Expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid (Banu Jadhimah)

Overview

Banu Jadhimah were notorious during the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) for their extreme violence and were infamously known as "the lickers of blood." Among those they reportedly killed were al-Fakih ibn al-Mughira and his brother, both uncles of Khalid ibn al-Walid, as well as the father of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. They were also responsible for the deaths of Malik ibn al-Sharid and his three brothers from Banu Sulaym in a single incident, along with others from various tribes.

In the year 8 of the Hijrah, Khalid was dispatched by Muhammad to invite the Banu Jadhimah to Islam. {{cite journal

Islamic sources

Primary sources

The expedition is mentioned in the Sunni hadith collection Sahih al-Bukhari as follows:

Muhammad Muhsin Khan stated in his book "The Translation of the Meanings Of Sahih Al-Bukhari" that Muhammad sent Khalid to fight the Banu Jadhima, using this hadith as a reference.

The event is also mentioned by the later Muslim Scholar Ibn Sa'd in his book "Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir", as follows:

Then (occurred) the sariyyah of Khalid Ibn al-Walid against Banu Jadhimah. A branch of Banu Kinanah, residing in Lower Makkah, at the distance of a day's (journey) towards Yalamlam in Shawwal of the eighth year from the hijrah of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him. It was the day of Procyon. They (narrators) said ; When Khalid Ibn al-Walid came back after the demolition of al-'Uzza and the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, was still staying at Makkah, he sent him to Bana Jadhimah to invite them to embrace Islam ; he....

[pg 183]his father: he said: I was with the horsemen who attacked Banu Jadhimah under the command of Khalid ibn al-Walid on the day of Procyon. We encountered one of their men with whom there were women. He began to fight us for them...

[pg 184]...related to me on the authority of his father; he said: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, sent us on the day of Nakhlah (when al-Uzza was demolished), and said: Slay the people as long as you do not hear a Mu'adhdhin or see a mosque

[Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir,By Ibn Sa'd, Pg 182-183]}}

Modern scholars

The Muslim scholar Muhammad Husayn Haykal (d. 1956), in his book "The Life of Muhammad", writes:

One of the Jadhimah tribesman said to his people: "Woe to you, Banu Jadhimah! Don't you know that this is Khalid? By God, nothing awaits you once you have laid down your arms except captivity, and once you have become captives you can expect nothing but death." Some of his people answered: "Do you seek to have us all murdered? Don't you know that most men have converted to Islam, that the war is over, and that security is reestablished?" Those who held this opinion continued to talk to their tribesmen until the latter surrendered their arms.

Thereupon, ibn al Walid ordered them to be bound, and he killed some of them.[Haykal, The Life of Muhammad, Pg 443]}}

The late James A. Bellamy, Professor Emeritus of Arabic Literature at the University of Michigan, wrote:

Interpretation from Scholars

According to Ibn Battal, Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra recounted an incident where Khalid ibn al-Walid misinterpreted the words of Banu Jadhimah. He said,

The reason they said this is that Quraysh used to call anyone who accepted Islam 'Sabee’ (one who has defected).' This word became commonly used among the disbelievers, so these people repeated it. Khalid understood it in its usual meaning, so the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) excused him for his interpretation and did not hold him accountable for it.}}

Ibn Battal further added,

The hadith supports this, as the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: ‘O Allah, I declare my innocence before You from what Khalid has done.’ His disavowal shows that Khalid’s killing of those who said ‘Saba’na’ was an incorrect ruling. Allah knows all languages and accepts faith from anyone who expresses it in their tongue. However, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) excused Khalid because he had a valid interpretation, and a person who errs in ijtihad is not punished or held sinful.}}

Al-Khattabi, too, provided insight into the matter, highlighting that Muhammad did not disavow Khalid's actions entirely but rather his haste and lack of verification. He explained,

So when Banu Jadhimah said ‘Saba’na,’ their words could have meant different things. They might have been saying they left their previous religion, but not necessarily for Islam—perhaps for Judaism or another belief. Since their statement was not a clear declaration of Islam, Khalid acted based on the original command to fight. They did not express their acceptance of Islam with an explicit statement that would ensure their safety. It is also possible that Khalid refrained from accepting their statement because he suspected that they deliberately avoided saying ‘Aslamna’ (We have embraced Islam) out of pride, refusing to submit outright. So, he did not take their words as a genuine conversion. This interpretation is supported by another incident: When Thumama ibn Uthal embraced Islam and entered Mecca for pilgrimage, the Quraysh mocked him, saying, ‘You have Saba’na (defected).’ But he replied, ‘No, I have submitted to Islam.’}}

Al-Tahawi and Ibn Taymiyyah both agreed that Khalid's mistake was a result of misjudgment rather than sin.

As Al-Tahawi stated,

Ibn Taymiyyah, while acknowledging the error, also emphasized that Khalid's leadership was not undermined by this mistake:

References

References

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4. "List of Battles of Muhammad".
5. Abu Khalil, Shawqi. (1 March 2004). "Atlas of the Prophet's biography: places, nations, landmarks". Dar-us-Salam.
6. [[Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad]]. (2011). "Genius of Khalid". Dār Nahḍ̣at Miṣr lil-Nashr.
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12. [http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/SM_tsn/ch6s6.html "He sent Khalid bin Al-Waleed in Ramadan 8 A.H", Witness-Pioneer.com] {{webarchive. link. (27 September 2011)
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16. [[Ibn Battal]]. ''Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari ''. Volume 5, p. 352.
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18. [[Al-Khattabi]]. ''A'lam al-Hadith''. Volume 3, p. 1764.
19. [[Al-Tahawi]]. ''Sharh Mushkil al-Athar''. Volume 8, p.270.
20. [[Ibn Taymiyya]]. ''Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah''. Volume 4, p.487.