The Ninth Year of Hijrah and the Expedition to Tabuk

The Ninth Year of Migration

Following the Prophet's return to Al-Madinah after the conquest of Makkah and Hunain, the pagans of Arabia started coming into the fold of Islam. At the outset of 9 AH, people from the far off regions of Arabia began to send their representatives to the Prophet of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to announce their declaration of Islam. That is why, 9 AH came to be called the Year of Deputations. From the temporal standpoint too, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had become the ruler of Arabia. The believers had Zakât made obligatory on them, while the disbelievers had to pay a nominal amount as Jizyah (protection tax). In order to collect the Zakât, tax collectors were sent to various tribes. At times the tax collectors suffered resistance and even were martyred, while on other occasions they punished the wrong doers. At last, a regular system of Zakât was established.

Expedition to Tabuk

The Ghassanide King collected a big army to avenge his ignominious defeat at Mu'tah. He then sought help from Heraclius of Rome, who was pleased to send an army forty thousand strong to his help and decided to march with the large army. The monk named Abu Âmir, referred to before, went to the Byzantine monarch, Caesar with the sole purpose of inducing him to invade Al-Madinah. Abu Âmir was also regularly but secretly in correspondence with the hypocrites of Al-Madinah, who had already started construction work of a mosque named Dirâr Mosque. News of such serious matters kept pouring into Al-Madinah for some time. Military movements of this magnitude could not be ignored. The Prophet of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) gave a call to the believers in general to come and join hands to take on the massive army of Heraclius. The Muslims from all areas of the country rushed to Al-Madinah in response to the call.

The Prophet of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) generally kept the military preparations and movements a secret to keep the hypocrites and the enemy in the dark. But, since such large-scale preparations were not possible secretly and silently, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) announced that the preparations were to give battle to the Roman army. It was the year of a bumper crop and the time of reaping the harvest was upon them and some of the people felt a little unwilling to leave and lose the crop.

Heraclius and his ministers had brought the hypocrites to their side as a part of their military campaign. The hypocrites were constantly in league with the Jews of Al-Madinah and were holding regular consultations against the Muslims. A band of twelve hypocrites built their own separate mosque as a center for carrying out their hostile activities and anti-Islamic propaganda, and for creating a rift among the Muslims. When they saw the Muslims engaged in preparing for the impending battle, they started passing discouraging remarks along with mentioning the hardships of such a long and arduous journey. What they wanted was the Caesar to invade Al-Madinah and to frustrate all the efforts of the Muslims to stop this Christian movement towards Al-Madinah.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had, on the other hand, ordered all the Companions to join the expedition. Since coming face to face with the massive Christian army meant large-scale preparations from the Muslim camp which needed provisions, mounts, and weapons in large quantities and numbers. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had, therefore, made an appeal to the Muslim masses to lavishly contribute to the war fund.

The Muslims had also showed an astonishing response to the appeal. Uthmân bin Affân (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was about to dispatch his trade caravan to Syria, but contributed the whole of it to the Muslim campaign. Abu Bakr Siddiq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) contributed all goods and chattels of his household, entrusting his wife and children to Allâh the Almighty, while Umar Faruq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) divided everything in his house in two and gave one half to the fund being raised by the Prophet of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).

The poor among the Muslims who lived on their sweat and labor contributed their wages to the Muslim war preparations. The hypocrites didn't give any contributions. An army of thirty thousand. Strong collected in Al-Madinah. The Muslim army could hardly prepared footwear because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said to them that footwear raises foot soldiers to the category of cavalry.

Islamic Army's Departure:

The Messenger of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) set out for Tabuk with an army of 30,000 men from Al-Madinah. The campaign was undertaken in the month of Rajab, 9 AH. They had hardly covered a distance of one hour and reached Dhi Awân when the hypocrites submitted, "We have built a mosque. Please offer prayer therein to bless it." The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) replied, "Presently, I am busy making preparations for the journey; I shall see to it on my return." Departing from Al-Madinah, he ordered the army to pitch the camp at Thaniya-tul-Wada and he put Muhammad bin Maslamah Ansâri (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) in charge of Al-Madinah.

The chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubai also left Al-Madinah with his band of people and camped at the low-lying area of the Thaniya-tul-Wada. He apparently wanted to show that he also accompanied the Muslim troops, but in fact, he broke away from the Muslims and came back to Al-Madinah with his men. However, a few of them went along to work as spies for the forces hostile to Islam. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had left behind Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to look after his family.

The hypocrites used this as an opportunity to spread false rumors about Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). They implied that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) gave little importance to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and, therefore, left him alone in Al-Madinah. When his patience ran out, he hurried from Al-Madinah and joining the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) at Al-Jurf asked, "The hypocrites are saying such and such about me and so I have come to you." The Prophet of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, "They are liars. I have left you behind to look after my household; so go back." In order to sooth his feelings the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) further said, "You are to me as Hârun was to Musa, except that there will be no Prophet after me." Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) returned to Al-Madinah pacified and satisfied.

When the Muslim army arrived at Al-Hijr (presently Al-Qura Valley), the destroyed territory of Thamud, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) exhorted, "Pass on swiftly seeking forgiveness of Allâh even without drinking a drop of water from its wells." When the Muslim troops had to pass a night at.

Al-Hijr the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) told them that no one was to go alone out of the camp. When passing through the ruins of the deserted territory, he covered his face with his mantle and drove his mount fast. He also instructed his Companions to hurry up seeking the forgiveness of Allâh the Almighty while passing through the settlements of the tyrants and sinners lest they be overtaken by what they (the Thamud) had suffered.