Usamah’s Army
Time of the sending of Usamah’s Army
This army was sent out of Medina in the month of Safar in the year 11 A.H. [1]
Background of the sending of Usamah’s Army
The reason for the dispatch of the army
Prophet Muhammad returned to Medina after the farewell Hajj pilgrimage (Hajjah al-Wida) and spent the months of Muharram and Safar in Medina, and fell ill in the month of Safar. [2]
During that time, the new reached to the Prophet of an army from Rome that were moving towards Medina and as a result, the Prophet was thinking of sending an army towards them to confront them. [3]
Usamah’s command
The Prophet chose Usamah to command the army, gave him the banner and ordered him to go towards the lands of the Romans - the same place where his father, Zayd ibn Harithah was martyred. Incidentally, this is also where Jafar ibn Abi Talib and Abd Allah ibn Rawahah were also martyred in the Battle of Mutah. [4]
The Events of the Movement of Usamah’s Army
The halt of the army
Usamah readied himself for war and while wearing his battle armor, he left for Jaraf, but due to the illness of the Prophet of God, Usama and his army stayed at the camp at Jaraf, which was around six kilometers from Medina, for a few days. [5]
The Prophet’s order to move
Prophet Muhammad asked for Usamah to be brought to him and when he arrived, the Prophet said to him,
“With hope of blessings and victory from God, move forth tomorrow and go to the place I have specified.”
Usamah said,
“O Prophet of God, you are better now and I am hopeful that God has given you your full health back. Permit me to stay until God bestows full health upon you, because if you are ill and I move forth, I will be ever-fearful (of your condition) and I would not like to ask the people regarding your state (as I would like to directly see how you are doing).” [6]
Objections to Usamah’s age
In objection to being put under the command of someone as young as Usamah, some of the companions said,
“How has the Prophet given a youth preference over all of the Muhajirin and Ansar and made him their commander.” [7]
Waqidi expresses the objections of the companions as such,
“A number of the early Muhajirin objected to Usamah’s appointment as commander, and the person who objected most was Ayyash ibn Abi Rabiah who asked how this youth had been given command over the early Muhajirin and in respect to this, many words have been recorded.” [8]
The Prophet’s response to these objections
While the Prophet’s head was tied with a cloth (due to the intense pain he was still feeling), he came outside and sat on the pulpit in the masjid. He praised Allah and then said,
“O’ people, obey the orders of Usamah and leave with his army. I swear on my life that if you object to his appointment as commander today, know that in the past, people also objected to his father. He is suitable for the position of commander, just as his father was suitable for the position of commander.”
Then he dismounted from the pulpit. [9]
The Prophet’s advice to Usamah
Thereafter, the Prophet asked for Usamah ibn Zayd and said,
“O Usamah, move in the name of Allah and with belief in the Divine blessings and help until you reach the place where your father was martyred and camp there. I have made you the commander of this army. In the morning, launch a surprise attack on the enemy forces and come upon their heads like fire. Go the course of the way quickly, so that spies may not outrun you. If Allah bestows victory upon you, do not stay there for too long. Take a guide with you for the journey, and send spies and a vanguard ahead of you so that you are not taken by surprise. [10]
The members of Usamah’s army
Waqidi clearly identifies the early Muhajirin who were ordered to join this army under Usama and writes,
“All of the early Muhajirin were called into action for this war.”
Thereafter, he mentions four members of the early Muhajirin in this order: Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Ubaydah al-Jarrah, Sad ibn Abi Waqqas, and Said ibn Zayd al-Adawi. Then he mentions two members of the Ansar: Salamah ibn Aslam and Qatadah ibn Numan. [8] Yaqubi writes succinctly in his book that,
“The Prophet of Allah gave the banner of command to Usamah over a large number of Muhajirin and Ansar… and Abu Bakr and Umar were also present in this army.” [11]
It has also been mentioned that,
“Most of the members of the army were Muhajirin and Umar ibn al-Khattab was also amongst them.” [12]
The Prophet’s emphasis upon the dispatch of Usamah’s army
The Muslims came to the Prophet to say their farewells to him before leaving with Usamah’s army and Umar ibn al-Khattab was amongst them. The Prophet said that Usamah’s army should leave as soon as possible. [8]
At this point, Umm Ayman, Usamah’s mother, came to the Prophet and said,
“O’ Prophet of God, is it not better that Usamah halts here at the camp until you are better and they leave after that? Because if Usamah leaves for war in this state, he will not have great morale.” The Prophet of God said, “Usamah’s army should leave as soon as possible.” [8]
The order to move from Jaraf
Usamah moved towards the encampment and ordered all the soldiers to join him and when they all reached the encampment, he gave the order to leave from Jaraf. [8]
Usamah’s return to Medina
Through a messenger sent by his mother, Umm Ayman, the news arrived that the Prophet’s health had taken a turn for the worse. She sent a message to her son and told him that the Prophet of God was on his deathbed and thus, Usamah, along with Umar ibn al-Khattab and Abu Ubaydah al-Jarrah, returned to Medina as quick as they could. [8]
The reprimanding of Abu Bakr and Umar
It has been mentioned in some Shia source works that after the Prophet of God performed his prayers, he returned home and called for some of the Muslims and in the midst of the Muslims, Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab were present. He asked them,
“Did I not order you to go with Usamah’s army as soon as possible!? Why did you disobey my order!?” Abu Bakr said, “I had left, but I returned to see you once more!”
Umar said,
“O’ Prophet of God, I did not leave, because I do not want to ask about your state from others!” [13] Such things have not been mentioned in Sunni sources.
The Prophet’s insistence for Usamah’s army to move until the moment of his passing
With regards to this, the Prophet said the following statement three times,
“Dispatch Usamah’s army.” [14]
When the Prophet’s state deteriorated severely, Usamah came back and his army had not yet been dispatched. While in this state of weak health, the Prophet repeated the order several times, saying,
“Dispatch Usamah’s army.”
The Prophet was ill for fourteen days until he passed away on the night of the 2nd of the month of Rabi al-Awwal. [11]
References
- ↑ al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Ibn Kathir Volume 5 Page 222
- ↑ The book Maghazi where Musa ibn Uqba narrates from Zuhri – however, the page number has not been cited
- ↑ Sirah of Ibn Ishaq Volume 4 Page 253
- ↑ Dalail al-Nubuwwah, Bayhaqi Volume 7 Page 200
- ↑ Mujam al-Buldan, Volume 2, Page 128; Sirah of Ibn Ishaq, Volume 4 Page 299
- ↑ Dalail al-Nubuwwah, Bayhaqi Volume 7 Page 190-201
- ↑ Sirah of Ibn Ishaq Volume 4 Page 299; Tarikh of YaqubI Volume 2 Page 113
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Muhammad bin Umar al-Waqidi, al-Maghazi Volume 3 Page 117-120
- ↑ Sirah of Ibn Ishaq Volume 4 Page 299-301; Muhammad bin Umar al-Waqidi, al-Maghazi Volume 3 Page 117-120; Tarikh of Yaqubi Volume 2 Page 113
- ↑ Muhammad bin Umar al-Waqidi, al-Maghazi Volume 3, Page 117
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Tarikh of Yaqubi Volume 2 Page 113
- ↑ Dalail al-Nubuwwah, Bayhaqi Volume 7, Page 200
- ↑ Irshad, Shaykh Mufid Volume 2 Page 184; Ilam al-Wara, al-Tabrisi Volume 1 Page 265
- ↑ Irshad, Shaykh Mufīd Volume 2 Page 184