Battle of Hunayn

Historical overview

The Battle of Hunayn, fought on 18 November 630 CE (8 AH), marked a decisive victory for the Muslim army under Prophet Muhammad over the Quraysh of Mecca. After the conquest of Mecca, the Quraysh assembled a large force, about 40,000 men, on the hill of Hunayn to block the Muslim advance. The Muslims, numbering around 12,000, launched a surprise attack from the south, breaking the Quraysh line and capturing the strategic well that had supplied the defenders. Despite initial setbacks, the Muslims routed the Quraysh, seized their spoils, and eliminated key leaders, solidifying Muhammad’s control over the Hijaz and demonstrating the effectiveness of his combined forces. The battle also led to the conversion of several key tribes and the destruction of the last major opposition in the Arabian Peninsula.

Historical context and how to read this record

This record presents Battle of Hunayn, dated in the archive as 8 AH / 630 CE and associated with Hunayn, Hijaz. The date, place, summary, named groups, terrain features, and references shown here come from the bundled or published event record. They provide a concise entry point for study, while the linked source notes remain the place to check what each historical or religious text actually reports. A label in the archive is not, by itself, proof that every chronology, number, or interpretation is agreed across historians.

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Record timeline and tactical markers

1. Archive date: 2026-10-01 · 8 AH / 630 CE
2. Recorded setting: Hunayn, Hijaz
3. Map feature 1: Hill of Hunayn
4. Map feature 2: Well of the Quraysh
5. Map feature 3: Open plain
6. Map feature 4: Sandy dunes
7. Schematic marker 1: Muhammad's army · Prophet Muhammad · 12,000
8. Schematic marker 2: Meccan defenders · Abu Sufyan · 40,000
9. Schematic marker 3: Fighters on the hill · Abu Sufyan · 20,000

Marker ordering is a reading aid, not a chronological claim about the event.

Forces and commanders

• Muhammad's army — Prophet Muhammad (12,000)
• Meccan defenders — Abu Sufyan (40,000)
• Fighters on the hill — Abu Sufyan (20,000)

Geography: water and landscape

• Well of the Quraysh (well)
• Hill of Hunayn
• Well of the Quraysh
• Open plain
• Sandy dunes

Sources

• Tabari, vol. 10, ch. 7
• Ibn Hisham, ch. 31
• al-Waqidi, Book 5, ch. 9
• Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 9, p. 123

More 3D maps

• Karbala · The Plain of 61 AH
• Battle of Badr · Wells and Two Slopes
• Khaybar · Basalt Harrat and Fortified Oases
• Hijrah Route · Makkah to Madinah
• Najaf & Kufa · The Historic Plain
• Siffin · Euphrates Campaign Landscape