ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Beacons of Light Lord, I do believe in all that he says! The Prophet stayed in Mecca for three days. There he married Maymunah al‑Hilaliyyah, daughter of al‑Harith. He left Mecca and went into her in a place called Sarf (outside the city); he then returned to Medina, where he remained till the beginning of the eighth year of the Hijrah. The Engagement Of Mu'tah The engagement of Mu'tah (on the borders of Syria) took place in Jumada 'l-Ula (August, 629).

The Prophet dispatched a large army under the leadership of Zayd ibn al‑Harithah. He directed that if Zayd were killed, then Ja'far ibn Abi Talib would take his place. If Ja`far were also slain, then `Abdullah ibn Rawahah should succeed him. Should he too be slain, then the Muslims must choose one from among themselves to be their leader. In a tradition related by Aban ibn `Uthman on the authority of the sixth Imam as‑Sadiq, we are told that the Prophet appointed Ja'far as their leader.

Should he be killed, then Zayd would succeed him, and if Zayd were also to be slain, then `Abdullah ibn Rawahah would assume the leadership of the army. The men set out, and when they reached Ma'an (on the pilgrimage route between Mecca and Syria), they heard that Hiraql (Heraclius) had encamped at a nearby place called Ma'rib with an army of 100,000 Byzantine and a similar number of Arabized people.

According to Aban ibn `Uthman, they heard of the great multitudes of the rejecters of faith, both Arabs and non‑Arabs: the Lakhm, Judham, Baliyy and Quda'ah. The Associators then moved to a place called al­-Masharif. Swords are called `al‑mashrafiyyah' because they were manufactured for Solomon son of David in that place. The Muslim fighters encamped in Ma'an for two days.

After consulting with one another, they decided to send word to the Messenger of Allah telling him of the large numbers of their enemies, and await his instructions. But `Abdullah ibn Rawahah objected saying: “O people ‑ by Allah, we fight not with our numbers, but with this faith with which Allah has honoured us.” They all agreed saying: “You speak the truth! ” Thus they prepared for war, even though they were only three thousand.

They met the Byzan­tine armies in a town of the land of Balqa' called Sharf. The Muslims then moved to Mu'tah, a small town near al‑Ahsa'.