Expeditions And Delegations Continued

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Expeditions And Delegations Continued:

1. A platoon led by ‘Ukasha bin Al-Mihsan (Radhi Allahu Anhu) was despatched to a place called Al-Ghamir inhabited by Bani Asad in the year six Hijri. The enemy immediately fled leaving behind them two hundred camels which were taken to Madinah.

2. A platoon led by Muhammad bin Maslamah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) set out towards the habitation of Bani Tha‘labah in Dhil Qassa. But a hundred men of the enemies ambushed and killed all of them except Muhammad bin Maslamah who managed to escape but badly wounded.

3. In retaliation against Bani Tha‘labah, Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, (Radhi Allahu Anhu) at the head of forty men, was despatched to Dhil Qassa. They walked that night and took the enemy by surprise in the morning. Again, they fled to the mountains except one who was injured, and later embraced Islam. A lot of booty fell to their lot in that particular incident.

4. A platoon, under the leadership of Zaid bin Haritha (Radhi Allahu Anhu), was sent to Al-Jumum, the habitation of Bani Saleem, in the same year. A woman from Bani Muzaina showed them the way to the enemy’s camp. There the Muslims took some captives and gained a lot of booty. Later on, the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) granted the woman her freedom and married her to one of his followers.

5. Zaid bin Haritha (Radhi Allahu Anhu), in Jumada Al-Ula 6 Hijri, at the head of a hundred and seventy horsemen, set out to a place called Al-‘Ais, intercepted a caravan of Quraish led by Abul-‘As, the Prophet’s relative and looted their camels. Abul-‘As escaped and took refuge in Zainab’s (his wife and the Prophet’s daughter) house. He begged her to ask the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) for the restitution of his wealth. The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) recommended, but without coercion, that the people do that. They immediately gave the man back all his wealth. He went back to Makkah, gave over the trusts to those entitled to them, embraced Islam and emigrated to Madinah where the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) reunited him with his wife, Zainab, after three and a half years of their first marriage contract. The verse relating to prohibition of marriage between women Muslims and disbelievers had not been revealed then.

6. In Jumada Ath-Thania, the same year, Zaid (Radhi Allahu Anhu) at the head of fifteen men raided Bani Tha‘labah and captured twenty of their camels but the people had fled.

7. In Rajab of the same year, Zaid (Radhi Allahu Anhu), at the head of twelve men, set out to a place called Wadi Al-Qura in a reconnaissance mission to explore the movements of the enemy. The people there attacked the Muslims, killed nine of them, while the rest including Zaid bin Haritha managed to escape.

8. The invasion of Al-Khabt (diluted yoghurt) took place in the year eight Hijri i.e. before Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) led three hundred horsemen to observe a caravan belonging to Quraish. Because of the inadequacy of food supplies, they began to starve so much that they had Khabt (diluted yoghurt), hence the appellation “The Army of Al-Khabt”. One of the men slaughtered nine camels at three times, three each time at different stages of the mission. Abu ‘Ubaidah (Radhi Allahu Anhu), the leader of the campaign prohibited him from doing so. The sea was generous and presented them with an animal called Al-‘Anbar (sperm-whale) so rich in fat that they subsisted on it for half a month. When they came back home, they narrated the story to the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam), who commented that it was provision granted by Allah, and asked them to share him some of its meat.

This campaign came chronologically prior to Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty because of and after which the Muslims stopped intercepting Quraishi caravans.