Alarmed that Makkah had embraced Muhammad (pbuh), the leaders of the powerful nearby city of **Ṭā’if** organized another grand alliance of Bedouins and other pagans to attack the Muslims. Muhammad (pbuh) learned of this and promptly mustered his forces. In a desperate move to encourage their warriors, the people of Ṭā’if brought their **women and children** with them to the battlefield.

The Ambush and Counter-Attack

The two armies met in a valley near a place named **(Hunayn)** in the middle of **630 CE**. The Ṭā’if forces successfully executed a surprise **ambush** on the Muslims as they passed through the valley, and for a moment, the Muslim army was in disarray and retreat. Crucially, it was **Abu Sufyan** (the recent convert and former Makkan chief), along with a few of Muhammad’s (pbuh) most ardent companions, who shielded the Prophet (pbuh) and held off the attackers long enough for the scattered Muslim forces to rally.

The more disciplined Muslims quickly reformed and began pushing the enemy forces back. A full-scale rout soon followed, with the pagans running past their own families in a panic and retreating into their main fortress at Ṭā’if. The Muslims captured the women and children and held them while laying siege to the city.

The Ultimate Act of Charity

Eventually, Muhammad (pbuh) lifted the siege, and his forces returned to Makkah. The following year, the besieged men of Ṭā’if sent a delegation to the Prophet (pbuh) in Madinah, beseeching his mercy. The Prophet (pbuh) responded with profound compassion, immediately freeing their **women and children**, who had been carefully looked after by the community in Madinah.

This dramatic act of **charity and forgiveness** caused the remaining pagans in central Arabia to adopt Islam willingly. Muhammad’s (pbuh) reputation for **compassion** became one of his greatest assets in the final promotion and successful establishment of his religion across the Arabian Peninsula.