EnglishOn Shawwal, the nineteenth, the captive day, the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) left Makkah accompanied by twelve thousand Muslims. Ten thousand of those had previously shared in Makkah Conquest. A great number of the other two thousand, who were Makkans, had recently embraced Islam. That march was on the nineteenth day of his conquest to Makkah. He borrowed a hundred armours with their equipment from Safwan bin Omaiyah. He appointed ‘Itab bin Usaid as a governor over Makkah. When it was evening time, a horseman came to the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) and said: “I have climbed up so and so mountains and came across Hawazin with their riding camels, livestock and sheep. Hawazin wholly were gathered together there.” The Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) smiled then and said: “They will all be Muslims’ spoils tomorrow, if Allâh will.” That night Anas bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi volunteered to guard.
On their way to Hunain they saw a great green Nabk plant, that was called Dhat-Anwat (the one with suspenders). That was because the Arabs used to hang their weapons on it, slay beasts under it and keep to it. So some of army members asked the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) to make them a Nabk with suspenders as the one they had. “Allâh is the Greatest of all!” He said, “I swear by the One in Whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul, that you have just said what the people of Moses said to him. They said ‘Make us a god as the one they have.’ Surely you are ignorant people. These are Sunnah, but you will follow and comply with the modes of life of those who preceded you.”
Seeing how great in number the army was, some of them said: “We shall not be defeated.” Their statement sounded hard upon the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him):