Expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah (Hisma)

{{Infobox military conflict

|image=Saudi Arabia relief location map (cropped).jpg

|caption=Location of the Ḥismā region (shaded red) in Northwest Arabia

|conflict=Expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah (Hisma)

|place={{ill|Hisma region|ar|صحراء حسمى}}

|date= October 628 in 6th month, AH 7

|result={{ublist|As follows:}}

Successful raid, 1000 camels, 5000 cattle and a 100 tribe members captured
Al-Hunayd ibn Arid (enemy commander) and his son killed{{citation|title=The Sealed Nectar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC|first=Saifur Rahman Al|last=Mubarakpuri|year=2005|publisher=Darussalam Publications|page=226|isbn=9798694145923}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ([http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/SM_tsn/ch5s2.html online])

|commander1=Zayd ibn Haritha

|commander2=Al-Hunayd ibn Arid{{KIA}}

|strength1=500

|strength2=Unknown

|casualties1=Unknown

|casualties2=Many killed, including chief 100 captured

}}

The expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah in Hisma took place in October 628, i.e. the 6th month of AH 7 of the Islamic calendar.{{cite book|last=Abū Khalīl|first=Shawqī |title=Atlas of the Quran |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8BziirH6UKMC&pg=PA242 |publisher= Dar-us-Salam|year=2003|isbn=978-9960-897-54-7|page=242}}{{cite book|last=Hawarey|first=Mosab|title=The Journey of Prophecy; Days of Peace and War (Arabic)|url=http://www.islamic-book.net/ar/Rihlat-Alnobowwah.htm|publisher=Islamic Book Trust|year=2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322002711/http://www.islamic-book.net/ar/Rihlat-Alnobowwah.htm|archivedate=2012-03-22}}Note: Book contains a list of battles of Muhammad in Arabic, English translation available [https://web.archive.org/web/20110726142128/http://military.hawarey.org/military_english.htm here] The attack led by Zayd ibn Harithah was a response to Dihyah bin Khalifa Kalbi's call for help, after being attacked by robbers. Muslims retaliated and killed many of the robbers and captured 100 tribe members.

Background

=Envoys sent to invite people to Islam=

{{see also|Diplomatic career of Muhammad#Correspondence with other leaders}}

Image:Muhammad-Letter-To-Heraclius.jpg, emperor of Byzantium.]]

File:Muhammad Bahrain letter facsimile.png.]]

After the signing the Hudaibiya Treaty with the Quraysh in Mecca, Muhammad sent several envoys in a few neighboring countries, inviting them to Islam. The following were sent:

Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri to the king of Abyssinia called Ashamah ibn Abjar al-Najashi.Safiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC&pg=PA221 The Sealed Nectar], p. 221
Dihyah bin Khalifah al-Kalbi to the Roman Emperor HeracliusAkbar Shāh Ḵẖān Najībābādī, [https://books.google.com/books?ei=L8VHVM-lPNT77Aaiw4CICw&id=Pi5tAAAAMAAJ&dq=kalbi History of Islam, Volume 1], p. 194. Quote: "Again, the Holy Prophet «P sent Dihyah bin Khalifa Kalbi to the Roman Emperor Heraclius, Hatib bin Abi Baltaeh to the king of Egypt and Alexandria; Allabn Al-Hazermi to Munzer bin Sawa the king of Bahrain; Amer bin Aas to the king of Oman. Salit bin Amri to Hozah bin Ali— the king of Yamama; Shiya bin Wahab to Haris bin Ghasanni to the king of Damascus"
Hatib bin Abi Baltaeh to the king of Egypt called MuqawqisSafiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC&pg=PA222 The Sealed Nectar], p. 222
Allabn Al-Hazermi to Munzer bin Sawa the king of Bahrain called Munzir ibn Sawa Al TamimiSafiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC&pg=PA222 The Sealed Nectar], p. 226
Amr ibn al-As to the king of Oman called Abd Al-JalandiSafiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC&pg=PA227 The Sealed Nectar], p. 227
Salit bin Amri to the king of Yamama called Hawza bin Ali
Shiya bin Wahab to Haris bin Ghasanni to the king of Damascus called Harith bin Abi Shamir Al-Ghassani
Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi to the emperor of Persia called Khosrow II.Safiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC&pg=PA224 The Sealed Nectar], p. 224

=One envoy attacked by bandits=

He sent Dhiyah bin Khalifah al-Kalbi to the king of Basra, who would in turn send it to Caesar (Heraclius).

In his epistle to Heraclius, the Roman emperor, Muhammad wrote:

"In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of all Mercy

From Muhammad, son of Abdullah to Heraclius the Leader of the Romans:

Peace be upon he who follows the guidance.

Furthermore, I invite you with the invitation of peace. If you submit then you will find safety and God will double your reward. If you turn away, you will bear the peasants sins.

"O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him).

— Quran, Chapter: Aal Imran “The House of Joachim” 3:64”

When, after finishing his trip, Dhiyah was returning to Medina ; a group of bandit belonging to Banu Judham looted him of everything he had, when he reached Hisma, a place on the way to Syria and west of Tabuk.

{{cite book|author=Watt, W. Montgomery|author-link=Montgomery Watt|title=Muhammad at Medina|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GfAGAQAAIAAJ|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1956|isbn=978-0-19-577307-1|page=108|quote=Dihyah b. Khalifah al-Kalbi, who had gone to Syria on an errand for Muhammad, was returning to Medina with gifts, when he was robbed by a man of Judham called al-Hunayd. Another clan of Judham, however, or some men from anothertribe, forced al-Hunayd to give the things back. Meanwhile a leader of Judham, Rifa'ah b. Zayd, had been in Medina, had brought back to the tribe Muhammad's terms for an alliance, and the tribe had accepted. Muhammad had not been informed of this decision, however, and sent out Zayd b. Harithah to avenge the insult to his messenger. There was a skirmish in which the Muslims killed al-Hunayd and captured a number of women and animals. }} ([https://archive.org/details/muhammadatmedina029655mbp free online])

Muslim response

Dhiyah approached the Banu Dubayb (a tribe which converted to Islam and had good relations with Muslims) for help. When the news reached Muhammad, he immediately dispatched Zayd ibn Haritha with 500 men to punish them. The Muslim army fought with Banu Judham, killed several of them (inflicting heavy casualties), including their chief, Al-Hunayd ibn Arid and his son, and captured 1000 camels, 5000 of their cattle and a 100 women and boys. The new chief of the Banu Judham who had embraced Islam appealed to Muhammad to release his fellow tribesmen, and Muhammad released them.

Notes

Category:628

Category:Campaigns ordered by Muhammad