been won by an advance of horses or riding camels. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, bestowed it upon His Messenger, peace be upon him, through the fear with which He had specially favoured him. He therefore did not divide it, but allocated it as Allah Most High commanded him.

In that year, Wādī al-Qurā was conquered. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left Khaybar and conquered it by force, dividing its spoils. A black youth named Midʿam was struck there by a stray arrow and killed. The account is related in full in al-Muwattaʾ.

In that year, the compensatory ʿumrah took place. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned from Khaybar to Medina, where he remained throughout the two months of Rabīʿ, the two months of Jumādā, Rajab, Shaʿbān, Ramadan and Shawwāl. During that time, he dispatched military detachments. Among these was the expedition of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀs to Dhāt al-Salāsil, on the approaches to Syria. We have mentioned some of its events in the fourth volume of our commentary on the Book of Miscellaneous Subjects in al-ʿUtbiyyah.

Then, in Dhū al-Qaʿdah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out for Mecca to perform ʿumrah, in accordance with his agreement with Quraysh at al-Hudaybiyyah. When Quraysh learned of this, their leading men left Mecca out of enmity towards Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, unable to bear the sight of him and his Companions circumambulating the House. He entered Mecca, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Allah enabled him to complete his ʿumrah. Some of the polytheists sat on Quʿayqiʿān watching the Muslims circumambulate the House. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, instructed them to move at a brisk trot so that the polytheists would see their vigour and strength, for they had said that the fever of Yathrib had weakened the Emigrants.

During that ʿumrah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married Maymūnah bint al-Hārith ibn Hazn al-Hilāliyyah, the maternal aunt of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās, whose sister Umm al-Fadl was married to al-ʿAbbās. It is said that he married her before entering the state of consecration for his ʿumrah; it is also said that he married her while in that state, and that he married her after leaving it. When the three days had elapsed, Quraysh sent word that he should leave Mecca, allowing him no further time to consummate the marriage there. He therefore departed, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and consummated his marriage to her at Sarif.

In that year, “he sent ʿAbd Allāh ibn Hudhāfah with a letter to Chosroes, ruler of Persia, who tore it apart. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘May Allah tear apart his kingdom!’ His supplication was answered.”