انتقل رسول الله ﷺ إلى المدينة المنورة، فشرع فوراً في تطبيق الأحكام الإسلامية في المجتمع. وفي هذه الفترة نزل الوحي المتعلق بالتشريع. فقوّى ﷺ أسس الدولة الإسلامية، وبنى المجتمع على أساس الإسلام ونظمه. وآخى بين المسلمين ﷺ، ومن ذلك الحين عاش الإسلام نظاماً قائماً على الشريعة، تبناه مجتمع تولّى مهمة نشر رسالته. وازداد عدد المسلمين ازدياداً كبيراً، وصاروا قوةً يُحسب لها حساب، فكان الأفراد والجماعات يدخلون في الإسلام يوماً بعد يوم، ومنهم اليهود وغيرهم.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) settled in Madinah, where he at once began to implement the Islamic rules in the society. It was at this time that the Revelation concerning legislation descended. He (pbuh) strengthened the fundamentals of the Islamic State and built the society on the basis of Islam and its systems. He (pbuh) created a brotherhood amongst the Muslims and it was then that Islam came to life as a system based on the Shari’ah, adopted by a society that took on the task of spreading its Message. The number of Muslims substantially increased and they became a force to be reckoned with, individuals and groups alike embraced Islam every other day, amongst them Jews and others.

لَمَّا اطْمَأَنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَلَى وَضْعِ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ، بَدَأَ يُفَكِّرُ فِي نَشْرِ الرِّسَالَةِ خَارِجَهَا إِلَى بَقِيَّةِ جَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِ. غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا تُشَكِّلُ عَقَبَةً هَائِلَةً فِي طَرِيقِ الدَّعْوَةِ، عَقَبَةً مَادِّيَّةً لَا تُجْدِي فِيهَا وَسَائِلُ النِّقَاشِ الْفِكْرِيِّ، إِذْ تَذْهَبُ أَدْرَاجَ الرِّيَاحِ. لِذَلِكَ كَانَ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ تُذَلَّلَ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَةُ بِالْقُوَّةِ.

Once the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was confident about the status of Islam in Madinah, he began to think about spreading the Message outside to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. However, he knew that Quraysh formed a formidable obstacle in the way of the Da’wah, a material obstacle where the means of intellectual discussion would fall on deaf ears. Therefore, the obstacle would have to be overwhelmed by force.

لم يتمكن رسول الله ﷺ من إزالة هذه العقبة المادية وهو في مكة، لأن الإسلام لم يكن له دولة قادرة على توليد القوة المادية اللازمة لإزالة تلك العقبة. ولكن منذ قيام الدولة الإسلامية، تمكن رسول الله ﷺ من العمل على إزالة مثل هذه العقبات المادية بالوسائل الكبيرة المتاحة له الآن. ومع توفر وسائل تنفيذ هذه السياسة لديه، لم يكن عليه إلا أن يُعِدّ الجيش والحرب، وأن يتبنى سياسة جديدة لنشر الدعوة. ولهذا السبب بعث ﷺ السرايا والغزوات، شارك في بعضها بنفسه، ليتحدى قريشاً بإظهار القوة. وكانت آخر هذه السرايا سرية عبد الله بن جحش، التي كانت بمثابة تمهيد لغزوة بدر.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was unable to remove this material obstacle when he was in Makkah because Islam did not have a State capable of generating the required material force necessary to remove that obstacle. However, since the establishment of the Islamic State, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was able to work to remove such material obstacles by considerable means now at his disposal. With the means to enforce such a policy now available to him, all he (pbuh) had to do was to prepare the army and war, and adopting a new policy to spread the Da’wah. This is the reason why he (pbuh) initiated expeditions and raids, some of which he took part in personally, so as to defy Quraysh with a show of force. The last expedition was that of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh which served as an introduction to the battle of Badr.

أرسل رسول الله ﷺ عبدالله بن جحش في سرية من المهاجرين في شهر رجب من السنة الثانية للهجرة. وكتب له كتابًا، وأمره ألا ينظر فيه حتى يسير يومين، ثم يعمل بما فيه، ولا يستكره أحدًا من أصحابه. فلما سار عبدالله يومين فتح الكتاب وقرأه، فإذا فيه: «إذا نظرتَ في كتابي هذا فامضِ حتى تنزل نخلة بين مكة والطائف، فترصد بها قريشًا، وتعلم لنا من أخبارهم». فقال لأصحابه بالكتاب والمهمة التي كُلّف بها، وأخبرهم كذلك بوصية رسول الله ﷺ ألا يُكرِه أحدًا منهم.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sent ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh out with a group of Muhajireen during the month of Rajab in the second year of Hijra. He (pbuh) wrote him a letter, and ordered him not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days whereupon he should act on its instructions, but he should not put pressure on any of his companions. When ‘Abdullah had traveled for two days he opened the letter and read it, this is what it said, “When you have read this letter of mine, proceed until you reach Nakhlah between Makkah and Ta’if. Lie there for the Quraysh and find out for us what they are up to.” He told his companions about the letter and the task assigned to him, he also informed them about Allah’s Messenger’s instructions not to put any pressure on anyone.

فَوَافَقُوا جَمِيعًا عَلَى المُضِيِّ، فَتَابَعَ مَسِيرَهُ مَعَ أَصْحَابِهِ. وَسَارُوا مَعًا جَمَاعَةً حَتَّى انْفَصَلَ سَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَعُتْبَةُ بْنُ غَزْوَانَ حِينَ ذَهَبَا يَبْحَثَانِ عَنِ البَعِيرِ الَّذِي أَضَلَّاهُ، فَوَقَعَا فِي النِّهَايَةِ أَسِيرَيْنِ فِي أَيْدِي قُرَيْشٍ. وَنَزَلَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَحْشٍ بِنَخْلَةَ يَرْصُدُ قُرَيْشًا، وَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ هُنَاكَ مَرَّتْ بِهِمْ عِيرٌ لِقُرَيْشٍ تَحْمِلُ تِجَارَةً. فَتَشَاوَرَ عَبْدُ اللهِ وَأَصْحَابُهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ لِيَقْرِرُوا مَاذَا يَفْعَلُونَ، لأَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ آخِرَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَجَبٍ الحَرَامِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَدْ أَصْدَرَ أَيَّ تَعْلِيمَاتٍ بِشَأْنِ القِتَالِ. فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: «وَاللهِ إِنْ تَرَكْتُمُوهُمُ اللَّيْلَةَ دَخَلُوا الحَرَمَ فَأَمِنُوا مِنْكُمْ، وَإِنْ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ فِي الشَّهْرِ الحَرَامِ». وَقَدْ تَرَدَّدُوا أَوَّلَ الأَمْرِ وَخَافُوا أَنْ يُهَاجِمُوهُمْ، ثُمَّ شَجَّعَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا وَقَرَّرُوا القِتَالَ. فَرَمَى أَحَدُ المُسْلِمِينَ قَائِدَ العِيرِ عَمْرَو بْنَ الحَضْرَمِيِّ فَقَتَلَهُ. وَأَسَرَ المُسْلِمُونَ اثْنَيْنِ، وَسَاقُوا العِيرَ إِلَى المَدِينَةِ.

They all agreed to continue and so he proceeded with his companions. They traveled together as a group until Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan became separated when they went to look for the camel they had lost. Eventually they were to fall prisoners to the Quraysh. ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh camped in Nakhlah watching out for the Quraysh and while there one of their caravans carrying merchandise passed by. ‘Abdullah and his companions took council among themselves to decide what to do because this was the last day of the sacred month of Rajab and Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had not issued any instructions about fighting. They said to each other, “By Allah, if you leave them alone tonight they will get into the sacred area and will be safe from you, and if you kill them, you will kill them in the sacred month.” At first they were hesitant and feared to attack them. Then they encouraged each other and decided to fight. One of the Muslims shot the leader of the caravan ‘Amr ibn al Hadrami and killed him. The Muslims took two prisoners and escorted the caravan to Madinah.

لَمَّا جَاؤُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُمْ: «مَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِالْقِتَالِ فِي الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ». ثُمَّ أَوْقَفَ ﷺ أَمْرَ العِيرِ وَالْأَسِيرَيْنِ، فَلَمْ يَأْخُذْ مِنْهُمْ شَيْئًا. وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ خَاتِمَةَ سَرِيَّةِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ جَحْشٍ، التِي بَعَثَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِيَرْصُدَ قُرَيْشًا، فَأَدَّتْ بِهِ إِلَى القِتَالِ وَالْقَتْلِ وَأَسْرِ بَعْضِ رِجَالِهِمْ، وَأَخْذِ العِيرِ غَنِيمَةً فِي الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ. فَمَا الحُكْمُ الشَّرْعِيُّ فِي هَذَا الفِعْلِ؟ هَذَا هُوَ مَا أَهَمَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ، وَلِذَلِكَ أَوْقَفَ الأَسِيرَيْنِ وَالغَنِيمَةَ، يَنْتَظِرُ الحُكْمَ مِنَ اللهِ تَعَالَى فِي المَسْأَلَةِ. وَاتَّخَذَتْ قُرَيْشٌ هَذِهِ الحَادِثَةَ فُرْصَةً لِلدِّعَايَةِ ضِدَّ الإِسْلَامِ وَمُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، فَأَشَاعُوا بَيْنَ العَرَبِ جَمِيعًا أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ وَأَصْحَابَهُ قَدِ انْتَهَكُوا حُرْمَةَ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ، وَسَفَكُوا الدِّمَاءَ، وَاسْتَوْلَوْا عَلَى الأَمْوَالِ، وَأَسَرُوا النَّاسَ. وَوَقَعَ جِدَالٌ بِمَكَّةَ بَيْنَ قُرَيْشٍ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ الَّذِينَ بَقُوا فِيهَا، فَرَدَّ المُسْلِمُونَ بِأَنَّ إِخْوَانَهُمْ هَاجَمُوا العِيرَ فِي شَعْبَانَ لَا فِي رَجَبٍ، لَكِنَّ هَذَا الرَّدَّ لَمْ يَكُنْ كَافِيًا وَلَمْ يُوقِفِ الدِّعَايَةَ الَّتِي أَطْلَقَتْهَا قُرَيْشٌ ضِدَّ الإِسْلَامِ. وَتَلَقَّفَ اليَهُودُ الحَمْلَةَ أَيْضًا، فَأَخَذُوا يَعِيبُونَ فِعْلَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ جَحْشٍ وَيَشْنَعُونَ عَلَيْهِ. وَأَثَّرَتِ الدِّعَايَةُ فِي المُسْلِمِينَ، وَظَلَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ صَامِتًا يَنْتَظِرُ الوَحْيَ وَحُكْمَ اللهِ فِي الأَمْرِ، حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللهُ تَعَالَى فِي سُورَةِ البَقَرَةِ:

When they came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) he said to them, “I did not order you to fight in the sacred month.” Then he (pbuh) put on hold the issue of the caravan and the two prisoners refusing to take anything from them. That was the conclusion of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s expedition whom the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had sent to watch the Quraysh, but instead had led to fighting, killing, and imprisoning some of thier men and taking the caravan as booty during the sacred month. So what would be the Islamic verdict on this action? This is what concerned Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) and hence that is the reason why he held the prisoners and the booty in suspense, to wait for the verdict from Allah (swt) on the matter. The Quraysh grabbed the opportunity of using the issue as a source of propaganda against Islam and Muhammad (pbuh). They trumpeted among all the Arabs that Muhammad (pbuh) and his Sahabah had violated the sacred month, shed blood, seized properties and imprisoned people. Arguments arose in Makkah between the Quraysh and the Muslims who had remained there, and in reply the Muslims said that their brothers had attacked the caravan in Sha’ban and not Rajab, but their response was not enough and failed to quell the propaganda launched by the Quraysh against Islam. The Jews picked up on the campaign as well and began disgracing and slandering ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s action. The propaganda took its toll on the Muslims, meanwhile Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) kept silent awaiting the Revelation and Allah’s verdict on the affair until Allah (swt) revealed in Surah al-Baqarah:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِندَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَن دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا ۚ [سورۃ البقرہ، 2:217]

“They ask you concerning fighting in the sacred months. Say, “Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) in the sight of Allah is to prevent mankind from following the way of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid-al-Haram, and to drive out its inhabitants, and ‘Al-Fitnah’ is worse than killing. And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your deen (Islam) if they can.” [Al-Baqarah, 2:217].

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فَرِحَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ، فَمَضَى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَسَّمَ الْغَنِيمَةَ مِنَ الْعِيرِ، وَفَادَى الْأَسِيرَيْنِ بِسَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ الزُّهْرِيِّ وَعُتْبَةَ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ. وَجَاءَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَاتُ صَفْعَةً عَلَى وَجْهِ دِعَايَةِ قُرَيْشٍ ضِدَّ الْإِسْلَامِ. وَأَجَابَ الْقُرْآنُ عَنْ سُؤَالِ قُرَيْشٍ فِي شَأْنِ الْقِتَالِ فِي الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ، فَأَقَرَّ بِأَنَّ الْقِتَالَ فِيهِ ذَنْبٌ، لَكِنَّ الصَّدَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجَ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنَ الْقِتَالِ وَالْقَتْلِ فِي الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ.

When this verse was revealed the Muslims rejoiced and Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) then proceeded to distribute the booty from the caravan and exchange the two prisoners for Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan. These verses came as a slap in the face of the Quraysh’s propaganda against Islam. The Qur’an answered the Quraysh’s question concerning fighting in the sacred month, agreeing that fighting is a sin, but keeping people back from the way of the sacred Masjid and driving its people away from it was far more serious than fighting and killing in the sacred month.

كان اضطهاد قريش للمسلمين بسبب دينهم، بالتهديد والتعذيب والاضطهاد، أشدّ وأعظم جرمًا من القتال والقتل في الشهر الحرام، أو في أي شهر آخر. فقد قاتلت قريش المسلمين بلا هوادة، سعيًا منها إلى صرفهم عن دينهم، ولذلك كان للمسلمين الحق في قتال قريش في الشهر الحرام، ولم يكن عليهم في ذلك أي تثريب. بل إن قريشًا هي التي ارتكبت الجرم الأعظم، إذ وقفت في سبيل الدعوة الإسلامية، وصدّت الناس عن سبيل الله، وكفرت بالله، وأخرجت أهل المسجد الحرام منه، واضطهدت المسلمين. وكانت تستحق أن تُقاتَل في كل شهر وفي كل وقت، حرامًا كان أو غيره. ولذلك فإن القتال الذي بدأه عبد الله بن جحش ضد قريش لم يكن عارًا عليه ولا على المسلمين.

The Quraysh’s actions of oppressing the Muslims for their Deen by threatening, torturing and persecuting them was far worse than fighting and killing in the sacred month, or any other month for that matter. The Quraysh had relentlessly fought them in an attempt to turn them back from their Deen, therefore the Muslims were entitled to fight the Quraysh in the sacred month and nothing could be held against them. It was the Quraysh who were committing the graver offense by standing in the way of the Islamic Da’wah, by keeping people back from the way of Allah, by disbelieving in Allah, driving out the people from the sacred Masjid and persecuting the Muslims. They deserved to be fought in any and every month, sacred or otherwise. The fight that ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh initiated against the Quraysh was therefore neither a disgrace to him nor to the Muslims.

وهكذا كانت سريّة عبد الله بن جحش نقطة تحوّل في تاريخ الإسلام، إذ مثّلت تغيّرًا عميقًا في السياسة التي تُدار بها الدعوة الإسلامية. فقد رمى واقد بن عبد الله التميمي قائد القافلة فقتله، وكان هذا أول دم أراقه المسلمون في سبيل الله (سبحانه وتعالى). وقبل نزول آيات الجهاد التي تأمر المسلمين بالقتال، لم يكن القتال في الأشهر الحرم مباحًا. أما من ذلك الحين فقد تغيّرت الأحكام، فنُسخ المنع السابق من القتال في الأشهر الحرم بخصوص الآية المذكورة آنفًا.

Thus, the expedition of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh was a turning point in the history of Islam. It marked a profound change of policy in the way that the Islamic Da’wah was to be conducted. Waqid ibn ‘Abdullah al-Tamimi shot the leader of the caravan and killed him. This was the first blood the Muslims shed in the way of Allah (swt). Until the verses of Jihad were revealed commanding the Muslims to fight; armed combat during the sacred months had been unauthorized. From that time on though the rules were different. Thus the previous prevention against fighting in the sacred months was abrogated by the specificity of the above mentioned verse.