Safar, the second month of the Hijri calendar, may be seem slightly lackluster in comparison to blessed months like Ramadan or Dhul-Hijjah, but a number of events took place during Safar that were also significant to the Muslims of their time. A few poignant events in Islamic history coincided with this month; some events were triumphant, others were extremely sad and painful. Reliving the pain should not cause apathy or immobilization but it should motivate us all to work harder to be like those great people in the history of Islam. The first battle ever led by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in person was not the Battle of Badr; it was a smaller military campaign, called Al-Abwa' or Waddan. It took place in Safar, one year after the Prophet's migration to Madinah, as mentioned in ‘The Sealed Nectar' by Al-Mubarakpuri. A white banner was carried by Hamzah bin Abd Al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) set out with 70 men to intercept a caravan of Quraysh, but no fighting ensued. During this campaign, the Muslims succeeded in signing a peace treaty with the leader of Bani Dumrah, a tribe located in Waddan, a place between Makkah and Madinah. In Safar of the 3rd year after the Migration, some people from outside of Madinah came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asking him to send with them knowledgeable men to teach their tribes about Islam and the Qur'an. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) trusted them and sent six men with them, according to Ibn Ishaaq but according to Al-Bukhari the number was ten. When they reached a well belonging to the tribe of Hudhayl, these men betrayed the trust and incited Hudhayl to attack the unarmed Muslims. All of the Muslims were killed, except for two, Khubayb ibn Adiy and Zayd ibn Al-Dathinah, who were captured and taken as prisoners to Makkah. The non-believers were eager to execute revenge against these two Muslims who had been responsible for the death of some of the Qurayshi leaders of Makkah during the Battle of Badr. Khubayb ibn Adiy was forcefully dragged out to the Holy Mosque for everyone to witness his slaying. Moments before they executed him, his tormentors mockingly asked, “Wouldn't you wish if Muhammad were now in your place and you were free?” Khubayb bin Adiy replied, “I swear by Allah, the Almighty, that I would not like for him to experience a thorn in his foot in exchange for my life.” The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his troops marched out towards the Fortress of Khaibar in the month of Muharram, but it was conquered in the month of Safar, in the 7th Hijri year, according to Ibn Al-Qayyim (‘Zaad Al-Ma'aad, 3/339). In addition to the heroism and courage displayed by remarkable warriors such as Ali bin Abi Talib, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also recognized greatness in a man, whose name is not mentioned much by historians. Amir was chanting verses of poetry during the march on Khaibar. O Allah, if You had not guided us, We would have neither been guided rightly nor practiced charity, nor offered prayers We wish to lay down our lives for You, so forgive our lapses And keep us steadfast when we encounter our enemies Bestow upon us peace and tranquility The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was moved by his words and he said to his companions, “Allah will show mercy to him (Amir)”. Many years after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the rightly guided Caliphs, the pages of Islamic history shone again with stories of the great Muslim leader, Salah-ul-din Al-Ayyubi, known as Saladin. His peak moment was when he reclaimed the Holy City, Jerusalem which had been under Christian rule for almost 90 years. Salah-ul-din united the Muslim world and captured Jerusalem in 1187 after defeating the King of Jerusalem at the Battle of Hattin. When his soldiers entered the city, they were not allowed to kill civilians, rob people, cut trees, demolish places of worship, or damage the city. Salah-ul-din demonstrated kindness, tolerance, and mercy when at the height of his victory and power, he granted the inhabitants of Jerusalem freedom to leave the city unharmed and he allowed Christians and Jews to practice their religion without fear of prosecution. The writer, Elias Antar, related this story of the Muslim hero, Salah-ul-din. In a skirmish between the famous leader of the Crusaders, Richard the Lion Hearted, and the Muslims, Richard's horse was killed during the fighting. Salah-ul-din sent Richard a horse to replace the one he had lost with this message to Richard, his adversary, “It is not right that so brave a warrior should have to fight on foot.” It was on the 27th of the month of Safar that Salah-ul-din died in Damascus. He had nothing much to leave behind. His only personal possessions at the time were 74 silver coins and 1 gold coin; he had given away everything else in charity. Instead, he left behind a legendary tale.
