Home > Sira > The second year of the Hijra
The events of the second year of the Hijra: Badr al-Kubra parting truth from falsehood, Ali’s marriage to Fatima with the houtami armor as dowry, the qibla changed, fasting and zakat prescribed, the hostile rabbis and Moukhayriq the best of the Jews, from al-Boukhari, Mouslim, Ibn Ishaq and al-Bayhaqi.
Updated on 07 September 2026 at 11:07 PM
There occurred in the second year of the Hijra many campaigns and detachments, the greatest and most eminent of them Badr al-Kubra, which occurred in Ramadan of it, by which Allah parted truth from falsehood, guidance from error. This is the time of mentioning the campaigns and detachments: we say with Allah as aid.
Imam Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar said, in his book of the sira, after mentioning the Jews’ rabbis and their planted hostility to Islam and its people, and the verses sent down concerning them: among them Houyay ibn Akhtab, his two brothers Abu Yassir and Joudayy, Sallam ibn Mishkam, Kinana ibn al-Rabi ibn Abi al-Huqayq, Sallam ibn Abi al-Huqayq : who is Abu Rafi al-A’war, the Hijaz people’s merchant, killed by the Companions in the land of Khaybar as will come :, al-Rabi ibn al-Rabi ibn Abi al-Huqayq, Amr ibn Jihash, and Ka’b ibn al-Ashraf, who was of Tayy then of the Banu Nabhan, his mother from the Banu Nadir : killed by the Companions before Abu Rafi as will come :, and his allies al-Hajjaj ibn Amr and Kardam ibn Qays, may Allah curse them. Those are of the Banu Nadir.
Of the Banu Tha’laba ibn al-Fityaoun: Abdallah ibn Souriya : there was in the Hijaz none more learned in the Torah than he; it has been said he embraced Islam :, ibn Salouba and Moukhayriq : who embraced Islam on the day of Uhud as will come, and was his people’s rabbi. Of the Banu Qaynuqa: Zayd ibn al-Lussayt, Sa’d ibn Houneyf, Mahmoud ibn Sayhan, Uzayz ibn Abi Uzayz, Abdallah ibn Sayf, Souwayd ibn al-Harith, Rifa’a ibn Qays, Finhas, Achya’, Nou’man ibn Adha, Bahri ibn Amr, Chas ibn Adi, Chas ibn Qays, Zayd ibn al-Harith, Nou’man ibn Amr, Soukayn ibn Abi Soukayn, Adi ibn Zayd, Nou’man ibn Abi Awfa Abu Anas, Mahmoud ibn Dahya, Malik ibn Sayf, Ka’b ibn Rachid, Azar and Rafi ibn Abi Rafi and Khalid, Azar ibn Abi Azar : Ibn Hisham says: he is said Azar ibn Azar :, Rafi ibn Haritha, Rafi ibn Houraymala, Rafi ibn Khardja, Malik ibn Awf, Rifa’a ibn Zayd ibn at-Tabout, and Abdallah ibn Salam : his Islam has already preceded (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Ibn Ishaq says: he was their rabbi and their most knowledgeable, and his name was al-Husayn: when he embraced Islam, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) named him Abdallah.
Of the Banu Qurayza: az-Zoubayr ibn Bata ibn Wahb, Azzal ibn Chamouil, Ka’b ibn Asad : he of their covenant which they broke the year of the Confederates :, Chamouil ibn Zayd, Jabal ibn Amr ibn Soukayna, an-Nahham ibn Zayd, Qardam ibn Ka’b, Wahb ibn Zayd, Nafi ibn Abi Nafi, Adi ibn Zayd, al-Harith ibn Awf, Kardam ibn Zayd, Ussama ibn Habib, Rafi ibn Roumayla, Jabal ibn Abi Qouchayr and Wahb ibn Yahouda. Of the Banu Zourayq: Labid ibn al-A’sam, he who bewitched the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Of the Jews of the Banu Haritha: Kinana ibn Souriya. Of the Jews of the Banu Amr ibn Awf: Qardam ibn Amr. Of the Jews of the Banu an-Najjar: Silsila ibn Barhama.
Ibn Ishaq said: these are the Jews’ rabbis, people of mischief and hostility toward the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions, people of questions : who multiplied questions to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with obstinacy, stubbornness and disbelief : and people of hostility to the affair of Islam, wanting to extinguish it, save Abdallah ibn Salam and Moukhayriq. He then mentioned the Islam of Abdallah ibn Salam and that of his aunt Khalida, as we presented, and the Islam of Moukhayriq on the day of Uhud, as will come. He said to his people : it was the Sabbath day: “O assembly of Jews, by Allah you know that Muhammad’s victory over you is truth.” They said: “Today is the Sabbath day.” He said: “No Sabbath for you.” Then he took his weapon and went out to those of his people behind him: “Were I killed today, my wealth is for Muhammad: let him see therein what Allah wills.” He was wealthy. Then he joined the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and fought until he was killed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would say, as it reached me: “Moukhayriq is the best of the Jews.”
The chapter of Ali ibn Abi Talib’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entering upon his wife Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): that in the second year after Badr, for what al-Boukhari and Mouslim related, through the chain of az-Zuhri, from Ali ibn al-Hussein, from his father al-Hussein, from Ali ibn Abi Talib: I had a she-camel of my share of the spoils on the day of Badr, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had given me a she-camel of the fifth Allah granted him that day. When I wished to wed Fatima, daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I had promised a man, a goldsmith among the Banu Qaynuqa, to travel with me bringing idhkhir grass, which I would sell to the goldsmiths and aid myself with its price for my wedding feast. While I gathered for my she-camel the harnesses, skins and ropes : my two she-camels were tied beside an Ansari’s chamber : and I had gathered what I gathered, behold my she-camel with her two humps gashed and her flanks cut open, and taken from their livers. I could no longer master my eyes at the sight, and I said: “Who did this?” They said: “Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib did it, and he is in this house, drinking with Ansaris, and with him a songstress and his companions.” She said in her song: “O Hamza, for the camels of the bulging humps!”
Hamza leapt to his sword, split the humps of the two she-camels, cut open their flanks and took from their livers. Ali said: I set out until I entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who had with him Zayd ibn Haritha. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recognized what I had met and said: “What ails you?” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have seen none like today: Hamza fell upon my two she-camels, gashed their humps and cut open their flanks, and there he is in a house drinking.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called his garment, wrapped himself in it, then went walking, and Zayd ibn Haritha and I followed him until he came to the house wherein was Hamza: he sought permission, and it was granted. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) began blaming Hamza for what he had done, and Hamza was drunk, his eyes reddened. Hamza looked at the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), raised his gaze to his knees, then raised his gaze to his face, and Hamza said: “You are but slaves of my father!” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recognized he was drunk: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned back upon his heels and went out, and we went out with him. Such is al-Boukhari’s wording in the book of campaigns, and he related it in other places of his Sahih with many wordings.
That proves what we preceded: that Badr’s spoils were subjected to the fifth, not as Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam claimed in the book of wealth, that the fifth was only legislated after its division: a majority contradicted him therein, among them al-Boukhari and Ibn Jarir, and we showed his error therein in our Tafsir and what has preceded. Allah is most knowing. And this deed of Hamza and his companions (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) occurred before wine was forbidden; Hamza himself was killed on the day of Uhud, as will come, before wine’s prohibition. Allah is most knowing. This hadith may be used as proof by whoever holds the drunkard’s speech suspended, of no effect: neither divorce, nor confession, nor other, per the view of some scholars, as is established in the book of religious rulings.
Imam Ahmad related, from Soufyan, from Ibn Abi Najih, from his father, from a man who heard Ali: “I wished to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) his daughter and said to myself: I have nothing: how? Then I recalled his kinship tie and proposed her to him. He said: Do you have anything? I said: no. He said: Where is your houtami armor which I gave you on such and such a day? I said: it is with me. He said: give it me. And I gave it him.” Thus Ahmad related it in his Musnad, and it contains an unnamed man.
Abu Dawud related, from Ishaq ibn Ismail at-Talaqani, from Abda, from Said, from Ayyoub, from Ikrima, from Ibn Abbas: when Ali married Fatima (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Give her something.” He said: I have nothing. He said: “Where is your houtami armor?” And an-Nasaï related it, from Haroun ibn Ishaq, from Abda ibn Sulayman, from Said ibn Abi Aruba, from Ayyoub as-Sakhtiyani.
Abu Dawud related likewise, from Kathir ibn Ubayd al-Himsi, from Abu Haywa, from Chou’ayb ibn Abi Hamza, that Ghaylan ibn Anas of the people of Hims related to him, that Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Thawban related to him, from a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): when Ali married Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he wished to enter upon her, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prevented him until he gave her something. He said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have nothing.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Give her your armor.” He gave her his armor, then entered upon her.
al-Bayhaqi related in the Dala’il, from Abu Abdillah the hafiz, from Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya’qoub al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar, from Younous ibn Boukayr, from Ibn Ishaq: Abdallah ibn Abi Najih related to me, from Mujahid, from Ali: I proposed Fatima to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A freedman of mine said: know you that Fatima was proposed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? I said: no. He said: she was proposed: what prevents you from going to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he marry you? I said: and what have I to marry with? He said: were you to go to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he would marry you. By Allah,
she never ceased encouraging me until I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When I sat before him, I was overwhelmed: by Allah, I could not speak, so great were his majesty and awe. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “What brings you, have you a need?” I was silent. He said: “Perhaps you come proposing Fatima.” I said: “Yes.” He said: “Have you anything wherewith to make her lawful?” I said: “No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “What became of the houtami armor I gave you?” : by Him Who holds Ali’s soul, it was a houtami worth four dirhams : I said: “I have it.” He said: “I have married you: send it her and make her lawful by it.” Such was the dowry of Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Ibn Ishaq said: Fatima bore Ali Hassan, Houssayn, Mouhsin : who died young :, Umm Koulthoum and Zaynab. al-Bayhaqi related then, through the chain of Ata ibn as-Sa’ib, from his father, from Ali: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) equipped Fatima with a wool pillow, a waterskin and a leather pillow stuffed with idhkhir grass. And al-Bayhaqi transmitted from the book al-Ma’rifa of Abu Abdillah Ibn Mandah that Ali married Fatima a year after the Hijra, and entered upon her another year after that.
Ibn Kathir says: the entering upon her would then be at the beginning of the third year of the Hijra; but the apparent context of the two nobles’ hadith requires that it were shortly after Badr: that would be as we mentioned, at the end of the second year. Allah is most knowing.
Has preceded our mention of his marriage (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to Aisha, mother of the believers (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and we mentioned the famous campaigns past, which comprised the deaths of famous figures among the believers and the polytheists. Died that year: of the martyrs of the day of Badr, fourteen men, between Emigrants and Ansar, their names already cited; and the chiefs of Quraysh’s polytheists, seventy men upon the famous account. Died shortly after the battle Abu Lahab, Abd al-Uzza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, may Allah curse him, as has preceded. When the good news reached the believers of Medina’s people with Zayd ibn Haritha and Abdallah ibn Rawaha : of what Allah permitted against the polytheists and of the victory granted the believers :, they found Rouqayya, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), had died and been covered with earth; her husband Uthman ibn Affan had remained nursing her by the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) order to him, and hence he marked for him his arrow’s share in Badr’s spoils, his reward being with Allah on the Day of Resurrection. Then he married him her other sister, Umm Koulthoum, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): hence Uthman ibn Affan was called “Dhou al-Nourayn,” the possessor of the two lights. And it is said none married two daughters of a prophet, one after the other, but he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and He was pleased with them.
In that year the qibla was changed, as has preceded; and the residence prayer had added to it what preceded. In it was prescribed the fast of Ramadan, as has preceded; and were prescribed the zakat with the fixed amounts and the zakat of breaking. In it the polytheists of Medina’s people and the Jews therein submitted: Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, Banu Qurayza and the Jews of the Banu Haritha made peace with the Muslims; a large group of polytheists and Jews manifested Islam, while inwardly hypocrites: some remained upon their former state, and some dissolved entirely, remaining wavering, neither toward these nor those, as Allah described them in His Book.
Ibn Jarir said: in that year the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wrote the covenants, which were hung upon his sword. Ibn Jarir said: it is said al-Hassan ibn Ali was born therein. As for al-Waqidi, he claimed Ibn Abi Sabra related to him, from Ishaq ibn Abdallah, from Abu Ja’far, that Ali ibn Abi Talib entered upon Fatima in Dhu al-Hijja of it: that first view is false.