Expedition of Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri

The expedition of Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri took place in February 628AD, 10th month of 6AH of the Islamic calendar. The attack was directed at eight robbers who killed a Muslim. The Muslims captured the robbers and crucified them (according to the Islamic sources). The Quran verse 5:33 about the punishment of those who spread mischief in the land, was revealed in this event.

Background and attack

Eight members Banu Uraynah, a Bedouin tribe, came to Muhammad and embraced Islam. They stayed in Madinah but found its climate didn’t suit them, so they were asked to pitch their tents in the pastures nearby, and were given water to drink. They subsequently attacked Muhammad’s shepherd Yasar, a freed slave, killed him and then drove off the camels.

This news reached Muhammad, who sent a group of twenty Muslims led by Karz bin Jabir Al-Fihri on their track. The accused were brought back and handed over to Muhammad. He had their hands and feet cut off and their eyes gouged out with hot iron, in recompense for their behaviour, and then they were thrown on the stony ground until they died.

According to the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the eight men were killed "according to the law of equality" in Islam.

In this event, the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were revealed (5:33-5:39).

Criticism

The Non Muslim historian Sir William Muir, criticised this event and referred to it as the “Barbarous execution of eight robbers”, other critics have said that what happened here was that, "one Muslim was avenged eight times over”

Islamic primary sources

In this event, the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were revealed (5:33-5:39). It states:

The commentary of the famous Muslim Scholar and Quran commentator Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, is as follows:

The event is also mentioned in the Sunni Hadith collection, Sahih Bukhari as follows:

See also

• Muhammad as a general

Notes

1. ^ "Encyclopaedia of Islam". Retrieved 17 December 2014. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Mubarakpuri, Saifur Rahman Al (2005), The sealed nectar: biography of the Noble Prophet, Darussalam Publications, p. 396  (online)
3. ^ "Atlas Al-sīrah Al-Nabawīyah". Retrieved 17 December 2014. 
4. ^ "Atlas of the Qur'an". Retrieved 17 December 2014. 
5. ^ List of Battles of Muhammad
6. ^ "Encyclopaedia of Islam". Retrieved 17 December 2014. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} "The life of Mahomet". Retrieved 17 December 2014. 
8. ^ Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman, The Meaning and Explanation of the Glorious Qur'an (Vol 2) 2nd Edition, p. 392, MSA Publication Limited (2009), ISBN 1861797664
9. ^ ^{a b} "The life of Mahomet". Retrieved 17 December 2014. 
10. ^ Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzīyah (2002), Tafsir ibn Kathir, Mubarakpuri (See start of page 57), DarusSalam, p. 56 
11. ^ "Tafsir Ibn Kathir Juz' 6 (Part 6)". Retrieved 17 December 2014. 
12. ^ Yoel, Natan (2006), Moon-o-theism, critics:"one Muslim was avenged eight times over", Yoel Natan, Jewish Trinity, p. 174 
13. ^ Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman, The Meaning and Explanation of the Glorious Qur'an (Vol 2) 2nd Edition, p. 392, MSA Publication Limited (2009), ISBN 1861797664