Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
6. The Path of the Prophet
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The ruler of Basra, Shurab-bil ibn ‘Amr Ghassani,
proved even more contemptuous. The Prophet sent
Harith ibn ‘Umayr with a letter to this Roman
governor. He entered the town of Mu’tah, on the
Syrian border, and was killed there by an Arab,
acting at the behest of the governor.
This act amounted to aggression by one state on
another, according to international conventions.
There were also signs that the Roman army based
in Syria was planning to advance on Madinah:
Byzantium could not tolerate the emergence and
development of an independent power on Arab
soil.
When news of Harith ibn ‘Umayr’s murder
reached Madinah, the Prophet decided that
military action would have to be taken against the
perpetrators of such cold-blooded aggression. He
gave orders that the Muslims should gather—with
their weapons—at a place called Harq. A force of
three thousand, under the leadership of Zayd ibn
Harithah, was assembled. After delivering some
parting advice, the Prophet sent them on their
way to Syria.
