▁a ▁sie ge - engine , ▁ 2 0 ▁b ales ▁of ▁Y emen ite ▁cloth , ▁and ▁ 5 0 0 ▁clo aks ▁— ▁point ▁out ▁to ▁an ▁inten se ▁trade ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁Jews . ▁▁ ▁The ▁o asis ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁regions : ▁al - N at at , ▁al - Sh i qq ▁ال ش ِ ّ ق , ▁and ▁al - K at iba ▁ال ك ت ي ب ة , ▁probably ▁separated ▁by ▁natural ▁divers ions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁desert , ▁la va ▁dr ifts , ▁and ▁sw amps . ▁Each ▁of ▁these ▁regions ▁contained ▁several ▁for tr esses ▁or ▁red ou b ts ▁containing ▁homes , ▁store h ouses ▁and ▁st ables . ▁Each ▁for tr ess ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁a ▁cl an ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁cultiv ated ▁fields ▁and ▁pal m - gro ves . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁improve ▁their ▁def ensive ▁capabilities , ▁the ▁for tr esses ▁were ▁raised ▁up ▁on ▁hills ▁or ▁bas alt ▁rocks . ▁ ▁Muhammad ’ s ▁era ▁( 6 2 9 - 6 3 2 ▁CE ) ▁▁ ▁Muhammad ▁quietly ▁led ▁the ▁march ▁on ▁Kh ay bar ▁o asis ▁on ▁ 7 ▁May ▁A H / ▁ 6 2 9 ▁CE ▁with ▁approximately ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁men ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 – 2 0 0 ▁horses . ▁Primary ▁sources ▁including ▁the ▁S ira h ▁Ras ul ▁Al lah ▁( Bi ography ▁of ▁the ▁Pro ph et ) ▁of ▁I bn ▁I sha q