Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zubayr al-Makki from Abu't-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathila that Muadh ibn Jabal told him that they went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the year of Tabuk, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, joined dhuhr with asr and maghrib with isha. Muadh said, "One day he delayed the prayer, and then came out and prayed dhuhr and asr together. Then he said, 'Tomorrow you will come, insha' llah, to the spring of Tabuk. But you will not get there until well into the morning. No one who arrives should touch any of its water until I come.' We came to it and two men had got to it before us and the spring was dripping with a little water. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked them, 'Have you touched any of its water?' They said, 'Yes.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reviled them and said what Allah wished him to say. Then they took water with their hands from the spring little by little until it had been collected in something. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, washed his face and hands in it. Then he put it back into the spring and the spring flowed with an abundance of water and the people drew water from it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'If you live long enough, Muadh, you will soon see this place filled with gardens.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik that Muadh ibn Jabal said, "The last advice the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave me when I put my foot in the stirrup was that he said, 'Make your character good for the people, Muadh ibn Jabal!' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from a man of the Ansar from Muadh ibn Sad or Sad ibn Muadh that a slave-girl of Kab ibn Malik was herding some sheep at Sal (a mountain near Madina). One of the sheep was about to die, so she went over to it and slaughtered it with a stone. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about that, and he said, "There is no harm in it, so eat it."

In the last part of his narration about the three who remained behind (from the battle of Tabuk). (I said) "As a proof of my true repentance (for not joining the Holy battle of Tabuk), I shall give up all my property for the sake of Allah and His Apostle (as an expiation for that sin)." The Prophet said (to me), "Keep some of your wealth, for that is better for you."

We returned from the Ghazwa of Tabuk along with the Prophet. (See Hadith No. 92 below) .

Malik related to me from Zayd ibn Aslam from Amr ibn Muadh al- Ashali al-Ansari that his grandmother said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'O trusting women! Let none of you despise giving to her neighbour even if it is only a roasted sheep's trotter.'

We came with the Prophet from Tabuk, and when we reached near Medina, the Prophet said, "This is Tabah."

The Prophet (saws) was brought a piece of cheese in Tabuk. He called for a knife, mentioned Allah's name and cut it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Amr ibn Sad ibn Muadh from his grandmother that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O trusting women, none of you must consider even a roasted sheep's trotter too small to give to her neighbour."

The Prophet set out on Thursday for the Ghazwa of Tabuk and he used to prefer to set out (i.e. travel) on Thursdays.

I remember I went out with the boys to Thaniyat-ul-Wada` to receive the Prophet when he returned from the Ghazwa of Tabuk.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Wafid ibn Amr ibn Said ibn Muadh from Nafi ibn Jubayr ibn Mutim from Masud ibn al-Hakam from AIi ibn Abi Talib that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to stand up when a funeral procession passed by, and then sit down again afterwards.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Muadh ibn Jabal said, "There are two military expeditions. There is one military expedition in which valuables are spent, the contributor is willing, the authorities are obeyed, and corruption is avoided. That military expedition is all good. There is a military expedition in which valuables are not spent, the contributor is not willing, the authorities are not obeyed, and corruption is not avoided. The one who fights in that military expedition does not return with reward."

We returned in the company of the Prophet from the Ghazwa of Tabuk, and when we looked upon Medina, the Prophet said, "This is Taba (i.e. Medina), and this is Uhud, a mountain that loves us and is loved by us."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) stayed at Tabuk twenty days; he shortened the prayer (during his stay).

Abu Dawud said: No one narrates this tradition with continuous chain except Ma'mar.

We accompanied the Prophet in the Ghazwa of Tabuk and the king of 'Aila presented a white mule and a cloak as a gift to the Prophet. And the Prophet wrote to him a peace treaty allowing him to keep authority over his country.

On the expedition of Tabuk the Messenger of Allah (saws) came to a household and, seeing a bucket hanging, asked for water. They said: Messenger of Allah, the animal died a natural death. He replied; Its tanning is its purification.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn from al- Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, joined dhuhr and asr on his journey to Tabuk.

"When the Messenger of Allah (saws) arrived from Tabuk, the people went out to Thaniyyah Al-Wada' to meet him." As-Sa'ib said: "I went out with the people, and I was a boy."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.

Allah's Apostle set out for Tabuk. appointing `Ali as his deputy (in Medina). `Ali said, "Do you want to leave me with the children and women?" The Prophet said, "Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me."

I poured water while the Prophet (saws) performed ablution in the battle of Tabuk. He wiped over the upper part of the socks and their lower part.

Abu Dawud said: I have been told that Thawr did not hear this tradition from Raja'.

(While we were going for the Battle of Tabuk and when we reached the places of the dwellers of Al- Hijr), Allah's Apostle said about the dwellers of Al-Hijr (to us). "Do not enter (the dwelling places) of these people unless you enter weeping, but if you weep not, then do not enter upon them, lest you be afflicted with what they were afflicted with."

When Allah's Apostle landed at Al-Hijr during the Ghazwa of Tabuk, he ordered his companions not to drink water from its well or reserve water from it. They said, "We have already kneaded the dough with its water. and also filled our bags with its water.'' On that, the Prophet ordered them to throw away the dough and pour out the water.

I heard Ka`b bin Malik talking after his failure to join (the Ghazwa of) Tabuk. He said, "When I greeted Allah's Apostle whose face was glittering with happiness, for whenever Allah's Apostle was happy, his face used to glitter, as if it was a piece of the moon, and we used to recognize it (i.e. his happiness) from his face."

I never failed to join Allah's Apostle in any of his Ghazawat except in the Ghazwa of Tabuk. However, I did not take part in the Ghazwa of Badr, but none who failed to take part in it, was blamed, for Allah's Apostle had gone out to meet the caravans of (Quraish, but Allah caused them (i.e. Muslims) to meet their enemy unexpectedly (with no previous intention) .

Allah's Apostle returned from the Ghazwa of Tabuk, and when he approached Medina, he said, "There are some people in Medina who were with you all the time, you did not travel any portion of the journey nor crossed any valley, but they were with you they (i.e. the people) said, "O Allah's Apostle! Even though they were at Medina?" He said, "Yes, because they were stopped by a genuine excuse."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) combined the noon and the afternoon prayers, and combined the sunset and night prayers without any danger or journey. Malik said: I think it so happened during rain.

Abu Dawud said: Hammad b. Salamah narrated it like manner from Abu al-Zubair, it has also been narrated by Qurrah b. Khalid from Abu al-Zubair. He said: It is so happened in a journey that we made to Tabuk.

I heard Ka`b bin Malik narrating (when he did not join the battle of Tabuk): Allah's Apostle forbade all the Muslims to speak to us. I would come to Allah's Apostle and greet him, and I would wonder whether the Prophet did move his lips to return to my greetings or not till fifty nights passed away. The Prophet then announced (to the people) Allah's forgiveness for us (acceptance of our repentance) at the time when he had offered the Fajr (morning) prayer.

Who was Ka`b's guide from among his sons when Ka`b became blind: I heard Ka`b bin Malik saying, "When some people remained behind and did not join Allah's Apostle in the battle of Tabuk.." and then he described the whole narration and said, "Allah's Apostle forbade the Muslims to speak to us, and so we (I and my companions) stayed fifty nights in that state, and then Allah's Apostle announced Allah's acceptance of our repentance."

Whenever Allah's Apostle intended to carry out a Ghazwa, he would use an equivocation to conceal his real destination till it was the Ghazwa of Tabuk which Allah's Apostle carried out in very hot weather. As he was going to face a very long journey through a wasteland and was to meet and attack a large number of enemies. So, he made the situation clear to the Muslims so that they might prepare themselves accordingly and get ready to conquer their enemy. The Prophet informed them of the destination he was heading for.

I heard Ka`b bin Malik talking about the story of the battle of Tabuk when he remained behind, "By Allah, I do not know anyone whom Allah has helped for telling the truth more than me since I mentioned that truth to Allah's Apostle till today, I have never intended to tell a lie. And Allah revealed to His Apostle: "Verily! Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin............ and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)." (9.117-119) (See Hadith No. 702 Vol 5).

I participated in the Ghazwa of Tabuk along with Allah's Apostle and I gave a young camel to be ridden in Jihad and that was, to me, one of my best deeds. Then I employed a laborer who quarrelled with another person. One of them bit the hand of the other and the latter drew his hand from the mouth of the former pulling out his front tooth. Then the former instituted a suit against the latter before the Prophet who rejected that suit saying, "Do you expect him to put out his hand for you to snap as a male camel snaps (vegetation)?"

The Prophet (saws) alighted at a place where a mosque has been built under a large tree. He tarried there for three days, and then proceeded to Tabuk. Juhaynah met him on a wide plain. He asked them: who are the people of Dhul-Marwah? They replied: Banu Rifa'ah of Juhaynah. He said: I have given this (land) to Banu Rifa'ah as a fief. Therefore, they divided it. Some of them sold (their share) and others retained and worked on it.

(Sub-narrator Ibn Wahab said: I then asked AbdulAziz about this tradition. He narrated a part of it to me and did not narrate it in full.

I heard Ka`b bin Malik at the time he remained behind and did not join (the battle of) Tabuk, saying, "By Allah, no blessing has Allah bestowed upon me, besides my guidance to Islam, better than that of helping me speak the truth to Allah's Apostle otherwise I would have told the Prophet a lie and would have been ruined like those who had told a lie when the Divine Inspiration was revealed:-- "They will swear by Allah to you (Muslims) when you return to them.. the rebellious people." (9.95-96)