Muhammad: Victory and DeathIn the 92nd month after the Hijra, Muhammad sent Khalid b. Walid with
350 men to invite the Banu Jadhima to Islam, but not to fight them.
Although the Banu Jadhima claimed to be Muslims, Khalid had them taken
as prisoners and had some of them executed. Khalid is also said to have
killed someone. On his return, Khalid claimed that Muhammad had
commanded him to attack the Banu Jadhima, but Muhammad denied the
responsibility for Khalid's actions and had the blood-money paid for those
who had been killed.^181
Also in the 92nd month after the Hijra, Muhammad and his allies left
Mecca for the valley of Hunayn with a force of 12,000 men to attack the
Hawazin and the Thaqif, who were allegedly planning an attack on the
Muslims. Along the way, Muhammad is said to have hung his weapons on
a tree, fell asleep and was protected from a would-be assassin by Allah.^182
In another tradition, some of the newly converted Muslims are said to have
asked Muhammad to give them a tree to hang their weapons on (an^183 d
sacrifice to the gods), but Muhammad refused and made an allusion to
Moses. When the Muslims began their assault in the valley of^184 Hunayn,
they were ambushed, and many of the Muslims began to flee. A small
group around Muhammad is said to have held its ground, and Muhammad
reportedly prayed as Moses had at the Red Sea. Muhammad was a^185 ble to
rally those who had fled, and the Muslims' counter-attack was so severe that
some began killing children. When Muhammad inquired about this, one
replied that they were only pagan children (who were being killed).
Muhammad forbade this and asked rhetorically if not even the best of the
Muslims had not been pagan children. The spoils from the b^186 attle are said
to have been 6000 slaves, 24,000 camels, 40,000 sheep and much silver. In
the division of the booty, which took place at al-Ji`rana after the siege of
al-Ta'if, the new Meccan converts to Islam (who were to be re^187 conciled)^188
were favored, and the Ansar received nothing. The Hawazin acc^189 epted
Islam not long afterwards, and their women and children were returned to
them, but not their possessions. Islamic sources only give^190 the names of
four Muslims who fell at Hunayn.^191
In the 93rd month after the Hijra, Muhammad sent al-Tufayl b. `Amr to
destroy the idol Dhu al-Khaffayn with his tribe. He burned th^192 e idol and
brought 400 of his people to al-Ta'if to assist with the seige there.^193
Also in the 93rd month after the Hijra, Muhammad and his forces advanced
to al-Ta'if, where the Banu Thaqif had fled into their fortress after the battle