Expedition of Al-Abwa (2 A.H.)

Date:12th Safar; 2 A.H.Purpose:Peace pact with Banu Dhamra; Intercept Quraysh caravanCommander:Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanions:60 MuhajireenOutcome:Caravan missed; Pact with Banu Dhamra signedSignificance:First expedition led by Prophet ﷺ; Secured alliances

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(Mufti. Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani)

On the 12th of Safar 2 A.H., ¹ the Holy Prophet formed a battalion of 60 companions that only consisted of the Muhajireen and made their way towards Abwa. The purpose of this expedition was to sign an agreement with the tribe of Banu Dhamra (ضمرہ) and to raid the trade caravan of the Quraysh. The flag of this battalion, which was white in color, was given to Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib . ² Saad ibn Ubadah was left in charge of Madinah in the Holy Prophet’s absence. ³ The journey from Madinah to Abwa took about 15 days. ⁴ The Muslim contingent missed the caravan, and no interception or battle took place, ⁵ but an agreement was signed with the Banu Dhamra (بنوضمره) tribe. ⁶

Background of Expedition Al-Abwa

When the Muslims were residing in Makkah, they were severely persecuted by the polytheists and were repeatedly told to renounce Islam and revert to polytheism. When these victims of torture sought the Holy Prophet’s permission to fight back, he disallowed them and asked them to be patient, as Allah Almighty had not permitted them to fight back, yet. ⁷

After the migration of the Holy Prophet and his companions, Yathrib was renamed as Madinah and the first Islamic state was established. ⁸ It was a place where the Muslims could live in peace and harmony, without any fear of being persecuted by the Quraysh or any other non-believer. This development made the people of Quraysh extremely uneasy. Thus, they looked for every opportunity which could harm the Muslims or their interests. ⁹ In response, the Muslims were aided by Allah Almighty and were permitted to fight and reply to any attack by the non-Muslims. ¹⁰ As the Holy Quran states:

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ 39¹¹

Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them.

This is the first verse that was revealed about fighting the non-believers of Makkah. ¹² After the revelation of this verse, other verses were revealed which further explained the concept and duties of Jihad (holy war) for the Muslims. ¹³ Thus, in order to tame the polytheists of Quraysh, the Holy Prophet started sending armed missions for raiding the commercial caravans of the Quraysh. ¹⁴

Significance of Attacking the Makkan Caravans

The city of Makkah was a barren land and relied heavily on its trade activities for survival and economic stability. However, not everyone was allowed to trade with other nations. The rights of doing trade were completely reserved for the tribe of Quraysh. Hence, all the trade caravans that would leave Makkah for trade would be under the leadership and control of the Quraysh. ¹⁵¹⁶ During the summer season, the Makkans would conduct trade with the people of Syria while in winters, they would conduct trade with the people of Yemen. ¹⁷ They were able to conduct these trade journeys safely as they were the inhabitants of Makkah, which was a holy city, thus no tribe dared to attack the dwellers of the inviolable city. ¹⁸ Thus, if these trade caravans of the Quraysh were attacked, the survival of the Makkans would be put at stake, which could lead the Quraysh into a defensive mode.

The Plan to Intercept the Caravan at Al-Abwa

When the Muslim contingent reached Abwa, the Holy Prophet met Makshi ibn Amar (مخشی ابن عمرو), the leader of the Banu Dhamra tribe and signed an agreement of peace and alliance with him. ¹⁹²⁰ The contents of that agreement were as follows:

بسم اللّٰه الرحمن الرحيم، هذا الكتاب من محمد رسول اللّٰه لبني ضمرة بأنهم آمنون على أموالهم وأنفسهم، وأن لهم النصرة على من رامهم» أي قصدهم «ألا أن يحاربوا في دين اللّٰه، ما بل بحرصوفة» أي ما بقي فيه ما يبل الصوفة «وأن النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم إذا دعاهم لنصره أجابوه عليهم، بذلك ذمة اللّٰه وذمة رسوله» أي أمانهما انتهى. ²¹

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. This is a letter from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Banu Damra. (It states that:) The wealth and the lives of the Banu Damra tribe are safe (from the Muslims). They will be aided against those who intend (to harm) them. They will not go against the religion of Allah (i.e. Islam) as long as there is enough water left in the ocean to wet a piece of wool. And when the Prophet calls them to help the Muslims, they shall answer the call (positively). In exchange for that, they shall be under the protection of Allah and his Messenger.

The agreement was signed by Prophet Muhammad and the leader of the Banu Dhamra tribe. Different names have been mentioned for the leader of the Banu Dhamra tribe, such as: Majdi ibn Amar, Majshi ibn Amar ²² and thirdly Makhshi ibn Amar. However, Makhshi ibn Amar is mentioned in most of the authentic texts and many of the scholars have referred to this name. ^23242526 After this agreement was inked between the Holy Prophet and the Banu Dhamra tribe, the Muslim army returned to Madinah.

• ¹  Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 405.
• ²  Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Baqi ibn Yusuf Al-Zurqani (2012), Sharah Al-Zurqani ‘Ala Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 230.
• ³  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr ibn Qayyam Al-Jawzi (2005), Zaad Al-Ma’ad, Muassasah Al-Risala, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 148.
• ⁴  Ahmed ibn Yahya ibn Jabir ibn Dawood Al-Baladhuri (1996), Jumal Min Ansab Al-Ashraf, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 287
• ⁵  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar Al-Waqidi (2004), Al-Maghazi, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 24
• ⁶  Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (2013), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 173.
• ⁷  Abu Al-Qasim Mahmood ibn Amr Jarullah Al-Zamakhshari (1407 A.H.), Al-Kashaaf ‘An Haqaiq Ghawamid Al-Tanzeel, Dar Al-Kitab Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 160.
• ⁸  Malik ibn Anas Al-Madani (2004), Al-Muwatta, Muassasah Zaid ibn Sultan Al-Nahyan lil Aamal Al-Khairiya wa Al-Insaniya, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Vol. 1, Pg. 9.
• ⁹  Safi Al-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri (2010), Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 216.
• ¹⁰  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad Shams Al-Qurtabi (1964), Al-Jam’e li Ahkam Al-Quran, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Misriya, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 12, Pg. 68.
• ¹¹  Holy Quran, Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) 22: 39
• ¹²  Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (1999), Tafseer Quran Al-Azeem, Dar Tayba lil Nashr wal-Tawzi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 4, Pg. 30.
• ¹³  Safi Al-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri (2010), Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 216.
• ¹⁴  Ibid.
• ¹⁵  Syed Mahmood Shikri Al-Aaloosi (2012), Buloogh Al-Arab Fi M’arifati Ahwal Al-Arab, Maktaba Ibn Taymiyyah lil Nashr wal-Tawzi, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 3, Pg. 385.
• ¹⁶  Abu Muhammad Al-Husain ibn Masood Al-Baghawi (1420 A.H.), Tafseer Al-Baghawi, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 5, Pg. 310.
• ¹⁷  Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar Fakhar Al-Din Al-Razi (1420 A.H.), Mafateeh Al-Ghaib, Dar Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 32, Pg. 297.
• ¹⁸  Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee (2005), The Noble Life of the Prophet ﷺ (Translated by Faisal Shafeeq), Dar Al-Salam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 1, Pg. 41.
• ¹⁹  Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 406.
• ²⁰  Husain ibn Muhammad Al-Diyar Bakri (2009), Tareekh Al-Khamees fi Ahwal Anfus Nafees, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 78.
• ²¹  Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (2013), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 174.
• ²²  Husain ibn Muhammad Al-Diyar Bakri (2009), Tareekh Al-Khamees fi Ahwal Anfus Nafees, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 78.
• ²³  Abu Bakr Ahmed ibn Al-Husain Al-Bayhaqui (2008), Dalail Al-Nabuwah wa M’arifat Ahwal Sahib Al-Shariyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 10.
• ²⁴  Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Baqi ibn Yusuf Al-Zurqani (2012), Sharah Al-Zurqani ‘Ala Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 230.
• ²⁵  Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 406.
• ²⁶  Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2009), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 30.