IMAM ABD AL-FIDA' ISMAqL IBN KATH~R 24 1Ibn IshBq went on, L'When the Messenger of God (SAAS) returned, he spent
Jumada, Rajab and Sha'ban in Medina. He had previously sent out Sa'd with a
party of eight Emigrants. He reached as far as d-Kharrzr in the Hijaz."
Ibn Hisham stated, "Some scholars maintain that this mission of Sa'd's took
place after that of Hamza. He returned without engaging in battle."
This is how Ibn Ishaq briefly reported this. Al-Waqidi's account ofthese three
expeditions is given above; by this I mean those of Hamza in Ramadm, Whayda
in Shawwzl, and Sacd in Dhn al-Q'da, all during 1 AH.
Imm Ahmad stated that '"Abd al-Mut% b. 'Abd al-Wahhab related to hi,
quoting Yahya b. Sa'id; and 'Abd Allah b. d-Imam Alpad stated that 'Sacid b.
Yahy b. Sa'id al-Umawi related to him, quoting his father, from Mujdid, from
Ziygd b. 'Alaqa, who quoted Sacd b. Abii WaqqQ as having said, "When the
Messenger of God (SAAS) came to Medina, he was visited by some of the
Juhayna who told him, 'Now you have come to live among us, make a pact with
us so we can join you.' He did so, and they accepted Islam. In Rajab the
Messenger of God (SAAS) sent us out, a force of less than 100, with orders to
make a raid on a quarter of the Bann Kinana, who were over next to the Juhayna.
We did raid them, but there were many of them and we took refuge with the
Juhayna who gave us protection. They asked us, 'Why are you fighting in the
holy month?' We asked one another what to do and some of us thought we
should go back to the Prophet of God (SAAS) and tell hi. Others thought they
should stay there. I, and some others decided we would do neither and would
attack and cut off a Quraysh caravan. The arrangement over booty at that time
was that you could keep anything you won.
"So we set off against the caravan, while some of our Companions went hack
to the Prophet (SAAS). When they told him the situation, he became very angry
and red-faced and said, 'You left me as one group and you've returned divided!
Those before you who became divided were only ever destroyed! I will appoint
over you someone who is no higher than you in rank, but who will give you forti-
tude against hunger and thirst.'
"He then appointed over us 'Abd Allah h. Jahsh al-Asadi, who was the first
commander in Islam."
Al-Bayhaqi related this in DalZ'zl (The Segns), from a hadith of Yahya b. Abn
Za'ida, from Mujdid, in much the same form. That account adds, after their
words to their companions L'Why are you fighting in the holy month?" that the
others replied, "We are fighting in the holy month those who expelled us from
the holy city!"
He then recounted it from a hadith of Abii Usama, from Mujnlid, from Ziyad
b. 'Alaqa, from Qucba b. Malik, from Sa'd b. Abn WaqqQ. This account is
similar, but it adds Qutba b. Malik in the chain of authorities between Sa'd and
Ziyad. This is more appropriate. But God knows best.
This hadith requires that the first of the raids was that of 'Abd Allah b. J&sh
al-Asadi and this is contrary to what Ibn Isbaq recounted, namely that the first