This was during the month of Rajab (the seventh month in the lunar calendar) in the ninth year A.H. and people were facing a difficult time preparing for this expedition. The circumstances were hard; it was a year of drought and the meager harvest they had was beginning to ripen, and people usually like to be around at such a time and attend to reaping the harvest.
Many of the hypocrites went to him, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, taking permission not to go with him on the expedition giving him poor excuses, and he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, accepted their excuses and permitted them not to join the Muslim army. Amongst those who sought permis- sion, were ‘Abdullaah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool and Al-Jadd ibn Qays.
Some of the hypocrites started telling others, ‘Do not go and fight in this hot weather.’ However, Allah exposed their reality in the Quran and admonished the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, for allow- ing them not to go and accepting their excuses.
Allah Says (what means):
«Those who remained behind rejoiced in their staying [at home] after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allah and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah and said: ‘Do not go forth in the heat.’ Say, ‘The fire of Hell is more intense in heat’, if they would but understand. So let them laugh a little and [then] weep much as recom- pense for what they used to earn.»
[Quran: 9:81-82]
Allah The Almighty also Says (what means):
«Had it been a near [i.e. easy] gain and a moderate trip, they [i.e. the hypocrites] would have fol- lowed you, but distant to them was the journey. And they will swear by Allah [when you return from the Tabook expedition], ‘If we were able, we would have gone forth with you,’ destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allah knows that indeed they are liars.»
[Quran: 9:42]