Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

 Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Sakhr ibn Harb (Arabic: صخر بن حرب‎), more commonly known as Abu Sufyan (1 September 560 - 1 August 652), was the leader of the Quraish tribe of Mecca. He was a staunch opponent of the Islamic prophet Muhammad before accepting Islam and becoming a Muslim warrior later in his life. His mother, Safia, is the paternal aunt of Maymuna bint al-Harith.

Contents

• 1 Biography

  • 1.1 Opposition to Islam

  • 1.2 Military conflict with Muhammad

  • 1.3 Muslim conquest of Mecca

  • 1.4 Later life

• 2 Family

  • 2.1 Wives and children

  • 2.2 Family tree

• 3 See also

• 4 References

• 5 External links

Biography

Opposition to Islam

Abu Sufyan was the chieftain of the Banu Abd-Shams clan of the Quraish tribe, which made him one of the most powerful in Mecca. At first Abu Sufyan opposed Islam and the Prophet Muhammad's message, however he later accepted Islam and became a warrior and soldier in the Muslim army.

Abu Sufyan's brother Musab was among several Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia to escape persecution in Mecca.

Military conflict with Muhammad

Main article: List of expeditions of Muhammad

After Muhammed and other Muslims had migrated to Medina in 622, the Quraish 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.^[1]

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 (in Mecca) and confiscated their property (some of which the Quraish 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 Quraish 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 Quraish leaders in the battle not only left Abu Sufyan the leader of Mecca, but also marked the fulfillment of the Qur'anic prophecy in verse 30:3.^[1]

Abu Sufyan served as the military leader in the later Meccan campaigns against Medina, including the Battle of Uhud in 625 and the Battle of the Trench in 627, but he could not attain final victory.

Eventually the two parties agreed to an armistice, the Treaty of Hudaybiyya in 628, which allowed Muslims to make the pilgrimage to the Kaaba.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Sufyan_ibn_Harb