Wadi Dhafiran

The Wadi Dhafiran is a valley outside the boundaries of Madinah. It is where the Prophet (ﷺ) consulted with the Ansar after it became clear the Muslims will be engaging in battle with the Quraysh. 

• Abu Sufyan was able to execute a manoeuvre which allowed him to avoid the Muslim army and move past the point where they couldn’t intercept his caravan. He then sent word to the Qurayshi army to let them know he had successfully evaded the Muslims and their goods and money was safe. He advised them to head back to Makkah where he would meet them.
• Some of the Quraysh, when they received this news, left to go back to Makkah because they had no interest in engaging in fighting. However, Abu Jahal would not hear of it. He hated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Muslims and saw this as an opportunity to exterminate them. He swore that they would not return before they had remained three days by the well of Badr to celebrate, so that none would make the mistake of thinking they had returned out of fear, and so that all the Arabs would hear of their illustrious march. In Surat al-Anfal, Allah (ﷻ) revealed, “And do not be like those who came forth from their homes insolently and to be seen by people and avert them from the way of Allah. And Allah is encompassing of what they do.” [8:47]

• When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard that the Quraysh had set out from Makkah to stop the Muslims, he consulted his companions.  Abu Bakr and Umar (رضي الله عنهم) both gave their opinions, and Miqdad bin Amr (رضي الله عنه) voiced the prevailing sentiment: “O Prophet, we will not say what the Children of Israel said to Musa (عليه السلام), “Go forth, you and your Lord and do battle. We will be waiting here.” [Quran 5:24]. “We will do battle on your right on your left and in front of you and behind you.”
• Miqdad’s words gladdened the Prophet (ﷺ) with their sincerity, for he had worried the Ansar would fight in defense only if they were attacked in Madinah. After all, the second Pledge of Aqabah did not call for the Ansar to fight alongside the Prophet (ﷺ) outside Madinah.
• The Prophet  (ﷺ) then asked the men if they all agreed. The Ansar fully understood the reason why he was concerned about them. Sa’d ibn Mu’adh (رضي الله عنه) replied, “It seems that you are alluding to us. Perhaps you fear that the Ansar do not think that they have to help you outside their own territory. I speak for the Ansar and answer for them. Go where you wish, join whom you wish and cut off whom you wish. Take what you wish from our property and give us what you wish. What you take from us is dearer than what you leave. Whatever you command, we will follow it. By Allah, if you were to travel until you reached Bark Ghamdan, we would go with you. By Allah, if you were to cross this sea, we would plunge into it with you.”
• The Prophet rejoiced at his words; and the certainty came to him that they would indeed have to contend with either the army or the caravan but not with both. The Prophet  (ﷺ) said: “I bring you glad tidings from Allah. He has promised me either booty from the caravan or victory on the battlefield. By Allah, there is a vision before me of a battlefield, and I see the exact place where each man will fall.”

References: When the Moon Split – Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Muhammad (s.a.w.) the Last Prophet – Moulana Sayyed Hasan Ali Nadwi, The Life of Muhammad  (s.a.w) – Tahia Al-Ismail, Qalam Seerah notes – Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda