The Year of Delegations — 9 AH
After the Conquest of Mecca and the decisive defeat of the tribal coalition at Hunayn (8 AH), the political and spiritual supremacy of Islam in Arabia was established. Tribal leaders who had been waiting for the outcome arrived throughout 9 AH:
- The Thaqif: The powerful tribe of Ta’if, which had once driven the Prophet out with stones, sent a delegation and converted — negotiating the terms of their conversion (they asked to keep their idol for three years; the Prophet refused)
- Banu Tamim: A large tribal confederation sent leaders to Medina
- Kings of Himyar: The kings of Yemen accepted Islam and wrote to the Prophet — their conversion meant the Islamization of the entire southern Arabian Peninsula
- Najran Christians: Came for theological debate (mubahala challenge) — the Prophet challenged them to mutual imprecation; they declined, accepted the dhimma arrangement instead
The Prophet dispatched teachers to newly Muslim territories: Mu’adh ibn Jabal to Yemen (with the famous instruction: “Teach them first the shahada… do not make them flee from religion”), Ali ibn Abi Talib to Yemen and Hadramawt.
The Expedition to Tabuk — 9 AH
Intelligence reached Medina that a large Byzantine (Roman) force was massing at the Syrian frontier. The Prophet called for a general mobilization in the middle of summer — an unusual and demanding decision. The Quran records those who gave generously: Uthman ibn Affan reportedly outfitted a third of the army from his own wealth.
The army marched approximately 700 miles to Tabuk in northern Arabia. No Byzantine army was encountered — the reports had been exaggerated. But the expedition served important purposes:
- Established Islamic military reach to the northern frontier
- Local Christian rulers (the kings of Dawmat al-Jandal, Aylah, and Maqna) sent delegations and accepted the dhimma arrangement
- Exposed and demoralized the hypocrites (munafiqun) who had made excuses to avoid service
The famous “Three Who Were Left Behind” (al-thalatha alladhina khullifu) — Ka’b ibn Malik, Mararah ibn al-Rabi’, and Hilal ibn Umayyah — stayed behind without excuse and faced a fifty-day community boycott until revelation came accepting their repentance (9:118).
Surah al-Tawba — The Legislation of the New Order
Revealed in 9 AH, Surah al-Tawba addressed the new reality: a largely Islamized Arabia requiring:
- The end of remaining polytheist shrine access (haram declared Muslim-only)
- The framework for relations with treaty-partners and new converts
- The legal status of the munafiqun (hypocrites) and the rules of community membership
The famous verse: “And when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them.” (9:5) — understood by classical scholars in its context: it applies to those who had broken their treaties and continued to make war, not to all non-Muslims.
The Farewell Hajj and the End
In 10 AH, the Prophet performed his only Hajj from Medina — the Farewell Hajj. See [[seerah-death]] for the Farewell Sermon and final illness.
See also: Prophet Muhammad, Seerah Medina, Seerah Fath Mecca, Seerah Death, Sahaba, Ummah, Dhimmi