Learn the lesson and be convinced that God's victory comes through turning to Him

Suhayb ibn Sinan al-Rumi, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, closely followed their Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in his movements and stillness, his words and actions, and his interactions with both the young and the old. He, peace and blessings be upon him, was their model and exemplar; they did not leave him for a single moment from the time he left his house until he returned. Rather, they would ask his wives, the Mothers of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with them, about his life at home and among his wives, so that the Mihrab (a metaphor for the Prophet’s household as a source of guidance) would be the place from which they saw the light and acted according to its guidance.

His Companions saw him on the day of Hunayn, after the Fajr prayer, moving his lips in a manner they could not hear. They said: “O Messenger of Allah, we saw you moving your lips in a way we could not understand.” He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Were we not twelve thousand fighters in our battle against the people?” They replied: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Do you know why you were repelled at the beginning of the battle, leaving me with a small group of your believing brothers who stood firm with me against the tribes of Hawazin, Thaqif, Sa’d ibn Bakr, and others?” The people remained silent, not uttering a word, because they knew the reason. They had seen their own forces—the Muslim army—as numerous and their weapons as abundant, and they had seen themselves moving from one victory to another by the grace and power of Allah. The last of these Muslim victories had been the clear conquest, the “Conquest of Mecca.” When they encountered Hawazin and its allies at Hunayn, the Muslims were impressed by their large numbers and became overconfident in their strength. Satan made them forget that victory comes only from Allah. They said: “We will not be defeated today due to our abundance!”

Then, Allah, the Exalted, willed to return them to the straight path, to reliance on Allah and trust in Him. At first, He left them to themselves, so they grew weak and fled. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, called out: “I am the Prophet, there is no lie! I am the son of Abdul Muttalib.”