Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَتَّابُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ كَعْبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَلَّمَا يُرِيدُ غَزْوَةً يَغْزُوهَا إِلَّا وَرَّى بِغَيْرِهَا حَتَّى كَانَ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكَ فَغَزَاهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَرٍّ شَدِيدٍ اسْتَقْبَلَ سَفَرًا بَعِيدًا وَمَفَازًا وَاسْتَقْبَلَ غَزْوَ عَدُوٍّ كَثِيرٍ فَجَلَا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ أَمَرَهُمْ لِيَتَأَهَّبُوا أُهْبَةَ عَدُوِّهِمْ أَخْبَرَهُمْ بِوَجْهِهِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ.
English Translation
Attab ibn Ziyad told us, saying: Abdullah told us, saying: Yunus informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Ka'b informed me, that Abdullah ibn Ka'b said: I heard Ka'b ibn Malik say: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, rarely intended to undertake an expedition without disguising it by mentioning another, until the expedition of Tabuk. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, undertook it in intense heat, facing a distant journey and a waterless desert, and facing a numerous enemy, so he made the situation clear to the Muslims so that they might prepare accordingly for their enemy, informing them of the direction he intended.