Detailed Account

Following the establishment of the Madinan community, the Prophet ﷺ initiated a series of small-scale military expeditions (saraya) with strategic objectives: 1) Gathering intelligence about Quraysh movements; 2) Establishing Muslim presence in key trade routes; 3) Forming alliances with Bedouin tribes; 4) Applying economic pressure on Makkah through potential threat to their caravans. These early missions were primarily reconnaissance operations rather than combat engagements. The first seven expeditions—Sif al-Bahr, Rabigh, Kharrar, Abwa, Buwat, Ushayrah, and Safwan—were led by the Prophet ﷺ himself with small forces (150-200 men) and concluded without direct confrontation. Subsequent missions were delegated to companions: Abdullah ibn Jahsh led the Nakhlah expedition where the first hostile engagement occurred inadvertently during a sacred month, causing controversy; Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas led a reconnaissance mission toward Makkah; Muhammad ibn Maslamah's expedition to assassinate Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf addressed the poet's inflammatory propaganda and incitement; Zayd ibn Harithah led the Qaradah expedition, successfully intercepting a Makkan caravan. These operations established important precedents: military service as religious duty, strict ethical guidelines even in warfare, selection of qualified leaders regardless of social status, and clear distinction between combatants and non-combatants. The expeditions also demonstrated the Prophet's ﷺ strategic insight—rather than passively awaiting Quraysh aggression, he established proactive defense through intelligence gathering and strategic positioning. By creating uncertainty about caravan routes, these missions applied economic pressure on Makkah, whose livelihood depended on secure trade, while simultaneously training the nascent Muslim forces in military operations before major confrontations.