32/49. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1254b — Number of Prophetic Expeditions
The number of campaigns of the Prophet (saws)
How Many Battles Did the Prophet Fight? Zaid b. Arqam’s Report
Sahih Muslim : 1254b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1254b
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ، بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَزِيدَ، خَرَجَ يَسْتَسْقِي بِالنَّاسِ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ اسْتَسْقَى قَالَ فَلَقِيتُ يَوْمَئِذٍ زَيْدَ بْنَ أَرْقَمَ - وَقَالَ - لَيْسَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ غَيْرُ رَجُلٍ أَوْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ رَجُلٌ - قَالَ - فَقُلْتُ لَهُ كَمْ غَزَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ تِسْعَ عَشْرَةَ فَقُلْتُ كَمْ غَزَوْتَ أَنْتَ مَعَهُ قَالَ سَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ غَزْوَةً - قَالَ - فَقُلْتُ فَمَا أَوَّلُ غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا قَالَ ذَاتُ الْعُسَيْرِ أَوِ الْعُشَيْرِ .
Abu Ishaq Narrated from:
'Abdullah b. Yazid went (out of the city) with people for offering" Istisqa" ' prayer (for rainfall). He offered two rak'ahs. Then he prayed for rain. That day I met Zaid b. Arqam. There was only one man between me and him (at that time). I asked him: How many military expeditions did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) undertake? He said: Nineteen expeditions. I asked him: On how many expeditions did you accompany him? He said: On seventeen expeditions. I asked: Which was the first expedition he led? He answered: Dhat-ul-, Usair or 'Ushair.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1254bIn-book reference : Book 32, Hadith 174USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 19, Hadith 4464
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1254b
This hadith about how many battles the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم undertook comes through a meeting with Zaid b. Arqam. The report first mentions Abdullah b. Yazid leading people for the Istisqa prayer, offering two rakahs and asking for rain. On that day, Abu Ishaq met Zaid b. Arqam and asked him about the Messenger of Allah’s صلى الله عليه وسلم military expeditions. Zaid answered that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم undertook nineteen expeditions. When asked how many he joined, Zaid said seventeen. He was also asked about the first expedition the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم led, and he answered Dhat al-Usair or Ushair. The hadith is useful for readers searching Prophetic expeditions count in Sahih Muslim.
What we learn from this hadith
- The report records nineteen expeditions undertaken by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- Zaid b. Arqam personally joined seventeen of them.
- The first expedition is named as Dhat al-Usair or Ushair in the narration.
- Companions were asked directly for details they had witnessed.
