along  a trade route across Najd to Iraq. Furat bin Haiyan was appointed as a guide for the caravan. Safwan  bin Omaiyah led the caravan along the new route. News of the meeting leaked out through Na‘im bin
Mas‘ud Al-Ashja‘i under the effect of wine, and it flew fast to Madinah by Sulit bin An-Nu‘man. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) immediately mustered 100 horsemen under the leadership of Zaid bin
Harithah Al-Kalbi and despatched them to intercept and capture the caravan. They caught up with the  camels at a place called Al-Qardah. They took the polytheists by surprise and arrested their guide and  two other men. Safwan and his guards fled away without showing the least resistance. The caravan  was  carrying silver and wares whose value amounted to 100 thousand dirhams. The booty was distributed  among the Muslim warriors after one-fifth had been set aside for the Prophet (P  eace be upon him).
Furat bin Haiyan embraced Islam out of his own sweet free will.
As a result of this episode, the Muslims foiled Quraish’s plans to find a new trade route. The economic  siege laid to Makkah was thus consolidated and had a great impact on the mercantile economy of
Makkah. The Makkans were terribly anxious and worried about their prospects of life now at stake with  no hope whatsoever for any possible rehabilitation of commercial life or redemption of former prestige  at the socio-political level except through two avenues categorically contrasting: Relinquishing all  symbols of arrogance and all attitudes of haughtiness through reconciliation with the new status quo,  and peaceableness with the Muslims; or launching a decisive overwhelming war with the aim of  crushing down the military forces of Madinah. It was apparent through the process of events that
Quraish had opted for the second alternative. Loud cries were being heard everywhere in Makkah  demanding immediate vengeance and quick retaliatory action. These movements on all levels  constituted the direct preliminaries to the battle of Uhud.