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Feint, a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing, [1] is a maneuver designed to distract or mislead. A feint is achieved by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will. In military tactics and many types of combat, there are two types of feints: feint attacks and feint retreats.
A feint attack is designed to draw defensive action towards the point under assault. It is usually used as a diversion to force the enemy to concentrate more manpower in a given area, to weaken the opposing force in another area. [2] Unlike a related diversionary maneuver, the demonstration, a feint involves actual contact with the enemy.
A feint retreat, or feigned retreat , is performed by briefly engaging the enemy, then retreating. It is intended to draw the enemy pursuit into a prepared ambush, or to cause disarray. For example, the Battle of Hastings was lost when Saxons pursued the Norman cavalry. That forfeited the advantage of height and the line was broken, providing the opportunity to fight in single handed combat on a neutral vantage point, a battle for which the Saxons were not ready. The Parthian shot is another example of a feint retreat in which mounted Parthian archers would retreat from a battle and, still riding, they would turn their bodies back to shoot at the pursuing enemy.
Muhammad made extensive use of feints. One of the earliest examples was during the Invasion of Banu Lahyan. Muhammad set out in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, or Jumada Al-Ula, in the 6 AH (July 627 AD) with 200 Muslim fighters and made a feint of heading for Syria and then soon changed route towards Batn Gharran, where 10 Muslims were killed in the Expedition of Al Raji. Bani Lahyan were on alert and got the news of his march. The tribe then immediately fled to the mountaintops nearby and thus remained out of his reach. On his way back, Muhammad despatched a group of ten horsemen to a place called Kura‘ Al-Ghamim, in the vicinity of the habitation of Quraish, in order to indirectly confirm his growing military power. All the skirmishes took 14 days, after which he left back for home. [3] [4]
Muhammad also ordered the Expedition of Abu Qatadah ibn Rab'i al-Ansari (Batn Edam) in December 629 [5] to divert the attention from his intention of attacking Mecca. He dispatched eight men to attack a caravan passing through Edam. [6]
During the Battle of Fancheng general Xu Huang of Cao Wei was sent to oppose Guan Yu at Fancheng District. Knowing that most of his enemy's soldiers were composed of new recruits without training, Xu Huang did not go into battle straight away but camped behind the enemy to impose a deterrent effect. Meanwhile, he instructed his subordinates Xu Shang (徐商) and Lü Jian (呂建) to oversee the digging of trenches around the nearby enemy stronghold of Yancheng (偃城) to deceive the enemy into thinking that it was trying to cut off supplies into Yancheng. The deception worked, with the position being abandoned, which yielded Xu Huang a foothold on the battlefield. By then, a total of twelve camps had been gathered under the flag of Xu Huang. With the strengthened army, Xu Huang finally unleashed an attack on Guan Yu's camp. The enemy encirclement had five camps and so Xu Huang spread news that he was planning to attack the main camp. He secretly attacked the other four side camps instead. When Guan Yu saw that the four side camps had been destroyed, he personally led 5,000 horsemen to meet the attackers but was eventually outmatched. Many of his soldiers were forced into the nearby Han River and drowned. The siege on Fancheng was then lifted.
An ambush is a surprise attack carried out by people lying in wait in a concealed position. Ambushes as a basic fighting tactic of soldiers or of criminals have been used consistently throughout history, from ancient to modern warfare. In the 20th century, an ambush might involve thousands of soldiers on a large scale, or a small irregular band or insurgent group attacking a regular armed-force patrol. Theoretically, a single well-armed and concealed soldier could ambush other troops in a surprise attack. In recent centuries an ambush can involve the exclusive or combined use of improvised explosive devices that allow attackers to hit enemy convoys or patrols while minimizing the risk of being exposed to return fire.
Xu Huang, courtesy name Gongming, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period under the first two rulers, Cao Pi and Cao Rui, before his death at the start of Cao Rui's reign. Xu Huang is best noted for breaking the siege at the Battle of Fancheng in 219 by routing the enemy commander Guan Yu on the field.
The Battle of Fancheng or the Battle of Fan Castle was fought between the warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. It is named after Fancheng in present-day Xiangyang, Hubei, a fortress that played a significant role in the battle.
The Ghaṭafān were an Arab tribal confederation originally based northeast of Medina. The main branches of the Ghatafan were the tribes of Banu Abs, Banu Dhubyan and Ashja'. They were one of the Arab tribes that interacted with Muhammad. They are notable for allying themselves with the Quraysh in the Battle of the Trench.
The Expedition of Qatan, was the first Raid on the Banu Asad bin Khuzaymah tribe, which occurred directly after the Battle of Hamra al-Asad in the year 4 A.H of the Islamic calendar.
The early Muslim–Meccan conflict refer to a series of raids in which the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his companions participated. The raids were generally offensive and carried out to gather intelligence or seize the trade goods of caravans financed by the Mushrik of the Quraysh. His followers were also impoverished. The raids were intended to harm the economy and in turn the offensive capabilities of Mecca by Muhammad. The Muslims felt that the raids were justified in that the items being sold in the caravans were their own items, stolen by the Meccans when they had fled to Medina.
The Patrol of Dhu Al-Ushairah occurred in the year 2 A.H. of the Islamic calendar between the months of Jumādi al-Ūlā and Jumādi al-Ākhirah. This was the 6th caravan expedition and the 3rd ‘Ghazwah’ occurring about 2 months after the Invasion of Buwāṭ.
The raid on Amarr, also known as the Raid on Ghatafan, occurred directly after the Invasion of Sawiq in the year A.H. 3 of the Islamic calendar, March 624. The expedition was ordered by Muhammad after he received intelligence that the Banu Muharib and Banu Thalabah tribes were planning to raid the outskirts of Madinah. Therefore, Muhammad launched a pre-emptive strike with 450 men.
The Invasion of Buhran occurred in 3 A.H of the Islamic calendar of the 4th or 5th month. A report had arrived to the Muslims that a formidable force of the Banu Sulaym from Buhran were advancing on Madinah. Muhammad, took 300 men, to Hijaz reaching to Buhran, where the Banu Sulaym fled in panic.
The Expedition of Abdullah ibn Unais, also known as the Assassination of Khaled bin Sufyan was the first attack against the Banu Lahyan, which took place in the month of Muharram in the year A.H. 3. It was reported that Khaled bin Sufyan Al-Hathali, considered an attack on Madinah and that he was inciting the people on Nakhla or Uranah to fight Muslims. So Muhammad sent Abdullah ibn Unais to assassinate him. After cutting off Khaled bin Sufyan's head at night, Unais brought it back to Muhammad.
The Expedition of al Raji, occurred directly after the Battle of Uhud in the year AH 4 of the Islamic calendar.
The siege of Banu Qurayza took place in Dhul Qa‘dah during January of 627 CE and followed on from the Battle of the Trench.
The Invasion of Banu Lahyan took place in September, 627 AD in Rabi' al-awwal or Jumada Al-Awwal, 6 AH of the Islamic calendar.
Third Raid on Banu Thalabah took place in September, 627AD, 6th month of 6AH of the Islamic calendar
Expedition of Fadak, also spelt Fidak, took place in December, 627AD, 6AH, 8th month of the Islamic Calendar
Expedition of Abu Qatadah ibn Rab'i al-Ansari, to Batn Edam took place in November 629 AD, 8AH, 8th month, of the Islamic Calendar
The Expedition of Qutbah ibn Amir, against the Khath'am tribe, took place in August 630 AD, 9AH, 2nd month, of the Islamic Calendar.
This is a timeline of the early history of Islam during the lifetime of Muhammad. The information provided in this article is based on Islamic oral tradition, not on historical or archaeological evidence. A separate list of military expeditions and battles is at List of expeditions of Muhammad.
Banu Lahyan were an Arab pagan tribe during the time of Muhammad and were involved in several military conflicts with him. The first was in 625 during the Expedition of Abdullah Ibn Unais, where Muhammad sent Abdullah ibn Unais to kill Khaled bin Sufyan Al-Hathali, who was the chief of the tribe. Muhammad alleged that he was planning to attack Madinah and incite the people of Nakhla and Uranah to attack him. Therefore, he sent Abdullah ibn Unais to assassinate him in 625 during the Expedition of Abdullah Ibn Unais. This was followed by the Invasion of Banu Lahyan in September 627 when Muhammad ordered his followers to attack the Banu Lahyan tribe to get revenge for the killing of 10 Muslims in the Expedition of Al Raji
Batn Gharran was a location in Saudi Arabia during the Islamic Prophet Muhammad's era. Muhammad ordered the Invasion of Banu Lahyan which took place here. Muhammad set out in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal or Jumada Al-Ula in the year six Hijri with 200 Muslim fighters and made a feint of heading for Syria, then soon changed route towards Batn Gharran, the scene of where 10 Muslims were killed in the Expedition of Al Raji.
THE SARIYYAH OF ABO QATADAH IBN RIB'I AL- ANSARl TOWORDS BATN IDAM.
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