After the migration of the Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him - and his noble companions from Mecca to Medina, they left all their wealth in Mecca, which was seized by the disbelievers of the Quraysh. However, it was necessary to migrate and settle in Medina to provide an opportunity for the Prophet - peace be upon him - to spread the Islamic call away from the atmosphere of Mecca, which was filled with Quraysh's conspiracies against the Prophet and the Muslims.
Additionally, this migration aimed to establish the Islamic state and begin spreading the Islamic call beyond the Arabian Peninsula. Therefore, it was essential for the Muslims to undertake a series of expeditions to achieve stability in Medina and to strengthen the economic power of the Muslims. One of these expeditions was the Battle of Buwat, and in this article, the events of the Battle of Buwat will be mentioned.
Reasons for the Battle of Buwat
The Prophet - peace be upon him - adopted various strategies to spread the Islamic message and confront the Quraysh. Among these confrontations was the economic confrontation aimed at recovering some of the wealth of the migrant Muslims that had been seized by the Quraysh. It also aimed to create a means of pressure on the polytheists, forcing them to modify their treatment of the Muslims, especially after the Prophet - peace be upon him - had laid the foundations of the Islamic state. The environment was now conducive to confronting the Quraysh and plan to strike their economy by targeting the Quraysh trade caravans that traveled between Mecca and the lands of Syria.
Through this, the Muslims could reclaim a portion of their wealth that the Quraysh had taken. To achieve this economic plan, it was necessary to undertake a series of expeditions, and these expeditions took place before the Great Battle of Badr. They served as preliminary expeditions leading up to a decisive battle. Thus, the Battle of Buwat (Ghazwat Buwat), which was mainly motivated by the recovery of wealth from the Quraysh, took place.
Objectives of the Battle of Buwat
As previously mentioned, the primary objective of the Battle of Buwat was economics. The aim was to intercept the Quraysh trade caravans led by Amr ibn Khalaf al-Jumahi and attempt to cut off their route. This was done in an effort to recover a portion of the wealth of the Muslims in Mecca, which had been seized by the disbelievers of the Quraysh.
The goal was to create a means of pressure on the Quraysh and pave the way for larger military campaigns. The smaller expeditions, like the Battle of Buwat, served as a prelude to more significant engagements, such as the major Battle of Badr, which ended in victory for the Muslims over the Quraysh.
The Location and Date of the Battle of Buwat
The first military expedition led by the Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him - was the battle of Al-Abwa, followed by the Battle of Buwat, and then the battle of Al-Ushayra. The Battle of Buwat took place in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, in the second year of the Islamic calendar (Hijri), before the major Battle of Badr. During this expedition, the Prophet - peace be upon him - set out with a group of his companions to intercept a Quraysh caravan that contained wealth and goods belonging to the Quraysh. The leader of this caravan was Amr ibn Khalaf.
The location of the Battle of Buwat was in the region of Buwat, which is a part of the Juhaynah Mountains in the area of Radwa. The battle was named after this region, as it was where the Muslims gathered to intercept the Quraysh caravan.
The Muslim and Quraysh Forces
In the Battle of Buwat, the number of Muslim forces was approximately two hundred men, in addition to the Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him. The Prophet - peace be upon him - led the Muslims on this expedition to intercept the Quraysh trade caravan. In Medina, the companion Sa'd ibn Mu'adh served as the acting leader.
The flag-bearer for the Muslim forces was the companion Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas - may Allah be pleased with him. However, upon arriving at the Buwat area, the Muslims did not encounter any of the polytheists. The Quraysh caravan had managed to make its way to Mecca, and there was no presence of the caravan or the Quraysh disbelievers at that time.
As a result, no actual combat took place between the Muslims and the polytheists in this expedition. The Muslims returned to Medina without engaging in battle. It's worth noting that the Quraysh forces were composed of approximately two thousand and one hundred men and five hundred camels.
Events of the Battle of Buwat
The objective of the Battle of Buwat was the same as that of the Battle of Waddan, which was an attempt to recover the wealth of the emigrant Muslims that had been seized by the polytheists of Mecca. It's worth noting that the Battle of Waddan is also known as the Expedition of Al-Abwa. This expedition took place in the second year of the Islamic calendar, specifically in the month of Safar.
Seventy men from the emigrant Muslims set out on this expedition, with Sa'd ibn Mu'adh - may Allah be pleased with him - serving as the acting leader in Medina. The Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him - and those with him among the Muslims embarked on this journey to intercept a Quraysh caravan.
In this expedition, Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib - may Allah be pleased with him - was the standard-bearer for the Muslims. This event marks one of the early military actions led by the Prophet - peace be upon him - as mentioned previously.
Results of the Battle of Buwat
The results of the Battle of Buwat included the Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him - making a pact with the Banu Damrah tribe. In this pact, the Prophet - peace be upon him - made an agreement with Amr ibn Makhshi Al-Damri that they would not assist the Quraysh nor the Muslims. The pact also included a condition that neither side would engage in hostilities against each other and that they would not provide support to any party against the other.
It's important to note that there was no actual combat in this expedition, and it concluded without any confrontation between the two parties. The Battle of Waddan was geographically adjacent to the Battle of Al-Abwa, with a distance of six miles between them.
