Raid of Amr ibn al-As

The raid of Amr ibn al-As, to Ruhat, took place in January 630 AD, 8AH, 9th month, of the Islamic Calendar.

Raid to demolish Suwa

In the same month the idol al-Uzza was demolished by Khalid ibn al-Walid, ‘Amr bin Al-‘As was sent on an errand to destroy another idol, worshipped by Banu Hudhail, called Suwa‘. It used to stand at a distance of three kilometres from Makkah.

On a question posed by the door-keeper, ‘Amr said he had been ordered by Muhammad to knock down the idol. The man warned ‘Amr that he would not be able to do it. ‘Amr approached the idol and destroyed it, then he broke the casket beside it but found nothing. The man immediately embraced Islam.

Islamic Primary sources

The event is also mentioned by the Muslim Scholar Ibn Sa'd in his book "Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir", as follows:

THE SARIYYAH OF 'AMR IBN AL-'AS AGAINST SUWA'

Then (occurred) the sariyyah of 'Amr Ibn al-'As against Suwa' in the month of Ramadan of the eighth year from the hijrah of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him, sent 'Amr Ibn al-'As towards Suwa* the idol of Hudhayl, to demolish it. 'Amr Said : I reached there, and there was an attendant of it. He asked : What do you want? I replied : The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, has ordered me to demolish it. He said : You cannot do it. I asked : Why? He said : You will be resisted.

I said : Till now you are adhering to falsehood, woe ! to you. Does it hear or see? Then he ('Amr) said: I approached it, broke it and ordered my companions, who demolished its treasure house [ P. 106 ] They did not find there any thing. Then I asked the attendant. What did you see? He said: I surrender to Allah

[Ibn Sa'd, Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir, Volume 2, Pg 181]

See also

• Muhammad as a general