Siege of Ta'if
Encyclopedia
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 brought catapults and testudos to use against the fortress, but was unable to penetrate it, with the weapon.
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb
lost his first eye in the Siege of Taif. He told Muhammad of his loss for Allah to which Muhammad said “Which would you prefer: An eye in heaven or shall I pray to Allah that he brings it back?” To this Abu Sufyan said he would rather have his eye in heaven. He lost his other eye in the Battle of Yarmouk
.
The siege went on for half a month and some soldiers were becoming impatient.
Muhammad desired to get the chief of the Banu Hawazan (called Malik) on his side, and promised that his family will be released and all his property given back, if he embraced Islam. He accepted the offer and became a Muslim and engaged in a constant warfare with the citizens of Taif. Malik captured their cattle's wherever they grazed and put them in a difficult situation.
, sent a delegation to Mecca; they begged Muhammad to let them continue to worship their Goddess Allat for a period of three years, Muhammad refused the proposal, he would only accpet their surrender if they agreed to adopt Islam immediately and let the Muslims destroy their temple, eventually the Banu Thaqif consented to Muhammad's demands: they surrendered and allowed the Muslims into their city to detsroy the temple.
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...
CE, as the Muslims besieged the city of Taif after their victory in 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...
and Autas
Battle of Autas
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...
. However, the city did not succumb to the siege. One of their chieftains, Urwah ibn Mas'ud
Urwah ibn Mas'ud
Urwah ibn Mas'ud was a Thaqif'i chieftain of Taif who became a companion of Muhammad. He was one of the first people from his tribe to accept Islam, and he was killed by his fellow chieftains while preaching Islam in his home city....
, was absent in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
during that siege. Muhammad brought catapults and testudos to use against the fortress, but was unable to penetrate it, with the weapon.
Battle
Sunni sources state regarding the Siege of Ta'if:Abu Sufyan ibn Harb
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb
Sakhr ibn Harb , more commonly known as Abu Sufyan was a leading man of the Quraish of Mecca. He was a staunch opponent of the Islamic prophet Muhammad before accepting Islam later in his life.-Opposition to Islam:...
lost his first eye in the Siege of Taif. He told Muhammad of his loss for Allah to which Muhammad said “Which would you prefer: An eye in heaven or shall I pray to Allah that he brings it back?” To this Abu Sufyan said he would rather have his eye in heaven. He lost his other eye in the Battle of Yarmouk
Battle of Yarmouk
The Battle of Yarmouk was a major battle between the Muslim Arab forces of the Rashidun Caliphate and the armies of the East Roman-Byzantine Empire. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636, near the Yarmouk River, along what is today the border...
.
Blockade of Taif
Muhammad ordered the vineyard of the city to be cut down and burnt, as he saw no other way to force the people of Taif to surrender. He offered amnesty to those who surrendered themselves to Islam. Only 20 people surrendered and became followers of Muhammad.The siege went on for half a month and some soldiers were becoming impatient.
Muhammad desired to get the chief of the Banu Hawazan (called Malik) on his side, and promised that his family will be released and all his property given back, if he embraced Islam. He accepted the offer and became a Muslim and engaged in a constant warfare with the citizens of Taif. Malik captured their cattle's wherever they grazed and put them in a difficult situation.
Aftermath
Although the siege was unsuccessful, Muhammad vowed to return to Ta'if after the scared months in which fighting was forbidden were over. During this period, the inhabitants of Ta'if, the Banu ThaqifBanu Thaqif
The Thaqif was one of the tribes of Arabia during Muhammad's era. Thaqif was the main tribe of the town of Taif, in present-day Saudi Arabia, and descendants of the tribe still live in that city today and so many names in Arab countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Hatay...
, sent a delegation to Mecca; they begged Muhammad to let them continue to worship their Goddess Allat for a period of three years, Muhammad refused the proposal, he would only accpet their surrender if they agreed to adopt Islam immediately and let the Muslims destroy their temple, eventually the Banu Thaqif consented to Muhammad's demands: they surrendered and allowed the Muslims into their city to detsroy the temple.