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Al-Qarada raid

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The Al-Qarada raid was an event in early Islamic history which took place in the month of Jumada al-Thani , in the year 3 A.H of the Islamic calendar, i.e. November 624.

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41-729: The Meccans led by Safwan ibn Umayyah , who lived on trade, left in the Summer for Syria for their seasonal trade business. After Muhammad received intelligence about the Caravan's route, Muhammad ordered Zayd ibn Haritha to go after the Caravan, and they successfully raided it and captured 100,000 dirhams worth of booty. The Meccans were at loss on which trade route to take, since Muslims successfully attacked many of their caravans and intercepted their trade routes previously. Therefore, they tried to find another trade route for their caravan trade. A group of Quraysh headed by Safwan ibn Umayyah took

82-574: A guide, Abdallah ibn Arqat, who was a pagan. Beginning in January 623, Muhammad led several raids against Meccan caravans travelling along the eastern coast of the Red Sea . Members of different tribes were thus unified by the urgency of the moment. This unity was primarily based on the bonds of kinship. The second Rashidun Caliph , Umar ibn Al-Khattab , designated the Muslim year during which

123-533: A man from Quraysh than a man from Hawazin," and at the Siege of Ta'if . Soon afterwards Safwan was among the "certain men of eminence" to whom Muhammad gave gifts "in order to conciliate them and win over their hearts." Safwan received a hundred camels. After Safwan's conversion, his wife Fakhita returned to live with him. It was said that Safwan "always remained a good Muslim," and he narrated traditions about Muhammad. One example occurred when he went to

164-501: A merchant-caravan of silver vessels worth 100,000 dirhams towards Iraq. Zayd ibn Harithah led a raid on this caravan, and they seized all the silver, although the Quraysh men escaped. Safwan then conferred with Abdullah ibn Abi Rabia and Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl . They "walked with the men whose fathers, sons and brothers had been killed at Badr, and they spoke to Abu Sufyan and those who had merchandise in that caravan, saying, 'Men of

205-756: A party hosted by the family of Muhammad ibn Al-Fadl ibn Al-Abbas. When the food was served, he said, "Eat the meat with your front teeth, for I heard the Prophet say, 'Eat meat with your front teeth, for it is more appetizing, more wholesome and more enjoyable like that.'" However, he did not participate in any of the Islamic military campaigns. Nor did he emigrate to Medina but remained in Mecca until his death in 661. Hegira The Hijrah ( Arabic : الهجرة hijra , originally 'a severing of ties of kinship or association' ), also Hegira (from Medieval Latin ),

246-801: A prophet would come, and with his help, the Jews would obliterate them. Upon hearing Muhammad's religious message, the six individuals said to each other, "This is the very prophet of whom the Jews warned us; don't let them get to him before us!" After embracing Islam, they returned to Medina and shared their encounter, hoping that by having their people—the Khazraj and the Aws , who had been at odds for so long—accept Islam and adopt Muhammad as their leader, unity could be achieved between them. In February 621, five earlier converts met with Muhammad again. They were accompanied by seven new converts, including two people from

287-512: Is a romanization of the Arabic word هجرة 'to depart to', 'to migrate to' or 'to move away from'. The first stem of the verbal root H-J-R , hajara , means 'to cut off someone from friendly association; to avoid association with'; the third stem, hājara , means 'a mutual termination of friendly relations by leaving or departing'. The word has been mistranslated, without proper context, as 'a severing of ties of kinship or association'. Since 1753,

328-711: The Battle of the Trench . In autumn 627 a merchant-caravan returning from Syria was carrying "much silver" belonging to Safwan. This caravan was intercepted at Al-'Is by Zayd ibn Haritha and 170 riders, who took the silver and several prisoners. When the Quraysh heard that 1600 Muslims were approaching Mecca in March 628, Safwan was one of the three leaders tasked with dealing with the situation. He sent Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl with 200 cavalry to muster support from surrounding tribes. When their allies arrived in Mecca, Safwan's house

369-508: The Quraysh tried to dissuade their family members from leaving, but in the end, there were no Muslims left in Mecca. Muhammad regarded this migration as an expulsion by the Quraysh. Islamic tradition relates that, in light of the unfolding events, one of the Quraysh chiefs, Abu Jahl , Muhammad's childhood friend-turned-enemy, proposed a joint assassination of Muhammad by representatives of each Quraysh clan. Having been informed of this by

410-637: The Quraysh , however, were indifferent to his activities, as they did not appear to be particularly interested in devotional meetings, and accordingly, Muhammad did not encounter any serious opposition from them; that was the case until he began to challenge their beliefs, which caused tensions to arise. In May 622, after having convened twice with members of the Medinan tribes of Aws and Khazraj at al-'Aqabah near Mina , Muhammad secretly left his home in Mecca to emigrate to their city, along with his friend, father-in-law and companion Abu Bakr . Hijrah

451-400: The hijr , and I witnessed the killing of his father and his brother!" In reaction to this, Safwan conspired with his cousin, Umayr ibn Wahb , to kill Muhammad. Safwan paid off Umayr's debts and took care of his family while Umayr went to Medina with his sword "sharpened and poisoned". Safwan promised the Quraysh that they would soon hear good news from Medina. But his plan backfired, for at

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492-585: The minor pilgrimage . When Bilal called the Muslims to prayer from the Kaaba, Safwan exclaimed, "Praise God for letting my father die before he could see this!" When the Bedouin chiefs, Farwa ibn Hubayra al-Qushayri and Nawfal ibn Muawiyah al-Dili, visited Mecca, they met with Safwan and other Quraysh elders. The Bedouin suggested that the Quraysh could unite with various Bedouin tribes and "attack [Muhammad] in

533-576: The Banu Aws tribe. This gathering took place at the al-'Aqaba mountain pass, located just north of Mecca near the trade route. At the meeting, they took a pledge to Muhammad, known as the "pledge of women." It was so called because it contained no obligation to fight for Islam. One of the main tenets of this pledge was to renounce idols and affirm Allah as the only deity, with Muhammad as their leader. Muhammad then entrusted Mus'ab ibn Umayr to accompany them on their return to Medina to promote Islam. In

574-603: The Hegira occurred the first year of the Islamic calendar in 638 or the 17th year of the Hegira. This was later Latinized to Anno hegirae , the abbreviation of which is still used to denote Hijri dates today. Burnaby states that: "Historians in general assert that Muhammad fled from Mecca at the commencement of the third month of the Arabian year, Rabi 'u-l-awwal. They do not agree as to the precise day. According to Ibn-Ishak, it

615-461: The Muslims. He later accepted Islam out of his own will, and was allowed to go free according to Ibn Hisham. The Sunan Abu Dawud hadith collection also mentions that a man called Furat was captured. This event is mentioned in Ibn Hisham 's biography of Muhammad, as well as other historical sources, including books by Persian Jurist, Tabari . Modern secondary sources which mention this, include

656-487: The Quraysh, Muhammad has wronged you and killed your best men, so help us with this money to fight him, so that we may hope to get our revenge for those we have lost.'" Safwan paid the poet Abu Azza to call up the Kinana tribes to rally to the Quraysh. The Quraysh "gathered together to fight the apostle" in March 625 in the event that became the Battle of Uhud . Many of the Quraysh commanders brought women to cheer on

697-579: The angel Gabriel, Muhammad asked his cousin Ali to lie on his bed covered with his green hadrami cloak, assuring him that it would keep him safe. Muhammad then went with Abu Bakr to a cave in Mount Thawr , about an hour's walk south of Mecca, and hid there. Abu Bakr's children and servants, who were still in Mecca, regularly brought them food. After three days in hiding, they set out for Medina on camels that Abu Bakr had bought in advance, and accompanied by

738-510: The army: Safwan took his two wives, Barza bint Mas'ud and al-Baghum bint al-Muadhdhil. During the battle he struck the death-blow to the injured Kharija ibn Zayd (father-in-law of Abu Bakr ) and mutilated his body because Kharija had attacked Safwan's father at Badr. He also killed Aws ibn Arqam and Ibn Qawqal. In August 625 men from Adal and Al-Qara brought to Mecca three Muslims whom they had captured. Safwan bought one of them, Zayd ibn Al-Dathinna, so that he could kill him in revenge for

779-789: The attack. As the Bakr were allied to the Quraysh and the Khuza'a to the Muslims in Medina, this was a breach of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, and it triggered the Conquest of Mecca . As the Muslim army surrounded Mecca in January 630, Safwan joined Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl in the final resistance to Muhammad at Al-Khandama. There they encountered Khalid ibn al-Walid , who routed them. Safwan's wife Fakhita converted to Islam, but Safwan fled to Jeddah , intending to sail to Yemen. Before his ship departed, he

820-403: The award-winning book, Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar). The event is also mentioned by the Muslim jurist Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya in his biography of Muhammad, Zad al-Ma'ad . The Sahih Bukhari hadith collection mention that Muhammad sent some people on a sariya (military expedition) to Nejd. The hadith says: The Prophet sent a Sariya towards Najd and I was in it, and our share from

861-538: The booty amounted to twelve camels each, and we were given an additional camel each. So we returned with thirteen camels each. Sahih al-Bukhari , 5:59:627 Sahih Muslim , 19:4330 , Sahih Muslim , 19:4331 and Sahih Muslim , 19:4332 also mention that Muhammad sent some Muslims on a Military expedition to Nejd. According to Tabari , in this raid, a man called Furat was captured, Sunan Abu Dawood , 14:2672 also mentions this. Safwan ibn Umayya Ṣafwān ibn Umayya ( Arabic : صفوان بن أمية ; died 661)

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902-408: The caravan fled without resistance, the caravan was carrying silver and goods. Zayd took the booty, and arrested their guide, they also captured two prisoners and took them back to Medina. The booty (goods) captured was valued at 100,000 dirhams. The booty was distributed among the fighters, and Muhammad got one-fifth and gave it to the poor. The guide in this raid, called Furat, became a prisoner of

943-511: The city: Banu Qaynuqa , Banu Nadir and Banu Qurayza . Over time, Arab tribes from southern Arabia migrated to the city and settled alongside the Jewish community. The Arab tribes comprised Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj , both known collectively as Banu Qayla. Prior to 620, these two Arab tribes had been fighting for nearly a hundred years. Each of them had tried to court the support of the Jewish tribes, which occasionally led to infighting among

984-577: The death of his father at Badr. He sent him to Tanim to be killed outside the sanctuary there. Abu Sufyan asked him, "Don't you wish, Zayd, that it was Muhammad who was in your place about to be killed and that you were at home with your family?" Zayd replied, "I would not wish so much as a thorn-prick on Muhammad, even if it would take me home to my family!" As Safwan's servant Nistas killed Zayd, Abu Sufyan remarked, "I never saw anyone as completely loved as Muhammad's companions love him." Safwan actively supported Abu Sufyan in planning and fund-raising for

1025-496: The gate of the mosque, the Muslims recognized Umayr and brought him to Muhammad, who already knew the details of the plot. Umayr converted to Islam and returned to Mecca to preach and to "make difficulties for them in their religion as I used to make difficulties for your companions in theirs." Safwan swore that he would never speak to Umayr again. Umayr was violent towards those who opposed his preaching, "so that through him many became Muslims." In November or December, Safwan took

1066-585: The heart of his homeland." Since it would be impracticable to plot against Muhammad before they had first suppressed his Meccan allies, the Khuza'a , the Bedouin said they should attack the Khuza'a first. But Safwan and the others said they dared not breach the treaty, so they did not accept the plot. In 629 the Dil clan of the Bakr tribe took revenge against the Khuza'a. Safwan and his slaves lent them weapons and assisted

1107-559: The implementation of this pact. When the group inquired about the reward for their loyalty, Muhammad simply replied, "Paradise." They then took the oath, also known as the pledge of war. Not long after receiving the pledges, Muhammad instructed his Meccan followers to relocate to Medina . The whole departure spanned about three months. To ensure that he did not arrive in Medina alone while his followers remained in Mecca, Muhammad chose not to go ahead and instead stayed behind to watch over them and persuade those who were reluctant. Some of

1148-495: The latter. In 620, having lost all hope of winning converts among his fellow townspeople, Muhammad limited his efforts to non-Meccans who attended fairs or made pilgrimages. During these efforts, Muhammad met six members of the Banu Khazraj tribe who were visiting Mecca , on a pilgrimage to the holy sites around the city. These six individuals had a history of raiding Jews in their locality, who in turn had warned them that

1189-587: The loan of his weapons and armour "that we may fight our enemy tomorrow." Safwan asked if Muhammad intended to force him to hand over the weapons; but on being told that it was only a friendly request and that his possessions would be returned, he replied that he had no objection. He arranged for the transport of a hundred coats of mail and other weapons for Muhammad's attack on the Hawazin at Hunayn . Safwan fought for Muhammad both at Hunayn, during which battle he remarked to his brother, "I would rather be ruled by

1230-425: The men of Medina in an apparent attempt to create a sense of exclusivity and importance among them. Historical records, however, show that they were among the last groups Muhammad had tried to approach and that he had no other offers available. Muhammad himself then spoke and invited their allegiance, asking them to protect him as they would their women and children. One of them, al-Bara, readily agreed, emphasizing

1271-464: The military prowess of his people. The other however, Abu al-Haytham, expressed concern that if they took the pledge and severed their ties with the Jews, Muhammad would return to his people after they gave him victories. Muhammad assured them that he was now one with them and would share their fate in war and peace. Twelve delegates, three from the Aws and nine from the Khazraj, were then selected to oversee

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1312-603: The pilgrimage season of 622, Muhammad had another meeting in Aqaba with the Medinan converts; this time, there were 75 of them, including 2 women. Muhammad's uncle al-Abbas , who accompanied him, made a speech at the beginning, declaring that Muhammad was "the most respected person among his kinsmen." This is quite in contrast with the fact that Muhammad had received strong opposition from his other uncle, Abu Lahab , as well as Abu Jahl and other Quraysh leaders. Al-Abbas also falsely stated that Muhammad had rejected offers from all but

1353-464: The risk of sending a caravan through a route far east of Medina, using a reliable guide. However, Muhammad got news of the plan, and sent Zayd ibn Harithah with 100 men. News of the trade route leaked out through Nu'am Bin Masud al Ashja'i, who was under the effect of alcohol. They caught up with the Caravan at a place called al-Qardah. He trailed the caravan and made a sudden attack on it. The leader of

1394-639: The word has also been used to refer to an exodus in English . Located more than 260 miles (420 km) north of Mecca , Medina is a verdant oasis. According to Muslim sources, the city was founded by Jews who had survived the revolt against the Romans. While agriculture was far from the domain of the Arab tribes, the Jews were excellent farmers who cultivated the land in the oases. In addition to several smaller Jewish clans, there were three major Jewish tribes in

1435-431: Was "in mortal fear" of Muhammad, but Umayr repeated that he was too generous and forbearing to think of killing him, and in the end Safwan agreed to return to Mecca with Umayr. Muhammad confirmed that he had indeed granted safe-conduct to Safwan. When Safwan asked for two months to consider his options, Muhammad replied that he might have four months. A few weeks later, Safwan received a message from Muhammad, asking for

1476-615: Was a sahabi (companion) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . He was from the Banu Jumah clan of the Quraysh in Mecca . His father was Umayya ibn Khalaf , one of the elders of the Quraysh ; his mother was Karima bint Ma'mar ibn Habib. He had a paternal brother named Ali and a maternal brother named Jabala ibn al-Hanbal. Safwan married at least five times. On request, he once loaned Muhammad 50,000 dirhams . Safwan's father, Umayya ibn Khalaf, opposed Muhammad in Mecca. He

1517-483: Was angry when Abu Sufyan expressed scepticism. Afterwards Khalid ibn Al-Walid converted to Islam and invited Safwan to accompany him to Medina because, "We are the main fodder. Muhammad is victorious over the Arabs and non-Arabs." Safwan refused "with great aversion," saying, "Even if I were the only Qurashi alive, I would never follow him!" According to the terms of the treaty, Muhammad arrived in Mecca in March 629 for

1558-439: Was intercepted by Umayr ibn Wahb, who presented him with Muhammad's turban and said, "Safwan, do not destroy yourself! I have brought you a token of safe-conduct from Allah's Messenger." At first Safwan told him to go away, but Umayr persisted, saying, "Your cousin is the most excellent, righteous and forbearing of men. His strength is your strength, his honour is your honour, and his dominion is your dominion." Safwan replied that he

1599-471: Was involved in the plot to assassinate Muhammad, after which Muhammad left for Medina . It was only after the Battle of Badr in March 624 that Safwan's opposition became active. Safwan did not fight at Badr (March 624). When the news that the Quraysh army had been routed there first reached Mecca, Safwan said that the messenger was out of his mind. But when the messenger was asked, "What happened to Safwan ibn Umayya?" he replied: "There he is, sitting in

1640-621: Was one of the four hospitality points where the visitors could be fed, and when Uthman entered the city, Safwan was among those who greeted him. These events led to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah . Shortly afterwards, Muhammad ordered Muslim men to divorce any of their wives who were still pagans. One woman so divorced was Umar 's wife, Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal. When she returned to Mecca, Safwan married her. Meanwhile, Muhammad besieged Khaybar. The Quraysh elders took bets on who would win this battle: Safwan bet five camels that Muhammad would lose, and

1681-633: Was the journey the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina . The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the epoch of the Lunar Hijri and Solar Hijri calendars; its date equates to 16 July 622 in the Julian calendar . Early in Muhammad's preaching of Islam , his followers only included his close friends and relatives. Most of his tribesmen,

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