[1856. Alfred von Kremers edition of Wafcidy. 69- 



The refusal of three of his stoutest adherents — 'Obaydah, Sa'd b. 

 Aby WaMas and 'Otbah — to take part in the sacrilege, leads us to 

 infer that it was committed by his orders.* This, however, he 



Makkah maintained that the robbery was committed in Sha'ban. — Wakidy states 

 that the attack took place on the last day of Jumada, and most original authorities 

 as Sodyy, Mo'tamir, &c. agree with him on this point though he contradicts himself 

 in p. 2, In page 8 we read, ' The party said to the prophet, we attacked them at 

 day time, in the evening we observed the new moon of Rajab. We therefore do 

 not exactly know whether we attacked them in Rajab or on the last day of Jamada.' 

 Ibn Sa'd says simply, u They were not certain what date it was : and whether it 

 was a day of the sacred month or not." Baghawy, in his zeal for the honor of 

 the Islam has been betrayed into a strange mistake. He says that they made the 

 attack on the last day of Jumada II. because they did not like to postpone till the 

 next day, for fear they might slip into the sacred territory. 



* In the Mocannaf Ibn Aby Shay bah, folio 346, occurs an important tradition 

 which proves that Mohammad did not scruple even the preceding year to violate 

 the sacred month : " When the prophet had come to Madynah the Johaynah paid 

 him a visit and said, You have settled in our rear, let us conclude a treaty that we 

 may have nothing to fear from you nor you from us. He concluded the treaty 

 with them though they did not embrace the Islam. In [the sacred month of] 

 Rajab, January, 623, the prophet sent us (the man who speaks is Sa'd b. Aby 

 Waqqa£) on a predatory expedition against a tribe of the Banu Kinanah [who were 

 in league with the Qorayshites] in the neighbourhood of the Johaynah. We 

 attacked them, but we were less than one hundred men strong, whereas they were 

 very numerous. We therefore, retreated to the Johaynah. They said, We hope you 

 did not fight in the sacred month. We answered We fight those in the sacred month 

 who have expelled us from the sacred territory. Upon this [the objections of the 

 Johaynah to protect persons who violated the sacred month] a discussion took 

 place among us, some said, Let us go to the prophet to inform him of what has 

 happened. Others insisted upon remaining and I [says Ibn Aby Waqqac] and 

 some others proposed to attack a .Kbrayshite caravan which was expected. We 

 told them at the same time that if we made any booty only those would have a 

 share in it who would take part in our expedition. We went to waylay the caravan 

 whilst the others returned to the prophet to consult him regarding the saciedness 

 of Rnjab. When they came to him he was in a great rage and said, " You left me 

 all united, and you return to me divided into parties. Division and party-spirit has 

 hitherto ruined the Arabs. I will now send a man who shall command you. He 

 surpasses all others in perseverance, and in bearing hunger and thirst. Upon this 

 he appointed 'Abd Allah b. JaAsh as our chief, and he was the first Amyr in the 

 Islam." I may add that Majady the Shaykh of the Johaynah did not allow them 

 to attack the caravan. This indignation of the Johaynah explains why Mohammad 



