Understanding Islam — Page 102
DID THE EARLY MUSLIMS LEAD OFFENSIVE RAIDS? 100 This statement of Prophet Muhammad sa alone should be enough for any truth-seeker in regards to the task which had been assigned to the companions, in contrast to what critics allege. Two companions named Sa‘d bin Ab ī Waqq ā s ra and ‘Utbah ra had lost their camels on the journey, which then left only six companions for this task of solely investigating the battle preparations of the Quraish. Once the companions had reached Nakhla, they began their task. Some of the companions shaved their heads, so the people would consider them among those who have come for the purpose of Umrah. Soon after the companions had reached Nakhla that a small caravan of the Quraish also happened to arrive and both parties encountered each other. At this point, the Muslims had a dilemma and they consulted one another. Their clear objective was covert intelligence gathering. However, the Quraish had already formally declared war with their attack on a pasture very close to Mad ī nah. Furthermore, since the people from the caravan had spotted the Muslims, their secret mission would no longer remain secret and this could have detrimental affects later on.