~Monday, 2 Sha'ban 5 AH · 5 AHDate debatedIbn Ishaq, al-Tabari, and Ibn al-Athir date it to the 6th year of the Hijrah; Ibn Sa'd, al-Zuhri, Ibn Hajar, and Ibn Kathir date it to the 5th year (the same month as Hasan RA's birth); a minority date it to the 4th year. Since Sa'd ibn Mu'adh RA, who died shortly after the Battle of Khandaq (5 AH), plays an important role in the subsequent Slander of Aisha RA incident, the 5th-year dating is judged strongest; the "4th year" that al-Bukhari attributes to Musa ibn Uqbah is, as Ibn Hajar notes, probably a slip of the pen, since Musa ibn Uqbah's own Maghazi gives the 5th year.
Dating debated
Ibn Ishaq, al-Tabari, and Ibn al-Athir date it to the 6th year of the Hijrah; Ibn Sa'd, al-Zuhri, Ibn Hajar, and Ibn Kathir date it to the 5th year (the same month as Hasan RA's birth); a minority date it to the 4th year. Since Sa'd ibn Mu'adh RA, who died shortly after the Battle of Khandaq (5 AH), plays an important role in the subsequent Slander of Aisha RA incident, the 5th-year dating is judged strongest; the "4th year" that al-Bukhari attributes to Musa ibn Uqbah is, as Ibn Hajar notes, probably a slip of the pen, since Musa ibn Uqbah's own Maghazi gives the 5th year.
The Banu al-Mustaliq, allies of the Quraysh who had fought against the Muslims at Uhud, lived at the pond of al-Muraysi' between Makkah and Madinah. After hearing that their chieftain al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar was planning a surprise attack, the Prophet ﷺ sent Buraydah ibn al-Husayb RA to confirm the rumor by posing as a Bedouin wanting to join the raid; Buraydah then slipped away by night to report back. The Prophet ﷺ rallied over 700 sahaba, 30 of them fully mounted and armed, and launched a complete surprise dawn attack while the tribe was unprepared: women collecting water, children playing outside. The tribe surrendered almost immediately. Because the expedition looked so safe, many munafiqun, including Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, joined for the first time, having stayed away from Badr and Uhud.
Outcome: Over 2,000 camels, 5,000 sheep, and 1,000 people of the Banu al-Mustaliq were taken as war booty and captives, mostly women and children; only a handful of the tribe died. The Muslims suffered no combat casualties, but one Muhajir, Hisham ibn Subaba RA, was accidentally killed by an Ansari who mistook him for an enemy.
Ghazwa al-Muraysi' matters less for the battle itself than for what followed it: the Slander of Aisha RA on the return journey, the Prophet ﷺ's marriage to Juwayriyya bint al-Harith RA, and the revelation of Surah al-Munafiqun.
A scuffle at a well on the return march set the Muhajirun and Ansar against each other.
The slander began on the return march from al-Muraysi', when Aisha RA was left behind by the caravan.
Her father al-Harith and his tribe accepted Islam in the wake of the expedition.
Juwayriyya was among the captives of al-Muraysi'; the Prophet ﷺ married her and the Muslims freed her people.
Other events recorded in 5 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
I accepted the blood money for my brother Hisham's death, then killed the Ansari who had killed him, and rode back to Makkah with the camels.
I have heard that you are launching an attack against the Muslims, I want to join so I can get a share of the booty.
Buraydah posed as a Bedouin wanting to join al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar's planned raid, sent by the Prophet ﷺ to confirm reports that the Banu al-Mustaliq were preparing to attack the Muslims.
Yes, it's true. And you can join us.