The Fijar War

Ibn Hisham said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached fourteen or fifteen years of age—according to what Abu ‘Ubaydah the grammarian related to me from Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ala’—the Fijar War broke out between Quraysh and their allies from Kinana on one side, and Qays ‘Aylan on the other. It began when ‘Urwah al-Rahhal ibn ‘Utbah ibn Ja‘far ibn Kilab ibn Rabi‘ah ibn ‘Amir ibn Sa‘sa‘ah ibn Mu‘awiyah ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin granted protection to a caravan of al-Nu‘man ibn al-Mundhir. Al-Barrad ibn Qays, one of Banu Damrah ibn Bakr ibn ‘Abd Manat, said to him… His challenge continues on printed page 185.

Another report says that when the Messenger fell, al-‘Abbas drew him close and asked what had happened. He said he had heard a voice from heaven tell him, “Tie your garment around yourself, Muhammad.” He said this was the first time he had heard such a call. If Ibn Ishaq’s account is sound—that this happened while the Messenger was a child playing with boys—the editor suggests that the event happened twice: once in childhood and again when he was approaching manhood, during the rebuilding of the Ka‘bah.

[1] Al-Fijar, with a kasrah, means mutual wrongdoing or transgression, like fighting and combat. The battle took place in a sacred month, and both sides violated its sanctity; hence it was called al-Fijar. The Arabs fought four Fijar wars, the last being this war of al-Barrad. The first was between Kinana and Hawazin. It began when Badr ibn Ma‘shar, of Banu ‘Iqal ibn Malik of Kinana, set up a seat for himself at the market of ‘Ukaz. He was a young man confident in himself. After he boasted in the market, al-Ahaymar ibn Mazin of Banu Dahman confronted him. The two exchanged words until bloodshed nearly followed, but then they withdrew, considering the matter slight. The second Fijar was between Quraysh and Hawazin. It began when young Quraysh men harassed a woman from Banu ‘Amir ibn Sa‘sa‘ah, provoking fighting and a small amount of bloodshed; Harb ibn Umayyah then intervened and reconciled them. The third was between Kinana and Hawazin. A man of Kinana owed blood money to a man of Banu Nasr but became unable to pay. The Nasri reproached him and his people at ‘Ukaz. A man of Kinana rose and struck him; people became heated and fighting nearly broke out, but they then withdrew. See al-‘Iqd al-Farid and al-Aghani. [2] The manuscripts and al-‘Iqd al-Farid read “granted protection”; other copies read “permitted,” which the editor considers a scribal error. [3] A latimah is a caravan of camels carrying merchandise, perfumes, textiles, and similar goods. [4] Al-Nu‘man ibn al-Mundhir, king of al-Hirah, used to send a caravan to ‘Ukaz each year under the protection of a distinguished Arab who would guarantee its safety until the goods were sold and hides from al-Ta’if were bought with the proceeds. See al-‘Iqd al-Farid and al-Aghani.

Al-Barrad ibn Qays asked him, “Are you granting it protection on behalf of Kinana?” ‘Urwah said, “Yes, and on behalf of all people.” ‘Urwah set out with the caravan, while al-Barrad followed, waiting for a moment when he was off guard. When they reached Tayman Dhu Talal in the highlands, ‘Urwah became inattentive, and al-Barrad sprang upon him and killed him—in the sacred month. That is why the war was called al-Fijar. Al-Barrad said in a poem about it: A calamity had troubled people before me; I braced my ribs for Banu Bakr. Through it I demolished the homes of Banu Kilab and brought their dependents low. I raised my hand against him at Dhu Talal, and he fell, swaying like a felled tree.

[1] Most manuscripts read “Do you grant it protection?”; al-‘Iqd al-Farid has a variant verb. [2] “And all people” is an addition from recension A. [3] Some say Tayman Dhu Talal was a valley beside Fadak; the editor considers its location in the highlands of Najd more accurate, as stated here. [4] Another account says ‘Urwah was near Fadak, at a place called ‘Awarah close to Tayman. He was drinking wine and listening to a singer; when he stood and fell asleep, al-Barrad entered upon him. ‘Urwah pleaded, saying it had been a slip and a mistake, but al-Barrad did not listen and killed him. See al-‘Iqd al-Farid and al-Aghani. [5] Another rajaz poem is attributed to al-Barrad after the killing: “The deed was a slip from me; / why was the slip not laid on someone else? / I shall rise with the keen sword…” [6] Al-‘Iqd al-Farid gives a variant for the first verse. [7] Al-duru‘ is the plural of dir‘, “a breast.” The poet means that he lowered the dependents to the status of suckling servants, exposed them, and violated the homes and noble lineages of Banu Kilab. [8] Most copies read “I raised my hand against him at Dhu Talal”; the meter requires stressing Talal. [9] Al-‘Iqd al-Farid and al-Aghani give another version of this line.

Labid ibn Rabi‘ah ibn Malik ibn Ja‘far ibn Kilab said: Tell Banu Kilab, if you meet them, and ‘Amir, for calamities have their allies; tell Banu Numayr, if you meet them, and the slain man’s maternal uncles, Banu Hilal, that the traveling guest has become a resident at Tayman Dhu Talal. Ibn Hisham says these lines belonged to a longer poem of his.

Ibn Hisham said: Someone came to Quraysh and told them, “Al-Barrad has killed ‘Urwah, and they are at ‘Ukaz during the sacred month.” They set out while Hawazin knew nothing of it. When the news reached Hawazin, they pursued them and caught up with them before they entered the Sanctuary. They fought until night fell and Quraysh entered the Sanctuary, whereupon Hawazin refrained from fighting them. They met again for several days afterward. The groups were organized so that each tribe of Quraysh and Kinana had a leader from among them, and each tribe of Qays had its own leader.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, witnessed some of their battle days; his uncles took him with them. The Messenger said, “I used to nabilu for my uncles,” meaning that he returned to them the arrows their enemies shot at them.

Ibn Ishaq said: The Fijar War broke out when the Messenger of Allah was twenty years old. It was called the Fijar day because the two tribes, Kinana and Qays ‘Aylan, violated the sacred prohibitions between them.

The commander of Quraysh and Kinana was Harb ibn Umayyah ibn ‘Abd Shams. The balance of victory… The account continues on printed page 187.

[1] “Them” is an addition from recension A. [2] Mutasanidun means that they were not under one commander who gathered them all. [3] The base copy reads “from them”; the correction follows the lexicons. [4] “Ibn” is an addition from recension A.

At the beginning of the day Qays had the advantage over Kinana; by midday Kinana had prevailed over Qays. Ibn Hisham said: The account of the Fijar War is longer than what I have related. I refrained from giving it in full only because it would interrupt the account of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The next indexed section begins here.