We will aim to finish the main events of the Battle of Tabuk, and in the next episode, we will revise Surat al-Tawba in light of the ghazwa. We discussed many incidents, and today, we will continue with what happened during the 20 days when the Prophet PBUH was at Tabuk, and what happened on the way back.
Recap
We know from Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet PBUH prayed the qasr salah for all of the 20 days. And in the area of Tabuk, there was a small pool of water, and the Prophet PBUH told the sahaba, "Do not touch the water until I come." But out of the army of 20,000 —perhaps the command didn't reach them— one or two of them used the water before the Prophet PBUH arrived. So when he PBUH arrived, he rebuked them. Nonetheless, the Prophet PBUH took some of the water in his hand, gargled it and spat it back in the pool, and that caused the water to come all the way to the brim, and the army was able to feed itself with it throughout the time they were there. (Tangent: It is said that there is still a pool to this day in that area outside the city of Tabuk; they know the exact location where the Prophet PBUH camped, and they built a masjid over there called Masjid al-Tawba. And there is a small area of water that is the exact same area the Prophet PBUH camped in.)
As we said, there was no battle — so what can we discuss? Many small incidents and ahadith that the Prophet PBUH said. For 20 days when he was there, he gave lots of small khutbahs/khatirahs/maw'izahs — and the books of seerah and hadith have recorded many of them:
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Instances of the Content of the Sermons of the Prophet PBUH
One day, the Prophet PBUH stood up after salah and said, "Today, Allah has given me 5 things that He hasn't given anyone before me:
1. I have been sent to all of mankind — and those before me were only sent to their people.
2. Allah made me victorious by awe —by instilling fear in my enemies— for a distance of one month's journey (i.e., the Ghassan and the Romans were so terrified they didn't show up for the battle, even though Madinah and Tabuk were a month's journey apart).
3. Ghanima has been made halal for me — and it was not for those before me. (Side note: We learn from the Old Testament —and the hadith affirms this— that in the time of previous prophets, it is said that when the army of Bani Israel captured the items from war, they would make a big pile, and Allah AWJ would send down a lightning bolt to burn the whole pile in front of them to affirm that it had been accepted from them.)
4. The whole earth has been made a tahur (طهور) and a masjid (مسجد), so whatever person of my ummah happens to have to pray, he may do the ablution/masah and pray wherever he is. Whereas the previous ummahs could only pray in their houses of worship. (Side note: Indeed, the Jews to this day cannot pray except in the synagogue, and they have much stricter purification rules that the water has to be running, etc. For us, we may pray anywhere, not only in the masjid, and we may do wudu from anywhere, any water is fine, and if we don't have water, we can do tayammum.)
5. What is the fifth one? Allah told me to ask what I want, and I decided to save my request for you (my ummah) until the Day of Judgment. So any of you who says 'la ilaha illaLlah (لا إله إلا الله - there is no god except Allah)' will get this fifth one (i.e., will get the special intercession of the Prophet PBUH on the Day of Judgment called al-Shafa'at al-Uzma [الشفاعة العظمى - the Great Intercession] — that all of the ummah of the Prophet PBUH who believed in him and acted upon what he taught will eventually enter Jannah)."
He PBUH also announced prophecies that the Muslims shall inherit the treasures and the empires of Rome and Persia — and this was exactly what happened after his death PBUH.
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Mu'jizat and Karamat That Happened During the Expedition
Of the miracles that happened in the journey to Tabuk, during their stay, and on the way back, was that —the army ran out of food and water due to their huge numbers, so the Prophet PBUH made special du'a for water (and for food as well at other places)— and whatever small amount of food/water they had lasted all of their time during Tabuk. And this miracle of increasing food and water is a standard miracle throughout the seerah; it happened explicitly at least two dozen times; and in the Battle of Tabuk alone it happened four or five times as reported in many narrations, that the sahaba complained that there was nothing left, so the Prophet PBUH made du'a to Allah, and Allah provided. In one occasion, it's narrated that the water came right out of his PBUH fingers (and as we have discussed, a similar miracle happened during Hudaybiyyah as well).
We also have a narration in the Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd that some of the sahaba got lost and they couldn't find their way back to the camp, so Allah gave them a karamah (كرامة - mini-miracle): One of them, his fingers began to glow in the dark, so he used them as a torch to find the way back. (Side note: The prophets receive mu'jizat [معجزات - miracles] and righteous non-prophets receive karamat [كرامات - mini-miracles].)
The Prophet PBUH also did other miracles in terms of prophecies. Narrated in Bukhari: Awf ibn Malik (عوف بن مالك) said the Prophet PBUH said, "Count 6 things before the Day of Judgment:
1. My death,
2. The conquest of Bayt al-Maqdis (and this happened less than 2 years after the death of the Prophet PBUH),
3. Two plagues that will eliminate you like scrapie (in the time of Umar RA, there was a serious plague. And other commentators guess what these two plagues are. Allah knows if they have happened or will happen in the future),
4. You will be given lots of money, so much so that a person will be given 100 dinars and he will not be satisfied (that is more than the annual income for the sahaba, which for us in our time probably would be something like $10,000 — not a fortune, but still a good amount of money),
5. A fitna (فتنة - trial) that no house of the Arabs (Muslims) will be left unaffected by it. (There will be a major calamity that will affect the entire ummah. What is it? People in our times say it's happening now, but Allah knows best. We may guess, but it's not our right to apply a specific prophecy of the Prophet PBUH to a specific event in time. The current scholars however say the current crisis of the ummah, the warfare, really is something that is a trial for the ummah),
6. You will have a truce between yourselves and the Bani al-Asfar (Romans)." (Other ahadith tell us other details: There will be a common enemy between the Bani al-Asfar and the Muslims, so the two will join hands.) "Then the Bani al-Asfar will be treacherous and break the treaty, and they will come and fight you under 80 banners/flags — and under each banner, there will be 12,000 men"—this will happen at the very End of Time. The Christians have a similar equivalent of prophecy as well in their tradition about a worldwide global war, which is called Armageddon.
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The Prophet PBUH Prayed Behind Him:
The Great Honor of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf RA
Another incident that occurred during these 20 nights was a great honor for Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, and that is that the Prophet PBUH prayed behind him. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf is only one of two sahaba whom the Prophet PBUH prayed behind in his lifetime. Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba narrates, "The Prophet PBUH woke up to answer the call of nature before Fajr (so he went away from the people), and I went with him and I took water and a spear (to put a cloak on it to provide shelter). When he came back, I poured the water for him and he washed his face and hands. He tried to wash his elbows, but the sleeves got in the way and he couldn't push his arms out because the sleeves were too narrow, so instead, he pulled his arms and brought them out from underneath the garment to wash his elbows"—this, by the way, shows that we are not allowed to be lazy in doing wudu. Each and every limb has to be touched by water.
And as for the masah (مسح), Mughira said, "He [PBUH] only put his fingers inside his turban, and then wiped over the rest of the turban." So masah is allowed for the turban (not a kufi or topi, because we can simply take it off). Similarly, women are allowed to do masah over their hijab.
Then Mughira said, "I bent down to take his [PBUH] khuff (خف - leather shoes) off, but the Prophet PBUH said, 'Leave them on, for I wore them while I was in a state of tahara (طهارة - purity),' so the Prophet PBUH did masah over his khuff."
Then they walk back to the campsite, but lo and behold, the sahaba have begun Salat al-Fajr because the Prophet PBUH took some time.
And so the Prophet PBUH stood at the end of the line —and it was dark, but people began to recognize him— so the commotions spread, signaling to the imam that the Prophet PBUH had come. Their imam was Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, and he understood that the Prophet PBUH had come, so he took a step back. But the Prophet PBUH motioned to him to remain, so Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf completed the salah leading the Prophet PBUH. And since the Prophet PBUH missed a rak'ah, he PBUH and Mughira then stood up to read the missed rak'ah.
And so the Prophet PBUH stood at the end of the line —and it was dark, but people began to recognize him— so the commotions spread, signaling to the imam that the Prophet PBUH had come. Their imam was Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, and he understood that the Prophet PBUH had come, so he took a step back. But the Prophet PBUH motioned to him to remain, so Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf completed the salah leading the Prophet PBUH. And since the Prophet PBUH missed a rak'ah, he PBUH and Mughira then stood up to read the missed rak'ah.
This is the only time the Prophet PBUH prayed an entire rak'ah behind a sahabi.
It's worth mentioning, however, that this happened incidentally — the sahaba were waiting for the Prophet PBUH, but he didn't come — and they knew the importance of salah, so they didn't delay it for him PBUH. And this really underscores the status of salah. The sahaba knew the Prophet PBUH was in the vicinity and he was going to come, but he was taking his time and the time for Fajr was finishing, so they decided to pray.
It's worth mentioning, however, that this happened incidentally — the sahaba were waiting for the Prophet PBUH, but he didn't come — and they knew the importance of salah, so they didn't delay it for him PBUH. And this really underscores the status of salah. The sahaba knew the Prophet PBUH was in the vicinity and he was going to come, but he was taking his time and the time for Fajr was finishing, so they decided to pray.
This also shows us the blessing of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. At the end of the day, he is one of the Ten Promised Jannah, he is one of the earliest converts, and his status is similar to that of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali RA — he was considered to be of that elite circle; so he was nominated to lead the jama'ah. He was the only person behind whom the Prophet PBUH prayed a rak'ah.
(Tangent: As for Abu Bakr RA —as we will come to in the final episode— when the Prophet PBUH fell sick [11 AH], he PBUH ordered Abu Bakr to lead. So for around one week, Abu Bakr led the salah in the Masjid of the Prophet PBUH [and the Prophet PBUH prayed in his own house and didn't join the congregation]. But one day, when Abu Bakr was leading, the Prophet PBUH walked out [of his house] and he sat next to him; and when Abu Bakr saw the Prophet PBUH was there, he took a step back. But the Prophet PBUH motioned to him, "Stay where you are." — And Abu Bakr, in the salah, raised his hands up and said, "Alhamdulillah" [perhaps out of joy seeing the Prophet PBUH was getting well], but then out of respect, he disobeyed the command to remain where he was, and he took a step back. The Prophet PBUH was forced to come up, so he came up and led the rest of the salah. After the salah, he said to Abu Bakr, "Why did you disobey me?" Abu Bakr said, "It is not allowed for the son of Abu Quhafa to lead the Prophet PBUH in salah." So the disobedience was out of love and respect. And since he stepped back to let the Prophet PBUH lead, technically, he never led the Prophet PBUH in salah [except for a few seconds]. So Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf was the *only* human ever who led a prophet in salah.)
This famous incident happened in one of the Fajr salahs during the 20 days at Tabuk.
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Burial of Abdullah Dhu al-Bijadayn RA
Ibn Mas'ud reports, "One night, I woke up and I saw a fire in the distance, and around it were the Prophet PBUH, Abu Bakr, and Umar. I went to see what was there, and lo and behold, Abdullah Dhu al-Bijadayn (عبد الله ذو البجادين) had died."
Dhu al-Bijadayn means "the One With the Two Coarse Garments." His story is that, when he converted, his tribe refused to give him anything. They just kicked him out. So he left only wearing one garment, and when he got to Madinah, he was so embarrassed he tore the one garment he had into two so that it would seem as if he had two garments, and thus he was known as "the One With the Two Coarse Garments." And it just so happened that he died that night. So the Prophet PBUH, Abu Bakr, and Umar were giving him a funeral. (This, by the way, shows us it is halal to bury someone at night; we see it here and we see it in the story of the lady who used to clean the masjid. So it's permissible to bury at night if that is what the situation dictates.) And Ibn Mas'ud narrates that the Prophet PBUH himself went into the grave, and said to Abu Bakr and Umar, "Hand him to me," so they handed Abdullah Dhu al-Bijadayn. And as the Prophet PBUH was filling the grave, he said, "O Allah, I am pleased with this servant of Yours, so You as well be pleased with him." Ibn Mas'ud remarked, "How much I wish that I would be the dead person in that grave right now."
This incident shows us the care and concern that the Prophet PBUH had for all the sahaba. Abdullah Dhu al-Bijadayn RA wasn't an elite sahabi — we don't know anything about him. But the fact that the leader of the army is waking up at night and personally burying him — what will that do to the morale of the troops? When they see the Prophet PBUH himself in the grave and with his bare hands filling it up, this builds an unparalleled enthusiasm in the sahaba.
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Fiqh: Washing Limbs Once
We also have many other small ahadith given about fiqh issues. If you read the books of hadith, you will find that many fiqh-related ahadith begin with, "In the Battle of Tabuk..." or, "During the Battle of Tabuk..." because many of them took place at Tabuk. For example, one sahabi said, "I saw during the Battle of Tabuk, the Prophet PBUH did wudu only once-once"—so we learn from this hadith that it's permissible to only wash the limbs once. (But we know from other ahadith that the Prophet PBUH would typically do three times. However, water was scarce at Tabuk.)
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Fiqh: Salah During Travel
We also learn that the Prophet PBUH would always pray with a sutrah (سترة). Sometimes he would shove a spear on the ground, other times he would put the saddle of the camel on the ground. One of the sahaba asked him, "Ya Rasulullah, how much should the sutrah be?" The Prophet PBUH said, "It should be as large as the saddle of a camel," i.e., something visible that will prevent people from passing in front of you during salah.
We also learn from the Incident of Tabuk that the Prophet PBUH combined all of the salahs on the way going and on the way back. (Combining salahs means combining two prayers at one time, i.e., praying Asr right after Zuhr, and Isha right after Maghrib. As for Fajr, there is no combining.) And we also learn that in Tabuk for 20 days, the Prophet PBUH did qasr (every four-rak'ah salah is made into two rak'at), but he didn't combine. This shows us the Sunnah is that you only combine salahs during the actual travel; and when you get to your temporary destination, you stop combining and you pray each salah individually, but do qasr. The Prophet PBUH did that at the Conquest of Makkah as well. On the way going and coming back, he combined Zuhr & Asr; and Maghrib & Isha; but in Makkah and in Tabuk, he never combined salahs. He PBUH never ever combined once he had reached his destinations. He only combined during the actual journey. Once you get to your destination, you do qasr. And for how long are you allowed to do qasr? As we have discussed before: The strongest opinion is that there is no set number of days; it goes back to your own psychological state of affairs whether you are a legitimate traveler or semi-settled-in [see episode 91]. But do realize the majority opinion is four days, and there is no problem sticking with this.
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Fiqh: Tanning the Skin of a Dead Animal
Also in Tabuk, the Prophet PBUH passed by a dead animal, and he said to the sahaba, "Why don't you benefit from this animal?" The sahaba said, "Ya Rasulullah, it's najis (نجس - impure). How can we benefit from it?" He said, "When you tan the skin, the skin becomes pure." So from this, the majority of scholars say —no doubt, the carcass of an animal is impure and the meat is always haram, but— you can benefit from the skin of a dead animal IF you tan it.
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Passing By the Valleys of Thamud
On the way back to Madinah, what happened? A number of incidents.
Firstly, the Prophet PBUH passed by al-Hijr (الحجر) — the place of Thamud and the people of Prophet Saleh AS. To this day, that area is well known, and those houses are still there. Now, Thamud dates back thousands of years. Their houses —and even the well that the Camel used— are still there to this day. Why? Their houses weren't built of wood; their houses were carved into the mountain. We don't know how that was done. But we can still see their houses, and this is something that predates Ibrahim AS. It's of the ancient civilizations. You can walk into the mountain and literally see the rooms and chambers, and even beds, which have been carved into the wall.
So the Prophet PBUH passed by al-Hijr — and some of the sahaba began rushing in to go and see what was inside. The Prophet PBUH commanded them to be called back, by saying "الصلاة جامعة/al-salatu jami'ah" as he normally did. The Prophet PBUH would use this phrase —other than the adhan— to gather the people.
So the people came back, and he PBUH said to them, "Why would you want to enter in upon a people whom Allah's wrath has come down upon?" They said, "We are amazed at that, O Messenger of Allah," to which the Prophet PBUH replied, "Should I not tell you something more amazing than that? A man from amongst you who is informing you about what happened, and what will happen," i.e., "Your Prophet is more amazing than the remnants of the adhab of the people of Saleh." And he PBUH said, "So be firm, for Allah will not lose anything by punishing you." And he also said, "Do not enter in upon a people who have wronged themselves and were punished, unless you are crying as you go in, lest you will be punished how they were punished." And the Prophet PBUH covered his face with his turban, lowered his head, and rushed through the valley without pausing.
As the army went through, some of them went to the wells [of Thamud] which still had water in them; they took the water out and used it. When the Prophet PBUH heard of this, he forbade them and said, "Any water you have collected, give it to the animals." Some of them mixed the water with dough to make some type of bread, but the Prophet PBUH said, "Do not eat that bread; give it to the animals." From this, the books of fiqh mention that you are not allowed to do wudu from the water of the Well of Thamud.
So the people came back, and he PBUH said to them, "Why would you want to enter in upon a people whom Allah's wrath has come down upon?" They said, "We are amazed at that, O Messenger of Allah," to which the Prophet PBUH replied, "Should I not tell you something more amazing than that? A man from amongst you who is informing you about what happened, and what will happen," i.e., "Your Prophet is more amazing than the remnants of the adhab of the people of Saleh." And he PBUH said, "So be firm, for Allah will not lose anything by punishing you." And he also said, "Do not enter in upon a people who have wronged themselves and were punished, unless you are crying as you go in, lest you will be punished how they were punished." And the Prophet PBUH covered his face with his turban, lowered his head, and rushed through the valley without pausing.
As the army went through, some of them went to the wells [of Thamud] which still had water in them; they took the water out and used it. When the Prophet PBUH heard of this, he forbade them and said, "Any water you have collected, give it to the animals." Some of them mixed the water with dough to make some type of bread, but the Prophet PBUH said, "Do not eat that bread; give it to the animals." From this, the books of fiqh mention that you are not allowed to do wudu from the water of the Well of Thamud.
And he PBUH also said to them, "Do not ask Allah for miracles, because the people of Saleh asked [for a miracle, i.e., to bring forth a she-camel from a solid rock], but [when Allah permitted Prophet Saleh to perform this miracle,] they hamstrung it [i.e., they cut off the ligament of that massive, giant She-Camel; and by doing so, they have disobeyed the warning to never harm her, so a swift punishment overtook them — Allah sent upon them the sayha [صيحة - thunderous blast/loud sound], and they fell lifeless in their homes — see Quran, 11:61-68]." And the Prophet PBUH showed to the sahaba, "The Camel would come from there and go to that area."
When they passed out of the valley, it was nighttime, so they camped the night. The Prophet PBUH told them, "Do not leave your tents at night unless you have a companion with you"—some reports mention the Prophet PBUH predicted a windstorm would come. But two sahaba disobeyed —one of them had to answer the call of nature, and the other one ran after his camel which had fled— and it's said that the both of them, afflictions happened to them. One went crazy — but the Prophet PBUH made du'a for him and he was cured. The other, it's said the winds took him to a faraway mountain, and he had to make his own way back to Madinah later on.
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The Barakah of the Du'a of the Prophet PBUH
Another incident mentioned on the way back was that their supplies were diminishing, the water they took from Tabuk was running out, and the animals were weakening, so they began to complain, "Ya Rasulullah, do something. Our animals cannot carry us." So the Prophet PBUH said, "Bring your animals to me." So the sahaba brought them; the Prophet PBUH lined them up and patted on them and said, "O Allah, cause these animals to carry those who are in Your Path, for You are the One who carries on animals that are weak and animals that are strong, and on that which is wet and that which is dry, and over the land and in the ocean." The narrator of the hadith is Fudala (فضالة) who said, "By the time we got back to Madinah, our animals were so strong and energetic that we had to struggle with them to pull them back. And I would say to myself: This is the du'a of the Prophet PBUH. He made it for the wet and the dry — I understand; but how about the land and the ocean?" Then the narrator said, "It came to pass that we conquered Syria, and after that, we went to conquer Cyprus [in the time of Muawiyah — 28 AH]. I was there, and when I saw all of the ships, I realized: This is the du'a of the Prophet PBUH." Subhan'Allah. Fudala saw with his own eyes the reality of the du'a of the Prophet PBUH.
[Back to the story on the way back to Madinah.] As for water scarcity, the Prophet PBUH made du'a for rain; so that night, it rained and it poured. And in the morning after Fajr, the Prophet PBUH gave a famous talk reported in Bukhari, that, "Allah SWT said, 'Some of My servants woke up this morning believing in Me, and some of My servants have rejected Me.'" How so? Some of the hypocrites said regarding the rain, "This is not a miracle." What did they say? "It rained because of the blessings of a particular star." They said this to trivialize the du'a of the Prophet PBUH. So at Fajr, the Prophet PBUH gave the talk — and he continued, "[Allah SWT said,] 'As for those who have said rain has fallen because of Allah, they are believers in Me. As for those who have said rain has fallen because of a particular star, they are believers in the star and rejectors of Me.'" (Side note: A similar incident took place in the Incident of Hudaybiyyah as well [see episode 67].)
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On Ascribing Independent Blessings to Other Than Allah SWT
The above hadith is very important in theology — it shows us we do NOT ascribe blessings to other than Allah. If we ascribe independent blessings to other than Allah, this is major shirk. To believe that a star gives you your rizq (رزق - livelihood/sustenance), or a stone is a good luck charm — this is major shirk. To wear a talisman and say, "This will protect me"—all of this goes under the issue of good luck and bad luck which we don't believe in. Believing in charms and amulets is disbelieving in Allah SWT.
(Side note: If what you are wearing is Quran, the scholars have differed as to its permissibility. It cannot be shirk because the Quran is the Speech of Allah and isn't separate from Allah; but some scholars have said it is not appropriate to wear the Quran, out of respect. No one has said it is a theological problem — but out of respect, it shouldn't be done. As for seeking refuge in the Quran, yes, this is allowed because the Quran is the Speech of Allah, and the Speech of Allah is an attribute of Allah.)
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The Prophet PBUH Only Knows What Allah Told Him of the Ilm al-Ghayb
Another incident occurred wherein the munafiqun were getting irritated. (Side note: We learn from some of the stories that some munafiqun did take part in the expedition.) On the way back from Tabuk, the Prophet's PBUH camel was not to be found, so he sent the sahaba out to go find the camel. One of the hypocrites said when he heard the news, "This is a man who thinks he is a prophet and he tells you that revelation comes from the heavens, yet he doesn't even know where his camel is." Although this comment was made far from the Prophet PBUH, the news eventually reached him PBUH that somebody said such-and-such, and thereupon, he PBUH stood up and said, "Some of you have said such-and-such. [But] wallahi, I am just a human and I only know what Allah tells me. And Allah has just told me that my camel is stuck in such-and-such a valley and its rein has caught a tree. So go get the camel." So the sahaba went and they found the camel exactly where the Prophet PBUH had described. This is another miracle that took place. And this again shows us: Does the Prophet PBUH know the unseen? No. He himself said, "I am just a human and I only know what Allah has told me."
One of the sahaba who was with the Prophet PBUH at the time, when he got back to his unit, told the people in his unit what had just happened. And it so happened that one of them was the hypocrite, and one of the other people knew who uttered the nifaq, so he told the sahabi, "That was the guy who said it," and upon this, the sahabi got so enraged he kicked the hypocrite out from his unit and said, "You are not going to accompany me, O enemy of Allah!"
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Certain Things Are Off-Limits for Jokes
Another incident of the munafiqun occurred as well, for which Allah revealed verses. A group of munafiqun began laughing and joking too much beyond what was appropriate. They said completely inappropriate statements, such as, "Here is the Prophet PBUH telling us we will conquer Rome and Persia — who does he think he is?" (Note: And wallahi, indeed, it is truly bizarre and a miracle that to this day, historians do not understand how the Sassanid Empire just disappeared within 5-10 years. After 500-700 years of being a superpower, within 5 years, the entire empire disappears and becomes an Islamic state. As for Rome, the empire was carved into half and given to Islam; and the Muslims got the better half including Damascus, Jerusalem, and Alexandria which was the educational superpower of the world. It was full of prestige. Amr ibn al-As with only 4,000 people conquered the entire strip of Northern Africa. But all of these weren't happening yet during the Expedition of Tabuk — you really had to have Iman in the Prophet PBUH to believe that all of these would come to pass.) So right now, the munafiqun are mocking these prophecies. And another said, "Look at these people around us — they recite the Quran, but they are cowardly and fatten their bellies..." [and he said many other inappropriate statements which we will not mention here]. One of the sahaba overheard this and said, "You are lying, O enemy of Allah! And I will tell the Prophet PBUH what you said." So the sahabi began galloping to get to the front of the army to tell the Prophet PBUH, but by the time he got there, the Prophet PBUH was already in wahy — you could see his PBUH eyes were down and the sahaba knew wahy was happening. When the sahabi rushed to the Prophet PBUH, the munafiq behind him rushed as well to try and make up an excuse out of fear; meanwhile wahy was coming down — and before the sahabi could get to the Prophet PBUH and explain to him, the wahy finished and the Prophet PBUH began reciting what Allah had revealed.
That, "The munafiqun are terrified that Allah will reveal something that will expose what is in their hearts" [see Quran, 9:64]. The munafiq jumps off the camel to show remorse and humbleness, and he comes running to the Prophet PBUH, thinking the sahabi has told already what he said — so he blurts out what he is going to say; and as he blurts it out, the Prophet PBUH is reciting the Quran, and the Quran quotes the munafiq simultaneously as he speaks. (Wallahi, the most amazing scene.) That, "If you were to ask them why they are saying this (i.e., the inappropriate statements), they will say, 'We were only talking idly and joking around.' Say, 'Are you laughing and joking about Allah, His revelations, and His Messenger?'" [9:95]. It's an amazing story, that as he blurts out his excuse, the Prophet PBUH is reciting the Quran which quotes him exactly. And without even looking at him, the Prophet PBUH recites further, "Make no excuses. You have committed kufr after your Iman" [9:66].
And the sahabi said, "I saw this munafiq running behind the camel of the Prophet PBUH, holding on to the stirrup and being dragged; and the Prophet PBUH would not even look at him. He just kept on repeating, 'Make no excuses. You have committed kufr after your Iman.'" This is a very important lesson extremely pertinent to the world that we live in, that yes, we believe in something called decency and sanctity. We believe in something called holy. Yes, certain things are off-limits for jokes. In fact, the Quran says very clearly, speaking to us Muslims: "Do not make fun of what they (the non-Muslims) invoke besides Allah" [see Quran, 6:108]—not only making fun of Allah and His Messengers is forbidden, but even making fun of false gods we don't believe in is forbidden. If that is to false gods, how about to Allah and His Messenger? One of the actions that automatically nullifies one's Islam is to make fun of Allah and His Messenger. It's impossible for a heart of Iman to make fun of Allah and His Messenger. Therefore, if anyone does this and wants to be forgiven, they have to re-accept Islam. In other words, they are not Muslims. Allah says very explicitly that when you make fun of Allah and His Messenger, "You have committed kufr after your Iman" [Quran, 9:66].
The munafiqun were once again exposed, and therefore, one of their most bizarre plots occurred after this incident:
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The Hypocrites' Attempt to Assassinate the Prophet PBUH
One of the most bizarre plots of the munafiqun occurred after they were exposed. Unfortunately, we don't have that much detail; we just have one or two narrations in Ibn Ishaq, Musnad Imam Ahmad, and others. Some of the munafiqun —it is said around 14— actually attempted to assassinate the Prophet PBUH. It seems to be a spur-of-the-moment thing that they tried, and obviously, failed in. When the Prophet PBUH was traveling at night, he seemed to have separated [from the rest of the army], and he went on the top of a cliff. So his camel —along with 2-3 sahaba— were at a dangerous location. Ammar ibn Yasir was there, along with Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman. They narrate: "In the middle of the night, we saw around 14-15 bandits with their faces covered — they came and charged the camel of the Prophet PBUH." Ammar and Hudhayfah didn't know what was going on — they were protecting and whatnot; and the Prophet PBUH took some evasive maneuvers and went down quickly into the valley, so the bandits fled away. The Prophet PBUH said to Ammar, "Do you know who they were?" Ammar said, "No, their faces were covered." The Prophet PBUH said, "They were of the munafiqun; they wanted to throw me off the edge of the cliff." But he PBUH was protected by Allah. Most of the sahaba didn't hear of this event, and the Prophet PBUH just moved on.
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Returning to Madinah Via Thaniyat al-Wada'
The Prophet PBUH finally returns back to Madinah after almost 50-60 days, maybe even three months. Here is where in Sahih Bukhari we learn that one of the sahaba, named al-Sa'ib (السائب), said, "I was one of the children who ran outside to Thaniyat al-Wada' to welcome the Prophet PBUH when he returned from the Ghazwa of Tabuk." As we have explained before, thaniya is a mount or a hill, and wada' is goodbye. Thaniyat al-Wada' was the hill located towards the north of Madinah, and it's the place where the families would walk to with the travelers, and when they got to Thaniyat al-Wada', that was where they would embrace, say goodbye, and watch the travelers go.
So in Bukhari, we learn that the women and children went to Thaniyat al-Wada' — and in al-Bayhaqi's Dala'il al-Nubuwwah and al-Hakim's Mustadrak, we learn that they all went outside singing the famous poem that we know:
ﻃﻠﻊ ﺍﻟﺒﺪﺭ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ *** ﻣﻦ ﺛﻨﻴــﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻮﺩﺍﻉ
وجب الشكر علينا *** ﻣــــﺎ ﺩﻋــــــﺎ ﻟﻠﻪ ﺩﺍﻉ
ﺃﻳﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﻤﺒﻌﻮﺙ ﻓﻴﻨﺎ *** ﺟﺌﺖ ﺑﺎﻟﺄﻣﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻄﺎﻉ
ﺟﺌﺖ ﺷﺮﻓﺖ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ *** ﻣﺮﺣﺒـــﺎ ﻳــــﺎ ﺧﻴﺮ ﺩﺍﻉ
"The full moon rose over us; from Thaniyat al-Wada'
And it is incumbent upon us to show gratitude; for as long as anyone in existence calls out to Allah
O our Messenger amongst us; who comes with the exhortations to be heeded
You have brought to this city nobility; welcome you who call us to a good way."
As we have said before, the biggest misconception that we Muslims have is that this poem was said when the Prophet PBUH came to Madinah for the first time at the Hijrah — but this is completely wrong for several reasons: The simplest one is that Thaniyat al-Wada' is up north of Madinah, and the Prophet PBUH came to Madinah from Quba which is directly opposite, i.e., south. So it's not possible that the women and children are saying this poem while the Prophet PBUH is coming from Makkah [see episode 30]. The poem says, "The full moon rose over us from Thaniyat al-Wada'," i.e., it says he PBUH is coming from up north. So it makes more sense to deduce that this poem was said at the Incident of Tabuk; not at the Hijrah. Also, when the Prophet PBUH Emigrated, most of the city was not Muslim yet, whereas in the Incident of Tabuk, 100% were Muslim.
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The Prophet PBUH returned to his Masjid, prayed two rak'at, and almost immediately, he began accepting the delegations of the people who stayed behind, including Ka'b ibn Malik [see episodes 88 & 89].
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The Wisdom of the Expedition of Tabuk
We conclude by discussing the primary benefit of the entire Incident of Tabuk. Allah knows best — as we have said, this is a big mystery: Why did the Prophet PBUH go to Tabuk? We actually do not know. And it really seems the only answer is that Allah told him PBUH as a test and trial [see episode 87]; and this makes sense because in Surat al-Tawba, Allah SWT said, "[O believers!] March forth whether it is easy or difficult for you" [Quran, 9:41], and, "O believers! What is the matter with you that when you are asked to march forth in the cause of Allah, you cling firmly to [your] land? Do you prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter?" [Quran, 9:38]. Allah SWT tested the sahaba perhaps to prepare them for the death of the Prophet PBUH and then the immediate conquests that would have to come right after. And indeed, the first conquest took place in the same direction — the Byzantine Empire. So Allah knows best, but it's as if the sahaba are being led by the Prophet PBUH to the very place and land which within a year they will go again and fight. And perhaps that is why at Tabuk, the Prophet PBUH tells the sahaba, 'After my death, you will conquer Bayt al-Maqdis.' So what appears to be the case is that it was a test from Allah SWT — and the sahaba passed the test with flying colors.
One can say the large presence of the Muslim army at Tabuk helped secure the northern frontier against the Romans, which is true, but we don't see this as being the primary reason. Allah knows best, but it seems unlikely that 20,000 people were brought merely to negotiate peace treaties with small tribes of 500.
The primary wisdom therefore is, as we said, it was a preparation for what would happen in a year — this year the Prophet PBUH led them by the hand, and then the following year, they had to do it on their own — and that was the beginning of the conquests of Islam. Allah knows best, but it was as if the Prophet PBUH was telling the sahaba, "Concentrate on the land of al-Sham." And even on his PBUH deathbed when he was about to die, what did he do? He prepared the army of Usama ibn Zayd to go up north [see episode 101]. And indeed, the very first land that was conquered in the khilafa of Abu Bakr/Umar was the land of al-Sham.
[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]
