Banu Thaqif
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The Thaqif was one of the tribes of Arabia during Muhammad's era. Thaqif was the main tribe of the town of Taif, in present-day Saudi Arabia, and descendants of the tribe (called Thagafis) still live in that city today.
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[edit] History
The tribe lived in the city of Taif and worshiped the pre-Islamic Arabian goddess Allat [1].
[edit] Muhammad's visit to Ta'if — 620
Muhammad went to the city named Ta'if and invited them to Islam, but they answered in a rude manner and started throwing stones against them, causing him to bleed heavily. The entire visit lasted one day.
[edit] Battle of Badr — 624
Akhnas ibn Shariq al-Thaqifi and the Banu Zuhrah where with the Meccan as part of the escort that preceded the battle of Badr but since he believed the caravan to be safe, he did not join Quraish on their way to a festival in Badr. He together with Banu Zuhrah returned, so this two clans present in the battle [2]
[edit] Siege — 630
Before the battle of Tabuk and after the battle of Hunayn, they were subjected to the Siege of Taif. However, they held their position and did not succumb to the siege. One of their chieftains, Urwah ibn Mas'ud, was absent in Yemen during that siege[1].
[edit] Urwah ibn Mas'ud
After Urwah returned from Yemen and learned of the battle that had taken place at Tabuk, he hastened to Medina. Urwah had met Muhammad before as an adversary, but he accepeted Islam on this meeting. When he declared his intentions of returning to his city to preach, he was warned by Muhammad that they would fight him. Urwah, however, felt too sure of his position and influence with his people. He answered:
- "O Prophet of God, my people love me more than they do their own eyes." [1]
Upon his return, he was largely avoided by his tribesmen, apparently after concluding a consultation among themselves. The following morning, Urwah gave the call to prayer from his roof. He was then surrounded and shot to death by citizens who had gathered bows and arrows. As his relatives panicked around him, it is related according to Muslim sources that his last words were:
- "This is indeed an honor granted to me by God, the honor to die as a martyr in His cause. For my case is identical to that of all the other martyrs who gave up their lives at the gates of this city, while the Prophet of God, may God's peace and blessings be upon him, was laying siege to it."
He then asked to be buried together with those martyrs who were buried in that area.[1]
[edit] Sending Chieftains
Eventually, most of the remaining chieftains went to Mecca to confront Muhammed, and became Muslims after some negotiaion, resulting in the destruction of the cult of Allat. People involved were Abd-Ya-Layl ibn Amr, Mugheera ibn Shu'ba, Abu Bakr, Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-Aas, Uthman ibn Abu-al-Aas and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb.[1]
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[edit] Aftermath
With the dismantling of the popular cult of Allat and the subsequent conversion of Al'Taw, the conversion of the Hijaz was complete. Muhammad's power expanded from the frontiers of Byzantium in the north to al Yaman and Hadramawt in the south. The territories of Southern Arabia were all being encouraged or forced to join the new religion and integrate themselves into a unified system of defense. It subsequently follows that delegations from all around the region proceeded to Medina to declare allegiance to the new order and to convert to the new faith.[1]
[edit] Notable Members
Notable members of the tribe include:
- Abd-Ya-Layl ibn Amr [1]
- Uthman ibn Abu-al-Aas [1]
- Urwah ibn Mas'ud [1]
- Mugheera ibn Shu'ba [1]
- Nafi ibn al-Harith[citation needed]
- Dawud ibn Urwah ibn Masa'ud al-Thaqifi, whom married Habibah binte Ubayd-Allah[citation needed].
- Akhnas ibn Shariq[2]
- Al-Mukhtar[citation needed]
