The SeerahExpedition

The battle of Mu'tah

غزوة مؤتة

Three thousand Muslims faced a far larger Byzantine force; Zayd, Ja'far and Ibn Rawahah fell one after another.

SahihSee it in the Atlas
When
Jumada al-Ula, year 8
Date
The sources agree on the date.
Where
Mu'tah

The event

After the Prophet's envoy to the ruler of Busra was killed, he sent an army of about three thousand and named its leaders in turn: Zayd ibn Harithah, then Ja'far ibn Abi Talib if Zayd fell, then 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah (al-Bukhari 4261). Ibn 'Umar, who was with them, counted more than ninety stab and arrow wounds on Ja'far's body.

Ibn Hisham's Sirah dates the expedition to Jumada al-Ula of year 8. islamweb's article tells how the army met a Byzantine host said to number two hundred thousand, and how all three leaders were killed in turn. Shurrab places Mu'tah in Jordan, about 11 km south of al-Karak, where the graves of the martyrs are at al-Mazar.

Evidence

Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari 4261

Grades
GraderVerdict
al-BukhariSahih (included by al-Bukhari in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ أَمَّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي غَزْوَةِ مُوتَةَ زَيْدَ بْنَ حَارِثَةَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِنْ قُتِلَ زَيْدٌ فَجَعْفَرٌ، وَإِنْ قُتِلَ جَعْفَرٌ فَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ رَوَاحَةَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ كُنْتُ فِيهِمْ فِي تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ فَالْتَمَسْنَا جَعْفَرَ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَوَجَدْنَاهُ فِي الْقَتْلَى، وَوَجَدْنَا مَا فِي جَسَدِهِ بِضْعًا وَتِسْعِينَ مِنْ طَعْنَةٍ وَرَمْيَةٍ‏.‏

Abdullah bin `Umar said:"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) appointed Zaid bin Haritha as the commander of the army during the Ghazwa of Mu'tah and said, "If Zaid is martyred, Ja`far should take over his position, and if Ja`far is martyred, `Abdullah bin Rawaha should take over his position.' " `Abdullah bin `Umar further said, "I was present amongst them in that battle and we searched for Ja`far bin Abi Talib and found his body amongst the bodies of the martyred ones, and found over ninety wounds over his body, caused by stabs or shots (of arrows)

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