To sum up, Kaʿb was absent from that expedition, though not at the very beginning but only later on; for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had not set out to fight but rather to intercept the caravan. Yet Allah brought His Messenger and the enemy together without prior arrangement, and the encounter turned into a blessed battle—praise belongs to Allah. Kaʿb then mentioned the pledge he had given the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the Night of al-ʿAqabah at Minā, when they swore allegiance to him upon Islam. He said, “I would not wish to exchange that night for Badr,” meaning that the pledge was dearer to him than a military engagement because it was a momentous covenant. He added, however, “Badr is more frequently recalled among the people than it,” that is, it is mentioned more often, for the battle became famous whereas the pledge did not.

In any event, he—may Allah be pleased with him—consoled himself by saying that if he had missed Badr, he at least had the Pledge of al-ʿAqabah. May Allah be pleased with Kaʿb and with all the Companions.

He—may Allah be pleased with him—also said: “I was never stronger nor more prosperous than when I stayed behind from that expedition”—meaning the expedition of Tabūk. Physically, he was robust; financially, he was well-off. He even owned two mounts for that campaign, something he had never managed for any expedition before, and he had made all the necessary preparations—may Allah be pleased with him.

It was the Prophet’s practice—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that whenever he intended a campaign he would give the impression that he was heading elsewhere, revealing the opposite of his true aim. This was part of his wisdom and strategic acumen, for had he disclosed his objective, the enemy would have discovered it, perhaps fortified themselves further, or withdrawn from the very place the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had targeted. Thus, if he planned to go south, he would make it appear as though he were heading north; if he meant to go east, he would act as though he were going west, so that the enemy would not uncover his secrets—except in the expedition of Tabūk, in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace