tribe was encamped to the southeast of Tebûk, and, when Jâḳût assigns the reservoir there to the Beni Saʻd of that tribe, he proves that in past centuries the individual clans obtained possession of various halting places just as they do today.—According to Abu Zejd too, the Ḥeǧâz extends northward as far as the aš-Šera’ range.
Jâḳût, op. cit., Vol. 2, p. 247, refers to Ḥarra Tebûk, through which the Prophet marched on his expedition to Tebûk.—This is the volcanic territory between al-Muʻaẓẓam and Luṣṣân.
Ibn Baṭṭûṭa, Tuḥfa (Defrémery and Sanguinetti), Vol. 1, pp. 257 ff., visited Tebûk at the end of 1326 A. D. and heard from the pilgrims that they ascribed the abundance of water there to the Prophet. Arming themselves in memory of the fact that the Prophet entered this oasis at the head of a military expedition, they made a sham attack on it and struck the palm trees with their swords. They stayed in Tebûk four days, in order to rest and to obtain the water necessary for the onerous march between Tebûk and al-ʻEla’.
Aḥmed al-Maḳrîzi, Mawâʻiẓ (Codex Vindobonensis, 908 [A. F. 69]), Vol. 1, fol. 36 v., writes that the settlement of Tebûk is situated in the desert six days’ march east of Madjan and that it has an abundance of date palms.
Ḥaǧǧi Ḫalfa, Ǧihân numa’ (Constantinople, 1145 A. H.), p. 523, also praises the pilgrims’ station of Tebûk for its date palms and water, which was increased by the Prophet in a miraculous manner. According to Ḥaǧǧi Ḫalfa the Sultan Suleiman had the stronghold renewed and a large reservoir constructed there.
Meḥmed Edîb, Menâzil (Constantinople, 1232 A. H.), p. 73, calls Tebûk also ʻÂṣi Ḫurma, fixes its distance from the halting place of Ḳâʻ al-Basît at twelve hours, and mentions numerous wild palm trees, which grow there abundantly. The stronghold and reservoir, he says, were built during the reign of the Sultan Suleiman. He adds that in the stronghold there is a large fig tree, by which a well had been hollowed out. In the reservoir there is a powerful spring, near which grow fig trees, pomegranates, quinces, grapes, bêtingân, and watermelons. In Tebûk there is said to be a mosque where the Prophet prayed and which was later renovated by ʻOmar ibn ʻAbdalʻazîz. Opposite is situated a place called Ṯenijjet al-Medrâri, in which there was likewise a mosque where the Prophet prayed. In those regions much bejṭarân grows, and even forests are found because water flows there. In the neighborhood the Arabs dwelt in places which they cultivated. Only a few Arab huts stand there, where formerly a settlement had been situated. Not far away is the village called Sarṛ. All these places belong to the Ḥeǧâz, in which Mecca, al-Medîna, and Jemâma are situated. According to al-Aṣmaʻi, Ḥeǧâz is the name of the territory covered with volcanic stone. All the camping places of the Beni Selîm as far as al-Medîna are named Ḥeǧâz, because they are surrounded by mountains.—
There neither were nor are any forests near Tebûk, but both to the west, north, and northeast of Tebûk the ṛaẓa’ used to form thickets which from a distance resemble small woods. Since the building of the railway these thickets have become thinner because the ṛaẓa’ wood is sent to various railway stations or used for preparing charcoal, which is conveyed to Damascus. Ṯenijjet al-Medrâri is identical with the mosque al-Medrân, or the modern al-Medra’ near Ḳṣejr at-Tamra, about twenty