Buvat Expedition

The Buvat Expedition is among the first expeditions organized by the Prophet Muhammad against the Quraysh after his migration to Medina. In the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the year 2 AH, the Prophet set out with approximately 200 cavalry and infantry to advance to Buvat in order to intercept the large trade caravan of Quraysh, which was led by Abu Sufyan and consisted of 100 horsemen and 2,500 camels. When they reached the Buvat mountains, located about 80 km northwest of Medina on the Mecca-Syria trade route, the caravan had already moved on. The Prophet returned to Medina without catching up to the caravan; no conflict occurred. Nevertheless, this expedition holds historical significance as one of the first economic pressure attempts of the Islamic state. At the same time as this expedition, the Sif al-Bahr raid was also carried out; both are part of the strategy to exert pressure on the trade routes of Quraysh. [Source: "Buvat Expedition", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/buvat-gazvesi]