Author: Zaid
The Biography of the sword of Allah: Khalid bin Walid (MAPH) (part 15)
Sending Khalid to Destroy the biggest idol in Makkah
After the Holy Prophet of Islam, (peace be upon him), conquered the holy city of Makkah, he commanded several of his beloved companions, (may Allah be pleased with them), to spread throughout Makkah and eradicate all traces of polytheism and anything that opposed monotheism. As Hazrat Imam Abul Walid Azraqi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates in his book from Hazrat Saeed bin Amr al-Hazli, may Allah have mercy on him, he said: «قدم رسول الله صلیاللهعلیهوسلم مكة يوم الجمعة لعشر ليالٍ بقين من شهر رمضان، فبث السرايا في كل وجه يأمرهم أن يغيروا على من لم يكن على الإسلام، فخرج هشام بن العاصي في مائتين قبل يلملم، وخرج خالد بن سعيد بن العاصي في ثلاثمائة قبل عرنة، وبعث خالد بن الوليد إلى العزى يهدمها، فخرج خالد في ثلاثين فارسًا من أصحابه إلى العزى حتى انتهى إليها فهدمها.
Translation: On Friday, just ten nights before the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him , came to the city of Makkah, he sent various groups and congregations to every corner of the city and ordered and said to them that remove everything that is in conflict with the rituals of Islam; Therefore, Hisham Ibn Asi, at the head of two hundred men, went to the “Yilmalm” area, Khalid Ibn Saeed Ibn Asi, at the head of three hundred men, went to the Orna area, and Khalid Ibn Walid was sent to the area where the idol of Uzza was located. Therefore, they moved towards the idol of Uzza at the head of thirty of their horsemen. until they reached there and destroyed it and returned.
Sheikh Abu Zayd Shalabi writes that this event of sending the Commanders happened just five days after the conquest of Makkah.
Continuing the hadith they presented about the destruction of Uzza’s idol, Imam Azraqi writes: Khalid, may Allah be pleased with him, went to Uzza and destroyed it, and then returned to the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and gave his report. The Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him, asked him: “Did you destroy the idol?” He said in his sleep: Yes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Did you see anything there?” He said: No, I did not see anything; Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him, said to him: «فإنك لم تهدمها، فارجع إليها فاهدمها»؛ You have not destroyed it yet! Go back and destroy it.
Hazrat Khalid, may Allah be pleased with him, in a state of anger and rage, pulled out his sword and again moved towards the idol of Uzza, when he reached there, he saw a black-faced and naked woman from where the idol of Uzza was. He came out and uttered a poem whose meaning is as follows: “O Uzza, if you do not destroy Khalid right now and destroy him!” I disbelieve in you.”
Hazrat Khalid came forward with his sword and answered him: يا عزی كفرانك لا سبحانك … إني رأيت اللّه قد أهانك O dear! I deny you and I will never consider you holy, I have seen Allah the Exalted who has humiliated you.
Then Khalid, may Allah be pleased with him, struck that idol and that woman and cut it in two, and again came to the service of the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him, and narrated the story. After that, the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him, said: «نعم تلك العُزّى، قد أيست أن تعبد ببلادكم أبدًا.» “Yes, it was Uzza Idol, Undoubtedly, now it is forever disappointed to be worshiped in your lands.
It is stated in the book “Saraya Makkah” that the second time when Khalid went there, he saw that the idol guards were sitting there. As soon as they saw Khalid, they ran towards the mountain and said, “O Uzza!” Kill Khalid and defeat him. Then he saw that in the same place where the people were worshiping the idol of Uzza, a black and disheveled woman was sitting and pouring dirt on her head, Khalid came forward and killed her with his sword. Then he narrated this story to prophet (PBUH); and he said: that Uzza was the one whom you killed and destroyed.
Introducing the idol “Uzza”
The idol of “Uzza” is an idol that was considered one of the greatest Gods of the people of Makkah; They placed it in the middle of a palm tree, and they always came there and visited it and made vows and alms in his name and sacrificed animals and shed blood for his sake.
Allamah Omri writes in his book: «العُزَّى بضم المهملة وفتح الزاي، اشتقوها من اسم الله تعالى العزيز سبحانه وتعالى عما يشركون، قالوا: العزى تأنيث الأعز، مثل الكبرى تأنيث الأكبر، وكانت العرب وقريش تسمي بها عبدالعزى
“The word “Uzza” is read with the addition of Ain and Fatah Zaa; The Arabs derived it from the name of Almighty Allah, which is “Aziz”. Some scholars of syntax say that this feminine word is the noun Tafazil, the masculine of which is “Aaz”; Like “Kobra” which is the feminine of “Akbar”, it means: this is a very dear and pleasant idol; As the Arabs used to name themselves by this name, they used to say: Abd al-Azi (servant of the idol of Uzza).
What things were done in “Uzza” temple?
Imam Abul Walid Azraqi narrates from Imam Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, that he said: “Uzza is an idol from Bani Shiban and he was a white stone that people worshiped.”
Imam Abul Walid further writes: The first person who built this idol was the Zalim Ibn Asad Ghatfani; People visited it and brought precious gifts to it and sacrificed in his name with the intention of getting closer and close. Its love was so deep in the hearts of the Quraysh that they designated a large valley for his protection and preservation and placed him in the shrine. They compared it to the Kaaba of Mashrafe, so that they set aside a slaughterhouse and an altar for animals there.
Hazrat Khalid, may Allah be pleased with him, says: «لقد كنت أرى أبي يأتي العزى بخير ماله من الإبل والغنم فيذبحها للعزى ويقيم عندها ثلاثًا ثم ينصرف إلينا مسرورًا».”I used to see my father bringing the best of his possessions, which were camels, goats, and sheep, to the idol of Uzza, and slaughtering them for him, and for three days he would stand up and then in a state of happiness and joy, he would return.
Indeed, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, deserved the honor of destroying the biggest worthless idol on which the biggest acts of polytheism and anti-monotheism were committed, and to erase its name and symbol from the face of the earth forever.