History
Ridda Wars
The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first caliph of Islam, Abu Bakr, against Arab tribes who had rebelled against Islamic rule after the death of Prophet Muhammad. The wars resulted in the reunification of the Arabian Peninsula under Islamic rule and the establishment of the caliphate as a political and religious institution.
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3 Key excerpts on "Ridda Wars"
eBook - PDF- M.J. Kister(Author)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
An examination of some data incorporated in the reports about the ridda may help in elucidating certain economic aspects of the revolt. The scrutiny of a badfth which is often quoted in the story of the ridda may enable us to get a glimpse ipto the ideas held by certain groups of Muslim scholars concerning the conditions imposed on those willing to embrace Islam after the death of the Prophet, the status of the ridda people, and the question whether it was right to make war on them. IX 34 The term ridda, apostasy, applied in the sources to the rebellious move-ment of the tribes, was questioned by Western scholars who pointed out the political and social aspects of the revolt. 1 The economic factors leading to the rebellion were clearly expounded by Shaban, 2 who emphasized the struggle which the tribes, whether allied to Medina or not, carried against the Medinan hegemony and the commercial interests which played a major part in intertribal relations. The economic effect of conversion to Islam can indeed be noticed in some early traditions. Al-Shiifi'I carries a report that (members of -K) Quraysh used to travel to Syria and Iraq with their merchandise. Upon their conversion to Islam they spoke to the Prophet of their fear that their income might suffer as a result of their break with unbelief and of their having become Muslims, a step which might displease the rulers of Syria and Iraq. The Prophet allayed their anxiety by predicting that the end of Persian and Byzantine rule was near. 3 The unrest in Mecca after the death of the Prophet, the feeling of uncertainty and the fear of losing their means of sustenance if they remained loyal to Islam and kept their obligations seem to have cast a shadow over the city; 4 the inhabitants wavered in face of the tribal revolt and were reluctant to pay their taxes. Suhayl b. 'Amr 5 See e.g. A.J. Wensinck, The Muslim Creed, London 1965(repr.);pp.II-12;J. Wellhausen, Das Arabische Reich und Sein Sturz, Berlin 1960 (repr.), pp.
eBook - ePubThe Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates
The Islamic Near East from the Sixth to the Eleventh Century
- Hugh Kennedy(Author)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
With the collapse of the Persian Empire under the assaults of Heraclius, these groups looked for new allies and naturally found them in the expanding and dynamic umma. In addition to all these factors, many men joined the Muslim community because of the opportunities it was seen to provide. The Ridda Wars were the first stage of the Arab conquests, and the expeditions to Syria took place at the same time as the campaigns in the Arabian Peninsula. They provided an opportunity for those who wished to abandon the old bedouin life and seek new and exciting destinies within the Islamic community, and many left their tribal homelands to join up. ‘Umar and the early Islamic conquests: 13–23/634–644 On 22 Jumādā II 3/23 August 634, Abū Bakr died. His reign had been short but his achievement was enormous. He had maintained the traditions of the Prophet and had set the Muslim community on the road to expansion; he had seen the conquest of Arabia almost completed and the conquest of Syria begun. Despite the differences between them, he had maintained ‘Umar as one of his closest advisers, and there seems to have been little complaint when he designated ‘Umar as his successor. ‘Umar appears in Muslim tradition as the epitome of the stern, uncompromising, incorruptible ruler. He is famous for his personal austerity and the high standards he expected from those entrusted with office. But, like Abū Bakr before him, he was a man of very considerable practical ability. Not only did he direct the Islamic conquests, but he also developed the system of settlement and in particular the dīwān system with its arrangements for paying pensions to the conquerors rather than distributing lands among them, a system which was to have far-reaching results for the political future of the Islamic world
eBook - PDF- James E. Lindsay(Author)
- 2005(Publication Date)
- Greenwood(Publisher)
Second, and most important for our purposes, these battles provide les- sons about the nature of warfare in early Islamic history, including the role of raiding (razzias), camels, horses, infantry, weapons, women in battle, siege warfare, exile, and even the execution of one-time allies. Since the literary sources for early Islamic history are so late, it is difficult to speak with absolute certainty about warfare, weapons, terminology, and tactics. Therefore, while we will use accounts of these three battles as starting points, we will also draw on later information of which we are more cer- tain. 7 WEAPONS AND TACTICS IN EARLY ISLAMIC HISTORY It would be an overstatement to refer to a razzia as a battle, or even an act of open warfare. As we saw in Kurait son of Unaif's lament in chapter Warfare and Politics 63 2, raiding caravans or encampments and running off with another's live- stock and possessions was a simple fact of life in the nomadic societies of Arabia. 8 The goal of the razzia was not to kill or destroy an enemy; in many ways it was a kind of sport where the stronger and more prestigious clans took flocks, herds, wells, and other booty from the weaker, while they sought alliances with others for protection. Actual full-scale battles were indeed bloody confrontations but tended to be rare in any case. According to Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad's forces fouled nearly all the wells at Badr in order to provoke a clash with the Meccans, who had little choice but to fight for the remaining water on their return from Gaza. As was customary, the two sides faced each other. Muhammad's Meccan oppo- nents sent out three champions—Utba ibn Rabi'a, his brother Shayba ibn Rabi'a, and Utba's son al-Walid. Muhammad sent three Medinese ansar (Helpers) to meet them, but Utba, Shayba, and al-Walid were offended on the grounds that these ansar were not their equals.
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