Part of A summary of the Prophet’s biography (the series is complete)
· Lesson 142 of 182
Summary of the Prophet’s biography | Episode (165) | The Battle of Dhat Al-Riqa' or the Battle of Najd
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
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*The Abridged Prophetic Biography (Seerah)*,
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authored by Sheikh Musa ibn Rashid al-'Azimi,
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may Allah preserve him.
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The Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa',
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also known as the Expedition of Najd.
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There are different views regarding the date of this expedition, as follows:
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The majority of the scholars of military expeditions (*maghazi*) maintained
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that it took place before the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq),
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in the fourth year of the Hijrah,
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and people transmitted this from them.
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Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir said:
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"Dhat al-Riqa' took place before al-Khandaq according to the majority of scholars of biography and military expeditions."
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Among those who explicitly stated this were
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Muhammad ibn Ishaq,
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Musa ibn 'Uqbah,
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al-Waqidi,
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Muhammad ibn Sa'd, his scribe,
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Khalifah ibn Khayyat, and others.
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However, Imam al-Bukhari in his *Sahih*,
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al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir,
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Imam Ibn al-Qayyim,
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and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar maintained
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that it took place after the Battle of Khaybar,
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which is the correct view.
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The cause of this expedition:
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News reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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that Banu Muharib and Banu Tha'labah from Ghatafan
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had gathered massive forces to fight him.
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The Prophet's departure to confront them:
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) marched out against them with four hundred men,
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and it was also said seven hundred.
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He appointed 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) in charge of Medina in his absence,
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and it was also said
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that he appointed Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him).
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He advanced until he reached their encampments,
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where he encountered a large gathering of Ghatafan,
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but no fighting took place between them,
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and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led his Companions in the fear prayer (*Salat al-Khawf*).
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In the narration of Ibn Sa'd in his *Tabaqat*:
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He found no one in their settlements except women,
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whom he took captive, and among them was a beautiful young woman,
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while the Bedouins fled to the mountain peaks.
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The Prophet's return to Medina,
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and events that occurred along the way:
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Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned with his army to the Prophet's City, Medina,
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without encountering any hostile plot.
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On their way back to Medina, several events occurred, including:
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The story of Ghawrath ibn al-Harith and the fear prayer.
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The two Shaykhs [al-Bukhari and Muslim] narrated in their *Sahih*s
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from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said
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that he took part in an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) toward Najd.
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When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned, he returned with him.
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The midday heat overtook them in a valley with many thorny trees,
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so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) dismounted,
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and the people dispersed, seeking shade under the trees.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) settled beneath a tree,
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hung his sword upon it, and we all took a nap.
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Suddenly, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was calling us,
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and there was a Bedouin with him.
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He said: "This man unsheathed my sword against me while I was asleep,
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so I awoke while it was drawn in his hand.
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He said: 'Who will protect you from me?'
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I said: 'Allah,' three times." And he did not punish him.
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The two Shaykhs added in their *Sahih*s,
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in another narration from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):
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"And the prayer was called,
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so he led one group in two rak'ahs, then they stepped back,
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and he led the other group in two rak'ahs.
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Thus the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed four rak'ahs,
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while the people prayed two."
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Imam Ahmad in his *Musnad* and al-Hakim in his *Mustadrak* narrated with an authentic chain of transmission
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from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
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"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) fought
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Muharib Khasafah at Nakhl.
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They noticed a moment of inattention among the Muslims,
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so a man from among them, called Ghawrath ibn al-Harith, came
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until he stood over the head of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with a sword.
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He said: 'Who will protect you from me?'
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
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'Allah.'
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He said: 'So the sword dropped from his hand,
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and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took the sword and said:
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'Who will protect you?'
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He said:
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'Be the best captor.'
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
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'Do you bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,
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and that I am the Messenger of Allah?'
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The Bedouin said:
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'I promise you that I will not fight you,
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nor will I join any people who fight you.'
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He said:
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'So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) let him go,
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and he went to his people and said:
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"I have come to you from the best of mankind."'
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When the time for prayer arrived,
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the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led the fear prayer.
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The people were divided into two groups:
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one group facing the enemy,
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and another group praying with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
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He led the group that was with him in two rak'ahs,
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then they turned away and took the place of those facing the enemy,
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and the others came, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led them in two rak'ahs.
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So the people prayed two rak'ahs each,
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while the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed four rak'ahs."
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Al-Hafiz [Ibn Hajar] said in *Fath al-Bari*:
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"In this hadith, there is evidence of
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the extraordinary courage of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
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the strength of his certainty,
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his patience in enduring harm,
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and his forbearance toward the ignorant."
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'Abbad ibn Bishr (may Allah be pleased with him)
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and Surah al-Kahf:
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Imam Ahmad narrated in his *Musnad* and Abu Dawud in his *Sunan* with a weak chain of transmission,
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though it has corroborating reports that strengthen it and elevate it to the level of good (*hasan*),
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from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
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"We set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa'.
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A woman from among the polytheists was struck.
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When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) turned back to return,
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her husband arrived, having been absent,
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and swore that he would not rest until he had shed blood among the Companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
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So he set out following the Prophet's tracks.
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) halted at a campsite
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and said: 'Who will guard us tonight?'
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A man from the Emigrants (*Muhajirun*) and a man from the Ansar stepped forward
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and said: 'We will, O Messenger of Allah.'
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He said: 'Guard the mouth of the mountain pass.'
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He said: And they had camped at the mouth of a valley's ravine.
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When the two men went out to the mouth of the pass,
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the Ansari said to the Muhajir:
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'Which part of the night would you prefer me to watch for you:
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the first part or the last part?'
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He said: 'Watch the first part for me.'
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So the Muhajir lay down and slept,
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while the Ansari stood up in prayer.
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Then the enemy man arrived,
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and when he saw the figure of the man,
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he recognized that he was the sentinel of the camp.
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He shot an arrow at him and struck him.
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The Ansari pulled it out, set it aside, and remained standing firm.
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Then he shot another arrow at him and struck him,
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so he pulled it out, set it aside, and remained standing firm.
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Then he shot a third arrow at him,
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striking him once more,
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so he pulled it out and set it aside.
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Then he bowed, prostrated,
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and awakened his companion,
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saying: 'Sit up, for I have been wounded!'
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So he leaped up,
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and when the enemy saw both of them,
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he realized they had been alerted to him, so he fled.
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When the Muhajir saw the Ansari drenched in blood,
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he exclaimed: 'Glory be to Allah!
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Why didn't you wake me?'
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He replied: 'I was reciting a Surah,
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and I did not wish to interrupt it until I had completed it.
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But when the shooting continued relentlessly,
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I bowed and alerted you.
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By Allah!
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Were it not for the fear of compromising an outpost the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered me to guard,
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my breath would have been cut off before I ever interrupted or left it incomplete.'"
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*The Abridged Prophetic Biography (Seerah)*.
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Though the longing of people for one another may endure,
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longing for you exceeds all bounds.
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May Allah send blessings upon you as long as the call to prayer is raised,
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and as long as the words of everlasting remembrance
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move across lips.