10082 - Hajjaj ibn Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, regarding His saying: "In the hour of difficulty," in the expedition of Tabuk.

10083 - 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, Abu al-Jamahir narrated to us, Sa'id narrated to us, from Qatadah, regarding His saying: "Allah has already forgiven the Prophet and the Emigrants and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of difficulty," he said: They are those who followed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the expedition of Tabuk before al-Sham, in the scorching heat, despite the exertion that Allah knows of. A severe exertion struck them therein, to the point that it was mentioned to us that two men would split a single date between them, and a group would take turns with a single date; one of them would suck on it, then drink water over it, then the other would suck on it. So Allah forgave them, and He sent them back from their expedition.

His saying, the Exalted: "Then He turned to them; indeed, He is to them Kind and Merciful."

10084 - And through the same chain from Qatadah, regarding: "Then He turned to them; indeed, He is to them Kind and Merciful," he said: So Allah forgave them, and He sent them back from their expedition.

His saying, the Exalted: "And [He also turned] to the three who were left behind."

[The First Aspect]

10085 - Muhammad ibn 'Uzayr al-Ayli narrated to us, Salamah ibn Rawh ibn Khalid narrated to us, 'Aqil ibn Khalid narrated to me, he said: I asked Muhammad ibn Muslim about the matter of Ka'b ibn Malik when he stayed behind from the expedition of Tabuk. Muhammad ibn Muslim informed me that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Ka'b informed him that 'Abd Allah ibn Ka'b—and he was the guide for Ka'b among his sons when he became blind—said: I heard Ka'b ibn Malik narrating his story when he stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the expedition of Tabuk. Ka'b said: I never stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in any expedition he undertook except in the expedition of Tabuk, other than that I stayed behind from him during the expedition of Badr, and he did not reproach anyone who stayed behind from it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) only went out intending the caravan of Quraysh when Allah brought them and their enemy together without an appointment. I indeed witnessed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the night of al-'Aqabah.

It was part of my story when I stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the expedition of Tabuk that I had never been stronger nor better off than I was when I stayed behind from that expedition. By Allah, I had never gathered two mounts before it until I gathered them for that expedition.