do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends...

do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.” [^2] Shaykh Tabarsi and Ibn Shahr Ashob have narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (S) returned to Medina from the Battle of Badr, he turned his attention after seven days to the tribe of Bani Sulaym, because he had received information that they had gathered at the well of Kedar.

The Holy Prophet (S) camped there for three days and no confrontation took place, but he was able to gain many sheep as booty. Then the remaining days of Shawwal and the whole month of Zilqad was spent in Medina during which ransom was taken from the prisoners and they were released.

After that he set out for the expedition of Suwaiq, because the accursed Abu Sufyan had vowed that till he had not fought Muhammad, he would not touch women, and he set out from Mecca with a hundred riders and camped near Bani Nuzayr at a distance of four farsakhs from Medina, who were a group of Jews of Medina. He knocked at the door of Huyy bin Akhtab, their leader, but he didn’t open the door.

From there he went to Salam bin Maskan, a noble of Bani Nuzayr and called him a number of times; after that he came back to his companions and sent a group of Quraish to Medina who came till the outskirts of Areez, killed two persons from Ansar and returned. When the Messenger of Allah (S) learnt about this, he came out in their pursuit and reached till Qarqaratal Kadr.

When Abu Sufyan came to know about this, he ran from there and since they had to flee from there in a hurry, they left their rations behind, which contained parched barley meal. Muslims seized it all and as a result of this it became famous as the Battle of Suwaiq. In that same journey, companions of the Prophet passed Arab markets and traded profitably in it. When they returned, they said: “O Messenger of Allah (S), we made only profit in this journey and there was no hardship.

Did we get the reward for Jihad? “Yes,” said the Messenger. It is narrated that in that same year during the month of Zilhajj, Uthman bin Mazun, a most pious companion and a ward of the Prophet departed for the eternal abode and was buried in Baqi cemetery. His biography will be mentioned in the coming pages. When the Holy Prophet (S) returned from the expedition of Suwaiq, he passed the remaining days of Zilhajj and full month of Mohurrum in Medina.