In the study of any religion, its texts and traditions demand scrutiny—not to mock, but to probe their historical and ethical implications. Today, we dissect a troubling Hadith from Sahih Muslim 1730a, which details a raid led by the Prophet Muhammad on the Banu Mustaliq tribe. Far from a sanitized narrative, this account exposes tactics and outcomes that clash with modern notions of justice and morality. Let’s dive in.
The Hadith
Here’s the text, unfiltered, as it appears in Sahih Muslim 1730a:
Arabic:
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمُ بْنُ أَخْضَرَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى نَافِعٍ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الدُّعَاءِ، قَبْلَ الْقِتَالِ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَىَّ إِنَّمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي أَوَّلِ الإِسْلاَمِ قَدْ أَغَارَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ وَهُمْ غَارُّونَ وَأَنْعَامُهُمْ تُسْقَى عَلَى الْمَاءِ فَقَتَلَ مُقَاتِلَتَهُمْ وَسَبَى سَبْيَهُمْ وَأَصَابَ يَوْمَئِذٍ – قَالَ يَحْيَى أَحْسِبُهُ قَالَ – جُوَيْرِيَةَ – أَوْ قَالَ الْبَتَّةَ – ابْنَةَ الْحَارِثِ وَحَدَّثَنِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ وَكَانَ فِي ذَاكَ الْجَيْشِ.
English Translation:
Ibn ‘Aun reported: I wrote to Nafi’ inquiring from him whether it was necessary to extend (to the disbelievers) an invitation to accept (Islam) before meeting them in fight. He wrote (in reply) to me that it was necessary in the early days of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made a raid upon Banu Mustaliq while they were unaware and their cattle were having a drink at the water. He killed those who fought and imprisoned others. On that very day, he captured Juwairiya bint al-Harith. Nafi’ said that this tradition was related to him by Abdullah b. Umar who (himself) was among the raiding troops.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 1730a
Analysis
This Hadith lays bare several disturbing elements of early Islamic military practice. Let’s break it down without glossing over the ugly details.
1. The Sneak Attack: Ambushing the Unprepared
The text states that Muhammad “made a raid upon Banu Mustaliq while they were unaware and their cattle were having a drink at the water.” This wasn’t a fair fight—it was a calculated ambush. The tribe was caught off guard, tending to their livestock, not poised for battle. Such tactics might have been effective, but they reek of opportunism and aggression. Where’s the honor in striking a foe that doesn’t even know it’s under threat? Modern sensibilities would call this a cheap shot, not a noble conquest.
2. Slaughter and Shackles: No Mercy for Resisters
Once the raid began, the response was brutal: “He killed those who fought and imprisoned others.” Those who dared to defend themselves were cut down; the rest were rounded up like cattle. This wasn’t a negotiation or a call to surrender—it was a kill-or-capture operation. The casual mention of death and imprisonment paints a grim picture of how dissent was handled. For a religion often touted as peaceful, this episode suggests a willingness to spill blood and break spirits without hesitation.
3. Juwairiya bint al-Harith: The Human Spoils of War
The Hadith highlights the capture of Juwairiya bint al-Harith, a woman taken on the same day as the raid. She later became one of Muhammad’s wives, but let’s not romanticize this. She was a captive, seized in the chaos of battle. The text offers no hint of her consent or agency—just the fact of her being “captured.” Taking women as war booty raises serious ethical red flags. Was she a prize, a bargaining chip, or a coerced bride? The silence on her perspective is deafening, and the implications are damning.
4. The Convenient Evolution of Rules
The Hadith begins with a question: Was it necessary to invite disbelievers to Islam before attacking them? Nafi’ replies that this was required “in the early days of Islam,” but the raid on Banu Mustaliq suggests this rule was already bending—or breaking. If the invitation was once a moral prerequisite, its apparent abandonment here looks like a shift from principle to pragmatism. Did the early Muslims drop the call to faith when it suited their military goals? This flexibility smells more of strategy than spirituality.
Conclusion
Sahih Muslim 1730a isn’t a feel-good story—it’s a raw snapshot of early Islamic raids that leaves a sour taste. A surprise attack on an unsuspecting tribe, the slaughter of resisters, the enslavement of survivors, and the capture of women like Juwairiya bint al-Harith reveal a harsh reality behind the rosy rhetoric. The shifting stance on inviting enemies to Islam only adds to the sense of opportunism. These actions might have been par for the course in 7th-century Arabia, but they don’t hold up under a modern lens of ethics or humanity. So, what do we make of a prophet who sanctioned such deeds? And how do these tales stack up against the sanitized image of Islam today? Chew on that.