“Woe unto you! What happened to you?” Said Malik. They said: “We have seen distinguished people  on  spotted horsebacks. What you see, would not have happened if we had been firmly together.”
RECONNOITERING THE ENEMY'S WEAPON:
News about the enemy’s marching were conveyed to the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) , so  he sent out Al-Aslami with orders to mix with people, stay with them so that he would be able to know  their news and to convey it to the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) when he turns back. That  was exactly what he managed to do.
THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (peace be upon him) LEAVES MAKKAH FOR HUNAIN:
On Shawwal, the nineteenth, the captive day, the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) left Makkah  accompanied by twelve thousand Muslims. Ten thousand of those had previously shared in Makkah
Conquest. A great number of the other two thousand, who were Makkans, had recently embraced
Islam. That march was on the nineteenth day of his conquest to Makkah. He borrowed a hundred  armours with their equipment from Safwan bin Omaiyah. He appointed ‘Itab bin Usaid as a governor  over Makkah. When it was evening time, a horseman came to the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon  him) and said: “I have climbed up so and so mountains and came across Hawazin with their riding  camels, livestock and sheep. Hawazin wholly were gathered together there.” The Messenger of Allâh
(peace be upon him) smiled then and said: “They will all be Muslims’ spoils tomorrow, if Allâh will.”
That night Anas bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi volunteered to guard.
On their way to Hunain they saw a great green Nabk plant, that was called Dhat-Anwat (the one with  suspenders). That was because the Arabs used to hang their weapons on it, slay beasts under it and  keep to it. So some of army members asked the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) to make  them  a Nabk with suspenders as the one they had. “Allâh is the Greatest of all!” He said, “I swear by the
One  in Whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul, that you have just said what the people of Moses said to him.
They said ‘Make us a god as the one they have.’ Surely you are ignorant people. These are Sunnah,  but  you will follow and comply with the modes of life of those who preceded you.”
Seeing how great in number the army was, some of them said: “We shall not be defeated.” Their  statement sounded hard upon the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him):
THE ISLAMIC ARMY STUNNED THE ARCHERS AND THE ATTACKERS:
On Wednesday night the tenth of Shawwal, the Muslim army arrived at Hunain. Malik bin ‘Awf, who  had  previously entered the valley by night, gave orders to his army to hide inside the valley and lurk for  the
Muslims on roads, entrances, narrow hiding places. His orders to his men were to hurl stones at
Muslims whenever they caught sight of them and then to make a one-man attack against them.
At early dawn the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) started mobilizing his army and distributing  posts and flags to people. In the dark and just before dawn the Muslims moved towards Hunain
Valley.
They started descending into it unaware of the presence of an enemy lurking for them inside the  valley.
So at the moment they were camping, arrows began showering intensively at them, whereas the  enemy’s battalions started a fierce attack against the Muslims, who had to retreat in disorder and  utter  confusion. It was such a shatteringly defeat that Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who had recently embraced
Islam, said that their retreat would not stop till they got to the Red Sea. Jablah or Kildah bin Al-
Junacommented on that by saying: “Surely magic has grown inactive today.”
The Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) turned to the right and said: “Come on, people! I am the
Messenger of Allâh. I am Muhammad, the son of Abdullah.” Those who stoodfast by him were only few
Emigrants and some of his kinsmen. The matchless bravery of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was  then brought to light. He went on and on in his attempts to make his mule standfast in the face of the  disbelievers while saying loudly:
“Truly saying, I am the Prophet I am the (grand) son of Abdul Muttalib.”
However, Abu Sufyan, who was then holding the rein of the Prophet’s mule, and Al-‘Abbas, who was  holding its stirrup; were endeavouring to make it halt. The Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him)  dismounted and asked his Lord to render him help.
“O, Allâh, send down Your Help!”