Ghazawat and Saraya

The Fijar war

Commanders: Harb ibn Umayya

Mecca

The sacrilegious war between Quraysh and Kinana on one side and Qays 'Aylan on the other, so named because it violated the sanctity of the sanctuary and the sacred months; the fifteen-year-old Muhammad attended, readying arrows for his uncles.

Expedition of Sayf al-Bahr

Commanders: Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib · Abu Jahl (Amr ibn Hisham)

al-Is

The first expedition dispatched by the Prophet, led by Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib with 30 Muhajirun in Ramadan 1 AH to intercept a Quraysh caravan; mediated by Majdi ibn Amr without clash.

Expedition of Rabigh

Commanders: Ubayda ibn al-Harith · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Rabigh

An expedition led by Ubayda ibn al-Harith in Shawwal 1 AH with 60 Muhajirun; witnessed the first arrow shot in Islam by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and the defection of al-Miqdad and Utba ibn Ghazwan to the Muslims.

Expedition of al-Kharrar

Commanders: Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas

al-Kharrar

An expedition led by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas with 20 Muhajirun in Dhu al-Qada 1 AH marching on foot by night towards al-Kharrar; found the caravan had passed the day before.

Expedition of al-Abwa (Waddan)

Commanders: Muhammad

al-Abwa

The first expedition led personally by the Prophet in Safar 2 AH with 70 Muhajirun; established an alliance treaty with Amr ibn Makhshi of Banu Damra.

Expedition of Buwat

Commanders: Muhammad · Umayya ibn Khalaf

Buwat

An expedition led by the Prophet in Rabi' al-Awwal 2 AH with 200 companions to intercept a Quraysh caravan led by Umayya ibn Khalaf; reached Mount Buwat without encounter.

Expedition of Safwan (First Badr)

Commanders: Muhammad · Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fihri

Safwan

An expedition led by the Prophet in Rabi' al-Awwal 2 AH in pursuit of Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fihri after he raided the pastures of Medina; chased him to the valley of Safwan near Badr.

Expedition of Dhu al-Ushayra

Commanders: Muhammad

Dhu al-Ushayra

An expedition led by the Prophet in Jumada al-Ula/al-Akhirah 2 AH with 150-200 Muhajirun to intercept a Quraysh caravan to Sham (the caravan pursued later at Badr); concluded a treaty with Banu Mudlij.

Expedition of Nakhla

Commanders: Abdullah ibn Jahsh

A secretive expedition dispatched by the Prophet under Abdullah ibn Jahsh in Rajab 2 AH with 12 Muhajirun; intercepted a Quraysh caravan at Nakhla, resulting in the death of Amr ibn al-Hadrami and captives; resolved by Qur'an 2:217.

Invasion of Banu Qaynuqa

Commanders: Muhammad

Medina

Draft card for the expedition against Banu Qaynuqa in 2/624, the Medina siege that ended in the tribe's expulsion; its sources are not yet checked on the page.

Muslim–Quraysh War

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Arabian Peninsula

Draft card for the Muslim–Quraysh war of 624–630, the campaigns between Medina and Quraysh until the conquest of Mecca; its sources are not yet checked on the page.

The build-up to Badr: Abu Sufyan's caravan, Mecca's muster and the Prophet's march

Badr

In Ramadan of the second year of the Hijra the Prophet set out to intercept Abu Sufyan's caravan returning from Syria; Quraysh mustered to defend it, and the two armies moved towards Badr; Abu Sufyan turned the caravan to the coast, Banu Zuhra withdrew under al-Akhnas ibn Shariq, and the Meccan army pressed on to Badr, where the Prophet learned their numbers from two water-carriers.

The duel at Badr

Badr

The opening single combat of Badr: Utba, Shayba and al-Walid of Quraysh against Ubayda, Hamza and Ali; all three Qurayshis fell, and Ubayda died of his wound days later.

The Battle of Badr

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Jahl (Amr ibn Hisham)

Badr

The first major battle between the Muslims of Medina and the Quraysh of Mecca, fought at the wells of Badr on 17 Ramadan 2 AH. It began as a pursuit of Abu Sufyan's caravan and ended in the defeat of the Meccan army. The Encyclopaedia of Islam gives the date as 17, 19 or 21 Ramadan, estimates the Muslim force at about 300 and the Meccan at about 950, and judges that the victory strengthened Muhammad's position in Medina.

The day of Badr: the lines, the duels and the victory

Badr

On the Friday of 17 Ramadan in the second year of the Hijra the two armies met at Badr; the Prophet prayed to his Lord at the height of the fighting, the angels came down, God routed the Meccan army, and their chiefs fell after duels whose first were between Hamza, Ali and Ubayda and Utba, Shayba and al-Walid; Iblis fled in the form of Suraqa.

Expedition of al-Kudr

Commanders: Muhammad

al-Kudr

An expedition of 200 Muslims led by the Prophet in Shawwal 2 AH to al-Kudr to disperse Banu Sulaym and Ghatafan gathering against Medina; the tribes scattered and Muslims captured 500 camels.

Siege of Banu Qaynuqa

Commanders: Muhammad

Medina

A fifteen-day siege of the Jewish tribe Banu Qaynuqa in Shawwal 2 AH after their breach of the covenant; ended in their unconditional surrender and expulsion from Medina.

Expedition of al-Sawiq

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Medina

An expedition in Dhu al-Hijjah 2 AH pursuing Abu Sufyan who raided the outskirts of Medina with 200 riders; the Meccans dumped bags of roasted barley flour (sawiq) to lighten their load during flight.

Expedition of Dhu Amarr

Commanders: Muhammad

Dhu Amarr

An expedition led by the Prophet with 450 men in Muharram 3 AH to disperse Banu Thalaba and Muharib at Dhu Amarr; the Bedouins fled to mountain tops without fighting.

Expedition of Buhran

Commanders: Muhammad

Buhran

An expedition led by the Prophet with 300 men in Rabi' al-Thani 3 AH to Buhran in the direction of al-Furu'; stayed through Jumada al-Ula without encounter.

Expedition of al-Qarada

Commanders: Zayd ibn Haritha · Safwan ibn Umayya

A successful raid in Jumada al-Akhirah 3 AH led by Zayd ibn Haritha with 100 riders to al-Qarada in Najd, intercepting a rich Quraysh caravan led by Safwan ibn Umayya valued at 100,000 dirhams.

The Battle of Uhud

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Mount Uhud

A battle fought near Mount Uhud, about five kilometres north of Medina, between the Muslims under the Prophet and a Meccan force led by Abu Sufyan, after the defeat at Badr. Traditional accounts date it to Shawwal of year 3. The Muslims did well at first, but the archers left their position, Khalid ibn al-Walid's cavalry turned the battle, and perhaps 65 to 70 Muslims died, among them Hamza; the Meccans withdrew towards Mecca. The Encyclopaedia of Islam gives this synopsis and discusses how far the accounts can be relied on.

Quraysh Preparations for the Battle of Uhud

Commanders: Abu Sufyan ibn Harb · Muhammad

A large-scale military and financial mobilization by Quraysh to avenge their defeat at Badr.

Battle over the Quraysh standard at Uhud

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Mount Uhud

The weight of the battle circled the polytheists' standard, which was carried by the Banu Abd al-Dar. The first to bear it, Talha ibn Abi Talha, was killed by al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. The Banu Abd al-Dar carried it in turn until they were wiped out: Uthman, Abu Sa'd, Artat, Shurayh, Abu Zayd ibn Abd Manaf, Ibn Sharhabil and others. Last to carry it was an Abyssinian slave named Sawab, who fought until his hands were cut off and fell upon it with his chest until he was killed. The standard fell to the ground with none left to bear it.

Defense of the Prophet at Uhud

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Mount Uhud

After the wheeling manoeuvre only nine men remained with the Prophet at the rear. Utba ibn Abi Waqqas threw stones at him; his lower right incisor was broken and his lip wounded. Abdullah ibn Qami'a struck his cheek with a sword so that two rings of the helmet sank into it. In the hardest moment Talha ibn Ubaydullah and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas stood with him and shielded him. Sa'd shot until his quiver was emptied; Talha fought like eleven men until his fingers were cut and he bore thirty-five or thirty-nine wounds. Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah pulled the two helmet rings from his cheek with his front teeth. Abu Dujana shielded him with his back from the arrows. Umm Umara Nusayba bint Ka'b defended him until she took twelve wounds.

Khalid's flanking manoeuvre at Uhud

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Mount Uhud

When the Muslims' backs were left bare of archers, Khalid ibn al-Walid wheeled with lightning speed to the rear of the Muslim army and wiped out Abdullah ibn Jubayr and his nine companions on the hill, then fell on the Muslims from behind. Hearing the cry of Khalid's cavalry, the polytheists turned back on the Muslims. A woman named Umra bint Alqama al-Harithiyya raised the fallen polytheist standard and they rallied around it. The Muslims were trapped between Khalid's horse behind them and Quraysh's army returning from the front.

Muslim withdrawal to the mountain pass at Uhud

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Mount Uhud

When about thirty Companions had gathered around the Prophet he began an orderly withdrawal into the mountain gorge, cutting a path through the attacking polytheists. During the retreat he killed Ubayy ibn Khalaf with his own hand. The polytheists made a last attempt to climb the mountain under Abu Sufyan and Khalid, and Umar and a party of the Muhajirun fought until they drove them down. The Messenger of God settled in the gorge, where Fatima washed his wound and cauterised it with a burnt mat to stop the bleeding. Muhammad ibn Maslama brought fresh water from which the Prophet drank and prayed for him; he prayed the noon prayer sitting, from the effect of his wounds.

Expedition to Hamra al-Asad

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Hamra al-Asad

On the morning of Sunday 8 Shawwal 3 AH the Prophet called the people to pursue Quraysh and said: only those who fought with us may come. The Muslims answered despite their wounds. They reached Hamra al-Asad, eight miles from Medina, and camped. The Prophet sent Ma'bad ibn Abi Ma'bad al-Khuza'i to Abu Sufyan, and at al-Rawha he waged a propaganda war of nerves on him: 'Muhammad has come out with a gathering I have never seen the like of, burning for you.' The Meccan army's resolve collapsed and they kept withdrawing to Mecca. Abu Sufyan sent riders of Abd al-Qays to threaten the Muslims, which only increased their faith. The Prophet stayed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then returned and executed Abu Azza al-Jumahi, who had broken his pledge.

The Incident of al-Raji'

Commanders: Asim ibn Thabit

Mecca

In Safar 4 AH (July 625 CE), a party of ten Companions led by Asim ibn Thabit was sent as teachers following a deceptive request by the Adal and al-Qarah tribes; they were betrayed to Banu Lihyan at al-Raji', where seven were killed in combat and three taken captive.

The Tragedy of Bi'r Ma'una

Commanders: Haram ibn Milhan · Amir ibn al-Tufayl

Medina

In Safar 4 AH, seventy senior Muslim reciters (qurra') led by al-Mundhir ibn Amr were sent to Najd at the request of Abu Bara' Amir ibn Malik; they were ambushed and massacred at Bi'r Ma'una by Amir ibn al-Tufayl and allied Sulaym clans.

The Siege and Expulsion of Banu al-Nadir

Commanders: Muhammad

Medina

In Rabi' I 4 AH (August 625 CE), following Banu al-Nadir's attempt to assassinate the Prophet by dropping a millstone and their conspiracy with the hypocrites, the Muslims besieged their fortresses for six nights until they surrendered and were exiled to Khaybar and Syria, leaving behind weapons and heavy armour. وعند البخاري يروي عمر أن أرض بني النضير كانت من صفايا النبي «حبساً لنوائبه» فأبقاها صدقة بعد موته، وفيها خصومة العباس وعلي عند عمر.

The Expedition of Badr al-Maw'ida

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Badr

In Sha'ban 4 AH (January 626 CE), the Prophet marched with 1,500 fighters to Badr to meet Abu Sufyan according to their Uhud rendezvous; Abu Sufyan departed with 2,000 Meccans but retreated from Majanna citing a drought year, leaving the Muslims in full mastery of the annual Badr fair for eight days.

Abdullah ibn Unays's mission to kill Khalid ibn Sufyan ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali

Commanders: Abdullah ibn Unays · Khalid ibn Sufyan ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali

Nakhla al-Yamaniya

News reached the Prophet that Ibn Sufyan ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali was gathering men at Nakhla or Urana to attack him; he summoned Abdullah ibn Unays and ordered him to go and kill him, giving as the sign that he would shiver on seeing him. Ibn Unays went girded with his sword, found him with women in litters seeking a camping place at the afternoon hour, prayed by nodding his head as he walked toward him, told him he was an Arab who had heard of his gathering and come for it, walked with him until he could and struck him dead with the sword, leaving the women bent over him. On his return the Prophet said 'the face has prospered' and gave him a staff as a sign between them on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn Ishaq has it from Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zubayr from Ibn Unays.

The dispatch of Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri to kill Abu Sufyan, and what he did on the way

Commanders: Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri · Jabbar ibn Sakhr al-Ansari

Mecca

Ibn Hisham tells it, from a scholar he trusts, among what Ibn Ishaq did not include: after the killing of Khubayb ibn Adi and his companions the Prophet sent Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri to Mecca to kill Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, with Jabbar ibn Sakhr al-Ansari; they circled the Ka'ba at night, Amr was recognised and the two fled to a mountain and spent the night in a cave, where Amr killed a Qurayshi who came upon them; he then took down Khubayb's body from its stake and threw it into a ravine; on his way home he killed a one-eyed old man of Banu al-Dil who sang that he would never be a Muslim, killed one of two Quraysh spies and brought the other bound to Medina.

The Expedition of Dumat al-Jandal

Commanders: Muhammad

Dumat al-Jandal

In Rabi' I 5 AH (August 626 CE), the Prophet led a 1,000-strong expedition to Dumat al-Jandal on the borders of Syria to secure the trade routes against marauding tribes; the gathering dispersed, and the Muslims established security and concluded non-aggression terms with tribal chiefs.

The Battle of the Trench (al-Ahzab)

Commanders: Muhammad · Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

Medina

The Battle of the Trench was the siege of Medina by a Quraysh-led confederacy in the fifth year of the Hijra; the Muslims dug a trench across the exposed parts of the oasis and it stopped the attackers' cavalry. The sira tradition tells of a siege of about a month, Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud's stratagem and a violent night wind, while the Encyclopaedia of Islam dates it to Dhu al-Qa'da 5, April 627, with about 10,000 men and a fortnight of little fighting. The Prophet then besieged Banu Qurayza, and the Encyclopaedia counts the failure of the siege among the main turning points of Muhammad's life.

The Siege and Judgment of Banu Qurayza

Commanders: Muhammad · Ali ibn Abi Talib

Medina

In Dhu al-Qa'da 5 AH (March 627 CE), immediately after the confederates withdrew, the Prophet marched on Banu Qurayza for breaking their treaty during the siege of Medina; after twenty-five nights of siege they surrendered unconditionally and accepted the arbitration of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, who decreed the execution of the combatants and captivity of women and children.

Sariyya of Abdullah ibn Unays against Sufyan ibn Khalid

Commanders: Abdullah ibn Unays

A single-man sariyya the Prophet sent in Muharram of the sixth year, as Waqidi reports, to kill Sufyan ibn Khalid al-Hudhali, who was gathering forces at Uranah; Ibn Unays went alone, identified him by the Prophet's description, and joined him to get close.

The Mission of Abu Rafi' (Sallam ibn Abi al-Huqayq)

Commanders: Abdullah ibn Atik · Sallam ibn Abi al-Huqayq (Abu Rafi')

Khaybar

In Dhu al-Hijja 5 AH, five Khazrajite Companions led by Abdullah ibn Atik infiltrated Khaybar by night and eliminated Sallam ibn Abi al-Huqayq (Abu Rafi'), a primary financier and organizer of the confederate army at the Trench.

The Expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq (al-Muraysi')

Commanders: Muhammad · Al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar

Mecca

In Sha'ban 6 AH (December 627 CE), the Prophet led an expedition against Banu al-Mustaliq at the watering-place of al-Muraysi' after intelligence revealed their mobilization; following a brief exchange, their forces scattered, their camp was taken, and the Prophet married Juwayriyya bint al-Harith, prompting the Muslims to free a hundred families of her clan.

Abdullah ibn Rawaha's expedition to Khaybar and the killing of al-Yasir ibn Rizam

Commanders: Abd Allah ibn Rawaha · Abdullah ibn Unays

Khaybar

Al-Yasir ibn Rizam, also given as Ibn Razim, was at Khaybar gathering Ghatafan to attack the Prophet, who sent Abdullah ibn Rawaha with a party including Abdullah ibn Unays; they persuaded him that the Prophet would appoint and honour him, and he set out with them with a group of Jews. At al-Qarqara, six miles from Khaybar, he repented; Ibn Unays saw him reaching for the sword, struck him and cut off his leg, al-Yasir hit him on the head with a staff of shawhat wood, and each Muslim killed his Jewish companion except one who fled; the Prophet spat on Ibn Unays's wound and it did not fester.

Zayd ibn Haritha's raid on Banu Fazara and the killing of Umm Qirfa

Commanders: Zayd ibn Haritha

Wadi al-Qura

Zayd ibn Haritha raided Wadi al-Qura and met Banu Fazara; some of his men were hit, he was carried off wounded from among the dead, and Ward ibn Amr ibn Madash was killed, so Zayd swore no water would touch his head from major impurity until he raided Fazara. When he recovered the Prophet sent him with an army; he slaughtered them at Wadi al-Qura, Qays ibn al-Musahhar al-Ya'muri killed Mas'ada ibn Hakama ibn Malik ibn Hudhayfa ibn Badr, and Umm Qirfa, Fatima bint Rabi'a ibn Badr, an old woman married to Malik ibn Hudhayfa, was captured with a daughter and Abdullah ibn Mas'ada. Zayd ordered Qays to kill Umm Qirfa, 'and he killed her violently', and they brought her daughter and Ibn Mas'ada to the Prophet; the daughter fell to Salama ibn al-Akwa', the Prophet asked for her and gave her to his maternal uncle Hazn ibn Abi Wahb. The episode is contested and carries perspectives.

Zayd ibn Haritha's raid on Judham and the Prophet's restitution

Commanders: Zayd ibn Haritha

Harrat al-Rajla'

When Dihya ibn Khalifa al-Kalbi returned from Caesar, al-Hunayd ibn Us and his son of the Dula' of Judham robbed him in the valley of Shinar; men of the Dubayb, Rifa'a ibn Zayd's clan who had converted, recovered his goods. When Dihya complained to the Prophet and asked for al-Hunayd's blood, the Prophet sent Zayd ibn Haritha with an army, which raided from al-Awlaj at al-Maqis, took property and people, killed al-Hunayd and his son and three others, and captured converts among them. A party of the Dubayb with Hassan ibn Milla rode to Zayd, who had Umm al-Kitab recited and proclaimed their quarter inviolable; they then rode to Rifa'a and three nights on to Medina, where the Prophet read his own letter to Rifa'a, asked three times what he should do about the dead, and sent Ali with his sword to Zayd, who restored everything down to a woman's cushion. Ibn Ishaq has it from men of Judham learned in it.

Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf's detachment to Dumat al-Jandal

Commanders: Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf

Dumat al-Jandal

Ibn Ishaq tells it from Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, from a man who asked Abdullah ibn Umar about letting the turban's end hang behind: Ibn Umar was one of ten Companions sitting with the Prophet in his mosque when a young Ansari asked which believers were best and wisest; the Prophet then addressed the Muhajirun with the five afflictions, then ordered Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf to prepare for a detachment, wound a black cotton turban on him with his own hands leaving four fingers hanging behind, handed him the banner and charged him: fight in God's way, do not steal from the spoils, do not break faith, do not mutilate, do not kill a child. Ibn Hisham adds: he set out for Dumat al-Jandal.

Kurz ibn Jabir's detachment against the men of Bajila who killed Yasar

Commanders: Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fihri

Medina

Ibn Hisham tells it from a scholar, from Muhammad ibn Talha, from Uthman ibn Abd al-Rahman: in the raid on Muharib and Banu Tha'laba the Prophet acquired a slave named Yasar and put him in charge of his milch-camels grazing near al-Jamma'; a party of Qays Kubba of Bajila came to Medina, fell sick and their spleens swelled, so the Prophet told them to go out to the camels and drink their milk and urine; when they recovered they attacked Yasar, slaughtered him, drove thorns into his eyes and drove off the camels. The Prophet sent Kurz ibn Jabir after them; he caught them and brought them to the Prophet on his return from the Dhu Qarad raid, and he cut off their hands and feet and put out their eyes.

Zayd ibn Haritha's detachment to Madyan and the captives

Commanders: Zayd ibn Haritha

Madyan

Ibn Hisham tells it from Abdullah ibn Hasan ibn Hasan from his mother Fatima bint al-Husayn: the Prophet sent Zayd ibn Haritha towards Madyan with Dumayra, the client of Ali ibn Abi Talib, and a brother of his; he took captives from the people of Mina', the coasts, who were sold and separated; the Prophet came out as they wept, asked what ailed them, was told they had been separated, and said: sell them only together. Ibn Hisham: he meant mothers and children.

The Conquest of Khaybar

Commanders: Muhammad · Ali ibn Abi Talib

Khaybar

In Muharram 7 AH, May to June 628 CE, the Prophet Muhammad marched on the oasis of Khaybar, about 150 km from Medina. The Muslims besieged its strongholds one after another until the Jewish inhabitants capitulated and agreed to stay on their land and hand over half its produce. The Encyclopaedia of Islam reports the motives given by Caetani, Montgomery Watt and Haykal, each attributed to its author, and notes that Umar revised the arrangement in 20 AH. It locates the event's importance in the pact itself, which set the pattern for relations between Muslims and the non-Muslim peoples they later ruled.

The Expedition of Dhu Qarad (Ghazwat al-Ghaba)

Commanders: Muhammad · Uyayna ibn Hisn al-Fazari

Medina

Shortly before Khaybar in 7 AH, Uyayna ibn Hisn raided the Prophet's milch camels at al-Ghaba; Salama ibn al-Akwa' pursued them alone on foot with stones and arrows, holding off the raiders until the cavalry arrived, recovering the camels.

The Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa'

Commanders: Muhammad

Medina

In the 7th year AH after Khaybar (debated timing), the Prophet led an expedition into Najd against gathering clans of Ghatafan; named from the rags the Muslims wrapped around their injured feet; here Salat al-Khawf (prayer of fear) was performed and the incident of Abbad ibn Bishr praying while struck by arrows occurred.

The Battle of Mu'tah

Commanders: Zayd ibn Haritha · Ja'far ibn Abi Talib

Mu'tah

A Muslim force of three thousand sent north toward the Byzantine frontier met a larger Byzantine-led army at Mu'tah in Jumada I, 8 AH; after its three appointed commanders fell one by one, Khalid ibn al-Walid took command and withdrew the survivors. Ibn Ishaq (via Urwa ibn al-Zubayr) records a tactical withdrawal; Ibn Hisham cites al-Zuhri that God granted them victory.

The Expedition of Dhat al-Salasil

Commanders: Amr ibn al-As

Al-Salsal

In Jumada II 8 AH (October 629 CE), following the Battle of Mu'tah, the Prophet dispatched Amr ibn al-As with 300 men (later reinforced by 200 led by Abu Ubayda) to Dhat al-Salasil on the borders of Syria to win over and neutralize the Quda'a and Bali tribes; Amr demonstrated tactical prudence, routed the gatherings, and established Muslim authority in the northern deserts.

The Demolition of al-Uzza and Major Idols

Commanders: Khalid ibn al-Walid

Mecca

In Ramadan 8 AH immediately following the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet dispatched detachments to obliterate the major pagan sanctuaries of Arabia: Khalid ibn al-Walid destroyed al-Uzza at Nakhla, Amr ibn al-As demolished Suwa' of Hudhayl, and Sa'd ibn Zayd al-Ashhali destroyed Manat at al-Mushallal.

The skirmish of al-Khandama

Commanders: Khalid ibn al-Walid · Suhayl ibn Amr

al-Khandama

A sharp clash on the heights of al-Khandama where armed resisters from Quraysh and Banu Bakr under Safwan ibn Umayya, Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl, and Suhayl ibn Amr attempted to bar Khalid ibn al-Walid's entry; the resistance was quickly routed, leaving twelve to thirteen Meccan fighters dead, while Kurz ibn Jabir, Khunays ibn Khalid, and Salama ibn al-Mayla' fell on the Muslim side.

Ali's expedition to Fals to destroy the idol of Tayy

Commanders: Ali ibn Abi Talib

The Conquest of Mecca (Fath Makka)

Commanders: Muhammad · Khalid ibn al-Walid

Mecca

In Ramadan of 8 AH the Prophet marched on Mecca with about ten thousand men after Quraysh and their allies broke the truce of al-Hudaybiyya, and the city was taken almost without fighting. The idols around the Kaaba were removed and a general amnesty was given to Quraysh: Go, for you are free. He also declared the sanctity of the city on that day. The Encyclopaedia of Islam, an academic reference, dates the departure to December 629 and says the Kaaba became a centre of Islamic worship while the pilgrimage was kept as an Islamic rite.

The expedition to Awtas

Commanders: Abu Amir al-Ash'ari · Durayd ibn al-Simma

Awtas

A detachment sent by the Prophet under Abu Amir al-Ash'ari in pursuit of the routed Hawazin remnants encamped at Awtas; Abu Amir was struck by an arrow and martyred after routing nine enemy champions, whereupon Abu Musa al-Ash'ari took the banner and secured victory.

The siege of Ta'if

Commanders: Muhammad

Ta'if

After Hunayn, the Muslims besieged the fortified town of Ta'if, home of the Thaqif; the siege was lifted without taking it, and the Thaqif accepted Islam the next year.

The Bakr–Khuza'a clash at al-Watir

Commanders: Nawfal ibn Mu'awiya al-Dili

al-Watir

A night raid by Banu al-Dil of Banu Bakr — secretly armed and joined by men of Quraysh — on Khuza'a at their watering place al-Watir in lower Mecca. The breach of the Hudaybiyya truce it caused is the spark the tradition gives for the conquest of Mecca.

Ghalib ibn Abdullah al-Laythi's raid on Banu al-Mulawwah at al-Kudayd

Commanders: Ghalib ibn Abdullah al-Laythi

al-Kudayd

The Prophet sent Ghalib ibn Abdullah al-Laythi with a detachment to raid Banu al-Mulawwah at al-Kudayd; Jundab ibn Makith al-Juhani, who was in it, tells it: at Qudayd they seized al-Harith ibn Malik ibn al-Barsa' al-Laythi, who claimed he was going to embrace Islam, and bound him; Jundab served as lookout on a hill and a man of the camp shot him with two arrows, but he kept still; before dawn they raided, killed and drove off the herds, and when the pursuers reached Wadi Qudayd God sent a flood without a cloud that cut them off. The Muslims' watchword that night was 'amit, amit'.

Ghalib ibn Abdullah's raid on the land of Banu Murra and the killing of Mirdas ibn Nahik

Commanders: Ghalib ibn Abdullah al-Laythi

Ghalib ibn Abdullah al-Kalbi al-Laythi's detachment to the land of Banu Murra; Mirdas ibn Nahik, an ally of theirs from al-Huraqa of Juhayna, was killed there by Usama ibn Zayd and a man of the Ansar after he had said 'I testify there is no god but God'. When they told the Prophet, he said to Usama: 'Who will answer for la ilaha illa Allah on your behalf?' and kept repeating it until Usama wished his Islam had begun that very day and that he had not killed him, and vowed never again to kill a man who said it.

Ibn Abi Hadrad's raid on al-Ghaba and the killing of Rifa'a ibn Qays al-Jushami

Commanders: Abdullah ibn Abi Hadrad al-Aslami

Al-Ghaba

The Prophet sent Abdullah ibn Abi Hadrad with two men to Rifa'a ibn Qays al-Jushami, who had camped at al-Ghaba with a large clan of Jusham meaning to gather Qays against the Prophet, to bring back news of him; they lay in ambush, Rifa'a went out alone after his shepherd and Ibn Abi Hadrad shot him through the heart and cut off his head; they shouted the takbir, the camp fled, and they drove off camels and sheep. The Prophet gave Ibn Abi Hadrad thirteen camels towards his dowry of two hundred dirhams.

Ibn Abi Hadrad's raid on Batn Idam and the killing of Amir ibn al-Adbat

Commanders: Abdullah ibn Abi Hadrad al-Aslami · Amir ibn al-Adbat al-Ashja'i

Idam

A detachment the Prophet sent before the conquest of Mecca to Idam, with Abu Qatada and Muhallim ibn Jaththama among its men; Amir ibn al-Adbat al-Ashja'i passed them and gave the greeting of Islam, but Muhallim attacked and killed him over an old grudge and took his camel and goods; Ibn Abi Hadrad says Qur'an 4:94 was revealed about them. At Hunayn Uyayna ibn Hisn and al-Aqra' ibn Habis disputed the blood before the Prophet until blood-money was accepted, and the Prophet prayed three times: 'O God, do not forgive Muhallim'.

Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah's detachment to the sea coast (the Khabat raid)

Commanders: Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah

A detachment the Prophet sent to the sea coast under Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, provisioned with a single bag of dates; Ubada ibn al-Samit tells it: Abu Ubayda rationed the dates until each man received one a day, and when hunger wore them down God brought out for them a sea creature on whose flesh and fat they lived twenty nights until they grew fat; the commander propped up one of its ribs and the tallest man on the biggest camel passed beneath it. When they asked the Prophet about having eaten it he said: a provision God provided you.

The Battle of Hunayn

Commanders: Muhammad · Malik ibn Awf al-Nasri

Wadi Hunayn

A battle in a valley near Mecca against the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif, shortly after the conquest of Mecca. The Muslims were ambushed in the valley's gorges and fell back at first; the Prophet stood firm and they rallied, as the sira tradition records. The Encyclopaedia of Islam puts the Muslim force at twelve thousand and the Muslim dead at about twelve, and notes that the accounts of the battle differ by school.

Uyayna ibn Hisn's raid on Banu Tamim

Commanders: Uyayna ibn Hisn al-Fazari

Medina

In Muharram 9 AH the Prophet sent Uyayna ibn Hisn al-Fazari with fifty horsemen — none Muhajirun or Ansar — against Banu Tamim, who had been inciting tribes and withholding jizya; he surprised them in the desert and took eleven men, twenty-one women and thirty children to Medina, where ten of their chiefs came for the famous oratory and poetry contest; al-Aqra' ibn Habis declared the Muslims' orator and poet superior, they accepted Islam, and their families were returned.

Qutba ibn Amir's raid on Khath'am

Commanders: Qutba ibn Amir ibn Hadida

In Safar 9 AH the Prophet sent Qutba ibn Amir ibn Hadida with twenty men on ten camels they shared in turns against a clan of Khath'am near Tabala in the Turba region; the raid met hard fighting with many wounded on both sides, and the Muslims drove cattle, captives and sheep back to Medina.

Ali's expedition to destroy al-Fuls, the idol of Tayy'

Commanders: Ali ibn Abi Talib

In Rabi' al-Awwal 9 AH the Prophet sent Ali ibn Abi Talib with one hundred and fifty men — a hundred camels and fifty horses, a black banner and a white standard — to demolish al-Fuls, the idol-temple of Tayy'; they raided Hatim's quarter at dawn, demolished it, and took captives among them Adi ibn Hatim's sister, whose appeal to the Prophet led to her release and to Adi's coming from Syria and accepting Islam.

al-Dahhak ibn Sufyan's expedition to Banu Kilab

Commanders: al-Dahhak ibn Sufyan al-Kilabi

In Rabi' al-Awwal 9 AH the Prophet sent al-Dahhak ibn Sufyan al-Kilabi to his own people Banu Kilab to invite them to Islam; they refused and fought, and the Muslims routed them and killed one man.

Alqama ibn Mujazziz's expedition to the Jeddah coast

Commanders: Alqama ibn Mujazziz al-Mudliji

Jeddah

In Rabi' al-Akhir 9 AH the Prophet sent Alqama ibn Mujazziz al-Mudliji with three hundred men against a band of Abyssinians gathered near the Jeddah coast for piracy against the people of Mecca; he crossed the sea to an island, and they fled when they heard of the Muslims' approach.

Surad ibn Abdullah's campaign against Jurash and the conversion of its people

Commanders: Surad ibn Abdullah al-Azdi

Jurash

Surad marched at the Prophet's order to Jurash, a walled town sheltering Yemeni tribes and Khath'am, besieged it for about a month and withdrew; when at the mountain of Shakar its people pursued him thinking him beaten, he turned and slaughtered them. Jurash had sent two men to the Prophet, who told them after the afternoon prayer that God's sacrificial camels were being slaughtered at Shakar at that moment, then prayed at their request that it be lifted; they found their people struck that very day and hour. The delegation of Jurash then came and embraced Islam, and the Prophet set a protected reserve around their village for the horse, the mount and the plough-ox.

Ali ibn Abi Talib's expeditions to Yemen (twice)

Commanders: Ali ibn Abi Talib

Yemen

Ibn Ishaq says in his enumeration of detachments: and Ali ibn Abi Talib's expedition to Yemen, which he made twice; Ibn Hisham adds from Abu Amr al-Madani that the Prophet sent Ali to Yemen and Khalid ibn al-Walid with another force, saying: if you meet, Ali is the commander. Ibn Hisham notes that Ibn Ishaq mentioned Khalid's dispatch in his narrative but not in his count, so the number should be thirty-nine.

The expedition of Usama ibn Zayd

Commanders: Usama ibn Zayd

Medina

In Safar 11 AH the Prophet equipped a great army under the young Usama ibn Zayd to strike the Byzantine marches of al-Balqa' and al-Darum in Palestine — answering the empire's killing of Muslim converts; the troops camped at al-Jurf until the Prophet's illness delayed them, and the campaign was carried out under Abu Bakr.