We have discussed the issues that happened in Madinah. Today, let us depart from the city and continue discussing the stories that occurred during the Battle of Tabuk.
Leaving Ali ibn Abi Talib RA Behind
The Prophet PBUH left behind Muhammad ibn Maslamah as the person in charge of the affairs of Madinah. Whenever the Prophet PBUH would leave Madinah, he would appoint someone in charge of the city. And he told Ali ibn Abi Talib, "You must stay behind and you will take charge of my family"—manage the Mother of the Believers and the Ahl al-Bayt. After all, this journey would take more than a month. When the Prophet PBUH said this, the munafiqun began mocking Ali RA, claiming that he was a burden not worthy of fighting, and that was why the Prophet PBUH made an excuse to leave him behind. Subhan'Allah, the munafiqun themselves stayed behind, yet they had the audacity to accuse those who were told to remain behind of cowardice. Of course, Ali RA was well known for his bravery, courage, and fighting prowess, [everybody knew this, so to accuse him of cowardice was absolutely absurd,] but being a young man, this type of taunting really affected him. So he put on his armor, took his sword in his hand, and he caught up with the army of the Prophet PBUH. And he said, "Ya Rasulullah, are you leaving me with the women and children while the munafiqun are mocking me that I am not qualified to fight?"—he begged the Prophet PBUH to let him join the army. So the Prophet PBUH consoled him and said, "Are you not content to be with me like Harun was with Musa, except that there is no prophet after me? They (the munafiqun) are liars, for I have only left you to be in charge of those whom I have left behind (my family)."
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Correcting the Misconception of the Non-Sunni Group
The Prophet PBUH said, "Are you not happy that our relationship is like that of Harun and Musa, except that there is no prophet after me?"—and this hadith is authentic. But unfortunately, it's one of the main evidences misused by the Shia to say that Ali RA should have been the [first] khalifa after [the death of] the Prophet PBUH. And in response, we say —no doubt, we as Sunni Muslims affirm every single blessing for Ali RA, including this one, but— we also take into account all the other evidences. This narration alone does not suggest that Ali RA was indicated to become the next khalifa. Rather, even in this incident, Ali RA was not left in charge of the city; it was Muhammad ibn Maslamah. And Ali RA was chosen to take charge of the family because he was within the Ahl al-Bayt, a son-in-law, someone who was well aware of the family circumstances. And even the context of the hadith does not indicate that the relationship is a political one; rather, it indicates that just like Musa AS and Harun AS were brothers, that's how close the Prophet PBUH is with Ali RA. Moreover, there are many evidences —as we will come to— of the Prophet PBUH, as explicitly as possible, indicating that Abu Bakr RA was supposed to be the next khalifa.
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Thaniyat al-Wada'
In any case, the Prophet PBUH continued going until he reached a very famous place in Madinah that many have heard of but few know is an actual location: Thaniyat al-Wada' (ثنية الوداع). Thaniya means a hill, and wada' means goodbye. North of the Haram in Madinah, there was a small hill where people would bid farewell to their families when departing on caravans heading north. They would walk together to Thaniyat al-Wada', where the families would stay to wave goodbye as the travelers continued on.
After the Prophet PBUH passed by the Thaniyat al-Wada', he paused and reorganized the troops. We already said it was the largest number ever assembled: 15,000 to 30,000. The Prophet PBUH assigned battalions, leaders, etc. — and this demonstrates the extreme competence, management skills, and organizational skills of the Prophet PBUH even though he never trained in military school. He assigned each battalion a leader, and each one had a flag. Al-Waqidi in his famous book al-Maghazi goes into much detail about which tribe had which leader — but that is not going to be of much benefit to us, so we will simply skip over. Do realize, however, that as usual, our Prophet PBUH divided them based on their tribes.
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Is Nationalism Halal?
As usual, our Prophet PBUH divided the army based on their tribes. Again and again, we bring this point up, that no doubt, Islam came to eliminate partisanship, but it also takes into account human nature, that birds of a feather flock together; that people of one region, language, and ethnicity, have a natural affinity for one another. Islam does not obliterate those ties. And it understands that even in battles, comfort lies in familiarity, i.e., it's better to surround yourself with familiar faces.
In our times, for example, the issues of the nation-state: Some Muslims deny this, but it is important to recognize that there is nothing wrong with affirming certain ties with the nation-state; e.g., if you are in a strange land and you meet somebody from your country/city/town/village and you feel an affinity — there is nothing wrong with this if it is kept in a healthy check.
In our times, for example, the issues of the nation-state: Some Muslims deny this, but it is important to recognize that there is nothing wrong with affirming certain ties with the nation-state; e.g., if you are in a strange land and you meet somebody from your country/city/town/village and you feel an affinity — there is nothing wrong with this if it is kept in a healthy check.
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So the Prophet PBUH departed out, and on the journey, a number of things happened:
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The Question of Mu'adh ibn Jabal RA
One of the things that happened is narrated in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad. (Side note: The Musnad of Imam Ahmad is a very large book; the largest present compilation of hadith in our times. It is published in 50 volumes, and this is in volume 36, hadith number 22,122.) It is a beautiful narration. Imam Ahmad narrates from Abu al-Nadr (أبو النضر) from Abd al-Hamid ibn Bahram (عبد الحميد بن بهرام) from Shahr ibn Hawshab (شهر بن حوشب) from Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanmin (عبد الرحمن بن غنم) that Mu'adh ibn Jabal narrated: "When the Prophet PBUH went out towards Tabuk, after he had prayed Fajr with the people on the way to Tabuk, the people went back on their camels. And when the sun began to rise up, the people began falling asleep on their mounts." And Mu'adh RA said that he was following the Prophet PBUH, and as the people fell asleep, their camels began splitting up here and there, and Mu'adh's camel almost tripped. "So"—Mu'adh said—"I jerked it back with the reins and it went up, but that scared the camel of the Prophet PBUH and it began to run forward. The Prophet PBUH was wearing his turban around his face, so he took it off and looked behind to see who had done this. And he saw me."
So the Prophet PBUH said, "Ya Mu'adh!" Mu'adh said, "Labbayka, ya Nabiyyallah (لبيك يا نبي الله - Here I am, O Prophet of Allah)." The Prophet PBUH said, "Come here." Mu'adh narrates: "So I came close to him until our saddles were touching one another. And the Prophet PBUH said, 'I didn't realize the people are so separated from us.'" Mu'adh said, "Ya Nabiyyallah, the people became sleepy and their camels took them helter-skelter"—and this is no big deal, but they are all wandering now. Allah knows what day this is; everyone is tired on the way to Tabuk and is falling asleep on their mounts. The Prophet PBUH said, "And I too was sleeping." Mu'adh narrates: "When I saw that I was so close to the Prophet PBUH and there was nobody else except the two of us, I said, 'Ya Rasulullah, give me permission to ask you something.'" Subhan'Allah, the sahaba were waiting for this type of opportunity. And look at the adab of Mu'adh; so much manners.
So the Prophet PBUH said, "Ya Mu'adh!" Mu'adh said, "Labbayka, ya Nabiyyallah (لبيك يا نبي الله - Here I am, O Prophet of Allah)." The Prophet PBUH said, "Come here." Mu'adh narrates: "So I came close to him until our saddles were touching one another. And the Prophet PBUH said, 'I didn't realize the people are so separated from us.'" Mu'adh said, "Ya Nabiyyallah, the people became sleepy and their camels took them helter-skelter"—and this is no big deal, but they are all wandering now. Allah knows what day this is; everyone is tired on the way to Tabuk and is falling asleep on their mounts. The Prophet PBUH said, "And I too was sleeping." Mu'adh narrates: "When I saw that I was so close to the Prophet PBUH and there was nobody else except the two of us, I said, 'Ya Rasulullah, give me permission to ask you something.'" Subhan'Allah, the sahaba were waiting for this type of opportunity. And look at the adab of Mu'adh; so much manners.
He said, "Give me permission to ask a question which has caused me to think and ponder until I fell sick thinking about it." So the Prophet PBUH said, "Ask whatever you want." Mu'adh said, "Ya Nabiyyallah, tell me what I can do to enter Jannah, something only you can tell me (I don't have to ask anybody else)." Subhan'Allah, what is the question that has been driving him crazy? "What do I need to do to get to Jannah." At this, the Prophet PBUH said, "Bakhin bakh (بخ بخ)"—an expression used to indicate good fortune; not translatable to English, but something along the lines of 'great,' 'what a noble thing,' or 'wow' — the Prophet PBUH is praising Mu'adh for the question. And he said, "You have asked a great matter"—he said this 3 times. Then he said, "And it is an easy thing if Allah wants good for you"—and he said this 3 times as well. Mu'adh told us the Prophet PBUH would always repeat the important things 3 times. Then he said the Prophet PBUH said, "Believe in Allah and the Last Day, and you offer the salah, and you worship Allah alone, and you do this until you die upon this." Mu'adh said, "O Messenger of Allah, repeat this for me," so the Prophet PBUH repeated. Then the Prophet PBUH said, "If you want, O Mu'adh, I will inform you about the head (the most important part) of this matter, the pillar/backbone of it, and the pinnacle (crown/jewel) of it." Mu'adh said, "Yes, of course! May my mother and father be given in your ransom!"—this is how the sahaba would address the Prophet PBUH. The Prophet PBUH said, "The head of all of this is to testify that there is no god but Allah alone with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger (i.e., the shahada), the backbone is establishing the salah and giving zakat, and the pinnacle is jihad for the sake of Allah. I have been commanded to do qital of al-nas until they establish the salah, give the zakat, and testify the shahada; and if they do, then their lives and properties are protected in the rights of Allah. I swear by the One in whose Hands is my soul, no face becomes tired, nor does a foot become dusty in any deed that will raise it higher in Jannah after the fard salah, like jihad in the Way of Allah. Nothing makes the Mizan (ميزان - Scales) heavier like spending money upon an animal that is in the Way of Allah or carrying people in the Way of Allah."
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Praying Qasr
So the Prophet PBUH marched towards Tabuk. We don't have an exact date for when he arrived, but we know he stayed there for 20 days. And he prayed qasr (قصر - shortening every four-rak'ah salah into two rak'at) throughout all of these 20 days. This issue is narrated in many books of hadith. This of course led to a huge controversy in early Islam about how long can you remain muqim (مقيم) at a location and pray qasr. The majority of scholars in all four madhhabs say this hadith ONLY applies to the state of war, when you are literally on the battlefield and you don't know when you are going to come back or when the enemy will attack; then there is no time limit because every day is uncertain. It is only legitimate when you do not know how many days you will remain at a location. When the enemy might attack at any time, then you may do qasr for 20 days, or even 6 months. And you *cannot* extrapolate from this hadith that, "Khalas, it's 20 days for any travel." The majority opinion is that this narration is *irrelevant* to the musafir (مسافر - traveler) who is going to, for example, New York, London, Toronto, etc., and staying there for, say, 5 days and he knows he is staying for 5 days.
Other schools of thought say, "No, this hadith shows that you may remain as a musafir for up to 20 days"—this is an opinion held outside of the four madhahib.
Ibn Taymiyyah and others held a view that there is no time limit for how long you remain a musafir as long as you are a legitimate musafir, i.e., it depends on circumstance and not on time frame.
The majority of scholars say 4 days is the time limit; so if you know that you will stay for more than 4 days (or 21 salahs in Hanbali[1]), then you cannot do qasr — this is the Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali position.
The Hanafi position says you may remain as a musafir for 15 days (half a month).
And the correct opinion —and Allah knows best— is that there is no particular number of days; rather, it depends on your circumstance: If you are a genuine, bona fide traveler, then it can prolong the time frame to more than 4 days. If you are not a legitimate traveler, then even if it's for two days, you are not allowed to do qasr. E.g., if you go to your parents' house and you are just there for two days; you will not be considered a musafir, because you are 'at home' and you feel 'at home' — you are not a legitimate traveler.
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The Prophet's PBUH Khutbah on the Morning of Tabuk
In any case, the Prophet PBUH arrived at Tabuk and it's reported in Dala'il al-Nubuwwah of al-Bayhaqi that the Prophet PBUH gave a khutbah the morning they arrived. This khutbah is reported with a weak chain, but some wordings are reported in authentic chains. And the narration is very beautiful. It gives us a glimpse into the Prophet's PBUH khutbahs — how eloquent it was. So let us read the entire khutbah. But again, keep in mind that the isnad/chain of narrators is weak, as is most of the seerah. (Side note: We should know that seerah narrations are not as preserved as the laws of Islam. And the khutbah we will discuss is one of the seerah narrations. And we don't derive laws from it, so there is no harm in narrating it.)
So this is a khutbah of the Prophet PBUH narrated by Uqba ibn Amir al-Juhani. He says when the sahaba arrived at Tabuk, after they prayed Salat al-Fajr, the Prophet PBUH stood up and praised Allah with what He deserves to be praised, and then he said, "O people, amma ba'd." (Side note: It is Sunnah to start a khutbah by praising Allah, and then saying "amma ba'd [أما بعد - to proceed/as to what follows]" to indicate that the praise is over and you are getting on to the actual speech. So "amma ba'd" is a marker.)
"The most truthful of all speech is the Book of Allah, and the firmest handhold is the speech of taqwa (it could mean the actual kalimah or any righteous word). The best of all paths is the path of Ibrahim (and Allah says this in the Quran [3:95]), and the best sunnah is the Sunnah of Muhammad PBUH"—notice you already get a taste of the khutbah: short, sweet, and to the point. Every phrase is profound — you can give an entire lecture about each word and sentence. He PBUH continued, "The best hadith (the best thing you can say) is the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. The best of all stories are those in the Quran. The best of all deeds are those done with the most sincerity and dedication. And the worst of all deeds are [religious] innovations. And the best guidance is the guidance of the prophets. And the best death is the death of a martyr. And the most blind of blindnesses is to be misguided after Allah has guided you. And the best of deeds is that which benefits you in this world and the Next. And the best knowledge is that which is followed. And the worst blindness is the blindness of the heart. And the higher hand is better than the lower hand (a beautiful Arabic metaphor that means the hand that gives money [in charity] is better than the hand that receives money). And that which is little and suffices you is better than that which is a lot and distracts you. And the worst excuse is the excuse that you give at the time of death. And the most evil of regrets is the regret on the Day of Judgment (as Allah says in the Quran, "On that day, every man will remember [their own sins] — but of what use is remembering then?" [89:23].) And there are those who don't come to Jumu'ah at all except on rare occasions. And there are those who don't do dhikr of Allah except unenthusiastically. And of the worst of all sins is a lying tongue. And the best richness is the richness of the heart. And the best of zad (زاد - baggage/luggage) is taqwa. And the pinnacle of wisdom is to fear Allah. And the best thing that settles in the heart is yaqin. And khamr (خمر - alcohol/intoxicant) is the mother of all evil. And women are the forthbringers of shaytan for men. And the worst of all income is the income of riba (ربا - interest/usury). And the worst thing to eat is the property of an orphan. And the fortunate person is he who learns from the mistakes of others."
And the narration goes on, and the following phrase is [also] found in Bukhari and Muslim: "To curse a believer is a sin, and to fight him is kufr. And to eat of his flesh (i.e., backbiting) is a ma'siya (معصية - sin/transgression). And the sanctity of his money is like the sanctity of his blood. And whoever asks for forgiveness, Allah will forgive. And whoever controls his anger, Allah will reward. And whoever is patient at a calamity, Allah will give him better than what was taken away. And whoever wants to show off, Allah will show through him (show punishment through him). And whoever is patient, Allah will give him more."
Then the Prophet PBUH concluded, "O Allah, forgive me and my ummah"—he said this 3 times, and then he said, "AstaghfiruLlaha li wa lakum (أستغفر الله لي ولكم - ask Allah for forgiveness for me and for all of you)"—which is how khutbahs are ended (as we know).
So it is a beautiful narration that gives us a mini-highlight into the khutbahs of the Prophet PBUH.
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Sealing the Northern Barrier Against the Romans
What else happened during the 20 days when the Prophet PBUH was at Tabuk?
Of the things that happened of a political nature: He PBUH sent Khalid ibn al-Walid with a few hundred of the sahaba on a mini-expedition to one of the northern Arab tribes, in a small area called Dawmat al-Jandal (دومة الجندل) (approximately 40 km away from modern-day Sakaka [سكاكا] in al-Jawf [الجوف] province), close to the Syrian border. There was a very famous Christian Arab tribe, originally from Yemen, called the tribe of Kindah (كندة), and they were one of the largest and most prestigious tribes in Arabia who had a strong relationship with the Emperor of Rome. And they were known for their bravery and warriorship, and were also one of the few tribes whose chieftain was called a king (ملك/malik). The Prophet PBUH sent Khalid and said, "You will find the chieftain (named Ukaydir ibn Abd al-Malik [أكيدر بن عبد الملك]) away from his entourage in the midst of some cows"—he PBUH prophesied this bizarre scenario.
On one evening, Ukaydir was in his palace when his herd of cows came to the door of the palace and began barging against it all night long. His wife got fed up and said, "You have to stop this." Ukaydir said, "Okay, I will take care of it"—so he went himself with some servants to take the cows out. And lo and behold, Khalid ibn al-Walid with 350 sahaba came and found the king in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of cows and a few servants. He was captured and brought in front of the Prophet PBUH. He didn't convert (at the time), but he agreed to break off his relationship with the Romans, to pay the jizya to the Prophet PBUH, and NOT to attack the Muslims. This was one of the big successes during Tabuk.
Similarly, 3-4 other tribe leaders agreed to such conditions, and hence, the entire northern barrier was sealed against the Romans. And perhaps this was the greatest political wisdom for why Allah willed the Battle of Tabuk — there is a huge army (the Muslim army) sitting in Tabuk, and people like Ukaydir and others cannot fight it single-handedly, and so when they see this massive army, a number of northern tribes basically decide that it's in their best interest to break off their ties with Rome and pay the jizya to the Prophet PBUH.
When the Muslims were camped at Tabuk, Ukaydir sent gifts to the army to show his loyalty as an ally. And it is said he sent the Prophet PBUH a hulla (حلة - cloak/outer garment/a coordinated two-piece garment, typically worn as formal attire, somewhat like a jacket or suit) the likes of which the sahaba had never seen. And there was even gold threading on it. The Prophet PBUH wore this hulla, and the sahaba were amazed at how beautiful it was. According to one narration, they were walking around it in awe and amazement. (Again, we must understand that the poverty of the Arabs at that time, especially in the Hejaz area, was very high. They didn't even have water other than zamzam. The Hejazi Arabs were importing everything; they didn't have a civilization of their own. Even the currency that they were using was Roman/Persian. And now, they are seeing this, what we would say 'Italian tailor-made suit,' so they are in complete awe.) So the Prophet PBUH said, "You are impressed with this? Wallahi, the handkerchief that Sa'd ibn Mu'adh has in Jannah is more precious than this hulla you are seeing."
It's also said that the Prophet PBUH established a treaty with the King of Ayla (أيلة) —another northern tribe king— and the king sent him gifts.
And many other local tribes of the province of Tabuk basically made peace treaties with the Prophet PBUH.
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The Famous Incident of Heraclius Quizzing the Prophet PBUH Through a Messenger
We conclude with one of the most beautiful stories of the seerah that took place at Tabuk. This story is found in the musnad books (the books of seerah just reference it — it's one of the rare narrations that you find more details in the books of hadith). We find it in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, volume 24, hadith 15,655. And this is the famous incident of Heraclius quizzing the Prophet PBUH through a messenger. The hadith is narrated by Sa'id ibn Abi Rashid (سعيد بن أبي راشد): "There was a man from the tribe of Tanukh (تنوخ)..."—the man was called the Tanukhi (تنوخي - the One From the Tribe of Tanukh), and we don't even know his name—"...and he used to live in Hims (حمص - Homs, Syria). He was a neighbor of mine; very old, having reached nearly 100 years old. I asked him, 'Please tell me the story of the letter that was sent to the Prophet PBUH from Hiraqal (هرقل - Heraclius), and the letter of the Prophet PBUH to Hiraqal.'" (This tabi' —Sa'id ibn Abi Rashid— said he met the Tanukhi, and in another version, he said he met him in the church of Hims.) The Tanukhi said, "Yes, I will tell you. The Prophet PBUH came to Tabuk, and he sent Dihyah al-Kalbi [with a letter] to Hiraqal." It's worth noting that this is the second letter to Heraclius. He PBUH already sent one before [see the story with Abu Sufyan — episode 71]. "When the Prophet's PBUH [second] letter reached Hiraqal, Hiraqal called the patriarchs and the priests of Rome to his palace and he locked the door. And he said to them, 'You have seen the status of this man (the Prophet PBUH) and his affairs (i.e., look at how much he has conquered since he sent me the first letter). And he has now sent me a letter inviting me to one of three things:
1. Either follow his religion
2. Pay the jizya and we keep our lands
3. We fight him.'"
And Hiraqal says, "You know from what we have read of our scriptures that he will eventually control what is underneath our feet. So why don't we follow him and his religion now? Or if you refuse, at least let's have peace with him and give him the money," i.e., Hiraqal is saying that the Prophet PBUH is a true prophet. When the priests heard this, they all bolted and rushed to the door, attempting to get out and tell the people that Hiraqal was willing to give up Christianity. (Side note: Remember, Hiraqal was not only a political leader, but also supposed to be a religious figurehead. This dual role is still seen today in the Anglican Church, where the king or queen is *technically* the head of the church. Back then, this position was like a God-given right — that as the head of the political system, you are appointed by God to defend the church. So for someone in such a position to even suggest, "I'm thinking about converting to Islam," was too much for the priests and religious leaders to handle.) So they said, "Are you telling us to give up Christianity, or to become servants to a Bedouin coming from the Hejaz?!" When Hiraqal saw that they wouldn't give in, he said to them, "This was only a test; I am testing you to see how firm you are [in your faith]."
Then Hiraqal called one of the Arabs of his entourage, and he said to him, "Find me a man who speaks Arabic, and is a good messenger [who can memorize what is going to be said]. I want to send a risala/letter/message/book/parchment to this man (the Prophet PBUH)." So this Arab of his entourage brought the Tanukhi to Hiraqal. And Hiraqal gave the Tanukhi the letter and said, "Take this to that man (the Prophet PBUH); and whatever you forget of his speech and conversation, just memorize three things — check that:
1. Does he mention the letters that he wrote to me?
2. When he reads this letter of mine, see if he will mention anything to do with night or darkness.
3. See on his back if there is something that causes you to be alarmed (i.e., the Seal of the Prophethood)."
(So from this, we learn that there are three signs mentioned in the classical Christian books about the Prophet PBUH.)
The Tanukhi narrates, "I went with this letter until I arrived at Tabuk. And I saw him (the Prophet PBUH) sitting amongst his Companions at the well, so [in order to confirm,] I asked, 'Where is your leader?' They said, 'Over there.' So I went walking towards him until I sat down and gave him the letter. [But] he put it aside, and he asked me, 'Where are you from?' I said, 'I am from the tribe of Tanukh.' He said, 'Why don't you embrace Islam, the hanifiyyah, the millah (ملة - religion) of your father Ibrahim?' I said, 'I am an ambassador of a nation right now, and my people have their religion (Christianity). And I will not embrace another religion as an ambassador, rather, I will go back and think about this matter.'" (Side note: Some people say he embraced Islam later on, but some say he remained a Christian.)
The Prophet PBUH laughed and recited, "You do not guide those whom you love, rather, Allah guides those whom He pleases" [see Quran, 28:56]. Then he PBUH said, "O you person of Tanukh, I wrote a letter to Kisra of Persia, and he ripped it apart, so Allah will rip his kingdom apart. And I wrote a letter to the Najashi, and he ripped it apart, so Allah will rip his kingdom apart. And I wrote my letter to your companion (Hiraqal), and he kept it safe, so people will continue to see his strength as long as there is some good to life."
(Notes: We all know the story of Kisra, that he tore up the letter of the Prophet PBUH. As for the Najashi, we need to realize this is not As'huma ibn Abjar, the righteous Najashi that we all know. He died, and the Prophet PBUH prayed salat al-ghayb over him [see episodes 17, 71 & 85]. Then the Prophet PBUH sent another letter to his son, and his son was the one who tore the letter up. So as was prophesied, the magnificent kingdom of the Abyssinian Empire dissolved [there was a civil war]. And we still have to this day their remnants and heritage.)
So the Tanukhi said, "This is the first of the three signs." And he narrates, "I took out an arrow from my quiver, and I carved out on the parchment [so that I don't forget the first point]." Then he said to the Prophet PBUH, "Who is your secretary that will read to you?" The Prophet PBUH said, "Muawiyah," and so he was called and he read the letter. Inside the letter, there was a question Heraclius was sending to the Prophet PBUH. It read, "[You say] you invite me to a Garden (Jannah) that is *as broad as the heaven and the earth,* prepared for the righteous; so if that is the case, where then is Hell?" Our Prophet PBUH responded, "Subhan'Allah, where does the night go when the day comes?"—he PBUH mentioned something to do with night, so the second sign is checked. The Tanukhi said, "This is the second" — and he scribed down on his leather parchment that the second thing was done.
Then when Muawiyah finished reading the letter, the Prophet PBUH said to the Tanukhi, "You are an ambassador, and you have a right over us, and if we had something to give you, we would have given you, but right now, we are in travel, and I don't have anything." (It was/is the custom of the world that you give some gifts to an ambassador. And the Prophet PBUH is conforming to that political custom. But right now, he is saying, "I can't give you a gift because we are in a safar [سفر].") At this, a sahabi stood up and said, "Ya Rasulullah, I will give him a gift," and he gifted the Tanukhi a yellow hulla.
Note: The narrator (Sa'id) asked the Tanukhi, "Who was the man who gave you the gift?" The Tanukhi said, "It was Uthman ibn Affan."
The Prophet PBUH then said to the sahaba, "Who amongst you will host this man for the night?" One of the Ansar stood up and said, "I will," so the Tanukhi stayed with the Ansari for the night.
Then the Tanukhi said, "When it was time for me to go back the next day, I stood up to leave, but the Prophet PBUH called me, 'Come here, O person of Tanukh,' so I came rushing towards him until when I was standing in front of him, he pulled back his garment and said, 'Come and look at what your master has told you to look at.' So I went behind him, and I saw the Seal [of Prophethood] in between the two shoulder blades, resembling a large cupping mark"—and we learn from other traditions that it was a group of hair of an unusual color, and from another tradition we learn it was the size of a pigeon's egg.
And so the Tanukhi went back to Heraclius having all three checkboxes checked.
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, December 2021]
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, December 2021]
