1856.] Alfred von Kremer's edition of Wakidy. 6S 



needed in carrying away the flocks of the inhabitants of Madynah. 

 The failure of Mohammad, and the success of his enemies must have 

 made a very unfavorable impression on the population of Madynah, 

 on the friends as well as the enemies of the Islam. Being driven 

 to extremities, he planned immediately on his return from the chace 

 of Kurz, towards the end of December, 623, a most desperate expe- 

 dition. 



It consisted of twelve men* who were mounted on half that num- 

 ber of dromedaries, two men riding one animal in turn. He first 

 offered the command over the party to Abu 'Obaydah,f and as he 

 refused to accept it, he appointed his own cousin 'Abd Allah b. Ja^sh 

 to it, whom he had employed on a similar occasion the preceding 

 year, and he conferred upon him, as long as the expedition lasted, 

 the title of Amyr Almuminyn "Leader of the Faithful" which was 

 subsequently assumed by the Khalifs. He did not communicate to 

 him the plan of the expedition, but gave him sealed orders with 



* Ibn Sa'd p. 99 and Wakidy apud J&bary. Ibn Isftak says that there were only 

 eight men, and he gives their names, viz. : 



1. Abu //odzayfah [Mohashshim or Hashim or Hoshaym or .Kays] b. 'Otbah 

 b. Raby'ah b. 'Abd Shams. 2. 'Okkashah b. MiAsan b. /iforthan, an ally of the 

 foanu Asad b. Khozaymah. 3. 'Otbah b. Grhazwan b. Jabir, an ally of the family 

 of Nawfal b. 'Abd Manaf. 4. Sa'd b. Aby Wa££as of the Zohrah family. 5 

 'Amir b. Raby'ah of the 'Anz b. Wayil tribe (i. e. an Anezah) and an ally of the 

 family of 'Ady b. Ka'b. 6. Wa£id b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd Manaf b. 'Aryn b. 

 Tha'labah b. Yarbu' of the Tamym tribe, an ally of the 'Ady family and more espe- 

 cially of 'Omar. 7. Khalid b. al-Bokayr of the band Sa'd b. Layth equally 

 an ally of the 'Ady family. 8. Sohayl b. Baydha or according to others his brother 

 Safwan b. Baydha of the band al-ilarith b. Fihr. From Ibn Sa'd we also glean the 

 name of al-Midad b. 'Amr, who seized al-.ffakam b. Kaysan and made him a pri- 

 soner. And Sodyy apud Tabary p. 238 mentions also 'Ammar b. Yasir and 'Amir 

 b. Fohayrah. This name, however, may be a mistake for 'Amir b. Raby'ah. In 

 Ibn 'Okbah apwd Ibn Sayyid alnas is 'Amir b. Ayas. 



f "The prophet dispatched a small party of men under the command of Abd 

 'Obaydah b- al-Jarraft. When Abu 'Obaydah took leave, his affection to the prophet 

 overcame him and he shed tears. MoAammad therefore, appointed another person 

 whose name is 'Abd Allah b. Ja/*sh Azdy" (Mo'tamir apud T&bary, p. 240). Wakidy, 

 p. 7, relates the same story, but he says that the name of the person to whom the 

 command had been offered, was 'Obaydah b. al-i/arith b. al-Mo//alib. 



K 



