#Part 58 Permission to fight (58) Up to this point the Prop | Ask A Muslim

#Part 58

Permission to fight (58)

Up to this point the Prophet ﷺ had counselled Muslims to
endure insults and abuses in silence. Now, however, the Muslims had the upper hand. This new found supremacy triggered off even fiercer opposition from their enemies. At last, Allah made it permissible to fight against their oppressors , and this permission later became a duty. The permission to fight was given in stages.

At first the Muslims were allowed to fight only the Quraysh because they were the first to oppress Muslims in Makkah . Muslims were also allowed to seize their goods, but not those of tribes at peace with them.

Then the Muslims were allowed to fight any pagan tribe that
allied itself with the Quraysh, or any other pagan tribe that oppressed Muslims . Later, the Muslims were permitted to fight any Jewish tribe that broke its covenant with the Muslims.

In such a case, the covenant was automatically nullified.

Subsequently, the Muslims were allowed to fight “People of
the Book” (Christians and Jews) who harassed or persecuted them. If the “People of the Book” surrendered to the Islamic state and paid Jiziyah (a nominal tax), then the Muslims were forbidden to fight them.

Finally, the Muslims were required to make peace with any
polytheists, Jews or Christians who embraced Islam , and to respect their rights and property.

Military expeditions (Saraya and Ghazawat)

Now that Allah had enjoined Muslims to fight in selfdefence, the Prophet ﷺ moulded the formerly oppressed, meek community into a military organisation that would fight to survive and would no longer tolerate the depredations of every tribe that decided to prey on them.

Archery and horsemanship were held out as activities to excel in. The Prophet ﷺ organised the Muslims into cavalry units called Saraya. Sometimes he would accompany these squadrons, and the expeditions he took part in were called Ghazawat.

The cavalry units undertook four main tasks.

Primarily they were to protect the outskirts of Madinah and to gather intelligence about any suspicious activities.

Secondly, they worked to intercept Makkan trade caravans passing through the area. Many Muslims had been forced to leave their wealth behind in Makkah when they migrated to Madinah; therefore, Muslims were allowed to retaliate by raiding caravans financed by the Quraysh.

Thirdly, it was the responsibility of these cavalry units to make covenants with other tribes outside Madinah. The Prophet ﷺ saw the need to develop good relationships with these tribes so that they would not ally with the Quraysh.

Lastly, the units were entrusted with the task of spreading the message of Islam throughout Arabia.

What was the first Sariyya we will know that next time in shaa Allah

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