Abu Sufyan
| Abu Sufyan ibn Harb صخر بن حرب |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Sakhr ibn Harb 560 Mecca |
| Died | 650 Medina |
| Known for | Chieftain of the Quraysh of Mecca. |
Sakhr ibn Harb (Arabic: صخر بن حرب), more commonly known as Abu Sufyan (560–650), was the leader of the Quraysh of Mecca, the most powerful tribe of pre-Islamic Arabia. He was a staunch opponent of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, until later accepting Islam and becoming a warrior later in his life during the early Muslim conquests.
Sakhr's mother, Safya, was the paternal aunt of Maymunah bint al-Harith, who married Muhammad.
Abu Sufyan was the chief of the Banu Abd-Shams clan of the Quraysh, which made him one of the most powerful in Mecca. Abu Sufyan's brother Musab was among several Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia to escape persecution in Mecca.
After Muhammed and other Muslims had migrated to Medina in 622, the Quraysh confiscated the belongings they had left behind. During that period of time, caravans were accompanied by military escorts of varying strength.
Due to the hospitality Muhammad received in Medina, the Meccans feared the growing influence of the Muslims and thus were contriving to safeguard their trade routes by eliminating the religion of Islam. The Muslims of Medina were aware of such activities and began to make preparations for self-defense.
In 624, Abu Sufyan was the appointed leader of a large merchant caravan carrying a fortune of the Quraysh's goods to Syria for trade. The caravan was escorted by a force of around 40 or 50 soldiers. Muhammad had learned that the caravan was passing close to Medina en route to Syria and organized a Muslim force of 300 men to intercept it and repossess the goods that the Quraysh had stolen from the Muslims due to their absence in Mecca.
Around this time, it is related that God revealed to Muhammad that his people were now given permission to go after those who had oppressed them, driven them from their homes and confiscated their property (some of which the Quraysh put on this same caravan). However, the Muslim contingent Muhammad had assembled failed to intercept the caravan. They arrived after the caravan had already passed by Medina. Abu Sufyan had learned of the Muslims' plan from scouts he had deployed, and in response, sent a crier to Mecca to rally the Quraysh to arms against the Muslims. The Muslims ended up engaging this Meccan army, a force of around 1000 men, at the plains of Badr several days after they had failed to intercept the caravan. This conflict, the Battle of Badr, ultimately resulted in a Muslim victory. The death of most Quraysh leaders in the battle not only left Abu Sufyan the leader of Mecca, but also marked the fulfillment of the Quranic prophecy in surah Ar-Rum 2-4.
...
Wikipedia