[avarberickibe]

As-salamu alaykum.

I have heard of the battle/conflict between the Muslims and the Banu Fazara tribe led by Umm Qirfa, a woman, but I have never come across a thorough, authentic narration of the incident. I have tried to search for one online, but all of the ones I found were either intentionally insulting or written by authors intending to dissuade people from Islam. Could someone please possibly point me in the right direction of a reliable, authentic narration of this incident?

JazakAllah Khayran for all of your help.

[Tumarimmicdak]

I have managed to find the following and I hope it will be useful.

Hadhrat Zaid ibn Haarithah was on his way to Syria and the tribe of Banu Fazaarah (led by Ummu Qirfah whose name was Faatimah bint Rabi'ah) snatched his goods and badly wounded him. He just about managed to way his back to Madinah alive.

Rasulullah in the Ramadhaan of sixth a.h. sent him back with a force of Sahaabah and they returned triumphant.

The above is from Siraat ul Mustafa (Vol 2, page 378, Zam Zam Publishers quoting from Imaam Zarqaani)

There are further details in Hafidh Ibn Kathir's Seeraatun Nabi which is as follows,

Hafidh Ibn Kathir recounts the same as the above but that there were more Sahaabah who were travelling with Hadhrat Zaid and that they were attacked and martyred. When Rasulullah was informed of this and Hadhrat Zaid recovered from his wounds he was sent back with an army. He slew some of them and took as prisoner Ummu Qirfah Fatimah bint Rabi'ah wife of Maalik Ibn Huzayfah and her daughter. Zayd had Umm Qirfah killed and spared her daughter.

(Part 3, page 693, under the sub title Expeditions, published by Darul Ishaat)

Hopefully, the difference can be seen compared to the false information propagated by the Kaafireen. I wonder whether they mentioned the Sahaabah martyred unjustly and the near killing of Hadhrat Zayd??

Anyway, please remember me in your duas.

[huylibizonoff]

^Thank you for your reply. How reliable is Sirat ul Mustafa considered to be?

Also, here are some of the accounts I have come across online.

Zayd B. Haritha’s raid on Banu Fazara and the Death of Umm Qirfa

Zayd also raided Wadi-l-Qurra where he met Banu Fazara and some of his companions were killed; he himself carried wounded from the field. Ward b. Amr b. Madash one of B. Sad b. Hudhayl was killed by one of B. Badr whose name Sa’d b. Hudhaym. When Zayd came he swore that he would use no ablution until he raided B. Fazara; and when he recovered from his wounds the apostle sent him against them with a force. He fought them in Wadi-al-Qura and killed some of them. Qays b. al-Musahhar al-Yamuri killed Mas’ada b. Hakama b. Malik b. Hudhayfa b. Badr and Umm Qirfa Fatima was taken prisoner. She was a very old woman, wife of Malik. Her daughter and Abdulla b. Mas’ada were also taken. Zaid ordered Qays b al-Musahhar to kill Umm Qirfa and he killed her cruelly.

Ibn Ishaq 980

Allah’s Messenger sent Zayd to Wadi Qura, where he encountered the Banu Fazarah. Some of his Companions were killed, and Zayd was carried away wounded. Ward was slain by the Banu Badr. When Zayd returned, he vowed that no washing should touch his head until he had raided the Fazarah. After he recovered, Muhammad sent him with an army against the Fazarah settlement. He met them in Qura and inflicted casualties on them and took Umm Qirfah prisoner. He also took one of Umm’s daughters and Abdallah bin Mas’adah prisoner. Zyad bin Harithah ordered Qays to kill Umm, and he killed her cruelly. He tied each of her legs with a rope and tied the ropes to two camels, and they split her in two.

Tabari Vol.8:Page.96

Then they brought Umm Qirfa’s daughter and Mas’ada’s son to the apostle. The daughter of Umm Qirfa belonged to Salama b. Amr b. al-Akwa who had taken her. She held a position of honor among her people, and the Arabs used to say, “Had you been more powerful than Umm Qirfa you could have done no more”. Salama asked the apostle to let him have her and he gave her to him and he presented her to his uncle Hazn b. Abu Wahb and she bare him Abdul-Rahman . Hazn.

Ibn Ishaq 980

An expedition led by Abu Bakr As-Siddiq or Zaid bin Haritha was despatched to Wadi Al-Qura in Ramadan 6 Hijri after Fazara sept had made an attempt at the Prophet’s life. Following the morning prayer, the detachment was given orders to raid the enemy. Some of them were killed and others captured. Amongst the captives, were Umm Qirfa and her beautiful daughter, who was sent to Makkah as a ransom for the release of some Muslim prisoners there. Umm Qirfa’s attempts at the Prophet’s life recoiled on her, and the thirty horsemen she had gathered and sustained to implement her evil scheme were all killed.

Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri/ The Sealed Nectar: Page 152

It has been narrated on the authority of Salama (b. al-Akwa') who said: We fought against the Fazara and Abu Bakr was the commander over us. He had been appointed by the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). When we were only at an hour's distance from the water of the enemy, Abu Bakr ordered us to attack. We made a halt during the last part of the night to rest and then we attacked from all sides and reached their watering-place where a battle was fought. Some of the enemies were killed and some were taken prisoners. I saw a group of persons that consisted of women and children. I was afraid lest they should reach the mountain before me, so I shot an arrow between them and the mountain. When they saw the arrow, they stopped. So I brought them, driving them along. Among them was a woman from Banu Fazara. She was wearing a leather coat. With her was her daughter who was one of the prettiest girls in Arabia. I drove them along until I brought them to Abu Bakr who bestowed that girl upon me as a prize. So we arrived in Medina. I had not yet disrobed her when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) met me in the street and said: Give me that girl, O Salama. I said: Messenger of Allah, she has fascinated me. I had not yet disrobed her. When on the next day, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) again met me in the street, he said: O Salama, give me that girl, may God bless your father. I said: She is for you. Messenger of Allah ! By Allah. I have not yet disrobed her. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent her to the people of Mecca, and surrendered her as ransom for a number of Muslims who had been kept as prisoners at Mecca.

Sahih Muslim 19:4345

^I believe that Ibn Ishaq and Tabari's accounts are not always considered to be reliable, but can someone with more knowledge on the matter please comment on the authenticity of the above accounts (including the one from The Sealed Nectar and obviously excluding the Sahih Muslim account)?

[Htb48JBf]

Brother, in my opinoin Siraat ul Mustafa and Sealed Nectar are probably on par in terms of authenticity.

A brother with access to the Arabic should be able to check the translations of Tabari and Ibn Ishaq. However, they way they have been translated does not look right and smells of deliberate mistranslation.

[PekHyvac]

^Thank you again for your reply. So can I safely assume that the information that appears in both Siraat ul Mustafa and The Sealed Nectar is reliable and authentic?

[bribiaLaubysdggf]

I cannot vouch for Sealed Nectar as I have not read the kitaab myself. However, the Siraat ul Mustafa account matches with Hafidh Ibn Kathir's Seerah which is one of the most authentic Seerah of Rasulullah so yes you can safely assume that the account is reliable and authentic.

[horoshevapola]

^Thanks for your reply again.

Could someone here please possibly comment on the authenticity of the accounts of this incident as they appear in The Sealed Nectar, Ibn Ishaq, and Tabari?

[AlabamaBoyz]

Sealed Nectar is also considered authentic. والله تعالى أعلم

Ibn Ishaq and at-Taareekh at-Tabari are unreliable. They contain many false narrations and fabrications. They tend to be the source of choice for many anti-Islam non-Muslims and deviant groups as well. Until a narration can be corroborated in other texts or a scholar of hadeeth can authenticate anything within them, it is best to not take the narrations from Ibn Ishaq and at-Taareekh seriously.

[AndyScouchek]

^Thank you for the information. Do you (or someone else) happen to have a link to a discussion of the unreliability of Ibn Ishaq and Tabari? I am not doubting you, but I would like to keep a reference handy not only for myself but for others who may ask me about various incidents and point to accounts by Ibn Ishaq and Tabari.

[KahiroSamo]

Here's a link discussing Taareekh at-Tabari:

http://www.schiiten.com/backup/Ahlel...am/tabari.html

Note that the link is from a site that refutes Shi'as because the Taareekh is also a favourite book of theirs, from where they cite such false narrations as Umar breaking the ribs of Fatima , burning down her house, and causing her to abort her unborn child.

As for Ibn Ishaaq, the biggest problem is that the English translation is done by an orientalist, and thus is doubtful from the start. Another problem is that if there is something where multiple, differing accounts have been present, all have been included in the seerah. Ibn Ishaaq may be used as a book of seerah for the sake of increasing imaan and yaqeen but its strength isn't in its authenticity, just how Martin Lings's book is also amazing as a seerah but not good as a book of hadeeth or authentic accounts and cannot be called "authentic", unlike Sealed Nectar, which may be a more dry read, but is more authentic. A lot of seerahs actually use Ibn Ishaaq's seerah as a base so many ulama regard him to be good for use in terms of seerah.

Remember, the purpose of the seerah is to inculcate love of Rasoolullah and when Ibn Ishaaq was writing his seerah, there was little development in the science of hadeeth and he accepted many narrations, both which he was unsure of and those he was sure of and presented both in the seerah.

There are even differences of opinion on ibn Ishaaq, the person, unlike Imam Tabari Some believed him to be amongst the Qadiriyyah (a sect that denies qadr), others claimed he quoted extensively from the Jews and Christians, etc.

This article may be somewhat useful with regards to the seerah of Ibn Ishaq but do note that it takes an extreme position on Ibn Ishaq, when there is a valid difference of opinion amongst the ulama regarding him as a person.

Know that neither of these texts were authenticated by their respective authors. And the translated version of Ibn Ishaq's seerah in English is also questionable so unless you have access to an Arabic copy, it is best to avoid the English translation.

If you are serious about reading the seerah, refer to Ibn Katheer's seerah.