Khalifa Abu Bakr - Battle of Taif

The Holy Prophet stood firm. There were only nine companions around him including Abu Bakr. All the rest had fled. Under the instructions of the Holy Prophet, Abbas shouted at the top of his voice, "O Muslims come to the Prophet of Allah." The call was heard by the Muslim soldiers and they gathered by the side of the Holy Prophet. When the Muslims had gathered in sufficient number, the Holy Prophet ordered a charge against the enemy. In the hand to hand fight that followed, the tribes were routed and they fled to Autas.

Confrontation at Autas. The Holy Prophet posted a contingent to guard the Hunain pass, and led the main army to Autas. In the confrontation at Autas the tribes could not with stand the Muslim onslaught. Finding the resistance useless the tribes broke the camp and retired to Taif. Abu Bakr thanked God for the victory, but he was in a chastened mood. He humbly prayed before God, and asked for forgiveness for having boasted about the invincibility of the Muslim army.

Battle of Taif. Abu Bakr was commissioned by the Holy Prophet to lead the attack against Taif. From Autas the Muslim force marched to Taif. The tribes shut themselves in the fort and refused to come out in the open. The Muslims employed catapults to throw stones in the town, but this did not lead to any tangible results. The Muslims tried the testudo device whereunder a group of soldiers shielded by a cover of cowhide advanced to set fire to the gate The enemy threw red hot scraps of iron on the testudo which made it ineffective. The siege dragged on for two weeks and still here was no sign of the fall of the fort. The Holy Prophet held a council of war. Abu Bakr advised that the siege might be raised and that God would Himself make arrangements for the fall of the fort. The advice was accepted, and in February 630 C.E. the siege of Taif was raised and the Muslim army withdrew to Makkah. A few days later, Malik bin Auf the chief of Taif came to Makkah and became a Muslim. Thereafter all the people of Taif accepted Islam. Thus the forecast of Abu Bakr came to be fulfilled, and God Himself arranged for the surrender of Taif to Islam.