The Caravan raids refer to a series of raids which Muhammad and his companions participated in. Most were offensive and carried out at a time of peace to gather intelligence, and some to seize the goods of enemy tribes. Skirmish and ambush tactics were used.^[1]

Many critics of Islam claim that these raids were actually highway robberies and terrorist attacks carried out by Muhammad, as revenge for the Quraysh confiscating his goods in Mecca. This is due to the nature of the raids, since civilian non-combatants were killed and their goods captured. ^[2] Muhammad is also reported to have taken prisoners for ransom.^[2]

However, Muslim scholars have different views claiming that the caravan raids were justified because Muslims were being threatened and the Quraysh were building up their arsenal of weapons.^[3]. Muhammad justified the raids because he claimed God gave him permission to "fight back". Muslim scholars say Muslims were persecuted, so fighting and raiding caravans was permissible.^[4][5][6]

Background

Persecution and Poverty

After Muhammad had migrated to Medina in 622, the Quraish confiscated the belongings they had left behind.

Muhammad's followers suffered from poverty, and beginning in January 623 some of them resorted to the tradition of raiding the caravans that traveled along the eastern coast of the Red Sea from Mecca to Syria.

Communal life was essential for survival in desert conditions, as people needed support against the harsh environment and lifestyle. The tribal grouping was thus encouraged by the need to act as a unit. This unity was based on the bond of kinship by blood.^[7] People of Arabia were either nomadic or sedentary, the former constantly traveling from one place to another seeking water and pasture for their flocks, while the latter settled and focused on trade and agriculture. The survival of nomads (or bedouins) was also partially dependent on raiding caravans or oases; thus they saw this as no crime.^[8][9]

Call for Jihad

According to the tafsir of Ibn Kathir , Muhammad is reported to have said, before these raids or while taking part in these raids:

Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."

^{[Quran 2:216]}

^[10]

It is reported that he also said:

One who died but did not fight in the way of Allah nor did he express any desire (or determination) for Jihid died the death of a hypocrite.Sahih MuslimTemplate:Sahih Muslim

^[10][11]

From this reason the followers of Muhammad took part in the raids.

However, Muslims scholars believe that these raids were just because Muslims were driven out of Mecca.

Raid on Quraysh caravans

The first raid was a Sairya(battles which Muhammad ordered) led Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (Muhammad's uncle) seven to nine months after the Hijrah. A party of thirty to forty men assembled at the seacoast near al-Is, between Mecca and Medina, where Abu Jahl ibn Hashim, the leader of the caravan was camping with three hundred Meccan riders.

Hamza met Abu Jahl there with a view to attack the caravan, but Majdi b. Amr al-Juhani, a Quraysh who was friendly to both the parties intervened between them; so, both parties separated without fighting.

This very first Sairya of Muhammad in war and plunder was not a success. Hamza returned to Medina and Abu Jahl proceeded towards Mecca.

This raid failed as the Muslims were unable to handle such a large force, since at this point they only had a few fighters and were weak. ^{[12] [13]}

Raid on Meccan caravans, Buwat 1

Summary

The 2nd raid was a Sairya(battles which the prophet ordered) in which Ubaydah ibn al-Harith(cousin of the prophet) was the Commander.

This raid took place nine months after the Hijrah, a few weeks after the first raid at al-Is.

About a month after Hamzah's unsuccessful bid to plunder, Muhammad entrusted a party of sixty (or eighty) Mujahideen led by Ubaydah b. al-Harith (a cousin of him) to conduct another operation at a Quraysh caravan that was returning from Syria and protected by two hundred armed men. The leader of this caravan was either Abu Sufyan ibn Harb.

The Muslim party went as far as Thanyatul-Murra, a watering place in Hejaz. No fighting took place, as the Quraysh were quite far from the place where Muslims were in the offing to attack the caravan. Nevertheless, Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas an ardent Jihadist, shot an arrow at the Quraysh.

This was the 'first arrow of Islam.' The arrows thrown at them by the Medina party surprised the Quraysh. It was completely an unprovoked attack on the Quraysh that sent the strong message to them about what they could expect next.

However, no fighting took place and the Muslims returned empty-handed. It is believed that Ubaydah was the first to carry the banner of Islam; others say Hamzah was the first to carry the first banner. ^[12][13]

First arrow of Islam (hadith)

Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas was one of the ten companions of the Prophet Muhammad who was promised paradise.

One of the hadith regarding this raid was narrated by Qais:

I heard Sad saying, "I was the first amongst the 'Arabs who shot an arrow for Allah's Cause. We used to fight along with the Prophets, while we had nothing to eat except the leaves of trees so that one's excrete would look like the excrete balls of camel or a sheep, containing nothing to mix them together. Today Banu Asad (Shia Islam) tribe blame me for not having understood Islam. I would be a loser if my deeds were in vain." .

Qais says:

Those people (Shia muslims) complained about Saad, to 'Umar, claiming that he did not offer his prayers perfectly

Raid on Meccan Caravans, Kharar

The very brave act of Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas, to shoot arrows at the Quraysh greatly impressed Muhammad, who gave him another order to take part in the 3rd Raid. During this time, Sa'd had been between twenty to twenty-five years old. All of them were from the Muhajirs (immigrants).

So, one month later, the third operation took place under the leadership of a youthful Sa'd. Sa'd, with his soldiers set up an ambush in the valley of Kharrar on the road to Mecca and waited to raid a returning Meccan caravan from Syria.

They planned a surprise attack. Nonetheless, to their utter frustration, they learnt that the 'booty' (the Meccan caravan) had already eluded them, just one day before they arrived at the place of plunder. The Muslims returned to Medina without a fight.

^[12][13]

Battle of Waddan, Caravan Raids

Summary

The Battle of Waddan or Battle of Abwa was the first battle involving Muslim forces and the Prophet Muhammad, The caravan raids took place from 623 to 624 which lead to the Battle of Badr. These battles were called Ghazawat. Most of the battles which took place in Waddan Abwa were small skirmishes, and sometimes arrows were only fired and no casualties took place. They were mainly just a prelude to a bigger war.

After Muhammad had migrated to Medina in 622, the Quraish confiscated the belongings they had left behind. From Medina, the Muslims attacked several of the Quraish's caravans coming from Syria to Mecca.

In 624, Abu Sufyan was the leader of such a caravan and as a Muslim force moved to intercept him, he called for help from the Quraish. This resulted in the Battle of Badr, which ended in a Muslim victory.

Abu Sufyan however managed to bring his caravan home to Mecca. The death of most Quraish leaders in the battle left him the leader of Mecca.

However, unable to intercept this caravan, they raided the Caravan of Banu Dharma instead, resulting in a peace treaty, effectively making them allies who promised not to attack muslims.^[14]

Attacks on non combatants

In these raids, many controversial hadith were revealed, in which many of them the Prophet Muhammad allowed the killing of children in night raids if it was accidental regardless of age.

Although the prophet Muhammad disaproved of the killing of children and woman in many other hadith.He allowed it if it was accidental.In the Battle of Waddan When the prophet was at war, one of his companions came to him and said that they had found, children and woman among the dead when they were using catapults.

"The Prophet passed by me at a place called Al-Abwa or Waddan, and was asked whether it was permissible to attack the pagan warriors at night with the probability of exposing their women and children to danger. The Prophet replied, "They (i.e. women and children) are from them (i.e. pagans).".

The prohet said "they are of them" more than 3 times when children were killed.

It is narrated by Sa'b b. Jaththama that he said (to the Holy Prophet)" Messenger of Allah, we kill the children of the polytheists during the night raids". He said: "They are from them".

Sahih MuslimTemplate:Sahih Muslim

Many Muslim scholars however believe that Muslims are not allowed to target children in war, however if they were killed accidentally it would be allowed.Some scholars including Omar Bakri referred to this hadith to justify why killing children and woman accidentally is alright in an Interview with Press TV and why killing non combatants is alright because the "Prophet Muhammad killed 600+ non combatants of the Banu Qurayza".^{[15] [16]}

Raid on Meccan Caravans, Buwat 2

The 5th raid was a Ghazawat(battles which the prophet took part in) in which Muhammad was the Commander.

A month after Muhammads raid at al-Abwa, Muhammad personally led two hundred men including some citizens of Medina to Bawat, a place on the caravan route of the Quraysh merchants, where a herd of fifteen hundred (1,500) to two thousand-five hundred (2,500) camels, accompanied by one hundred (100) riders, under the leadership of Umayyah ibn Khalaf, a Quraysh was proceeding. The purpose of this raid, was the plunder of this exceedingly rich Quraysh caravan.

No battle took place and the raid resulted in no booty. This was due the the caravan taking an untrodden unknown route.^[17]

Muhammad then went up to Dhat al-Saq, in the desert of al-Khabar. He prayed there and a mosque was built at the spot.

This was the first raid where a few al-Usharayh Ansars took part. They were attracted to the raid with the prospect of striking it rich through pillage.

Raid on Meccan Caravans, Al-Ushayrah, Yanbu

The 6th raid was a Ghazawat(battles which the prophet took part in) in which Muhammad was the Commander.

Two or three months after Muhammad's return from Buwat, he appointed Abu Salamah Ibn Abd al-Assad to take his place in Medina while he was away to take part in another raid.

Between 150 and 200 followers joined this operation.

They had thirty camels that they rode upon by turns. When they arrived at al-Usharayh in the direction of Yanbo, they expected to waylay upon a rich Meccan caravan towards Syria led by Abu Sufyan.

Muhammad already had the intelligence report of this caravan’s departure from Mecca. He waited for a month for this caravan to pass.

Unfortunately, it was too late; for, when Muhammad reached the intended spot of plunder, the Meccan caravan had already passed. Some critics argue that it is these raids on Abu Sufyan that led to the Battle of Badr .

In this operation, Muhammad entered into an alliance with Banu Mudlij, a tribe inhabiting the vicinity of al-Usharayh. He also concluded another treaty with Bani Damra previouslly. All those treaties established good political connections for him.

^{[12] [17]}

Raid on Meccan Caravans, Nakhla

The Nakhla Raid was the 7th Caravan Raid which was ordered by the Prophet Muhammad.This raid was a Saariya(battles which the prophet ordered) in which Abdallah Jahsh was the Commander.

Initially Muhammad condemned the killing of the non combatant in the forbidden month, but later justified it because a new Quran verse was revealed suggesting that "Persecution of muslims, is worse than killing a non muslim".^[19]

Summary

After his return from the first Badr encounter (Battle of Safwan), Muhammad sent AbdAllah b. Jahsh in Rajab with eight emigrants and without any Ansar for another operation.^[20]

Muhammad gave Abd Allah b. Jahsh a letter, but not to be read until he had travelled for two days and then to do what he was instructed to do in the letter without putting pressure on his companions. Abd Allah proceeded for two days, then he opened the letter; it told him to proceed until he reached Nakhla, between Mecca and Taif, lie in wait for the Quraysh and observe what they were doing.

As instructed by the Prophet, Abd Allah and the rest of the party then proceeded, and soon they arrived at Nakhla.

Four Quraysh men guarded this donkey caravan. They were:

Soon the Meccan caravan arrived at Nakhla guarded by the four Quraysh men. When they saw the Muslims they were afraid of them.

One of Abd Allah b. Jahsh’s men, Ukkash b Mihsan, was shaven in head to hide the real purpose of their journey and to give the Quraysh the impression of lesser Hajj (Umra); for, it was the month (Rajab) when hostilities were forbidden. When the Quraysh saw the shaven head of Ukkash, they thought that the Muslims were on their way for pilgrimage and they felt relieved and safe and started to prepare food for themselves.

They attacked the Quraysh while they (the Quraysh) were busy preparing their food. In the short battle that ensued, Waqid b. Abd Allah killed the leader of the Quraysh caravan. The Muslims took Uthman b. Abd Allah and al-Hakam b. Kaysan as prisoners. Abdallah Jahsh returned to Medina with the booty and with the two captured Quraysh men.

Aftermath

Since this bloodshed took place during a sacred month, Muhammad was quite unhappy about what had happened.

The Quraysh also spread everywhere the news of the raid and the killing by Muhammad in the sacred month. Therefore, he rebuked them (the Muslims) for fighting in the sacred month .

He said:

I did not command you to fight in the sacred month

Then Muhammad said that a new verse (2:217) regarding fighting in the sacred month was revealed by God, and Muhammad is believed to have changed his mind.

They question thee (O Muhammad) with regard to warfare in the sacred month. Say: Warfare therein is a great (transgression), but to turn (men) from the way of Allah, and to disbelieve in Him and in the Inviolable Place of Worship, and to expel His people thence, is a greater with Allah; for persecution is worse than killing. And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have made you renegades from your religion. ^{[Quran 2:217]}

This revelation permitted Muhammad to conduct war during the sacred months.

It is reported that, soon after his release, Hakam b. Kaysan became a Muslim.

This successful raid on the Quraysh caravans gravely alarmed the Meccans, because their prosperity completely depended upon the regular and uninterrupted trade to Syria.

Muhammad, on the other hand, after the success at Nakhla, contemplated a more severe and mortal attack on the Quraysh. Allah now gave him the permission to fight the unbelievers in verses 22:39-42, 2:190-194. As well, the raid at Nakhla was justified by the 'expulsion' of the believers from Mecca. However some critics of Islam argue, the true reason was “until the religion became God’s alone.” That meant, until all the Meccans (or the world) accepted Islam. ^[18]

Attacks on non combatants

They were very controversial especially because in some of the raids(battle of waddan) Muhammad allowed the killing of children, if it were accidental.

Another cause of controversy is when a non-Muslim non-combatant was killed. Muhammad initially condemned the killing of the non-combatant. But then a new verse was revealed to him in which it was said: Persecution is worse than killing. ^{[Quran 2:217]}.

Reffering to how muslims were persecuted in Mecca, suggesting that the persecution of the muslims is worse than the killing of the non combatant who was killed. Hereby justifying the actions of his followers who were relieved by what he said.^[19]

Raid on Caravan, Nejd

Permission to fight

Up to this point the Prophet told people to endure insults and abuse. Now however, the Muslims had the upper hand. Muhammad claimed that, Allah gave him permission to fight.

The permission to fight was given in many stages:

• At first Muslims were only allowed to fight the Quraysh, because they were the first to oppress the Muslims in Mecca, Muslims were allowed to seize their goods, but not those tribes which the prophet made a peace treaty with.
• Then Muslims were allowed to fight Pagan tribes that allied itself with the Quraysh
• Then Muslims were allowed to fight Jewish tribes, when the covenant with them was automatically nullified
• Subsequently Muslims were allowed to fight the "people of the book" (Christian and Jews), If the people of the book paid "Jizya tax", then the Muslims were forbidden to fight
• Finally Muslims were required to make peace with any polytheist, Jews or Christians who embraced Islam, and were required to treat them with respect.

^[21]

References