The siege of Ta'if took place in 630, as the Muslims under the leadership of

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

besieged the city of

Ta'if Taif (, ) is a city and governorate in Mecca Province in Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarawat Mountains, Sarat Mountains, the city has a population of 563,282 pe ...

after their victory in the battles of Hunayn and

Autas Autas or Awtas () is a location in Saudi Arabia where the Battle of Hunayn and the Battle of Autas took place. Awtas is located between Mecca and Taif at a distance of fourteen to fifteen Miles from Mecca. It is located in the Hunayn or Hunain ...

. One of the chieftains of Ta'if,

Urwah ibn Mas'ud Urwa or Urwah is a feminine Muslim name of Arabic origin meaning "strong support." People * Urwa ibn al-Ward (555–607), pre-Islamic poet * Urwah ibn Mas'ud, semi-legendary chieftain of Taif * Urwah ibn Zubayr (died 713), tabi'i Muslim historia ...

, was absent in

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

during that siege.The Year of Deputations and Abu Bakr's Leadership of the Pilgrimage
/ref> However, the city did not succumb to the siege. Muhammad brought

trebuchet A trebuchet () is a type of catapult that uses a hinged arm with a sling attached to the tip to launch a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder. The design of a trebuchet allows it to launch projectiles ...

s
Philosophers of War: The Evolution of History's Greatest Military Thinkers [2 Volumes]: The Evolution of History's Greatest Military Thinkers
'. ABC-CLIO; 21 October 2013. . p. 2. and testudos to use against the fortress, but was unable to penetrate it with these weapons.

Battle

Sunni sources state the following regarding the siege of Ta'if: :

Abu Sufyan ibn Harb Sakhr ibn Harb ibn Umayya (; ), commonly known by his ' Abu Sufiyan (), was a prominent opponent-turned companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the father of the first Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I () and namesake of the S ...

lost his first eye in the siege of Ta'if. He told Muhammad of his loss for God to which Muhammad said ''“Which would you prefer: An eye in heaven or shall I pray to Allah that He brings it back?” ''To this Abu Sufyan said he would rather have his eye in heaven. He lost his other eye in the

Battle of Yarmouk The Battle of the Yarmuk (also spelled Yarmouk; ) was a major battle between the army of the Byzantine Empire and the Arab Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in Aug ...

Blockade of Ta'if

A few unsuccessful tries were made by Muhammad's forces to break through the gates of Ta'if. Muhammad may have even used the Roman

Testudo formation In ancient Roman warfare, the ''testudo'' or tortoise formation was a type of shield wall formation commonly used by the Roman legions during battles, particularly when they were the attacking force during sieges. Formation In the ''testu ...

during this siege, but it was reported that the inhabitants of Ta'if were able to break this siege by dropping hot irons upon the Muslim armies from the city walls. Muhammad allegedly told the people of Ta'if that he would burn and cut down their vineyard, as he saw no other way to make them surrender. Muhammad angered the citizens of Ta'if by offering freedom to slaves who surrendered themselves to Islam. However, only ten people were able to avail themselves of this option and become followers of Muhammad. The siege went on for half a month with little change and soldiers became very impatient. Following consultation with advisors and a prophetic dream, Muhammad ended the siege and withdrew his forces. To aid in the siege of Ta'if, Muhammad sought to get the chief of the Banu Hawazan (called Malik) on his side, and promised the release of his family and the return of all his property if Malik embraced Islam. Malik accepted the offer and became a Muslim, aiding Muhammad in his blockade of Ta'if. Malik disrupted the ability of the citizens of Ta'if to graze their cattle outside of the city, further increasing the difficulty of life inside the walls.

Aftermath

Although the siege was unsuccessful, Muhammad vowed to return to Ta'if after the sacred months in which fighting was forbidden were over. During this period, the inhabitants of

, the

Banu Thaqif The Banu Thaqif () is an Arab tribe which inhabited, and still inhabits, the city of Ta'if and its environs, in modern Saudi Arabia, and played a prominent role in early Islamic history. During the pre-Islamic period, the Thaqif rivaled and co ...

, sent a delegation to Mecca. They demanded that Muhammad let them continue to worship their goddess

Al-lāt Al-Lat (, ), also spelled Allat, Allatu, and Alilat, is a Religion in pre-Islamic Arabia, pre-Islamic Arabian List of pre-Islamic Arabian deities, goddess, at one time worshipped under various associations throughout the entire Arabian Peninsu ...

for a period of three years, yet had conspired to have him assassinated. When this conspiracy was discovered, and their ambush failed, Muhammad refused the proposal and would only accept their surrender if they agreed to disarm. Eventually the Banu Thaqif consented to Muhammad's request, so they then surrendered and allowed the Muslims into their city.

Participants

Sahaba.net :: Stories of the Companions - An Eye Now or an Eye in Heaven?
* Tufayl ibn AmrCampaigns of Hunayn and al Ta'if
/ref> *Khalid ibn Waleed

References

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Taif Taif (, ) is a city and governorate in Mecca Province in Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarat Mountains, the city has a population of 563,282 people in 2022, mak ...

630