself were called, 'Ghazwat', whereas the armies and expeditions he sent while remaining behind are called, 'Bu'uth', pl. for, 'Ba'th', and 'Saraya', pl. for, 'Sariyyah'.

[2] All of which are mentioned in detail later on in, Zâd al-Ma'âd.

[3] Al-Bukhârî (3767) narrated that Sahl bin as-Sa'idi was asked about how the wound of the Prophet sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam was treated, and he replied, "'Alî used to bring water in his shield and Fâtimah (the Prophet's daughter and 'Alî's wife) used to wash the blood off his face. Then straw mat was burnt and the wound was filled with it."

[4] Al-Bukhârî (3694) narrated that 'Abdullâh ibn 'Abbâs[ra]said that the Messenger Muhammad[saw] said on the day of Badr, "Here is Jibrîl, holding the head of his horse and wearing war armours." Allâh sent the angels to strengthen their hearts of the believers and to aid them.

[5] Shaykh 'Irfân said, "Allâh[swt] said in Sûrah al-Ahzâb (33:9), 'O you who believe! Remember Allâh's Favour to you, when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and forces that you saw not [angels during the battle of Al-Ahzâb (the Confederates, Ghazwat al-Khandaq (in 5 AH)]. And Allâh is Ever All-Seer of what you do.' "

[6] Al-Bukhârî (2716) and Muslim (3277) narrated that The Messenger of Allaah[saw] asked for Allâh's wrath upon the Ahzâb, saying: "O, Allâh, Revealer of the Holy Book, and the One swift at reckoning! O, Allâh, Defeat the confederates. O, Allâh, Defeat them and shake them."

Captivated, Imprisoned and Fettered

Imaam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah [rahimahullaah]

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Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullaah said:

And among its effects is that the disobedient (sinner) is constantly in the shackles of his Shaytaan and the prison of his shahwa (desires) and the chains / fetters of his hawaa (whims). So he is a captive, one who is imprisoned and who is tied up. There is no captive in a worse state than the one who is captivated by his worst enemy and there is no prison which is tighter than the prison of hawa (desire) and there is no bond / fetter more strong than the bond of desire.
How, then, will a heart which is captivated, imprisoned and fettered travel unto Allaah and the Home of the Hereafter. How will a person take a single step forward when the heart is bound and harmful things approach it from every direction. The harmful things approach it to the extent that it is tied up [i.e. imprisoned by its desires and whims..].

The example of the heart is like the example of a bird. Every time is ascends it becomes distant from the harmful things and every time it descends the harmful things hurt it. In a hadeeth there occurs that Shaytaan is like a wolf to people. Just as when a sheep has no protector and is in between many wolves, they are quick in causing damage and injury; likewise the servant who does not have guardianship from Allaah, then his wolf [i.e. his desires, whims etc.] is to him a predatory animal. [Thus] there is no escape for the servant from having protection from Allaah.
Taqwaa is a safeguarding for him and a strong shield between himself and the punishment of this world and the Hereafter.


Every time the sheep is close to its shepherd it is more safe from the wolf and every time it becomes distant from its shepherd it is closer to destruction. So its sanctuary is when it is close to its shepherd because the wolf takes the lonely one from the flock and this is the one which is the furthest one of the flock from the shepherd. The basis of all of this is is that every time the heart is distant from Allaah[swt] the harmful things are quick in approaching it and every time it is close to Allaah[swt] the harmful things become distant from it.

Remoteness from Allaah[swt] has levels/degrees, some of which are more severe than others. Heedlesness distances the servant from Allaah and some acts of disobedience are greater than some acts of heedlessness. Some innovations are greater than some acts of disobedience and some things from hypocrisy and Shirk are greater than all of what has preceded.