Battle of Autas
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Autas or Awtas was an early battle involving Muslim forces, fought in the year 630
in Awtas, Saudi Arabia
, after the Battle of Hunayn
, but prior to the Siege of Ta'if
. Muhammad came with 12,000 fighters against a coalition of tribes. An ambush took place and a rain of arrows were fired on the Muslims.
claims that the tribes were hostile to Muhammad because he was spreading Islam by the sword, which greatly displeased the tribes.
The league consisted of Thakefites, Hawazins, Joshimites, Saadites and serveral other hardened Mountain tribes. According to Islamic tradition the valley of the Banu Sa'd (who Irving refers to as Saadites) is where Muhammad was nurtured as a child and was also purified by an Angel.
The Thakefites were idolaters who worshipped Allāt
. They controlled the productive area of Taif, and were also the tribe which drove Muhammad out of Taif, pelting stones at him in the public square, when he was first preaching Islam
. Another reason according to Irving that the tribes joined together was that they knew Muhammad was preparing to come back to Taif with a vengeance with his new found power.
, the neighboring tribes of Hawazin and Thaqueef where given the choice of converting to Islam, or going to war with Muslims. Muhammad
went to Autas with 12,000 men.
As the Muslim army passed through the valley of Hunain, a group of hostile tribes fired rain of arrows on the Muslims.
The attacked surprised the Muslims, and many fled away from the arrows. Only 9 men remained with Muhammad. Including Uthman
. After a while the Muslim regrouped and gathered around Muhammad. They then marched to Autas, after a confrontation, the tribes were defeated and the Muslims captured a large amount of war booty.
630
Year 630 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 630 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Croats and Serbs settle in the...
in Awtas, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, after the Battle of Hunayn
Battle of Hunayn
The Battle of Hunain was fought between Muhammad and his followers against the Bedouin tribe of Hawazin and its subsection the Thaqif in 630 in a valley on one of the roads leading from Mecca to al-Ta'if. The battle ended in a decisive victory for the Muslims, who captured enormous spoils...
, but prior to the Siege of Ta'if
Siege of Ta'if
The Siege of Taif took place in 630 CE, as the Muslims besieged the city of Taif 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...
. Muhammad came with 12,000 fighters against a coalition of tribes. An ambush took place and a rain of arrows were fired on the Muslims.
Background
A league of Mountain tribes hostile to Muhammad formed an alliance to attack him. The non-Muslim author Washington IrvingWashington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
claims that the tribes were hostile to Muhammad because he was spreading Islam by the sword, which greatly displeased the tribes.
The league consisted of Thakefites, Hawazins, Joshimites, Saadites and serveral other hardened Mountain tribes. According to Islamic tradition the valley of the Banu Sa'd (who Irving refers to as Saadites) is where Muhammad was nurtured as a child and was also purified by an Angel.
The Thakefites were idolaters who worshipped Allāt
Allāt
' or ' was a Pre-Islamic Arabian goddess who was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca. She is mentioned in the Qur'an , which indicates that pre-Islamic Arabs considered her as one of the daughters of Allah along with Manāt and al-‘Uzzá....
. They controlled the productive area of Taif, and were also the tribe which drove Muhammad out of Taif, pelting stones at him in the public square, when he was first preaching Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Another reason according to Irving that the tribes joined together was that they knew Muhammad was preparing to come back to Taif with a vengeance with his new found power.
Battle
After the Conquest of MeccaConquest of Mecca
Mecca was conquered by the Muslims in January 630 AD .-Background:In 628 the Meccan tribe of Quraysh and the Muslim community in Medina signed a 10 year truce called the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah....
, the neighboring tribes of Hawazin and Thaqueef where given the choice of converting to Islam, or going to war with Muslims. Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
went to Autas with 12,000 men.
As the Muslim army passed through the valley of Hunain, a group of hostile tribes fired rain of arrows on the Muslims.
The attacked surprised the Muslims, and many fled away from the arrows. Only 9 men remained with Muhammad. Including Uthman
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan was one of the companions of Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He played a major role in early Islamic history as the third Sunni Rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliph....
. After a while the Muslim regrouped and gathered around Muhammad. They then marched to Autas, after a confrontation, the tribes were defeated and the Muslims captured a large amount of war booty.