Expedition of Tabuk

The Expedition of Tabuk was Muhammad’s 630 campaign toward northern Arabia amid reports of a Byzantine threat. The Muslim army reached Tabuk but encountered no opposing force.

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Byzantine Empire: The medieval continuation of the Roman Empire, centered on Constantinople and influential across the eastern Mediterranean. Reports of Byzantine military preparations supplied the campaign’s stated external threat.
Tabuk: An oasis city in northwestern Saudi Arabia, near the route linking Arabia with the Levant. It was the northern destination of the campaign.
Treaty of Tabuk: A reported agreement between Muhammad and the Christian community of Aylah during the Tabuk expedition. The expedition is associated in Islamic accounts with agreements made at its northern frontier.
Tabuk expedition in Islamic tradition: The accounts of the Tabuk campaign preserved in Islamic historical and religious sources. These sources describe the march, its hardships, and the absence of a battle.
Muhammad: The religious and political leader who founded Islam and led the early Muslim community in seventh-century Arabia. He ordered and led the march to Tabuk.
Ghazwa: An expedition in which Muhammad personally participated, as distinguished in Islamic tradition from other military missions. The Tabuk campaign is classified as a ghazwa because Muhammad led it himself.
Aylah: An ancient settlement near the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, corresponding to modern Aqaba in Jordan. Its community is reported to have reached an agreement with Muhammad during the campaign.
Surah At-Tawbah: The ninth chapter of the Quran, which addresses themes including communal loyalty and conflict. Islamic tradition connects passages in this chapter with the mobilization for Tabuk.
Constitution of Medina: A document establishing agreements among Muhammad, Muslim emigrants, and groups in Medina. The campaign followed years of political consolidation by Muhammad’s community in Medina.
Army of Hardship: A traditional name for the Muslim force assembled for the difficult Tabuk campaign. The name reflects the shortages and rigors associated with the march.