The Book of Jihad and Expeditions

Salama ibn al-Akwa reported: We fought with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Hunayn. When we met the enemy, I advanced and climbed a hill. A man from the enemy came toward me, and I shot him with an arrow. He disappeared from my sight, and I did not know what happened to him. I looked at the people and saw them coming over another hill, where they met the Companions of the Prophet. The Companions turned back, and I retreated in defeat with them. I wore two cloaks, one around my waist and one over my shoulders. My waistcloth came loose, so I gathered both together and passed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who was riding his gray mule. He said: The son of al-Akwa is frightened. When the enemy crowded around the Messenger of Allah, he dismounted, took a handful of earth, faced them, and said: May their faces be disfigured! Every one of them had his eyes filled with dust from that handful. They turned and fled. Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, defeated them, and the Messenger of Allah distributed their spoils among the Muslims.

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) besieged the people of Taif but gained nothing from them. He said: We are returning, if Allah wills. His Companions said: Shall we go back without conquering it? The Messenger of Allah said: Go out to fight tomorrow morning. They did so and were wounded. The Messenger of Allah then said: We are returning tomorrow. They were pleased by that, and the Messenger of Allah laughed.

Anas reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard that Abu Sufyan was approaching, he consulted his Companions. Abu Bakr spoke, but the Messenger of Allah turned away from him. Umar spoke, and he turned away from him as well. Then Sad ibn Ubada stood and said: Is it us you want, Messenger of Allah? By Him in whose hand is my soul, if you ordered us to drive our horses into the sea, we would do so; if you ordered us to spur them as far as Bark al-Ghimad, we would do so. The Messenger of Allah called the people, and they set out until they camped at Badr. Quraysh water carriers came, including a black youth belonging to Banu al-Hajjaj. They seized him. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah asked him about Abu Sufyan and his men. He said: I know nothing about Abu Sufyan, but Abu Jahl, Utba, Shayba, and Umayya ibn Khalaf are here. When he said this, they beat him. Then he said: Yes, I will tell you about Abu Sufyan. They stopped and asked him again. He repeated that he knew nothing about Abu Sufyan but that Abu Jahl, Utba, and Umayya ibn Khalaf were there. They beat him again, while the Messenger of Allah was standing in prayer. When he saw this, he finished and said: By Him in whose hand is my soul, you beat him when he tells you the truth and let him go when he lies. Then the Messenger of Allah said: This is where so-and-so will fall, and placed his hand on the ground here and there. Not one of them fell elsewhere than the place where the Messenger of Allah had placed his hand.

Anas reported that Quraysh made peace with the Prophet (ﷺ), with Suhayl ibn Amr among them. The Prophet (ﷺ) told Ali, ‘Write: In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.’ Suhayl said, ‘We do not know this phrase, In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Write what we know: In Your name, O Allah.’ He then said, ‘Write: From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.’ They replied, ‘If we knew you were the Messenger of Allah, we would follow you. Write your name and your father’s name.’ So the Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Write: From Muhammad ibn Abdullah.’ They stipulated that if anyone from among the Muslims came to them, they would not return him, but if anyone from among them came to the Muslims, the Muslims would return him. The Companions asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, shall we write this?’ He said, ‘Yes. Whoever leaves us for them, may Allah keep him far away; and whoever comes to us from them, Allah will grant him relief and a way out.’