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Battle of Ridda war (Introduction)

During the reign of Caliph Abu Bakr, the war fought from 632 to 633 AD. This war fought against the apostate rebels. The Arab tribes then started a revolt. They were loyal to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but they denied the obedience of Abu Bakr (peace be upon him). The battles waged by Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) against the rebels were the battles of Riddar. These rebels were deceived by three false prophets named Tulaiha, Umsaylima and Sajaha. These false prophets were defeated one by one by the Muslim forces. However, the people around Mecca did not revolt.

In May 632 AD, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered a major campaign against the Roman Empire. The expedition led by Usama bin Zayed. There were 3000 Muslims in this force. Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) died in June of this year and Hazrat Abu Bakr (Ra.) elected his caliph. As soon as Hazrat Abu Bakr took charge, he instructed Usama bin Zayd to move forward.

 Before proceeding, Usama bin Zayd sent Umar bin Khattab to Abu Bakr and said:

“Go to the caliph tell him that the troops are allowed to stay in Medina. All the leaders are with me. If we leave there will be no one to stop the disbelievers from tearing Madinah to pieces.”

 

Abu Bakr, however, refused the request. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) persisted in his own decision to complete the unfinished work. On June 26, 1962, Osama's forces began advancing. They left Medina and proceeded towards Tabuk. Most of the tribes in the region decided to fight against him. However, they were defeated by the army of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R). After this, Usama ibn Zayd led an expedition to northern Arabia and proceeded from Kuja to Dumatul Jandal.

Some tribes later converted to Medina and re-embraced Islam. But the Kuja tribe remained rebellious. Amr ibn al-As forced to surrender after the defeat of the Kuja tribe. At the end of these expeditions, Osama started moving towards Mutar. Meanwhile, there were Banu Kalb and Gasani Christians attacking the Arabs. Osama returned to Medina with his captives and property. Sonara returned to Medina. They were out of Medina for only 40 days.

The defense of Medina In Riddar War

The rebels gathered at two places near Medina. These were Yukisa, 24 miles east, and Abrak, 62 miles northeast. The Bun Gatafan, Hawazin, and Tai tribes were engaged in it. Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) sent envoys to the opposing tribes to pay allegiance to Islam and pay Zakat.

 

Within a week or two of the departure of the army of Hazrat Usama bin Zayd, the rebellious tribes surrounded Medina on hearing that there a small army in Medina. On the other hand, the false prophet Tulaiha continues to increase the power of the rebels of Yukisar. In the third week of July 632, the rebels marched from Yukisa to Juhusa, from where they began preparing for the attack on Medina.

 

Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) got information about these rebels through intelligence and could form an army to defend Medina. He continued to collect troops from the tribe of Banu Hashim, the tribe of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In this army were the companions like Hazrat Ali (R), Hazrat Talha Ibn Ubaidullah and Hazrat Jubayr Ibn Awwam (R). These three are responsible for managing one-third of the newly formed army. The calipha attacked the rebels and sent them back to their base in Juhusa.

 

The next day, Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) marched from Medina with the main army and proceeded towards Juhusa. Their camels were not warrior camels. All the warrior camels of the Muslim army were with the army of Hazrat Usama (RA). These camels are startled when the rebel leader Hibal suddenly attacks the Muslims. Because these camels were not trained in war. As a result, the Muslim forces had to retreat. The rebels regain their lost ground. In Medina, Abu Bakr (R) regrouped and attacked the rebels at night. The rebels were forced to retreat. In the morning, Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) led his forces towards Yukisa. In this battle, the rebels were defeated and Yukisa captured. The day August 1, 632 AD. The defeated rebel tribes retreated towards Abrak. People from Gatafan, Hawazin and Tai tribes gathered in Arab.

 

On August 4, 632, Osama's forces returned to Medina. They were out of Medina for 40 days. Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) ordered Hazrat Usama (R) to rest his army in Medina and armed them to fight the rebels.

 

Meanwhile, in the second week of August 632, he marched on Yukisa with his army. He brought the armies under Numan Ibn Makran under his command and advanced towards Abrak. The rebels retreated and gathered here. He defeated them. The rest of the rebels retreated towards Bujakar. Tulaiha came here from Samira with her army.

 

Hazrat Abu Bakr's strategy of war

In the fourth week of August 632, Abu Bakr set out for Yukisa with his whole army. At this point, Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) planned to fight the rebels of all levels in Arabia. Among these were the rebel strongholds of Yukisa and the battles Abra took part in defending Medina and preventing the enemy from advancing further. Due to this, the ground protection for a bigger campaign in front of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) able to and gets time to run his main force. At this moment Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) had several opponents. These are Bujakar Tulaiha, Butah's Malik bin Nuaira, Yamama's Musailima. These rebellious and false prophets went to war against Hazrat Abu Bakr (R). They revolted in Oman Mahra, Haramaut and Yemen.

 

Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) formed an army with some warriors and heroic Companions. The earliest and strongest of these the army of Khalid ibn Walid (R). The army of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) used to go into operation first. After that the rest followed him. Hazrat Abu Bakr's plan to deal with Malik Ibn Nuaira and finally deal with the false prophet and the greatest rebel Musailima. Yamama fought against this false prophet Musailama and the false prophet killed. Many Hafez Sahabis were martyred in this battle.

Muslim commanders in charge

Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) formed 11 teams to conduct the expedition and each had a team leader. The following are the names of 11 generals:

 

1.      Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R)

2.      Ikrima Ibn Abu Jahel

3.      Amr ibn al-As

4.      Shurahbil Ibn Hasana

5.      Khalid Ibn Saeed

6.      Turaifa bin Hajiz

7.      Ala bin Al Hadrami

8.      Huzaifa bin Mihsan

9.      Arfaza bin Harzama

10.  Muhajir bin Abi Umaya

11.  Suai bin Mukaran

 

The expeditions of the generals and their opponents

Khalid bin Walid first Tulaiha bin Khuwailid al-Asdi of the Asad tribe of Buzakhar and later Malik bin Nuaira of Butah. Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl sent to fight Musailima. Hazrat Amr ibn al-As (R) sent to fight against the rebels of the Kuja and Wadia tribes of Tabuk and Dumatul Jandal. Shurahbil Ibn Hasana (R) continued to follow (R) and he had to wait until the order of the Caliph came. There were some rebel tribes on the Syrian border. They were sent to subdue General Khalid bin Saeed (R). Turaifa bin Hajiz sent to suppress the rebellious tribes of Hawazin and Bani Sulaiman of Medina and Mecca. Alaa bin Al Hadrami, Huzaifa bin Mihsan, Arfaza bin Harzama, respectively, for the rebels in Bahrain, Oman, and Mahra. Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) sent Muhajir bin Abi Umayya and Suwai bin Mukaran for the rebels in Yemen.

 

After the formation of the army, Khalid proceeded. Shortly afterwards, and Amr ibn al-As followed him. Other armies were under the caliph. They are sent in the following weeks and months. Their deployment depended on the operation of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) regarding the strong position of the enemies.

 

Abu Bakr made a final call to the rebel tribes to surrender before the various armies left Yukisa.

 

Instructions give to the commanders in the battle of Riddar:

In a situation where war forbidden

The purpose of the commanders to search and locate the tribes. Before the war, the Muslim forces used to call for prayers. If the rebel tribes responded to the call to prayer, they were forbidden to attack. After that the tribes have to surrender by calling for paying Zakat. Even if they accept the payment of Zakat, they cannot be attacked or fought against.

 

Moreover, war forbidden against those who surrendered.

 

The order to fight:

Those who did not answer the call to prayer and did not surrender were ordered to deal with them by the sword and to fight against them. At the same time, those who killed Muslims were told to kill. With all these instructions, Hazrat Abu Bakr ordered the Muslim forces to advance.

 

Wars:

Bujakha

Bujakha the organized war of Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid (R) against the rebellious Tulayahar. In this battle, Tulaiha and his allies fought against the Muslim forces. Upon hearing the news of the preparation of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R), Tulaiha and his allied tribes made preparations. In this situation, the Bani Asad and Gatafan tribes came forward with the help of Tulaihar. These two tribes were also one of the rebel tribes. Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) began to find a way to weaken the rebels. Although some tribes help Tulaiha, the Tai tribe refrains from supporting Tulaiha. This is because Adi Ibn Hatim, the leader of this tribe, a Muslim. The Caliph sent Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) Adi to negotiate with the chiefs of the tribe so that they could come to a conclusion and return from Tulaihar's forces. This discussion is fruitful. Adi Ibn Hatim recruited 500 horsemen from his tribe to join Khalid's army. Then Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) advanced towards the rebellious tribe of Jadila. The Jadila tribe surrendered and a thousand warriors joined the army of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R). This saves the energy of the Muslim forces.

 

After this the Muslim army led by Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) started marching towards Bujakhar. Finally, in the middle of September 632 AD, the battle of Bukhara fought with Tulaihar.

In this battle, Tulaihar had 15,000 troops and Hazrat Khalid bin Walid had only 6,000 troops. Tulaihar suffered heavy losses in this battle. The number of Muslim casualties small.

At the beginning of the battle, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) called Tulaiha for the battle of Dand but Tulaiha did not fight him. Later his forces did not That started the war with the Muslim forces. Tulaiha defeated in the battle and taken prisoner by the Caliph Abu Bakr. Then Tulaiha asked for forgiveness and the Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) forgave him.

 All the remaining troops in this battle advanced towards Gamra.

 

Battle of Gamra

Those who had retreated in the battle of Bujakhar were confronted by Muslim forces at a place called Gammar. The battle fought by the Muslim forces under the leadership of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) in the third week of September 632 AD. This battle won by the Muslim forces. After receiving the news of the victory of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R), some tribes surrendered to Hazrat Abu Bakr (R). This followed by the battle of Nakra and the battle of Jafar.

Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) victorious in the battle of Nakra. And advanced towards Jafar with the Muslim forces.

 

Jafar's battle

Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) won the battle of Gamara and Nakra and advanced towards Jafar. This battle fought in 633 between Khalid ibn Walid (R) and the rebel leader Salma. In the battle of Jafar, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid's opponent Salma, the leader of the rebellious tribe. Rebel leader Salma took part in it on a camel. There were bodyguards around the camel. Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) killed Salma and her bodyguards at one stage of this battle. Hundreds of rebels were killed in this battle.

Salma's forces suffered heavy losses in this battle. The Muslims won through a small loss. When the battle of Jafar ended, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) advanced towards Nahd.

 Najd

Almost all the tribes surrendered due to the successive victories of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R). But some tribes were excluded. The tribe of Banu Tamim is one of them. They advanced against Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R). But Malik Ibn Nuwayra, the leader of Banu Yarbu, a branch of the Banu Tamim, withdrew from the war with his branch. This owner at the same time a poet, a warrior and he famous among the Arabs for his generosity.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Malik Ibn Nuwara a Zakat collector of the tribe of Banu Tamim during his lifetime. But after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) he became a rebel and differentiated between Salat and Zakat. As a result, as soon as he heard the news of the Prophet's death, he returned the zakat he had collected to the people of the tribe.

Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) may know that Malik Ibn Nuwayra made a pact with the false prophet Sajah and promised to take revenge against the Muslim forces. But Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) did not see any army when he went to Najad. As a result, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) sent his cavalrymen to a nearby village to get the news and when he saw them, he asked them to call for prayers according to the caliph's instructions.

When the Muslim forces could not hear the answer to the call to prayer, Malik ibn Nuwayra arrested the family of Jiran bin Azwar. He later accused of being a rebel for refusing to pay zakat and distinguishing between prayers and zakat. At the same time, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) ordered his execution on the charge of rebellion against the Caliph by concluding a pact with the self-proclaimed and false woman Prophet Sajahar and a controversy arose over this incident.

Yamama

The most important and fierce battle during the battle of Riddar against the false prophet Musailama in the battle of Yamama. In this battle, Hafez of 600 Qur'ans including Abu Hudhaifah (R) martyred due to which later Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) compiled Al-Quran.

Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl ordered to meet Yamamay Musailama. But the number of his army not enough to fight Musailama. The strongest of the rebels Musailama. Hazrat bin Abu Jahl appointed Yamama so that Musailama would remain a prisoner in Yamama. The main battle began when Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) came to Yamama after defeating the rebels in all other battles.

Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl kept an eye on the tribe of Banu Hanifa from his camp. After that the Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) sent Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) to Yamama to fight against False Prophet.

Musailama defeated h bin Abu Jahl and Shurahbil bin Hasanah. Later, the Caliph wrote a letter to Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) asking him to join the army of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R). After receiving this letter, Shurahbil Ibn Hasana joined Hazrat Khalid bin Walid. Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (R) advanced towards Butar and joined the old army there. He then proceeded to Yamama. The battle of Yamama took place in December 632 AD.

False Prophet Musaylama camped in the plains of Akbar. His army consisted of a huge army of 40,000. The Muslim army, on the other hand, had 13,000 soldiers. But the Muslim forces were not afraid to see this huge force. Because they called believers. They wield the sword, relying on God alone.

This war very frightening. This war ends in two stages. At first, during the war, the Muslims attacked with full force. Many Companions were martyred. After the war over, only a quarter of Musailama's forces survived, and they retreated and took refuge in a walled garden. There, more than 6,000 rebels joined Musailama.

Since the garden surrounded by a wall, Muslim forces were not able to enter and fight. A. In his opinion, Al-Bara Ibn Malik called on his followers to help him climb the wall. He able to break through the wall and the garden wall door opened for the Muslims. As a result, Muslim forces were able to enter the garden and fight. Then the second battle in the garden began. Musailama still fighting. During the battle, the Abyssinian Companion Wahshi Ibn Harab saw Musailama with the help of an Ansari Companion and killed Musailama with the spear in his hand (with which he martyred Hazrat Hamza (R) in the battle of Uhud). As a result, the morale of Musailama's forces are broken. Later all the rebels were killed in the battle.

After this war almost all the rebels in Arabia fell. In this battle, Saf Ibn Sayyid miraculously disappeared.

Chess War (Oman Rebel Suppression War)

In mid-September 632 AD, the rebels of Oman were suppressed by the battle of Eid al-Adha. If there a revolt in Oman, the Caliph sent Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) Huzaifa bin Mihsan (R) to Oman. There the Azad tribe revolted under their leader Dhalakit bin Malik. After entering Oman, Huzaifa waited without fighting. Because of the number of his troops not enough for the war. At the end of September, when he wrote a letter to the Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) and informed the Caliph about this, he sent Caliph Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl there as help. and Hudhayfah bin Mihsan (R) went there to fight together.

The Muslim forces found Lakit bin Malik in the chess desert and fought with them there. The Muslims were victorious in the battle and Lakit bin Malik killed in the battle. Hudhayfah bin Mihsan appointed governor of Oman, and Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl went to the region around Daba and defeated the rebels of the Azad tribe there and suppressed the Oman rebels.

Suppression of rebellion in northern Arabia

In the month of October 632 AD, the army of Hazrat Amr (R) sent to the Syrian border to suppress the rebellion on the Syrian border. He involved in the war against the rebels in the border region of northern Arabia. Among the rebels in this region were the branches of the Bani Kalb tribe. These are: Kuja and Wadia branch tribes of Tabuk and Dumatul Jandal.

Amr able to suppress the rebels in northern Arabia after the arrival of Shurahbil Ibn Hasana in January after the battle of Yamama.

Suppression of the Yemeni insurgency

Yemen the first country in Arabia to revolt against Islam. The leader in Yemen at the time Aswad claimed to be a prophet. It during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that Fayruz al-Dailami assassinated him and Sana'a became the governor of Yemen.

                                                                                                                        

After hearing the news of the demise of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there a second revolt in Yemen. This rebellion took place during the Battle of Riddar. The only purpose of these rebels to drive the Muslims out of Yemen. These rebels tried to demoralize the Muslims by killing Fairuz and other Muslim leaders. They tried to create discord among the Muslims.

But Fairuz fled and took refuge in the hills. The incident took place in July 632, during the Battle of Riddar. He remained here for the next six months. He later joined by several thousand other Muslims from Yemen. After strengthening his position, Fairuz led the people to fight against Kais.

Going to Sana'a, he advanced against Sana'a and Allah Ta'ala gave victory to this Muslim force. Qais retreated to Abyan with his men and surrendered there. Later Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) forgave them. In this way the rebellion in Yemen suppressed.

Suppression of the Maharaja rebellion

Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) told h bin Abu Jahl to advance from Oman to Mahr and to join Arfaza bin Harsamar so that Mahr could fight the rebels. But when Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl arrived, he saw that Arfaza bin Harsama had not yet reached there. Here Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl continued to fight the rebels instead of waiting.

While fighting with them, Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl met two rebel groups at a place called Zairut. Among them Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl called a group to embrace Islam. Upon hearing this call, the party converted to Islam and joined Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl to fight against the enemy.

Then  Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl is able to re-establish Islam in Mahra. May Allah bless this Muslim general. Ameen.

 

Suppression of the uprising in Bahrain

When the revolt broke out in Bahrain, the Caliph Abu Bakr sent a Muslim army to suppress them. After the battle of Yamama, the Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) sent Ula bin Al Hadrami (R) against the rebels in Bahrain.

 The expedition started suddenly one night. That night Ula bin Al Hadrami suddenly attacked and sat down. In that battle, he captured the city, and the rebels retreated. But they were able to fight the Muslim forces again but the Muslim forces won the battle.

 With the surrender of most of the rebels and their return to Islam, the expedition ended in January 633 AD and the Bahraini rebellion suppressed.

Hadramaot

The Yemeni rebels were first suppressed by Fayruz al-Dailami. But the biggest rebel during the battle of Riddar Qin, a resident of Najran in Hadramaut on the eastern side of Yemen.

It committed by the tribe. The tribe did not revolt until January 633.

Ziad bin Lubaid the Muslim governor of Hadramaut in this region. He first campaigned against this Kinda tribe. As a result, the Kinder tribe started a complete revolt. But no war has started between the two sides yet. This because the number of their armies in balance. So they had no interest in war. The leader of the rebel tribe Ashas bin Qais. Ziad bin Lubaid's troops waited for help.

Later, the Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (R) sent Commander Muhajir bin Abi Umayya to help Ziad bin Lubaid. He first suppressed some rebellious tribes of Najran. He later joined Ziad bin Lubayd on the orders of the Caliph and later h bin Abu Jahl also joined the Muslim army.

In January 633, Muhajir and Ziad's forces met in the capital of Hadramaut. They then defeated the forces of Ashas and Ashas retreated towards the fort of Nuzair and marched towards the city. After this battle, Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl reached Ziad and Muhajir and joined the battle. Three Muslim armies, led by the commander of the Muhajir, marched on Nuzair and laid siege to the city. Later in mid-February, Nuzair came under Muslim forces.

This put an end to the apostasy in Arabia and the whole Arabian Peninsula came under the shadow of the Muslims. 632 A.D. The battle of Riddar ended on 16 March 12 AH and the whole of Arabia came under the rule of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R). It a political and military victory for the Muslims.

After this battle the Muslim forces became militarily skilled and they concentrated on the outside. After this war the Muslims could concentrate on the Byzantine and Persian Empires and were able to conduct campaigns in important cities and provinces. I will discuss this later, Inshaallah.