A Critical Exposition of the Popular 'Jihád'/Introduction/24

by Moulavi Gerágh Ali

[Sidenote: Spread of Islam in the surrounding tribes at Medina after the Hegira I-VI.]

24. During the six eventful years of Mohammad's sojourn at Medina, from the Hegira to the truce of Hodeibia, where he was every year attacked or threatened by other hostile Arab tribes, acting always in self-defence, he had converted several members or almost entire tribes residing round Medina.

Among them were the following:—

1. The Bani Aslam.^[1]

2. Joheina.^[2]

3. Mozeina.^[3]

4. Ghifár.^[4]

5. Saad-bin-Bakr.^[5]

6. Bani Ashja.^[6]

We never find a single instance even in the Magházis (accounts of the campaigns of Mohammad, however untrustworthy they be) of Mohammad's converting any person, families, or branches of tribes by the scimitar in one hand and the Koran in the other.

Footnotes

1. The Bani Aslam tribe settled north of Medina in the valley of Wady-al-Koraa. They were a branch of the Kozaaite tribes descended from Himyar.
2. Joheina were a branch of Kozaa, the descendants of Himyar. This tribe inhabited in the vicinity of Yenbo, north of Medina.
3. Mozeina were a tribe of the Moaddite stock of Mecca. They inhabited in Najd, north-east of Medina.
4. Ghifár were sons of Moleil-bin-Zamra, the descendants of Kinána, one of the Moaddite tribes.
5. Saad-bin-Bakr were a branch of Hawazin. Mohammad had been nursed among them.
6. The Bani Ashja were a branch of the Ghatafán of the Meccan stock of the Moaddites. The Bani Ashja appear all to have been hostile to Mohammad. They fought against the Prophet at the siege of Medina with four hundred warriors in their contingent. Sir W. Muir says, "The Bani Ashjâ, who had joined in the siege of Medina, gave in their adhesion shortly after the massacre of the Coreitza; they told Mahomet that they were so pressed by his warring against them, that they could stand out no longer.—K. Wackidi, page 60." Muir's Life of Mahomet, Vol. IV, 107, footnote. This story is altogether false. We never hear of Mohammad warring against Bani Ashja; on the contrary, they had themselves invaded Medina.