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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 (peace be upon him) 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
).” [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 o(of gold) as charity. He also fetcheda thousand dinars and cast them all
into the lap of the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him), who turned them over and said: “From
this day on nothing will harm ‘Uthman regardless of what he does.” Again 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).” [9:79]
The Muslim Army is leaving for Tabuk:
Upon accomplishing the equipment of the army, the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him)
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 (peace be upon him) 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 (peace be upon him) 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 (peace be upon him) 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 (peace be upon him) said:
·
“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.”
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