Expedition of Nakhla

In Rajab 2 AH (January 624 CE) the Prophet sent Abdullah ibn Jahsh al-Asadi with twelve men of the Muhajirun, each pair taking turns on one camel; he wrote him a letter ordering him not to read it until he had travelled two days, then carry out its command and compel none of his companions. ¹

Abdullah read the letter after two days and found in it: "when you have read this letter of mine, go on until you halt at Nakhla between Mecca and al-Ta'if; lie in wait there for the caravan of Quraysh and learn their news for us" — he told his companions and they all set off. ¹

On the way Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Utba ibn Ghazwan lost the camel they had been sharing and stayed behind seeking it, while the rest of the company went on until they halted at Nakhla. ^{1 2}

A Quraysh caravan passed carrying raisins, hides and trade goods, guarded by Amr ibn al-Hadrami, Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn al-Mughira, his brother Nawfal, and al-Hakam ibn Kaysan. ¹

The Muslims took counsel — it was the last day of Rajab, the sacred month — and saw that if they left them that night they would enter the sanctuary; so Waqid ibn Abdullah al-Tamimi shot them with an arrow and killed Amr ibn al-Hadrami. They captured Uthman and al-Hakam, Nawfal escaped, and they brought the caravan and the two captives into Medina, setting aside the fifth of the spoil — the first fifth in Islam. ^{1 3}

The Prophet denounced the killing of Ibn al-Hadrami in the sacred month and said: "I did not command you to fight in the sacred month," and withheld action on the caravan and the two captives; the polytheists raised an outcry accusing the Muslims of violating the sanctities. ¹

Then revelation came down settling it with al-Baqara 217; the Prophet took charge of the caravan and the captives, then released the two for ransom and paid the slain man's blood-money. ⁴