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The expedition to Tabuk took place in the ninth year of Hijrah, during the month of Rajab. Tabuk was a place located between Madinah and Syria. This is also known as ‘Jaysh al-Usra’ (army with insufficient provisions).
The reason for this expedition was that news reached Madinah that the Romans and Arab Christians had assembled a large army to attack the city. In order to combat them , the Final Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered the preparation of an army. At that time, there was a severe famine in the entire Hijaz region, along with intense heat, making it difficult to leave home. This is the same expedition where Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ donated all his wealth and Sayyiduna Umar رضی اللہ عنہ donated half of his wealth to prepare for the army. Sayyiduna Usman al-Ghani رضی اللہ عنہ and Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Auf رضی اللہ عنہ also provided significant support.
The Beloved Prophet ﷺ, with an army of thirty thousand, set out for Tabuk. Upon reaching Tabuk, he ﷺ ordered the army to camp. There was no sign of the Roman army far and wide. Later, it was learned that when the spies informed Caesar about the grandeur and size of the Islamic army, the Romans, out of fear and awe, lost their courage and did not venture out of their homes. The Beloved Prophet ﷺ stayed in Tabuk for a few days and then returned to Madinah. Tabuk and some nearby areas came under the Islamic empire.
The year 9 AH is also known as the "Year of the Delegations".'Wufood' in Arabic is the plural of 'wafd', which means a group or delegation of people. The Beloved Prophet ﷺ would send preachers everywhere to spread the message of Islam. Some people would accept Islam at the hands of these preachers, while some tribes desired to go directly to the Prophetic court to witness the beauty of Prophethood and express their Islam.
Therefore, people from various tribes would come to Madinah as representatives of their tribes to hear the message of Islam from the founder of Islam himself, the Final Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and declare their acceptance of Islam. They would then return to their tribes and convert them to Islam. Such delegations continued to arrive in Madinah at various times, but after the conquest of Makkah, the acceptance of Islam spread throughout Arabia Peninsula.
Reasons for the Increase in Delegations
Many tribes had already accepted the truth of Islam but could not embrace Islam due to fear and pressure of the Quraysh. The conquest of Makkah removed this obstacle. The teachings of Islam and the sacred message of the Holy Quran had a profound impact on people's hearts, resulting in those who had previously resisted Islam now eagerly seeking the Beloved Prophet's ﷺ guidance. Moved by the Beloved Prophet's ﷺ teachings and character, people from far and wide came in groups to meet him, accepting Islam with joy and earning the honor of being his companions.
In 9 AH, so many delegations arrived that the year became known as the "Year of the Delegations". According to one account, approximately 60 delegations visited the Beloved Prophet ﷺ that year. The Beloved Prophet ﷺ would receive these delegations with great care and attention. He would wear his finest clothes, sit leaning against a pillar in Masjid al-Nabawi to meet them, and engage in friendly conversations with each delegation. He ﷺ would also teach them the necessary beliefs and practices of Islam. These guests were accommodated in the best houses, well-hosted, and given gifts.
Hajj became fard in the year 9 AH.