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The Mission to Dhat Al-Salasil 
This expedition was named after the stream and the tract of 
land where the Muslim troops camped, and took place in Jamadi 
Al-Akhir, 8 A.H. 
The Pro-Roman stand of the Syrian Arabs during the 
engagement of Muta had proved to be nearly disastrous for the 
Muslims, and the Prophet decided that they had to be 
neutralised. To this end, one month after the encounter at Muta, 
he dispatched a delegation of three-hundred men under Amr bin 
Aas . Thirty horses were also sent with the men, whose mission 
was to win over the Bala clan, to which Amr’s paternal 
grandmother belonged. If they failed to secure a guarantee of 
neutrality in future conflicts, the Muslims were to launch a 
punitive strike against the Bala for siding with the Romans. 
As Amr and his men drew near Syria, they learned that the 
Syrians were already massing a sizeable army of their own. Amr 
sent for reinforcements, and the Prophet accordingly sent two 
hundred prominent fighters headed by Ubaydah bin Jarrah, but 
Amr bin Aas remained Commander-in-Chief and Imam.
After the arrival of the reinforcements, the Muslim troops 
overran a large area of Qadaa. When they came across an enemy 
detachment, they attacked, and the enemy scattered. 
The battle for Makkah 
In Ramadan 8 A.H., Allah honoured His Messenger with 
the conquest of Makkah. The event was the greatest victory in the 
history of the faith. Through it, Allah elevated and exalted His 
religion and His Prophet , and liberated His Sacred Mosque and 
His city from the infidels. The conquest of Makkah led to people 
entering Islam in multitudes. 
The seeds of the battle lay in the Treaty of Hudaybia. 
According to its terms, all parties were free to enter alliances with 
either the Quraysh or the Prophet . Accordingly Banu Khuzaa, 

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as previously mentioned, sided with the Muslims, while their 
rivals, the Banu Bakr, entered a pact with the Quraysh. 
The Banu Bakr and Banu Khuzaa had been feuding long 
before the advent of Islam and were in the midst of a rare 
peaceful interlude during the campaign of Hudaybia. With the 
mighty Quraysh on their side, the Banu Bakr decided to capitalise 
on their strength, and in Sha’ban, 8 A.H. they made a night raid 
on Banu Khuzaa as they camped at a spring called Wateer. Banu 
Bakr killed more than twenty men of Banu Khuzaa and drove the 
rest into Makkah. Contravening all rules, they fought them even 
inside the sacrosanct city with the support of the Quraysh, who 
clandestinely helped them with men and materials. 
Since Banu Khuzaa were bound in allegiance with the 
Muslims and some of their men had embraced Islam, they 
reported the clash to the Prophet , who assured them, “By 
Allah, we shall protect you with what we protect ourselves.” 
The Quraysh, on the other hand, knew they had transgressed 
greatly grew worried about the possible consequences of violating 
the treaty. They therefore sent Abu Sufyan bin Harb to Madinah 
to ratify the treaty and seek its extension. Abu Sufyan came to 
Madinah on a mission, and while he was there he visited his 
daughter, Umm Habeebah who was married to the Prophet . 
When Abu Sufyan made to sit on the Prophet’s bed, she rolled it 
up. His pride hurt, Abu Sufyan said, “O daughter, I cannot 
understand whether you think the bed is too good for me or that 
I am too good for the bed.” She replied, “The fact is, that it is the 
Prophet’s bed, and you are an unclean polytheist.” 
“By God,” said Abu Sufyan, stung at his daughter’s succinct 
and unflattering description of him, “Evil has come over you 
since you left me.” 
Abu Sufyan then went to the Prophet and talked to him 
about ratifying the treaty but did not receive a reply. Then he 
went to Abu Bakr and asked him to speak on his behalf to the 

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Prophet , but Abu Bakr refused. He then approached Umar , 
who not only rejected his offer, but also spoke to him rudely. Ali 
, when approached, pleaded his inability to intervene. He 
suggested that Abu Sufyan simply announce a general cessation of 
hostilities and leave. Abu Sufyan proceeded accordingly and 
returned to Makkah. 
The Prophet , on the other hand, had started preparations 
for war. He issued orders to his Companions and had the news 
announced among the Bedouins on the outskirts of Madinah, 
even as he enjoined secrecy. He prayed, “O Allah, confound the 
spies and the informers of the Quraysh so that we may take them 
by surprise in their own land.” 
In order to mislead the enemy, the Prophet sent Abu 
Qatadah towards Batn Adam so that everyone would assume 
he had that territory in mind. Hatib bin Abu Balta’a, however, 
wrote a letter to the Quraysh informing them that the Prophet
intended to attack Makkah. He handed over the letter to a 
woman, promising to pay her for delivering it to the Quraysh. 
The Prophet who had received divine revelation about 
Hatib’s treachery, sent off Ali, Miqdad, Zubayr and Abu Marthad 
Ghanwi in pursuit of the woman. He said to them, “Ride until 
you come to the meadow of Khakh. There you will find a woman 
travelling on a camel. She has a letter which you must take from 
her. 
They went off to find the woman, who denied having any 
such letter with her. Only after the men threatened to search her 
person did she draw the letter out from her tresses and hand it 
over to them. The company took the letter and returned to the 
Prophet who summoned Hatib. The Prophet said, “What’s this 
Hatib?” Hatib offered him this explanation, “I have my family in 
Makkah, but no kinsmen among the Quraysh so that they would 
protect my family. I have not done this to renounce Islam or to 
commit unbelief.” 

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Umar said furiously, “O Messenger of Allah, give me leave to 
cut off his head. He has committed breach of trust with Allah and 
His Prophet, and has turned Hypocrite.” 
The Prophet replied, “He was present at Badr, do you 
know Umar, perhaps Allah has looked favourably on those who 
were present at Badr and said to them, ‘Do as you wish for I have 
forgiven you.’” At these words, Umar dissolved into tears saying, 
“Allah and His Messenger know better.”