Detailed Account of the Battle of Hunayn

Just two weeks after the conquest of Mecca, the Hawazin and Thaqif tribes, under the command of Malik ibn Awf al-Nasri, assembled a massive force of twenty thousand fighters along with their families, livestock, and all their possessions (to motivate their fighters to stand firm). The Muslim army of twelve thousand, the largest force the Prophet had ever commanded, marched to Hunayn valley. Some Muslims felt overconfident due to their large numbers, and one said: 'We cannot be defeated today from lack of numbers.' This self-assurance was a spiritual error. At dawn, the Muslim vanguard descended into the narrow valley where the Hawazin had set an ambush. A hail of arrows rained down from the slopes, and the Muslim front lines broke in chaos and fled. The Prophet stood firm on his white mule, calling out: 'I am the Prophet, this is no lie! I am the son of Abd al-Muttalib!' He told Abbas to call out to the Ansar and the Companions of the Tree (Bayat al-Ridwan). They rallied and counterattacked fiercely, and Allah sent unseen reinforcements. The Hawazin were routed completely. Allah referenced this in Surah al-Tawbah: 'On the day of Hunayn, when your great numbers pleased you but availed you nothing.'