Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 280
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 280 danger apprehended from that quarter, but as one of the major purposes of the Holy Prophet’s policy was the establishment of peace and security he urged his Companions that the state of affairs prevailing at and around Dumatul Jandal should be put an end t o, and law and order should be restored in that part of the country. He set out at the head of 1,000 of his Companions, and arrived near Dumatul Jandal after a long and strenuous journey extending over a fortnight, but found that on learning about the appr oach of the Muslims, the mischievous elements had scattered, and though small parties were sent in search of them, no trace of them could be found. One of their shepherds was captured and he became a Muslim. After a stay of some days, the Holy Prophet retu rned to Medina with his Companions. This expedition put an end to the predatory activities of the local inhabitants of that region, and travellers and caravans proceeding through their territory were delivered from the peril to which they had hitherto been exposed. Also Islam, of which only the name had been known in those parts, was brought to the notice of the local inhabitants, who conceived some idea of the ways and habits of the Muslims. There were Christian settlements in the neighbourhood of Dumatul Jandal, but there is nothing to indicate that this expedition was directed against any of them. During the Holy Prophet’s absence from Medina the mother of S’ad bin Ubadah, chief of Khazraj, had died. On his return he went and prayed for her at her grave. S’ad submitted that before her death his mother had intended to give away something in charity b ut that she had not been able to carry her design into effect; and he inquired whether he could carry out her wish on