Dhat-ul-Salasil

Raid on Dhat-ul-Salasil. In 631 C.E. the Holy Prophet sent a party under Amr b Al-A's to conduct a raid on Dhat-ul-Salasil, the country of Banu 'Adhra on the Syrian border. When Amr came to Salasil he felt that the contingent at his disposal was inadequate to meet the challenge of the tribe. He accordingly appealed to the Holy Prophet for reinforcement. The Holy Prophet sent a contingent under the command of Abu Ubaida bin al-Jarrah. The contingent included Abu Bakr and Umar.

Abu Bakr's advice to Umar. It is recorded by Al-Bayhaqi that when the Muslim troops arrived at the battlefield, Amr commanded that they should not light fire. Umar felt wroth at this command, and wanted to remonstrate with Amr b. Al A'as. Abu Bakr counseled Umar to keep quiet, for the Holy Prophet had appointed Amr as the Commander for his knowledge of the strategy of wars, and there must be some justification for his order.

Raff's b Umayera. On this occasion, Raaf'i b Umayera was a companion of Abu Bakr. He was formerly a Christian and was known as Series. He acted as a guide in the sandy desert. During the pagan period he used to bury water in ostrich shells in various places in the desert and then raid men's camels. Then he became a Muslim, and abandoned the profession of brigandage. In the raid against Dhat-ul-Salasil, he joined the Muslim force under Amr b-ul-A'as. On this occasion, he chose Abu Bakr as his companion. According to the account of Raff's b Umayera, Abu Bakr wore a Fadak cloak, and whenever they halted he would spread it out, and put it on when they rose. For this, Abu Bakr came to be called "the man with the cloak".

Abu Bakr's advice. On the return journey, Raaf'i b Umayera asked Abu Bakr to give him some advice. Abu Bakr advised him to proclaim the unity of God, and not to associate anything with him to perform prayer, to pay the poor tax, to fast in the Ramadhan, to wash after impurity, and never to assume authority over two Muslims. According to Raaf'i when the Holy Prophet died, and Abu Bakr became the Caliph, he went to see Abu Bakr and reminded him that he had forbidden him to assume authority over two Muslims, and yet he had become the Caliph. Abu Bakr said that he was still of the same view, but he had accepted the caliphate as he was afraid that if he did not accept the responsibility, the unity of the Muslim community was at stake.

'Auf b Halik al-Ashja'i. In this raid on Dhat-ul-Salasil, 'Auf b Malik uas also among the party. He has related that he passed by some people who were butchering a camel they had slaughtered. They could not dismember it, and as he was a skilled butcher, they asked him to do the work of dismembering for them. He did so, and they gave him a share of the meat. He cooked it and gave it to Umar and Abu Bakr to eat as well. After they had eaten, he told them how he had got the meat. When he told them as to how he had got the meat, Abu Bakr said that he had done wrong in giving it to them to eat. Thereafter both Abu Bakr and Umar vomited what they had swallowed.