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Conquest by force (anwa)

الفتح عنوة

Fath 'anwa in al-Baladhuri is taking a town or land by combat and siege: his example is Khaybar — he reports via Abd al-Razzaq from Ma'mar from al-Zuhri 'that the Prophet ﷺ took Khaybar by force ('anwatan)', so its goods and Khaybar itself were divided among the fighters — in Ibn Abbas's report 'Khaybar was divided into one thousand five hundred and eighty shares' matching the number of combatants, the Prophet's safaya from it being an allotment from which he provisioned his wives, his uncle Abbas, Abu Bakr, Umar, al-Hasan, al-Husayn and Banu al-Muttalib; 'anwa contrasts with sulh — what was taken by treaty remained with its people on the treaty terms, like Fadak, while what was taken by force became booty divided among those present at the conquest.

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Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Arabia
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Conquest and its debatesLaws of war and peace

Overview

In al-Baladhuri, fath anwatan (conquest by force) is the taking of a city or a land by fighting and siege. It is contrasted with conquest by treaty (conquest by treaty). 1

The example of Khaybar

Al-Baladhuri relates from Abd al-Razzaq, from Ma'mar, from al-Zuhri, that the Prophet took Khaybar by force. Its property and land were then divided among the fighters. In the report of Ibn Abbas, Khaybar was divided into one thousand five hundred and eighty shares, according to the number of fighters. 1

The Prophet had from it the safaya (choice portions), from which he fed his wives, his uncle al-Abbas, Abu Bakr, Umar, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and the clan of al-Muttalib. 1

The difference from treaty

What was taken by treaty remained with its people on the terms of the agreement, as with Fadak. What was taken by force became booty to be divided among those who witnessed the conquest. This principle determines the fate of the land in the section on fay. 1

Connections

Explore the connections

Basis for
Fay' (property restored without battle)

People and things also explored

Conquest by treaty (sulh)· Fay' (property restored without battle)· Market-Place Preemption· The Capitulation of Fadak· Mu'adh's Counsel on the Land of Syria at al-Jabiya· Bukhari 4033 — We do not inherit; what we leave is charity· Reconciliation of hearts (al-mu'allafa qulubuhum)· Captives in a religious war and married women (Q. 4:24)

Sources

  1. Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition) , p.39-41
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Conquest by force (anwa)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/fath-anwa/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Conquest by treaty (sulh)

Fath sulhan in al-Baladhuri is taking a town by negotiated capitulation without combat: his first example is Fadak — on his return from Khaybar the Prophet sent Muhayyisa ibn Masud al-Ansari calling its people to Islam, 'and they made peace with the Prophet on half the land with its soil, and he accepted that from them', so its people remained in it through the Prophet's life and Abu Bakr's until Umar exiled them; sulh contrasts with 'anwa — treaty peoples keep their lands and property on the treaty's terms except what was stipulated, and the half-land treaty made half of Fadak pure fay' for the Prophet 'because the Muslims had not charged upon it with horse or camel'.