(6th year of the Migration, the month of Rabiulakhir)

While Abu Dharr was herding the camels (about twenty camels) of the Prophet with his son in the meadow of Ghaba, Uyayna b. Hisna’l-Fazari attacked them with forty-six cavalrymen, martyred Abu Dharr’s son and took all of the camels.

The Prophet was informed about the situation. He sent a group of cavalrymen under the command of Sa’d b. Zayd after the attackers immediately. The Prophet said to Sa’d, “Follow the polytheists that attacked until I and the people catch up with you.”

After the cavalrymen set off, the Prophet appointed Abdullah b. Umm Mak­tum as his deputy in Madinah and set off with a group of five hundred soldiers toward Ghatafan. They caught up with the enemy in a place called Dhu Qarad, which was two days away from Madina. They killed some of the enemy and got some of the camels back.[1]

The Messenger of God stayed there for one more day and night in order to search the places nearby and returned to Madinah.[2]

[1]Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, Vol. 2, p. 81-84; Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 3, p. 1438-1439.

[2]Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 2, p. 84; Tabari, Tarikh, Vol. 3, p. 62.