حُنَيْنٌ وَتَبُوكُ وَعَامُ الْوُفُودِ

Ḥunayn A few weeks after the conquest, in the month of Shawwaal in year 8, the tribes of Hawaazin and Thaqiif gathered an army against the Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ set out with about twelve thousand men, the largest Muslim army so far [À VÉRIFIER : nombre]. Some said: "We will not be defeated today because of small numbers." In the valley of Ḥunayn, at dawn, the hidden enemy attacked; many fled (verse 9:25, below). The Prophet ﷺ stood firm on his white mule and kept saying: "I am the Prophet, that is no lie; I am the son of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib" (Bukhari 2864, Muslim 1776). His uncle Al-'Abbaas, who had a strong voice, called the companions; they came back, and Allah gave victory.

The distribution and the speech to the Anṣaar The Prophet ﷺ gave a large share of the spoils to the new Muslims of Quraysh, to win their hearts, and nothing to the Anṣaar. Some of the Anṣaar were hurt by this. He gathered them and reminded them of what Allah had given them through him: guidance, unity, wealth. Then he said: "Are you not content that people go home with sheep and camels, and that you go home with the Prophet of Allah? If people took one valley and the Anṣaar another, I would take the valley of the Anṣaar." They wept and said: "We are content" (Bukhari 4330, Muslim 1061).

Tabuuk In year 9, news came that the Byzantines were preparing an attack in the north. It was summer, the heat was terrible, the date harvest was about to be ready, and the road was very long. The Prophet ﷺ announced the aim clearly, contrary to his usual practice, so that everyone could prepare. The companions gave generously: 'Uthmaan equipped a large part of the army (reported by At-Tirmidhi) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro]; according to one report, Abu Bakr brought all his wealth and 'Umar half of his [À VÉRIFIER : référence]. About thirty thousand men set out [À VÉRIFIER : nombre]. When they reached Tabuuk, they found no Byzantine army; several northern tribes made agreements with the Muslims. The hypocrites found excuses to stay behind. But three sincere believers also stayed behind without excuse, out of negligence: Ka'b ibn Maalik, Muraara ibn ar-Rabii' and Hilaal ibn Umayya. Ka'b refused to lie to the Prophet ﷺ on his return, and told the truth. For fifty nights, the Muslims did not speak to them. Then Allah revealed that He had accepted their repentance (verse 9:118, below). Ka'b later said that Allah had saved him through truthfulness (Bukhari 4418, Muslim 2769).

The year of delegations After the conquest of Makkah and Tabuuk, tribes from all over Arabia sent delegations to Madinah to embrace Islam or make agreements. That is why year 9 is called "the year of delegations" ('aam al-wufuud). Thaqiif, the tribe of Ṭaa'if that had driven the Prophet ﷺ out with stones, also came to embrace Islam: the answer to his supplication at Ṭaa'if. That same year Abu Bakr led the pilgrimage, and it was announced that no idolater would perform the pilgrimage any more and that no one would circle the Ka'ba naked (Bukhari 369, Muslim 1347).

Exercise: Ka'b ibn Maalik could have excused himself with a lie; he chose the truth, even though it cost him. Think of a situation in which you are tempted to bend the truth, and decide in advance to tell the truth.

The text: Surah At-Tawba (9), verse 25 لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ ۙ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ ۙ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُدْبِرِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾

The text: Surah At-Tawba (9), verse 118 وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوا أَنْ لَا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿١١٨﴾

Meaning of 9:25: "Allah has helped you in many places, and on the day of Ḥunayn, when your great numbers pleased you but availed you nothing; the earth, vast as it is, closed in on you, then you turned your backs in flight." Meaning of 9:118: Allah also accepted the repentance of the three who had stayed behind, when the earth, vast as it is, closed in on them, their souls were constricted, and they understood that there is no refuge from Allah except with Him; then He turned to them so that they might repent: Allah is the Accepter of repentance, the Most Merciful.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Ḥunayn came just after the conquest, when the Muslims were at their most numerous, and that is where they came close to defeat. Verse 9:25 explains it: "your great numbers pleased you". Badr taught that one can win while weak; Ḥunayn teaches that one can be defeated while strong, if one forgets Allah. The speech to the Anṣaar is a masterpiece of teaching: the Prophet ﷺ does not deny their hurt, he listens to them, reminds them of Allah's blessings, then gives them what is worth more than the spoils: his presence and his love. He also shows that a leader may give more to those whose faith is fragile, without this meaning that he prefers them. Tabuuk was the test of sincerity. The hypocrites lied and were left to their excuses; the three believers told the truth and were tested, then forgiven and honoured by a verse recited until the end of time. The truth may cost dearly at the moment; it saves in the end.

Lessons to draw from it • Never rely on numbers or means, but on Allah. • Stand firm when others fall back. • Listen to people's hurt and remind them of the true treasures. • Tell the truth, even when a lie would seem easier. • Do not despair of Allah's forgiveness after a fault.

Key points to remember • Ḥunayn, year 8: pride in numbers (9:25); Bukhari 2864, Muslim 1776. • The speech to the Anṣaar (Bukhari 4330, Muslim 1061). • Tabuuk, year 9: heat, distance, the companions' generosity. • The three who stayed behind; Ka'b ibn Maalik (Bukhari 4418, Muslim 2769); 9:118. • Year 9, the year of delegations.

The main message Strength comes from Allah, not from numbers, and salvation comes from the truth, not from excuses: stay humble in power, and sincere in fault.