Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
of Hunayn. The Muslims beseiged them for three weeks. The Mus^194 lims
tried to assault the walls, but the casualties caused by the defenders' archers
were too high. The Muslims then tried to undermine the walls of the
fortress, but the defenders threw red-hot plowshares down on the Muslims'
testudo, which caught fire. Muhammad then began destroying the vineyards
of the Banu Thaqif. The Muslims then asked the women of their t^195 ribes in
the fortress (who had intermarried), to come out to them, but the women
refused. The Muslims then offered to free all the slaves who would come
out to them, and more than 13 are said to have escaped. Still the^196 Muslims
were unable to enter the fortress, and so they abandoned their seige of
al-Ta'if. The Muslims are reported to have lost 12 men.^197
The booty from the battle of Hunayn was then divided at al-Ji`rana after the
seige of al-Ta'if.^198
In the 94th month after the Hijra, Mariya the Copt gave birth to Ibrahim b.
Muhammad, which made Muhammad's other women very jealous of her.^199
Also during the 94th month after the Hijra, the pilgrimage was held
according to the pagan Arab rituals.^200
In the 95th month after the Hijra, Muhammad sent `Uyayna b. Hisn and^201
50 horsemen to raid the Banu Tamim. Muhammad's forces are said to have
captured 11 men, 11 women and 30 children. Some of the Banu Tamim
came to Muhammad later and are said to have called for him incessantly.
After an alleged poetry contest between the Banu Tamim and the Muslims
(which the latter are said to have won), the Banu Tamim accepted Islam,
and their captive relatives were returned to them. Qur'an 49:1f is said to
have been revealed at this time.^202
Muhammad had sent a tax-collector (cf. Qur'an 9:60) to the (now) Muslim
Banu Mustaliq. Through a misunderstanding, blood was almost shed, but
the situation was corrected finally. Qur'an 49:6 is said to have been revealed
on this occasion.^203