Raid of Sa'd ibn Zaid al-Ashhali

Raid to demolish al-Manat

In the same month as the mission of Khalid ibn al-Walid to destroy al-Uzza and the Suwa, Sa‘d bin Zaid Al-Ashhali was sent with 20 horsemen to Al-Mashallal to destroy an idol called Manāt, worshipped by the polytheist Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj tribes of Arabia. Here also a black woman appeared, naked with disheveled hair, wailing and beating on her chest. Sa‘d immediately killed her, destroyed the idol and broke the casket, returning at the conclusion of his errand.

The group who carried out this raid were formerly devoted worshippers of al-Manat . According to some sources, among them ibn Kalbi, Ali was sent to demolish al-Manat; however, Sir William Muir claims there is more evidence to suggest that the raid was carried out by Sa'd, and that it would have been out of character for Muhammad to send Ali, since Muhammad had been sending former worshippers to demolish idols.

Muir also mentions that, similarly to the aforementioned incident, during the Expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid to Nakhla, an Ethiopian woman was killed, whom Muhammad claimed was the real al-Uzza. According to Muir, Muhammad said that the woman slain in this incident was the Goddess of the Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj tribes, i.e. Manat.

Islamic Primary sources

The Muslim historian Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi, mentions this event as follows:

He said:

"Wearing two coats of mail as well as Two studded swords, Mikhdham and Rasub [19]."

The Prophet gave these two swords to 'Ali.

[The Book of Idols, By Hisham Ibn-Al-Kalbi, Pg 13-14]

The event is also mentioned by Ibn Sa'd, in his book "Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir, Volume 2". he mentions that the raid was carried out by Sa'd ibn Zaid al-Ashhali.

Notes

References

1. Abu Khalil, Shawqi. (1 March 2004). "Atlas of the Prophet's biography: places, nations, landmarks". Dar-us-Salam.
2. [http://military.hawarey.org/military_english.htm List of Battles of Muhammad] {{webarchive. link. (2011-07-26)
3. (6 October 2020). "The Sealed Nectar".
4. [http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/SM_tsn/ch6s6.html "Sa‘d bin Zaid Al-Ashhali was also sent", Witness-Pioneer.com] {{webarchive. link. (2011-09-27)
5. (1972). "Kitab Al-tabaqat Al-Kabir".
6. Rahman al-Mubharakpuri, Saifur. (2021-06-24). "Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Volume 9)". Dar-us-Salam.
7. Ghulam Mustafa (Hafiz.). (1971). "Religious Trends in Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry". [Published for] the Faculty of Arts, Aligarh Muslim University [by] Asia Publishing House.
8. Abu Khalil, Shawqi. (1 March 2004). "Atlas of the Prophet's biography: places, nations, landmarks". Dar-us-Salam.
9. [http://military.hawarey.org/military_english.htm List of Battles of Muhammad] {{webarchive. link. (2011-07-26)
10. (6 October 2020). "The Sealed Nectar".
11. [http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/SM_tsn/ch6s6.html "Sa‘d bin Zaid Al-Ashhali was also sent", Witness-Pioneer.com] {{webarchive. link. (2011-09-27)
12. (1861). "The Life of Mahomet and History of Islam to the Era of the Hegira".
13. (1861). "The Life of Mahomet and History of Islam to the Era of the Hegira".
14. [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Feo9AAAAYAAJ/page/n154 The life of Mahomet and history of Islam, Volume 4, By Sir William Muir, Pg 135] See Notes section
15. Ibn al Kalbi, Hisham. (2011-08-05). "The book of idols: being a translation from the Arabic of the Kitāb al-asnām". Princeton University Press.
16. (1972). "Kitab Al-tabaqat Al-Kabir".