Expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid (Nakhla)

Expedition and demolition of Temple

Soon after the Conquest of Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad began to dispatch expeditions on 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 statue of the Goddess called Al-‘Uzza worshipped by the Quraish and Kinanah tribes, and guarded by custodians from Banu Shaiban. Khalid, at the head of thirty horsemen, arrived at the spot and destroyed the Goddess's religious statue.

Upon his return, Muhammad asked him if he had seen anything else there, to which Khalid replied, "No". He was told that the statue had not been destroyed and that he must go back and fulfill the task. Khalid went again to Nakhlah and there saw a black Abyssinian (Ethiopian) woman, naked with disheveled hair. He struck her with his sword and cut her into "two pieces" murdering her, according to the Muslim scholar, Saifur Rahman al Mubarakpuri. He returned once again and narrated his story to Muhammad, who then confirmed the fulfillment of the task, saying that the murdered black Ethiopian woman was the real "al-Uzza". , p. 135 See bottom, Notes section

References

References

1. Abu Khalil, Shawqi. (1 March 2004). "Atlas of the Prophet's biography: places, nations, landmarks". Dar-us-Salam.
2. "List of Battles of Muhammad".
3. (September 2020). "The Sealed Nectar ( Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum)". ideas4islam.
4. ""He sent Khalid bin Al-Waleed in Ramadan 8 A.H"".