Hunayn

The Valley of Hunayn is considered one of the significant locations in Islamic history, as it was the site of the Battle of Hunayn, which the Holy Qur'an referred to in the Almighty's saying, the meaning of which is: "Indeed, Allah has already granted you victory in many fields and on the Day of Hunayn, when your great numbers delighted you, but they did not avail you at all..." [At-Tawbah: 25].

Some linguists interpreted the name Hunayn as a diminutive of "Al-Hanan" (affection) or "Al-Hinn" (a kind of Jinn), while some historians attributed it to a man named Hunayn ibn Qaniyah ibn Mahla'il.

The site is currently known as Al-Shara'i, is located east of Makkah, approximately 26 km away, and is about 11 km from the Sanctuary's limits. Wadi Hunayn forms part of the natural route for the floods of Mount Tad and Al-Tandhub, descending westwards between Mount Laban and Mount Kanthil. The upper part of Shara’i is known as "Al-Sadr" and its lower part as "Al-Shara'i," before moving north towards Urnah near Dhi Majaz. One of its well-known tributaries is Wadi Yad'an, which gives it a complex geographical structure linked to the topography of Makkah and its surroundings.