Chapter Five: Forcing the Enemy to Surrender

Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (AS), written by Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, abridged by Mahdi Gholamali, translated by Zaid Alsalami and Safyullah Khan, edited by Hamid Reza Salarkia and published by NORPUB.

 

A) The Battle of Bani al-Nazir

24. الإرشاد :

24. Al-Irshad:

لَمّا تَوَجَّهَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله إلى بَنِي النَّضيرِ ،

 “When the Messenger of Allah (SA) moved towards the tribe of Bani al-Nazir,

عَمِلَ عَلى حصِارِهِم ،

he put them under siege

فَضَرَبَ قُبَّتَهُ في أقصى بَني حُطَمَةَ مِنَ البَطحاءِ ،

and pitched his large tent at the far end of the land of Bani Hutama that was in the prairie.

فَلَمّا أقبَلَ اللَّيلُ رَماهُ رَجُلٌ مِن بَنِي النَّضيرِ بِسَهمٍ فَأَصابَ القُبَّةَ ،

At nightfall a man from Bani al-Nazir shot an arrow and hit the tent.

فَأَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله أن تُحَوَّلَ قُبَّتُهُ إلَى السَّفحِ ،

The Prophet (SA) ordered his tent to be moved towards the foot of the hill.

وأحاطَ بِهِ المُهاجِرونَ وَالأَنصارُ .

He was surrounded by his companions of the Muhajirun and the Ansar.

 فَلَمَّا اختَلَطَ الظَّلامُ فَقَدوا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ عليه السلام ،

When it became dark, they missed the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS),

فَقالَ النّاسُ :

so people said:

يا رَسولَ اللّهِ ، لا نَرى عَلِيّا ؟

 “O Messenger of Allah, we do not see Ali.”

فَقالَ صلى الله عليه و آله :

He (SA) said:

أراهُ في بَعضِ ما يُصلِحُ شَأنَكُم .

 “I see him busy with what is good for you.”

فَلَم يَلبَث أن جاءَ بِرَأسِ اليَهودِيِّ الَّذي رَمَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه و آله ـ

After a while, he came back with the head of the Jewish man who had shot an arrow at the Prophet (SA).

وكانَ يُقالُ لَهُ : عَزورا ـ فَطَرَحَهُ بَينَ يَدَيِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله .

His name was `Azura. He (AS) placed it in front of the Prophet (SA),

فَقالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله :

who asked him:

كَيفَ صَنَعتَ ؟

 “How did you do that?”

فَقالَ : إنّي رَأَيتُ هذَا الخَبيثَ جَريئا شُجاعا ،

Ali (AS) said: “I noticed this wicked person to be audacious and brave.

فَكَمَنتُ لَهُ وقُلتُ :

I laid in ambush for him and said:

ما أجرَأَهُ أن يَخرُجَ إذَا اختَلَطَ الظَّلامُ يَطلُبُ مِنّا غِرَّةً، (الغِرّة : الغفلة، النهاية : ج3 ص355) .

 “How daring could he be if darkness would come and he would take us by surprise.” [Al-Irshad: vol. 1, p. 92.]  

فَأَقبَلَ مُصلِتا سَيفَهُ في تِسعَةِ نَفَرٍ مِن أصحابِهِ اليَهودِ ،

He came brandishing his sword, along with nine of his Jewish fellows.

فَشَدَدتُ عَلَيهِ فَقَتَلتُهُ وأفلَتَ أصحابُهُ

I attacked him, and killed him, when his followers ran away.

ولَم يَبرَحوا قَريبا ،

They are not far away now,

فَابعَث مَعي نَفَرا ؛

so send me with some men,

فَإِنّي أرجو أن أظفَرَ بِهِم !

for I hope to overwhelm them.

 فَبَعَثَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله مَعَهُ عَشَرَةً ،

The Messenger of Allah (SA) sent ten fighters with him;

فيهِم : أبو دُجانَةَ سِماكُ بنُ خَرَشَةَ ، وسَهلُ بنُ حُنَيفٍ ،

among them were Abu Dujana Simak ibn Kharasha and Sahl ibn Hunayf.

فَأَدرَكوهُم قَبلَ أن يَلِجُوا الحِصنَ ، فَقَتَلوهُم

They caught up with them before they were able to enter their fortress and killed them all.

وجاؤوا بِرُؤوسِهِم إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله ،

They brought their heads to the Prophet (SA),

فَأَمَرَ أن تُطرَحَ في بَعضِ آبارِ بَني حُطَمَةَ .

who ordered them to be buried inside one of the water wells of Bani Hutama.

 وكانَ ذلِكَ سَبَبُ فَتحِ حُصونِ بَنِي النَّضيرِ .

That was the reason for the conquering of the fortresses of Bani al-Nazir.

الإرشاد : ج1 ص92 .

Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 92.

25. السيرة النبويّة لإبن هشام

25. Al-Sirah al- Nabawiyya, by Ibn Hisham

ـ في ذِكرِ نُزولِ بَني قُرَيظَةَ عَلى حُكمِ سَعدِ بنِ مُعاذٍـ:

–on mentioning how Bani Quraidah submitted to the arbitration of Sa`d ibn Mu‘adh–:

إنَّ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ صاحَ وهُم مُحاصِرو بَني قُرَيظَةَ :

“When they had Bani Quraidah under siege, Ali ibn Abi Talib

يا كَتيبَةَ الإِيمانِ .

cried out: “O battalion of faith.”,

وتَقَدَّمَ هُوَ وَالزُّبَيرُ بنُ العَوّامِ

and he and al-Zubayr ibn al-`Awwam marched forward.

وقالَ : وَاللّهِ لَأَذوقَنَّ ما ذاقَ حَمزَةُ أو لَأَفتَحَنَّ حِصنَهُم ؛

He (AS) said: “By Allah, I shall taste what Hamza had tasted [of martyrdom], or I will conquer their fortress.”

فَقالوا : يا مُحَمَّدُ ، نَنزِلُ عَلى حُكمِ سَعدِ بنِ مُعاذٍ .

So, they said: “O Muhammad: we give in the arbitration of Sa`d ibn Mu‘adh.”

السيرة النبويّة لابن هشام : ج3 ص251 .

Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyya, by Ibn Hisham, vol. 3, p. 251.