Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya wa al-Buuth al-Nabawiyya al-Shamaliyya

Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya wa al-Buuth al-Nabawiyya al-Shamaliyya: Dirasa Naqdiyya (The Battle of Mu'tah and the Northern Prophetic Expeditions and Delegations: A Critical Study) is a historical study by the contemporary scholar Burayk al-Umari analyzing the northern military and diplomatic campaigns during the era of the Prophet Muhammad Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…+1.

Background and Composition

The work originated as an academic study at the Islamic University of Madinah Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…+1. The project was initially guided by Akram Diya' al-Umari and subsequently supervised by Awad ibn Ahmad Sultan al-Shihri Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…. The author's original research plan encompassed over thirty obscure or sparsely detailed expeditions, but the university's academic council recommended focusing specifically on the Battle of Mu'tah and the northern expeditions directed toward the Syrian frontier and neighboring northern regions Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…. The first edition was published by the Islamic University of Madinah in 1424 AH (2003 CE) Sahih al-Athar wa Jamil a….

Structure and Contents

The book is arranged chronologically into an introduction, three main parts (abwab), a conclusion, and detailed indices Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…+1:

• Part One: Northern Expeditions and Delegations Before the Battle of Mu'tah: Divided into three chapters covering the expeditions led by Zayd ibn Harithah (to Wadi al-Qura, Hisma, and Madyan); campaigns directed toward Fadak (led by Ali ibn Abi Talib to Banu Sa'd, Bashir ibn Sa'd to Banu Murrah, and Ghalib ibn Abd Allah al-Laythi to al-Huruqat); and other northern missions, including Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf to Dumat al-Jandal, Bashir ibn Sa'd to al-Janab, and Ka'b ibn Umayr to Dhat Atlah Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…+1.
• Part Two: The Battle of Mu'tah: Divided into seven chapters addressing the terminology and classification of the engagement (whether designated as a ghazwah, sariyyah, or waq'ah), geographical location, causes, dating, mobilization of Muslim and Byzantine–allied forces, military events, outcomes, deduced legal rulings (ahkam shar'iyyah), and historical lessons Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…+1.
• Part Three: Northern Expeditions and Delegations After the Battle of Mu'tah: Divided into three chapters detailing the expedition of Amr ibn al-As to Dhat al-Salasil, Khalid ibn al-Walid to Ukaydir of Dumat al-Jandal, and Usama ibn Zayd to Ubna, which aimed at neutralizing Byzantine-allied Arab coalitions and securing northern trade and missionary routes Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…+1.

The book closes with general indices covering Quranic verses, hadiths, historical reports, biographical entries, place names, tribes, cited sources, and subjects Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya….

Methodology

The author frames the study as a critical review of early historical reports Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…. He observes that modern writings on the Prophetic expeditions frequently transmit unexamined accounts from early compilations, particularly al-Waqidi's al-Maghazi and Ibn Sa'd's al-Tabaqat al-Kubra Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya…. Because hadith critics classified al-Waqidi as discarded (matruk), al-Umari applies hadith criticism (naqd al-riwayat) to the historical accounts, restricting reliance on al-Waqidi to supplementary non-legal and non-creedal details necessary to reconstruct the broad historical context Ghazwat Muta wa al-Saraya….