In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
*The Abridged Prophetic Biography (Seerah)*,
authored by Sheikh Musa ibn Rashid al-'Azimi,
may Allah preserve him.
The Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa',
also known as the Expedition of Najd.
There are different views regarding the date of this expedition, as follows:
The majority of the scholars of military expeditions (*maghazi*) maintained
that it took place before the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq),
in the fourth year of the Hijrah,
and people transmitted this from them.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir said:
"Dhat al-Riqa' took place before al-Khandaq according to the majority of scholars of biography and military expeditions."
Among those who explicitly stated this were
Muhammad ibn Ishaq,
Musa ibn 'Uqbah,
al-Waqidi,
Muhammad ibn Sa'd, his scribe,
Khalifah ibn Khayyat, and others.
However, Imam al-Bukhari in his *Sahih*,
al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir,
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim,
and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar maintained
that it took place after the Battle of Khaybar,
which is the correct view.
The cause of this expedition:
News reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
that Banu Muharib and Banu Tha'labah from Ghatafan
had gathered massive forces to fight him.
The Prophet's departure to confront them:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) marched out against them with four hundred men,
and it was also said seven hundred.
He appointed 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) in charge of Medina in his absence,
and it was also said
that he appointed Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him).
He advanced until he reached their encampments,
where he encountered a large gathering of Ghatafan,
but no fighting took place between them,
and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led his Companions in the fear prayer (*Salat al-Khawf*).
In the narration of Ibn Sa'd in his *Tabaqat*:
He found no one in their settlements except women,
whom he took captive, and among them was a beautiful young woman,
while the Bedouins fled to the mountain peaks.
The Prophet's return to Medina,
and events that occurred along the way:
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned with his army to the Prophet's City, Medina,
without encountering any hostile plot.
On their way back to Medina, several events occurred, including:
The story of Ghawrath ibn al-Harith and the fear prayer.
The two Shaykhs [al-Bukhari and Muslim] narrated in their *Sahih*s
from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said
that he took part in an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) toward Najd.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned, he returned with him.
The midday heat overtook them in a valley with many thorny trees,
so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) dismounted,
and the people dispersed, seeking shade under the trees.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) settled beneath a tree,
hung his sword upon it, and we all took a nap.
Suddenly, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was calling us,
and there was a Bedouin with him.
He said: "This man unsheathed my sword against me while I was asleep,
so I awoke while it was drawn in his hand.
He said: 'Who will protect you from me?'
I said: 'Allah,' three times." And he did not punish him.
The two Shaykhs added in their *Sahih*s,
in another narration from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):
"And the prayer was called,
so he led one group in two rak'ahs, then they stepped back,
and he led the other group in two rak'ahs.
Thus the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed four rak'ahs,
while the people prayed two."
Imam Ahmad in his *Musnad* and al-Hakim in his *Mustadrak* narrated with an authentic chain of transmission
from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) fought
Muharib Khasafah at Nakhl.
They noticed a moment of inattention among the Muslims,
so a man from among them, called Ghawrath ibn al-Harith, came
until he stood over the head of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with a sword.
He said: 'Who will protect you from me?'
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
'Allah.'
He said: 'So the sword dropped from his hand,
and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took the sword and said:
'Who will protect you?'
He said:
'Be the best captor.'
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
'Do you bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,
and that I am the Messenger of Allah?'
The Bedouin said:
'I promise you that I will not fight you,
nor will I join any people who fight you.'
He said:
'So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) let him go,
and he went to his people and said:
"I have come to you from the best of mankind."'
When the time for prayer arrived,
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led the fear prayer.
The people were divided into two groups:
one group facing the enemy,
and another group praying with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
He led the group that was with him in two rak'ahs,
then they turned away and took the place of those facing the enemy,
and the others came, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led them in two rak'ahs.
So the people prayed two rak'ahs each,
while the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed four rak'ahs."
Al-Hafiz [Ibn Hajar] said in *Fath al-Bari*:
"In this hadith, there is evidence of
the extraordinary courage of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
the strength of his certainty,
his patience in enduring harm,
and his forbearance toward the ignorant."
'Abbad ibn Bishr (may Allah be pleased with him)
and Surah al-Kahf:
Imam Ahmad narrated in his *Musnad* and Abu Dawud in his *Sunan* with a weak chain of transmission,
though it has corroborating reports that strengthen it and elevate it to the level of good (*hasan*),
from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"We set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa'.
A woman from among the polytheists was struck.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) turned back to return,
her husband arrived, having been absent,
and swore that he would not rest until he had shed blood among the Companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
So he set out following the Prophet's tracks.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) halted at a campsite
and said: 'Who will guard us tonight?'
A man from the Emigrants (*Muhajirun*) and a man from the Ansar stepped forward
and said: 'We will, O Messenger of Allah.'
He said: 'Guard the mouth of the mountain pass.'
He said: And they had camped at the mouth of a valley's ravine.
When the two men went out to the mouth of the pass,
the Ansari said to the Muhajir:
'Which part of the night would you prefer me to watch for you:
the first part or the last part?'
He said: 'Watch the first part for me.'
So the Muhajir lay down and slept,
while the Ansari stood up in prayer.
Then the enemy man arrived,
and when he saw the figure of the man,
he recognized that he was the sentinel of the camp.
He shot an arrow at him and struck him.
The Ansari pulled it out, set it aside, and remained standing firm.
Then he shot another arrow at him and struck him,
so he pulled it out, set it aside, and remained standing firm.
Then he shot a third arrow at him,
striking him once more,
so he pulled it out and set it aside.
Then he bowed, prostrated,
and awakened his companion,
saying: 'Sit up, for I have been wounded!'
So he leaped up,
and when the enemy saw both of them,
he realized they had been alerted to him, so he fled.
When the Muhajir saw the Ansari drenched in blood,
he exclaimed: 'Glory be to Allah!
Why didn't you wake me?'
He replied: 'I was reciting a Surah,
and I did not wish to interrupt it until I had completed it.
But when the shooting continued relentlessly,
I bowed and alerted you.
By Allah!
Were it not for the fear of compromising an outpost the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered me to guard,
my breath would have been cut off before I ever interrupted or left it incomplete.'"
*The Abridged Prophetic Biography (Seerah)*.
Though the longing of people for one another may endure,
longing for you exceeds all bounds.
May Allah send blessings upon you as long as the call to prayer is raised,
and as long as the words of everlasting remembrance
move across lips.