Situation at the time of the accession of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه The situation that Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه faced on assuming the caliphate was very grim. Many tribes apostatized from Islam and refused to pay Zakah. Many false prophets rose throughout the length and breadth of Arabia, and many people offered allegiance to them. The argument that weighed with them was that a living prophet was to be preferred to one who was dead.
Usamah's رضي الله عنه Expedition Immediately before his death, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had ordered that an expedition should be sent to Syria under the command of Usamah, the son of Muslim commander Zayd who had been martyred in the battle of Mautah in 629 CE. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was advised that as Madina was surrounded by hostile tribes, the expedition should be abandoned. He repudiated the suggestion and said that he could not withhold the expedition that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had ordered to proceed. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was next asked that if the expedition was to be necessarily undertaken, the command should be entrusted to some veteran General instead of Usamah who was a mere boy. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said that as the Holy Prophet ﷺ had appointed Usamah to the command, he could not, as a representative of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, countermand such orders. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه accordingly sent the force under Usamah to the Syrian front.
Confrontation with the Tribes After Usamah's army had left for the Syrian front, the tribes around Madina sent a deputation to wait on Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. The tribes said that they were prepared to owe allegiance to Islam, but they were not prepared to pay Zakah. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was advised that in view of the circumstances on the ground, the terms of the tribes should be accepted. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه held that as the payment of Zakah was a compulsory obligation under Islam, he had no authority to allow any relaxation. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه remained firm, and told the tribes that if they withheld with regard to Zakah, even as much as a string to tie a camel, he would fight against them for the vindication of the injunction of Islam. Thus rebuffed, the recalcitrant tribes marched to Madina one night and launched the attack. The tribes met some initial success, but the Muslims under the command of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه rallied, and in a counter attack repulsed the tribes.
Battles of Dhu Qissa and Abraq Driven away from Madina, the tribes gathered at Dhu Qissa at some distance from Madina, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه marched to Dhu Qissa as the head of a Muslim force and launched an attack against the tribes. After some resistance, the tribes broke rank and retreated to Abraq. When the main Muslim army under Usamah returned from the Syrian front after completing its job, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه marched at the head of a large Muslim force and proceeded to Abraq. The tribes were routed, and their lands were confiscated by the Muslims.
Campaign against the Apostates After the battle of Abraq, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه decided to take military action against the apostate tribes. The Muslim force was divided into eleven corps each under its own commander. Each commander was handed over a standard, and assigned a specified objective. These corps were to operate in various parts of the country. The commanders were instructed that before taking any action against an apostate tribe it should be called upon to return to Islam and punitive action should be taken only in the event of the refusal of the tribe to offer allegiance to Islam. If the call of "Athan" rose from the quarters of tribes, that was indicative of the tribe's return to Islam.
The Battle of Buzakha The Banu Asad tribe held the region to the north of Madina. They were led by Taleaha, a false prophet. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه commissioned a column under Khalid bin Waleed رضي الله عنه to lead the campaign against Taleaha. The two armies met at Buzakha, where after some hard fight the Banu Asad were defeated. Taleaha escaped to Syria, and most of his followers submitted and accepted Islam.
After Battle of Zafar After the Battle of Buzakha some of the followers of Taleaha took refuge with Salma alias Umm Zummal, a firebrand leader of Bani Fazara. Salma mustered a considerable force at Zafar. From Buzakha, Khalid bin Waleed رضي الله عنه marched to Zafar. There was some hard fighting, but ultimately Salma was killed, and with her death the apostate tribes offered submission and were readmitted to the fold of Islam.
The Battle of Naqra The Bani Sulaim had their concentration at Naqra. Afer the battle of Buzakha and Zafar, the Muslim force under Khalid bin Waleed launched the attack against Bani Sulaim at Naqra. The Bani Sulaim were defeated, and their leader Abu Shajra was captured alive. Abu Shajra was sent to Madina where he accepted Islam.
Campaign against Bani Tamim Having reduced the tribes in the north, Khalid bin Waleed رضي الله عنه marched against the Bani Tamim who lived in a plateau bordering the Persian Gulf. When the Muslim force reached Butaha, the headquarters of Bani Tamim, there were no forces of Bani Tamim to oppose the Muslims. Malik, the chief of Bani Tamim, and his people neither came forward to offer their submission, nor did they come forward to oppose the Muslims. Khalid رضي الله عنه directed his soldiers to search for Malik. Malik and Laila, his wife, were taken captive and brought before Khalid رضي الله عنه.
Malik's wife Laila enjoyed fame for her extraordinary beauty. During the night Malik was killed and the next day Khalid رضي الله عنه married Laila, the widow of Malik. On the death of Malik, the entire tribe of Bani Tamim surrendered and professed faith in Islam. The campaign led to considerable scandal. Khalid رضي الله عنه was charged of murdering a Muslim (Malik) in order to marry his beautiful wife. Khalid رضي الله عنه was summoned to Madina and put to explanation. Khalid's رضي الله عنه defense was that if according to the Holy Prophet ﷺ, he was the "Sword of God", how could such a sword fall on the neck of a Muslim? Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه exonerated Khalid رضي الله عنه of the charge and commissioned him to lead a force against the false prophet Musailma in the Yamama valley.
Campaign against Musailma the Liar Of all the imposters and false prophets who rose in Arabia after the death of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the most notorious was Musailma who led the Banu Hanifa in Yamama. Musailma further gained in strength when he made common cause with Sajjah, a lady who claimed to be a prophetess and married her. A Muslim column under Ikramah attacked the Banu Hanifa in the first instance, and was beaten back. Another Muslim force under Shurahbil attacked Musailma thereafter but was also defeated. That emboldened Musailma and he boasted of his invincibility. At this critical juncture Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه called upon Khalid bin Waleed رضي الله عنه to undertake operations against Musailma.
Khalid رضي الله عنه had his headquarters at Bataha. From there he marched south to the valley of Yamama. The Muslim army came across some men of the Banu Hanifa led by Maja'a bin Murrah. All of them except Maja'a were put to death. Maja'a was kept in custody to serve as a hostage. He was put in chains and entrusted to the custody of Laila, the new wife of Khalid رضي الله عنه who accompanied him on the battlefield.
The advance of the Muslim forces was intercepted by Musailma on the plain of Acraba. Here the two opposing armies arranged their ranks for the battle. The battle that followed was hotly contested. By the close of the day, the forces of Musailma increased their pressure and the Muslim force had to fall back. When the battle for the first day ended there was much jubilation in the camp of Musailma. Though Khalid رضي الله عنه had been forced to withdraw, he refused to admit defeat. He regrouped the army in tribal commands. From within the Makkan and Madinite horsemen he created a reserve force of a thousand cavalry men, and kept them under his personal command.
The next day the two armies faced each other in a headlong combat. While the front ranks of the two armies grappled with each other in hand to hand fight, Khalid رضي الله عنه collected the cavalry reserves and carrying out a wide outflanking movement dashed for the mound where the camp of Musailma was located. The boldness of the move of Khalid رضي الله عنه took Banu Hanifa completely by surprise. The bodyguards of Musailma fought valiantly but they could not hold guard for long. As Khalid رضي الله عنه increased his pressure, Musailma lost his nerves, and retreated to a neighboring fortified garden.
With the withdrawal of Musailma, his army lost the will to fight and they too found safety in seeking refuge in the garden. The garden was surrounded by a huge wall and the fugitives closed the gate thus shutting access to the pursuing Muslims. The Muslim army broke open the gate and rushing into the garden let loose a reign of slaughter on Banu Hanifa. Banu Hanifa were cut to pieces in large numbers and the garden was virtually drenched with blood. So bloody was the "Battle of the Garden", that in Arab annals it came to be known as "The Battle of Death." When Musailma fell dead, the Banu Hanifa surrendered, accepted terms and were readmitted to the fold of Islam.
Campaign in Bahrain After the conquest of Yamama, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه directed a campaign against Bahrain. Bahrain comprised the coastal strip along the Persian Gulf. During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, Mundhir was the ruler of Bahrain. The Holy Prophet ﷺ sent a mission to invite Mundhir to Islam. Mundhir accepted the call and was converted to Islam. Under the influence of Mundhir most of the people of Bahrain accepted Islam. The Holy Prophet ﷺ appointed al-Hadrami as the Muslim Resident at the court of Bahrain.
Mundhir died soon after the death of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. His death led to anarchy and chaos, and like the other people, the people of Bahrain also apostatized. Jarud, the leader of Banu Abdul Qais remained firm in his allegiance to Islam, and he dissuaded his tribe from apostatizing. Other tribes, apostatized. In the anarchy power was captured by Munhiz, a decendant of the Arab kings of Hirah. He was crowned as the king of Bahrain, and he took the pledge to fight against Islam. He brought pressure on Jarud and his people to denounce Islam but they remained steadfast. Thereupon the Bahrain forces led an attack against the Muslims. The Muslims shut themselves in the fort of Jarasi and the non-Muslims pressed the siege with considerable vehemence.
Al-Hadrami went to Madina to seek help from Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, and returned to Bahrain with a Muslim force. As the non-Muslims were sufficiently strong, al-Hadrami remained on the defensive. He had a ditch dug round his camp and waited for a suitable opportunity to overpower the enemy. One night there was considerable noise from the non-Muslim camp. It was found that they were celebrating their national festival and were dead drunk. Al-Hadrami ordered his forces to take up arms, cross the ditch and pounce upon the enemy. The surprise attack unnerved the Bahrain forces. They ran helter skelter in all directions and were cut to pieces by the pursuing Muslim forces. The Bahrain forces laid down their arms and surrendered. Munhiz and his people repented and were admitted to the fold of Islam.
Campaign in Oman In Oman, a false prophet, Laquit bin Malik rose to prominence and captured political power. A Muslim force under Hudhaifah was sent to Oman. In the battle of Daba, Laquit and ten thousand of his followers were killed. The Oman forces surrendered, and the people of Oman were converted.
Campaign in Mahrah In Mahrah the people apostatized but instead of fighting against the Muslims they began to fight among themselves for political power. The Muslims allied themselves with the minority section and fought against the majority section which was led by al Musabbah. Al-Musabbah was defeated, the people of Mahrah repented, and were reconverted to Islam.
Campaign in Yemen In Yemen a false prophet Aswad Ansi came to power and won a considerable following. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه ordered a two pronged attack on Yemen. Ikramah marched with a force from Mahrah to Yemen. Muhajir bin Umayya marched with another force from Makkah to Yemen. In the battle that followed the apostate tribes were overpowered and were reconverted to Islam after Aswad Ansi had been killed.
Campaign in Hadramaut In Hadramaut there was a revolt led by Ash'as. When the Muslim forces marched against Ash'as he shut himself in the fort at Nujeir. The fort was carried by the Muslims by assault. Thereafter Ash'as and his people repented and were readmitted to the fold of Islam.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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