The Prophet orders the people to prepare to fight the Byzantines
أمر النبي الناس بالتهيؤ لغزو الروم
October 630 CE · Rajab 9 AH
Ibn Ishaq says the Prophet stayed in Medina from Dhu al-Hijja to Rajab, then ordered the people to prepare for the campaign against the Byzantines — in a time of hardship, fierce heat and drought, when the fruit had ripened. He rarely went on a campaign without concealing its destination, but for Tabuk he declared it plainly because the distance was far, the time harsh and the enemy many.
At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
Summary
Ibn Ishaq says the Prophet stayed in Medina from Dhu al-Hijja to Rajab, then ordered the people to prepare to invade the Byzantines — in a time of hardship, fierce heat and drought, when the fruits had ripened. His custom was to give a feigned name to every expedition, except the Tabuk expedition, which he made plain to the people because of the distance, the season's severity and the enemy's numbers. 1
The account
The Prophet stayed in Medina from Dhu al-Hijja to Rajab, then ordered the people to prepare to invade the Byzantines. 1
Ibn Ishaq names those who related the expedition to him: al-Zuhri, Yazid ibn Ruman, Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr, Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatada and others; he says each of them related what reached him, some telling what others did not. 1
Ibn Ishaq describes the season: the people's hardship, the heat's severity, the land's drought, the fruit's ripeness — people preferred staying by their fruits and in their shade and hated going out. 1
He adds that it was the Prophet's custom to feign his intended destination — except on the Tabuk expedition, which he made plain, telling them he intended the Byzantines, so they might take their full equipment. 1
Markers of weakness and doubt
- A composite account: Ibn Ishaq combined the reports of several of his authorities, saying some tell what others do not (p. 159).
Connections
- Part of
- The expedition to Tabuk
- Occurred at
- Medina
- Had participant
- Muhammad
People and things also explored
al-Jadd ibn Qays asks leave to stay behindThe builders of the mosque ask the Prophet to pray in itThe three who were left behind after TabukThe Weepers: seven who asked to be carriedUthman funds the army of hardshipThe expedition to TabukMuhammadMedina
Sources
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/159
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Prophet orders the people to prepare to fight the Byzantines”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/tabuk-mobilisation-order/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.