Salim Mohamed Badat
During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, one of the most revealing moments in early Islamic history occurred during the expedition known as the Battle of Tabuk.
This campaign exposed the difference between sincere believers and those whose faith was only on their tongues. In this context, Allah revealed a powerful verse in the Quran: “And if they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it some preparation; but Allah disliked their being sent, so He held them back, and it was said : ‘Remain behind with those who remain.’” (Quran 9:46 )
The Hypocrites Who Never Prepared .
The expedition to Tabuk was not an easy campaign. The Muslims were asked to march hundreds of miles north in the scorching heat of the Arabian desert toward a possible confrontation with the Byzantine Empire.
It required sacrifice, courage, and preparation. The sincere believers immediately began gathering provisions, animals, weapons, and supplies. Many gave everything they possessed. But another group behaved very differently, the munafiqun (hypocrites).
They knew of the threat. They heard the call. They saw the believers preparing. Yet they did nothing. They neither gathered supplies nor readied themselves for the journey. Instead, they invented excuses, hoping their lack of preparation would justify their absence. Allah exposed their deception. If they truly intended to go forth, they would have prepared. Their failure to prepare was itself the proof of their hypocrisy.
Preparation reveals intention .
Words can deceive, speeches can impress, and slogans can stir crowds, but preparation exposes the truth of a person’s heart.
The Same Disease in the Modern Muslim World
This Quranic principle is not confined to history. The lesson of Tabuk echoes loudly in the modern Muslim world. For more than seventy years the Muslim world has lived under the shadow of military dominance by powers such as the United States and the strategic expansion of Israel.
Every ruler in the Muslim world knows this reality. Every government understands the geopolitical threats facing the Ummah. Yet what preparation has been made? Instead of developing unified military strength, scientific advancement, and strategic independence, vast wealth has been poured into luxury cities, towering skyscrapers, extravagant palaces, and lifestyles of unimaginable excess.
Billions upon billions of dollars have been spent on fleeting symbols of prestige while the Ummah remains fragmented and dependent. Even more troubling is the practice of paying enormous sums in security arrangements and arms purchases to foreign powers, effectively protection payments to the very forces that dominate the region.
Rather than standing independently, many regimes have tied their survival to outside guardianship. The Quranic verse from Tabuk exposes this mentality.
If they truly intended to defend the Ummah, they would have prepared.
Wealth Without Purpose
Many of the wealthiest Muslim nations possess resources that earlier civilizations could only dream of, oil wealth, vast territories, and strategic geographic locations. With such resources, the Muslim world could have built a unified scientific, technological, and military infrastructure capable of protecting its sovereignty.
Instead, much of this wealth has been invested in displays of luxury: artificial islands, record-breaking towers, and extravagant entertainment projects designed to compete with the most materialistic centers of the world.
These projects may symbolize modernity, but they do not represent preparation. In the Quranic sense, preparation means strength, unity, knowledge, and readiness to defend justice.
When wealth is used only to pursue worldly prestige while neglecting collective security and independence, it reflects the same short-sighted thinking that afflicted the hypocrites of Tabuk.
A Different Path of Preparation
In contrast, some states have spent decades focusing on strategic self-reliance, building indigenous defense capabilities and investing heavily in military technology. One often cited example in regional discussions is Iran, which, despite sanctions and international isolation, has invested for decades in developing domestic defense industries and strategic deterrence.
Iran’s emphasis on preparation reflects a recognition of a harsh geopolitical reality: independence requires readiness.
History repeatedly demonstrates that nations which neglect preparation often find themselves vulnerable when crises emerge.
The Eternal Lesson of Tabuk .
The Quranic message revealed during the expedition to Tabuk remains timeless. Hypocrisy is not merely a matter of belief, it is revealed through action, or the lack of it.
When people claim loyalty to the Ummah yet fail to prepare for its protection, their claims ring hollow. When leaders speak of unity while maintaining dependence on external powers, their words lose credibility.
Allah’s words remain a mirror through which every generation must examine itself: “If they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it some preparation.” Preparation is the test of sincerity. It was true in the desert of Tabuk in the 7th century, and it remains true in the geopolitical struggles of the 21st century.
The question facing the Muslim world today is the same question that confronted the hypocrites of Tabuk: Do we truly intend to stand for the dignity and independence of the Ummah? If the intention is sincere, preparation must follow.
Salim Mohamed Badat
Writer exploring the intersection of faith, justice and politics
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