Ghazwah Qarqaratul-Kudr - Shawwāl 2 A.H.

It has already been mentioned that after the migration, the Quraish of Makkah toured the various tribes of Arabia and turned many of them into deadly enemies of the Muslims. Among these tribes, with respect to strength and number, the most noteworthy were two tribes residing in the central region of Arabia, known as Najd. Their names were Banū Sulaim and Banū Ghaṭafān. The Quraish of Makkah had especially tied these two tribes to themselves and incited them against the Muslims. As such, Sir William Muir writes:

“The Coreish now turned their eyes towards this territory [i.e., Najd], and entered into closer bonds with the tribes inhabiting it. Henceforth the attitude of the Bani Suleim and Ghatafân, especially of the former, became actively hostile towards Mahomet. Incited by the Coreish, and by the example of Abū Sofiân, they now projected a plundering attack upon Medîna.”1

Thus, when the Holy Prophet(sa) returned from Badr, it had only been a few days2 since his arrival in Madīnah, when he received news that a large army consisting of the tribes of Sulaim and Ghaṭafān were assembling in Qarqaratul-Kudr with the intention of attacking Madīnah.3 The arrival of this intelligence so promptly after the Battle of Badr demonstrates that when the army of the Quraish set out from Makkah with the intention of attacking the Muslims, at the very same time the chieftains of the Quraish must have relayed a message to the tribes of Sulaim and Ghaṭafān, urging them to attack Madīnah from the opposing front. It is also possible that when Abū Sufyān slipped away and escaped with his caravan, by means of an emissary, etc., he may have urged these tribes to go forth against the Muslims. In any case, the Holy Prophet(sa) had only just arrived in Madīnah after becoming free from the Battle of Badr, when the horrific news was received that the tribes of Sulaim and Ghaṭafān were about to wage an onslaught against the Muslims. Upon receiving this news, as a preemptive measure, the Holy Prophet(sa) immediately assembled a force of the Companions and set out towards Najd. However, after undertaking an arduous journey of many days, when the Holy Prophet(sa) reached the Qirqirah, (i.e., the desolate plain) of a place known as Al-Kudr, he found that upon receiving news of the imminent arrival of the Muslims, the people of the Banū Sulaim and Banū Ghaṭafān had taken refuge in the nearby mountains. The Holy Prophet(sa) dispatched a detachment of Muslims in search of them and proceeded to the heart of the valley himself, but no trace of them could be found.4 Albeit, they were able to find a large herd of camels grazing in the nearby valley, which belonged to them, and according to the laws of warfare, the companions seized it; thereafter the Holy Prophet(sa) returned to Madīnah. The shepherd of these camels was a slave named Yasār, who had been taken captive along with the camels. This person was so deeply influenced by the company of the Holy Prophet(sa) that after a short period of time he became a Muslim. Although according to custom, the Holy Prophet(sa) freed him as an act of benevolence,5 he still did not leave the service of the Holy Prophet(sa) until his last breath.6