Abū al-ʿAwjāʾ al-Sulamī

Abū al-ʿAwjāʾ al-Sulamī (RA) was a Companion of Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) and the commander of one of the military expeditions (sarāyā) dispatched during the Madinan period. He belonged to the tribe of Banū Sulaym, a prominent tribal confederation inhabiting regions between Makkah and Madinah. Although relatively little biographical information concerning his early life has been preserved, his appointment to lead a military detachment reflects the confidence placed in him by the Prophet and his standing within the Muslim community.

In 8 AH/629 CE, the Prophet entrusted Abū al-ʿAwjāʾ with the command of a force reportedly consisting of fifty men and sent him toward a group of Banū Sulaym. The expedition formed part of the Prophet’s broader policy of establishing peaceful relations with Arabian tribes and inviting them to Islam. As was customary in many Prophetic expeditions, the invitation to Islam preceded any military engagement. Abū al-ʿAwjāʾ conveyed the message of Islam and called the tribe to enter into peaceful relations with the Muslim community. The invitation, however, was rejected, and armed confrontation ensued.

According to the maghāzī sources, the Muslim detachment encountered strong resistance and suffered significant casualties. Many members of the expedition were killed, while Abū al-ʿAwjāʾ himself sustained serious wounds. Despite these losses, he survived and returned to Madinah. The incident illustrates the difficulties faced by the early Muslim community in extending its influence beyond the immediate environs of Madinah and demonstrates that not all tribes responded favorably to the Prophet’s call during the initial stages of contact.

The expedition occurred during a period when Islam was rapidly expanding throughout Arabia following the Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyyah. The Prophet increasingly employed diplomatic missions, tribal delegations, and military expeditions to secure trade routes, establish alliances, and communicate the message of Islam to neighbouring tribes. The mission of Abū al-ʿAwjāʾ should therefore be understood within the wider framework of the Prophet’s efforts to unify Arabia under the principles of Islam and to create conditions of security for the emerging Muslim polity.

Although Abū al-ʿAwjāʾ is chiefly remembered for this expedition, his service reflects the dedication and sacrifices of many Companions who participated in the Prophet’s military and diplomatic initiatives. His experience demonstrates the risks undertaken by those entrusted with conveying Islam to tribes beyond Madinah and highlights the perseverance of the early Muslim community in the face of adversity.

## References

1 Muḥammad ibn Saʿd, al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā (Beirut: Dār Ṣādir, 1968), 2:128–129. 2 Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, Sīrat Rasūl Allāh, ed. Ibn Hishām (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 2001), 4:299–300. 3 Muḥammad ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Rusul wa al-Mulūk (Beirut: Dār al-Turāth, 1967), 3:39–40. 4 Ismāʿīl ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah (Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1986), 4:299–301. 5 Muḥammad Yūsuf al-Ṣāliḥī al-Shāmī, Subul al-Hudā wa al-Rashād fī Sīrat Khayr al-ʿIbād (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1993), 6:246–248. 6 Ṣafī al-Raḥmān al-Mubārakpūrī, al-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm (Riyadh: Dār al-Salām, 2002), 560–561.