The campaign of Dumat al-Jandal: the end of year 4

Al-Waqidi said: in this year, meaning the year four, the Messenger of Allah ordered Zayd ibn Thabit to learn the writing of the Jews, and it is established of him in the Sahih that he said: I learned it in fifteen days; and Allah knows best. Then the fifth year of the prophetic Hijra, and the campaign of Dumat al-Jandal in Rabi’ al-Awwal of it. Ibn Ishaq said: then the Messenger of Allah made war upon Dumat al-Jandal, and Ibn Hisham said: in Rabi’ al-Awwal, meaning of the year five, and he appointed over Medina Siba’ ibn Urfuta al-Ghifari. Ibn Ishaq said: then he returned to Medina before it reached him, meeting no ruse, and stayed in Medina the rest of his year: thus Ibn Ishaq said.

Al-Waqidi said, by his chain, from his elders, from a group of the ancients who said: the Messenger of Allah wished to draw near to the nearer parts of Syria, and it was said to him: that is of what frightens Caesar; and it was mentioned to him that at Dumat al-Jandal was a great gathering oppressing whoever passed by them, and there was there a great market, and they intended to draw near to Medina. So the Messenger of Allah urged the people, and they went out a thousand Muslims, marching by night and hiding by day, with a guide of the Banu Udhré called Mudhkur, an expert guide.

When he drew near Dumat al-Jandal his guide told him of the herds of the Banu Tamim, and he marched until he fell upon their livestock and their herdsmen, taking whom he took while whom would flee fled in every direction. The news came to the people of Dumat al-Jandal and they scattered, and the Messenger of Allah camped upon their square, finding no one there, and stayed there days and sent out expeditions; then they returned, and Muhammad ibn Maslama took a man of them and brought him to the Messenger of Allah, who questioned him of his companions. He said: they fled yesterday. The Messenger of Allah offered him Islam and he accepted Islam, and the Messenger of Allah returned to Medina.

Al-Waqidi said: his going out to Dumat al-Jandal was in Rabi’ al-Awwal of the year five; and he said: in it died Umm Sa’d bint Ubada, her son being with the Messenger of Allah in this campaign. Abu Isa at-Tirmidhi said in his Jami’: Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Yahya ibn Sa’id narrated to us, from Sa’id ibn Abi Aruba, from Qatada, from Sa’id ibn al-Musayyab, that Umm Sa’d died while the Prophet was absent, and when he came he prayed over her after a month had passed for that; and this is a fair mursal, and it requires that he was absent in this campaign a month or more, as al-Waqidi mentions.