time to address me in a threatening arrogant tone. However, after a private talk with his brother and  reconsidering the whole situation, both brothers embraced Islam and proved to be true to Islam that  had begun to make its way into this new area.
The context of this story reveals that this letter was sent at a much later date than the others, most  likely after the conquest of Makkah.
Through these letters, the Prophet managed to communicate his Message to most monarchs at that  time; some believed, while others remained obdurate and persisted in their disbelief. However, the  idea  of embracing Islam, and the advent of a new Prophet preoccupied all of them.
POST-HUDAIBIYAH HOSTILITIES DHU QARAD INVASION:
It was in fact not a battle but rather a skirmish carried out against a platoon of Bani Fazarah. The  place  by which it was fought is known as Dhu Qarad, a reservoir of water at a day’s journey from Madinah.
According to the majority of scholars, this incident took place three days before the battle of Khaibar.
It has been narrated on the authority of Salamah bin Al-Akwa‘, the hero of this battle, that the
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) sent his hireling Rabah, with his camels to a nearby pasture.
I,  taking Talhah’s horse, went there for the same purpose. When the day dawned, ‘Abdur Rahman Al-
Fazari made a raid, drove away all the camels, and killed the man who looked after them. I told Rabah  to ride the horse, take it to Talhah and inform the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) that the  polytheists had made away with his camels. Then I stood upon a hillock and turning my face to
Madinah, shouted thrice: “Come to our help!” After that I set out in pursuit of the raiders, shooting at  them with arrows and chanting (self-eulogatory) verse:
I am the son of Al-Akwa‘ Today is the day of defeat for the mean.
By Allâh, I continued shooting at them and hamstringing their animals. Whenever a horseman turned  upon me, I would come to a tree (hid myself) sitting at its base, shoot at him and hamstring his  horse.
At last they entered a narrow mountain gorge. I ascended that mountain and held them at bay  throwing stones at them. I continued to chase them in this way until I got all the camels released with  no one left with them. They fled in all directions and I following and shooting at them continually until  they dropped more than thirty mantles and thirty lances, lightening their burden. On everything they  dropped, I put a mark with a stone so that the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and his
Companions might recognize them (that it was booty left by the enemy). They went on until they  came  to a narrow valley. They sat down to eat something, and I sat on the top of a tapering rock. Four of  them ascended the mountain coming towards me. When they were near enough to hear me, I  shouted:
“Do you recognize me?” They said: “No. Who are you?” I said: “I am Salamah son of Al-Akwa‘. I can  kill  anyone of you I like but none of you can kill me.” So they returned. I did not move from my place  until
I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), who came riding through the  trees.
The foremost among them was Akhram, behind him was Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari followed by Al-Miqdad  bin Al-Aswad. Akhram and ‘Abdur Rahman Al-Fazari met in combat. Akhram hamstrung ‘Abdur
Rahman’s horse but the latter managed to strike him with his lance and kill him. ‘Abdur Rahman  turned  around riding Akhram’s horse. Abu Qatadah, seeing this, got engaged in fierce combat with ‘Abdur
Rahman, smote him with his lance and it was fatal. The polytheists consequently fled away and I was  in  their pursuit until before sunset they reached a valley with a spring of water called Dhu Qarad. They  rested there to have a drink. I however, running in hot pursuit, turned them out of the valley before  they could drink a drop of water. Later on, the Prophet (Peace be upon him), along with his
Companions, overtook me. I addressed him saying: Messenger of Allâh, let me select from our people  one hundred men and I will follow the marauders and finish them. In reply, the Prophet (Peace be  upon  him) said: “Ibn Al-Akwa‘, you have taken enough and so now you have to show magnanimity; now  they  have reached the habitation of Ghatfan where they are being feted.” He added saying: “Our best