so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out and reached Safwān, near Badr. Kurz eluded him, so he returned to Medina without engaging in battle.

In this year, Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqās was dispatched with eight men from the Emigrants, reportedly in pursuit of Kurz ibn Jābir. He reached al-Harār and then returned.

In this year, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, dispatched ‘Abd Allāh ibn Jahsh with eight of the Emigrants. He gave him a letter and instructed him not to read it until two days had passed. The account of what happened on this expedition is lengthy. I have related it in the fourth volume of the compendium al-Bayān wa-l-Tahsīl, a commentary on al-‘Utbiyyah, and have therefore left the account there for anyone wishing to consult it.

In this year, the second expedition to Badr took place, through which Allah strengthened the religion and which Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mentioned in His clear revelation. The account of what happened there is lengthy; I have related its principal events in the fourth volume of al-Bayān wa-l-Tahsīl, a commentary on al-‘Utbiyyah.

In this year, the expedition against Banū Sulaym took place. Seven days after returning from Badr, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out against Banū Sulaym. He reached a watering place called al-Kudr, stayed there for three days, and then returned without engaging in battle.

In this year, the expedition of al-Sawīq took place. After turning back before Badr, Abū Sufyān ibn Harb called for an attack on the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He set out with two hundred mounted men and reached al-‘Urayd, on the outskirts of Medina. There he burned some palm trees and killed a man of the Ansār and an ally of his, whom he found working their field, before turning back. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out in pursuit, as did the Muslims. He reached Qarqarat al-Kudr, but Abū Sufyān and the polytheists eluded him. They had discarded large quantities of sawīq (roasted-grain meal) from their provisions to lighten their loads. The Muslims collected it, and the expedition was therefore named the expedition of al-Sawīq.