234 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADImam Ahmad recounted, from Azhar b. al-@sim al-msibi, from Hisham
al-Dastuwa'i, from Qatada, that the military expeditions and raids of the
Messenger of God (SAAS) totalled 43, consisting of 24 missions and 19 military
expeditions. In 8 of these he himself participated, at Badr, Uhud, al-Ahzab,
al-Muraysic, Khaybar, the conquest of Mecca, Hunayn, and al-Ta'if.
Miisa b. 'Uqba quoted al-Zuhri as stating, "These were the military expedi-
tions in which the Messenger of God (SAAS) fought: Badr in Ramada of 2 AH;
Uhud in Shawwal, 3 AH; and al-khanduq, which was also known as al-Af?zab and
the 'Banii Qurayza battle', in Shawwzl, 4 AH. He then fought the Banii
al-Mus~aliq and the Banii Lihym in Sha'bm, 5 AH; at Khaybar in 6 AH; at the
Yawm al-Fath (Mecca) in Ramadan, 8 AH. Thereafter he fought at al-Hunayn
and besieged the people of al-Talif in Shaww~l, 8 AH. Then, in 9 AH Abii Bakr
performed the pilgrimage, and in 10 AH the Messenger of God (SAAS) went on
the so-called hyat al-ma&, the 'farewell pilgrimage'. He organized 12 expedi-
tions that did nor result in fighting. The first of his expeditions was that of
al-Abwa'."
Hanbal b. Hild stated, from Ishaq b. al-'AlP, from 'Abd Allah b. Jacfar
al-Raqqi, from Mu~f b. &in al-Yammi, from Macmar, from al-Zuhri, who
said, "The first verse revealed on making war was, 'Those who do battle are
given permission (to do so), for they have been wronged' (snrar al-Hun; XX,
v.39). This came after the arrival of the Messenger of God (SAAS) in Medina.
"The first battle witnessed by the Messenger of God (SAAS) was that at Badr,
on Friday, 17th of Ramad%."
His account proceeds to his comments as follows, "He then went on the
expedition against the Banii &Nadir, then in Shawwd, the battle of Uhud took
place, that is, in 3 AH. Thereafter he was at the battle of al-khandaq in 4 AH,
fought the Banii Lihym in Sha'bnn of 5 AH, and fought at the battle of al-Fath
(i.e. the 'victory', at Mecca, tr.) in Sha'biin 8 AH, followed by Hunayn in
Ramadm 8 AH. The Messenger of God (SAAS) organized 11 expeditions in
which he did not fight. The first on which he fought was al-Abw~', then came
al-'Ushayra, Ghacafm, Banii Sulaym, al-Abw~' (sic), the first battle of Badr,
Ta'if, al-Hudaybiyya, al-Safra', and Tabiik, the last expedition." He then went
on to refer to the busth, the delegations he sent.
This account that I have copied from the history of the hzji? Ibn 'Asakir is
very strange. We will relate later, in its proper order, what truly occurred.
This is an area of expertise requiring care and proper training; as
Muhammad b. Wmar al-Waqidi related, from 'Abd Allah b. Wmar b. 'Ah,
from his father, who said, "I heard CAli b. al-Husayn say, 'We used to teach the
military expeditions of the Prophet (SAAS) just as we would chapters from the
Qnr'an."'
Al-Waqidi stated, "I heard Muhammad b. CAbd Allah say, 'I heard my uncle
al-Zuhri say, "In knowledge of the military expeditions there is knowledge of the
hereafter as well as of this world.""'