At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
BattlesSkirmishes, raids and expeditions
Sides
Muslim cavalry under Khalid ibn al-Walid
The early Muslim community · Banu Aslam · Banu Ghifar · Muzayna
Commanders: Khalid ibn al-Walid
Summary
An armed clash on the morning of the conquest day at Mount al-Khandama in Mecca, when a faction of Quraysh and Banu Bakr fighters under Safwan, Ikrima and Suhayl tried to resist the entry of Khalid ibn al-Walid's column; the skirmish ended quickly in the resisters' defeat, about twelve of them killed and three Muslims martyred 1.
What happened
The fighters gathered at al-Khandama and prepared their arms; among them was Himas ibn Qays al-Dayli, who had threatened the Prophet ﷺ's Companions before the conquest 2. When they met Khalid ibn al-Walid's column there was an exchange of arrows and a little fighting 3.
Two horsemen strayed from Khalid's army — Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fihri and Khunays ibn Khalid al-Khuza'i — who took another road, met the fighters, and Khunays was killed first while Kurz stood fighting for him, chanting verses until he too was killed; Salama ibn al-Mayla' al-Juhani was martyred with them 3.
The resisters broke quickly: about twelve or thirteen of them were killed and the rest fled; Himas ibn Qays went back to his house in flight 3.
For young visitors
A small group of Quraysh tried to fight the Muslims' cavalry at Mount al-Khandama, but the fighting ended quickly and they fled to their houses, and the army entered Mecca in general peace.
Connections
- Had participant
- Himas ibn Qays al-Dili· Khunays ibn Khalid al-Khuza'i· Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fihri· Salama ibn al-Mayla' al-Juhani· Khalid ibn al-Walid
- Occurred at
- al-Khandama· Mecca
- Part of
- The Conquest of Mecca (Fath Makka)
People and things also explored
Quraysh· Mecca· The Battle of Hunayn· The Demolition of al-Uzza and Major Idols· The early Muslim community· The Conquest of Mecca (Fath Makka)· Khalid ibn al-Walid· Muhammad
Sources
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/49-50
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/49
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/50
- Ibn Ishaq / Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad (1955)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The skirmish of al-Khandama”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/khandama-skirmish/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.