After spending twenty days in Tabuk, the Prophet and his men began their journey back to Madinah. Up to now, the Prophet’s expedition against the Romans had represented a great threat to the Muslim dominance of Arabia, but the Muslims had camped in their dominion of Tabuk for twenty days in complete safety. They had even made pacts with local tribes that helped consolidate their hold on the peninsula. Things however, were about to take an unexpected turn.

While returning to Madinah, the Prophet and his men passed through a mountain pass. Most of the men took a route through the valley, while the Prophet took another pass accompanied by only two of his Companions, Ammr and Hudhayfah bin Yaman.

Twelve Hypocrites from among the Muslims saw the Prophet’s virtually solitary state as a great opportunity to assassinate him. After masking themselves, they followed him, waiting for the right moment.

Suddenly, they rushed toward him on their mounts, but the Prophet told Hudhayfah to strike the faces of their horses with his shield. With this action, Allah sent terror into the hearts of the Hypocrites, and they fled. They rode back to mingle with the rest of the squadron, but the Prophet told Hudhayfah each of their names and their intention. From that day on, Hudhayfah was called the trusted confidant of the Prophet .

Demolition of the Hypocrites’ Mosque

The Prophet had promised to perform the inaugural prayers in a newly built mosque in Qubaa, just outside Madinah, on his return from Tabuk. He had been asked to do so when he was in the midst of planning the Tabuk expedition. When the Prophet reached Dhu Awan, just a day’s journey from Qubaa, Jibreel visited him and revealed to him that the mosque had been built by the Hypocrites. The mosque was to serve as a meeting place for the Hypocrites where they could plot their various subversive activities to weaken Islam. By having the Prophet pray there, they hoped to legitimise their gatherings.

Thus forewarned of the threat to the Muslim nation from a mosque built on subversion rather than on piety, the Prophet immediately sent men to Qubaa to demolish it.