Ghazwa Dhat al-Riqa

In brief

Ghazwa Dhat al-Riqa was an expedition of seven hundred men that the Prophet ﷺ led against the Ghatafan, a large Bedouin tribe to the north who were preparing to raid Madinah. Ibn Ishaq places it in Sha'ban 4 AH, though al-Bukhari puts it after Khaybar. The two sides camped within sight of each other for a week or two, Ghatafan never attacked, and the army went home without a blow struck. The expedition is remembered instead for what happened around it. The prayer of fear, Salat al-Khawf, was revealed there, letting an army pray in shifts without lowering its guard. On the way home a Bedouin found the Prophet ﷺ asleep under a tree and woke him with his own sword; asked who would protect him now, the Prophet ﷺ answered "Allah", the sword fell from the man's hand, and he was let go and went home a sworn non-combatant. That night Abbad ibn Bishr RA, on watch, took two arrows rather than break off the surah he was reciting. And the Prophet ﷺ found young Jabir RA grieving at the tail of the army on a worn-out camel, comforted him, bought the camel from him, and the next morning gave him both the money and the camel.

Outcome: No battle was fought; Ghatafan withdrew and the army returned to Madinah. The procedure of Salat al-Khawf was revealed, Ghawrath went home a sworn non-combatant calling the Prophet ﷺ the best of men, and Jabir came home with money for his sisters and his camel besides.