MU’TAH
Lessons in Leadership
Amal Saffour recalls the battle of Mu’tah, one of the most crucial in the
history of Islam and finds a wealth of lessons and inspiration about the
Prophetic style of leadership
When asking one of the children I teach what he wanted to be when he grew up, he enthusiastically cried,
“LEADER!” It wasn’t the only time I had heard that word during that week, let alone that month.
Leadership has become the main subject of conversation among Muslims, from those who complain that we
lack good leaders, to those who say we need more. It is a topic that seems to have become not only the
problem but also the solution of the Ummah. Although we can look back to many examples in the Seerah to
learn about this topic, the battle of Mu’tah was an event that echoed with significant messages of the wisdom
and skill of leadership, found in both the Prophet (s) and his companions.
Mu’tah was unlike any previous battles the Muslims had fought, as it was a battle against the Byzantines, the
superpower of the day and an ancient and much feared international empire. The battle took place at a time
in which Arabia was beginning to sink into a period of relative peace after the treaty of Hudaibiya, and the
prophet had sent envoys to neighbouring rulers and emperors to convey the message of Islam. Although they
were dealt with in varying degrees of hospitality, no envoy was maltreated in keeping with the tradition that
messengers and ambassadors should be treated well. It therefore came as a bitter shock to the Muslims,
when they heard of Al-Harith Ibn Umair’s murder. He had been sent to the ruler of Busra (an Arab
governate of the Byzantine empire), who had deliberately behaved in an insulting manner with total
disregard to all diplomatic standards and values.
Leadership Lesson 1: Making Decisions
This event came as a fresh and bitter blow to the Prophet (s) and it was a challenge that called for a firm and
wise reply, especially as Islam was still consolidating its position in Arabia itself. The Prophet (s) was aware
that an important factor in the progress of the Muslim state was to ensure it was held in awe by neighbouring
powers. The people in Arabia were convinced that Islam could not be overcome by another force, and this
was a general reason for the conversion of many people to Islam. It was essential that the Muslim state be
safeguarded against humiliation. If it were to be weakened by other forces, the position of those prepared to
join Islam would be weakened and the consequences serious.
These were the reasons that shaped the prophet’s decision to send an army of 3000 to teach the aggressor a
lesson. Yet this mission was not an easy one, and as the Prophet (s) could not go himself he had to assign a
commander. Here, we see two qualities of leadership emerging from the prophet. Firstly, he sacrificed those
that he loved the most. He appointed his “beloved”, Zaid Ibn Haritha as the commander, aware that this
would expose him to the greatest risks. If Zaid were to be killed then the Prophet’s (s) own cousin, Ja’far,
should take over. Thus we see that the prophet as a leader always sacrificed his family and those he loved
first. The second point is to observe the prophet’s perceptiveness and insight in naming two potential
Issue 10
June 2006 / Jumada Al-Ula 1427
ISSN 1745-6908
commanders after Zaid. It is wrong to say that he knew they would be killed, but rather the prophet was
making extensive preparations for a long and far journey from which he would be absent. It was necessary to
ensure that the Muslims would remain united under the command of a leader.
Leadership Lesson 2: The Companions as Leaders
The battle of Mu’tah was a difficult one to embark on, especially when the Muslims came to know that they
were going to face a huge army of 200,000. Yet despite the great difference in numbers they continued and
the battle begun. The bravery displayed by the Muslim commanders was dazzling. After Zaid was martyred,
Ja’far who became the commander slew his horse to ensure he wouldn’t run away. Abdullah Ibn Rawaha,
the third commander, recited lines of poetry in order to encourage himself. After he was martyred, Khalid
Ibn al-Waleed was chosen to be leader. Khalid was known to be an ingenious military commander and some
people have wondered why the prophet didn’t choose him to be commander initially. Yet the reason why he
didn’t also points to the Prophet’s (s) great leadership skills. Khalid was a new Muslim, so he had to be given
time to nurture his soul and go through tarbiyah before being assigned a great role. Furthermore, the
Prophet (s) was aware that Khalid had led many armies beforehand and didn’t want to make him feel
superior. This shows the thoughtfulness of the prophet and how careful he was in making his decisions.
Khalid had a tough task ahead of him. He was aware that if the Muslims continued to fight they would all be
killed in a huge massacre, causing further sorrow and humiliation for the Muslims. Yet if he withdrew
immediately this would show weakness. He therefore devised a plan in which he would withdraw from the
battle slowly and skillfully whilst causing as much injury to the opposing army as possible. At dawn he
redeployed his forces, moving the right flank to the left and vice versa. He also exchanged the positions of
the front and rear forces. At daybreak the Byzantines were surprised to see new faces and thought that the
Muslims had received help. In addition, Khalid had ordered a detachment of his forces to raise as much dust
as possible behind the army, and the Muslims were told to adopt a different style of fighting, aiming to afflict
and injure as many soldiers as possible. This greatly tired the Byzantine forces, some of which ran away, and
Khalid was able to withdraw from the battle successfully. The Muslims only lost twelve martyrs, whilst the
Romans suffered great losses.
Although the prophet was greatly saddened by the death of the first three commanders, he called the battle a
victory and a success, and it certainly was one, as many tribes thereafter converted to Islam. Yet it was also
one in which the skills and qualities of the prophet and his companions as leaders clearly emerge, as we see
the way in which they make tough decisions with perceptiveness and insight, considering the consequences
that could arise from their decisions. These are qualities and skills that any type of leader in any situation
needs to employ and be taught- even the young enthusiastic child hopping up and down in his seat who
claims to be a leader!
Issue 10
June 2006 / Jumada Al-Ula 1427
ISSN 1745-6908