The raid on Amarr (), also known as the Raid on Ghatafan, occurred directly after the

Invasion of Sawiq The Invasion of Sawiq occurred after the Quraysh's defeat in the Battle of Badr. After suffering defeat at the Battle of Badr, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the Quraysh leader, vowed that he would not bathe until he avenged the results of that battle. Ab ...

in the year A.H. 3 of the Islamic calendar, March 625. The expedition was ordered by

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

after he received intelligence that the Banu Muharib and Banu Thalabah tribes were planning to raid the outskirts of

Madinah Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

. Therefore, Muhammad launched a pre-emptive strike with 450 men. When the enemies heard of the imminent arrival of Muhammad, they quickly fled. The Muslims also captured a man who later converted to Islam and acted as their guide. This event is mentioned in

Ibn Hisham Abu Muhammad Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham ibn Ayyub al-Himyari (; died 7 May 833), known simply as Ibn Hisham, was a 9th-century Abbasid historian and scholar. He grew up in Basra, in modern-day Iraq and later moved to Egypt. Life Ibn Hisham has ...

's biography of Muhammad, and other historical sources.Ibn Hisham 2/44 and 45. Note: Book contains a list of battles of Muhammad in Arabic, English translation availabl
here
/ref>

Background

A month after the

, Muhammad learnt that some clans of the

Ghatafan The Ghaṭafān () were an Arab tribal confederation originally based northeast of Medina. The main branches of the Ghatafan were the tribes of Banu Abs, Banu Dhubyan and Ashja'. They were one of the Arab tribes that interacted with Muhammad. Th ...

tribesmen had gathered troops at Dhu Amar in Nejd. So, Muhammad led an expedition of 450 fighters to search out the enemy and disperse them. He left

Uthman Uthman ibn Affan (17 June 656) was the third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruling from 644 until his assassination in 656. Uthman, a second cousin, son-in-law, and notable companion of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, played a major role ...

in charge of Medina. This was the largest military exercise led by Muhammad prior to the

Battle of Uhud The Battle of Uhud () was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Mount Uhud near Medina on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH). After the expulsion of Hijrah, Muslims from ...

Raid

However, the enemy got wind of Muhammad's departure and took to hiding. Muhammad's army was able to capture one man who gave information about the Ghatafan's hideout. The enemy soon heard of Muhammad's approach and they took sanctuary on the tops of the hills.

Attempted assassination

Attempted assassination in Quran

According to the Muslim scholar Sami Strauch, it is reported in

Sahih Bukhari () is the first hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam. Compiled by Islamic scholar al-Bukhari () in the format, the work is valued by Sunni Muslims, alongside , as the most authentic after the Qur'an. Al-Bukhari organized the bo ...

that it was raining, and Muhammad took his garments off and hung them on a tree to dry, while the enemy was watching,

Ghwarath ibn al-Harith Ghawrath ibn al-Harith also known as Du'thar ibn al-Harith was a companion (Sahaba) of Muhammad. He was the first person to try to assassinate Muhammad during the Invasion of Dhi Amr. Assassination attempt According to Muslim scholar Sami Stra ...

went to attack Muhammad. He threatened Muhammad with his sword and said "Who will protect you from me on this day?" Then according to Muslim scholars the Angel

Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

came and thumped Ghawrath in the chest and forced him to drop his sword. Muhammad then picked up the sword and said "Who will protect you from me?" Ghawrath replied: "No one, and I testify there is no God worthy of worship but Allah" and he then converted to Islam. The Quran says regarding this incident: Muhammad spent 11 days on this expedition and then returned to Medina.

Attempted assassination in Hadith

Sahih al Bukhari mentions this incident:

Attempted assassination in Biographical literature

This incident is also mentioned in

Ibn Sa'd Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Sa‘d ibn Manī‘ al-Baṣrī al-Hāshimī or simply Ibn Sa'd () and nicknamed ''Scribe of Waqidi'' (''Katib al-Waqidi''), was a scholar and Arabian biographer. Ibn Sa'd was born in 784/785 CE (168 AH) and di ...

Kitab Al-tabaqat Al-Kabir, Volume 2.{{cite book, last=Sa'd, first=Ibn, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_vnXAAAAMAAJ&q=dried, title=Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir,By Ibn Sa'd,Volume 2, year=1967, publisher=Pakistan Historical Society, asin=B0007JAWMK, pages=40, quote=So the apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, put off his two garments and spread them on a tree to be dried and lay himself down (for rest). In the meantime a man from the enemy called Du'that ibn al-Harith came with a sword"

Notes

624 Campaigns led by Muhammad Angelic apparitions