Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 61
61 preparing a strong force to advance upon Medina. Their pretext was that one of their large caravans returning from Syria was likely to be attacked by the Muslims at a point near Medina, and that an adequate force had to proceed north to secure its safe passage. They may well have been genuinely apprehensive concerning the safe passage of the caravan, in view of their behaviour toward the Prophet and the Muslims over the years in Mecca and Medina. It was a large caravan, carrying valuable merchandise; but it was accompanied by an adequate armed force which has been estimated at four to five hundred men. Although the Meccans knew that the Muslims could not possibly muster a force strong enough to constitute a real threat to the safety of the caravan, they went ahead with their warlike preparations. By the time the Meccan army set out on its march north, news arrived that the caravan had passed safely through the danger zone, and that no attempt had been made to interfere with it. Nevertheless, the Meccan army continued its march in the direction of Medina. In the meantime, the Prophet was taking stock of his own position. Permission to take up arms in defence had been accorded in Divine revelation (22:40 ⎯ 42). The Prophet assembled a force of about three hundred Muslims from Mecca and Medina, and