In short
- Date
- Rajab 9 AH, about October 630 CE
- Place
- Tabuk, in the north of Arabia, on the road to Syria
- Muslims
- About 30,000 (a narration in Sahih Muslim says "more than ten thousand")
- Enemy
- The Byzantine army and its Arab allies, who did not come out
- Stay at Tabuk
- About 20 days
- Result
- No fighting; treaties with the towns of the north
- Also called
- Ghazwat al-Usrah, the expedition of hardship
In short: news came that the Byzantines and their Arab allies were gathering on the northern border. In Rajab 9 AH, in fierce heat and at harvest time, the Prophet ﷺ called the Muslims to march far to the north, to Tabuk. It was a test: the believers gave what they had, the poor wept because they had no mount, and the hypocrites made excuses. The Byzantines did not come. The Prophet ﷺ stayed about twenty days and made treaties with the towns of the region. Three sincere believers who stayed behind without excuse were forgiven after fifty days, in verses of Surah At-Tawbah.1
Why the army marched
A year before, at Mu'tah in 8 AH, a Muslim army had met a much larger Byzantine force; it was there that Khalid ibn al-Walid was called a sword of Allah. In 9 AH reports reached Madinah that the Byzantines and the Arab tribes allied to them were preparing to march on Arabia.2 Usually the Prophet ﷺ did not say where an expedition was going. This time, because of the distance, the heat and the strength of the enemy, he told the people plainly so they could prepare.1
What happened
The army of hardship
It was the time when the fruit was ripe and the shade was sweet, and the journey was long. Allah reproached those who held back:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ ٱنفِرُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ أَرَضِيتُم بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا مِنَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ فَمَا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ﴿٣٨﴾
Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo maa lakum izaa qeela lakumun firoo fee sabeelil laahis saaqaltum ilal ard; aradeetum bilhayaatid dunyaa minal Aakhirah; famaa ma taaul hayaatiddunyaa fil Aakhirati illaa qaleel
O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allah, you adhere heavily to the earth? Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little.
Quran 9:38 · Sahih International · Read Surah At-Tawbah
The Companions gave what they had. Uthman brought a thousand dinars and poured them into the Prophet's ﷺ lap, and he said, "Nothing Uthman does after today will harm him".3 Abu Musa came on behalf of poor men of his tribe to ask for mounts.4 Allah praised those who had nothing, who "turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend" (9:92).
Ali in Madinah
The Prophet ﷺ left Ali ibn Abi Talib in charge of his family in Madinah. Ali said, "Will you leave me with the women and children?" He answered:
أَلاَ تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ نَبِيٌّ بَعْدِي
"Will you not be pleased to be to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me?"
Sahih al-Bukhari 4416; Sahih Muslim 2404 · narrated by Saad ibn Abi Waqqas · sahih
On the road and at Tabuk
On the way they passed al-Hijr, the ruins of the people of Thamud. The Prophet ﷺ told them not to enter the dwellings of those who wronged themselves except weeping, covered his head and hurried through the valley.5 At Tabuk no enemy came. He stayed about twenty days, shortening his prayers.6 The ruler of Aylah, on the Gulf of Aqaba, came to make peace and sent him a white mule as a gift, and the Prophet ﷺ wrote him a guarantee.7 Ibn Ishaq reports that the towns of Adhruh and Jarba also made terms, and that Khalid was sent to Ukaydir, the ruler of Dumat al-Jandal.2
The three who stayed behind
Ka'b ibn Malik, Murarah ibn al-Rabi and Hilal ibn Umayyah were sincere believers who had no excuse and stayed behind. When the Prophet ﷺ returned, the hypocrites came with excuses and swore oaths, and he accepted what they showed and left their hearts to Allah. Ka'b told the truth. The Prophet ﷺ told the Muslims not to speak to the three, and for fifty days no one did, until "the earth, vast as it is, was closed in on them". Then Allah accepted their repentance.1 Ka'b said: "By Allah, Allah has never blessed me, after guiding me to Islam, with anything greater than being truthful to the Messenger of Allah".1
وَعَلَى ٱلثَّلَٰثَةِ ٱلَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَن لَّا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّآ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿١١٨﴾
Wa 'alas salaasatil lazeena khullifoo hattaaa izaa daaqat 'alaihimul ardu bimaa rahubat wa daaqat 'alaihim anfusuhum wa zannnooo al laa malja-a minal laahi illaaa ilaihi summa taaba 'alaihim liyatooboo; innal laaha Huwat Tawwaabur Raheem
And [He also forgave] the three who were left behind [and regretted their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.
Quran 9:118 · Sahih International · Read Surah At-Tawbah
On the way back, Allah revealed the verses about a mosque the hypocrites had built "for causing harm and disbelief and division" (9:107), and the Prophet ﷺ had it pulled down.2
The numbers, and where the sources differ
| What the sources say | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Muslims | About 30,000 | al-Waqidi and Ibn Sad, followed by al-Mubarakpuri |
| "A great number... more than ten thousand", too many for any register | Sahih Muslim 2769, from Ka'b ibn Malik | |
| Stay at Tabuk | Twenty days | Sunan Abi Dawud 1235, from Jabir, graded sahih by al-Albani |
| Those who stayed behind | Over eighty hypocrites with excuses, and the three believers | Sahih al-Bukhari 4418 |
| Boycott of the three | Fifty nights | Sahih al-Bukhari 4418 |
Verses revealed about Tabuk
A large part of Surah At-Tawbah (9:38-129) was revealed about Tabuk and the hypocrites. Allah says He forgave the Prophet ﷺ and those who followed him "in the hour of difficulty" (sa'at al-usrah), the name the expedition is known by:
ٱنفِرُوا۟ خِفَافًۭا وَثِقَالًۭا وَجَٰهِدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤١﴾
Infiroo khifaafanw wa siqaalanw wa jaahidoo bi amwaalikum wa anfusikum fee sabeelil laah; zaalikum khairul lakum in kuntum ta'lamoon
Go forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if you only knew.
Quran 9:41 · Sahih International · Read Surah At-Tawbah
لَّقَد تَّابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ وَٱلْمُهَٰجِرِينَ وَٱلْأَنصَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ فِى سَاعَةِ ٱلْعُسْرَةِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِهِمْ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ ﴿١١٧﴾
Laqat taabal laahu 'alan nabiyyi wal Muhaajireena wal Ansaaril lazeenat taba'oohu fee saa'atil 'usrati mim ba'di maa kaada yazeeghu quloobu fareeqim minhum summma taaba 'alaihim; innahoo bihim Ra'oofur Raheem
Allah has already forgiven the Prophet and the Muhajireen and the Ansar who followed him in the hour of difficulty after the hearts of a party of them had almost inclined [to doubt], and then He forgave them. Indeed, He was to them Kind and Merciful.
Quran 9:117 · Sahih International · Read Surah At-Tawbah
Lessons from Tabuk
- Truthfulness saves. The hypocrites' excuses were accepted on the surface and condemned in the Quran; Ka'b's honesty brought him forgiveness from Allah.
- Wealth is tested: Uthman spent from his, and the poor were rewarded for their tears.
- Hardship shows faith. "Go forth, whether light or heavy" (9:41).
- Do not linger where Allah's punishment fell; pass by such places with humility.
- Repentance can come after a real fall. See the prayer of repentance.
Where it fits in the seerah
Battle of Tabuk took place in Rajab 9 AH (October 630 CE). For the whole life of the Prophet ﷺ in order, from his birth in Makkah to his passing in Madinah, see the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ life timeline. All the battles and turning points are listed on the seerah page.
Before this: Conquest of Makkah
Questions
When was the Battle of Tabuk?
In Rajab 9 AH, about October 630 CE. It was the last expedition the Prophet ﷺ led himself.
Was there a battle at Tabuk?
No. The Byzantine army did not come out to meet the Muslims. It is called a battle (ghazwah) because the Prophet ﷺ led the army in person.
How many Muslims went to Tabuk?
About 30,000, according to al-Waqidi and Ibn Sad. One narration of Ka'b ibn Malik's story in Sahih Muslim (2769) says more than ten thousand, too many to be written in any register.
Who were the three who stayed behind at Tabuk?
Ka'b ibn Malik, Murarah ibn al-Rabi and Hilal ibn Umayyah. They were boycotted for fifty days, and Allah accepted their repentance in 9:118 (Bukhari 4418).
Why is Tabuk called the expedition of hardship?
Because of the heat, the distance, the lack of mounts and supplies, and because it came at harvest time. The Quran calls it "the hour of difficulty" (9:117).
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4418 and Sahih Muslim 2769, the story of Ka'b ibn Malik.
- Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, from Ibn Ishaq: the expedition of Tabuk.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 3701, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah, graded hasan.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4415, from Abu Musa.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4419, from Ibn Umar.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 1235, from Jabir, graded sahih by al-Albani.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1481, from Abu Humayd al-Saidi.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4416, from Saad ibn Abi Waqqas.
- Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, al-Raheeq al-Makhtum.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, transliteration from Tanzil, English by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic is the standard wording of the collection named; gradings are given for every hadith outside al-Bukhari and Muslim.