A Hadith reported by Anas ibn Malik mentions that “the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to have a spear or a staff which he might stick in the ground so that he would be facing it when praying.” (Related by Abu al-Shaykh.)
To stick something like that in front of him when praying was meant as a barrier to allow people or animals to pass in front of him without disturbing his prayer. However, the mention of a spear being used for this purpose makes us wonder what sort of weapons the Prophet used, since on several occasions he had to fight aggression by unbelievers.
The main weapon at the time was the sword. During his lifetime, the Prophet used several swords, but the best known of these was named Dhul-Faqar, because its blade was split at the end, to make it possible to pierce in two spots. It is further described in several Hadiths. Amir Al-Shaabi, a famous scholar of the Tabieen generation which followed the Prophet’s companions, reports: “Ali ibn Al-Husayn brought for us the Prophet’s sword, and we saw that the top edge of its handle and the two rings which held its straps were made of silver. It used to belong to Munabbih ibn Al-Hajjaj of the Sahm clan, and the Prophet chose it of the booty gained in the Battle of Badr.” (Related by Abu Al-Shaykh.)
This apparently was a good sword since it remained in the Prophet’s possessions for over 8 years and was left as part of his belongings. The person who brought it out to look at was the Prophet’s great grandson, better known as Ali Zayn Al-Abideen.
A similar report is given by Marzooq who says: “I polished the Prophet’s sword, Dhul-Faqar: the top of its handle was silver, and it had in the middle a ring or more made of silver, and its strap tied to a ring of silver.” (Related by Abu Al-Shaykh.)
Further reports are given by companions of the Prophet, such as Anas and Mazyadah. Anas says: “The Prophet’s sword was made by the Haneefah tribe, and the top of its handle was made of silver.” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Al-Shaykh.)
Mazyadah mentions: “The Prophet entered Makkah when it fell to Islam and his sword had gold and silver.” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi.) When asked about the silver, he again mentioned that it was at the top of the handle.
These reports make it clear that the Prophet liked a good sword, and that there is no harm if a small part of it is made of gold or silver. We know that it is not permissible to use gold and silver in household articles, such as cutlery and plates. However, both are permissible to use in the handle of the sword or its rings. Needless to say, the blade itself should not be made of either precious metal.
We have a number of Hadiths which mention that the Prophet used other types of arms in peace times for purposes other than fighting. Ibn Abbas reports: “The Prophet used to address his companions when traveling. He would be standing and leaning on a bow.” (Related by Abu Al-Shaykh.) A similarly related Hadith quotes Al-Baraa as saying that “The Prophet delivered a speech on the Eid day, leaning on a bow or a staff.”
Thus, the bow was used on both occasions as a replacement for a staff to lean on. Such use, however, gives an indication that arms are not discarded by Islam. They are tools which may be used for a peaceful purpose or for fighting when the situation demands. An important purpose for which the Prophet used a bow is described by Abu Hurayrah: “The Prophet came to the Black Stone at the Kaaba and kissed it, then he performed the tawaf. He passed by an idol placed to the side of the Kaaba. The Prophet had a bow in his hand. He held the bow at its bend close to its end and pierced the idol in its eye, repeating the Qur’anic verse: ‘The truth has now come about while falsehood has withered away.’” (17: 81) (Related by Ahmad and Muslim.)
In this case, the Prophet used the bow to correct a situation which Islam does not approve of. To place an idol next to the Kaaba and consider it an object of worship is extremely absurd. This was the practice of the idolaters until Islam changed the entire scene in Arabia. Here the Prophet demonstrated that idols could not protect themselves, let alone give protection or prevent harm.
Another Hadith that mentions weapons refers to the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslims faced extreme difficulty and were defeated. Saad ibn Abi Waqqas reports: “On the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet placed his bag of arrows in front of me and said to me: ‘Throw these Saad; may both my parents be sacrificed for you.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Majah.)
We need to say first that what the Prophet said to Saad about his parents was a figure of speech used by the Arabs. It was not meant literally, but as an expression of love and care. Moreover, both parents of the Prophet were long dead. Had it been meant literally, the statement would be meaningless.
The Prophet encouraged Saad to use the arrows because he was known to be a good marksman with the arrows. As the Muslims faced this difficulty and most of the army were in chaos, every means of resistance was needed to check the unbelievers’ attack. Saad was one of those who remained steadfast, and the Prophet encouraged him with these words, giving him his own arrows. That was an honor for Saad who was a very brave soldier, and a very good military commander. He was later to lead the Muslim army in one of the greatest victories scored against the Persian Empire: the Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah.
We should remember that the Prophet advised Muslims to teach their children three very important skills: archery, swimming and horse riding. His advice remains useful even today when none of these skills is needed in war. Yet they give a child a sense of courage and ability to face difficulties. He used to say: “Real power is in archery.” He repeated this three times. On one occasion, he passed by some of his companions practicing archery. He said to them: “Aim your arrows well, Children of Ishmael! Your father was a good marksman.”
