Expedition Against Banu Lihyan

The Prophet led a force of two hundred men to punish Banu Lihyan for their treacherous role in the al-Raji' incident, where they had betrayed and killed Muslim teachers. The Prophet kept his destination secret, initially marching north toward Syria to mislead spies, then turning sharply toward the Banu Lihyan territory in the Hudhayl region between Mecca and Ta'if. However, Banu Lihyan had been alerted and fled to the mountain tops with their families and livestock. The Prophet stayed in their territory for two days to demonstrate Muslim military reach, then led his army to Usfan, close to Mecca, to intimidate the Quraysh. He sent ten riders to Kura al-Ghamim, even closer to Mecca, further demonstrating the Muslims' growing power and their ability to project force deep into Quraysh territory. The expedition served as deterrence against future treachery by tribes in the region.