Expedition of Buwat
غزوة بواط
غزوہ بواط
Historical overview
The Expedition of Buwat took place in Rabi' al-Awwal, 2 AH (October 623 CE). Prophet Muhammad led a force of approximately 200 Muhajirun companions to Buwat, a region near Mount Radwa, aiming to intercept a prominent Qurayshi trade caravan headed towards Mecca. The caravan was comprised of 100 armed men and 2,500 camels under the command of Umayya ibn Khalaf. Upon reaching the location, the Muslim army found that the caravan had already passed along an alternate route closer to the coast to avoid interception. Consequently, no combat occurred, and the Prophet returned with his forces to Medina. This military maneuver served as an early demonstration of Muslim power along strategic Meccan trade corridors.
Historical context and how to read this record
This record presents Expedition of Buwat, dated in the archive as 2 AH / 623 CE and associated with Buwat, Radwa Mountains, Hijaz. The date, place, summary, named groups, terrain features, and references shown here come from the bundled or published event record. They provide a concise entry point for study, while the linked source notes remain the place to check what each historical or religious text actually reports. A label in the archive is not, by itself, proof that every chronology, number, or interpretation is agreed across historians.
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Record timeline and tactical markers
- Archive date: 2026-10-03 · 2 AH / 623 CE
- Recorded setting: Buwat, Radwa Mountains, Hijaz
- Map feature 1: Footmounds of Mount Radwa
- Map feature 2: Wadi Buwat valley basin
- Map feature 3: Rocky mountain passes
- Schematic marker 1: Muslim Expeditionary Force · Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) · 200 Muhajirun
- Schematic marker 2: Quraysh Caravan Route (Bypassed) · Umayya ibn Khalaf · 100 riders, 2,500 camels
Marker ordering is a reading aid, not a chronological claim about the event.
Forces and commanders
- Muslim Expeditionary Force — Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (200 Muhajirun)
- Quraysh Caravan Route (Bypassed) — Umayya ibn Khalaf (100 riders, 2,500 camels)
Geography: water and landscape
- Wadi Buwat Water Points (oasis)
- Footmounds of Mount Radwa
- Wadi Buwat valley basin
- Rocky mountain passes
Sources
- Ibn Hisham, Sirat Rasul Allah, Vol. 1, p. 598
- Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, Vol. 2, p. 417
- Al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi, Vol. 1, p. 12