Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE EARTH’S SUFFOCATING EXPANSEpardoned. He changed his name to `Abd al-Raĥmān and appealed to God to granthim martyrdom where his body would not be found. He was killed when he wasfighting with the Muslim army at Yamāmah against the apostates. His body was lostwithout trace.Another report suggests that when the Prophet and the Muslim army were on theway back from Tabūk, a group of hypocrites tried to assassinate him by throwinghim from the top of a high peak along the road. He was informed of their design. Heordered the bulk of the army to travel through the valley, while he went up themountain trail, instructing two of his trusted Companions, `Ammār ibn Yāsir andĤudhayfah ibn al-Yamān, to go with him. `Ammār held the rein of his she-camelwhile Ĥudhayfah drove it. They were followed by that group of hypocrites trying tocatch up with them, having drawn their headcovers over their faces to hide theiridentities. When the Prophet heard the sound of their camels travelling close behind,he was angry. Ĥudhayfah recognized how angry he was, and he went back towardsthem. He held out his shield to stop their camels. When they saw him, they thoughtthat their scheming was discovered. So they made haste to join the bulk of the armyand mix among them. Ĥudhayfah went back to the Prophet who instructed him and`Ammār to make haste until they passed the peak of the trail, and rejoined the road.They stopped for the army to catch up with them.The Prophet asked Ĥudhayfah whether he recognized those people? He said: “Icould only see their camels as it was dark when I met them.” The Prophet asked bothhis Companions: “Do you know what those people were after?” When theyanswered in the negative, he told them of their conspiracy, and named them askinghis two Companions to keep that information to themselves. They wondered:“Messenger of God, should you not order their execution?” He said: “I hate thatpeople should say that Muĥammad is killing his Companions.” Another reportsuggests that the Prophet told only Ĥudhayfah of their names.As for the hardship encountered by the Muslims in this expedition, a number ofreports give us a clear picture of it. Some of these emphasize that the expedition tookplace at a time of scarcity, in the height of a very hot summer, when provisions andwater were in extremely short supply. Qatādah, an early scholar, says: “They set outto Tabūk when it was burning hot, and they encountered great difficulty. It isreported that two men would share a single date. Indeed a few men would all shareone date, with one of them sucking it a little and drinking some water, then he wouldgive it to another to do the same, and so on. God then turned to them in mercy andbrought them back safely.”Al-Ţabarī, a leading historian and scholar, mentions a report that `Umar wasasked about the difficulty. He answered: “We marched with the Prophet to Tabūk.We encamped at a place where we were so thirsty that we felt our throats were227