Summary of Sira
The expedition of Saalim ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) to ‘Aboo ‘Afak, the Jew was sent out in the beginning of Shawwaal after 20 months from the emigration of the Prophet ﷺ to al-Madeenah. Aboo ‘Afak was a Jew from the tribe of Banee ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf. At that time, he was 120 years old who showed great enmity towards the Muslims and his disbelief was strenuous. His heart was full of hatred and envy after he saw the tribes of al-Aws and al-Khazraj supporting the Prophet ﷺ and his enmity against Islam and Muslims became more excessive after seeing the power and dominion of the Prophet ﷺ increasing, particularly after the Battle of Badr. He could not hold back his frustration, anger, and hatred; thus, composed poetry lampooning the Prophet ﷺ encouraging people to stand against him, and ridicule the Ansaar for following and supporting him.
It is reported on the authority of Saalim – who is one of the people whose eyes overflowed with tears out of grief – that they could not find something to spend for the cause of Allah during the battle of Tabook – see [Quran: 9:92] – “I swear and vow that I will kill Aboo ‘Afak or I will die trying.” He waited until he could find the right time to execute his plan. One night, the sky was clear and Aboo ‘Afak decided to sleep in his front yard. Saalim seized the opportunity and raided the house and stood before his head then placed his sword on the top of his liver and then leaned on his sword and pushed it all the way down until it went through the bed. Upon this, the enemy of Allah cried out loud, so those who were upon his way rushed to take him inside his house, and then buried his body.
Aboo ‘Afak was one of those whose hypocrisy manifested to the people, and he was open about it after the Prophet ﷺ killed al-Haarith ibn Suwayd ibn As-Saamit.
Saalim (may Allah be pleased with him) attended the Battle of Badr, the Battle of Uhud, and the Battle of the Trench, as well as all the battles with the Prophet ﷺ. He did during the reign of Mu’aawiyyah ibn Abee Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with all of them).
Most of the scholars who documented the history of the Prophet ﷺ and his battles agree that this battle occurred after the Battle of Badr, which is the view that Ibn Hajar believed to be more accurate. It took place on Saturday in the middle of the month of Shawwaal. The reports on exiling Banoo Qaynuqaa’ are correct and well established in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father): Banoo An-Nadeer and Banoo Quraydhah fought against the Prophet ﷺ (violating their peace treaty), thus, the Prophet ﷺ exiled Banee An-Nadeer and allowed Banee Quraydhah to remain at their places (in al-Madeenah), taking nothing from them till they fought against the Prophet ﷺ again). In response, he ﷺ killed their men and distributed their women, children, and property among the Muslims, but some of them came to the Prophet ﷺ and he granted them safety, and they embraced Islam. He exiled all the Jews from al-Madeenah. They were the Jews of Bani Qaynuqaa’, the tribe of `Abdullah ibn Salaam, the Jews of Banee Haarithah, and all the other Jews of al-Madeenah.”
After the defeat of the disbelievers of Quraysh in the Battle of Badr, Aboo Sufyaan vowed that he would not take a bath after sexual intercourse until after he takes revenge from the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He departed Makkah with 200 horsemen from Quraysh to fulfill his vow and arrived at al-Madeenah at night. He turned to Banee An-Nadeer for help, so he went to the house of Huyayy ibn Akhtab and knocked on his door, but he refused to open his door out of fear. He left and headed to the house of Sallaam ibn Mishkam, who was the leader of Banee An-Nadeer at that time and the keeper of the treasures and wealth of his people. He opened his door and allowed him in. He hosted him and offered him wine to drink then informed Aboo Sufyaan of the news of the Prophet ﷺ. Then, he left his house at night and returned to the horsemen who were with him. He ordered some of them to burn the fruit trees and palm trees of the Muslims that are in al-‘Urayd, which is a valley located in al-Madeenah. While they were there, they found a man from the Ansaar along with a man from his allies in their farm, so they killed them and then fled the scene. The news of what happened reached the Prophet ﷺ who, in response, went out with 200 people from the Emigrants and Ansaar to chase them. The Prophet ﷺ appointed Aboo Lubaabah, Basheer ibn ‘Abd al-Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him) to govern al-Madeenag in his absence.
Aboo Sufyaan and his group tried escaping the pursuit of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions by ridding off the travel’s supplies and sustenance they carried, which were pots containing food, namely Sawweeq, which is a meal made of fried barley or wheat that is grounded and then mixed with honey or ghee. The Prophet ﷺ continued his pursuit until he ﷺ arrived a water area in a flat land, named Qarqarah al-Kudr, that belonged to the tribe of Banoo Saleem. He ﷺ then returned to al-Madeenah after he ﷺ could not catch up with Aboo Sufaayn and his group. The Prophet ﷺ spent 5 days away from al-Madeenah because of this pursuit. When, he ﷺ arrived to al-Madeenah the people asked him if he hopes there will be [soon] a battle between the Muslims and the disbelievers. And he ﷺ said, yes.
The battle is also known as the Battle of As-Saweeq after the many pots of Saweeq that the disbelievers got rid of while they were running away in order for their rides to be faster and escape the chase. This happened in the month of Shawwaal in the 3rd year after Hijrah.
After the defeat of Quraysh in the Battle of Badr, Aboo Sufyaan vowed that he would not take a bath after sexual intercourse until after he would raid the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims. He departed Makkah with 200 horsemen from Quraysh to fulfill his vow and took the route of al-Najdiyyah until he arrived at the mountain of Nayb near al-Madeenah. He stayed there until night befell and then went to the house of Huyayy ibn Akhtab and knocked on his door, but he refused to open his door out of fear. He then left and headed to the house of Sallaam ibn Mishkam, who was the leader of Banee An-Nadeer at that time. He opened his door and allowed him in. He hosted him and offered him food and drink, then disclosed to Aboo Sufyaan the news of Muslims. After, he left at night and returned to the horsemen who were with him and ordered some of them to raid the Muslims. The group went to an area called al-‘Urayd, burnt the palm trees there, and killed a man from the Ansaar; they found him there along with another man from his allies. After they killed them, they fled the scene. The news reached the Prophet ﷺ thus, he sent out a mission that he joined himself to chase the disbelievers who committed that heinous crime. They chased them until the Prophet ﷺ arrived at a place called Qarqarah al-Kudr. Then, he returned to al-Madeenah as he could not catch them. On the way, the Muslims found heaps of food supplies that the disbelievers got rid of, so their rides would have less weight and run faster. Most of the food supplies contained a meal called As-Saweeq; thus, the battle was named after it.
Ka’b ibn al-Ashraf was a man from the tribe of Tay’ and his mother was a Jewess from the tribe of Banee An-Nadeer. He was a poet who used to lampoon the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions in his poetry, harm them, and instigate people against them. After the victory of Muslims in the Battle of Badr, he was in shock and felt depressed to the extent he made a remark saying that living under earth is better than living above it (i.e., I’d prefer to be dead than alive and witness their victory). He could not stand it, so he left to Makkah and there he cried over the disbelievers who died in the Battle of Badr and recited poetry to instigate Quraysh against the Muslims.
Narrated Jaabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Who is willing to kill Ka`b ibn al-Ashraf? For he is harming Allah and His Messenger?" Thereupon, Muhammad ibn Maslamah got up saying, "O Allah's Messenger! Would you like that I kill him?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," Muhammad ibn Maslamah said, "Then, allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e., to deceive Ka`b). "The Prophet ﷺ said, "You may say it." Then Muhammad ibn Maslamah went to Ka`b and said, "That man (i.e., Muhammad demands zakat from us, and he has troubled us, and I have come to borrow something from you." On that, Ka`b said, "By Allah, you will get tired of him!" Muhammad ibn Maslamah said, "Now as we have followed him, we do not want to leave him unless and until we see how his end is going to be. I want you to lend me [so I can pay that zakat]. Ka`b said, "Yes, (I will lend you), but you should mortgage something to me." Muhammad ibn Maslamah said, "What do you want?" Ka`b replied, "Mortgage your women to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our women to you, and you are the most handsome of the 'Arabs?" Ka`b said, "Then mortgage your sons to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our sons to you? Later they would be abused by the people's saying that so-and-so has been mortgaged for a load of dates. That would cause us great disgrace, but we will mortgage our arms to you." Muhammad ibn Maslamah promised Ka`b that he would return to him and bring along al-Haarith, Aboo ‘Abs ibn Jabr, and ‘Abbaad ibn Bishr. At night, they came to him and called him from outside of his place to come out to them. The wife of Ka’b warned him of answering them and meeting them at night by saying: “I hear a voice as if dropping blood is from him.” However, he comforted her that there was nothing to worry about by saying: "They are none but Muhammad in Maslamah and his foster brother, and Aboo Naa'ilah. Indeed, a generous man should respond to a call at night even if he is invited to be killed." Meanwhile, Muhammad ibn Maslamah said to the two men with him, "When Ka`b comes, I will touch his hair and smell it, and when you see that I have got hold of his head, kill him." Ka`b came down to them wrapped in his clothes, and diffusing perfume. Muhammad ibn Maslamah said. "I have never smelt a better scent than this.” Ka`b replied. "I have got the best 'Arab woman who knows how to use the high class of perfume." Muhammad ibn Maslamah said to Ka`b, "Will you allow me to smell your head?" Ka`b said, "Yes." Muhammad smelt it and made his companions smell it as well. Then he requested Ka`b again, "Will you let me (smell your head)?" Ka`b said, "Yes." When Muhammad got a strong hold of him, he said to his companions, "Get at him!" So, they killed him and went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him.
The events of this battle occurred close to the region of Najd, also known as the Battle of Dhee Amarr. After the Prophet ﷺ received the news that some troops from Banee Muhaarib ibn Khasfah ibn Qays and Tha‘labah ibn Sa’eed ibn Dhubyaan in Bagheed ibn Rayth ibn Ghatafaan are rallying to attack al-Madeenah under the leadership of a man from them named, Du’thoor ibn al-Haarith ibn Muhaarib, he ﷺ with his Companions, hurriedly set out to discipline these new outlaws, cast fear into their hearts and deterred them from perpetrating further practices. The military detachment of the Muslims consisted of 450 fighters and a few horses, all led by the Prophet ﷺ who appointed ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allah be pleased with him) as the governor of al-Madeenah during his absence. On their way, the Muslims found a man from their enemy called Jabbaar, from the tribe of Banoo Tha’labah, heading towards Yathrib (i.e., al-Madeenah). He was taken to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he informed him about the plans of his tribe, and said: “They will not dare to encounter you, and if they heard that you are marching towards them, they would flee to the tops of mountains. I have the desire to be with you”. Then, the Prophet ﷺ invited him to Islam and the man accepted it and became a Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ placed him in the care of Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him), and Jabbaar served as a guide. He took the Muslims through a different route that gave the Muslims the advantage of surprise. However, once the enemy heard of the coming of the Prophet ﷺ and his army, they fled to the tops of mountains, and the Prophet ﷺ stationed with his expedition [in the enemy’s assembly area] at a place called Dhoo Amarr. While they were there, rainfall was heavy to the extent that the clothes of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) became soaked with water. The Prophet ﷺ went to a tree there and hung his clothes on it to let it dry, and then he laid down to rest. Meanwhile, the other Muslims were occupied with their own affairs. All this happened while the disbelievers were watching them, and they decided to send Du’thoor ibn al-Haarith, who was known for his bravery to assassinate the Prophet ﷺ. He wore his sword and went all the way until he stood up next to the head of the Prophet ﷺ while his word in his hand. He said to the Prophet ﷺ: O Muhammad! Who can protect you from me now?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Allah,” and then the archangel Jibreel pushed him on his chest causing the sword to fall off his hand. Then, the Prophet ﷺ took the sword and said to him: “Who can protect you from me now?” He said: Nobody! And I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. I will never rally people against you ever!” Upon this, the Prophet ﷺ handed him his sword back and then he left and returned to his people. They were surprised that he could not kill the Prophet ﷺ. They asked him about what happened, and he answered by saying: “While I was standing there, I saw a very long man who pushed me in my chest, thus, I fell back on my back. I realised then that he was an angel, and so I testified that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. By Allah, I will never rally people against him ever again.” Then, he started to call his people to Islam and then Allah revealed: {O believers! Remember Allah’s favour upon you: when a people sought to harm you, but He held their hands back from you. Be mindful of Allah. And in Allah let the believers put their trust} [Quran 5:11]
The Prophet ﷺ returned to al-Madeenah, without any outbreak of fighting, after he spent 15 days there. It has been said, he was stationed there during the whole month of Safar.
The Prophet ﷺ dispatched a military campaign to raid Quraysh and appointed ‘Abdullah ibn Maktoom (may Allah be pleased with him) to be the governor of al-Madeenah during his absence. He ﷺ marched with his expedition until they reached Buhraan, which is within the area of al-Furoo’. The cause of this expedition was that the Prophet ﷺ received a report that a formidable force of the tribe of Banoo Sulaym ibn Mansoor were gathered in Buhraan. The Prophet ﷺ dispatched an expedition consisting of 300 fighters, but without declaring their destination. When the Muslims were within one day of travel from Buhraan, they met a man from Banoo Sulaym who informed them that his people fled. The man was kept under the supervision of one of the Muslim soldiers, and the Muslims proceeded to Buhraan. Upon their arrival, they found them gone; thus, they stationed there for a few days and then returned to al-Madeenah. Throughout the expedition, they did not meet any enemies, and no fighting took place.
After their defeat in the Battle of Badr, the disbelievers of Makkah began to consider the coastal route to be a threat for themselves; therefore, they abandoned it and began to travel from the route of Najd, which led to Iraq. the Prophet ﷺ received intelligence from Sulayt ibn al-Nu’maan (may Allah be pleased with him) that a trade caravan of the Quraish of Makkah was to pass by this route of Najd. Chieftains such as Sufyaan Ibn Harb, Safwaan ibn Umayyah, and Huwaytib ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza accompanied this trade caravan and the value of its merchandise and silvers was about one hundred thousand Dirham. The Prophet ﷺ dispatched Zayd ibn Haarithah with 100 riding fighters to intercept the caravan. Flustered by this sudden attack, the people of the Quraysh fled in sheer panic, leaving the goods and valuables of the caravan behind. The Muslims returned to al-Madeenah with success and triumph, with a large value of spoils, and captured their guide, Furaat ibn Hayyaan, who then entered Islam at the hands of the Prophet.ﷺ. The spoils were divided between the fighters who participated in the expedition after the prescribed one fifth of it was taken out.
After the killing of the leaders of Quraysh in the Battle of Badr, and the safe escape of the trade caravan of Aboo Sufyaan, the chieftains of Quraysh, along with the children of those who were killed in the Battle of Badr, put their money at the service of Aboo Sufyaan to muster a great army to fight the Muslims again and take revenge and dislodge the Prophet ﷺ. They assembled an army of 3,000 soldiers and marched towards al-Madeenah and stationed at a place near the mountain of Uhud. Meanwhile, After the Friday prayer, the Prophet ﷺ offered the funeral prayer over a man from the tribe of Banee al-Najjaar, named Maalik ibn ‘Amr, and then consulted his Companions about whether to encounter the disbelievers or remain stationed in al-Madeenah. ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Ubay proposed to stay in al-Madeenah and argued that if they decided to remain stationed, then they would be at a place that has no water or food, and if they decided to enter al-Madeenah, the men would fight them face to face and stop them, and the women and children will throw rocks at them from above the houses, and if they retreated, they would return with failure. However, the Companions who could not attend the Battle of Badr proposed to go out to fight them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to his house and came out while wearing his armor. The Prophet ﷺ left al-Madeenah for the valley of Mount Uhud with a Muslim army of only 700 after ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Ubay departed the Muslims army along with one third of the army when they arrived at a place called Ash-Shawt. He withdrew because he was frustrated that the Prophet ﷺ did not act upon his advice. He and those who were with him justified their decision by arguing that they do not believe fighting would take place on that day; otherwise, they would have joined the forces. The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions continued until they arrived at the valley of the Mount of Uhud where the Muslim troops stationed. The Prophet ﷺ made the back of his army towards the mountain of Uhud and positioned 50 archers under ‘Abdullah ibn Jubayr. He ﷺ ordered him to shoot the horses [of the enemy], and to obstruct the enemy if they attacked the Muslims from the rear and ordered them strictly to stay there until further orders, whatever may be the condition. After, the Prophet ﷺ wore two armours, he handed the banner to Mu’sab ibn ‘Umayr to bear it, approved the requests of a few teenagers who wished to participate in the battle, and declined the request of other teenagers.
The army of Quraysh consisted of 200 horsemen. The left and right flanks of their army were commanded by ‘Ikrimah ibn Abee Jahl and Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, respectively, and the banner of Quraysh was handed to Banee ‘Abd al-Daar. The two armies set upon each other, and a fierce battle ensued, and the Muslims managed to overcome the disbelievers of Quraysh who, faced with yet another defeat, began to flee. It was at this point of perceived victory that the Muslim archers disobeyed the Prophet’s orders and deserted their stations, thinking that the battle was over, and joined the Muslim fighters to collect the war spoils. Khaalid ibn al-Waleed noticed the sudden vacuum created by the disappearance of the rear archers; thus, his cavalrymen attacked the Muslims from behind, killing many in the process. This move changed the calculations of the battle and turned it to the favour of the disbelievers, resulting in the killing of 70 Companions including Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr, ‘Abdullah ibn Haraam, the father of Jaabir, and ‘Abdullah ibn Jubayr, the commander of the Muslim archers.
Narrated ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Adyy ibn al-Khiyaar: I asked Wahshee, the killer of Hamzah: "Will you tell me the story of the killing of Hamzah?" Wahshee replied: "Yes, Hamzah killed Tu’aymah ibn `Adyy ibn Al-Khiyaar at Badr (battle), so my master, Jubayr ibn Mut`im said to me, 'If you kill Hamzah in revenge for my uncle, then you will be set free." When the people set out (for the battle of Uhud) in the year of 'Aynayn ('Aynayn is a mountain near the mountain of Uhud, and between it and Uhud there is a valley), I went out with the people for the battle. When the army aligned for the fight, Sibaa' came out and said, 'Is there any Muslim to accept my challenge to a duel?' Hamzah ibn `Abdul Muttalib came out and said, 'O Sibaa'. O Ibn Um Anmaar, the one who circumcises females! Do you challenge Allah and His Messenger?' Then Hamzah attacked and killed him, causing him to be non-extant like the bygone of yesterday. I hid myself under a rock, and when he (i.e., Hamzah) came near me, I threw my spear at him, driving it into his umbilicus so that it came out through his buttocks, causing him to die. When all the people returned to Makkah, I too returned with them. I stayed in (Makkah) till Islam spread in it (i.e., Makkah). Then I left for al-Taaif, and when the people (of Taaif) sent their messengers to Allah's Messenger ﷺ I was told that the Prophet ﷺ did not harm the messengers; So, I too went out with them till I reached Allah's Messenger ﷺ. When he saw me, he said, 'Are you Wahshee?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Was it you who killed Hamzah?' I replied, 'What happened is what you have been told of.' He said, 'Can you hide your face from me?' So, I went out when Allah's Messenger ﷺ and Musaylamah the Liar appeared (claiming to be a prophet). I said, 'I will go out to Musaylamah so that I may kill him and make amends for killing Hamzah. So, I went out with the people (to fight Musaylamah and his followers) and then famous events took place concerning that battle. Suddenly I saw a man (i.e., Musaylamah) standing near a gap in a wall. He looked like an ash-colored camel and his hair was dishevelled. So, I threw my spear at him, driving it into his chest in between his breasts till it passed out through his shoulders, and then an Ansari man attacked him and struck him on the head with a sword.”
Ibn Katheer commented on the Statement of Allah {Those [believers] who responded to Allah and the Messenger after injury had struck them.} [Quran 3: 172] by saying: “This occurred on the day of Hamraa' Al-Asad. After the idolators defeated the Muslims (at Uhud), they started on their way back home, but soon they were concerned because they did not finish off the Muslims in Al-Madeenah, so they set out to make that battle the final one. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ got news of this, he ﷺ commanded the Muslims to march to meet the disbelievers, to bring fear to their hearts and to demonstrate that the Muslims still had strength to fight. The Prophet ﷺ only allowed those who were present during Uhud to accompany him, except for Jaabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), as we will mention. The Muslims mobilized, even though they were still suffering from their injuries, in obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) explained the statement of Allah: {Those [believers] who responded to Allah and the Messenger after injury had struck them. For those who did good among them, and feared Allah is a great reward.} [Quran 3:172]. She told ‘Urwah, ‘O my nephew! Your both fathers [father and maternal grandfather] were among them, az-Zubayr and Aboo Bakr. After what happened on the battle of Uhud and the polytheists returned home, the Prophet ﷺ was concerned that they may return, thus he stated, ‘Who will pursue them?’ Seventy people amongst them willingly accepted the mission. ‘Urwah says that Aboo Bakr and az-Zubayr were amongst them.’” Ibn Katheer states after mentioning this Hadeeth, “This context is very strange as it is well-known among the chroniclers of the military campaigns of the Prophet ﷺ that those who went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Hamraa’ al-Asad were all those who witnessed Uhud, and they were seven hundred, seventy of them were killed, and the rest survived. Apparently, there seems to be no contradiction between the sayings of ‘Aishah and the chroniclers of the military campaigns of the Prophet. Because the meaning of her saying ‘Seventy readily accepted the mission’ is that they preceded others and the rest of the army caught up with them later. The site of Hamraa’ al-Asad is eight miles from the al-Madeenah.
Aboo Salamah: He is Abdullah ibn Abd al-Asad, the son of the Prophet’s ﷺ paternal aunt, Barrah bint Abdul Muttalib, and his brother through breastfeeding; Thuwayba breastfed the Prophet ﷺ and him. Qatan: it is a mountain, and it was said: water from the waters of Banoo Asad. The Brigade was dispatched because a man from the tribe of Taiy named al-Waleed ibn Zuhayr ibn Tareef came to al-Madeenah visiting his niece, Zainab, who was married to Tulayb ibn ‘Umayr ibn Wahab. He told that Tulayhah and Salamah, the two sons of Khuwaylid joined their people and those who obey them to fight the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Qays Ibn al-Haarith forbade them, but they disobeyed him. When this news reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ he called Aboo Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, ‘"Go out in this brigade, for I have appointed you as its commander." He held a banner for him and said: ‘Proceed until you reach the land of Banoo Asad ibn Khuzaymah, and raid them before they gather their people against you.’ Then, he ﷺ advised him to fear Allah and to be good to those with him from among the Muslims.
One hundred and fifty men went out with him in that brigade and with him was the man of the tribe of Tay’ as a guide. He made haste to walk and turned them away from the main road, and he walked with them day and night, so they preceded the news and they ended up at Dhu Qatan, which is an oasis among the water sources of Banoo Asad- on which was their gathering - the waters of which he had gathered - so they raided their camp and captured three of the shepherds, and the rest of them escaped going to their crowd and they told them the news and warned them about the crowd of Aboo Salamah, and they exaggerated the number enormously, so the crowd scattered into all directions, and Aboo Salama came to the water, and found the crowd scattered. He encamped there and scattered his companions in seeking livestock and goats; he divided them into three groups. One group stayed with him, and the other two groups went on an attack mission to two different corners and instructed them not to go too far in the pursuit and not to spend the night but with him if they are safe. And he commanded not to scatter, and he appointed a leader for every group. They returned to him safely and they had acquired some camels and goats. However, they did not meet anyone from the enemy. Aboo Salamah moved forward returning to al-Madeenah with all those spoils and the man from the tribe of Tay’ also returned with him.
When they travelled at night, Aboo Salamah distributed the spoils, he took the share of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a slave, and then put aside the one fifth share and gave the guide from the tribe of Tay’ his preferred share of the booty. Then he distributed what was left over among his companions. Every person got seven camels each. He arrived at al-Madeenah with all spoils, and he did not encounter any problem or resistance on his way.
The Prophet ﷺ dispatched Abdullah ibn Unays (may Allah be please with him) who left on Monday, the fifth day of the month of Muharram, right in the beginning of the thirty fifth month since the emigration of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The reason he ﷺ sent him out was that Sufyan ibn Khaalid ibn Nubayh al-Hudhalee al-Lihyaane, who lived at ‘Urnah and it was surrounded with the people of his tribe and others, wanted to assemble people to revolt against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and a good number of people of all sorts had joined him.
Abdullah ibn Unays (may Allah be pleased with him( related, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called me, then said, “The news has reached me that Sufyaan ibn Khaalid ibn Nubayh is rallying people around him to fight me. He is currently at Nakhlah or ‘Urnah. Go to him and kill him. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, can you describe him to me so that I can recognise him? He said, ‘A sign between you and him is that if you see him, you would be awed by him and fear him, and you will find yourself shivering due to him, and you will remember the devil.’ Abdullah said, ‘Since I was never awed by men, therefore I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have never been afraid of men.’ He replied: ‘Yes. There is a sign between you and him and that is that you find a shiver due to him when you see him.’ He said, ‘I took permission from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to say whatever could help me fulfil my mission.’ The Messenger said, ‘Feel free to say whatever you see fits.’ And he also said, ‘Ascribe yourself to the tribe of Khuzaa'ah.’ So, I took my sword and did not add anything else to it, and I went out to attributing myself to Khuza'ah, until when I was in the midst of ‘Urnah, I found him walking and behind him were the Abyssinians. When I saw him, I was awed and recognised him with the description that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ supplied me with. So, I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth, and it was time for the afternoon prayer when I saw him, and I prayed with gestures as I walked. When I approached him, he said, ‘Who is the man?’ I replied, ‘A man from Khuzaa’ah, I heard that you had gathered to counterattack Muhammad, so I came to be with you against him.’ He said: ‘Yes, I am in the assembling [people] against him.’ I walked with him and spoke to him, he found my speech sweet, and I spoke criticisingly and said, ‘How disappointing! For the new religion that Muhammad has brought forth, he dislodged from the fathers and ridiculed their dreams.’ He said, ‘I have not met anyone who resembles me and who can fight him well.’ He was leaning on a stick poking the earth, until he reached his tent and his companions dispersed from him to the dwellings close to him, and they had circled with him. He exclaimed, ‘Come, brother of Khuzaa'ah.’ I got close to him. He said, ‘Sit.’ I sat with him so that when people calmed down and fell asleep, I assassinated him.’ In most of the narrations, it comes that he said, ‘So I walked with him until when it was possible for me, I took the sword on him, and I killed him and took his head. Then I came and climbed a mountain, and I entered a cave, and the pursuit came from the horses and the men swarming in every direction while I was hiding in the cave, and a spider built a cobweb on the mouth of the cave. And a man came with his water carrier and his sandals on his hand, and I was afraid. He put his water carrier and his sandals and sat urinating near the mouth of the cave, then he told his companions, ‘There is no one in the cave, so they went back down, and I went out to the water carrier and drank from it and took the sandals and wore them. I used to travel at night and used to hide during the daytime until I came to Al-Madeenah, and I found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the mosque, and when he saw me, he said, ‘The face looks successful.’ I replied, ‘And your face is successful too, O Messenger of Allah.’ So, I placed the head before his hands and told him my story, so he gave me a stick and said: ‘Be in full control with it in Paradise; There are few who will have sticks with them in Paradise.’ The stick remained with Abdullah ibn Unais, until when death approached him, he advised his family to put the stick in his shrouds. They did that. Ibn ‘Uqbah says, ‘They claimed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed them of the killing of Sufyaan ibn Khaalid before the arrival of Abdullah ibn Unays (may Allah be pleased with him.)”
Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah sent a brigade of ten men as surveillants under the leadership of ‘Aasim ibn Thaabit al-Ansaaree, the grandfather of `Aasim ibn `Umar Al-Khattaab. They proceeded till they reached Hada’ah, a place between 'Usfaan, and Makkah. Their news reached a branch of the tribe of Hudhayl called Banee Lihyaan. About two-hundred men, who were all archers, hurried towards them and followed their tracks till they found the place where they had eaten dates, they had brought with them as a provision from al-Madeenah. They recognised the dates and said, ‘These are the dates of Yathrib (i.e., al-Madeenah),’ and they continued following their tracks. When `Aasim and his companions saw their pursuers, they went up a high place. The disbelievers encircled them and said to them, ‘Descend and surrender, and we promise and guarantee you that we will not kill any one of you.’ `Aasim ibn Thaabit; the commander of the Bigrade said, ‘By Allah! I will not come down to be under the protection of a disbeliever. O Allah! Convey our news to Your Prophet.’ Then the disbelievers threw arrows at them till they martyred ‘Aasim along with six other men, while three men came down accepting their promise and convention, and among them were Khubayb al-Ansaaree and Ibn Dathinah and another man. After the disbelievers captured them, they undid the strings of their bows and tied them. The third (of the captives) said, ‘This is the first betrayal. By Allah! I will not go with you. No doubt these the martyred ones have set a good example for us.’ So, they dragged him and tried to compel him to accompany them, but as he refused, they killed him. They took Khubayb and Ibn Dathinah with them and sold them (as slaves) in Makkah (and all that took place) after the battle of Badr. Khubayb was bought by the sons of al-Haarith ibn 'Amir ibn Nawfal ibn `Abd al-Manaaf. It was Khubayb who had killed Al-Haarith ibn 'Aamir on the day (of the battle of) Badr, and Khubayb remained a prisoner with those people. Az-Zuhri narrated that 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Iyyaad told him that the daughter of Al-Haarith told him, ‘When those people gathered (to kill Khubayb) he borrowed a razor from me to shave his pubes and I gave it to him. Then he took a son of mine while I was unaware when he came upon him. I saw him placing my son on his thigh and the razor was in his hand. I got scared so much that Khubayb noticed the agitation on my face and said’, 'Are you afraid that I will kill him? No, I will never do so.’ ‘By Allah, I never saw a prisoner better than Khubayb. By Allah, one day I saw him eating of a bunch of grapes in his hand while he was chained in irons, and there was no fruit at that time in Makkah.’ The daughter of Al-Haarith used to say, ‘It was a bounty that Allah bestowed upon Khubayb.’ When they took him out of the Sanctuary (Haram of Makkah) to kill him outside its boundaries, Khubayb requested them to let him offer two units of prayer. They allowed him and he offered two units and then he exclaimed, ‘Had not I been afraid that you would think that I fear (of being killed), I would have prolonged the prayer. O Allah, kill them all with no exception.’ He then recited poetically: ‘So long I am killed as a Muslim, I do not mind how I am killed in Allah's cause, for my killing is for Allah's sake; And if Allah wishes, He will bless the amputated parts of a torn body.’ Then the son of al-Haarith killed him. It was Khubayb who set the tradition for any Muslim sentenced to death in captivity to offer a two-units prayer (before being killed). Allah fulfilled the invocation of `Aasim ibn Thaabit on that very day on which he was martyred. The Prophet ﷺ informed his Companions of their news and what had happened to them. Afterwards, upon hearing that `Aasim had been killed, some of the disbelievers of Quraysh sent some people to fetch a part of his body by which he would be recognised. (That was because) `Aasim had killed one of their chiefs on the day (of the battle) of Badr. Upon their arrival, they found a swarm of wasps, resembling a shady cloud, hovering over the body of `Aasim and protecting him from their messenger and thus they could not cut off anything from his flesh.”
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the tribes of Ri’l, Dhakwaan, 'Usaiyah, and Banee Lihyaan asked Allah's Messenger ﷺ to assist them with some men to support them against their enemy. He therefore provided them with seventy men from the Ansaar whom we used to call Al-Qurraa' (the reciters) in their lifetime. They used to collect wood by daytime and pray at night. When they were at the well of Ma'oonah, they took them by surprise and killed them. When this news reached the Prophet ﷺ he performed al-Qunoot for one month during the Fajr prayer, invoking curse upon some of the Arab tribes, namely upon Ri’l, Dhakwaan, 'Usaiyah, and Bani Lihyaan.’ Anas further stated, ‘We used to read an ayah of the Quran revealed in their connection, but later the ayah was lifted.’ It reads, ‘Convey to our people on our behalf that we have met Our Lord, and He is pleased with us, and has made us pleased.’ In a narration of al-Bukhaaree, it is reported: ‘That those seventy people of al-Ansaar were killed at the Well of Ma’oonah.’”
Anas ibn Maalik narrates, stating, “A group of people came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, ‘Send with us men that can teach us the Quran and the Sunnah. Hence, he ﷺ sent to them seventy men from the Ansaar, who were called the Qurraa’ (the reciters). Amongst them was my maternal uncle, Haraam. They were known for reading the Quran and studying it amongst themselves, by night, and during the day, they would bring the water and place it in the mosque; and they would collect wood, sell it, and buy with its proceeds food for the people of as-Suffah and the poor. The Prophet ﷺ sent them to teach them the Quran and Sunnah. However, it turned out to be a plot, so they ambushed them and killed them before they reached the destination. Amid all this, after finding that they were deceived, they supplicated, ‘O Allah, convey to our Prophet on our behalf that we have met You. We became pleased with you, and you also became pleased with us.’ Anas says, “A person came to Haraam - the uncle of Anas – from behind him and stabbed him with a spear until he caused it to go through. Haraam said, “I have succeeded by the Lord of the Ka’bah!” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told his Companions, “Your brothers have been killed and they said, ‘O Allah, convey our Prophet on behalf of us, that we have indeed met You, we are pleased with You, and You are pleased with us.’”
