Expedition of Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri
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| Expedition of Karz bin Jabir Al-Fihri | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Kurz ibn Jabir Al-Fihri | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 30 | 8 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed | 8 killed[2] | ||||||
The expedition of Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri [3] took place in February 628AD, 10th month of 6AH of the Islamic calendar.[4][5] The attack was directed at eight robbers who killed a Muslim. The Muslims captured the robbers and crucified them (according to the Islamic sources).[2][6] The Quran verse 5:33 about the punishment of those who spread mischief in the land (Fasad), was revealed in this event.[7][8]
Eight members of 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, gouged his eyes out, and then drove off the camels. Some narrations claim that more than one person were killed.
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.[2][9]
According to the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the eight men were killed "according to the law of equality" in Islam.[10][11]
In this event, the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were revealed (5:33-5:39).[7]
Criticism
The Non Muslim historian Sir William Muir, criticised this event and referred to it as the “Barbarous execution of eight robbers”.[9] However, it is important to note that the robbers were punished under the law of equality for murdering Muhammad's freed slave, Yasar.
