The Battle of Hunain

It has been narrated on the authority of 'Abbas who said: I was in the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Day of Hunain. I and Abd Sufyan b. Harith b. 'Abd al-Muttalib stuck to the Messenaer of Allah ﷺ and we did not separate from him. And the Messenger of Allah (may place be upon him) was riding on his white mule which had been presented to him by Farwa b. Nufitha al-Judhami. When the Muslims had an encounter with the disbelievers, the Muslims fled, falling back, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began to spur his mule towards the disbelievers. I was holding the bridle of the mule of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ checking it from going very fast, and Abu Sufyan was holding the stirrup of the (mule of the) Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said: Abbas, call out to the people of al-Samura. Abbas (who was a man with a loud voice) called out at the top of the voice: Where are the people of Samura? (Abbas said: ) And by God, when they heard my voice, they came back (to us) as cows come back to their calves, and said: We are present, we are present! 'Abbas said: They began to fight the infidels. Then there was a call to The Ansar. Those (who called out to them) shouted: O ye party of the Ansar! O party of the Ansar! Banu al-Harith b. al-Khazraj were the last to be called. Those (who called out to them) shouted: O Banu Al-Harith b. al-Khazraj! O BanU Harith b. al-Khazraj! And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who was riding on his mule looked at their fight with his neck stretched forward and he said: This is the time when the fight is raging hot. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took (some) pebbles and threw them in the face of the infidels. Then he said: By the Lord of Muhammad, the infidels are defeated. 'Abbas said: I went round and saw that the battle was in the same condition in which I had seen it. By Allah, it remained in the same condition until he threw the pebbles. I continued to watch until I found that their force had been spent out and they began to retreat.

وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَرْحٍ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي كَثِيرُ بْنُ عَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبَّاسٌ شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ فَلَزِمْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ نُفَارِقْهُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى بَغْلَةٍ لَهُ بَيْضَاءَ أَهْدَاهَا لَهُ فَرْوَةُ بْنُ نُفَاثَةَ الْجُذَامِيُّ فَلَمَّا الْتَقَى الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَالْكُفَّارُ وَلَّى الْمُسْلِمُونَ مُدْبِرِينَ فَطَفِقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَرْكُضُ بَغْلَتَهُ قِبَلَ الْكُفَّارِ قَالَ عَبَّاسٌ وَ أَنَا آخِذٌ بِلِجَامِ بَغْلَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَكُفُّهَا إِرَادَةَ أَنْ لاَ تُسْرِعَ وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ آخِذٌ بِرِكَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " أَىْ عَبَّاسُ نَادِ أَصْحَابَ السَّمُرَةِ " . فَقَالَ عَبَّاسٌ وَكَانَ رَجُلاً صَيِّتًا فَقُلْتُ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِي أَيْنَ أَصْحَابُ السَّمُرَةِ قَالَ فَوَاللَّهِ لَكَأَنَّ عَطْفَتَهُمْ حِينَ سَمِعُوا صَوْتِي عَطْفَةُ الْبَقَرِ عَلَى أَوْلاَدِهَا . فَقَالُوا يَا لَبَّيْكَ يَا لَبَّيْكَ - قَالَ - فَاقْتَتَلُوا وَالْكُفَّارَ وَالدَّعْوَةُ فِي الأَنْصَارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ يَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قُصِرَتِ الدَّعْوَةُ عَلَى بَنِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْخَزْرَجِ فَقَالُوا يَا بَنِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْخَزْرَجِ يَا بَنِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْخَزْرَجِ . فَنَظَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ كَالْمُتَطَاوِلِ عَلَيْهَا إِلَى قِتَالِهِمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " هَذَا حِينَ حَمِيَ الْوَطِيسُ " . قَالَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَصَيَاتٍ فَرَمَى بِهِنَّ وُجُوهَ الْكُفَّارِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " انْهَزَمُوا وَرَبِّ مُحَمَّدٍ " . قَالَ فَذَهَبْتُ أَنْظُرُ فَإِذَا الْقِتَالُ عَلَى هَيْئَتِهِ فِيمَا أَرَى - قَالَ - فَوَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلاَّ أَنْ رَمَاهُمْ بِحَصَيَاتِهِ فَمَا زِلْتُ أَرَى حَدَّهُمْ كَلِيلاً وَأَمْرَهُمْ مُدْبِرًا .

A version of the tradition has been transmitted through another chain of narrators. In this version the words uttered by Prophet ﷺ (after he had thrown the pebbles in the face of the enemy) are reported as:" By the Lord of the Ka'ba, they have been defeated." And there is at the end the addition of the words:" Until Allah defeated them" (and I imagine) as if I saw the Prophet of Allah ﷺ chasing them on his mule.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ عَبْدِ، الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ . نَحْوَهُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فَرْوَةُ بْنُ نُعَامَةَ الْجُذَامِيُّ . وَقَالَ " انْهَزَمُوا وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ انْهَزَمُوا وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ " . وَزَادَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ حَتَّى هَزَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ قَالَ وَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَرْكُضُ خَلْفَهُمْ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ .

'Abbas reported: I was with Allah's Apostle ﷺ on the Day of Hunain. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this variation that the hadith transmitted by Yonus and Ma'mar is more detailed and complete.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي كَثِيرُ، بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ . وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ . غَيْرَ أَنَّ حَدِيثَ يُونُسَ وَحَدِيثَ مَعْمَرٍ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُ وَأَتَمُّ .

It has been narratedon the authority of Abu Ishaq who said: A man asked Bara' (b. 'Azib): Did you run away on the Day of Hunain. O, Abu Umira? He said: No, by Allah, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not turn his back;
(what actually happened was that) some young men from among his companions, who were hasty and who were either without any arms or did not have abundant arms, advanced and met a party of archers (who were so good shots) that their arrows never missed the mark. This party (of archers) belonged to Banu Hawazin and Banu Nadir. They shot at the advancing young men and their arrows were not likely to miss their targets. So these young men turned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was riding on his white mule and Abu Sufyan b. al-Harith b. 'Abd al-Muttalib was leading him. (At this) he got down from his mule, invoked God's help, and called out: I am the Prophet. This is no untruth. I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib. Then he deplnved his men into battle array.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِلْبَرَاءِ يَا أَبَا عُمَارَةَ أَفَرَرْتُمْ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ قَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا وَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَكِنَّهُ خَرَجَ شُبَّانُ أَصْحَابِهِ وَأَخِفَّاؤُهُمْ حُسَّرًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِمْ سِلاَحٌ أَوْ كَثِيرُ سِلاَحٍ فَلَقُوا قَوْمًا رُمَاةً لاَ يَكَادُ يَسْقُطُ لَهُمْ سَهْمٌ جَمْعَ هَوَازِنَ وَبَنِي نَصْرٍ فَرَشَقُوهُمْ رَشْقًا مَا يَكَادُونَ يُخْطِئُونَ فَأَقْبَلُوا هُنَاكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ الْبَيْضَاءِ وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ يَقُودُ بِهِ فَنَزَلَ فَاسْتَنْصَرَ وَقَالَ " أَنَا النَّبِيُّ لاَ كَذِبْ أَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ " . ثُمَّ صَفَّهُمْ .

It has been narrated (through a different chain of transmitters) by Abu Ishiq that a person said to Bara' (b. 'Azib): Abu Umara, did you flee on the Day of Hunain? He replied: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not retreat. (What actually happened was that some hasty young men who were either inadequately armed or were unarmed met a group of men from Banu Hawazin and Banu Nadir who happened to be (excellent) archers. The latter shot at them a volley of arrows that did not miss. The people turned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Abu Sufyan b. Harith was leading his mule. So he got down, prayed and invoked God's help. He said: I am the Prophet. This is no untruth. I am the son of Abd al-Muttalib. O God, descend Thy help. Bara' continued: When the battle grew fierce. we, by God. would seek protection by his side, and the bravest among us was he who confronted the onslaught and it was Prophet ﷺ.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ جَنَابٍ الْمِصِّيصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، عَنْ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، عَنْ أَبِي، إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى الْبَرَاءِ فَقَالَ أَكُنْتُمْ وَلَّيْتُمْ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ يَا أَبَا عُمَارَةَ فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ عَلَى نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا وَلَّى وَلَكِنَّهُ انْطَلَقَ أَخِفَّاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَحُسَّرٌ إِلَى هَذَا الْحَىِّ مِنْ هَوَازِنَ وَهُمْ قَوْمٌ رُمَاةٌ فَرَمَوْهُمْ بِرِشْقٍ مِنْ نَبْلٍ كَأَنَّهَا رِجْلٌ مِنْ جَرَادٍ فَانْكَشَفُوا فَأَقْبَلَ الْقَوْمُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ يَقُودُ بِهِ بَغْلَتَهُ فَنَزَلَ وَدَعَا وَاسْتَنْصَرَ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ " أَنَا النَّبِيُّ لاَ كَذِبْ أَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ اللَّهُمَّ نَزِّلْ نَصْرَكَ " . قَالَ الْبَرَاءُ كُنَّا وَاللَّهِ إِذَا احْمَرَّ الْبَأْسُ نَتَّقِي بِهِ وَإِنَّ الشُّجَاعَ مِنَّا لَلَّذِي يُحَاذِي بِهِ . يَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ ﷺ .

It has been narrated through a still different chain of transmitters by the same narrator (i. e. Abu Ishaq) who said: I heard from Bara' who was asked by a man from the Qais tribe: Did you run away from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Day of Hunain? Bara' said: But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not run away. On that day Banu Hawzzin took part in the battle as archers (on the side of the disbelievers). When we attacked them, they retreated and we fell upon the booty;
(they rallied) and advanced towards us with arrows. (At that time) I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ riding on his white mule and Abu Sufyan b. al-Harith was holding its bridle. He (the Messenger of Allah was saying: I am the Prophet. This is no untruth. I am a descendant of 'Abd al-Muttalib.

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ، بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْبَرَاءَ، وَسَأَلَهُ، رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَيْسٍ أَفَرَرْتُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ فَقَالَ الْبَرَاءُ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَفِرَّ وَكَانَتْ هَوَازِنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ رُمَاةً وَإِنَّا لَمَّا حَمَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ انْكَشَفُوا فَأَكْبَبْنَا عَلَى الْغَنَائِمِ فَاسْتَقْبَلُونَا بِالسِّهَامِ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ الْبَيْضَاءِ وَإِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ آخِذٌ بِلِجَامِهَا وَهُوَ يَقُولُ " أَنَا النَّبِيُّ لاَ كَذِبْ أَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ " .

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Bara' with another chain of transmitters, but this hadith is short as compared with other ahadith which are more detailed.

وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ خَلاَّدٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، قَالَ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا أَبَا عُمَارَةَ . فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ وَهُوَ أَقَلُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِهِمْ وَهَؤُلاَءِ أَتَمُّ حَدِيثًا .