Compiled By The Eminent Shaykh, the Muhaddith Rabee’ bin Hadi al-Madkhali Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya
The Prophet’s -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- Courage
On the authority of Anas bin Malik –RadhiAllaahu anhu- who said that Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- was the best of the people, the most generous amongst them and he was the bravest of men. One night the people of Madina felt frightened and they set forth in the direction of a noise when the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- met them on his way back, as he had gone towards that noise ahead of them. He was on Abu Talha’s horse, which had no saddle over it, with a sword slung around his neck while he was saying: ‘There was nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be afraid of.’ He also said: ‘We found this horse like a torrent of water (very fast),’ whereas the horse had been slow before that time. Saheeh Muslim, i.e. that this horse was slow but when the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- rode it, it was the fastest racing horse.
Abbas ibn AbdulMuttalib, the uncle of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said: I witnessed the Day of Hunain with the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-. Abu Sufyan bin al-Harith bin Abdul-Muttalib and I stuck close to the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and we did not separate from him. The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- was on a white pony of his which was given to him as a gift by Farwatu bin Nufatha al-Juthaami. When the Muslims fought the Kuffar, the Muslims retreated, but the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- began to gallop on his pony towards them.
Abbas said: I was holding onto the reins of the Messenger of Allaah’s -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- pony trying to hold it back from speeding up and Abu Sufyan was holding the stirrup of Allaah’s Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-. The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said: ‘O Abbas, call the people of al-Samura.’ (Those who took the oath of allegiance of Ridwaan on the Day of Hudaybeeyah). Abbas mentions he was a man with a loud voice: So I said at the top of my voice: ‘Where are the people of al-Samura.’ (Those who took the oath of allegiance of Ridwaan on the Day of Hudaybeeyah). Abbas mentions: I swear by Allaah, they came back when they heard my voice just as the cows return for their calves. They said: We are here, we are here! He said: ‘Fight the kuffar.’
Then the narrator continues: ………then the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said: ‘Now the battle has become inflamed.’ Abbas said: Then the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- took some stones and threw them in the face of the kuffar and said: ‘They are defeated, I swear by the Lord of Muhammad.’ Abbas said: ‘I went to watch and the battle took place as I was watching. I swear by Allaah, just as he threw his stones towards them I saw their strength decline and saw them retreat.’ Saheeh Muslim Then Imaam Muslim cites a summary of the hadeeth which mentions: ‘He said: ‘They are defeated, I swear by the Lord of Ka’bah. They are defeated, I swear by the Lord of Ka’bah.’ With the additional wording: ‘Until Allaah defeated them and it was as if I was watching the Prophet of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- chasing them on his pony.’ Narrated by Imaam Muslim
Also, from al-Bara’s hadeeth of the story of Hunain: The people turned to the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and Abu Sufyan bin al-Harith was leading his pony. So he got down, prayed and supplicated for Allaah’s help by saying: ‘I am the Prophet, this is the truth *** I am the son of Abd al-Muttalib O Allaah, send down your help.’ Bara’ mentioned: I swear by Allaah when the battle grew fierce, we would seek protection by being close to the Messenger due to his bravery and even the bravest among us was would stand near the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.Narrated by Imaam Muslim
Muslim narrates the story of Hunain from the hadeeth of Salama bin al-Akwaa’ within which occurs: ‘So we gathered around the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-, he got down from his pony and grabbed a handful of dust from the ground, then he turned towards the faces of the enemy and said: ‘May these faces be disfigured.’ There was no-one from amongst them that Allaah created except that Allaah filled their eyes with dust from that handful of dust. They turned back in flight. Allaah the Exalted and Glorious defeated them and the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-distributed their booty. Saheeh Muslim