CAMPAIGNS IN OMAN AND MAHRAH
During the lifetime of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, Oman bordering on the Persian Gulf was under Persian influence. It was ruled by Jay far Ibn Al-Jalandi who owed allegiance to Persia. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent letters inviting the various rulers to Islam, a letter was addressed to Jayfar as well. As the Persian power was on the decline, Jayfar stood in need of some outside support to bolster up his rule. He responded favorably to the Prophet ‘s invitation, and said he was inclined to accept Islam, but the difficulty was that his people were not likely to agree to the payment oi7Mkaah to Madeenah. The Prophet assured him that if lie and his people became Muslims, the amount realized from Zakaah could be distributed among the poor and the destitute in Oman itself. Thereupon Jayfar became a Muslim, and under his influence most of his people embraced Islam.
After the death of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, a false Prophet Laqeet Ibn Malik Al-Azdyy came into prominence. He belonged to the Azdi tribe, which was very numerous. The Azdi felt elated at having a Prophet of their own. They apostatized from Islam. Jayfar, however, remained faithful to Islam, but he lost his hold on the people of Oman most of whom accepted the new creed. Laqeet gained power, overthrew Jayfar, and captured political power. Jayfar and the few people who remained true to Islam had to seek refuge in the mountains. Laqeet declared himself as the king of Oman.
With the change in the affairs of Oman, Jayfar sent a letter to Abu Bakr As-Sideeq, may Allah be pleased with him, to inform him of the developments in Oman, and sought his help. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, dispatched a force under the command of Hudhayfah Ibn Muhsan to undertake operations in Oman. The wave of apostasy overwhelmed the neighboring state of Mahrah as well. The Caliph sent another force under the command of ‘ Arfajah Al- Bariqyy to subdue the apostates in Mahrah. Both the forces under Hudhayfah and ‘Arfajah were required to collaborate. The operations were required to be commenced from Oman. The instructions of Abu Bakr were that if there was a battle in Oman, Hudhayfah was to lead the combined forces, and if the operations were undertaken in Mahrah, ‘ Arfajah was to hold the Command. When ‘ Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl met a reverse at the battle of Yamaamah, he was required not to return to Madeenah, but to proceed with his men to Oman and Mahrah. All the three forces of Hudhayfah. ‘ Arfajah and ‘ Ikramah were directed to act in concert.
The Battle of Daba
Ikrimah and his force reached Oman first. The force of Hudhayfah soon joined him. Word was then sent to Jayfar and his followers to descend from the hills and join the Muslim forces. Thereafter, the combined forces marched to Daba, and it was at this place that the battle flared up. Laqeet had a large force at his command, and the Muslims were outnumbered. It was a fierce battle, and to start with, the forces of Laqeet appeared to dominate the field and it seemed as if they were going to win the battle.
At the nick of time, when the Muslim ranks were likely to disintegrate under the pressure of the forces of Laqeet, the Muslims received unexpected reinforcement came from Bahrain and the tribe of ‘Abdul Qays. That turned the tide of the battle. The Muslims charged with great vehemence, and the forces of Laqeet were unable to stand the charge. They found safety in retreat. As the enemy fled, the Muslims pursued them, and overtaking them they cut them to pieces. As many as 10,000 rebels fell on the battlefield. Laqeet himself was killed, and with his death all resistance broke down, and the forces of Oman laid down the arms. As a result of the battle of Daba, Jay far was restored as the ruler of Oman, and the apostates were re-admitted to the fold of Islam.
After order was restored in Oman, and the Muslim rule was re-established, ‘ Ikrimah crossed over with his force to attend to the affairs of Mahrali. Like the people of other parts of Arabia, the people of Mahrali also apostatized after the death of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The people of Mahrah came to be divided into two sections: one section was led by Shikhreet, and the other was led by Al-Musabbih. Taking stock of the affairs in Mahrah, ‘Ikrimah felt that instead of fighting against the people as a whole, it would be expedient to take advantage of the rift between the two sections. ‘ Ikrimah accordingly opened negotiations with the minority party led by Shikhreet. The negotiations succeeded, and Shikhreet and his men accepted Islam. Ikrimah offered them full support to capture political power and overthrow their rival section. The majority section led by Al-Musabbih was asked by ‘Ikrimah to return to Islam, but they rejected the offer. The combined forces of Shikhreet and ‘ Ikrimah accordingly marched to crush the forces of Al-Musabbih. In the battle that followed the fighting was severer than the fighting at the battle of Daba. It was a hotly contested battle, and the apostates fought with a spirit of vengeance. The chances of victory were balanced, but ultimately the faith and determination of the Muslims carried the day, and the forces of Al-Musabbih found safety in capitulation. Immense booty fell into the hands of the victorious Muslims, including two thousand dromedaries and a large supply of arms. The defeated people reverted to Islam, and they were granted amnesty. ‘ Arfajah carried one fifth of the booty to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, while ‘ Ikrimah stayed in Mahrah to re-organize the administration.
(Source: Biographies of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.)
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John Doe
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