Describe the main events of the Battle of Mu'ta and the Battle of Hunain.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [0] Mu'ta:
2. [1] This was the fiercest battle during the Prophet's lifetime, fought in 629 (8AH).
3. [1] The Prophet (pbuh) had sent Al-Harith bin ‘Umair al-Azdi carrying a letter to the ruler of Basra, inviting him to Islam.
4. [1] He was intercepted and killed by the governor of al-Balqa'.
5. [1] The Prophet (pbuh) had to act over this killing, and so mobilised an army of 3000 men.
6. [1] People near the scene of Al-Harith's murder would be invited to Islam and if they accepted no battle would ensue.
7. [1] Zaid bin Haritha was to lead the army, Ja'far bin Abi Talib would replace him, and 'Abdullah bin Rawaha would replace Ja'far if he fell.
8. [1] Heraclius sent 100 000 troops with another 100 000 from tribes allied to the Byzantines.
9. [1] The two armies fought relentlessly. Zaid was martyred and so Ja'far took his place.
10. [1] He had his right arm cut off, then his left, and eventually he too was martyred.
11. [1] 'Abdullah then took his place and fought until he was martyred.
12. [1] Khalid bin Walid stepped up to take leadership and showed his skills as a strategist.
13. [1] The Muslims from the back were asked to come to the front to give the impression of reinforcements, then they gradually retreated to save lives.
14. [1] The Byzantines, thinking they had to fight a renewed army did not come forward again, which allowed the battle to end.
15. [0] Hunain:
16. [1] The sects of Hawazin and Thaqif did not want to submit to Islam so they decided to fight against the Muslims.
17. [1] The Prophet (pbuh) marched to meet them with 12000 men.
18. [1] The enemy were already waiting for the Muslim army, hiding and waiting to hurl stones and arrows at them.
19. [1] When this happened, the enemy attack became fierce and the Muslims started to retreat.
20. [1] The Prophet (pbuh) called out: 'Come on, people! I am the Messenger of Allah. I am Muhammad, the son of Abdullah.'
21. [1] Eventually the Prophet's troops returned and they went on to defeat the army.
22. [1] Because the enemy's leader Malik bin 'Awf had told everyone to take their families and belongings with them, the Muslims captured huge spoils of war.
23. [1] This battle is mentioned in Sura Tawba, v25-26.
24. [1] For 4(b): Good leaders should be determined and not want to give up, especially when they are fighting for a cause they believe in.
25. [1] For 4(b): They should not give all the responsibility to others but should take as much responsibility as they can themselves.
26. [1] For 4(b): They could also say that good leaders should have strategic skills that would allow them to change tactics in order to win a battle and that it can be important to save lives rather than carry on fighting.
27. [1] For 4(b): It is also important to stay calm in the face of adversity.