Lihyān. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out to avenge ‘Āsim ibn Thābit, Habīb ibn ‘Adī, and their companions who had been killed at al-Rajī‘. He found that the enemy had taken precautions and sought refuge on the mountaintops. He continued with two hundred mounted men until he reached ‘Usfān, then sent two horsemen from among his Companions as far as Kurā‘ al-Ghamīm before they turned back. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then returned to Medina. During this expedition, the Ansār said, “Medina is far behind us, and we have travelled a great distance from it. We fear that our enemy may attack our families in our absence.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told them that angels stood at its approaches, with an angel guarding each approach by Allah’s command.

In the same year, the expedition of Dhū Qarad took place. “After returning from the expedition against Banū Lihyān, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed in Medina for only a few nights before ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn, accompanied by men of Banū ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ghatafān, raided Medina’s grazing livestock. They drove off some milk camels belonging to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at al-Ghābah, together with his she-camel al-‘Adbā’. A man of Banū Ghifār and his wife were tending them. The raiders killed the Ghifārī man and carried off the woman and the milk camels.

“The first to raise the alarm was Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘, who was heading towards al-Ghābah. Upon reaching a vantage point at Thaniyyat al-Wadā‘, he saw the unbelievers’ cavalry and shouted to warn the Muslims. The alarm spread through Medina, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rode out on a horse belonging to Abū Talhah, saying, ‘I found him to be a veritable sea of speed!’ The polytheists fled, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached a watering place called Dhū Qarad, where he remained for a day and a night.

“One night, when the raiders were asleep, the wife of the slain Ghifārī man got up. Every camel she touched bellowed, until she came to al-‘Adbā’, whom she found to be docile. She mounted her and vowed that, if Allah delivered her on this camel, she would slaughter her. When she reached Medina, the she-camel of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was recognized, and he was informed. He sent for her, and both the camel and the woman were brought to him. She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah!’—may Allah bless him and grant him peace, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: ‘How poorly you have repaid her! A vow involving disobedience must not be fulfilled, nor a vow concerning something a person does not own.’ He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took back his she-camel.”

In the same year, the expedition against Banū al-Mustaliq took place. He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, marched against them and raided them while they were off guard at