Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)

Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘id related to us: Muhammad ibn Bakr related to us: Ibn Jurayj informed us, saying: I heard Ata report: Safwan ibn Ya‘la ibn Umayya informed me, from his father, who said: I campaigned with the Prophet (ﷺ) in the expedition of hardship. Ya‘la used to say, “That campaign is the deed of mine I value most.” Ata said: Safwan reported that Ya‘la said: I had a hired worker who fought with another man. One of them bit the other’s hand. Ata said: Safwan told me which one bit the other, but I have forgotten. The one who was bitten pulled his hand out of the biter’s mouth, knocking out one of the biter’s incisors. They came to the Prophet (ﷺ), and he declared the tooth uncompensated. Ata said: I think he said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Would he leave his hand in your mouth for you to crunch it, as if it were in the mouth of a male camel crunching it?”

Yahya ibn Bukayr related to us: al-Layth related to us, from Uqayl, from Ibn Shihab, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Ka‘b ibn Malik, that Abdullah ibn Ka‘b ibn Malik—who used to guide his father Ka‘b, one of his sons, after he became blind—said: I heard Ka‘b ibn Malik relate the account of his staying behind from the expedition to Tabuk.

Ka‘b said: I never stayed behind from an expedition in which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out, except the expedition of Tabuk. I had also stayed behind from Badr, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not reproach anyone who had stayed behind from it, for he had set out intending to intercept the Quraysh caravan, until Allah unexpectedly brought them and their enemy together. I had pledged allegiance to Islam with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the night of al-Aqaba, and I would not trade that witness for being present at Badr, though Badr is more remembered among people. In the expedition from which I stayed behind, I had never been stronger or better provided. By Allah, before then I had never owned two riding camels at once; I brought them together for that campaign. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would usually conceal his true destination when setting out on an expedition, but not this one. He undertook it in intense heat, facing a long journey, a desert crossing, and a numerous enemy, and he made the destination clear to the Muslims so they could prepare. The Muslims with him were many, and there was no register that kept track of them. Ka‘b said: Anyone who wanted to stay behind thought his absence would go unnoticed unless revelation from Allah exposed him.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set out on that expedition when the fruits and shade were pleasant. He and the Muslims prepared, and I kept going out in the morning to get ready with them, then returning without having done anything. I would tell myself, “I can do it.” This continued until the matter became urgent for everyone. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the Muslims set out, while I had prepared nothing. I thought I would get ready a day or two later and catch up. I went out the morning after they had departed to prepare, then returned without doing anything. I went out again and returned without doing anything. This continued until they moved quickly and the expedition was far ahead. I considered setting out to catch them—if only I had done so—but it was not decreed for me. Whenever I went among the people after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had left, I was saddened to see only a man suspected of hypocrisy or someone among the weak whom Allah had excused. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not mention me until he reached Tabuk. While sitting among the people there, he asked, “What has happened to Ka‘b?” A man from Banu Salima said, “Messenger of Allah, his two cloaks and his self-admiration have kept him back.” Muadh ibn Jabal said, “What a bad thing you have said! By Allah, Messenger of Allah, we know nothing of him but good.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remained silent.

When I heard that he was returning, my worry came upon me. I began thinking of lies and asking myself how I could escape his displeasure the next day. I sought advice from every sensible person in my family. But when it was said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was close to arriving, falsehood left me, and I knew I could never escape by saying anything false. I resolved to tell the truth.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to begin his return from a journey by going to the mosque and praying two rak‘as, then sitting with the people. When he did so, those who had stayed behind came and began making excuses to him and swearing oaths. They were over eighty men. He accepted their outward explanations, received their pledges, and asked Allah to forgive them, leaving their inner realities to Allah. I came to him. When I greeted him, he smiled with the smile of an angry man, then said, “Come here.” I walked over and sat before him. He said, “What kept you back? Had you not bought your riding animal?” I said, “Yes. By Allah, if I were sitting before anyone else among worldly people, I would think I could escape his displeasure with an excuse. I have been given skill in argument. But by Allah, I know that if I tell you a lie today that pleases you, Allah will soon make you displeased with me; and if I tell you the truth, which will make you angry with me, I hope for Allah’s forgiveness. By Allah, I had no excuse. By Allah, I had never been stronger or better provided than when I stayed behind.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “As for this man, he has spoken the truth. Stand up until Allah decides your case.”

I stood, and some men from Banu Salima followed me and said, “By Allah, we have never known you to commit a sin before this. You were unable to offer the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) an excuse like those who stayed behind offered him. The Messenger of Allah’s asking forgiveness for you would have been enough for your sin.” By Allah, they kept blaming me until I wanted to go back and contradict myself. Then I asked them, “Did anyone else face what I did?” They said, “Yes, two men said what you said, and they were told what you were told.” I asked, “Who are they?” They said, “Murara ibn al-Rabi al-Amiri and Hilal ibn Umayya al-Waqifi.” They named two righteous men who had been present at Badr, examples for me. I remained firm once they had named them.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade the Muslims to speak to the three of us, unlike the others who had stayed behind. People avoided us and changed toward us, until the land itself felt strange to me, no longer the land I knew. We remained in that state for fifty nights. My two companions gave in and stayed in their homes, weeping. I was the youngest and strongest of the three. I would go out, pray with the Muslims, and walk through the markets, but no one spoke to me. I would come to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he sat with the people after prayer, greet him, and wonder whether his lips moved in return. I would pray near him and steal glances at him. When I turned toward my prayer, he would look toward me; when I looked toward him, he would turn away.

When the people’s coldness had lasted long, I walked until I climbed over the wall into the garden of Abu Qatada, my cousin and the person I loved most. I greeted him, but by Allah, he did not return my greeting. I said, “Abu Qatada, I adjure you by Allah: do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?” He was silent. I asked him again, and he was silent. I asked him a third time, and he said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” My eyes overflowed with tears. I turned away and climbed back over the wall.

As I was walking in the market of Medina, a Nabatean man from among the people of Syria who had brought food to sell in Medina called out, “Who will direct me to Ka‘b ibn Malik?” People pointed him toward me. When he reached me, he handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan. It said: “To proceed: I have heard that your companion has treated you harshly. Allah has not made you a home of humiliation or loss. Come to us, and we will comfort you.” When I read it, I said, “This too is a trial.” I went to the oven and stoked it with the letter until it burned.

When forty of the fifty nights had passed, a messenger from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to me and said, “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) orders you to keep apart from your wife.” I asked, “Should I divorce her, or what should I do?” He said, “No, just keep apart from her and do not approach her.” He sent the same instruction to my two companions. I told my wife, “Go to your family and stay with them until Allah decides this matter.”

Ka‘b said: The wife of Hilal ibn Umayya came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, “Messenger of Allah, Hilal ibn Umayya is an old, helpless man without a servant. Would you object if I served him?” He said, “No, but he must not approach you.” She said, “By Allah, he has no strength to move toward anything. By Allah, he has been weeping from the day this happened to him until today.” Some of my family said to me, “Why don’t you ask the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about your wife, as he allowed Hilal’s wife to serve him?” I said, “By Allah, I will not ask the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about her. How do I know what he would say if I asked him, when I am a young man?” I remained in that state for ten more nights, until we had completed fifty nights from the day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade people to speak to us.

After I had prayed the dawn prayer on the morning of the fiftieth night, sitting on the roof of one of our houses, my soul felt constricted and the earth, vast as it is, felt constricted around me. I heard a caller on top of Mount Sala‘, shouting at the top of his voice, “Ka‘b ibn Malik, rejoice!” I fell down prostrate, knowing that relief had come. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) announced at the dawn prayer that Allah had accepted our repentance. People went to bring us the good news. Some went to my two companions. A man rode a horse toward me, and another from Aslam ran to the mountain and called out; the voice was faster than the horse. When the man whose voice I had heard came to give me the good news, I took off my two garments and gave them to him for his glad tidings. By Allah, I owned nothing else that day. I borrowed two garments and put them on, then set out for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). People met me in groups, congratulating me on Allah’s acceptance of my repentance and saying, “May Allah’s acceptance of your repentance be a blessing to you.”

Ka‘b said: When I entered the mosque, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting with people around him. Talha ibn Ubayd Allah hurried to me, shook my hand, and congratulated me. By Allah, no other man among the Emigrants stood up for me; I will never forget that kindness of Talha. When I greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), his face was shining with joy. He said, “Rejoice in the best day that has come upon you since your mother gave birth to you.” I asked, “Is this from you, Messenger of Allah, or from Allah?” He said, “No, it is from Allah.” When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was happy, his face shone until it was like a piece of the moon; we recognized that in him.

When I sat before him, I said, “Messenger of Allah, as part of my repentance, I will give all my property in charity for Allah and His Messenger.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Keep some of your property; that will be better for you.” I said, “Then I will keep my share at Khaybar.” I said, “Messenger of Allah, Allah saved me only through truth. As part of my repentance, I pledge not to speak except truth for as long as I live.” By Allah, since I told the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that, I know of no Muslim whom Allah has tested with truthful speech more favorably than me. From the day I told the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) until today, I have never deliberately lied, and I hope Allah will protect me for the rest of my life.

Allah revealed to His Messenger (ﷺ), “Allah has turned in mercy to the Prophet and the Emigrants … and be with the truthful.” By Allah, after guiding me to Islam, Allah had never bestowed on me a blessing greater in my own eyes than my having told the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) the truth, and not having lied to him and perished as those who lied perished. When Allah sent down revelation, He described those who lied in the worst terms He had used for anyone. Allah, the Exalted, said, “They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them … Surely Allah is not pleased with the defiantly disobedient people.”

Ka‘b added: We three had stayed behind, unlike those whose excuses the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) accepted when they swore to him. He received their pledges, asked Allah to forgive them, and deferred our case until Allah decided it. That is why Allah said, “And [He also turned in mercy to] the three who were left behind.” This does not mean that we stayed behind from the expedition; rather, it means that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) left our case pending and deferred it, unlike the case of those who swore to him and made excuses, which he accepted.

Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Ju‘fi related to us: Abd al-Razzaq related to us: Ma‘mar informed us, from al-Zuhri, from Salim, from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: When the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by al-Hijr, he said, “Do not enter the dwellings of those who wronged themselves, lest what befell them befall you, unless you are weeping.” Then he covered his head and hastened until he crossed the valley.

Yahya ibn Bukayr related to us: Malik related to us, from Abdullah ibn Dinar, from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to his Companions at al-Hijr, “Do not enter upon these people who are being punished unless you are weeping, lest what befell them befall you.”

Yahya ibn Bukayr related to us, from al-Layth, from Abd al-Aziz ibn Abi Salama, from Sa‘d ibn Ibrahim, from Nafi ibn Jubayr, from Urwa ibn al-Mughira, from his father al-Mughira ibn Shu‘ba, who said: The Prophet (ﷺ) went to attend to one of his needs, and I stood pouring water for him—I only know that he said this was during the expedition of Tabuk. He washed his face, then went to wash his forearms, but the sleeve of his jacket was too tight. He brought his arms out from beneath the jacket, washed them, then wiped over his leather socks.

Khalid ibn Makhlad related to us: Sulayman related to us, saying: Amr ibn Yahya related to me, from Abbas ibn Sahl ibn Sa‘d, from Abu Humayd, who said: We returned with the Prophet (ﷺ) from the expedition of Tabuk. When we came within sight of Medina, he said, “This is Taba, and this is Uhud, a mountain that loves us and that we love.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad related to us: Abdullah informed us: Humayd al-Tawil related to us, from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returned from the expedition of Tabuk. As he drew near Medina, he said, “There are people in Medina who were with you on every journey you traveled and every valley you crossed.” They said, “Messenger of Allah, even though they were in Medina?” He said, “Yes, they were in Medina; an excuse held them back.”

Ishaq related to us: Ya‘qub ibn Ibrahim related to us: My father related to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah informed me that Ibn Abbas informed him that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent his letter to Kisra with Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi and instructed him to deliver it to the governor of al-Bahrayn. The governor of al-Bahrayn delivered it to Kisra, and when he read it, he tore it to pieces. I think Ibn al-Musayyab said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed that they be utterly scattered.

Uthman ibn al-Haytham related to us: Awf related to us, from al-Hasan, from Abu Bakra, who said: Allah benefited me with a saying I had heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the days of the Battle of the Camel, after I had nearly joined the people of the Camel and fought alongside them. When news reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that the Persians had appointed Kisra’s daughter as their ruler, he said, “A people who entrust their affairs to a woman will never prosper.”

Ali ibn Abdullah related to us: Sufyan said: I heard al-Zuhri, from al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid, who said: I remember going out with the young men to Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ to welcome the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Sufyan said on one occasion, “with the boys.”

Abdullah ibn Muhammad related to us: Sufyan related to us, from al-Zuhri, from al-Sa’ib, who said: I remember going out with the boys to Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ to welcome the Prophet (ﷺ) when he arrived back from the expedition of Tabuk.

Yunus also said, from al-Zuhri, that Urwa said: Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: During the illness in which he died, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, “Aisha, I still feel the pain from the food I ate at Khaybar. Now is the time when I feel my aorta being severed by that poison.”

Yahya ibn Bukayr related to us: al-Layth related to us, from Uqayl, from Ibn Shihab, from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah, from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), from Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith, who said: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite “By those sent forth in succession” [al-Mursalat] in the Maghrib prayer. After that, he did not lead us in prayer again until Allah took him.

Muhammad ibn Ar‘ara related to us: Shu‘ba related to us, from Abu Bishr, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, who said: Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to draw Ibn Abbas close. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf said to him, “We have sons like him.” Umar replied, “He is from where you know.” Umar then asked Ibn Abbas about the verse, “When Allah’s help and the victory come.” He said, “It informed him of the Messenger of Allah’s appointed time.” Umar said, “I know no more about it than what you know.”

Qutayba related to us: Sufyan related to us, from Sulayman al-Ahwal, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, who said: Ibn Abbas said: “Thursday! What a Thursday!” The Messenger of Allah’s (ﷺ) pain became severe, and he said, “Bring me something to write with, so I may write for you a document after which you will never go astray.” They disputed, though it is not fitting to dispute in the presence of a prophet. They said, “What is the matter with him? Is he speaking incoherently? Ask him.” They went to speak to him, but he said, “Leave me; the state I am in is better than what you are calling me to.” He enjoined three things upon them: “Expel the polytheists from the Arabian Peninsula, and honor delegations in the manner I used to honor them.” He said nothing about the third—or he said, “I forgot it.”

Ali ibn Abdullah related to us: Abd al-Razzaq related to us: Ma‘mar informed us, from al-Zuhri, from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: When the Messenger of Allah’s death was near, and there were men in the house, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Come here; I will write you a document after which you will not go astray.” Some of them said, “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has been overcome by pain, and you have the Quran. The Book of Allah is enough for us.” The people in the house disagreed and argued. Some said, “Bring him close so he can write you a document after which you will not go astray,” while others said something else. When their idle talk and disagreement became excessive, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Get up.”

Ubaydullah said: Ibn Abbas used to say, “The calamity, the whole calamity, was what came between the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and writing that document for them: their disagreement and clamor.”

Yasara ibn Safwan ibn Jamil al-Lakhmi related to us: Ibrahim ibn Sa‘d related to us, from his father, from Urwa, from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: During the illness in which he died, the Prophet (ﷺ) called Fatima (peace be upon her) and whispered something to her, and she wept. Then he called her and whispered something to her, and she laughed. We asked her about that. She said, “The Prophet (ﷺ) whispered to me that he would die during the illness in which he did die, and I wept. Then he whispered to me that I would be the first of his family to follow him, and I laughed.”

Muhammad ibn Bashshar related to me: Ghundar related to us: Shu‘ba related to us, from Sa‘d, from Urwa, from Aisha, who said: I used to hear that no prophet dies until he is given a choice between this world and the Hereafter. I heard the Prophet (ﷺ), during the illness in which he died, say while his voice had become hoarse, “With those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor,” [to the end of the verse]. I thought he had been given the choice.

Muslim related to us: Shu‘ba related to us, from Sa‘d, from Urwa, from Aisha, who said: When the Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill with the illness in which he died, he kept saying, “With the Highest Companion.”

Abu al-Yaman informed us: Shu‘ayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Urwa ibn al-Zubayr reported that Aisha said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in good health, he used to say, “No prophet is ever taken until he sees his place in Paradise, then he is welcomed or given a choice.” When he became ill and death approached, his head was on my thigh and he lost consciousness. When he came to, he fixed his gaze on the ceiling of the house and said, “O Allah, with the Highest Companion.” I said, “Then he will not remain with us.” I realized that this was the saying he had used to tell us when he was in good health.