Battle of Autas

The Battle of Autas or Awtas{ was an early battle involving Muslim forces, fought in the year 630 in Awtas, after the Battle of Hunayn, but prior to the Siege of Ta'if. Muhammad came with 12,000 fighters against a coalition of tribes. An ambush took place and a rain of arrows were fired on the Muslims. The Muslims, however, came out victorious,

A league of mountain tribes hostile to Muhammad formed an alliance to attack him.

The league consisted of Thakefites, Hawazins, Joshimites, Saadites and several other hardened mountain tribes. According to Islamic tradition the valley of the Banu Sa'd (who Irving called "Saadites") is where Muhammad was nurtured as a child and was also purified by an Angel.

The "Thaqifites" were idolaters who worshipped Allāt. They controlled the productive area of Taif, and were also the tribe which drove Muhammad out of Taif, pelting stones at him in the public square, when he was first preaching Islam.

Muhammad went to Autas with 12,000 men. As the Muslim army passed through the valley of Hunain, a group of hostile tribes fired rain of arrows on the Muslims.

The attacked surprised the Muslims, and many fled away from the arrows. Only nine men remained with Muhammad, including Uthman. After a while the Muslim regrouped and gathered around Muhammad. They then marched to Autas, after a confrontation, the tribes were defeated and the Muslims captured a large amount of war booty. It is understood from the Quran that Allah through Muhammad has allowed the Muslim fighters to take the wives of the enemies as captives, in the Quranic verse: "And all married women except those whom your right hands possess" [Quran 4:24]. The Islamic scholar Ibn Kathir explains this Quranic verse as follows: "(except those whom your right hands possess) except those whom you acquire through war, for you are allowed such women after making sure they are not pregnant".

The Sunni hadith collection Sahih Muslim mentions that Muhammad sent an army to Autas:

The Quran verse ^{[Quran 4:24]} is also related to this incident, it states:

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