Large platoon Unknown | Location Wadi al-Qura | |
Unknown 30 horsemen killed
Large amount captured Result Successful operation, 30 horsemen including enemy commander, killed People also search for Third Raid on Banu Thalabah | ||
Second Expedition of Wadi al-Qura took place in January, 628AD, 9th month of 6AH of the Islamic calendar The raid was carried out by Zaid ibn Haritha or Abu Bakr, as a revenge for an ambush carried out by Banu Fazara against a party of 12 scouts led by Zaid ibn Haritha to monitor the surroundings of Medina against attacks from hostile tribes. The party was attacked as they slept at night, nine Muslims were killed, Ziad ibn Haritha himself escaped after suffering several wounds.
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Background
Zaid bin Harith went on a trading expedition towards Syria and with him was the merchandise for the Companions of Muhammed. While he was near Wadi’l Qura he met a party from the Tribe of Fazara of Banu Badr. They attacked him and his companions and snatched all that was with them (of merchandise).
Some of his fellows were killed and he himself was carried wounded from the field. Zaid vowed that he would not wash his head for ritual purity (i.e. he vowed to abstain from sexual intercourse) until he fought the people of Fazara.
Revenge attack
After his recovery from the injury and following the morning prayer, the detachment was given orders to raid the enemy. He attacked them at Wadi al-Qura and inflicted heavy casualties on them. Some of them were killed and others captured. In all 30 horsemen were killed, including the leader who was an old woman named Umm Qirfa.
He took Umm Qirfa, the aunt of Uyeina back to Muhammad. Zayd also took Umm Qirfa's daughter as a captive and was given to Muhammad, who gave her to the Meccans in exchange for Muslim prisoners (according to the Sahih Muslim hadith collection).
According to the Muslim jurist al-Tabari, Qais tied each of Umm Qirfa's legs with a rope, and attached the ropes to two camels. Then he drove the camels in opposite directions thus renting her in two. The circumstances of her death however are not mentioned in any Hadith collections, leading to some scholars doubting the authenticity of the way she was killed. Another version of this story says that the leader of this raid was Abu Bakr. Mohammed did not disapprove of the way she was killed, according to the Muslim jurist al-Tabari.