sent Abdullah ibn Jahsh—the son of the Prophet’s paternal aunt, his father’s sister—during Jumada al-Akhirah, two months before the Battle of Badr, at the completion of seventeen months after his arrival in Medina. He sent with him eight men from among the Emigrants: Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri, Ukashah ibn Mihsan al-Asadi, Utbah ibn Ghazwan al-Sulami, Abu Hudhayfah ibn Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, Suhayl ibn Bayda', Amir ibn Rabi'ah, Waqid ibn Abdullah, and Khalid ibn Bukayr. He wrote a letter to their commander, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, and said to him: “Proceed in the name of Allah, but do not look in the letter until you have travelled for two days. Then, when you stop, open the letter and read it to your companions. Thereafter, carry out what I have commanded you, and do not compel any of your companions to travel with you.”

Abdullah travelled for two days, then stopped and opened the letter. It read: “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. To proceed: travel, with those of your companions who are with you, under the blessing of Allah, until you reach the valley of Nakhlah. There, lie in wait for a caravan of Quraysh; perhaps you may bring us something beneficial from it.” When he read the letter, he said, “I hear and obey.” He then told his companions what it contained and said, “He has forbidden me to compel any of you. So whoever desires martyrdom should set out, and whoever dislikes it may return.” He proceeded, and all his companions proceeded with him; none of them remained behind.

When they reached Ma'din, above al-Far', at a place in the Hijaz called Buhran, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Utbah ibn Ghazwan lost a camel which they took turns riding, and so they remained behind to look for it. Abdullah went on with the rest of his companions until they stopped in the valley of Nakhlah, between Mecca and Ta'if.

While they were there, a caravan of Quraysh passed by, carrying raisins, leather goods, and merchandise 34/A from the trade of Ta'if. Among them were Amr ibn al-Hadrami; al-Hakam ibn Kaysan, the freedman of Hisham ibn al-Mughirah; and Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn al-Mughirah and his brother Nawfal ibn Abdullah, both of the Makhzum clan. When they saw the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, they were frightened of them. Abdullah ibn Jahsh said, “The people have been alarmed by you, so shave the head of one of your men and let him appear before them.” They shaved Ukashah’s head, and he appeared before them. They said, “They are pilgrims; you have nothing to fear,” and so they felt safe from them.

This was on the last day of Jumada al-Akhirah. They thought it was still Jumada, whereas it was in fact Rajab. The group consulted one another and said, “If you leave them tonight, they will enter the Sacred Precinct and become inaccessible to you.” They therefore resolved to engage them. Waqid ibn Abdullah al-Sahmi shot Amr ibn al-Hadrami with an arrow and killed him. He was the first polytheist to be killed [and the first person killed after the Hijrah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, paid the blood money for Ibn al-Hadrami to his Qurayshi heirs. Mujahid and others said: This was because there was a treaty between the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and Quraysh: he had made a two-year truce with the people of Mecca, under which neither he would fight them nor they would fight him]. (1)

They captured al-Hakam and Uthman, and they were the first two captives in Islam. Nawfal escaped and eluded them. The believers drove off the caravan and brought it, along with the two captives, to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in Medina. Quraysh said, “Muhammad has deemed the sacred month lawful: he has shed blood in it and taken plunder.” The people of Mecca taunted the Muslims who were among them on account of this, saying, “O company of renegades—