Battle of Tabuk: Difference between revisions

'''The battle of Tabuk'''(غزوة تبوك) is the final [[ghazwa]] in which [[the Prophet (s)]] personally participated. It took place During [[Rajab]] and [[Sha'ban]] of the 9/630 in the region of Tabuk. As the Prophet (s) was heading toward Tabuk to fight Romans, some of the companions, specifically [[Munafiq|Munafiqun]] (hypocrites), refused to join the army or tried to weaken the morale of the army. Before the expedition, Prophet (s) appointed [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] as his successor in [[Madina]] in his absence. After a short tarriance of few days, the army of Islam came back to Madian from Tabuk without any actual confrontation with Romans. Some [[verse]]s were revealed about Munafiqun exposing them and their secret intentions and plans.

Most of the works by [[:Category:Shiʿa bibliographer|early biographers]] contain accounts of the expedition of Tabuk. But these narrations differ on some important factors like the cause of this expedition. According to a famous account, Prophet's goal of this expedition was to counter the Romans' military activities in those lands.

It's been narrated that the Nabataeans who would travel to [[Medina]] to sell flour and oil, would also inform Muslims about the latest news of [[Sham]]; this way, the Muslims of Median were constantly aware of the situation in Sham.

One day, a Nabataean merchant said that Heraclius, then the Roman king, had prepared a great army by convincing some Arab tribes like: Lakhm, Judham, Ghassan and 'amila. Forefront troops had already camped in Balqa, northern Tabuk; and the roman king was in [[Hims]]. In other accounts, without mentioning this story, it's only been reported that [[the Prophet (s)]] left Medina to fight Romans. [[Ya'qubi]] believes the aim of the Prophet (s) in this military expedition had been to take the revenge for murdering [[Ja'far b. Abu Talib]].

[[The Prophet (s)]] wanted to hasten the formation of the army but there were problems such as the hot weather, long distance and the poverty of some of the companions; to the point that this expedition has been referred to as: Jaysh al-'usr (the army of hardship). That is why the Prophet (s), unlike other military expeditions, clearly explained his intentions and aims in order to get his people well-prepared. He first camped in Thany al-wida' near [[Medina]] and then left toward roman borders, to the north, in an army of more than thirty thousand soldiers.

Before living Medina, the Prophet (s) appointed [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] as his successor, or based on a report, as the guardian of his family in Media. [[Munafiq|Munafiqun]] who had planned for riot, regarded the presence of Imam 'Ali (a) in Medina as a major obstacle in their way; therefore they started their propaganda against the Imam. They said "the Prophet (s) is not pleased with 'Ali, that's why he's left him in Medina". The effect of such propaganda was to the point that in order to thwart it, Imam 'Ali (a) met the Prophet (s) in Juruf, somewhere near Median, and the Prophet (s) told him a phrase according to which, the kind of relation between the Prophet and Imam 'Ali is that of between Moses and Aaron, with the exception that there won't be any [[Prophethood]] after Prophet Muhammad (s). This narration, which later gained the title: [[Hadith al-Manzila]] (the saying of the Position), has been documented in traditional collections through numerous chains of transmission. Also this Prophetic saying has been cited as one of the decisive proofs for the immediate [[succession]] of Imam 'Ali after the Prophet (s). Interestingly, this was against the activities of Munafiqun shortly after the Prophet (s) had left Medina for a long journey.

After some days, the Muslim army reached Tabuk area and stayed there for twenty days. There, based on Waqidi's report, it became clear that the reports about roman military expedition had not been correct. However, based on other accounts, the roman king sent some envoys to [[the Prophet (s)]] whom were kindly welcomed by the Prophet (s). Meanwhile, the Prophet (s) signed a peace treaty on the condition of receiving [[Jizya]] from [[Ukaydir 'ab al-Malik al-Kindi]], the head of [[Duwama al-Jandal]], and the inhabitants of Adruh, Jirba and Ayla.