The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

IMAM ABB AL-FIDA' ISMA~IL IBN KATH~R 233
He then related how Zayd b. Arqam was asked how many military expeditions
the Messenger of God (SAAS) had sent. He replied, 'LThere were 19, in 17 of
which he participated; the &st of these was to al-Wsayra (or al-Wshayra)."
An account will follow in the sequel of the expedition to al-Wshayra, if God
wills it, and in Him is all trust, along with the chains of authority and words used
in reporting on it as well as comments about it.
Al-Bukhari stated, in his jahih collection from Burayda, "The Messenger of
God (SAAS) set in motion 16 military expeditions."
Muslim quoted Burayda as saying that he accompanied the Messenger of God
(SAAS) on 16 expeditions. He also quotes him as saying that the Messenger of
God (SAAS) organized 19 expeditions and himself fought in 8 of them.
Al-Husayn b. Waqid stated, from Ibn Burayda, from his father, that the
Messenger of God (SAAS) organized 17 expeditions and fought in 8, those at
Badr, Uhud, al-Ahzah, al-Muraysi: Qudayd, Khaybar, Mecca and Hunayn, and
that he sent out 24 raids.
Ya'qiib b. Sufyan stated, "Muhammad h. Wthmm al-Dimashqi al-Taniikhi
related to us, quoting al-Haytham b. Humayd, quoting al-Nu'm from Makhal,
that the Messenger of God (SAAS) organized 18 expeditions and himself fought
in 8. The first of these was at Badr, followed by mud, al-AbSb, Qurayza, Bilr
Ma'iina, that against the Banii al-Mugaliq of Khm'a, Khaybar, Mecca, Hunayn
and al-Tx'if."
His placing that of Bi'r Ma'iina after that of Qurayza is open to dispute. The
truth is that it followed Uhud, as will be shown.
Ya'qiib stated that Salama b. Shabih related to him, from 'Abd al-Razzaq,
from Ma'mar, from al-Zuhri, (who stated) "I heard Sa'id b. al-Musayyab say,
'The Messenger of God (SAAS) organized 18 expeditions.' But on another
occasion I heard him say 24. I don't know whether this was mere fancy or something
he heard later."
Al-Tabrmi recounted from al-Dabari, from 'Abd al-Razz~q, from Ma'mar,
from al-Zuhri, who said, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) organized 24 expeditions."
'Abd al-Rahman h. Humayd stated in his hadith collection, "Sa'id b. Sallam
related to us, quoting Zakariyyal h. Ishaq and Aba al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who
said, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) organized 21 expeditions."'
Al-H&im recounted, through Hishm, from Qatsda, that the expeditions and
night raids organized by the Messenger of God (SAAS) totalled 43. Al-Hakim
then commented, L'Perhaps he meant raids apart from the military expeditions,
for in the work al-Iklil (Three Bnght Stars) more than 100 raids of the Messenger
of God (SAAS) are arranged in order."
He went on, "A reliable scholar of Bukhaa told me he had read in the work
of Abii 'Abd Allah Muhammad b. Nasr that the raids and delegations sent out
totalled some 70, not counting the actual battles."
This information related by al-H&im is very strange; and the statements he
attributes in them to Qtada are controversial.