ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Biography of Imam `alĪ Ibn AbĪ-tĀlib The Siege of Al-ta’if Banū-Thaqif and their chief, Malik ibn `Awf al-Nasri, escaped from Hunayn and took shelter in Ta’if. They kept accumulating the equipment of warfare for one full year and locked themselves up in the fort. The army of Islam, under the command of the Prophet (a.s) chased them and laid siege of the Ta’if Fort. From both sides there was exchange of arrows.

The Muslims were in open ground and the Infidels were in the security of the fort. They rained so many arrows from the fort that some of the Muslims got martyred and many more injured. When there was no means of subduing the well-entrenched enemy, Salman al-Farisi came up with the idea of Catapult. With a specially devised catapult they started hurling fairly large stones on the fort. Thus they were able to breach the wall of the fort.

When the Muslims tried to enter the fort through the breach, the infidels threw red-hot iron rods from the top. The Muslims were forced to withdraw a little and did not succeed in capturing it. In the meantime, the Prophet (a.s) asked `Ali (a.s) to visit areas surrounding Ta’if and ordered him to destroy any place where idols were installed. `Ali (a.s) took a group of men with him and passed near the habitation of Banū-Khatm while it was still dark.

They resisted and one of their well-known fighter came forward and challenged for a fight. `Ali (a.s) asked someone of his men to go ahead and kill the infidel. When none took courage in his hands, Abul-`As ibn Rabi`ah saw that `Ali (a.s) was himself getting ready to confront the enemy. He offered that he would go. But the Imam stopped him and told him that if he succumbed during the fight, Abul-`as should take the command.

Saying this, `Ali (a.s) advanced swiftly and killed the infidel in one stroke. When Banū-Khatm saw their warrior killed, they retraced their steps. `Ali (a.s) went forward and destroyed all the idols of Banū-Hawazin and Banū-Thaqif. When the entire area was free of the idols, he returned. When the Prophet (a.s) saw him coming, he loudly raised the slogan of ‘allahu-akbar’ and took `Ali (a.s) to a corner. They were quietly exchanging confidences for quite some time.

Some persons did not like this quiet talk. They said, “Today the exchange of confidences with the cousin is quite long!” `Umar could not control himself.