The Sealed Nectar (57 page)

Particular News about the Byzantine and Ghassanide Preparations for War
A magnified image of the prominent danger threatening the Muslims life was carried to them by the Nabateans who brought oil from Ash- Sham to Madinah. They carried news about Heraclius’ preparations and equipment of an enormous army counting over forty thousand fighters besides Lukham, Judham and other tribes allied to the Byzantines. They said that its vanguard had already reached Al- Balqâ’. Thus was the grave situation standing in ambush for the Muslims. The general situation was aggravated seriously by other adverse factors of too much hot weather, drought and the rough and rugged distance they had to cover in case they decided to encounter the imminent danger.

The Messenger of Allâh’s [pbuh] concept and estimation of the situation and its development was more precise and accurate than all others. He thought that if he tarried or dealt passively with the situation in such a way that might enable the 273

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Byzantines to paddle through the Islamic controlled provinces or to go as far as Madinah, this would — amid these circumstances — leave the most awful impression on Islam as well as on the Muslims’ military credibility.

The pre- Islamic beliefs and traditions (
Al- Jahiliyah
) which were at that time dying because of the strong decisive blow that they had already had at Hunain, could have had a way to come back to life once again in such an environment. The hypocrites who were conspiring against the Muslims so that they might stab them in the back whereas Byzantines would attack them from the front. If such a thing came to light and they succeeded in their evil attempts, the Prophet and his Companions’ efforts to spread Islam would collapse and their profits which were the consequences of successive and constant fights and invasions would be invalidated. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] realised all that very well. So — in spite of the hardships and drought that Muslims were suffering from — the Prophet [pbuh] was determined that the Muslims should invade the Byzantines and fight a decisive battle at their own borders. He was determined not to tarry at all in order to thwart any Roman attempt to approach the land of Islam.

When the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] had made up his mind and took his final decision, he ordered his Companions to get ready for war and sent for the Makkans and the other Arab tribes asking for their assistance.

Contrary to his habit of concealing his real intention of the invasion by means of declaring a false one, he announced openly his intention of meeting the Byzantines and fighting them. He cleared the situation to his people so that they would get ready, and urged them to fight in the way of Allâh. On this occasion a part of
Surat
Bara’a
(Chapter 9 — The Repentance) was sent down by Allâh, urging them to steadfastness and stamina.

On the other hand, the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] cherished them to pay charities and to spend the best of their fortunes in the way of Allâh.

No sooner had the Muslims heard the voice of the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] calling them to fight the Byzantines than they rushed to comply with his orders. With great speed they started getting ready for war. Tribes and phratries from here and there began pouring in Madinah. Almost all the Muslims responded positively. Only those who had weakness at their hearts favoured to stay behind. They were only three people. Even the needy and the poor who could not afford a ride came to the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] asking for one so that they would be able to share in the fight against the Byzantines. But when he said:

"...‘I can find no mounts for you’ they turned back while their eyes
overflowing with tears of grief that they could not find anything to spend
(for
Jihad
)."
[Al- Qur'an 9:92]

The Muslims raced to spend out money and to pay charities to provide this invasion.

‘Uthman, for instance, who had already rigged two hundred, saddled camels to travel to Ash- Sham, presented them all with two hundred ounces (of gold) as charity. He also fetched a thousand dinars and cast them all into the lap of the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh], who turned them over and said: "From this day on nothing will harm

‘Uthman regardless of what he does." [Jami' At- Tirmidhi 2/211 (The virtues of 'Uthman)] Again 274

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and again ‘Uthman gave till his charity toped to nine hundred camels and a hundred horses, besides the money he paid.

Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf, on his side, paid two hundred silver ounces, whereas Abu Bakr paid the whole money he had and left nothing but Allâh and His Messenger as a fortune for his family. ‘Umar paid half his fortune. Al- ‘Abbas gifted a lot of money.

Talhah, Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah and Muhammad bin Maslamah, gave money for the welfare of the invasion. ‘Asim bin ‘Adi, on his turn, offered ninety camel- burdens of dates.

People raced to pay little and much charities alike. One of them gave the only half bushel (or the only bushel) he owned. Women shared in this competition by giving the things they owned; such as musk, armlets, anklets, ear- rings and rings. No one abstained from spending out money, or was too mean to grant money or anything except the hypocrites:

"Those who defame such of the believers who give charity (in Allâh’s cause)
voluntarily, and those who could not find to give charity (in Allâh’s cause)
except what is available to them, so they mock at them (believers)."
[Al-Qur'an 9:79]

The Muslim Army is leaving for Tabuk

Upon accomplishing the equipment of the army, the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]

ordained that Muhammad bin Maslamah Al- Ansari should be appointed over Madinah

— in another version Siba‘ bin ‘Arftah. To ‘Ali bin Abu Talib he entrusted his family’s safety and affairs and ordered him to stay with them. This move made the hypocrites undervalue ‘Ali, so he followed the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] and caught up with him. But the Prophet made ‘Ali turn back to Madinah after saying: "Would it not suffice you to be my successor in the way that Aaron (Harun) was to Moses’?" Then he proceeded saying: "But no Prophet succeeds me."

On Thursday, the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] marched northwards to Tabuk. The army that numbered thirty thousand fighters was a great one, when compared with the previous armies of Islam. Muslims had never marched with such a great number before.

Despite all the gifts of wealth and mounts the army was not perfectly equipped. The shortage of provisions and mounts was so serious that eighteen men mounted one camel alternatively. As for provisions, members of the army at times had to eat the leaves of trees till their lips got swollen. Some others had to slaughter camels —

though they were so dear — so that they could drink the water of their stomach; that is why that army was called "The army of distress"
.

On their way to Tabuk, the army of Islam passed by Al- Hijr — which was the native land of Thamud who cut out (huge) rocks in the valley; that is "Al- Qura Valley" of today. They watered from its well but later the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] told them not to drink of that water, nor perform the ablution with it. The dough they made, he asked them to feed their camels with. He forbade them to eat anything whatsoever of it. As an alternative he told them to water from that well which Prophet Salih’s she- camel used to water from.

On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar: "Upon passing by Al- Hijr the Prophet [pbuh] said: 275

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"Do not enter the houses of those who erred themselves lest what had
happened to them would afflict you, but if you had to do such a thing let it
be associated with weeping."

Then he raised his head up and accelerated his strides till he passed the valley out."

[Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/637]

Shortage of water and the army’s need to it made them complain to the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] about that. So he supplicated Allâh, who sent a rainful cloud. It rained and so all people drank and supplied themselves with their need of water.

When they drew near Tabuk, the Prophet said: "If Allâh will, tomorrow you will arrive at Tabuk spring. You will not get there before daytime. So whoever reaches it should not touch its water; but wait till I come." Mu‘adh said: "When we reached the spring it used to gush forth some water. We found that two men had already preceded us to it. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] asked them: ‘Have you touched its water?’ They replied: ‘Yes’. He said what Allâh inspired him to say, then he scooped up little water of that spring, thin stream which gathered together, he washed his face and hand with it and poured it back into it; consequently plenty of water spouted out of it so people watered. ‘Mu‘adh’, said the Messenger of Allâh, ‘if you were doomed to live long life you will see in here fields full of vegetation.’" [Sahih Muslim 2/246]

On the way to Tabuk, or as soon as they reached Tabuk, the Messenger of Allâh

[pbuh] said: ‘Severe wind will blow tonight, so none of you should stand up.

Whoever has a camel should tie it up.’ Later on when the strong wind blew, one of the men stood up and the wind carried him away to Tai’ Mountain. [ibid. Sahih Muslim 2/246]

All the way long the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] was intent on the performance of the combined prayer of noon and the afternoon; and so did he with sunset and evening prayers. His prayers for both were either pre- time or post- time prayers.

The Army of Islam at Tabuk

Arriving at Tabuk and camping there, the Muslim army was ready to face the enemy.

There, the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] delivered an eloquent speech that included the most inclusive words. In that speech he urged the Muslims to seek the welfare of this world and the world to come. He warned and cherished them and gave them good tidings. By doing that he cherished those who were broken in spirits, and blocked up the gap of shortage and mess they were suffering from due to lack of supplies, food and other substances.

Upon learning of the Muslims’ march, the Byzantines and their allies were so terrified that none of them dared set out to fight. On the contrary they scattered inside their territory. It brought, in itself, a good credit to the Muslim forces. That had gained military reputation in the mid and remote lands of Arabian Peninsula. The great and serious political profits that the Muslim forces had obtained, were far better than the ones they could have acquired if the two armies had been engaged in military confrontation.

The Head of Ailah, Yahna bin Rawbah came to the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh], made peace with him and paid him the tribute (
Al- Jizya
). Both of Jarba’ and Adhruh 276

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peoples paid him tribute, as well. So the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] gave each a guarantee letter, similar to Yahna’s, in which he says:

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

This is a guarantee of protection from Allâh and Muhammad the Prophet,
the Messenger of Allâh, to Yahna bin Rawbah and the people of Ailah; their
ships, their caravans on land and sea shall have the custody of Allâh and the
Prophet Muhammad, he and whosoever are with him of Ash- Sham people
and those of the sea. Whosoever contravenes this treaty, his wealth shall
not save him; it shall be the fair prize of him that takes it. Now it should not
be lawful to hinder the men from any springs which they have been in the
habit of frequenting, nor from any journeys they desire to make, whether by
sea or by land."

The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] dispatched Khalid bin Al- Waleed at the head of four hundred and fifty horsemen to ‘Ukaidir Dumat Al- Jandal and said to him: "You will see him hunting oryxes." So when Khalid drew near his castle and was as far as an eye- sight range, he saw the oryxes coming out rubbing their horns against the castle gate. As it was a moony night Khalid could see Ukaidir come out to hunt them, so he captured him — though he was surrounded by his men — and brought him back to the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh], who spared his life and made peace with him for the payment of two thousand camels, eight hundred heads of cattle, four hundred armours and four hundred lances. He obliged him to recognize the duty of paying tribute and charged him with collecting it from Dumat, Tabuk, Ailah and Taima’.

The tribes, who used to ally the Byzantines, became quite certain that their dependence oinn their former masters came to an end. Therefore they turned into being pro- Muslims. The Islamic state had therefore enlarged its borders to an extent that it, touched the Byzantines’ and their agents’ borders. So we see that the Byzantine agents role was over.

Returning to Madinah

The Muslim army returned from Tabuk victoriously, undeceived or wronged. That was because Allâh had sufficed them the evils of fight.

On the way back and at a mountain road, twelve hypocrites sought the Prophet’s life and that was while he was passing along that mountain road with only Ammar holding the rein of his she- camel and Hudhaifa bin Al- Yaman driving it, at the time that people had already gone down into the bottom of the valley.

The hypocrites seized that opportunity to seek the Prophet’s life. As the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] and his two companions were moving along, they heard thrusts of people coming towards him from behind with their faces veiled. Hudhaifa, who was sent by the Prophet to see what was going on, saw them and stroke their mounts’

faces with a crook in his hand and Allâh cast fear into their hearts. They fled away and overtook their people.

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However, Hudhaifa named them to the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] and informed him of their intentions. So that was why Hudhaifa was called the "confidant" of the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]. About this event Allâh, the Exalted says:

"And they resolved that (plot to murder Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]) which
they were unable to carry out."
[Al- Qur'an 9:74]