Expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid (Banu Jadhimah)

Banu Jadhimah were notorious during the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) for their extreme violence and were infamously known as "the lickers of blood." Among those they reportedly killed were al-Fakih ibn al-Mughira and his brother, both uncles of Khalid ibn al-Walid, as well as the father of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. They were also responsible for the deaths of Malik ibn al-Sharid and his three brothers from Banu Sulaym in a single incident, along with others from various tribes. In the year 8 of the Hijrah, Khalid was dispatched by Muhammad to invite the Banu Jadhimah to Islam. Khalid persuaded the tribesmen to disarm and embrace Islam. The tribesmen responded to Khalid's call with the phrase “saba’na, saba’na,” meaning "We have become Sabeans," a term understood as a general declaration of conversion. However, due to his unfamiliarity with their accent, Khalid misunderstood this as a rejection of Islam and ordered their execution. When Muhammad learned of this incident, he declared to God that he was innocent of Khalid's actions. He sent Ali ibn Abi Talib to pay compensation to the survivors. Despite this, Muhammad did not discharge Khalid or punish him, and he continued to entrust him with command over other expeditions. ==Islamic sources==

Primary sources The expedition is mentioned in the Sunni hadith collection Sahih al-Bukhari as follows: Muhammad Muhsin Khan stated in his book "The Translation of the Meanings Of Sahih Al-Bukhari" that Muhammad sent Khalid to fight the Banu Jadhima, using this hadith as a reference. The event is also mentioned by the later Muslim Scholar Ibn Sa'd in his book "Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir", as follows: Modern scholars The Muslim scholar Muhammad Husayn Haykal (d. 1956), in his book "The Life of Muhammad", writes: The late James A. Bellamy, Professor Emeritus of Arabic Literature at the University of Michigan, wrote: Interpretation from Scholars According to Ibn Battal, Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra recounted an incident where Khalid ibn al-Walid misinterpreted the words of Banu Jadhimah. He said, Ibn Battal further added, Al-Khattabi, too, provided insight into the matter, highlighting that Muhammad did not disavow Khalid's actions entirely but rather his haste and lack of verification. He explained, Al-Tahawi and Ibn Taymiyyah both agreed that Khalid's mistake was a result of misjudgment rather than sin. As Al-Tahawi stated, Ibn Taymiyyah, while acknowledging the error, also emphasized that Khalid's leadership was not undermined by this mistake: ==See also==