Understanding Islam — Page 103
101 Keeping these factors in view, the Muslims decided to attack and, as a result, one man was killed and two were taken captive. The goods of the caravan were also seized. One person from the caravan however escaped causing the Muslims to swiftly return to Mad ī nah with the spoils. This is the part which critics like Dr. Qureshi call a “raid” however the very context in which this attack was made disproves such an allegation. How can a small party of 8 Muslims be sent so far away from Mad ī nah just to plunder a caravan? We must remember that such caravans used to pass in the vicinity of Mad ī nah as well en route to Syria. To send such a small contingent of Muslims so close to enemy headquarters – i. e. Makkah – just to plunder a small caravan is not just historically inaccurate but also an absurd suggestion. Their objective – as proven from history – was nothing other than intelligence gathering. Furthermore, when Prophet Muhammad sa found out how they had attacked the caravan, he was extremely displeased. This means that the decision to attack the caravan was unilaterally and mistakenly taken by the head of the expedition. It is