Expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid (Nakhla)
Encyclopedia
The expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid to Nakhla took place in January 630 AD, 8AH, in the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar.
Khalid ibn al-Walid
was sent to destroy the idol Goddess al-Uzza which was worshipped by polytheists; he did this successfully, and also killed a woman, whom Muhammad claimed was the real al-Uzza.
Muhammad began to despatch platoons and errands aiming at eliminating the last symbols reminiscent of pre-Islamic practices.
He sent Khalid bin Al-Walid in Ramadan 8 A.H. to a place called Nakhlah, where there was a goddess called Al-‘Uzza worshipped by Quraish and Kinanah tribes. It had custodians from Banu Shaiban. Khalid, at the head of 30 horsemen arrived at the spot and exterminated it.
On his return, Muhammad asked him if he had seen anything there, to which Khalid replied, "No". Here, he was told that it had not been destroyed and he had to go there again and fulfill the task. He went back again and there he saw a black Abyssinian (Ethiopian) woman, naked with torn hair. Khalid struck her with his sword and tore her into "two parts" according to the Muslim scholar Saifur Rahman al Mubarakpuri. He returned and narrated the story to Muhammad, who then confirmed the fulfillment of the task.
Muhammad said that the black Ethiopian lady was the real "al-Uzza".
mentions the event in his book the "Book of Idols" as follows:
The event is also mentioned in the Sunni Hadith
collection Al-Sunan al-Sughra
, which was collected by Al-Nasa'i
. The Muslim scholar Ibn Kathir
references the Hadith and the event in his Tafsir
, as follows
Khalid ibn al-Walid
Khalid ibn al-Walid
Khālid ibn al-Walīd also known as Sayf Allāh al-Maslūl , was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is noted for his military tactics and prowess, commanding the forces of Medina and those of his immediate successors of the Rashidun Caliphate; Abu Bakr and Umar...
was sent to destroy the idol Goddess al-Uzza which was worshipped by polytheists; he did this successfully, and also killed a woman, whom Muhammad claimed was the real al-Uzza.
Expedition and demolition of Temple
Shortly after the Conquest of MeccaConquest of Mecca
Mecca was conquered by the Muslims in January 630 AD .-Background:In 628 the Meccan tribe of Quraysh and the Muslim community in Medina signed a 10 year truce called the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah....
Muhammad began to despatch platoons and errands aiming at eliminating the last symbols reminiscent of pre-Islamic practices.
He sent Khalid bin Al-Walid in Ramadan 8 A.H. to a place called Nakhlah, where there was a goddess called Al-‘Uzza worshipped by Quraish and Kinanah tribes. It had custodians from Banu Shaiban. Khalid, at the head of 30 horsemen arrived at the spot and exterminated it.
On his return, Muhammad asked him if he had seen anything there, to which Khalid replied, "No". Here, he was told that it had not been destroyed and he had to go there again and fulfill the task. He went back again and there he saw a black Abyssinian (Ethiopian) woman, naked with torn hair. Khalid struck her with his sword and tore her into "two parts" according to the Muslim scholar Saifur Rahman al Mubarakpuri. He returned and narrated the story to Muhammad, who then confirmed the fulfillment of the task.
Muhammad said that the black Ethiopian lady was the real "al-Uzza".
Islamic Primary sources
The Muslim historian Hisham Ibn Al-KalbiHisham Ibn Al-Kalbi
Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi , also known as Ibn al-Kalbi was an Arab historian. His full name Abu al-Mundhir Hisham bin Muhammed bin al-Sa'ib bin Bishr al-Kalbi. Born in Kufa, he spent much of his life in Baghdad. Like his father, he collected information about the genealogies and history of the ancient...
mentions the event in his book the "Book of Idols" as follows:
The event is also mentioned in the Sunni Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
collection Al-Sunan al-Sughra
Al-Sunan al-Sughra
as-Sunan as-Sughra , also known as Sunan an-Nasa'i is one of the Sunni Six Major Hadith collections, and was collected by Al-Nasa'i.-Description:...
, which was collected by Al-Nasa'i
Al-Nasa'i
Al-Nasā'ī , full name Aḥmad ibn Shu`ayb ibn Alī ibn Sīnān Abū `Abd ar-Raḥmān al-Nasā'ī, was a noted collector of hadith , and wrote one of the six canonical hadith collections recognized by Sunni Muslims, Sunan al-Sughra, or "Al-Mujtaba", which he selected from his "As-Sunan al-Kubra"...
. The Muslim scholar Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir
Ismail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
references the Hadith and the event in his Tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
, as follows