Hazrat `Ali - Part 3 - Hazrat `Ali as the Foremost Defender of Islam

Part 3 - Hazrat `Ali as the Foremost Defender of Islam

Tags: Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar, Hunayn, Makkah

In the years after the Hijrah, the Muslims continued to face the opposition and enmity of the Makkans. This hostility forced the Prophet to defend Islam on the battlefield. In this aspect of his life, too, Hazrat `Ali was the Prophet's foremost supporter. As Chirri says:

"The Messenger was the architect and the founder of the Islamic state. His minister Ali was eliminator of the obstructive forces which stood in the way of its establishment, for he was the hero and the bearer of the banner of the Messenger in every decisive battle".¹⁷

It is reported that Hazrat `Ali fought in eighteen battles by the Prophet's side. In addition, he led numerous expeditions. An important point to note is that Hazrat `Ali was never asked by the Prophet to participate in a military expedition under the leadership of any other person.

In this part, the most renowned battles of Islamic history will be discussed, to show the outstanding and heroic role of Hazrat `Ali. They are the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar and Hunayn. Not only are they famous in Islamic history for various other reasons, but it is no exaggeration to say that defeat in each of them could have reversed the tide of Muslim history.

Battle of Badr

In 624 C.E, a small, ill-equipped band of Muslims (three hundred and thirteen, to be precise), had to face a Makkan army, three times as large, boasting all the paraphernalia of war, such as horses, camels and armour. The odds were so great against the tiny Muslim army that the Prophet prayed to Allah for help, saying: 'God, if this Muslim band will perish today, You shall not be worshipped'.¹⁸

The Prophet's use of these words demonstrates how desperate the situation must have been on that day for the Muslims. As the two armies faced each other, the customary call for the individual combat came from the enemies of Islam. Warfare in Arabia was conducted in this way from ancient times. Before the general melée began, the best warriors, the pride of the clans would step out to engage in single combat. Their prowess and courage would then be enshrined in poetry, which was so dear to the Arab heart.

On the day of Badr, the three champions of Quraysh - `Utbah, Shaybah and al-Walid stepped out and challenged the Muslims of equal rank (i.e., in blood and family prestige), to fight them in single combat. The Prophet called on Hazrat Hamzah, `Ubaydah and Hazrat `Ali to meet the challenge. Hazrat `Ali was only in his early twenties at this time. Hamzah killed `Utbah and Hazrat `Ali killed al-Walid and then the two of them turned to Shaybah who had mortally wounded `Ubaydah, the first martyr of the battle.

The first round of the battle was clearly in the Muslims' favour, but the odds continued to be against the small Muslim army. However, Divine help (in response to the Prophet's prayer as recorded in the Qur'an: 8:9-14) and Hazrat `Ali's valour, routed the superior Makkan army, after inflicting fifty to seventy casualties on it. Hazrat `Ali alone, slew almost half of the Makkan dead.¹⁹

It was the battle of Badr which laid the foundation of the Muslim state. The decisive victory of the Muslims, despite the great odds against them, made them a force to be reckoned with in the Arabian Peninsula. Thus, Hazrat `Ali's role in it was doubly significant since it ensured the well-being and the future progress of the Muslim State and the religion of Islam.

Battle of Uhud

The Battle of Uhud was fought in 625 C.E. The proud Quraysh, still smarting from the disgrace of their defeat at the hands of a much smaller, less-equipped army of the Muslims, gathered a large army to avenge the set-back of the previous year.

Prophet Muhammad, fully aware of the great advantage of numbers and arms the Makkan army had over his, strategically placed his men on rising ground, with fifty archers protecting their backs, further up the mountain side. The archers were personally instructed by the Prophet not to leave their positions, regardless of the turn the battle took.

The battle opened with the usual challenges to single combat. Hazrat `Ali answered the first call of the standard bearer of the Makkan troops, Talhah bin Abi Talhah. Swords were crossed and with a single stroke Hazrat `Ali severed the Makkan's head. Then followed more members of Talhah's family, who strove to defend their hereditary function of bearing the standard. None of them however, was a match for Hazrat `Ali. The Makkan army was demoralised by the swift despatch of its standard bearers, one after another. Hazrat `Ali and Hazrat Hamzah, taking advantage of this, broke through the enemy lines and as they advanced, the enemy began to flee before them. Some of the Muslim soldiers became prematurely over-confident and abandoning the battle, began to accumulate the gains of war. Seeing this situation, the archers stationed on the mountain side, disobeyed the instructions given to them by the Prophet, left their positions to join the plunder. Khalid bin Walid, the commander of the Makkan cavalry, was quick to seize this opening and he charged the Muslims from the rear.²⁰

The events which followed could have led to a resounding defeat for the Muslims: the Prophet suffered a minor injury and a rumour was deliberately spread by the Makkans that he had been killed; many of the companions of the Prophet fled in fear, abandoning him; and a valiant soldier like Hazrat Hamzah was martyred in this battle. However, Hazrat `Ali was immediately at the side of the Prophet. Not only did he push back attack after attack from Khalid's men, but he rallied some of the companions who had deserted by his courage, selflessness and example. The Prophet reported that Jibril and the angels in heaven, in admiration of Hazrat `Ali's inimitable role during that critical time, recited:

'La fata illa `Ali, la sayfa illa Dhulfaqar' i.e., There is no ideal man except `Ali and no sword except Dhulfaqar.²¹

The Battle of Badr laid the foundation of the Islamic State. The Battle of Uhud was in danger of destroying that precious foundation, had it not been for the illustrious action and heroism of Hazrat `Ali and a few other Muslims who rallied to his call.

The Battle of Khandaq (or Trench, Ditch, Moat)

It is also known as the Battle of Ahzab (or Confederates). It took place in 627 A.D.

The Makkans had mustered an army of ten thousand strong consisting of the Quraysh, other Makkan tribes, several pagan Bedouin tribes and the Jewish tribes of Banu Nazir, all intent on annihilating the Prophet and his followers. Against such a mighty host, the Prophet could muster only three thousand fighters, he therefore decided that this would have to be a war of defence. On the advice of his Persian follower, Salman-i Farsi, who knew about siege warfare, the Prophet agreed that a deep trench should be dug around Madinah, making it impregnable.

The Makkans and their allies were thoroughly taken aback by this unexpected strategy and were forced to camp some distance away from Madinah. However, a small band of horsemen, led by `Amr ibn `Abd-i Wadd, whose fame and skill as a fighter, were recited in poetry and talked about around caravan fires, decided to jump their horses across the narrow point of the trench. The situation became tense. But Hazrat `Ali acted promptly. Together with a small group of Muslims, he sealed off the point of entry to prevent any more enemies from penetrating their defences.

`Amr ibn `Abd-i Wadd, in the meantime, was boisterously calling for single combat, but in vain, his reputation as a fighter was too well known. Hazrat `Ali, satisfied that the weak point in the trench was well guarded, turned to `Amr and accepted his challenge. `Amr hesitated, since he had been a great friend of Hazrat Abu Talib, Hazrat `Ali's father. However, Hazrat `Ali gave him two options – either to accept Islam or to fight him. `Amr, therefore, got off his horse and sword drawn, advanced towards Hazrat `Ali, a man much younger and less experienced than himself. Soon the two combatants were surrounded by a cloud of dust, while the onlookers held their breaths, uncertain of the outcome, when suddenly the cry of 'Allahu Akbar' resounded over the trench and Hazrat `Ali emerged as the victor.

It is reported that when the news of `Amr's death was broken to his sister, a poetess of some renown, she replied: 'If the killer of `Amr had been any other man, I would have wept forever. But the slayer of `Amr cannot be charged with any defect. He was a man who was called of old the foremost of the land'.²²

The defeat of `Amr, their star warrior, the failure of the Makkans to attack across the trench, the unsuccessful outcome of their intrigues with the Jews inside Madinah, combined with the inclement weather and shortage of provision for such a large army, forced the Makkans to retreat.

The Prophet pronounced two famous statements as the Battle of Khandaq ended. He said: "The duel of `Ali bin Abi Talib against `Amr bin `Abd-i Wadd at the Battle of Moat outweighs the good deeds of my whole community until the Day of Judgement".

He also said that Khandaq marked the last offensive of his enemies, the Makkans. From that time onwards, the Prophet would initiate any military action in order to secure the future of Islam.

The Battle of Khaybar

The Battle of Khaybar against the Jews, which took place in 628 C.E. was the most major military operation which the Prophet undertook. From the very beginning of his settlement in Madinah, the Prophet had offered generous terms to the Jews. Their freedom of worship as the people of the Book (ahlu'l-kitab) was respected in keeping with the teachings of the Qur'an. However, the Jews of Madinah and its surrounding areas responded to this tolerance with scheming and outright treachery. The Prophet, therefore, decided to eliminate the threat they posed to the Islamic State by attacking their most impregnable stronghold, Khaybar. With a large army he laid siege to the rocky fortress.

The siege was prolonged because Khaybar was not a single fort, rather a series of forts, of which one called al-Qamus was the most impregnable. During this siege, Hazrat `Ali was confined to his tent suffering from an inflammation of the eyes. Prophet Muhammad, therefore, asked Hazrat Abu Bakr to lead the first attack, however, it was repelled and the Muslims turned back unsuccessful. The same situation prevailed on the following day, when the Prophet ordered Hazrat `Umar to lead the second onslaught. Disappointed and worried by the continued lack of success of the Muslims, the Prophet announced:

"Tomorrow I will definitely give the standard to a man who loves God and His Messenger and God and His Messenger love him and at his hand God will grant victory".

The Muslim soldiers were agog with high hopes and excitement. Everyone was anxious to be in this privileged category. When the morning dawned, the Prophet summoned Hazrat `Ali and gave him the standard. Hazrat `Ali led the attack with his usual vigour and selfless dedication. He engaged in single combat with several renowned Jewish heroes and eliminated them one by one, including Marhab who was considered the supreme champion of the Jewish forces. During this duel, Hazrat `Ali lost his shield and with his bare hands tore out a door of the fortress to replace it. This very famous incident is variously reported that, when the battle was over, several men (ranging from seven to seventy) tried to pick the door up with great difficulty.

The Muslim soldiers surged through the breach made by Hazrat `Ali and Khaybar was finally subjugated. This particular battle proved that Hazrat `Ali had no parallel for courage and valour in the history of Islam, which abounds with examples of his single handed, amazing feats of heroism. Hazrat `Ali was able to achieve singly, what a number of stalwart Muslims found hard to accomplish together. Hazrat `Ali was truly the supreme mujahid (jihad maker or fighter in the cause of Islam).

The Conquest of Makkah and the Purification of the Ka`bah from idols

Peace between the Muslims and their old enemies, the Quraysh of Makkah was guaranteed by the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, according to which neither side would interfere in the affairs of the other. However, in 629 the Quraysh helped their ally, the Bani Kinanah against the tribe of Bani Khuza`ah, who were the Prophet's allies and as such had his protection. Therefore the holy Prophet mustered an army of 12,000 strong and marched towards Makkah and camped just outside it. Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Makkan Quraysh was greatly perturbed and rode out to the Prophet's camp. Under the protection of `Abbas, he spent the night there and in the morning he accepted the faith of Islam and was told by the Prophet that he and whoever took shelter in his house would therefore be protected. The holy Prophet and his mighty army marched into Makkah and made their way straight to the Ka`bah, where he broke all the lower idols with his stick. Those which were out of his reach, he commanded Hazrat `Ali to climb on his shoulders, in order to destroy them too. This event of Hazrat `Ali climbing on the holy Prophet's shoulders to break the idols is the subject of many poets' eulogy throughout history.

The conquest of Makkah was almost bloodless because the Prophet forgave his old enemies and accepted them into the fold of Islam. It also marked the end of paganism in the city.

The Battle of Hunayn

Outside the city of Makkah however, some pagan tribes felt threatened by the change of situation in it. A tribe called the Hawazin aware of the imminent danger, reacted by exerting force of arms. The holy Prophet marched out with his larger army of 12,000 soldiers towards them. The battle took place in a narrow valley, where a surprise attack from the enemy caused panic in the Prophet's army who began to scatter and flee. However, as usual bearing the Prophet's standard Hazrat `Ali stood his ground in front of the Prophet, whereas a handful of the Banu Hashim (i.e., the Prophet's family) surrounded the Prophet on three sides, protecting him from the onslaught of the enemy. The battle of Hunayn is mentioned in Surah-yi Tawbah (9:25-26), how many fled from the scene and how Allah helped the Prophet through His invisible hosts and punished those who disbelieved. The defeat of the pagan Hawazin marked the end of paganism throughout the Hijaz. In the distribution of the booty from this battle, preference was given to the newly converted Makkan Muslims, which caused some murmurs of dissent amongst the Ansar of Madinah. The holy Prophet said to his old friends: "Do you wish to have more of the worldly goods, such as sheep and goats or do you want me?" They all replied with one voice that they wanted him. In this way the delicate situation was averted to the Prophet's and his companions' satisfaction.

Summary

Hazrat `Ali's performance on the battlefield in the defence of Islam has become legendary. He was never defeated in single combat and whenever he led the Muslim armies in battle, God always granted victory to the Muslim cause at his hands. Hazrat `Ali's feats of heroism and chivalry have become a part of the history of Islam and Arabia and both his followers as well as his enemies acknowledge his superiority in this sphere.

There are many outstanding points to note about Hazrat `Ali's role as the supreme mujahid of Islam. Both Hazrat `Ali's contemporaries as well as future generations of Muslims have been so overawed by Hazrat `Ali's bravery that a whole series of miraculous stories have been woven around his achievements, to the extent that people have attributed miraculous powers to his mount 'Duldul' and his sword 'Dhulfaqar'. It has been claimed that the steed and the sword descended from heaven, for instance. The truth of the matter though, is that Dhulfaqar was simply an ordinary sword captured during a battle, which the Prophet presented to Hazrat `Ali. As for 'Duldul', far from being a heavenly horse, it was not even an ordinary horse, it was a mule! Hazrat `Ali was once asked why he preferred a mule to a horse. He replied that since he neither intended to chase an enemy in flight nor intended himself to flee from the battlefield, a mule was quite adequate for him! Such were his ethics on the battlefield.

Another characteristic of Hazrat `Ali which amazed and baffled people was his strict code of chivalry on the battlefield. This is best summed up in his advice to his son, Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah:

"O son! Let the mountains move from their places, but your foot should not falter from that place that has been assigned to you in the battlefield. Install your feet firmly on the ground as though a nail had been driven into them. Let your one jaw of teeth rest firmly on the other jaw. Keep an eye on the rear of your enemy. Enter the battle with a firm determination that you have sold your head to God. With all this, always think that success lies in the hands of God. Above all never raise your hand against the sick, women, aged and children. Even if they abuse you, it behoves you to give them refuge. Never mutilate the limbs of the enemy or any other person. Give decent burial to the bodies of your enemies".²³

More than one incident of Hazrat `Ali's demonstration of his code or ethic is recorded for posterity. A famous incident took place during the Battle of Khandaq. Hazrat `Ali, during a single combat, had thrown his opponent `Umar to the ground, when the enemy, as a last insult, spat in his face. Hazrat `Ali turning away left his enemy alive. Surprised onlookers queried Hazrat `Ali's behaviour towards this dangerous foe. Hazrat `Ali replied that he would have killed `Umar for the sake of God and Islam but when he spat at him, he lost his temper and if in that state, he had completed the execution of `Umar it would have been done in anger and retaliation, rather than in the way of God and the spirit of Jihad!

A similar event took place at the Battle of Siffin. Mu`awiyah, fully aware that if he accepted the challenge of the customary single combat with Hazrat `Ali, would not come out of it alive, bribed `Amr ibn al-`As with the governorship of Egypt, to fight in his stead. Ibn al-`As had developed, to the fullest, his scheming powers to complement his cowardice. In the duel with Hazrat `Ali, Ibn al-`As was in no time lying on the ground with Hazrat `Ali's sword raised above him. Ibn al-`As, quick as a flash undid his loose one piece dress and exposed his buttocks (rear). Hazrat `Ali, at once dropped his sword, reluctant to kill even his arch-enemy in such a disgraceful condition and turning away from Ibn al-`As told him that he was welcome to his governorship of Egypt.²⁴

The historical period of Hazrat `Ali required from him participation in numerous battles and expeditions against the enemies of Islam. In all of them his extraordinary, superhuman qualities of extreme heroism, combined with his strict code of chivalry, have left a rich heritage of stories and anecdotes, which arouse in his enemies a reluctant admiration, tinged with envy and in his followers a deep yearning to follow his example.

¹⁷'The Brother of the Prophet Muhammad', The Imam Ali, Vol. 1 by M.J. Chirri, Detroit, 1979.
¹⁸Ibn Hisham, 'Biography of the Prophet', Part 2, p. 621 quoted in 'The Brother of Prophet Muhammad', The Imam Ali, Vol. 1 by J.M. Chirri.
¹⁹See the list of enemies killed by Hazrat `Ali in 'Kitab al-Irshad' by Shaykh al-Mufid – trans. by I.K.A. Howard, pp 46-48.
²⁰See reference to this in the holy Qur'an Surah 3, verses 152-153 (3:152-153).
²¹Most historians/writers who report this, translate the recitation of the angels as: 'There is no hero/youth/young man except `Ali'. However, the actual meaning of 'Fata' (Persian equivalent = Jawanmard) is someone who has reached perfection in all his qualities' (cf. 'Pir Pandyat-i Jawanmardi').
²²'Kitab al-Irshad' by Shaykh al-Mufid, p. 72.
²³Quoted in 'Ali the Superman' by Dr. `Ata Mohy-ud-Din, Lahore, 1980.

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