Chapter 37: Taif
After his victory at the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet and his army marched towards Taif.
The Thaqif tribe, residing in Taif, were well-prepared for the siege. They had enough provisions to last for a year and were skilled in archery
During the siege, which lasted for about half a month, the Muslims employed various war engines to breach the city's defenses
Despite these efforts, the Muslim forces were unable to capture Taif. The situation remained a stalemate.
With fierce exchanges of arrows but no decisive victory for either side an interesting development occurred during the siege:
Prophet Muhammad announced that any slave of Thaqif who joined the Muslims would be set free.
About twenty slaves from Taif took advantage of this offer. They escaped the city and joined the Prophet's camp, pledging their allegiance to Islam and thereby gaining their freedom.
Ultimately, the siege ended without the capture of Taif, but it demonstrated his strategic approach and the challenges he faced in spreading Islam.