Expedition of Safwan Badrat-ul-Ula

The expedition of Safwan Badrat-ul-Ula, took place near the end of Jamadi-ul-Akhir in 2 AH. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has expounded upon this in the following words:

“10 days had not passed since the return of the Holy Prophet (sa) to Medina when a chieftain of Mecca named Kurz bin Jabir Fihrii very cunningly, along with a company of the Quraish, suddenly raided a pasture of Medina, which was situated only three miles from the city and fled with camels etc. belonging to the Muslims. As soon as the Holy Prophet (sa) received news of this, he appointed Zaid (ra) bin Harithah as the amir in his absence and set out in his pursuit along with a group of the Muhajireen. The Holy Prophet (sa) pursued him until he reached Safwan which is an area close to Badr, but he managed to escape. This ghazwah is also known as Ghazwah Badrat-ul-Ula.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 330)

During this expedition, the Holy Prophet (sa) gave Hazrat Ali (ra) a white flag.

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dhikr Maghazi Rasul-Allah (sa) wa Sarayahu [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turah al-Arabi, 1996], 253)