Introduction

the expedition of `abdullah ibn jahsh constitued the crossroads of islamic policy. it was the occasion when waqid ibn `abdullah al tamimi shot an arrow at `amr ibn al hadrami and killed him, thus shedding blood by a muslim hand for the first time. it was in regard to this sortie that the qur'anic verses constituting the islamic position on war and fighting were revealed. and it was in consequence of this revelation that fighting was permitted, but only against those who seek to compel the muslims to renounce their religion and who stand in the way of calling men unto god. the same expedition constituted also the crossroads of muslim policy toward quraysh, for it now opened the door for the two parties to compete in military power and strength as they had done formerly in word and idea. it was after that expedition that the muslims began to think seriously of extracting their goods from quraysh by force and conquest. the quraysh saw in this an opportunity to stir up the whole peninsula against muhammad and his companions, and therefore accused them of the most heinous crime in the eyes of all arabs, namely the desecration of the holy months. in the resultant situation, muhammad became convinced that there was no more hope of reaching any kind of agreement with them. toward the beginning of autumn of the second year a.h., abu sufyan led a great caravan toward al sham. it was this trade which the muslims had previously threatened when the prophet-may god's peace and blessing be upon him-joined the expedition to al `ushayrah in person. when the muslims reached that locality, the caravan of abu sufyan had passed two days earlier. the muslims decided to withdraw and wait for the caravan's return. when that time came and the caravan was supposedly in the vicinity of madinah, muhammad sent talhah ibn `ubaydullah and said ibn zayd to reconnoitre its where abouts. the two men ran in the direction of the usual trade route and arrived at the campsite of kashd al juhaniy in al hawra'. there, they hid until the caravan passed. they returned quickly to madinah in order to give muhammad the information he asked for.