Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَلَکِن بَعُدَتْ عَلَیْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ [But the tedious journey was too long for them] — meaning towards Tabuk; for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) had not undertaken a journey more distant or more arduous than it. The reason for this was that some people used to come from Sham to Medina bringing durnuk (a kind of velvety floor-covering) and food, and they were the Nabateans. They spread a rumour in Medina that the Romans had gathered and wished to attack the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) with their army, and that Heraclius had set out with his troops and had brought with him the tribes of Ghassan, Judham, Bahra and Amila, and that his armies had reached Balqa while he himself had encamped in the city of Homs. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ordered his companions to prepare to go to Tabuk, which was one of the lands of Balqa, and he sent to the surrounding tribes, and to Makkah, and after those from Khuza'a, Muzayna and Juhayna who had accepted Islam, and urged them to jihad. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ordered his troops to encamp at Thaniyyat al-Wada (a place near Medina), and he ordered the wealthy to help those who had no strength, and whoever had anything should bring it. In this way, they loaded up, made themselves ready, and encouraged the people.