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hypocrites behaviour, when news about the Byzantines’ preparations reached Madinah. The fact that
the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) won all the battles he fought, and that no power on
earth could make him terrified, and that he had always proved to be able to overcome all the
obstacles that stood in his way - did not prevent the hypocrites, who concealed evil in their hearts,
from expecting an affliction to fall upon the Muslims and Islam.
They used to harbour evil and ill-intentions against the whole process of Islam and the Muslims. On
grounds of illusory hopes of destroying this great religious edifice, they erected a hotbed of
conspiracy and intrigue in the form of a mosque —
Masjid-e-Darar
(the mosque of harm). They
approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the request that he should come and consecrate
the place by praying in it himself. As he was at the moment about to start for Tabuk, he deferred
compliance with their request till his return. Meanwhile he came to know through Divine Revelation
that it was not a Mosque for devotion and prayer but a meeting place for the anti-Islamic elements.
On his return, therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a party to demolish the new
structure.
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 (peace be upon him) 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 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 wouldbe invalidated. The Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him)
realised all that very well. So — in spite of the hardships and drought that Muslims were suffering
from — the Prophet (peace be upon him) 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 (peace be upon him) 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 (peace be upon him) 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 (peace be upon him) calling
them to fight the Byzantines than they rushed to comply with his orders. With great speed they
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