The Book of Jihad and Expedition

It has been reported on the authority of Barra' who said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was carrying the earth with us on the Day of Ahzab and the whiteness of his belly had been covered with earth. (While engaged in this toil) he was reciting: By God, if Thou hadst not guided us We would have neither been guided aright nor practised charity, Nor offered prayers. Descend on us peace and tranquillity. Behold I these people (the Meccans) refused to follow us. According to another version, he recited: The chieftains (of the tribes) refused to follow us When they contemplated mischief, we rejected it. And with this (verse) he would raise his voice.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Ishaq who said: I heard from Bara' a similar tradition except that he said:" These people (the Meccans) rebelled against us."

It has been reported on the authority of Sahl b. Sa'd who said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to us while we were digging the ditch and were carrying the earth on our shoulders. (Seeing our condition), he said: O God, there is no life but the life of the Hereafter. So forgive Thou the Muhajirs and the Ansar.

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: O God, there is no life, but the life of the Hereafter, So forgive Thou the Ansar and the Muhajirs.

According to another version of the tradition, reported on the authority of Anas b. Malik, the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) is reported to have said: O God, there is no life but the life of the Hereafter, So grant honour to the Ansar and the Muhajirs.

According to still another version of the tradition narrated by the same authority, and handed down through a different chain of transmitters, it has been reported that they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) were reciting rajaz verses and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was (reciting) with them. And they were chanting: O God, there is no good but the good of the Hereafter. So help Thou the Ansar and the Muhajirs. Shaiban substituted" So forgive Thou" for" So help Thou".

It has been narrated (through a still difterent chain of transmitters) by Anas that the Companions of Muhammad (may peace be upon him) were chanting on the day of the Battle of the Ditch: We are those who have sworn allegiance to Muhammad (And made a covenant with him) to follow Islam as long as we live. Hammad is not sure whether Anas said:" Ala'l-Islam" or," Ala'l-Jihad". And the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) was chanting: O God, the real good is the good of the Hereafter, So forgive Thou the Ansar and the Muhajirs.

It has been narrated on the authority of Yazid b. Abu 'Ubaid who said that he heard Salama b. al-Akwa' say: I went out before the Adhan for the morning prayer had been delivered. The milch she-camels of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) were grazing at Dhu Qarad. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Auf's slave met me and said: The milch she-camels of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had been taken away. I said: Who has taken them away? He said: (the people belonging to the tribe of) Ghatafan. I cried thrice: Help! I made the whole city between the two lavas hear my cry. Then I ran straight in their pursuit until I overtook them at Dhu Qarad where they were just going to water their animals. I, being an archer, began to shoot them with my arrows and was saying: I am the son of al-Akwa'. And today is the day when the cowards will meet their doom. I continued to chant until I rescued the milch she-camels from them, and snatched from them thirty mantles. Now, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and some other people came along. I said: Prophet of Allah, I have prevented them from water while they were thirsty. So you should send a force (to punish them). He (the Holy Prophet) said: Ibn al-Akwa', you have taken (what, you have taken). Now let them go. Then we returned and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) made me mount behind him on his she-camel until we entered Medina.

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Salama. He heard the tradition from his father who said: We arrived at Hudaibiya with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and we were fourteen hundred in number. There were fifty goats for them which could not be watered (by the small quantity of water in the local well). So, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) sat on the brink of the well. Either he prayed or spat into the well The water welled up. We drank and watered (the beasts as well). Then the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) called us to take the vow of allegiance, as he was sitting at the base of a tree. I was the first man to take the vow. Then other people took the vow. When half the number of people had done so, he said to me: You take the vow, Salama. I said: I was one of those who took the vow in the first instance. He said: (You may do) again. Then the Messenger. of Allah (may peace be upon him) saw that I was without weapons. He gave me a big or a small shield. Then he continued to administer vows to the people until it was the last batch of them. He said (to me): Won't you swear allegiance, Salama? I said: Messenger of Allah, I took the oath with the first batch of the people and then again when you were in the middle of the people. He said: (Doesn't matter), you may (do so) again. So I took the oath of allegiance thrice. Then he said to me: Salama, where is the shield which I gave to thee? I said: Messenger of Allah, my uncle 'Amir met me and he was without any weapons. So I gave the shield to him. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) laughed and said: You are like a person of the days gone by who said: O God. I seek a friend who is dearer to me than myself. (When all Companions had sworn allegiance to the Holy Prophet), the polytheists sent messages of peace, until people could move from our camp to that of the Meccans and vice versa. Finally, the peace treaty was concluded. I was a dependant of Talha b. Ubaidullah. I watered his horse, rubbed its back. I served Talha (doing odd jobs for him) and partook from his food. I had left my family and my property as an emigrant in the cause of Allah and His Messenger (may peace be uron him). When we and the people of Mecca had concluded a peace treaty and the people of one side began to mix with those of the other, I came to a tree, swept away its thorns and lay down (for rest) at its base; (while I lay there), four of the polytheists from the Meccans came to me and began to talk ill of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I got enraged with them and moved to another tree. They hung their weapons (to the branches of the tree) and lay down (for rest). (While they lay there), somebody from the lower part of the valley cried out: Run up, O Muhajirs! Ibn Zunaim has been murdered. I drew my sword and attacked these four while they were asleep. I seized their arms and collected them up in my hand, and said: By the Being Who has conferred honour upon Muhammad, none of you shall raise his head, else I will smite his face. (Then) I came driving them along to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him). (At the same time). my uncle Amir came (to him) with a man from" Abalat called Mikraz. Amir was dragging him on a horse with a thick covering on its back along with seventy polytheists. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) cast a glance at them and said: Let them go (so that) they may prove guilty of breach of trust more than once (before we take action against them). So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) forgave them. On this occasion. God revealed the Qur'anic verse:" It is He Who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca after He had granted you a victory over them" (xlviii. 24). Then we moved returning to Medina, and halted at a place where there was a mountain between us and Banu Lihyan who were polytheists. The Messenaer of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked God's forgiveness for one who ascended the mountain at night to act as a scout for the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and his Compinions. I ascended (that mountain) twice or thrice that night. (At last) we reached Medina. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent his camels with his slave, Rabah, and I was with him. I (also) went to the pasture with the horse of Talha along with the camels. When the day dawned, Abd al-Rahman al-Fazari made a raid and drove away all the camels of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and killed the man who looked after them. I said: Rabah, ride this horse, take it to Talha b. 'Ubaidullah and Inform the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) that the polytheists have made away with his camels. Then I stood upon a hillock and turning my face to Medina, shouted thrice: Come to our help I Then I set out in pursuit of the raiders, shooting at them with arrows and chanting a (self-eulogatory) verse in the Iambic metre: I am the son of al-Akwa' And today is the day of defeat for the mean. I would overtake a man from them, shoot at him an arrow which, piercing through the saddle, would reach his shoulder. and I would say: Take it, chanting at the same time the verse And I am the son of al-Akwa' And tody is the day of defeat for the mean. By God, I continued shooting at them and hamstringing their animals. Whenever a horseman turned upon me, I would come to a tree and (hid myself) sitting at its base. Then I would shoot at him and hamstring his horse. (At last) they entered a narrow mountain gorge. I ascended that mountain and held them at bay throwing stones at them. I continued to chase them in this way until I got all the camels of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) released and no camel was left with them. They left me; then I followed them shooting at them (continually) until they dropped more than thirty mantles and thirty lances. lightening their burden. On everything they dropped, I put a mark with the help of (a piece of) stone so that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and his Companions might recognise them (that it was booty left by the enemy). (They went on) until They came to a narrow valley when so and so, son of Badr al-Fazari joined them. They (now) sat down to take their breakfast and I sat on the top of a tapering rock. Al-Fazari said: Who is that fellow I am seeing? They said: This fellow has harassed us. By God, he has not left us since dusk and has been (continually) shooting at us until he has snatched everything from our hands. He said: Four of you should make a dash at him (and kill him). (Accordingly), four of them ascended the mountain coming towards me. When it became possible for me to talk to them, I said: Do you recognise me? They said: No. Who are thou? I said: I am Salama, son of al-Akwa'. By the Being Who has honoured the countenance of Muhammad (may peace be upon him) I can kill any of you I like but none of you will be able to kill me. One of them said: I think (he is right). So they returned. I did not move from my place until I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), who came riding through the trees. Lo! the foremost among them was Akhram al-Asadi. Behind him was Abu Qatada al-Ansari and behind him was al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad al-Kindi. I caught hold of the rein of Akhram's horse (Seeing this). they (the raiders) fled. I said (to Akhram): Akhram, guard yourself against them until Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and his Companions join you. He said: ) Salama, if you believe In Allah and the Day of Judgment and (if) you kaow that Paradise is a reality and Hell is a reality, you should not stand between me and martyrdom. so I let him go. Akhram and Abd al-Rahman (Fazari) met in combat. Akhram hamstrung Abd al-Rahman's horse and the latter struck him with his lance and killed him. Abd al-Rabman turned about riding Akhram's horse. Abu Qatada, a horse-man of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), met 'Abd al-Rahman (in combat), smote him with his lance and killed him. By the Being Who honoured the countenance of Muhammad (may peace oe upon him), I followed them running on my feet (so fast) that I couldn't see behind me the Companions of Muhammad (may peace be upon him), nor any dust raised by their horses. (I followed them) until before sunset they reached a valley which had a spring of water, which was called Dhu Qarad, so that they could have a drink, for they were thirsty. They saw me running towards them. I turned them out of the valley before they could drink a drop of its water. They left the valley and ran down a slope. I ran (behind them), overtook a man from them, shot him with an arrow through the shoulder blade and said: Take this. I am the son of al-Akwa'; and today is the day of annihilation for the people who are mean. The fellow (who was wounded) said: May his mother weep over him! Are you the Akwa' who has been chasing us since morning? I said: Yes, O enemy of thyself, the same Akwa'. They left two horses dead tired on the hillock and I came dragging them along to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I met 'Amir who had with him a container having milk diluted with water and a container having water. I performed ablution with the water and drank the milk. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) while he was at (the spring of) water from which I had driven them away. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had captured those camels and everything else I had captured and all the lances and mantles I had snatched from the polytheists and Bilal had slaughtered a she-camel from the camels I had seized from the people, and was roasting its liver and hump for the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I said: Messenger of Allah, let me select from our people one hundred men and I will follow the marauders and I will finish them all so that nobody is left to convey the news (of their destruction to their people). (At these words of mine), the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) laughed so much that his molar teeth could be seen in the light of the fire, and he said: Salama, do you think you can do this? I said: Yes, by the Being Who has honoured you. He said: Now they have reached the land of Ghatafan where they are being feted. (At this time) a man from the Ghatafan came along and said: So and so slaughtered a camel for them. When they were exposing its skin, they saw dust (being raised far off). They said: They (Akwa' and his companions) have come. So. they went away fleeing. When it was morning, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Our best horseman today is Abu Qatada and our best footman today is Salama. Then he gave me two shares of the booty-the share meant for the horseman and the share meant for the footman, and combined both of them for me. Intending to return to Medina, he made me mount behind him on his she-camel named al-Adba'. While we were travelling, a man from the Ansar who could not be beaten in a race said: Is there anyone who could compete (with me) in race to Medina? Is there any competitor? He continued repeating this. When I heard his talk, I said: Don't you show consideration to a dignified person and don't you have awe for a noble man? He said: No, unless he be the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be thy ransom, let me get down so that I may beat this man (in the race). He said: It you wish, (you may). I said (to the man): I am coming to thee, I then turned my feet. sprang up and tan and gasped (for a while) when one or two elevated places were left and again followed his heel and again gasped (for a while) when one or two elevated places were left and again dashed until I joined him and gave a blow between his shoulders. I said: You have been overtaken, by God. He said: I think so. Thus, I reached Medina ahead of him. By God, we had stayed there only three nights when we set out to Khaibar with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). (On the way) my uncle, Amir, began to recite the following rajaz verses for the people: By God, if Thou hadst not guided us aright, We would have neither practised charity nor offered prayers. (O God! ) We cannot do without Thy favours; Keep us steadfast when we encounter the enemy, And descend tranquillity upon us. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Who is this? 'Amir said: it is 'Amir. He said: May thy God forgive thee! The narrator said: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked forgiveness for a particular person, he was sure to embrace martyrdom. Umar b. Khattab who was riding on his camel called out: Prophet of Allah, I wish you had allowed us to benefit from Amir. Salama continued: When we reached Khaibar, its king named Marhab advanced brandishing his sword and chanting: Khaibar knows that I am Marhab (who behaves like) A fully armed, and well-tried warrior. When the war comes spreading its flames. My uncle, Amir, came out to combat with him, saying: Khaibar certainly knows that I am 'Amir, A fully armed veteran who plunges into battles. They exchanged blows. Marbab's sword struck the shield of 'Amir who bent forward to attack his opponent from below, but his sword recoiled upon him and cut the main artery: in his forearm which caused his death. Salama said: I came out and beard some people among the Companions of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) as saying: Amir's deed has gone waste; he has killed himself. So I came to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) weeping and I said: Messenger of Allah. Amir's deed has gone waste. The Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Who passed this remark? I said: Some of your Companions. He said: He who has passed that remark has told a lie, for 'Amir there is a double reward. Then he sent me to 'Ali who had tore eyes, and said: I will give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger or whom Allah and His Messenger love. So I went to 'Ali, brought him beading him along and he had sore eyes, and I took him to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), who applied his saliva to his eyes and he got well. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave him the banner (and 'Ali went to meet Marhab in a single combat). The latter advanced chanting: Khaibar knows certainly that I am Marhab, A fully armed and well-tried valorous warrior (hero) When war comes spreading its flames. 'Ali chanted in reply: I am the one whose mother named him Haidar, (And am) like a lion of the forest with a terror-striking countenance. I give my opponents the measure of sandara in exchange for sa' (i. e. return thir attack with one that is much more fierce). The narrator said: 'Ali struck at the head of Mirhab and killed him, so the victory (capture of Khaibar) was due to him. This long tradition has also been handed down Through a different chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of 'Ikrama b. Ammar.

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that eighty Persons from the inhabitants of Mecca swooped down upon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) from the mountain of Tan'im. They were armed and wanted to attack the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) and his Companions unawares. He (the Holy Prophet) captured them but spared their lives. So, God, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed the verses: " It is He Who restrained your hands from them and their hands from you in the valley of Mecca after He had given you a victory over them."

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas that, on the Day of Hunain. Umm Sulaim took out a dagger she had in her possession. Abiu Talha saw her and said: Messenger of Allah, this is Umm Sulaim. She is holding a dagger. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked (her): What for are you holding this dagger? She said: I took it up so that I may tear open the belly of a polytheist who comes near me. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) began to smile (at these words). She said: Messenger of Allah, kill all those people-other than us-whom thou hast declared to be free (on the day of the Conquest of Mecca). (They embraced Islam because) they were defeated at your hands (and as such their Islam is not dependable). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Umm Sulaim. God is sufficient (against the mischief of the polytheists) and He will be kind to us (so you need not carry this dagger).

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik who said that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) allowed Umm Sulaim and some other women of the Ansar to accompany him when he went to war; they would give water (to the soldiers) and would treat the wounded.

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik who said: On the Day of Ubud some of the people, being defeated, left the Holy Prophet (may peace he upon him), but Abu Talha stood before him covering him with a shield. Abu Talha was a powerful archer who broke two or three bows that day. When a man would pass by carrying a quiver containing arrows, he would say: Spare them for Abu Talha. Whenever the Holy Prophet (way peace be upon him) raised his head to look at the people, Abd Talba would say: Prophet of Allah, may my father and my mother be thy ransom, do not raise your head lest you be struck by an arrow shot by the enemy. My neck is before your neck. The narrator said: I saw A'isha bint Abu Bakr and Umm Sulaim. Both of them had tucked up their garments, so I could me the anklets on their feet. They were carrying water-skins on their backs and would pour water into the mouths of the people. They would then go back (to the well), would fill them again and would return to pour water into the mouths of the soldiers. (On this day). Abu Talha's sword dropped down from his hands twice or thrice because of drowsiness.

It has been narrated on the authority of Yazid b. Hurmuz that Najda wrote to Ibn Abbas inquiring of him five things. Ibn Abbas said: If I had not the fear of committing (sin) for concealing the knowledge I would not have written to him. Najda wrote to him saying (after praising the Almighty and invoking blessings on the Prophet): Tell me whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took women to participate with him in Jihad; (if he did), whether he allotted them a regular share from the booty; whether he killed the children of (the enemy in the war how long an orphan would be entitled to consideration as such and for whom the Kbums (fifth part of the booty) was booty. Ibn Abbas wrote to him: You have written asking me whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took women with him to participate in Jihad. He did take them to the battle and sometimes he fought along with them. They would treat the wounded and were given a reward from the booty, but he did not assign any regular share for them. And the of Allah (may peace be upon him) did not kill the children of the enemy, so thou shouldst not kill the children. Also you have written to me asking me when the orphanhood of an orphan comes to an end. By my life, if a man has become bearded but is still incapable of getting his due from others as well u meeting his obligation towards them, (he is yet an orphan to be treated you such), but when he can look after his interests like grown-up people, he is no longer an orphan. And you have written to me inquiring about Khums as to whom it is meant for. (In this connection) we (the kinsmen of the Messenger of Allah) used to say: It is for us, but those people (i. e. Banu Umayya) have denied it to us.

This tradition has been narrated by the game authority (Yazid b. Hurmus) through a different chain of transmitters with the following difference in the elucidation of one of the points raised by Najda in his letter to Ibn Abas: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used not to kill the children, so thou shouldst not kill them unless you could know what Khadir had known about the child he killed, or you could distinguish between a child who would grow up to he a believer (and a child who would grow up to be a non-believer), so that you killed the (prospective) non-believer and left the (prospective) believer aside.

It has been narrated on the authority of Yazid b. Hurmuz who said: Najda b. 'Amir al-Haruri wrote to Ibn Abbas asking him about the slave and the woman as to whether they would get a share from the booty (it they participated in Jihad) ; about the killing of (enemy) children (in war) ; about the orphan as to when his orphanhood comes to an end; about kinsmen (of the Holy Prophet) as to who they are. He said to Yazid: Write to him. (If he were not likely to fall into folly, I would not have written to him.) Write: You have written asking about the woman and the slave whether they would get a share of the booty if they participated in Jihad. (You should know that) there is nothing of the sort for them except that they will be given a prize. And you have written asking me about the killing of the enemy children in war. (You should understand that) the Messenger of Allah (may peare be upon him) did not kill them. and thou shouldst not kill them unless thou knew what the companion of Moses (i. e. Khadir) knew about the boy he had killed. And you have written asking me about the orphan as to when the period of his orphanhood comes to an end, so that the sobriquet of" orphan" is dropped from him. (In this regard, you should know that) the sobriquet" orphan" will not be dropped from him until he attains maturity of body and mind. And you have written asking me about the close relatives (of the Holy Prophet) as to who they are. We think that it is we, but our people have denied us this (position and its concomitant privileges).

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yazid b. Hurmuz through another chain of transmitters.

It has been narrated on the anthority of Yazid b. Hurmuz who said: Najda wrote to Ibn Abbas. I was sitting in the company of Ibn 'Abbas when he read his letter and wrote its reply. Ibn Abbas said: Were it not for preventing him from falling into wickedness. I would not have replied to his letter, may he never be joyful. He wrote in reply to him referring to the share of the close relatives (of the Holy Prophet) (from the booty) whom God has mentioned. (I have to tell you that) we thought we were the close relatives of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), but our people have refused to recognise us as such. You have asked about the orphan as to when his orphanhood comes to an end. (I have to say that) when he reaches the age of marriage, attains maturity of mind, and his property is returned to him, then he is no longer an orphan. You have inquired whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upo him) used to kill anyone from the children of the polytheists in the war. (You should know that) the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used not to kill any one of their children, and you (too) should not kill any one of them, except when you knew about them what Khadir had known about the boy whom he killed. And you have inquired whether there is a fixed share of the booty for women and slaves when they participate in a battle. (I have to tell you that) there is no fixed share for them except that they will be given some reward from the spoils of war.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Yazid b. Hurmuz. but not complete (as we find in the above mentioned ahadith).

It has been narrated on the authority of Umm 'Atiyya, the Ansarite, who said: I took part with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) in seven battles. I would stay behind in the camp of men, cook their food, treat the wounded and nurse the sick.

A similar tradition has been narrated on the authority of Hisham b. Hassan through a different chain of transmitters.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Ishaq that 'Abdullah b. Yazid went (out of the city) with people for offering" Istisqa" ' prayer (for rainfall). He offered two rak'ahs. Then he prayed for rain. That day I met Zaid b. Arqam. There was only one man between me and him (at that time). I asked him: How many military expeditions did the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) undertake? He said: Nineteen expeditions. I asked him: On how many expeditions did you accompany him? He said: On seventeen expeditions. I asked: Which was the first expedition he led? He answered: Dhat-ul-, Usair or 'Ushair.

It has been narrated on the authority of Zaid b. Arqam that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) fought nineteen battles and after the Migration performed only one Pilgrimage called Hajjat-ul-Wada'.

It has been reported on the authority of Abu Zubair who heard Jabir b. Abdullah say: I fought in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) nineteen battles. Jabir said: I did not participate in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud. My father prevented me (from participating in these battles as my age was tender). After 'Abdullah (my father) was killed on the Day of Ubud, I never lagged behind the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and joined every battle (he fought).

It has been narrated on the authority of Buraida (who heard the tradition from his father) that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) conducted nineteen military campaigns and he (actually) fought in eight of them.

It has been narrated by Buraida who heard it from his father that he joined the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) in sixteen military campaigns

It has been narrated on the authority of Salama who said: I joined seven military expeditions led by the Messenger of Allah himself (may peace be upon him), and nine expeditions which he sent out once under Abu Bakr and once under Usama b. Zaid.

The (foregoing) tradition has also been narrated on the authority of Hatim through the same chain of transmitters with the difference that according to this version both these types of expeditions were seven in number.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Musa (Ash'ari) who said: We set out on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). We were six in number and had (with us) only one camel which we rode turn by turn Our feet were injured. My feet were so badly injured that my nails dropped off. We covered our feet with rags. so this expedition was called Dhat-ur-Riqa' (i. e. the expedition of rags) because we bandaged our feet with rags (on that day). Abu Burda said: Abu Musa narrated this tradition, and then disliked repeating it as he did not want to give any publicity to what he did in a noble cause Abu Usama said: Narrators other than Abu Buraida have added to the version of the words:" God will reward it."