Siege of Ta'if

The Siege of Ta'if took place in 630 CE, shortly after the Muslim victory at the battles of Hunayn and Autas that followed the conquest of Mecca. Seeking to consolidate control over the Hijaz, Muhammad marched with his forces to the fortified city of Ta'if, stronghold of the Thaqif tribe and a long-standing commercial rival of Mecca. Many of the surviving Hawazin warriors and their families had taken refuge there after their defeat at Hunayn, making Ta'if the next target of the Muslim campaign. The city, however, was heavily fortified, surrounded by strong walls and well supplied with provisions, and thus presented a far more difficult challenge than the open-field encounters at Hunayn and Autas.

The Muslims laid siege to Taʿif using a variety of tactics, including attempts to cut orchards and vineyards, as well as deploying siege engines such as catapults and the manjaniq. Despite these efforts, the defenders repelled repeated assaults, and the city did not surrender. One of Ta'if's principal leaders, Urwah b. Masud, was absent in Yemen during the siege, leaving other chiefs in command of the defense. After several weeks of inconclusive fighting and with the approach of the pilgrimage season, Muhammad lifted the siege and returned to Mecca. Though unsuccessful militarily, the episode underscored the growing influence of the nascent Muslim state, and within a year Taʿif would accept Islam through negotiation and diplomacy rather than direct conquest.