Bu'ath
Bu'ath
The last major battle between the Aws and Khazraj of Yathrib before Islam, fought at Buʿath in the eastern harrah of Medina. The Aws and their allies prevailed, exhausting both tribes and paving the way for their later acceptance of the Prophet.
Plan your visit
Practical information verified separately from the historical record.
Before you go: Check with the operator or a local guide before departure; field access details have not yet been verified.
Why visit?
Visit the harrah landscape east of Medina where the great Yathrib feud ended just years before the Hijra and the birth of the Ansar.
Yawm al-Buʿath pitted the two great tribes of pre-Islamic Yathrib against one another: the Aws and the Khazraj. The Aws marched with Jewish allies from Banu Qurayza and Banu al-Nadir and with other Arab supporters, while the Khazraj mustered their full strength. Long-standing rivalry made conflict inevitable, and when the Aws prepared for war they sought help from the Jewish communities of Yathrib.
The armies met at Buʿath in the eastern harrah, known as Harat Waqim, southeast of Medina near the lands of Banu Qurayza along Wadi Mahzur. The Aws were driven back at first, but their leader Hudhayr al-Kata'ib rallied them, they counterattacked, and many Khazraj warriors fell. Victory did not produce a lasting peace, yet the battle so weakened both sides that when the Prophet Muhammad arrived in Medina they were ready to unite under the name of the Ansar.
The day is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari among the virtues of the Ansar, in al-Isfahani's Kitab al-Aghani, and in the sira literature. Today the site lies within the eastern harrah of Medina, one of the famous battle days of the Arabs on the eve of Islam and a direct prelude to the city's transformation.