ABU BAKR SENDS OUT USAMAH’S PUNITIVE EXPEDITION
Some weeks before his death, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, nominated Usamah Ibn Zayd, aged seventeen years then, to lead an expedition against the Levant.
He was to avenge the death of his father, Zayd, the freed slave of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him. Zayd was killed by the Levantines in the battle of Mu’tab. The preparations of the expedition were underway when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, fell seriously ill and later passed away . That held up Usamah’s expedition for some weeks.
As soon as Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, assumed the Caliphate, the first thing he thought of was the dispatch of Usamah’s punitive expedition. The death of the Prophet led some people to think that the light of Islam was fading away, and that many tribes that had entered the fold of Islam only a short time before were by no means firm in faith and many of them had started to show signs of bolting out of the fold of Islam. All this showed that things were not going to be easy at all for the incumbent Caliph, Abu Bakr.
However, Abu Bakr had to carry out the commands of the Prophet at all costs. He was determined to send out the expedition initiated by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Some of the Companions suggested to Abu Bakr to better drop the idea for the time being claiming that the time was not ripe for that as trouble was brewing all around, and as such it was unwise to send troops out when they were urgently needed to quell the situation at home. However, Abu Bakr would not listen to all this, rather, he said: “How can I fold up the flag which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, himself unfurled?”
Then someone suggested that Usamah was too raw to lead the expedition, and that it was wiser to put a more experienced man in command. The suggestion caused Abu Bakr to get furious and said: “How can I dismiss a man whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, appointed?”
So the troops marched out under the command of Usamah, about three weeks after the passing away of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, accompanied Usamah some distance out of Madeenah. The youthful commander was riding a horse, while the Caliph walked by his side to boost his morale and give his soldiers more confidence in him. Usamah said, “O successor of the Prophet, what about you gelling on the horse while I get down to walk beside you?” “By Allah,” replied Abu Bakr, “l will agree to neither of the two things. What harm is there if a little dust covers my feet, while I go some steps in the Cause of Allah? For every step one takes in Allah’s Cause one gets the reward of seven hundred good deeds.”
When Abu Bakr needed ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, who was then one of the men under Usamah’s command, to stay behind at Madeenah for purpose of consultation, he made a request to Usamah to allow ‘Umar stay behind, and Usamah agreed to his request.
Before bidding Muslim army farewell, Caliph Abu Bakr, may Allah he pleased with him, gave them useful advice and final instruction which serves as a code of conduct in war and this remains unsurpassed to this day, as they arc still taught to school children throughout the Muslim World. Among those instructions were: “Never be dishonest nor treacherous. Do not steal from the booty you lay your hands on. Do not mutilate the dead bodies of the enemy. Do not kill the aged, children and women. Do not burn date-palms. Do not cut down fruit trees. Do not slaughter goats, or cows, or camels, except for nutritional purposes. You will come across people who have taken to asceticism and silting in monasteries, so leave them alone.”
Usamali’s expedition proved very successful, as he raided the frontier districts of the Levant and was back in Madeenah after forty days.
The expedition had another good result. It proved an eye- opener to those who thought that Islam was dying out. They had a clear proof that Islam was still able to challenge one of the greatest powers of the world. This overawed the wavering tribes, and some of the tribes which had left Islam actually reentered its fold.
(Source: Biographies of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.)
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