he entered Medina, his wound reopened, and he died three days before the end of Jumada al-Akhira.

The Expedition of al-Rajiʿ

According to al-Waqidi’s chronology, it occurred in Safar of the fourth year, and he located al-Rajiʿ seven miles from ʿUsfan.

Musa ibn Yaʿqub narrated to me, from Abu al-Aswad, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent the men of al-Rajiʿ as scouts to Mecca to bring him intelligence.

Ibrahim ibn Saʿd, on the authority of Ibn Shihab, related: ʿUmar ibn Usayd ibn Jariyah al-Thaqafi told me that Abu Hurayrah said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ dispatched ten men on a reconnaissance mission and placed ʿAsim ibn Thabit ibn Abi al-Aqlah al-Ansari in command of them. They travelled on until, when they reached al-Hadaʾah—between ʿUsfan and Mecca—a clan of Hudhayl called Banu Lihyan learned of their presence, and about one hundred archers set out in pursuit. Tracking their footprints, they came upon the date-pits from their food and said, ‘Dates from Yathrib,’ and kept on their trail. Realising they were being followed, ʿAsim and his companions sought refuge on a rocky rise—an elevated patch of ground—and the enemy surrounded them.”