and said, “We would like you to pray in it.” Thereupon the verse was revealed: “Never stand in it” (Quran 9:108).

Ibn ʿUyaynah narrated from al-Zuhri, from al-Saʾib ibn Yazid, who said, “I still remember that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from the Expedition of Tabuk, we went out with the children to welcome him at Thaniyyat al-Wadaʿ.” Recorded by al-Bukhari.

Several narrators reported through Ḥumayd, from Anas, that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came back from the Expedition of Tabuk and neared Madinah, he said, “In Madinah there are men who shared with you every mile you traveled and every valley you crossed.” They asked, “Messenger of Allah, even though they remained in Madinah?” He replied, “Yes; a legitimate excuse kept them back.” Recorded by al-Bukhari.

The Affair of Those Who Stayed Behind:

Shuʿayb ibn Abī Ḥamzah related from al-Zuhri that Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib informed him: Banū Qurayzah were allies of Abū Lubābah. They climbed up to speak with him while he was urging them to accept the judgment of the Prophet ﷺ and said, “Abu Lubabah, should we come down?” He signaled with his hand to his throat, meaning: slaughter. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was told of this, he asked him, “Did my own eyes not see what you did?” Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Did you think Allah was unaware of the hand with which you pointed to your throat?” The Prophet ﷺ remained displeased with him for some time.

Later the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out for Tabuk, and Abū Lubābah stayed behind with those who stayed. When the Prophet ﷺ returned, Abū Lubābah came to greet him, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned away. Panic-stricken, Abū Lubābah went and tied himself to the Pillar of Repentance, the one by the door of Umm Salamah,