The raid at Nakhla
Sirat p. 286, Tabari VII p. 17
Muhammad sent 'Abdullah b. Jash b. Ri'ab al-Asadi in Rajab on his return from the first Badr. He sent with him eight emigrants, without any of the Ansar. He wrote for them a letter, and ordered them not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days, and to do what he was ordered to do, but not to put pressure on any of his companions.
Here we see Muhammad taking initiative for a raid. No reason for the raid is given. Converting infidels was not on the agenda. It is noteworthy that the orders are given in secret.
When Abdullah had traveled for two days he opened the letter and looked into it, and this is what it said: "When you have read this letter of mine, proceed until you reach Nakhla between Mecca and Al-Ta'if. Lie in wait there for the Quraysh and find out for us what they are doing." Having read the letter he said: "To hear is to obey." Then he said to his companions: "The messenger has commanded me to go to Nakhla to lie in wait there for the Quraysh so as to bring him news of them. He has forbidden me to put pressure on any of you, so if anyone wishes for martydom let him go forward, and he who does not, let him go back; as for me I am going on as the prophet has ordered."
There is a strange contradition between the letter as quoted, and the statement of Abdullah here. While the letter is not quoted for ordering a fight, it is obvious that he understands it to have that meaning, or he would not expect going forward to lead to martyrdom (death in Allah's cause). A possibility is that we have not been related the exact content of the letter.
So he went on, as did all his companions, not one of them falling back. He journeyed along the Hijaz until at a mine called Bahran above al-Furu’, Sa’d and ‘Utba lost the camel they had been riding by turns, so they stayed behind to look for it, while ‘Abdullah and the rest of them went on to Nakhla. A caravan of Quraysh carrying dry raisins and leather and other merchandise of Quraysh passed by them, ‘Amr b. al-Hadrami, ‘Uthman b. Abdullah b. al-Mughira and his brother Naufal the Makhzumites, and al-Hakam b. Kaysan, freedmen of Hisham b. al-Mughira being among them.
While the story of the lost camel is amusing, the focus is on the caravan and the goods being carried. We note that the attackers apparently know the people in the caravan. Not too suprising - they were all immigrants from Mecca, and the people running the caravan was their kindred and tribesmen.
The attack
Sirat p. 286, Tabari VII p. 17
The raiders took council among themselves, for this was the last day of Rajab, and they said: “If you leave them alone tonight, they will get into the sacred area and they will be safe from you; and if you kill them, you will kill them in the sacred month.”, so they were hesitant and feared to attack them. Then they encouraged each other, and decided to kill as many as they could of them and take what they had.
Getting down to business, the raiding party seems to have no doubt what they are supposed to do: Kill whom they can and take what the have - not merely to lie in wait and find out what the caravan is doing. What holds them back is the respect for the pagan sacred month Rajab, where Arabs traditionally do not fight or plunder. But the desire for killing and booty eventuall wins.
Waqid shot ‘Amr b. al-Hadrami with an arrow and killed him, and ‘Uthman and al-Hakam surrendered. Naufal escaped and eluded them. ‘Abdullah and his companions took the caravan and the two prisoners and came to Medina with them.
Attack accomplished, two prisoners are taken, one escapes. There is no mention of the member of the caravan fighting back. Possibly they were unarmed, assuming the protection of the holy month to be sufficient.
Booty and problems
Sirat p. 286, Tabari VII p. 17
One of ‘Abdullah’s family mentioned that he said to his companions: “A fifth of what we have taken belongs to the messenger.” (This was before Allah had appointed a fifth of the booty to him.) So he set apart for Muhammad a fifth of the caravan, and divided the rest among his companions.
Booty in house, the raiders set apart a 20 % cut for Muhammad, who had sent them on the raid. No feeling of remorse over killing, stealing and hostage-taking. And clearly not a defensive battle, as some apologists prefer to assume.
When they came to Muhammad, he said: “I did not order you to fight in the sacred month.” and he held the caravan and the two prisoners in suspense and refused to take anything from them. When Muhammad said that, the men were in despair and thought that they were doomed.
Muhammad also respects the sacred month of Rajab - or at least is worried about his reputation. An interesting detail is that Muhammad didn't merely say "I didn't order you to fight" - he adds "in the holy month". The most straightforward explanation for this is that the letter with instructions did indeed order them to fight, but had not considered the risk of doing so in the holy month. The men, who thought they had fulfilled their orders to the letter, are terrified over the surprising position Muhammad takes.
Their Muslim brethren reproached them for what they had done, and the Quraysh said: “Muhammad and his companions have violated the sacred month, shed blood therein, taken booty and captured men.” The polytheists spread lying slander concerning him, saying, ‘Muhammad claims that he is following obedience to Allah, yet he is the first to violate the holy month and to kill our companion in Rajab.’”
Muhammad indeed had reason to worry about what he had done. The holy month and the ban on fighting and plunder was respected by all Arabs, but now he had broken it. We see the polytheists (Meccans) respecting Allah and expecting that Muhammad, claiming to do likewise, would respect the sacred month. And that they are accused of being 'lying slanders' when they are quite obviously telling the truth.
The obvious, honorable way to amend this situation would be to apologize, return the prisoners and the booty, and to pay blood money for the killing. Instead, Allah steps in:
Quranic relief
Sirat p. 286, Tabari VII p. 17
Allah sent down to Muhammad: [Quran 2:217] “They will ask you about the sacred month, and war in it. Say, war therein is a serious matter, but keeping people from the way of Allah and disbelieving in him and in the sacred mosque and driving out His people therefrom is more serious with Allah.”
This bears some scrutiny. The Meccans were already worshipping Allah at the Ka'aba, thus believers in Allah and the sacred mosque. The raiders were not attempting to convert them to Islam or belief in Allah. Those possible justifications cancel out, and leaves only one: "Driving out his people [from the sacred mosque]". The Meccans (who were by then probably a few thousand) were the people of Allah, and had been for generations. They were the ones shouting 'Allah-u-Akbar' at suitable occassions, such as the birth of Muhammad himself. Only Muhammad and his relatively few followers had been driven out. Finally, the people in the caravan were not in the process of keeping anyone from any religion. They were going about minding their own business.
Quran 2:217: They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Months (i.e. 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Islâmic calendar). Say, "Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allâh is to prevent mankind from following the way of Allâh, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid Al-Harâm (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and‚ Al-Fitnah is worse than killing."
Here is the Quran verse approving fight in the (hihereto) sacred months. Interestingly, disbelief in Muhammad is not mentioned. The Quraysh were not preventing people in general from worshipping Allah. In fact, they profited nicely from those who did, as the Ka'aba was a popular pilgrimage goal. nor were they disbelieving in Allah. But they *did* throw out Muhammad from Mecca and prevent him from entering the Ka'aba. While the exact details of these events are lost to history, it certainly causes great grieveance. Muhammad saw himself as the rightful inhabitant of the mosque, and resented the Meccans for driving him out.
Quran 2:217 cont.: And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion if they can. And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter, and they will be the dwellers of the Fire. They will abide therein forever.
The rest of the verse sends a clear message to apostates.
Dividing the spoils
Sirat p. 286, Tabari VII p. 17
And when the Quran came down about that and Allah relieved the Muslims of their anxiety in the matter, Muhammad took the caravan and the prisoners.
Anxiety over, Muhammad approves the plunder and shares the spoils.
When ‘Abdullah and his companions were relieved of their anxiety when the Quran came down, they were anxious for reward, and said: “Can we he that it will count as a raid for which we shall be given the reward of combatants?” So Allah sent down concerning them: “Those who believe and have emigrated and fought in the way of Allah, these may hope for Allah’s mercy, for Allah is forgiving, merciful.” That is, Allah gave them the greatest hopes therein.
After suitable scripture has appeared, the raiders have forgiveness for what they did, and furthermore is given expectation for mercy. This shows how Allah earns the title "Oft-forgiving, merciful". The forgiving of otherwise criminal behaviour when perpetrated in the nanme of Allah sets Islam apart from other religions.
One of ‘Abdullah’s family mentioned that Allah divided the booty when He made it permissible and gave four-fifth to whom Allah had allowed to take it and one-fifth to Allah and His messenger. So it remained on the basis of what ‘Abdullah had done with the booty of the Caravan.
Back to the booty, Allah accepts the proposition from 'Abdullah that Muhammad receives a 20 % cut of the spoils, and 80 % is given to those who Allah granted victory in battle. This became a firm precedent in future raids.
Some may think that the financial situation of Muhammad might have influenced the course of events. However, no true prophet would let the desire for booty outweigh his dedication to religion and ethics.
Abu Bakr said concerning ‘Abdullah’s raid (though others say that ‘Abdullah himself said it), when Quraysh said: “Muhammad and his companions have broken the sacred month, shed blood therein, and taken booty and made prisoners.”:
Poetry
Sirat p. 286
The story ends with this poem, attributed to Abu Bakr, the future caliph, or to Abdullah. Not believing in Muhammad being the prophet of Allah and excluding him from the Ka'aba are the 'casus belli':
You count war in the holy month a grave matter
But graver is, if one judges rightly,
Your opposition to Muhammad’s teaching, and your
Unbelief in it, which Allah sees and witnesses,
Your driving people from His mosque
So that none can be seen worshipping Him there.
Though you defame us for killing him,
More dangerous to Islam is the sinner who envies.
Our lances drank of Ibn al-Hadrami’s blood
In Nakhla when Waqid lit the flame of war,
‘Uthman ibn ‘Abdullah is with us,
A leather band streaming with blood restrains him.
The joy of bloodshed is surprising for a religious figure.
