The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 73
II - Arabia & its Inhabitants 73 and he murdered Kil ai b in his rage. The murder of Kul ai b instigated a wild fire amongst the Banū Taghlib, and in the retribution of their chieftain, they stood up unanimously. Due to this, the tribes of the Taghlib and Banū Bakr were engaged in such intense violence and bloodshed that I seek the refuge of God. At last, after forty years of fighting, when both tribes were gradually weakened, the king of the state of Ḥ ī rah named Mundhir Thālith reconciled these two tribes. Historically this war is known as the ‘Battle of Basūs’. 1 In the wars of Arabia, the concept of Thār or retribution played a crucial role. It was as if the doctrine of Thār was the greatest part of their religion and creed. Their belief was that until vengeance had been acquired the soul of the murdered takes on the form of an animal and mourns and laments moving here and there in the sky. The Arabs referred to this animal as Ṣudā. When a man was murdered it was the obligation of his relatives and fellow tribesmen to kill the murderer or one of his relatives or a man of his tribe. In retribution of the deceased, the custom of paying blood-money was also in place. However, in this case, the aspect of financial gain was not as important as was the fact that the tribe of the murderer be disgraced and shamed whilst paying the blood- money. However, generally, until the victim’s revenge was sought, the hearts of his relatives were home to a relentlessly burning fire of revenge, which could only be extinguished by the blood of the murderer. Conversely, where one fire was extinguished, the same fire would begin to blaze on the opposing end. In this manner, this constant chain would incessantly increase, and in various instances, tribes upon tribes would burn to ashes in this raging fire of violence. However, retribution did not end at the murderer’s death, rather, the hands, feet, ears and nose, etc. , of the dead would also be severed as a consolation of heart. This custom was known as Muthlah 2 and was common in Arab warfare. Hence, it shall be seen later on that in the Battle of Uḥud, Hind, the wife of Abū Sufyān, dealt in the same manner with Ḥamzah ra , the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophet sa who killed ‘ Utbah, the father of Hind, in the Battle of Badr. She mercilessly extracted the liver of Ḥamzah ra and chewed it in rage. The Arabs felt no repugnance in killing women and children who would come as captives of war. To fully acquire revenge, they would drink liquor in the skulls of the dead, would spear pregnant women and thus caused 1 Al -Kāmilu fit-Tārīkh, By Imām ‘Izz-ud-Din ibnil-Athīr, Volume 1, , pp. 472-485, ‘Dhikru Maqtali Kulaibin wal-Ayyāmi Baina Bakrin wa Taghlabin, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1997) 2 Mutilation of a dead body (Publishers)