The expedition of obedience and that of Ibn Abi l-Awja

It is established in the two Sahihs, through al-A’mach, from Sa’d ibn Ubayda, from Abou Abd ar-Rahman as-Soulami, from Ali ibn Abi Talib: the Prophet appointed a man of the Ansar over an expedition, sending them out and commanding them to hear and obey him. They angered him in some matter, and he said: gather firewood for me. They gathered it. He said: kindle a fire. They kindled it. Then he said: did not the Messenger of Allah command you to hear and obey me? They said: yes. He said: then enter it. They looked at one another and said: we fled to the Messenger of Allah only from the Fire. His anger subsided and the fire went out. When they came to the Prophet, they mentioned it to him, and he said: "Had they entered it, they would never have come out of it: obedience is only in what is right." This story is also established in the two Sahihs through Ya’la ibn Mouslim, from Sa’id ibn Joubayr, from Ibn Abbas. We have treated this verse with what suffices in the tafsir, and to Allah belong praise and favor.

The Bayhaqi finally mentions the expedition of Ibn Abi l-Awja as-Soulami against the Banu Sulaym. He cites by his chain from the Waqidi, from az-Zouhri: when the Messenger of Allah returned from the Umra of Fulfilment, in Dhoul-Hijja of the seventh year, he sent Ibn Abi l-Awja as-Soulami with fifty men against the Banu Sulaym, and the spy of the Banu Sulaym was with him. When he had left Medina, the spy went out to his people, warning and informing them, and they gathered in great number. Ibn Abi l-Awja came upon them while the people were prepared: when the companions of the Messenger of Allah saw their gathering, they called them to Islam, but they showered them with arrows, hearkening not to their words, and said: we have no need of that to which you call us.

The Muslims shot at them for an hour while the reinforcements kept coming, until they had encircled them on every side. The people fought fiercely until most of them were slain. Ibn Abi l-Awja was struck with many wounds and hastened back to Medina with those of his companions who remained, on the first day of the month of Safar of the eighth year.