
First Prize Winner Book 



AR-RAHEEQ 

al-makhtum 

(THE SEAEED NECTAB) 

>8LZ© 

Biography of 
the Noble Prophets® 

This Book was awarded First Prize by the Muslim World 
League at worldwide competition on the biography of the 
Prophet ££i held at Makkah Al-Mukarramah in 1399 H /1979 



Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri 

Islamic University Al-Madina Al-Munawwara 


Maktaba Dar-us-Salam 

Publishers and Distributors 

Saudi Arabia .UK .USA .Pakistan 







AR-RAHEEQ 

AL-MAKHTUM 


© Dar-us-SalamPublications, 1996 /-a 1416 


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 





No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by 
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and 
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written permission of the publisher. 


First Edition ji\ X. ,«i h B 


Supervised by: 

ABDUL MALIK MUJAHID 



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PUBLISHER’S NOTE 


Heart of every Muslim is filled with the love of the last Prophet Muhammad 
^ <jji jju and this love of the Messenger of Allah is an asset for him. Love and 
respect of a person depends on the benefits, we get from him. As the Prophet is the 
greatest benefactor of humanity, every Muslim has deepest love for him. Every 
deed of his life is to be followed by every individual of Muslim Ummah. Highest 
love for the Prophet ^ *di jl, is made a test of our faith. Allah All-Mighty has 
described and explained the status of Muhammad ^ j* in Qur’an: 


“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah 

then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and the 
Sunna\ Allah will love you...” (3:31) 




Love of Allah’s Messenger ^ is a part of our faith. There is a Hadith 

(tradition) of Prophet fJUj <ui , he said: 


. - - - 0 1 


jj tV 4H^ 








“None of you has faith unless I am dearer to him than his father and his son 
and all mankind.” 


In the early period of Islam many books were written on the life of the Prophet 
,jl-j *ii\ j* . In the Qur’an itself good example of the life of Muhammad a*u <ui 
(J i-j has also been mentioned. Qur’an says: 

“And verily, you (O Muhammad ^ *jui ^) are on an exalted standard of 

character ” (68:4) 

Someone asked ‘ Aishah *ui ^ about the noble character and manners of the 
Prophet pi—j ou <ut She answered, “Have you not read the Qur’an. His character 
is a complete explanation of Qur’an.” 

It means that whatever is commanded and prohibited in the Qur’an, its practical 
example is present in the manners of Muhammad ^ 4*u <ui jl. . In other words the 
ideal and perfect example of good manners and character which Qur’an demands 
from mankind, was present in the person of Muhammad ^ *ui ^ in its highest 
degree. 

Scholars of Hadith (traditions) and writers of the biography of Muhammad, the 
Messenger of Allah ^ 4^ <ui jl, has explored his life from every angle and aspect 
from birth to death. Every event, every incident of his life has been described and 
narrated, but none has claimed that he has given its full rights. Hundreds of books 



have been written on the life of Muhammad ^juj <ui and this routine will 
continue till the Day of Resurrection. 

No doubt r> iiai Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtoom (The Sealed Nectar) is a book of 
great value and praiseworthy work on the life of Muhammad ^ j *. This book 
has been written by the Eminent Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri of Jamiah 
Salafiyah, Banaras (India). The first Islamic Conference on Seerah (biography of 
the Prophet jjL-j <ih ju ) was held in 1976 at Pakistan through the Muslim World 
League. The League announced a world contest for writing a book on the life of the 
Prophet pL—j «jji . One hundred fifty thousand Saudi Riyals (SR. 150,000) 
(Forty thousand U.S. Dollars) was declared prize money for the best five books. 

One hundred and seventy one manuscripts were received from all over the 
world. Out of these eighty four were in Arabic language, sixty four in Urdu 
language, twenty one were in English language and one each in French and Hausa. 

A board of highly qualified scholars judged the manuscripts and announced the 
results. The manuscript of Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Jamiah Salafiyah 
Banaras (India) author of the book in hand (Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtoom) received first 
prize of SR: 50,000 (Fifty thousand Saudi Riyals) for its authentic and sound 
collections of the narrations. Dr. Majid Ali Khan New Delhi (India) received 
second prize. Third prize went to Dr. Naseer Ahmed, Islamic University Pakistan. 
Fourth prize was awarded to Mr. Hamid Mahmud of Egypt and the last fifth prize 
was given to Abdussalam Hashim of Madina Munawarah. A dignified prize 
distribution ceremony was held at Makkah Mukarammah on 12 Rabi‘ ul Awwal 
1399 A.H. Afterwards the book was published by the Muslim World League and 
then many other organizations gained the honour of publishing this book. Maktaba 
Dar-us-Salam also published this book in Arabic language. I wished to publish this 
book in English language fcr the wider benefit of humanity. Sheikh 
Safi-ur-Rahman willingly agreed to the idea and consented to publish the English 
translation. The stage of translation was traversed with the help of brother Mahir 
Abu Dhahab owner and General Manager of Markaz Noor-ush-Sham in Damascus (Syria). 

Erudite staff members of Maktaba Dar-us-Salam Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, 
Mr. Saeeduddin, Mr. Shakeel Ahmed worked day and night and accomplished die 
project. Original text was compared with the translation, necessary alterations were 
made and other needful technical tasks were completed. Hafiz Abdul Mateen 
numbered Quranic verses and traditions and added vowel points to them. After a 
coherent toil of months the book is published a**ji (All praise is for Allah). I am 
thankful to all the staff members of Maktaba Dar-us-Salam and Brother Mahir Abu 
Dhahab deserves my special thanks for the help and cooperation. The publisher 
will appreciate views and opinions of the readers about this book. 

Yours brother in Islam 

Abdul Malik Mujahid 

23rd Ramadan ul-Mubarak 1415 A.H. 



Autobiography 


All praise is due to Allah, the Rubb of all mankind, Jinn and all that 
exists. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon our Prophet, the Chief 
of all Messengers, Muhammad, his family, companions and all those who 
follow him till the Day of Judgement. 

It is about two decade before when I presented brief outlines on my life 
to the Muslim World League while compilation and publishing of this book. 
Since after many changes have taken place therefore, I preferred to update 
this information. 

Name and lineage: 

Name: Safiur Rahman 

Kunniyatf 1 !: Abu Hisham. 

Lineage: Safiur Rahman bin Abdullah bin Muhammad Akbar bin 

M uhammad Ali bin Abdul Mumin bin Faqirullah 
Mubarakpuri, Azami. 

Date and place of birth: 

I was bom in the middl e of year 1942, in Husainabad, a village, one mile far in 
the north side of Mubakirpur (District Azamgarh), a town famous for home industy 
in the northern province of India. 

Educational Background: 

I started my studies at home reading the Qur’an from my gandfather and uncle. 
Then I was admitted in Madrasa Arabia Darut-Taleem, Mubarakpur and started 
basic Islamic education in Arabic and persian languages. 

In Shawwal 1373 H. (June, 1954), I got admission in Madarsa Ehyaul Uloom, 
Mubarakpur for further education in Islamic studies and Arabic literature. Two 
years later in Shawwal 1375 H. (May 1956) I joined Madarsa Faid Aam, Maunath 
Bhanjan District Azamgarh for higher education. 

On completion of my seven years study in Islamic courses I received Fadilat 
Degree from the same Institute in Shaban 1380 H. I also received the Certificates 
of Maulvi in 1959 and^//m in 1960 from Government Education Board on passing 
their examinations with high grade. After changes in the system of Arabic Schools, 
I participated in Fadil Degree examination under the Government Education 
Board, consequently passed double Fadil examinations in 1976 and 1978 with high 
grade. 

CONTENTS 


Publisher Note.. 

Author’s Note. 

Location and nature of Arab Tribes.15 

Location of the Arabs.15 

Arab Tribes.16 

Rulership and Princeship among the Arabs. 23 

Rulership in Yemen.23 

Rulership in Heerah.25 

Rulership in Geographical Syria.27 

>Rulership in Hijaz.27 

^ The Reasons of this war have been illustrated in three versions.29 

Rulership in Pan-Arabia.32 

yThe political situation. 33 

Religions of the Arabs.34 

The Religious situation.42 

Aspects of Pre-Islamic Arabian Society.43 

JSocial life of the Arabs ^r.. 43 

/^Jhe Economic Situation.46 

y^Ethics.46 

The Lineage and Family of Muhammad ^ <ui y-. 49 

The prophetic Family. 50 

Muhammad’s Birth and Forty years prior Prophethood.56 

His Birth.56 

Babyhood. 57 

Back to his passionate Mother.59 

To His compassionate Grandfather.59 

Bahira, the Monk.60 

The Sacrilegious wars.61 

ALFudoul confederacy.61 

Muhammad’s Early Job.62 

His Marriage to Khadijah.62 

Rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah and the Arbitration Issue. 63 

A Rapid Review of Muhammad’s Biography before commissioning of the 

Prophethood.64 

In the Shade of the Message and Prophethood.67 

In the Cave of Hira’. 67 

Gabriel brings down the Revelation.67 

Interruption of Revelation... 70 

Once more, Gabriel brings Allah’s Revelation. 71 


- 9 - 









































Some details pertinent to the successive stages of Revelation. 

Proclaiming Allah, the All-High; and the Immediate Constituents. 

Phases and stages of the call. 

The First Stage 

Strife in the Way of the Call. 

Three years of Secret Call. 

The Early Copverts... 

As-Salat (the Prayer).. 

The Quraishites learn about the Call.. 

The Second Phase 

Open Preaching. 

First Revelation regarding the Pr eaching . 

Calling the Closest Kinspeople. 

On Mount As-Safa. 

.''Shouting the Truth and the Polytheists’ Reaction. 

An Advisory Council to debar Pilgrims from M uhammad ’s Call_ 

Attempts made to check the Onward March of Islam. 

Persecutions. 

The House of Al-Arqum. 

The First Migration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). 

Quraish’s Machination against the Emigrants. 

Once more Quraish approaches Abu Talib. 

The Tyrants’ Decision to kill the Prophet ^ <w ^. 

The Conversion of Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib. 

The Conversion of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. 

Quraish’s Representative negotiates with the Messenger of Allah ^ <> j* .. 

Abu Talib assmbles Bani Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib. 

General Social Boycott. 

A Pact of Injustice and Aggression. 

The Final Phase of the Diplomacy of Negotiation.. 

The Year of Grief. 

Abu Talib’s Death. 

Khadijah passes away to the Mercy of Allah. 

His Marriage to Sawdah in Shawwal, the tenth year of Prophethood... 

Factors inspiring patience and perserverance. 


71 

73 

76 


77 

77 

77 

78 

79 


...81 

...81 

...81 

...82 

...84 

...85 

...87 

...92 

... 98 ^ 

...99 

.102 

.105 

.105 

.108 

.109 

.114 

.116 

.117 

.117 

.120 

.123 

.123 

.124 

.126 

.127 


The Third Phase 


Calling unto Islam beyond Makkah.136 

Islam being introduced to Arabian Tribes and Individuals_141 

Hope inspiring Breezes from the Madinese_145 

Marriage of the Prophet «m ju to ‘ Aisha ^ ...146 


- 10 - 







































AMsra’ and Al-Mii^raj.147 

The First ‘Aqabah Pledge.154 

The Muslim Envoy in Madinah.154 

The Second ‘Aqabah Pledge.157 

The Vanguard of Migration (in the Cause of Allah).163 

In An-Nadwata (Council) House (The Parliament of Quraish).166 

Migration of the Prophet 168 

Life In Madinah.178 

The First Phase 

The Statns Quo in Madinah at the Time of Emigration.181 

A New Society being built..187 

A Charter of Islamic Alliance.189 

A Cooperation and Non-Aggression Pact with the Jews.197 

The Prophet on the Battlefield.199 

Pre-Badr Missions and Invasions.202 

The Battle of Badr.210 

The First Decisive Battle in the History of Islam.210 

Reason of the Battle.210 

Some Significant Instances of Devotion.224 

Reaction in Makkah.227 

Madinah receives the News of Victory.228 

y The Battle of Badr in its Qur’anic Context.232 

The Military Activities between Badr and Uhud.234 

Al-Kudr Invasion.235 

An Attempt on the Life of the Prophet , 1 -, «m ju.235 

Invasion of Bani Qainuqa*.236 

The Qainuqa* Jews breach the Covenant.238 

As-Sawiq Invasion.240 

Dhi Amr Invasion.240 

Ka‘b bin Al-Ashrafi killed.241 

The Invasion of Buhran.243 

Zaid bin Harithah leads a Compaign on the Trade Routes of Quraish.243 

The Battle of Uhud.245 

A Consultation Assembly for a Defence Plan.247 

Dividing the Islamic Army into phalanxes and Departure to the Battlefield.248 

Parading the Army. 249 

Passing the Night between Uhud and Madinah.250 

The Rebellion of ‘Abdullah bin Ubai and his Followers.250 

The Remainder of the Islamic Army are on the Move to Uhud.. 252 

The Defence Plan. 252 


- 11 - 










































The Messenger of Allah fa implants the Spirit of Bravery among his 

Armed Forces....:.254 

Recruitment of the Makkan Army.255 

Political Manoeuvres of Quraish. 256 

The effort of Quraishite women at waging the Zeal of Men.257 

The Combat.257 

Assassination of Asadullah (the Lion of Allah) Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib .... 261 

Bringing the Situation under Control.261 

From his wife’s lap to Sword-fights and Sorrows.262 

The Contribution of the Archers squad to the Battle.262 

The Archers’s Fatal Mistake.263 

The Most Awkward Hour in the Messenger’s Life.267 

Multilation of the Martyrs.279 

Burial of the Martyrs. 284 

Hamra’ Al-Asad Invasion.288 

The Observations of the Noble Qur’an on the Battle of Uhud.293 

Lessons and Moralities.294 

Military Platoons and Missions between the Battle of Uhud and the Battle 
of the Confederates. 296 

/ Abi Salamah Mission.296 

An Errand led by ‘Abdullah bin Unais.297 

The Event of Ar-Raji‘.297 

The Tragedy of Ma‘una Well.299 

Bani An-Nadeer Invasion.301 

The Invasion of Najd.305 

The Invasion of Badr, the Second. 306 

The Invasion of Doumat Al-Jandal.307 

Al-Ahzab (the Confederates) Invasion.311 

Invading Banu Quraiza. 321 

Military Activities continued.325 

Bani Lihyan Invasion.327 

Expeditions and Delegations continued.327 

Bani Al-Mustaliq (Muraisi‘) Ghazwah Sha‘ban 6 Hijri.330 

The treacherous Role of the Hypocrites Prior to the Bani Al-Mustaliq Ghazwah 330 

The wicked Role they played in the Course of the Ghazwah of Bani Al-Mustaliq.. 333 

The Slander Affair.334 

Delegations and Expeditions following Al-MuraisP Ghazwah .337 

Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty (Dhul Qu‘dah 6 A.H.).339 

Al-Hudaibiya Treaty: Socio Political Impact..346 

The Second Stage 

A New Phase of Islamic Action.349 


- 12 - 







































The Prophet’s Plans to spread the Message of Islam to beyond Arabia.350 

A Deputation to Abyssinia (Ethiopia).350 

Letter to the Vicegerent of Egypt, called Muqawqas...353 

A Letter to chosroes, Emperor of Persia.354 

The Envoy to Caesar, King of Rome.355 

A Letter to Mundhir bin Sawa, Governor of Bahrain.358 

A Letter to Haudha bin ‘Ali, Governor of Yamama.359 

A Letter to Harith bin Abi Shamir Al-Ghassani, King of Damascus.360 

A Letter to the King of ‘Oman, Jaifer, and his Bother ‘Abd Al-Jalandi.360 

Post-Hudaibiyah Hostilities 

Dhu Qarad Invasion. 364 

The Conquest of Khaibar (in Moharram, 7 A.H.).366 

The Actual operation begins.370 

The Second Part of Khaibar Conquered.371 

Negotiations.372 

Distribution of Spoils.372 

Sporadic Invasions.376 

The Expedition called Dhat-ur-Riqa ‘ (in the year 7 A.H.).376 

The Compensatory ‘Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage).380 

The Battle of Mu’tah. 383 

Dhat As-Salasil Compaign.386 

Khadrah Campaign.387 

The Conquest of Makkah.388 

Pre-conquest Events. 388 

Preparations for the Attach on Makkah, and the Prophet’s Attempt at imposing 

a News Black-out.389 

The Third Stage. 402 

Hunain Ghazwah ....403 

The Enemy’s march and their Encampment at Awtas.403 

The war-experienced Man wongs the Leader’s Judgement.403 

Reconnoitering the Weapons of the Messenger of Allah ^ .404 

Reconnoitering the Enemy’s Weapons. 404 

The Messenger of Allah ^ <ui jl. leaves Makkah for Hunain.404 

The Islamic Army stunned the Archers and the Attackers.405 

Muslims' return to the Battlefield, and the fierceness of the Fight.406 

Reverse of Fortunes and the Enemy’s utter Defeat.407 

Hot pursuit of the Enemy.408 

Ta’if Compaign.. 409 

The Distribution of the Booty at al-Ji‘ranah.411 

The Helpers ( Al-Ansar ) are furious at the Messenger of Allah ^ .412 

Arrival of the Hawazin Delegation.414 


- 13 - 










































Lesser Pilgrimage (Al- ‘Umrah ) to Makkah and leaving for Madinah.416 

Missions and Platoons Alter the Conquest.417 

The Platoons. 418 

The Invasion of Tabnk In Rajah, in the year 9 A.H..422 

The underlying Reasons.422 

General News about die Byzantines and Ghassanide Preparations for War.423 

Particular News about die Byzantine and Ghassanide preparations for War.424 

The Muslim Army is leaving for Tabuk.427 

The Army of Islam at Tabuk.429 

Returning to Madinah.430 

The People Who lagged Behind.431 

The Invasion of Tabuk and its Far-Reaching Ramifications.433 

The Qur’Snic Verses Relating to this Invasion.434 

Some Important Events that featured that Year.435 

Abu Bakr performs the Pilgrimage.436 

A Meditation on the Ghazawat .437 

People embrace the Religion of Allah in Large Crowds.441 

The Delegations. 443 

The Success and Impact of the Call.458 

The Farewell Pilgrimage.461 

The Last Expeditions.470 

The Journey to Allah, the Sublime.471 

Symptoms of Farewell.471 

The Start of the Disease...472 

The Last Week.472 

Five days before death.472 

Four days before his death.475 

A Day or Two prior to Death.476 

A Day before his Death.477 

The Last day Alive...477 

The Prophet ^ j* breathes his Last.478 

The companions’ concern over the Prophet’s Death.479 

Umar’s Attitude.480 

Abu Bakr’s Attitude.480 

Burial and Farewell Preparations to his Honourable Body. 481 

The Prophet Household.483 

The Prophet Attributes and Manners.492 

Beauty of creation.. 492 

The perfection of Soul and Nobility.496 


- 14 - 










































Location and Nature of Arab Tribes 

Beyond a shadow of doubt, the biography of Prophet Muhammad 
manifestedly represents an exhaustive embodiment of the sublime Divine 
Message that he communicated in order to deliver the human race from the 
swamp of darkness and polytheism to the paradise of light and monotheism. 
An image, authentic as well as comprehensive, of this Message is therefore 
only attainable through careful study and profound analysis of both 
backgrounds and issues of such a biography. In view of this, a whole 
chapter is here introduced about the nature and development of Arab tribes 
prior to Islam as well as the circumstantial environment that enwrapped the 
Prophet’s mission. 

Location of the Arabs: 

Linguistically, the word “Arab” means deserts and waste barren land 
well-nigh waterless and treeless. Ever since the dawn of history, the Arabian 
Peninsula and its people have been called as such. 

The Arabian Peninsula is enclosed in the west by the Red Sea and Sinai, 
in the east by the Arabian Gulf, in the south by the Arabian Sea, which is an 
extension of the Indian Ocean, and in the north by old Syria and part of Iraq. 
The area is estimated between a million and a million and a quarter square 
miles. 

Thanks to its geographical position, the peninsula has always maintained 
great importance.. Considering its internal setting, it is mostly deserts and 
sandy places, which has rendered it inaccessible to foreigners and invaders, 
and allowed its people complete liberty and independence through the ages, 
despite the presence of two neighbouring great empires. 

Its external setting, on the other hand, caused it to be the centre of the old 
world and provided it with sea and land links with most nations at the time. 
Thanks to this strategic position the Arabian Peninsula had become the 
centre for trade, culture, religion and art. 



Arab Tribes: 

Arab kinfolks have been divided according to lineage into three groups: 

1. Perishing Arabs: The ancient Arabs, of whose history little is known, 
and of whom were ‘Ad, Tharndd, Tasam, Jadis, Emlaq, and others. 

2. Pure Arabs: Who originated from the progeny of Ya‘rub bin Yashjub 
bin Qahtan. They were also called Qahtanian Arabs. 

3. Arabized Arabs: Who originated from the progeny of Ishmael. They 
were also called ‘Adnanian Arabs. 

The pure Arabs - the people of Qahtan - originally lived in Yemen and 
comprised many tribes, two of which were very famous: 

a. Himyar: The most famous of whose septs were Zaid Al-Jamhur, 
Quda‘a and Sakasic. 

b. K ah lan: The most famous of whose septs were Hamdan, Anmar, Tai’, 
Mudhhij, Kinda, Lakhm, Judham, Azd, Aws, Khazraj and the 
descendants of Jafna—the kings of old Syria. 

Kahlan septs emigrated from Yemen to dwell in the different parts of the 
Arabian Peninsula prior to the Great Flood (Sail Al- 'Arim of Ma’rib Dam), 
due to the failure of trade under the Roman pressure and domain on both sea 
and land trade routes following Roman occupation of Egypt and Syria. 

Naturally enough, the competition between Kahlan and Himyar led to the 
evacuation of the first and the settlement of the second in Yemen. 

The emigrating septs of Kahlan can be divided into four groups: 

l.Azd: Who, under the leadership of ‘Imran bin ‘Amr Muzaiqba’, 
wandered in Yemen, sent pioneers and finally headed northwards. 
Details of their emigration can be summed up as follows: 

Tha‘labah bin ‘Amr left his tribe Al-Azd for Hijaz and dwelt 
between Tha‘labiyah and Dhi Qar. When he gained strength, he 
headed for Madinah where he stayed. Of his seed are Aws and 
Khazraj, sons of Haritha bin Thaiabah. 

Haritha bin ‘Amr, known as Khuza‘a, wandered with his folks in 
Hijaz until they came to Mar Az-Zahran. Later, they conquered the 


- 16 - 



Haram, and settled in Makkah after having driven away its people, the 
tribe of Jurhum. 

‘Imran bin ‘Amr and his folks went to ‘Oman where they 
established the tribe of Azd whose children inhabited Tihamaand 
were known as Azd-of-Shanu’a. 

J affaa bin ‘Amr and his family, headed for Syria where he settled 
and initiated the kingdom of Ghassan who was so named after a spring 
of water, in Hijaz, where they stopped on their way to Syria. 

2. Lakhm and Judham: Of whom was Nasr bin Rabi‘a, father of 
Manadhira, Kings of Heerah. 

3. Banu Tai’: Who also emigrated northwards to settle by the so- called 
Aja and Salma Mountains which were consequently named as Tai’ 
Mountains. 

4. Kinda: Who dwelt in Bahrain but were expelled to Hadramout and 
Najd where they instituted a powerful government but not for long, 
for the whole tribe soon faded away. 

Another tribe of Himyar, known as Quda‘a, also left Yemen and 
dwelt in Samawa semi-desert on the borders of Iraq. 

The Arabized Arabs go back in ancestry to their great grandfather 
Abraham ^ -« from a town called “Ar” near Kufa on the west bank of the 
Euphrates in Iraq. Excavations brought to light great details of the town, 
Abraham’s family, and the prevalent religions and social circumstances.!'] 

It is known that Abraham f *-ii «i» left Ar for Harran and then for Palestine, 
which he made headquarters for his Message. He wandered all over the 
area. When he went to Egypt, the Pharaoh tried to do evil to his wife Sarah, 
but Allah saved her and the Pharaoh’s wicked scheme recoiled on him. He 
thus came to realize her strong attachment to Allah, and, in acknowledgment 
of her grace, the Pharaoh rendered his daughter Hagar at Sarah’s service, 
but Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham as a wife.Pl 


['] Tafheem-ul-Qur’an, 1/553. 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/474. 



Abraham returned to Palestine where Hagar gave birth to Ishmael. Sarah 
became so jealous of Hagar that she forced Abraham to send Hagar and her 
baby away to a plantless valley on a small hill in Hijaz, by the Sacred 
House, exposed to the wearing of floods coming right and left. He chose for 
them a place under a lofty tree above Zamzam near the upper side of the 
Mosque in Makkah where neither people nor water was available, and went 
back to Palestine leaving with his wife and baby a leather case with some 
dates and a pot of water. Not before long, they ran out of both food and 
water, but thanks to Allah’s favour water gushed forth to sustain them for 
sometime. The whole story of Zamzam spring is already known to 
everybody.!*! 

Another Yemeni tribe - Jurhum the Second - came and lived in Makkah 
upon Hagar’s permission, after being said to have lived in the valleys 
around Makkah. It is mentioned in the Sahih Al-Bukhari that this tribe came 
to Makkah before Ishmael was a young man while they had passed through 
that valley long before this event. 


Abraham used to go to Makkah every now and then to see his wife and 
son. The number of these journeys is still unknown, but authentic historical 
resources spoke of four ones. 


Allah, the Sublime, stated in the Noble Qur’an that He had Abraham see, 
in his dream, that he slaughtered his son Ishmael, and therefore Abraham 
stood up to fulfill His Order: 


IS^ LVJ I dx* Xj O cJ ii.Xy O o5-»J! l«ii1 llli ^ 


ocelli jyfcjf ji 

“Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of 
Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the 
side of his forehead for slaughtering); and We called out to him: 
“O Abraham! You have fulfilled the dream (vision)!” Verily! 
Thus do we reward the Muhsinun (good-doers, who perform 
good deeds totally for Allah’s sake only, without any show off 
or to gain praise or fame, etc. and do them in accordance to 
Allah’s Orders). Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial — and 


1*1 Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/475. 


- 18 - 



We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. a ram)” 

[37:103-107] 

It is mentioned in the Genesis that Ishmael was thirteen years older than 
his brother Ishaq. The sequence of the story of the sacrifice of Ishmael 
shows that it really happened before Ishaq’s birth, and that Allah’s Promise 
to give Abraham another son, Ishaq, came after narration of the whole story. 

This story spoke of one journey - at least - before Ishmael became a 
young man. Al-Bukhari, on the authority oflbn ‘Abbas, reported the other 
three journeys; a summary of which goes as follows: 

When Ishmael became a young man, he learned Arabic at the hand of the 
tribe of Jurhum, who loved him with great admiration and gave him one of 
their women as a wife, soon after his mother died. Having wanted to see his 
wife and son again, Abraham came to Makkah, after Ishmael’s marriage, 
but he didn’t find him at home. He asked Ishmael’s wife about her husband 
and how they were doing. She complained of poverty, so he asked her to tell 
Ishmael to change his doorstep. Ishmael understood the message, divorced 
his wife and got married to the daughter of Mudad bin‘Amr, chief of the 
tribe of Jurhum.!'! 

Once more, Abraham came to see his son, but again didn’t find him at 
home. He asked his new wife the same previous question, to which she 
thanked AMh. Abraham asked her to tell Ishmael to keep his doorstep (i.e. 
to keep her as wife) and went back to Palestine. 

A third time, Abraham came to Makkah to find Ishmael sharpening an 
arrow under a lofty tree near Zamzam. The meeting, after a very long 
journey of separation, was very touching for a father so affectionate and a so 
dutiful and righteous son. This time, father and son built Al-Ka‘bah and 
raised its pillars, and Abraham, in compliance with Allah’s Commandment, 
called unto people to make pilgrimage to it. 

By the grace of AllSh, Ishmael had twelve sons from the daughter of 
Mudad, whose names were Nabet, Qidar, Edbael, Mebsham, Mishma’, 
Duma, Micha, Hudud, Yetma, Yetour, Nafis and Qidman, and who 
ultimately formed twelve tribes inhabiting Makkah and trading between 


PI Qalb Jazeerat Al-Arab, p. 230. 


- 19 - 



Yemen, geographical Syria and Egypt. Later on, these tribes spread all over, 
and even outside, the peninsula. All their tidings went into oblivion except 
for the descendants of Nabet and Qidar. 

The Nabeteans - sons of Nabet - established a flourishing civilization in 
the north ofHijaz, they instituted a powerful government which spread out 
its domain over all neighbouring tribes, and made Petra their capital. 
Nobody dared challenge their authority until the Romans came and 
managed to eliminate their kingdom. After extensive research and 
painstaking investigation, Mr. Sulaiman An-Nadwi came to the conclusion 
that the Ghassanide kings, along with the Aws and Khazraj were not likely 
to be Qahtanians but rather Nabeteans.l'l 

Descendants of Qidar, the son of Ishmael, lived long in Makkah 
increasing in number, of them issued ‘Adnan and son Ma‘ad, to whom 
‘Adnanian Arabs traced back their ancestry. ‘Adnan is the twenty-first 
grandfather in the series of the Prophetic ancestry. It was said that whenever 
Prophet Muhammad ^ «j»i ^ spoke of his ancestry he would stop at 
‘Adnan and say: “Genealogists tell lies” and did not go farther than him. A 
group of scholars, however, favoured the probability of going beyond 
‘Adnan attaching no significance to the aforementioned Prophetic Hadith. 
They went on to say that there were exactly forty fathers between ‘Adnan 
and Abraham f jui «*u.Pl 

Nizar, Ma‘ad’s only son, had four sons who branched out into four great 
tribes; Eyad, Anmar, Rabi‘a and Mudar. These last two sub-branched into 
several septs. Rabi‘a fathered Asad, ‘Anazah, ‘Abdul Qais, and Wa’il’s two 
sons (Bakr and Taghlib), Hanifa and many others. 

Mudar tribes branched out into two great divisions: Qais ‘Ailan bin 
Mudar and septs of Elias bin Mudar. Of Qais ‘Ailan were the Banu Saleem, 
Banu Hawazin, and Banu Ghatafan of whom descended ‘Abs, Zubyan, 
Ashja* and Ghani bin A‘sur. Of Elias bin Mudar were Tamim bin Murra, 
Hudhail bin Mudrika, Banu Asad bin Khuzaimah and septs of Kinana bin 
Khuzaimah, of whom came Quraish, the descendants of Fahr bin Malik bin 
An-Nadr bin Kinana. 


['1 Tareekh Ard Al-Qur’an, 2/78-86. 
PI Rahmat-ul-liralameen, 2/7-17. 



Quraish branched out into various tribes, the most famous of whom were 
Jumah, Sahm, ‘Adi, Makhzum, Tayim, Zahra and the three septs of Qusai 
bin Kilab: ‘Abd Ad-Darbin Qusai, Asad bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza bin Qusai and 
‘ Abd Manaf bin Qusai. 

‘Abd Manaf branched out into four tribes: ‘Abd Shams, Nawfal, Muttalib 
and Hashim. It is, however, from the family of Hashim that Allah selected 
Prophet Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim fu, & <u j*. 


Prophet Muhammad <in said: 

Sij j* 4^uq & b*, h* 

o~t^ o* 4 lily 


“Allah selected Ishmael from the sons of Abraham, Kinana from 
the sons of Ishmael, Quraish from the sons of Kinana, Hashim 
from the sons of Quraish and He selected me from the sons of 
Hashim.”! 1 ! 


Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib quoted the Messenger of Allah 
as saying: 

J~>-j Cr*. '•'?*,o*, <3^* ^l 9 

ojipl 4 aJ C- J L' I Jst- 

“Allah created mankind and chose me from the best whereof, He 
chose the tribes and selected me from the best whereof; and He 
chose families and selected me from the best whereof. I am the 
very best in person and family.”! 2 ! 


Having increased in number, children of ‘Adnan, in pursuit of pastures 
and water, spread out over various parts of Arabia. 


!'! Sahih Muslim, 2/245; Tinnidhi, 2/201. 
P! Tinnidhi, 2/201. 


- 21 - 



The tribe of ‘Abdul Qais, together with some septs of Bakr bin Wa’il and 
Tamim, emigrated to Bahrain where they dwelt. 

Banu Hanifa bin Sa‘b bin Ali bin Bakr went to settle in Hijr, the capital 
of Yamama. All die tribes of Bakr bin Wa’il lived in an area of land which 
included Yamama, Bahrain, Saif Kazima, die sea shore, the outer borders of 
Iraq, Ablah and Hait. 

Most of the tribe of Taghlib lived in the Euphrates area while some of 
them lived with Bakr. 

Banu Tamim lived in Basra semi-desert. 

Banu Saleem lived in the vicinity of Madinah on the land stretching from 
Wadi Al-Qura to Khaibar onwards to the eastern mountains to Harrah. 

Thaqif dwelt in Ta’if and Hawazin east ofMakkahnear Autas on the 
road from Makkah to Basra. 

Banu Asad lived on the land east of Taima’ and west of Kufa, while 
family of Tai’ lived between Banu Asad and Taima’. They were five-day- 
walk far from Kufa. 

Zubyan inhabited the plot of and between Taima’ and Hawran. 

Some septs of Kinana lived in Tihama, while septs of Quraish dwelt in 
Makkah and its suburbs. Quraish remained completely disunited until Qusai 
bin Kilab managed to rally their ranks on honourable terms attaching major 
prominence to their status and importance.!'! 


!'! Muhadrat Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah, 1/15,16. 



Rulership and Princeship 
among the Arabs 

When talking about the Arabs before Islam,we deem it necessary to draw 
a mini-picture of the history of rulership, princeship, sectarianism and the 
religious dominations of the Arabs, so as to facilitate the understanding of 
emergent circ umstanc es when Islam appeared. 

When the sun of Islam rose, rulers of Arabia were of two kinds: crowned 
king s, who were in fact not independent; and heads of tribes and clans, who 
enjoyed the same authorities and privileges possessed by crowned kings and 
were mostly independent, though some of whom could have shown some 
kin d of submission to a crowned king. The crowned kings were only those 
of Yemen, Heerah and Ghassan. All other rulers of Arabia were non- 
crowned. 

Rulership in Yemen: 

The folks of Sheba were one of the oldest nations of the pure Arabs, who 
lived in Yemen. Excavations at “Or” brought to light their existence twenty 
five centuries B.C. Their civilization flourished, and their domain spread 
eleven centuries B.C. 

It is possible to divide their ages according to the following estimation: 

1. The centuries before 650 B.C., during which their kings were called 
“Makrib Sheba”. Their capital was “Sarwah”, also known as 
“Khriba”, whose ruins lie in a spot, a day’s walk from the western side 
of “Ma’rib”. During this period, they started building the “Dam of 
Ma’rib” which had great importance in the history of Yemen. Sheba 
was also said to have had so great a domain that they had colonies 
inside and outside Arabia. 

2. From 650 B.C. until 115 B.C. During this era, they gave up the name 
“Makrib” and assumed the designation of “Kings of Sheba”. They 
also made Ma’rib their capital instead of Sarwah. The ruins of Ma’rib 
lie at a distance of sixty miles east of San‘a. 

3. From 115 B.C. until 300 A.D. During this period, the tribe of Himyar 



Ma’rib. Later on. Redan was called “Zifar”. Its ruins still lie on 
Mudawwar Mountain near the town of “Yarim”. During this period, 
they began to decline and fall. Their trade failed to a very great extent, 
firstly, because of the Nabetean domain over the north of Hijaz; 
secondly, because of the Roman superiority over the naval trade 
routes after the Roman conquest of Egypt, Syria and the north of 
Hijaz; and thirdly, because of the inter-tribal warfare. Thanks to the 
three above-mentioned factors, families of Qahtan were disunited and 
scattered out. 

4. From 300 A.D. until Islam dawned on Yemen. This period witnessed 
a lot of disorder and turmoil. The great many and civil wars rendered 
the people of Yemen liable to foreign subjection and hence loss of 
independence. During this era, the Romans conquered ‘Adn and even 
helped the Abyssinians (Ethiopians) to occupy Yemen for the first 
time in 340 A.D., making use of the constant intra-tribal conflict of 
Hamdan and Himyar. The Abyssinian (Ethiopian) occupation of 
Yemen lasted until 378 A.D., whereafter Yemen regained its 
independence. Later on, cracks began to show in Ma’rib Dam which 
led to the Great Flood (450 or 451 A.D.) mentioned in the Noble 
Qur’an. This was a great event which caused the fall of the entire 
Yemeni civilization and the dispersal of the nations living therein. 

In 523, Dhu Nawas, a Jew, despatched a great campaign against the 
Christians of Najran in order to force them to convert into Judaism. Having 
refused to do so, they were thrown alive into a big ditch where a great fire 
had been set. The Qur’&n referred to this event: 

“Cursed were the people of the ditch.” [85:4] 

This aroused great wrath among the Christians, and especially the Roman 
emperors, who not only instigated the Abyssinians (Ethiopians) against 
Arabs but also assembled a large fleet which helped the Abyssinian 
(Ethiopian) army, of seventy thousand warriors, to effect a second conquest 
of Yemen in 525 A.D., under the leadership of Eriat, who was granted 
rulership over Yemen, a position he held until he was assassinated by one of 
his army leaders, Abraha, who, after reconciliation with the king of 


- 24 - 



Abyssinia, took rulership over Yemen and, later on, deployed his soldiers to 
demolish Al-Ka‘bah, and , hence, he and his soldiers came to be known as 
the “Men of the Elephant”. 

After the “Elephant” incident, the people of Yemen, under the leadership 
of Ma'dikarib bin Saif Dhu Yazin Al-Himyari, and through Persian 
assistance, revolted against the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) invaders, restored 
independence and appointed Ma‘dikarib as their king. However, Ma'dikarib 
was assassinated by an Abyssinian (Ethiopian) he used to have him around 
for service and protection. The family of Dhu Yazin was thus deprived of 
royalty forever. Kisra, the Persian king, appointed a Persian ruler over San‘a 
and thus made Yemen a Persian colony. Persian rulers maintained rulership 
of Yemen until Badhan, the last of them, embraced Islam in 638 A.D., thus 
terminating the Persian domain over Yemen. 

Rulership in Heerah: 

Ever since Korosh the Great (557-529 B.C.) united the Persians, they 
ruled Iraq and its neighbourhood. Nobody could shake off their authority 
until Alexander the Great vanquished their king Dara I and thus subdued the 
Persians in 326 B.C. Persian lands were thenceforth divided and ruled by 
kings known as “the Kings of Sects”, an era which lasted until 230 A.D. 
Meanwhile, the Qahtanians occupied some Iraqi territories, and were later 
followed by some ‘Adnanians who managed to share some parts of 
Mesopotamia with them. 

The Persians, under the leadership of Ardashir, who had established the 
Sasanian state in 226 A.D, regained enough unity and power to subdue the 
Arabs living in the vicinity of their kingdom, and force Quda‘a to leave for 
Syria, leaving die people of Heerah and Anbar under the Persian domain. 

During the time of Ardashir, Juzaima Alwaddah exercised rulership over 
Heerah, Rabi‘a and Mudar, and Mesopotamia. Ardashir had reckoned that it 
was impossible for him to rule the Arabs directly and prevent them from 
attacking his borders unless he appointed as king one of them who enjoyed 
support and power of his tribe. He had also seen that he could make use of 
them against the Byzantine kings who always used to harass him. At the 
same time, the Arabs of Iraq could face the Arabs of Syria who were in the 
hold of Byzantine kings. However, he deemed it fit to keep a Persian 


- 25 - 



battalion under command of the king of Heerah to be used against those 
Arabs who might rebel against him. 

After the death of Juzaima around 268 A.D., ‘Amr bin ‘Adi bin Nasr 
Al-Lakhmi was appointed as king by the Persian King Sabour bin Ardashir. 
‘Amr was the first of the Lakhmi kings who ruled Heerah until the Persians 
appointed Qabaz bin Fairuz in whose reign appeared someone called 
Mazdak, who called for dissoluteness in social life. Qabaz, and many of his 
subjects, embraced Mazdak’s religion and even called upon die king of 
Heerah, Al-Munzir bin Ma’ As-Sama’, to follow after. When the latter, 
because of his pride and self-respect, rejected their orders, Qabaz discharged 
him and nominated Harith bin ‘Amr bin Hajar Al-Kindi, who had accepted 
the Mazdaki doctrine. 

No sooner did Kisra Anu Shairwan succeed Qabaz than he, due to hatred 
of Mazdak’s philosophy, killed Mazdak and many of his followers, restored 
Munzir to the throne of Heerah and gave orders to summon under arrest 
Harith who sought refuge with Al-Kalb tribe where he spent the rest of his 
life. 

Sons of Al-Munzir bin Ma’ As-Sama’ maintained kingship a long time 
until An-Nu‘man bin Al-Munzir took over. Because of a calumny borne by 
Zaid bin ‘Adi Al-‘Abbadi, the Persian king got angry with An-Nu‘man and 
summoned him to his palace. An-Nu‘man went secretly to Hani bin Mas'ud, 
chief of Shaiban tribe, and left his wealth and family under the latter’s 
protection, and then presented himself before the Persian king, who 
immediately threw him into prison where he perished. Kisra, then, 
appointed Eyas bin Qubaisa At-Ta’i as king of Heerah. Eyas was ordered to 
tell Hani bin Mas‘ud to deliver An-Nu‘man’s charge up to Kisra. No sooner 
than had the Persian king received the fanatically motivated rejection on the 
part of the Arab chief, he declared war against the tribe of Shaiban and 
mobilized his troops and warriors under the leadership of King Eyas to a 
place called Dhee Qar which witnessed a most furious battle wherein the 
Persians were severely routed by the Arabs for the first time in history. That 
was very soon after the birth of Prophet Muhammad ^ eight 

months after Eyas bin Qubaisah’s rise to power over Heerah. 

After Eyas, a Persian ruler was appointed over Heerah, but in 632 A.D. 
the authority there returned to the family of Lukhm when Al-Munzir 


- 26 - 



Al-Ma‘rur took over. Hardly had die latter’s reign lasted for eight months 
when Khalid bin Al-Waleed fell upon him with Muslim soldiers.!’] 

Rulership in Geographical Syria: 

In the process of the tribal emigrations, some septs of Quda'a reached the 
borders of Syria where they settled down. They belonged to the family of 
Sulaih bin Halwan, of whose offspring were the sons of Duj‘am bin Sulaih 
known as Ad-Duja‘ima. Such septs of Quda‘a were used by the Byzantines 
in the defence of die Byzantine borders against both Arab Bedouin raiders 
and the Persians, and enjoyed autonomy for a considerable phase of time 
which is said to have lasted for the whole second century A.D. One of their 
most famous kings was Zyiad bin Al-Habula. Their authority however came 
to an end upon defeat by the Ghassanides who were consequently granted 
the proxy rulership over the Arabs of Syria and had Dumat Al-Jandal as 
their headquarters, which lasted until the battle of Yarmuk in the year 13 
A.H. Their last king Jabala bin Al-Aihum embraced Islam during the reign 
of the Chief of Believers, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab «i» uii ^.Pl 

Rulership in Hijaz: 

Ishmael administered authority over Makkah as well as 

custodianship of the Holy Sanctuary throughout his lifetime. Upon his 
death, at the age of 137, two of his sons, Nabet and Qidar, succeeded him. 
Later on, their maternal grandfather, Mudad bin ‘Amr Al-Jurhumi took 
over, thus transferring rulership over Makkah to the tribe of Jurhum, 
preserving a venerable position, though very little authority for Ishmael’s 
sons due to their father’s exploits in building the Holy Sanctuary, a position 
they held until the decline of the tribe of Jurhum shortly before the rise of 
Bnlrh tanas sar. PI 

The political role of the ‘Adnanides had begun to gain firmer grounds in 
Makkah, which could be clearly attested by the fact that upon 


(’] Muhadrat Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah, 1/29-32. 

PI Muhadrat Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah, 1/34; Tareekh Ard Al-Qur’an, 2/80-82. 
PllbnHisham, 1/111. 


- 27 - 



Bukhtanassar’s first invasion of the Arabs in ‘Dhati ‘Irq’, the leader of the 
Arabs was not from Jurhum.Pl 

Upon Bukhtanassar’s second invasion in 587 B.C., however, the 
‘Adnanides were frightened out to Yemen, while Burmia An-Nabi fled to 
Syria with Ma‘ad, but when Bukhtanassar’s pressure lessened, Ma‘ad 
returned to Makkah to find none of the tribe of Jurhum except Jursham bin 
Jalhamah, whose daughter, Mu‘ana, was given to Ma‘ad as wife who, later, 
had a son by him named Nizar.P) 

On account of difficult living conditions and destitution prevalent in 
Makkah, the tribe of Jurhum began to ill-treat visitors of the Holy Sanctuary 
and extort its funds, which aroused resentment and hatred of the ‘Adnanides 
(sons of Bakr bin ‘ Abd Munaf bin Kinana) who, with the help of the tribe of 
Khuza‘a that had come to settle in a neighbouring area called Marr 
Az-Zahran, invaded Jurhum and frightened them out of Makkah leaving 
rulership to Quda‘a in the middle of the second century A.D. 

Upon leaving Makkah, Jurhum filled up the well of Zamzam, levelled its 
place and buried a great many things in it. ‘Amr bin Al-Harith bin Mudad 
Al-Jurhumi was reported by Ibn Ishaq, the well-known historian, to have 
buried the two gold deer together with the Black Stone as well as a lot of 
jewelry and swords in Zamzam, prior to their sorrowful escape to Yemen.Pl 

Ishmael’s epoch is estimated to have lasted for twenty centuries B.C., 
which means that Jurhum stayed in Makkah for twenty-one centuries and 
held rulership there for about twenty centuries. 

Upon defeat of Jurhum, the tribe of Khuza‘a monopolized rulership over 
Makkah. Mudar tribes, however, enjoyed three privileges: 

The First: Leading pilgrims from ‘Arafat to Muzdalifah and then from 
Mina to the ‘Aqabah Stoning Pillar. This was the authority of the family 
of Al-Ghawth bin Murra, one of the septs of Elias bin Mudar, who were 
called ‘Sofa’. This privilege meant that the pilgrims were not allowed to 
throw stones at Al-‘Aqabah until one of the ‘Sofa’ men did that. When 


PI Qalb Jazeerat Al-Arab, p.230. 
PI Rahmat-ul-lil ‘ alameen, 2/48. 
PI Ibn Hisham, 1/114,115. 


- 28 - 



they had finished stoning and wanted to leave the valley of Mina, ‘Sofa’ 
men stood on the two sides of Al-‘Aqabah and nobody would pass that 
position until the men of ‘Sofa’ passed and cleared the way for the 
pilgrims. When Sofa perished, the family ofSa‘d bin Zaid Manat from 
Tamim tribe took over. 

The Second: Al-Ifadah (leaving for Mina after Muzdalifah) on sacrifice 
morning, and this was the responsibility of the family of Adwan. 

The Third: Deferment of the sacred months, and this was the 
responsibility of the family of Tamim bin ‘Adi from Bani Kinana. 

Khuza‘a’s reign in Makkah lasted for three hundred years, during which, 
the ‘ Adnanides spread all over Najd and the sides of Bahrain and Iraq, while 
small septs of Quraish remained on the sides of Makkah; they were Haloul, 
Harum and some families of Kinana. They enjoyed no privileges in Makkah 
or in the Sacred House until the appearance of Qusai bin Kilab, whose 
father is said to have died when he was still a baby, and whose mother was 
subsequently married to Rabi‘a bin Haram, from the tribe of Bani‘Udhra. 
Rabi‘a took his wife and her baby to his homeland on the borders of Syria. 
When Qusai became a young man, he returned to Makkah, which was ruled 
by Halil bin Habsha from Khuza‘a, who gave Qusai his daughter, Hobba, as 
wife. After Halil’s death, a war between Khuza‘a and Quraish broke out and 
resulted in Qusai’s taking hold of Makkah and the Sacred House.! 1 ! 

The Reasons of this War have been illustrated in Three Versions: 

The First: Having noticed the spread of his offspring, increase of his 
property and exalt of his honour after Halil’s death, Qusai found himself 
more entitled to shoulder responsibility of rulership over Makkah and 
custodianship of the Sacred House than the tribes ofKhuza'a and Bani 
Bakr. He also advocated that Quraish were the chiefs of Ishmael’s 
descendants. Therefore he consulted some men from Quraish and Kinana 
concerning his desire to evacuate Khuza‘a and Bani Bakr from Makkah. 
They took a liking to his opinion and supported him.! 2 ) 


WlbnHisham, 1/117. 
PI Ibn Hisham, 1/117. 


- 29 - 



The Second: Khuza’a claimed that Halil requested Qusai to hold 
custodianship of Al-Ka‘bah and rulership over Maldcah after his death. 

The Third: Halil gave the right of Al-Ka‘bah service to his daughter 
Hobba and appointed Abu Ghabshan Al-Khuza‘i to ftmction as her agent 
whereof. Upon Halil’s death, Qusai bought this right for a leather bag of 
wine, which aroused dissatisfaction among the men of Khuza’a and they 
tried to keep the custodianship of the Sacred House away from Qusai. 
The latter, however, with the help of Quraish and Kinana, managed to 
take over and even to expel Khuza'a completely from Makkah H] 

Whatever the truth might have been, the whole affair resulted in the 
deprivation of Sofa of their privileges, previously mentioned, evacuation 
of Khuza'a and Bakr from Makkah and transfer of rulership over 
Makkah and custodianship of the Holy Sanctuary to Qusai, after fierce 
wars between Qusai and Khuza’a inflicting heavy casualties on both 
sides, reconciliation and then arbitration of Ya‘mur bin ‘Awf, from the 
tribe of Bakr, whose judgement entailed eligibility of Qusai’s rulership 
over Makkah and custodianship of the Sacred House, Qusai’s 
irresponsibility for Khuza’a’s blood shed, and imposition of blood money 
on Khuza’a. Qusai’s reign over Makkah and the Sacred House began in 
440 A.D. and allowed him, and Quraish afterwards, absolute rulership 
over Makkah and undisputed custodianship of the Sacred House to which 
Arabs from all over Arabia came to pay homage. 

Qusai brought his kinspeople to Makkah and allocated it to them, 
allowing Quraish some dwellings there. An-Nus’a, die families of Safwan, 
Adwan, Murra bin ‘Awf preserved the same rights they used to enjoy before 
his arrival.! 2 ] 

A significant achievement credited to Qusai was the establishment of 
An-Nadwa House (an assembly house) on the northern side of Al-Ka‘bah 
Mosque, to serve as a meeting place for Quraish. This very house had 
benefited Quraish a lot because it secured unity of opinions amongst them 


['] Rahmat-ul-liralameen, 2/55. 
P] Ibn Hisham, 1/124. 



and cordial solution to their problem.!'! 

Qusai however enjoyed the following privileges of leadership and 
honour: 

1. Presiding over An-Nadwa House meetings where consultations 
relating to serious issues were conducted, and marriage contracts were 
announced. 

2. The Standard: He monopolized in his hand issues relevant to war 
launching. 

3. Doorkeeping of Al-Ka‘bah: He was the only one eligible to open its 
gate, and was responsible for its service and protection. 

4. Providing water for the Pilgrims: This means that he used to fill basins 
sweetened by dates and raisins for the pilgrims to drink. 

5. Feeding Pilgrims: This means making food for pilgrims who could not 
afford it. Qusai even imposed on Quraish annual land tax, paid at the 
season of pilgrimage, for food.Pl 

It is noteworthy however that Qusai singled out ‘Abd Manaf, a son of 
his, for honour and prestige though he was not his elder son (‘Abd Ad-Dar 
was), and entrusted him with such responsibilities as chairing of An-Nadwa 
House, the standard, the doorkeeping of Al-Ka‘bah, providing water and 
food for pilgrims. Due to the fact that Qusai’s deeds were regarded as 
unquestionable and his orders inviolable, his death gave no rise to conflicts 
among his sons, but it later did among his grand children, for no sooner than 
‘Abd Munaf had died, his sons began to have rows with their cousins — 
sons of ‘Abd Ad-Dar, which would have given rise to dissension and 
fighting among the whole tribe of Quraish, had it not been for a peace treaty 
whereby posts were reallocated so as to preserve feeding and providing 
water for pilgrims for the sons of ‘Abd Munaf; while An-Nadwa House, the 
flag and the doorkeeping of AI-Ka‘bah were maintained for the sons of 
‘Abd Ad-Dar. The sons of ‘Abd Munaf, however, cast the lot for their 
charge, and consequently left the charge of food and water giving to Hashim 
bin ‘Abd Munaf, upon whose death, the charge was taken over by a brother 
of his called Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Manaf and afterwards by ‘Abd 

t'l Ibn Hisham, 1/125; Akhbar Al-Kiram, p. 152. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 1/130. 


- 31 - 



Al-Muttalib bin Hashim, the Prophet’s grandfather, whose sons assumed 
this position until the rise of Islam, during which ‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul- 
Muttalib was in charge.! 1 ! 

Many other posts were distributed among people of Quraish for 
establishing the pillars of a new democratic petite state with government 
offices and councils similar to those of today. Enlisted as follows are some 
of these posts. 

1. Casting the lots for the idols was allocated to Bani Jumah. 

2. Noting of offers and sacrifices, settlement of disputes and relevant 
issues were to lie in the hands of Bani Sahm. 

3. Consultation was to go to Bani Asad. 

4. Organization of blood-money and fines was with Bani Tayim. 

5. Bearing the national banner was with Bani Omaiyah. 

6. The military institute, footmen and cavalry would be Bani Makhzum’s 
responsibility. 

7. Bani ‘Adi would function as foreign mediators.! 2 ! 

Rulership in Pan-Arabia: 

We have previously mentioned the Qahtanide and ‘Adnanide 
emigrations, and division of Arabia between these two tribes. Those tribes 
dwelling near Heerah were subordinate to the Arabian king of Heerah, while 
those dwelling in the Syrian semi-desert were under domain of the Arabian 
Ghassanide king, a sort of dependency that was in reality formal rather than 
actual. However, those living in the hinder deserts enjoyed full autonomy. 

These tribes in fact had heads chosen by the whole tribe which was a 
demi-govemment based on tribal solidarity and collective interests in 
defence of land and property. 

Heads of tribes enjoyed dictatorial privileges similar to those of kings, 
and were rendered full obedience and subordination in both war and peace. 
Rivalry among cousins for rulership, however, often drove them to outdo 

f'l Ibn Hisham, 1/129-179. 

PI Tareekh Ard Al-Qur’an, 2/104-106. 


- 32 - 



one another in entertaining guests, affecting generosity, wisdom and 
chivalry for the sole purpose of outranking their rivals, and gaining fame 
among people especially poets who were the official spokesmen at the time. 

Heads of tribes and masters had special claims to spoils of war such as 
the quarter of the spoils, whatever he chose for himself, or found on his way 
back or even the remaining indivisible spoils. 

The Political Situation: 

The three Arab regions adjacent to foreigners suffered great weakness 
and inferiority. The people there were either masters or slaves, rulers or 
subordinates. Masters, especially the foreigners, had claim to every 
advantage; slaves had nothing but responsibilities to shoulder. In other 
words, arbitrary autocratic rulership brought about encroachment on the 
rights of subordinates, ignorance, oppression, iniquity, injustice and 
hardship, and turning them into people groping in darkness and ignorance, 
viz., fertile land which rendered its fruits to the rulers and men of power to 
extravagantly dissipate on their pleasures and enjoyments, whims and 
desires, tyranny and aggression. The tribes living near these regions were 
fluctuating between Syria and Iraq, whereas those living inside Arabia were 
disunited and governed by tribal conflicts and racial and religious disputes. 

They had neither a king to sustain their independence nor a supporter to 
seek advice from, or depend upon, in hardships. 

The rulers of Hijaz, however, were greatly esteemed and respected by the 
Arabs, and were considered as rulers and servants of the religious centre. 
Rulership of Hijaz was, in fact, a mixture of secular and official precedence 
as well as religious leadership. They ruled among the Arabs in the name of 
religious leadership and always monopolized the custodianship of the Holy 
Sanctuary and its neighbourhood. They looked after the interests of 
Al-Ka‘bah visitors and were in charge of putting Abraham’s code into 
effect. They even had such offices and departments like those of the 
parliaments of today. However, they were too weak to carry the heavy 
burden, as this evidently came to light during the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) 
invasion. 


- 33 - 



Religions of the Arabs 


Most of the Arabs had complied with the call of Ishmael f *ji , and 
professed the religion of his father Abraham f *-n «<i*. They had worshipped 
Allah, professed His Oneness and followed His religion a long time until 
they forgot part of what they had been reminded of. However, they still 
maintained such fundamental beliefs such as monotheism as well as various 
other aspects of Abraham’s religion, until the time when a chief of Khuza‘a, 
namely ‘Amr bin Luhai, who was renowned for righteousness, charity, 
reverence and care for religion, and was granted unreserved love and 
obedience by his tribesmen, came back from a trip to Syria where he saw 
people worship idols, a phenomenon he approved of and believed it to be 
righteous since Syria was the locus of Messengers and Scriptures, he 
brought with him an idol (Hubal) which he placed in the middle of 
Al-Ka‘bah and summoned people to worship it. Readily enough, paganism 
spread all over Makkah and, thence, to Hijaz, people of Makkah being 
custodians of not only the Sacred House but the whole Haram as well. A 
great many idols, bearing different names, were introduced into the area.! 1 ) 

An idol called ‘Manat’, for instance, was worshipped in a place known as 
Al-Mushallal near Qadid on the Red Sea. Another, ‘Al-Lat’ in Ta’if, a third, 
‘Al-‘Uzza’ in the valley of Nakhlah, and so on and so forth. Polytheism 
prevailed and the number of idols increased everywhere in Hijaz. It was 
even mentioned that ‘Amr bin Luhai, with the help of a jinn companion who 
told him that the idols of Noah’s folk - Wadd, Suwa‘, Yaguth, Ya'uk and 
Nasr - were buried in Jeddah, dug them out and took them to Tihama. Upon 
pilgrimage time, the idols were distributed among the tribes to take back 
home. PI Every tribe, and house, had their own idols, and the Sacred House 
was also overcrowded with them. On the Prophet’s conquest of Makkah, 
360 idols were found around Al-Ka‘bah. He broke them down and had them 
removed and burned up.PI 


01 Mukhtasar Seerat-ar-Rasool, p. 12. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/222. 

PI Mukhtasar Seerat-ar-Rasool, pp. 13-54. 


- 34 - 



Polytheism and worship of idols became the most prominent feature of 
the religion of pre-Islam Arabs despite alleged profession of Abraham’s 
religion. 

Traditions and ceremonies of the worship of their idols had been mostly 
created by ‘Amr bin Luhai, and were deemed as good innovations rather 
than deviations from Abraham’s religion. Some features of their worship of 
idols were: 

1. Self-devotion to the idols, seeking refuge with them, acclamation of their 
names, calling for their help in hardship, and supplication to them for 
fulfillment of wishes, hopefully that the idols (i.e., heathen gods) would 
mediate with Allah for the fulfillment of people’s wishes. 

2. Performing pilgrimage to the idols, circumrotation round them, self- 
abasement and even prostrating themselves before them. 

3. Seeking favour of idols through various kinds of sacrifices and 
immolations, which is mentioned in the Qur’anic verses: 

“And that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub (stone- 
altars)!’ [5:3] 

Allah also says: 



“Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has 
not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the 
animal).” [6:121] 


4. Consecration of certain portions of food, drink, cattle, and crops to idols. 
Surprisingly enough, portions were also consecrated to Allah Himself r) 
but people often found reasons to transfer parts of Allah’s portion tcr^ 
idols, but never did the opposite. To this effect, the Qur’anic verses go: 





- 35 - 



“And they assign to Allah a share of the tilth and cattle which 
He has created, and they say: ‘This is for Allah according to 
their pretending, and this is for our (AllSh’s so-called) partners.’ 
But the share of their (Allah’s so-called) ‘partners’, reaches not 
Allah, while the share of Allah reaches their (Allah’s so-called) 
‘partners’. Evil is the way they judge.” [6:136] 


5. Currying favours with these idols through votive offerings of crops and 
cattle, to which effect, the Qur’an goes: 

XZ'HF, 23 > 


“And according to their pretending, they say that such and such 
cattle and crops are forbidden, and none should eat of them 
except those whom we allow. And (they say) there are cattle 
forbidden to be used for burden or any other work, and cattle on 
which (at slaughtering) the Name of Allah is not pronounced; 
lying against Him (Allah).” [6:138] 


6. Dedication of certain animals (such as Bahira, Sa ’iba, Wasila and Hami) 
to idols, which meant sparing such animals from useful work for the sake 
of these heathen gods. Bahira, as reported by the well-known historian, 
Ibn Ishaq, was daughter of Sa ’iba which was a female camel that gave 
birth to ten successive female animals, but no male ones, was set free and 
forbidden to yoke, burden or being sheared off its wool, or milked (but 
for guests to drink from); and so was done to all her female offspring 
which were given the name ‘ Bahira ’, after having their ears slit. The 
Wasila was a female sheep which had ten successive female daughters in 
five pregnancies. Any new births from this Wasila were assigned only for 
male people. The Hami was a male camel which produced ten 
progressive females, and was thus similarly forbidden. In mention of this, 
the Qur’anic verses go: 




“Allah has not instituted things like Bahira ( a she-camel whose 
milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk 


- 36 - 



it) or a Sa ’iba (a she camel let loose for free pasture for their 
false gods, e.g. idols, etc., and nothing was allowed to be carried 
on it), or a Wasila (a she-camel set free for idols because it has 
given birth to a she-camel at its first delivery and then again 
gives birth to a she-camel at its second delivery) or a Ham (a 
stallion-camel freed from work for their idols, after it had 
finished a number of copulations assigned for it, all these 
animals were liberated in honour of idols as practised by pagan 
Arabs in the pre-Islamic period). But those who disbelieve, 
invent lies against Allah, and most of them have no 
understanding.” [5:103] 


Allah also says: 


“And they say: What is in the bellies of such and such cattle 
(milk or foetus) is for our males alone, and forbidden to our 
females (girls and women), but if it is bom dead, then all have 
shares therein.” [6:139] 

It has been authentically reported that such superstitions were first 
invented by ‘Amr bin Luhai.bl 


The Arabs believed that such idols, or heathen gods, would bring them 
nearer to Allah, lead them to Him, and mediate with Him for their sake, to 
which effect, the Qur’an goes: 




“We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.” 
[39:3] 


and 




M Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/499. 


- 37 - 



“And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor 
profit them, and they say: These are our intercessors with 
Allah.” [10:18] 

Another divinatoiy tradition among the Arabs was casting of Azlam (i.e. 
featherless arrows which were of three kinds: one showing 'yes', another 
'no' and a third was blank) which they used to do in case of serious matters 
like travel, marriage and the like. If the lot showed 'yes', they would do, if 
'no', they would delay for the next year. Other kinds of Azlam were cast for 
water, blood-money or showed 'from you', 'not from you', or ‘ Mulsaq' 
(consociated). In cases of doubt in filiation they would resort to the idol of 
Hubal, with a hundred-camel gift, for the arrow caster. Only the arrows 
would then decide the sort of relationship. If the arrow showed (from you), 
then it was decided that the child belonged to the tribe; if it showed (from 
others), he would then be regarded as an ally, but if (consociated) appeared, 
the person would retain his position but with no lineage or alliance 
contract.! 1 ! 

This was very much like gambling and arrow-s hafting whereby they used 
to divide the meat of the camels they slaughtered according to this tradition. 

Moreover, they used to have a deep conviction in the tidin gs of 
soothsayers, diviners and astrologers. A soothsayer used to traffic in the 
business of foretelling future events and claim knowledge of private secrets 
and having jinn subordinates who would co mmuni cate the news to him 
Some soothsayers claimed that they could uncover the unknown by means 
of a granted power, while other diviners boasted they could divulge the 
secrets through a cause-and-effect-inductive process that would lead to 
detecting a stolen commodity, location of a theft, a stray animal, and the 
like. The astrologer belonged to a third category who used to observe the 
stars and calculate their movements and orbits whereby he would foretell 
the future.! 2 ! Lending credence to this news constituted a clue to their 
conviction that attached special significance to the movements of particular 
stars with regard to rainfall.! 3 ] 


!*] Muhadrat Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah, 1/56; Ibn Hishain, 1/152,153. 
P] Mirqat Al-Mafeteeh, 2/2,3. 

P] Sahih Muslim with An-Nawawi, 1/59. 


- 38 - 



The belief in signs as betokening future events, was, of course common 
among the Arabians. Some days and months and particular animals were 
regarded as ominous. They also believed that the soul of a murdered person 
would fly in the wilderness and would never rest at rest until revenge was 
taken. Superstition was rampant. Should a deer or bird, when released, turn 
right then what they embarked on would be regarded auspicious, otherwise 
they would get pessimistic and withhold from pursuing it.t'1 

People of pre-Islamic period, whilst believing in superstition, they still 
retained some of the Abrahamic traditions such as devotion to the Holy 
Sanctuary, circumambulation, observance of pilgrimage, the vigil on 
‘Arafah and offering sacrifices, all of these were observed fully despite 
some innovations that adulterated these holy rituals. Quraish, for example, 
out of arrogance, feeling of superiority to other tribes and pride in their 
custodianship of the Sacred House, would refrain from going to ‘Arafah 
with the crowd, instead they would stop short at Muzdalifah. The Noble 
Qur’an rebuked and told them: 



“Then depart from the place whence all the people depart.” 

[2:199]P1 

Another heresy, deeply established in their social tradition, dictated that 
they would not eat dried yoghurt or cooked fat, nor would they enter a tent 
made of camel hair or seek shade unless in a house of adobe bricks, so long 
as they were committed to the intention of pilgrimage. They also, out of a 
deeply-rooted misconception, denied pilgrims, other than Makkans, access 
to the food they had brought when they wanted to make pilgrimage or lesser 
pilgrimage. 

They ordered pilgrims coming from outside Makkah to circumambulate 
Al-Ka‘bah in Quraish uniform clothes, but if they could not afford them, 
men were to do so in a state of nudity, and women with only some piece of 
cloth to hide their groins. Allah says in this concern: 


PI Sahih Al-Bukhari with footnotes of Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri, 2/351,837 
PI Ibn Hisham, 1/199; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/226. 


- 39 - 



“O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your 
clean clothes), while praying [and going round (the Tawaf of) 
the Ka‘bah]. [7:31] 

If men or women were generous enough to go round Al-Ka‘bah in their 
clothes, they had to discard them after circumambulation for goodJfr 

When the Makkans were in a pilgrimage consecration state, they would 
not enter their houses through the doors but through holes they used to dig 
in the back walls. They used to regard such behaviour as deeds of piety and 
god-fearing. This practice was prohibited by the Qur’an: 



“It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.) that you enter the 
houses from the back but Al-Birr (is the quality of the one) who 
fears Allah. So enter houses throu gh their proper doors, and fear 
Allah that you may be successful.” [2:189] 

Such was the religious life in Arabia, polytheism, idolatry, and 
superstition. 

Judaism, Christianity, Magianism and Sabianism, however, could find 
their ways easily into Arabia. 

The migration of the Jews from Palestine to Arabia passed thro ugh two 
phases: first, as a result of the pressure to which they were exposed, the 
destruction of the their temple, and taking most of them as captives to 
Babylon, at the hand of the King Bukhtanassar. In the year B.C. 587 some 
Jews left Palestine for Hijaz and settled in the northern areas whereof. The 
second phase started with the Roman occupation of Palestine under the 
leadership of Roman Buts in 70 A.D. This resulted in a tidal wave of Jewish 
migration into Hijaz, and Yathrib, Khaibar and Taima’, in particular. Here, 
they made proselytes of several tribes, built forts and castles, and lived in 
villages. Judaism managed to play an important role in the pre-Islam 
political life. When Islam dawned on that land, there had already been 
several famous Jewish tribes — Khabeer, Al-Mustaliq, An-Nadeer, 
Quraizah and Qainuqa*. In some versions, the Jewish tribes counted as 


HI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/226; Ibn Hisham, 1/202. 


- 40 - 



many as twenty.! 1 ! 

Judaism was introduced into Yemen by someone called As‘ad Abi Karb. 
He had gone to fight in Yathrib and there he embraced Judaism and then 
went back taking with him two rabbis from Bani Quraizah to instruct the 
people of Yemen in this new religion. Judaism found a fertile soil there to 
propagate and gain adherents. After his death, his son Yusuf Dhu Nawas 
rose to power, attacked the Christian community in Najran and ordered 
them to embrace Judaism. When they refused, he ordered that a pit of fire be 
dug and all die Christians indiscriminately be dropped to burn therein. 
Estimates say that between 20-40 thousand Christians were killed in that 
human massacre. The Qur’an related part of that story in Al-Buruj (zodiacal 
signs) Chapter.! 2 ! 

Christianity had first made its appearance in Arabia following the entry 
of the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) and Roman colonists into that country. The 
Abyssinian (Ethiopian) colonization forces in league with Christian 
missions entered Yemen as a retaliatory reaction for the iniquities of Dhu 
Nawas, and started vehemently to propagate their faith ardently. They even 
built a church and called it Yemeni Al-Ka‘bah with the aim of directing the 
Arab pilgrimage caravans towards Yemen, and then made an attempt to 
demolish the Sacred House in Makkah. Allah, the Almighty, however did 
punish them and made an example of them - here and hereafter.! 3 ! 

A Christian missionary called Fimion, and known for his ascetic 
behaviour and working miracles, had likewise infiltrated into Najran. There 
he called people to Christianity, and by virtue of his honesty and truthful 
devotion, he managed to persuade diem to respond positively to his 
invitation and embrace Christianity. 

The principal tribes that embraced Christianity were Ghassan, Taghlib, 
Tai’ and some Himyarite kings as well as other tribes living on the borders 
of the Roman Empire. 

Magianism was also popular among the Arabs living in the 
neighbourhood of Persia, Iraq, Bahrain, Al-Ahsa’ and some areas on the 

I 1 ! Qalb Jazeerat Al-Aiab, p.151. 

P! Tafheem-ul-Qur’Sn, 6/297; Ibn Hisham, 1/20-36. 

PI Taflieem-ul-Qur’ §n, 6/297; Ibn Hisham, 1/20-36. 


- 41 - 




Arabian Gulf coast Some Yemenis are also reported to have professed 
Magiamsm during the Persian occupation. 

As for Sabianism, excavations in Iraq revealed that it had been popular 
amongst Kaldanian folks, the Syrians and Yemenis. With the advent of 
Judaism and Christianity, however, Sabianism began to give way to the new 
religions, although it retained some followers mixed or adjacent to the 
Magians in Iraq and the Arabian GuIf.W 

The Religious Situation: 

Such was the religious life of the Arabians before the advent of Islam. 
The role that the religions prevalent played was so marginal, in fact it was 
next to nothing. The polytheists, who faked Abrahamism, were so far 
detached from its precepts, and totally oblivious of its immanent good 
manners. They plunged into disobedience and ungodliness, and developed 
certain peculiar religious superstitions that managed to leave a serious 
impact on the religious and socio-political life in the whole of Arabia. 

Judaism turned into abominable hypocrisy in league with hegemony. 
Rabbis turned into lords to the exclusion of the Lord. They got involved in 
the practice of dictatorial subjection of people and calling their subordinates 
to account for the least word or idea. Their sole target turned into 
acquisition of wealth and power even if it were at the risk of losing their 
religion, or the emergence of atheism and disbelief. 

Christianity likewise opened its doors wide to polytheism, and got too 
difficult to comprehend as a heavenly religion. As a religious practice, it 
developed a sort of peculiar medley of man and God. It exercised no bearing 
whatsoever on the souls of the Arabs who professed it simply because it was 
alien to their style of life and did not have the least relationship with their 
practical life. 

People of other religions were similar to the polytheists with respect to 
their inclinations, dogmas, customs and traditions. 


l |] Tareekh Ard Al-Qur’in, 2/193-208. 


- 42 - 



Aspects of Pre-Islamic 
Arabian Society 

After the research we have made into the religious and political life of 
Arabia, it is appropriate to speak briefly about the social, economic and 
ethical conditions prevalent therein. 

Social Life of the Arabs: 

The Arabian Society presented a social medley, with different and 
heterogeneous social strata. The status of the woman among the nobility 
recorded an advanced degree of esteem. The woman enjoyed a considerable 
portion of free will, and her decision would most often be enforced. She was 
so highly cherished that blood would be easily shed in defence of her 
honour. In feet, she was the most decisive key to bloody fight or friendly 
peace. These privileges notwithstanding, the family system in Arabia was 
wholly patriarchal. The marriage contract rested completely in the hands of 
the woman’s legal guardian whose words with regard to her marital status 
could never be questioned. 

On die other hand, there were other social strata where prostitution and 
indecency were ram pant and in full operation. Abu Da’ud, on the authority 
^of * Aishah w* uji ^ reported four kinds of marriage in pre-Islamic Arabia: 
''The first was similar to present-day marriage procedures, in which case a 
man gives his daughter in marriage to another man after a dowry has been 
agreed on. In the second, the husband would send his wife — after the 
menstruation period — to cohabit with another man in order to conceive. 
After conception her husband would, if he desired, have a sexual intercourse 
wife her. A third kind was that a group of less than ten men would have 
sexual intercourse with a woman. If she conceived and gave birth to a child, 
she would send for these men, and nobody could abstain. They would come 
together to her house. She would say: ‘You know what you have done. I 
have given birth to a child and it is your child’ (pointing to one of them). 
The man meant would have to accept. The fourth kind was that a lot of men 
would have sexual intercourse with a certain woman (a whore). She would 
not prevent anybody. Such women used to put a certain flag at their gates to 
invite in anyone who liked. If this whore got pregnant and gave birth to a 


- 43 - 



child, she would collect those men, ami a seeress would tell whose child it 
was. The appointed father would take the child and declare him/ her his own. 
When Prophet Muhammad declared Islam in Arabia, he 

cancelled all these forms of sexual contacts except that of present Islamic 
marriage.* 1 ] 

Women always accompanied men in their wars. The winners would 
freely have sexual intercourse with such women, but disgrace would follow 
the children conceived in this way all their lives. 

Pre-Islam Arabs had no limited number of wives. They could marry two 
sisters at the same time, or even the wives of their fathers if divorced or 
widowed. Divorce was to a very great extent in the power of the husband.* 2 ] 

The obscenity of adultery prevailed almost among all social classes 
except few men and women whose self-dignity prevented them from 
committing such an act. Free women were in much better conditions than 
the female slaves who constituted the greatest calamity. It seemed that the 
greatest majority of pre-Islam Arabs did not feel ashamed of committing 
this obscenity. Abu Da’ud reported: A man stood up in front of Prophet 
Muhammad ^ ^ and said: “O Prophet of Allah! that boy is my son. I 

had sexual intercourse with his mother in the pre-Islamic period.” The 
Prophet said: 

.SlaLhJl Cjo ^ N* 

«^JI 

“No claim in Islam for pre-Islamic affairs. The child is to be 
attributed to the one on whose bed it was bom, and stoning is 
the lot of a fornicator.”* 3 ] 

With respect to the pre-Islam Arab's relation with his offsprin g, we see 
that life in Arabia was paradoxical and presented a gloomy picture of 
contrasts. Whilst some Arabs held children dear to their hearts and 
cherished them greatly, others buried their female children alive because an 


* ] ] Abu Da’Od - The book of marriage. 
t 2 ) Abu Da’Od - The bode of marriage. 

* 3 ] Abu Da’ttd - Chapter “The child is to the one on whose bed it was bom.” 



illusory fear of poverty and shame weighed heavily on them. The practice of 
infanticide cannot, however, be seen as irrevocably rampant because of their 
dire need for male children to guard themselves against their enemies. 

Another aspect of the Arabs’ life which deserves mention is the 
bedouin’s deep-seated emotional attachment to his clan. Family, or perhaps 
tribal-pride, was one of the strongest passions with him. The doctrine of 
unity of blood as the principle that bound the Arabs into a social unity was 
formed and supported by tribal-pride. Their undisputed motto was: “iiul 
Ujit* j! uu» — Support your brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed” 
in its literal meaning; they disregarded the Islamic amendment which states 
that supporting an oppressor brother implies deterring him from 
transgression. 

Avarice for leadership, and keen sense of emulation often resulted in 
bitter tribal warfare despite descendency from one common ancestor. In this 
regard, the continued bloody conflicts of Aws and Khazraj, ‘Abs and 
Dhubyan, Bakr and Taghlib, etc. are striking examples. 

Inter-tribal relationships were fragile and weak due to continual inter¬ 
tribal wars of attrition. Deep devotion to religious superstitions and some 
customs held in veneration, however, used to curb their impetuous tendency 
to quench their thirst for blood. In other cases, there were the motives of, 
and respect for, alliance, loyalty and dependency which could successfully 
bring about a spirit of rapport, and abort groundless bases of dispute. A 
time-honoured custom of suspending hostilities during the prohibited 
months (Muharram, Rajab, Dhul-Qa‘dah, and Dhul-Hijjah) functioned 
favourably and provided an opportunity for them to earn their living and 
coexist in peace. 

We may sum up the social situation in Arabia by saying that the Arabs of 
the pre-Islamic period were groping about in the dark and ignorance, 
entangled in a mesh of superstitions paralyzing their mind and driving them 
to lead an animal-like life. The woman was a marketable commodity and 
regarded as a piece of inanimate property. Inter-tribal relationships were 
fragile. Avarice for wealth and involvement in futile wars were the main 
objectives that governed their chiefs’ self-centred policies. 


- 45 - 



Economic Situation: 

The economic situation ran in line with the social atmosphere. The 
Arabian ways of living would illustrate this phenomenon quite clearly. 
Trade was the most common means of providing their needs of life. The 
trade journeys could not be fulfilled unless security of caravan routes and 
inter-tribal peaceful co-existence were provided - two imperative exigencies 
unfortunately lacking in Arabia except during the prohibited months within 
which the Arabs held their assemblies of ‘Ukaz, Dhil-Majaz, Mijannah and 
others. 

Industry was alien to the Arabian psychology. Most of available 
industries of knitting and tannage in Arabia were done by people coming 
from Yemen, Heerah and the borders of Syria. Inside Arabia there was some 
sort of farming and stock-breeding. Almost all the Arabian women worked 
in yam spinning but even this practice was continually threatened by wars. 
On the whole, poverty, hunger and insufficient clothing were the prevailing 
features in Arabia, economically. 

Ethics: 

We cannot deny that the pre-Islam Arabs had such a large bulk of evils. 
Admittedly, vices and evils, utterly rejected by reason, were rampant 
amongst the pre-Islam Arabs, but this could never screen off the surprise- 
provoking existence of highly praiseworthy virtues, of which we could 
adduce the following: 

1. Hospitality: They used to emulate one another at hospitality and take 
utmost pride in it. Almost half of their poetry heritage was dedicated to 
the merits and nobility attached to entertaining one’s guest. They were 
generous and hospitable on the point of fault. They would sacrifice their 
private sustenance to a cold or hungry guest. They would not hesitate to 
incur heavy blood-money and relevant burdens just to stop blood-shed, 
and consequently merit praise and eulogy. 

In the context of hospitality, there springs up their common habits of 
drinking wine which was regarded as a channel branching out of 
generosity and showing hospitality. Wine drinking was a genuine source 
of pride for the Arabs of the pre-Islamic period. The great poets of tha t 
era never forgot to include their suspending odes the most ornate lines 


- 46 - 



pregnant with boasting and praise of drinking orgies. Even the word 
‘grapes’ in Arabic is identical to generosity in both pronunciation and 
spelling. Gambling was also another practice of theirs closely associated 
with generosity since the proceeds would always go to charity. Even the 
Noble Qur’an does not play down the benefits that derive from wine 
drinking and gambling, but also says, 



“And the sin of them is greater than their benefit.” [2:219] 

2. Keeping a covenant: For the Arab, to make a promise was to run into 
debt. He would never grudge the death of his children or destruction of 
his household just to uphold the deep-rooted tradition of covenant¬ 
keeping. The literature of that period is rich in stories highlighting this 
merit. 

3. Sense of honour and repudiation of injustice: This attribute stemmed 
mainly from excess courage, keen sense of self-esteem and impetuosity. 
The Arab was always in revolt against the least allusion to humiliation or 
slackness. He would never hesitate to sacrifice himself to maintain his 
ever alert sense of self-respect. 

4. Firm will and determination: An Arab would never desist an avenue 
conducive to an object of pride or a standing of honour, even if it were at 
the expense of his life. 

5. Forbearance, perseverance and mildness: The Arab regarded these 
traits with great admiration, no wonder, his impetuosity and courage- 
based life was sadly wanting in them. 

6. Pure and simple bedouin life, still untarnished with accessories of 
deceptive urban appearances, was a driving reason to his nature of 
truthfulness and honesty, and detachment from intrigue and treachery. 

Such priceless ethics coupled with a favourable geographical position of 
Arabia were in fact the factors that lay behind selecting the Arabs to 
undertake the burden of communicating the Message (of Islam) and leading 
mankind down a new course of life. 


- 47 - 



In this regard, these ethics per se, though detrimental in some areas, and 
in need of rectification in certain aspects, were greatly invaluable to the 
ultimate welfare of the human community and Islam has did it completely. 

The most priceless ethics, next to covenant-keeping, were no doubt their 
sense of self-esteem and strong determination, two human traits 
indispensable in combatting evil and eliminating moral corruption on the 
one hand, and establishing a good and justice-orientated society, on the 
other. 

Actually, the life of the Arabs in the pre-Islamic period was rich in other 
countless virtues we do not need to enumerate for the time being. 


- 48 - 



The Lineage and Family of Muhammad 

With respect to the lineage of Prophet Muhammad there are 

three versions: The first was authenticated by biographers and genealogists 
and states that Muhammad’s genealogy has been traced to ‘Adnan. The 
second is subject to controversies and doubt, and traces his lineage beyond 
‘Adnan back to Abraham. The third version, with some parts definitely 
incorrect, traces his lineage beyond Abraham back to Adam r %ji l*i«. 

After this rapid review, now ample details are believed to be necessary. 

The first part: M uhamma d bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib (who was 
called Shaiba) bin Hashim, (named ‘Amr) bin ‘Abd Munaf (called 
Al-Mugheera) bin Qusai (also called Zaid) bin Kilab bin Murra bin Ka‘b bin 
Lo’i bin Ghalib bin Fahr (who was called Quraish and whose tribe was 
called after him) bin Malik bin An-Nadr (so called Qais) bin Kinana bin 
Khuzaiman bin Mudrikah (who was called ‘Amir) bin Elias bin Mudar bin 
Nizar bin Ma‘ad bin ‘Adnan.! 1 1 

The second part: ‘Adnan bin Add bin Humaisi* bin Salaman bin Aws bin 
Buz bin Qamwal bin Obai bin ‘Awwam bin Nashid bin Haza bin Bildas bin 
Yadlaf bin Tabikh bin Jahim bin Nahish bin Makhi bin Aid bin ‘Abqar bin 
‘Ubaid bin Ad-Da‘a bin Hamdan bin Sanbirbin Yathrabi bin Yahzinbin 
Yalhan bin Ar'awi bin Aid bin Deshan bin Aisar bin Afnad bin Aiham bin 
Muksar bin Nahith bin Zarih bin Sami bin Mazzi bin ‘Awda bin Aram bin 
Qaidar bin Ishmael son of Abraham f %ji u*i».Pl 

The third part: beyond Abraham f %ji << i»_Ibn Tarih (Azar) bin Nahur bin 
Saru‘ bin Ra‘u bin Falikh bin Abir bin Shalikh bin Arfakhshad bin Sam bin 
Noah f v-n , bin Lamik bin Mutwashlack bin Akhnukh [who was said to be 
Prophet Idris (Enoch) f sui »*u] bin Yarid bin Mahla’il bin Qainan bin Anusha 
bin Shith bin Adam r ^ui l*j».P1 


PI Ibn Hisham, 1/1A Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl Al-Athar, pp. 5,6; 
Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 2/11-14,52. 

PI Rahmat-ul-lil‘alarneen, 2/14-17. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 1/2-4; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 2/18; Khulasat As-Siyar, p. 6. 


- 49 - 




The Prophetic Family: 

The family of Prophet Muhammad ^ «_> an is called the Hashimite 
family after his grandfather Hashim bin ‘Abd Munaf. Let us now speak a 
little about Hashim and his descendants: 

1. Hashim: As we have previously mentioned, he was the one responsible 
for giving food and water to the pilgrims. This had been his charge when 
the sons of ‘Abd Munaf and those of ‘Abd Ad-Dar compromised on 
dividing the charges between them. Hashim was wealthy and honest. He 
was the first to offer the pilgrims sopped bread in broth. His first name 
was ‘Amr but he was called Hashim because he had been in the practice 
of crumbling bread (for the pilgrims). He was also the first man who 
started Quraish’s two journeys of summer and winter. It was reported 
that he went to Syria as a merchant. In Madinah, he married Salma — the 
daughter of ‘Amr from Bani ‘Adi bin An-Najjar. He spent some time 
with her in Madinah then he left for Syria again while she was pregnant. 
He died in Ghazza in Palestine in 497 A.D. Later, his wife gave birth to 
‘Abdul-Muttalib and named him Shaiba for the white hair in his head! 1 ), 
and brought him up in her father’s house in Madinah. None of his family 
in Makkah learned of his birth. Hashim had four sons; Asad, Abu Saifi, 
Nadia and ‘Abdul-Muttalib, and five daughters Ash-Shifa, Khalida, 
Da‘ifa, Ruqyah and Jannah.Pl 

2. ‘Abdul-Muttalib: We have already known that after the death of 
Hashim, the charge of pilgrims’ food and water went to his brother 
Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf (who was honest, generous and 
trustworthy). When ‘Abdul-Muttalib reached the age of boyhood, his 
uncle Al-Muttalib heard of him and went to Madinah to fetch him. When 
he saw him, tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he embraced 
him and took him on his camel. The boy, however abstained from going 
with him to Makkah until he took his mother’s consent. Al-Muttalib 
asked her to send the boy with him to Makkah, but she refused. He 
managed to convince her saying: “Your son is going to Makkah to 
restore his father’s authority, and to live in the vicinity of the Sacred 


PI Ibn His ham 1/137; Rahmat-ul-liTalameen, 1/26,2/24. 
PI Ibn Hisham, 1/107. 


- 50 - 



House.” There in M akkah, people wondered at seeing Abdul-Muttalib, 
and they considered him the slave of Muttalib. Al-Muttalib said: “He is 
my nephew, the son of my brother Hashim.” The boy was brought up in 
Al-Muttalib’s house, but later on Al-Muttalib died in Bardman in Yemen 
so ‘Abdul-Muttalib took over and managed to maintain his people’s 
prestige and outdo his grandfathers in his honourable behaviour which 
gained him Makkah’s deep love and high esteem.!'] 

When Al-Muttalib died, Nawfal usurped ‘Abdul-Muttalib of his 
charges, so the latter asked for help from Quraish but they abstained from 
extending any sort of support to either of them. Consequently, he wrote 
to his uncles of Bani An-Najjar (his mother’s brothers) to come to his 
aid. His uncle, Abu Sa‘d bin ‘Adi (his mother’s brother) marched to 
Makkah at the head of eighty horsemen and camped in Abtah in Makkah. 
‘Abdul-Muttalib received the men and invited them to go to his house but 
Abu Sa‘d said: “Not before I meet Nawfal.” He found Nawfal sitting 
with some old men of Quraish in the shade of Al-Ka‘bah. Abu Sa‘d drew 
his sword and said: “I swear by Allah that if you don’t restore to my 
nephew what you have taken, I will kill you with this sword.” Nawfal 
was thus forced to give up what he had usurped, and the notables of 
Quraish were made to witness to his words. Abu Sa‘d then went to 
‘Abdul-Muttalib’s house where he stayed for three nights, made ‘Umra 
and left back for Madinah. Later on, Nawfal entered into alliance with 
Bani ‘Abd Shams bin ‘Abd Munaf against Bani Hashim. When Khuza'a, 
a tribe, saw Bani An-Najjar’s support to ‘Abdul-Muttalib they said: “He 
is our son as he is yours. We have more reasons to support him than 
you.” ‘Abd Munaf s mother was one of them. They went into An-Nadwa 
House and entered into alliance with Bani Hashim against Bani ‘Abd 
Shams and Nawfal. It was an alliance that was later to constitute the main 
reason for the conquest of Makkah. ‘Abdul-Muttalib witnessed two 
important events in his lifetime, namely digging Zamzam well and the 
Elephant raid.! 2 ) 

In brief, ‘Abdul-Muttalib received an order in his dream to dig 
Zamzam well in a particular place. He did that and found the things that 


t'llbnHisham, 1/137, 138. 

PI Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, pp. 41,42; Ibn Hisham, 1/142-147. 


- 51 - 



Jurhum men had buried therein when they were forced to evacuate 
Makkah. He found the swords, armours and the two deer of gold. The 
gate of Al-Ka‘bah was stamped from the gold swords and the two deer 
and then the tradition of providing Zamzam water to pilgrims was 
established. 

When the well of Zamzam gushed water forth, Quraish made a claim 
to partnership in the enterprise, but ‘Abdul-Muttalib refused their 
demands on grounds that Allah had singled only him out for this 
honourable job. To settle the dispute, they agreed to consult Bani Sa'd’s 
diviner. On their way, Allah showed them His Signs that confirmed 
‘Abdul-Muttalib’s prerogative as regards the sacred spring. Only then did 
‘Abdul-Muttalib make a solemn vow to sacrifice one of his adult children 
to Al-Ka‘bah if he had ten. 

The second event was that of Abraha As-Sabah Al-Habashi, the 
Abyssinian (Ethiopian) viceroy in Yemen. He had seen that the Arabs 
made their pilgrimage to Al-Ka‘bah so he built a large church in San‘a in 
order to attract the Arab pilgrims to it to the exclusion of Makkah. A man 
from Kinana tribe understood this move, therefore he entered the church 
stealthily at night and besmeared its front wall with excrement. When 
Abraha knew of that, he got very angry and led a great army-of sixty 
thousand warriors - to demolish Al-Ka‘bah. He chose the biggest 
elephant for himself. His army included nine or thirteen elephants. He 
continued marching until he reached a place called Al-Magmas. There, 
he mobilized his army, prepared his elephants and got ready to enter 
Makkah. When he reached Muhassar Valley, between Muzdalifah and 
Mina, the elephant knelt down and refused to go forward. Whenever they 
directed it northwards, southwards or eastwards, the elephant moved 
quickly but when directed westwards towards Al-Ka‘bah, it knelt down. 
Meanwhile, Allah loosed upon them birds in flights, hurling against them 
stones of baked clay and made them like green blades devoured. These 
birds were very much like swallows and sparrows, each carrying three 
stones; one in its peak and two in its claws. The stones hit Abraha’s men 
and cut their limbs and killed them. A large number of Abraha’s soldiers 
were killed in this way and die others fled at random and died 
everywhere. Abraha himself had an infection that had his fingertips 


- 52 - 



amputated. When he reached San‘a he was in a miserable state and died 
soon after. 

The Quraishites on their part had fled for their lives to the hillocks and 
mountain tops. When the enemy had been thus routed, they returned 
home safely.!') 

The Event of the Elephant took place in the month of Al-Muharram, 
fifty or fifty five days before the birth of Prophet Muhammad 
which corresponded to late February or early March 571 A.D. It was a 
gift from Allah to His Prophet and his family. It could actually be 
regarded as a Divine auspicious precursor of the light to come and 
accompany the advent of the Prophet and his family. By contrast, 
Jerusalem had suffered under the yoke of the atrocities of Allah’s 
enemies. Here we can recall Bukhtanassar in B.C. 587 and the Romans in 
70 A.D. Al-Ka‘bah, by Divine Grace, never came under the hold of the 
Christians - the Muslims of that time- although Makkah was populated 
by polytheists. 

News of the Elephant Event reached the most distant comers of the 
then civilized world. Abyssinia (Ethiopia) maintained strong ties with the 
Romans, while the Persians on the other hand, were on the vigil with 
respect to any strategic changes that were looming on the socio-political 
horizon, and soon came to occupy Yemen. Incidentally, the Roman and 
Persian Empires stood for the powerful civilized world at that time. The 
Elephant Raid Event riveted file world’s attention to the sacredness of 
AllSh’s House, and showed that this House had been chosen by Allah for 
its holiness. It followed then if any of its people claimed Prophethood, it 
would be congruous with the outcome of the Elephant Event, and would 
provide a justifiable explanation for the ulterior Divine Wisdom that lay 
behind backing polytheists against Christians in a manner that 
transcended the cause-and-effect formula. 

‘Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons, Al-Harith, Az-Zubair, Abu Talib, 
‘Abdullah, Hamzah, Abu Lahab, Ghidaq, Maqwam, Safar and 
Al-‘ Abbas. He also had six daughters, who were Umm Al-Hakim - the 


PI Dm Hisham, 1/43-56; Tafheemul-Qur’fin, 6/462-469. 


- 53 - 



only white one, Barrah, ‘Atikah, Safiya, Aiwa and O maima [i] 

3. ‘Abdullah: The father of Prophet Muhammad ^ ^ an His mother 
was Fatimah, daughter of‘Amr bin‘A’idh bin‘Imran bin Makhzum bin 
Yaqdha bin Murra. ‘Abdullah was the smartest of ‘Abdul-Muttalib’s 
sons, the chastest and the most loved. He was also the son whom the 
divination arrows pointed at to bd slaughtered as a sacrifice to 
Al-Ka‘bah. When ‘Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons and they reached 
maturity, he divulged to them his secret vow in which they silently and 
obediently acquiesced. Their names were written on divination arrows 
and given to the guardian of their most beloved goddess, Hubal. The 
arrows were shuffled and drawn. An arrow showed that it was ‘Abdullah 
to be sacrificed. ‘Abdul-Muttalib then took the boy to Al-Ka‘bah with a 
razor to slaughter the boy. Quraish, his uncles from Makhzum tribe and 
his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to dissuade him from 
consummating his purpose. He then sought their advice as regards his 
vow. They suggested that he summon a she-diviner to judge whereabout. 
She ordered that the divination arrows should be drawn with respect to 
‘Abdullah as well as ten camels. She added that drawing the lots should 
be repeated with ten more camels every time the arrow showed 
‘Abdullah. The operation was thus repeated until the number of the 
camels amounted to one hundred. At this point the arrow showed the 
camels, consequently they were all slaughtered (to the satisfaction of 
Hubal) instead of his son. The slaughtered camels were left for anyone to 
eat from, human or animal 


This incident produced a change in the amount of blood-money 
usually accepted in.Arabia. It had been ten camels, but after this event it 
was increased to a hundred. Islam, later on, approved of this. Another 
thing closely relevant to the above issue goes to the effect that the 
Prophet m once said: 


Idj « 





“I am the offspring of the two slaughtered ” me aning Ishmael 
and‘Abdullah. FI 


HI Rahmat-ul-lil’alameen, 2/56,66; Talqeeh Fuhoom AM Al-Athar, pp.8,9. 
FI Ibn Hishatn, 1/151-155; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 2/89,90. 


- 54 - 



‘ Abdul-Muttalib chose Amina, daughter of Wahab bin ‘Abd Munaf bin 
Zahra bin Kiiab, as a wife for his son, ‘Abdullah. She thus, in the light of 
this ancestral lineage, stood eminent in respect of nobility of position and 
descent. Her father was the chief of Bani Zahra to whom great honour was 
attributed. They were married in Makkah, and soon after ‘Abdullah was sent 
by his father to buy dates in Madinah where he died. In another version, 
‘Abdullah went to Syria on a trade journey and died in Madinah on his way 
back. He was buried in the house of An-Nabigha Al-Ju‘di. He was twenty- 
five years old when he died. Most historians state that his death was two 
months before the birth of Muhammad . Some others said that 

his death was two months after the Prophet’s birth. When Amina was 
informed of her husband’s death, she celebrated his memory in a most heart¬ 
touching elegy.!') 

‘Abdullah left very little wealth—five camels, a small number of goats, 
a she-servant, called Barakah - Umm Aiman - who would later serve as the 
Prophet’s nursemaid.! 2 ! 


t'l Ibn Hisham, 1/156-158; Fiqh As-Seerah, p. 45. 
l 2 l Sahih Muslim, 2/96; Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl Al-Athar, p. 4; 
Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 12. 


- 55 - 




Muhammad’s Birth and Forty Years prior to Prophethood 

His Birth: 

Muhammad ^ «_ui the Master of Prophets, was bom in Bani 
Hashim lane in Makkah on Monday morning, the ninth of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 
the same year of the Elephant Event, and forty years of the reign of Kisra 
(Khosru Nushirwan), i.e. the twentieth or twenty-second of April, 571 A.D., 
according to the scholar Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Mansourpuri, and the 
astrologer Mahmud Pasha.! 1 ) 

Ibn Sa‘d reported that Muhammad’s mother said: “When he was bom, 
there was a light that issued out of my pudendum and lit the palaces of 
Syria. Ahmad reported on the authority of ‘Arbadh bin Sariya something 
similar to this.! 2 ) 

It was but controversially reported that significant precursors 
accompanied his birth: fourteen galleries of Kisra’s palace cracked and 
rolled down, the Magians’ sacred fire died down and some churches on 
Lake Sawa sank down and collapsed.! 3 ) 

His mother immediately sent someone to inform his grandfather ‘ Abdul- 
Muttalib of the happy event. Happily he came to her, carried him to 
Al-Ka‘bah, prayed to Allah and thanked Him.‘Abdul-Muttalib called the 
baby Muhammad, a name not then common among the Arabs. He 
circumcised him on his seventh day as was the custom of the Arabs.! 4 ) 

The first woman who suckled him after his mother was Thuyebah, the 
concubine of Abu Lahab, with her son, Masrouh. She had suckled Hamzah 
bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib before and later Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad 
Al-Makhzumi.f 5 ) 


f'lMuhadarat Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah, 1/62; Rahmat-ul-lil*alameen, 1/38,39. 
! 2 )Mukhtasar Seerat-ur-Rasool, p. 12; Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d, 1/63. 

! 3 lReported by Al-Baihaqi, but Al-Ghazali didn’t approve it — see Fiqh-us-Seerah, p. 46. 
! 4 llbn Hisham, 1/159,160; Z8dAl-Ma‘ad,l/18; 

Muhadarat Tareekh Al-Umam AI-Islamiya,l/62, 
f 5 iTalqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar, p. 4; Mukhtasar Seerat-ur-Rasool. P. 13; 


- 56 - 



Babyhood: 

It was the general custom of the Arabs living in towns to send their 
children away to bedouin wet nurses so that they might grow up in the free 
and healthy surro unding s of the desert whereby they would develop a robust 
frame and acquire the pure speech and manners of the bedouins, who were 
noted both for chastity of their language and for being free from those vices 
which usually develop in sedentary societies. 

The Prophet ^. s «»' was later entrusted to Haleemah bint Abi Dhuaib 

from Bani Sa‘d bin Bakr. Her husband was Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza 
called Abi Kabshah, from the same tribe. 

M uhamma d ^ «ui had several foster brothers and sisters, ‘Abdullah 
bin Al-Harith, Aneesah bint Al-Harith, Hudhafah or Judhamah bint 
Al-Harith (known as Ash-Shayma’), and she used to nurse die Prophet ^ 4> *111 
and Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s cousin. 
Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle, was suckled by the same 
two wet nurses, Thuyeba and Haleemah As-Sa‘diyah, who suckled the 
Prophet fa 4*i* 4iii >..['1 

Traditions delightfully relate how Haleemah and the whole of her 
household were favoured by successive strokes of good fortune while the 
baby Muha mm ad ^ <_*i* «_w lived under her care. Ibn Ishaq states that 
Haleemah narrated that she along with her husband and a suckling babe, set 
out from her village in the company of some women of her clan in quest of 
children to suckle. She said: 

It was a year of drought and famine and we had nothing to eat. I rode on 
a brown she-ass. We also had with us an old she-camel. By Allah we could 
not get even a drop of milk. We could not have a wink of sleep during the 
night for the child kept crying on account of hunger. There was not enough 
milk in my breast and even the she-camel had nothing to feed him. We used 
to constantly pray for rain and immediate relief. At length we reached 
Makkah looking for children to suckle. Not even a single woman amongst 
us accepted the Messenger of Allah ^ 4*u <jji jl. offered to her. As soon as 
they were told that he was an orphan, they refused him. We had fixed our 
eyes on the reward that we would get from the child’s father. An orphan! 


I'lzad Al-Ma‘ad, 1/19. 


- 57 - 



What are his grandfather and mother likely to do? So we spumed him 
because of that. Every woman who came with me got a suckling and when 
we were about to depart, I said to my husband: “By Allah, I do not like to 
go back along with die other women without any baby. I should go to that 
orphan and I must take him.” He said, “There is no harm in doing so and 
perhaps Allah might bless us through him.” So I went and took him because 
there was simply no other alternative left for me but to take him. When I 
lifted him in my arms and returned to my place I put him on my breast and 
to my great surprise, I found enough milk in it. He drank to his heart’s 
content, and so did his foster brother and then both of them went to sleep 
although my baby had not been able to sleep the previous night. My 
husband then went to the she-camel to milk it and, to his astonishment, he 
found plenty of milk in it. He milked it and we drank to our fill, and enjoyed 
a sound sleep during the night. The next morning, my husband said: “By 
AllSh Haleemah, you must understand that you have been able to get a 
blessed child.” And I replied: “By the grace of Allah, I hope so.” 

The tradition is explicit on the point that Haleemah’s return journey and 
her subsequent life, as long as the Prophet ^ ^ *im stayed with her, was 
encircled with a halo of good fortune. The donkey that she rode when she 
came to Makkah was lean and almost foundered; it recovered speed much to 
the amazement of Haleemah’s fellow travellers. By the time they reached 
the encampments in the country of the clan of Sa‘d, they found the scales of 
fortune turned in their favour. The barren land sprouted forth luxuriant grass 
and beasts came back to them satisfied and full of milk. Muhammad ^ «n 

stayed with Haleemah for two years until he was weaned as Haleemah said: 

We then took him back to his mother requesting her earnestly to have 
him stay with us and benefit by the good fortune and blessings he had 
brought us. We persisted in our request which we substantiated by our 
anxiety over the child catching a certain infection peculiar to Makkah.1’1 At 
last, we were granted our wish and the Prophet (L., *ui stayed with us 
until he was four or five years of age. 

When, as related by Anas in Sahih Muslim, Gabriel came down and 
ripped his chest open and took out the heart. He then extracted a blood-clot 
out of it and said: “That was the part of Satan in thee.” And then he washed 


bllbn Hisham, 1/162-164. 


- 58 - 



it with the water of Zamzam in a gold basin. After that the heart was joined 
together and restored to its place. The boys and playmates came running to 
his mother, i.e. his nurse, and said: “Verily, Muhammad ^ ^ an has been 
murdered.” They all rushed towards him and found him all right only his 
face was white.!*] 

Back to His Passionate Mother: 

After this event, Haleemah was worried about the boy and returned him 
to his mother with whom he stayed until he was six.! 2 ] 

In respect of the memory of her late husband, Amina decided to visit his 
grave in Yathrib (Madinah). She set out to cover a journey of 500 
kilometers with her orphan boy, woman servant Umm Ayman and her 
father-in-law ‘Abdul-Muttalib. She spent a month there and then took her 
way back to Makkah. On the way, she had a severe illness and died in Abwa 
on the road between Makkah and Madinah.! 3 ] 

To His Compassionate Grandfather: 

‘Abdul-Muttalib brought the boy to Makkah. He had warm passions 
towards the boy, his orphan grandson, whose recent disaster (his mother’s 
death) added more to the pains of the past. ‘Abdul-Muttalib was more 
passionate with his grandson than with his own children. He never left the 
boy a prey to loneliness, but always preferred him to his own kids. Ibn 
Hisham reported: A mattress was put in the shade of Al-Ka‘bah for ‘Abdul- 
Muttalib. His children used to sit around that mattress in honour to their 
father, but M uhammad ^ «jii used to sit on it. His uncles would take 
him back, but if ‘Abdul-Muttalib was present, he would say: “Leave my 
grandson. I swear by Allah that this boy will hold a significant position.” He 
used to seat the boy on his mattress, pat his back and was always pleased 
with what the boy did.! 4 ! 


t'JSahih Muslim, 1/92. 

( 2 ]Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar, p. 7; Ibn Hisham, 1/168. 
! 3 ]lbn Hisham, 1/168; Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar, p. 7. 
! 4 llbn Hisham, 1/168. 


- 59 - 



When Muhammad ,j—. j jji ^ was eight years, two months and ten days 
old, his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib passed away in Makkah. The charge of 
the Prophet was now passed on to his uncle Abu Talib, who was 

the brother of the Prophet’s father. 

Abu Talib took the charge of his nephew in the best way. He put him 
with his children and preferred him to them. He singled the boy out with 
great respect and high esteem. Abu Talib remained for forty years 
cherishing his nephew and extending all possible protection and support to 
him. His relations with the others were determined in the light of the 
treatment they showed to the Prophet ^ «vi j*. 

Ibn ‘Asakir reported on the authority of Jalhamah bin‘Arfuta who said: 
“I came to Makkah when it was a rainless year, so Quraish said ‘O Abu 
Talib, the valley has become leafless and the children hungry, let us go and 
pray for rain-fall.’ Abu Talib went to Al-Ka‘bah with a young boy who was 
as beautiful as the sun, and a black cloud was over his head. Abu Talib and 
the boy stood by the wall of Al-Ka‘bah and prayed for rain. Immediately 
clouds from all directions gathered and rain fell heavily and caused the flow 
of springs and growth of plants in the town and the country. ['] 

Bahira, the Monk: 

When the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ 401 ju was twelve years old, he went 
with his uncle Abu Talib on a business journey to Syria. When they reached 
Busra (which was a part of Syria, in the vicinity of Howran under the 
Roman domain) they met a monk called Bahira (his real nams was 
Georges), who showed great kindness, and entertained them lavishly. He 
had never been in the habit of receiving or entertaining them before. He 
readily enough recognized the Prophet ^ «j* <ui j* and said while taking his 
hand: “This is the master of all humans. Allah will send him with a Message 
which will be a mercy to all beings.” Abu Talib asked: “How do you know 
that?” He replied: “When you appeared from the direction of ‘Aqabah, all 
stones and trees prostrated themselves, which they never do except for a 
Prophet. I can recognize him also by the seal of Prophethood which is below 
his shoulder, like an apple. We have got to learn this from our books.” He 
also asked Abu Talib to send the boy back to Makkah and not to take him to 


[’iMukhtasar Seerat-ur-Rasool, pp. 15,16. 


- 60 - 



Syria for fear of the Jews. Abu Talib obeyed and sent him back to Makkah 
with some of his men servants.!'! 

The ‘Sacrilegious’ Wars: 

M uhamma d ^ ^ <_ui ^ was hardly fifteen when the ‘sacrilegious’ wars 
— which continued with varying fortunes and considerable loss of human 
life for a number of years — broke out between Quraish and Banu Kinana 
on the one side and Qais ‘Ailan tribe on the other. It was thus called because 
the inviolables were made violable, the prohibited months being included. 
Harb bin Omaiyah, on account of his outstanding position and honourable 
descent, used to be the leader of Quraish and their allies. In one of those 
battles, the Prophet ^ an ju attended on his uncles but did not raise arms 
against their opponents. His efforts were confined to picking up the arrows 
of the enemy as they fell, and handing them over to his uncles.! 2 ! 

Al-Fudoul Confederacy: 

At the conclusion of these wars, when peace was restored, people felt the 
need for forming confederacy at Makkah for suppressing violence and 
injustice, and vindicating the rights of the weak and the destitute. 
Representatives of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Asad bin ‘Abd 
Al-‘Uzza, Zahrah bin Kilab and Taim bin Murra were called to meet in the 
habitation of an honourable elderly man called ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an 
At-Taimy to enter into a confederacy that would provide for the above- 
mentioned items. The Messenger of Allah & an j-.,shortly after he had 
been honoured with the ministry ofProphethood, witnessed this league and 
commented on it with very positive words: “I witnessed a confederacy in 
the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an. It was more appealing to me than herds 
of cattle. Even now in the period of Islam I would respond positively to 
attending such a meeting if I were invited.”! 3 ! 

In fact, the spirit of this confederacy and the course of deliberations 
therein marked a complete departure from the pre-Islamic tribal-pride. The 
story that led to its convention says that a man from Zubaid clan came as a 

!'!lbn Hisham, 1/180-183; Z§d Al-Ma‘ad, 1/17. 

! 2 !lbn Hisham, 1/184-187; Qalb Jazeerat Al-Arab, p. 260. 

Pllbn Hisham, 1/113,135. 


- 61 - 



merchant to Makkah where he sold some commodities to Al-‘As binWa’il 
As-Sahmy. The latter by hook or by crook tried to evade paying for the 
goods. The salesman sought help from the different clans in Quraish but 
they paid no heed to his earnest pleas. He then resorted to a mountain top 
and began, at the top of his voice, to recite verses of complaint giving 
account of the injustices he sustained. Az-Zubair bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib heard 
of him and made inquiries into die matter. Consequently, the parties to the 
aforesaid confederacy convened their meeting and managed to force 
Az-Zubaidy’s money out of Al-‘As bin Wa’il.t') 

Muhammad’s Early Job: 

Muhammad fL.) uii ^ju, had no particular job at his early youth, but it 
was reported that he worked as a shepherd for Bani Sa‘d and in Makkah. At 
the age of 25, he went to Syria as-a merchant for Khadijah i^» <ui Ibn 
Ishaq reported that Khadijah, daughter ofKhwailid was a business-woman 
of great honour and fortune. She used to employ men to do her .business for 
a certain percentage of the profits. Quraish people were mostly 
tradespeople, so when Khadijah was informed of M uhamma d pL«j <j1c 411 
his truthful words, great honesty and kind manners, she sent for him. She 
offered him money to go to Syria and do her business, and she would give 
him a higher rate than the others. She would also send her hireling, 
Maisarah, with him He agreed and went with her servant to Syria for trade. PI 

His Marriage to Khadijah: 

When he returned to Makkah, Khadijah noticed, in her money, more 
profits and blessings than she used to. Her hireling also told her of 
Muhammad’s good manners, honesty, deep thought, sincerity and faith. She 
realized that she homed at her target. Many prominent men had asked for 
her hand in marriage but she always spumed their advances. She disclosed 
her wish to her friend Nafisa, daughter of Maniya, who immediately went to 
Muhammad and broke the good news to him. He agreed and 

requested his uncles to go to Khadijah’s uncle and talk on this issue. 
Subsequently, they were married. The marriage contract was witnessed by 


PiMukhtasar Seerat-ur-Rasool, pp. 30,31. 
PllbnHisham, 1/187,188 



Bani Hashim and the heads ofMudar. This took place after the Prophet’s 
return from Syria. He gave her twenty camels as dowry. She was, then, forty 
years old and was considered as the best woman of her folk in lineage, 
fortune and wisdom. She was the first woman whom the Messenger of Allah 
j .ji. .in j . married. He did not get married to any other until she had died.1 1 1 

Khadijah bore all his children, except Ibrahim: Al-Qasim, Zainab, 
Ruqaiyah, Umm Kulthum, Fatimah and ‘Abdullah who was called Taiyib 
and Tahir. All his sons died in their childhood and all the daughters except 
Fatimah died during his lifetime. Fatimah died six months after his death. 
All his daughters witnessed Islam, embraced it, and emigrated to 
Madinah.Pl 

Rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah and the Arbitration Issue: 

When the Messenger of Allah ^ was thirty five, Quraish started 

rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah. That was because it was a low building of white 
stones no more than 6.30 metres high, from the days of Ishmael. It was also 
roofless and that gave the thieves easy access to its treasures inside. It was 
also exposed to the wearing factors of nature — because it was built a long 
time ago — that weakened and cracked its walls. Five years before 
Prophethood, there was a great flood in Makkah that swept towards 
Al-Ka‘bah and almost demolished it. Quraish was obliged to rebuild it to 
safeguard its holiness and position. The chiefs of Quraish decided to use 
only licit money in rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah, so all money that derived from 
harlotry, usury or unjust practices was excluded. They were, at first, too 
awed to knock down the wall, but Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah 
Al-M ukhzumi started the work. Seeing that no harm had happened to him, 
the others participated in demolishing the walls until they reached the basis 
laid by Abraham. When they started rebuilding its walls, they divided the 
work among the tribes. Each tribe was responsible for rebuilding a part of it. 
The tribes collected stones and started work. The man who laid the stones 
was a Roman mason called Baqum. The work went on in harmony till the 
time came to put the sacred Black Stone in its proper place. Then strife 
broke out among the chiefs, and lasted for four or five days, each contesting 


[illbn Hisham, 1/189; Fiqh As-Seerah, p. 59; Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar, p. 7. 
Pllbn Hisham, 1/190,191; Fath Al-Bari, 7/507. 


- 63 - 



for the honour of placing the stone in its position. Daggers were on the point 
of being drawn and great bloodshed seemed imminent. Luckily, the oldest 
among the chiefs Abu Omaiyah bin Mugheerah Al-Makhzumi made a 
proposal which was accepted by all. He said: “Let him, who enters the 
Sanctuary first of all, decide on the point.” It was then Allfih’s Will that the 
Messenger of Allah ^ <*u *ui should be the first to enter the Mosque. On 
seeing him, all the people on the scene, cried with one voice: “Al-Ameen 
(the trustworthy) has come. We are content to abide by his decision.” Calm 
and self-possessed, Muhammad ^ an received the commission and at 
once resolved upon an expedient which was to conciliate them all. He asked 
for a mantle which he spread on the ground and placed the stone in its 
centre. He then asked the representatives of the different clans among them, 
to lift the stone all together. When it had reached the proper place, Muhammad 

laid it in the proper position with his own hands. This is how a 

very tense situation was eased and a grave danger averted by the wisdom of 
the Prophet ^ <* 1 * an 

Quraish ran short of the licit money, they collected, so they eliminated 
six yards area on the northern side of Al-Ka‘bah which is called Al-Hijr or 
Al-Hateem. They raised its door two metres from the level-ground to let in 
only the people whom they desired. When the structure was fifteen yards 
high they erected the roof which rested on six columns. 

When the building ofAl-Ka‘bah had finished, it assumed a square form 
fifteen metres high. The side with the Black Stone and the one opposite 
were ten metres long each. The Black Stone was 1.50 metre from the 
circumambulation level ground. The two other sides were twelve metres 
long each. The door was two metres high from the level ground. A buil ding 
structure of 0.25 metre high and 0.30 metre wide on the average surrounded 
Al-Ka‘bah. It was called Ash-Shadherwan, originally an integral part of the 
Sacred Sanctuary, but Quraish left it out.Pl 

A Rapid Review of Muhammad’s Biography before Commissioning of 
the Prophethood: 

Prophet Muhammad ( L . } «jui was, in his youth, a combination of the 
best social attributes. He was an exemplary man of weighty mind and 


PlSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/215; Fiqh As-Seerah, pp. 62,63; Ibn Hisham, 2/192-197. 


- 64 - 



faultless insight. He was favoured with intelligence, origiftality of thought 
and accurate choice of the means leading to accurate goals. His long silence 
helped favourably in his habit of meditation and deep investigation into the 
truth. His vivid mind and pure nature were helpfully instrumental in 
assimilating and comprehending ways of life and people, individual and 
community-wise. He shunned superstitious practices but took an active part 
in constructive and useful dealings, otherwise, he would have recourse to 
his self-consecrated solitude. He kept himself aloof from drinking wine, 
eating meat slaughtered on stone altars, or attending idolatrous festivals. He 
held the idols in extreme aversion and most abhorrence. He could never 
tolerate someone swearing by Al-Lat and Al-‘Uzza. Allah’s providence, no 
doubts, detached him from all abominable or evil practices. Even when he 
tried to obey his instinct to enjoy some life pleasures or follow some 
irrespectable traditions, Allah’s providence intervened to curb any lapse in 
this course. Ibn Al-Atheer reported Muhammad ^ ^ as saying: “I 

have never tried to do what my people do except for two times. Every time 
Allah intervened and checked me from doing so and I never did that again. 
Once I told my fellow-shepherd to take care of my sheep when we were in 
the upper part of Makkah. I wanted to go down to Makkah and entertain 
myself as the young men did. I went down to the first house of Makkah 
where I heard music. I entered and asked: ‘What is this?’ Someone 
answered: ‘It is a wedding party.’ I sat down and listened but soon went into 
deep sleep. I was awakened by the heat of the sun. I went back to my 
fellow-shepherd and told him of what had happened to me. I have never 
tried it again.” 

Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that he said: 
“While the people were rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah, the Prophet Muhammad 
,JL-, 4 *u uii went with ‘Abbas to carry some stones. ‘Abbas said: ‘Put your 
loincloth round your neck to protect you from the stones.’ (As he did 
that) the Prophet ^ ^ fell to the ground and his eyes turned skyward. 
Later on he woke up and shouted: ‘My loincloth... my loincloth.’ He 
wrapped himself in his loincloth.” In another report: “His loins were never 
seen afterwards.”('1 


t’lSahih Al-Bukhari, Chapter: The building of Al-Ka‘bah, 1/540. 


- 65 - 



The authorities agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad ^ *ui 
modesty of deportment, virtuous behaviour and graceful manners. He 
proved himself to be the ideal of manhood, and to possess a spotless 
character. He was the most obliging to his compatriots, the most honest in 
his talk and the mildest in temper. He was the most gentle-hearted, chaste, 
hospitable and always impressed people by his piety-inspiring countenance. 
He was the most truthful and the best to keep covenant. His fellow-citizens, 
by common consent, gave him the title of A l-‘Ameen (trustworthy). The 
Mother of believers, Khadijah once said: He unites uterine 

relations, he helps the poor and the needy, he entertains the guests and 
endures hardships in the path of truthfulness.! 1 ) 


WSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/3. 



In the Shade of 
the Message and Prophethood 

In the Cave of Hira’: 

When Prophet Muhammad ^ ^ «jji was nearly forty, he had been 
wont to pass long hours in retirement meditating and speculating over all 
aspects of creation around him. This meditative temperament helped to 
widen the mental gap between him and his compatriots. He used to provide 
himself with Sawiq (barley porridge) and water and then directly head for 
the hills and ravines in the neighbourhood of Makkah. One of these in 
particular was his favourite resort — a cave named Hira’, in the Mount 
An-Nour. It was only two miles from Makkah, a small cave 4 yards long 
and 1.75 yard wide. He would always go there and invite wayfarers to share 
him his modest provision. He used to devote most of his time, and Ramadan 
in particular, to worship and meditation on the universe around him. His 
heart was restless about the moral evils and idolatry that were rampant 
among his people; he was as yet helpless because no definite course, or 
specific approach had been available for him to follow and rectify the ill 
practices around him. This solitude attended with this sort of contemplative 
approach must be understood in its Divine perspective. It was a preliminary 
stage to the period of grave responsibilities that he was to shoulder very soon.1'1 

Privacy and detachment from the impurities of life were two 
indispensable prerequisites for the Prophet’s soul to come into close 
communion with the Unseen Power that lies behind all aspects of existence 
in this infinite universe. It was a rich period of privacy which lasted for 
three years and ushered in a new era, of indissoluble contact with that Power. I 2 1 

Gabriel brings down the Revelation: 

When he was forty, the age of complete perfection at which Prophets 
were always ordered to disclose their Message, signs of his Prophethood 
started to appear and twinkle on the horizons of life; they were the true 
visions he used to experience for six months. The period of Prophethood 


t'lRahmat Al-liPalameen, 1/47; Ibn Hisham, 1/235,236; Fi Zilal Al-Qur’an, 29/166. 
( 2 lFi Zilal Al-Qur’an, 29/166,167. 


- 67 - 



was 23 years; so the period of these six months of true visions constituted an 
integral part of the forty-six parts of Prophethood. In Ramadan, in his third 
year of solitude in the cave of Hira’, Allah’s Will desired His mercy to flow 
on earth and Muhammad ^ <in was honoured with Prophethood, and the 
light of Revelation burst upon him with some verses of the Noble Qur’an.! 1 ] 

As for the exact date, careful investigation into circumstantial evidence 
and relevant clues point directly to Monday, 21st. Ramadan at night, i.e. 
August, 10,610 A.D. with Prophet Muhammad ^ «ui jl. exactly 40 years, 
6 months and 12 days of age, i.e. 39 Gregorian years, 3 months and 22 days.! 2 ] 

‘Aishah, the veracious, gave the following narration of that most 
significant event that brought the Divine light which would dispel the darkness 
of disbelief and ignorance. It led life down a new course and brought about the 
most serious amendment to the line of the history of mankind: 

Forerunners of the Revelation assumed the form of true visions that 
would strikingly come true all the time. After that, solitude became dear to 
him and he would go to the cave, Hira’, to engage in Tahannuth (devotion) 
there for a certain number of nights before returning to his family, and then 
he would return for provisions for a similar stay. At length, unexpectedly, 
the Truth (the angel) came to him and said, “Recite.” “I cannot recite,” he 
(Muhammad ^ <i» j->) said. The Prophet ^ ^ «w jl. described: “Then he 

took me and squeezed me vehemently and then let me go and repeated the 
order ‘Recite.’ ‘I cannot recite’ said I, and once again he squeezed me and 
let me till I was exhausted. Then he said: ‘Recite.’I said‘I cannot recite.’ 
He squeezed me for a third time and then let me go and said: 



“Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that 
exists), has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated 
blood). Read! and your Lord is the Most Generous.’” [96:1-3] 

The Prophet fi-j uii ^ repeated these verses. He was trembling with 
fear. At this stage, he came back to his wife Khadijah, and said, “Cover 


('iFath Al-Bari, 1/27. 

! 2 lThere is some contrast between scholars about the fixed day on which the Revelation 
started, but I have written here what seems to be the correct one. For detail please see 
Sahih Muslim, Musnad Ahmad, Rahmat Al-lil 'alameen, Al-HaUm, and Al-Baihaqi, etc. 


- 68 - 





me,... cover me.” They covered him until he restored security. He apprised 
Khadijah of the incident of the cave and added that he was horrified. His 
wife tried to soothe him and reassured him saying, “Allah will never 
disgrace you. You unite uterine relations; you bear the burden of the weak; 
you help the poor and the needy, you entertain the guests and endure 
hardships in the path of truthfulness.” 

She set out with the Prophet ^ v* an to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal 
bin Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza, who had embraced Christianity in the pre- 
Islamic period, and used to write the Bible in Hebrew. He was a blind old 
man. Khadijah said: “My cousin! Listen to your nephew!” Waraqa said: “O 
my nephew! What did you see?” The Messenger of Allah *ui ^ told 
him what had happened to him. Waraqa replied: “This is 'Namus ’ i.e. (the 
angel who is entrusted with Divine Secrets) that Allah sent to Moses. I wish 
I were younger. I wish I could live up to the time when your people would 
turn you out.” Muhammad ^ «jii ^ asked: “Will they drive me out?” 
Waraqa answered in the affirmative and said: “Anyone who came with 
something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and 
if I should be alive till that day, then I would support you strongly.” A few 
days later Waraqa died and the revelation also subsided.! 1 ] 

At-Tabari and Ibn Hisham reported that the Messenger of Allah ^ an ^ 
left the cave of Hira’ after being surprised by the Revelation, but later on, 
returned to the cave and continued his solitude. Afterwards, he came back to 
Makkah. At-Tabari reported on this incident, saying: 

After mentioning the coming of the Revelation, the Messenger of Allah 
fi-j ^ «jii jju said: “I have never abhorred anyone more than a poet or a mad 
man. I can not stand looking at either of diem. I will never tell anyone of 
Quraish of my Revelation. I will climb a mountain and throw myself down 
and die. That will relieve me. I went to do that but halfway up the mountain, 
I heard a voice from the sky saying ‘O Muhammad! You are the Messenger 
of Allah <ui jLo and I am Gabriel.’ I looked upwards and saw Gabriel in 
the form of a man putting his legs on the horizon. He said: ‘O Muhammad 
You are the Messenger of Allah fU } «<i» an and I am Gabriel.’ I stopped and 
looked at him. His sight distracted my attention from what I had intended to 
do. I stood in my place transfixed. I tried to shift my eyes away from him. 


IfiSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/2,3. 


- 69 - 



He was in every direction I looked at. I stopped in my place without any 
movement until Khadijah sent someone to look for me. He went down to 
Makkah and came back while I was standing in the same place. Gabriel then 
left, and I went back home. I found Khadijah at home, so I sat very close to 
her. She asked: ‘Father of Al-Qasim! Where have you been? I sent someone 
to look for you. He went to Makkah and returned to me.’ I told her of what I 
had seen. She replied: ‘It is a propitious sign, O my husband. Pull yourself 
together, I swear by Allah that you are a Messenger for this nation.’Then 
she stood up and went to Waraqa and informed him. Waraqa said: ‘I swear 
by Allah that he has received the same Namus, i.e. angel that was sent to 
Moses. He is the Prophet of this nation. Tell him to be patient.’ She came 
back to him and told him of Waraqa’s words. When the Messenger of Allah 
ft-, «j>i jj- finished his solitary stay and went down to Makkah, he went to 
Waraqa, who told him: ‘You are the Prophet of this nation. I swear by Allah 
that you have received the same angel that was sent to Moses.”’! 1 ) 

Interruption of Revelation: 

Ibn Sa‘d reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that the Revelation 
paused for a few days.! 2 ) After careful study, this seems to be the most 
possible. To say that it lasted for three and a half years, as some scholars 
allege, is not correct, but here there is no room to go into more details. 

Meanwhile, the Prophet ^ <jui was caught in a sort of depression 

coupled with astonishment and perplexity. Al-Bukhari reported: 

The Divine inspiration paused for a while and the Prophet ^ <*u *ui 
became so sad, as we have heard, that he intended several times to throw 
himself from the tops of high mountains, and every time he went up the top 
of a mountain in order to throw himself down, Gabriel would appear before 
him and say: “O Muhammad! You are indeed AllSh’s Messenger in truth,” 
whereupon his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and 
return home. Whenever the period of the coming of the Revelation used to 
become long, he would do as before, but Gabriel would appear again before 
him and say to him what he had said before.! 3 ) 


[‘lAt-Tabari, 2/207; Ibn Hisham, 1/237,238. 
PlFath Al-Bari, 1/27,12/360. 

PlSahih Al-Bukhari, 2/340. 



Once more, Gabriel brings Allah’s Revelation: 

Ibn Hajar said: ‘That (the pause of Allah’s revelation for a few days) was 
to relieve the Messenger of Allah of the fear he experienced and 

to make him long for the Revelation. When the shades of puzzle receded, 
the flags of truth were raised, the Messenger of Allah , 0 .., ju knew for 
sure that he had become the Messenger of the Great Lord. He was also 
certain that what had come to him was no more than the ambassador of 
inspiration. His waiting and longing for the coming of the revelation 
constituted a good reason for his steadfastness and self-possession on the 
arrival of Allah’s inspiration, Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Jabir 
bin ‘Abdullah that he had heard the Messenger of Allah fU, «ui speak 
about the period of pause as follows: 

“While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up, and 
surely enough, it was the same angel who had visited me in the cave of 
Hira’. He was sitting on a chair between the earth and the sky. I was very 
afraid of him and knelt on the ground. I went home saying: ‘Cover me ..., 
Cover me ...’. Allah revealed to me the verses: 


^ oy&asXij ^ 


‘O you (Muhammad fU, on jJ) enveloped (in garments)! Arise 
and warn! And your Lord (Allah) magnify! And your garments 
purify! And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)!’” [74:1-5] 

After that the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and 
regularly.!'! 


Some details pertinent to the successive stages of Revelation: 

Before we go into the details of the period of communicating the 
Message and Prophethood, we would like to get acquainted with the stages 
of the Revelation which constituted the main source of the Message and the 
subject-matter of the Call. Ibn Al-Qayyim, mentioning the stages of the 
Revelation, said: 

The First: The period of true vision. It was the starting point of the 

Revelation to the Messenger of Allah fU, uii 


t'lSahih Al-Bukhari, The book of Tafeeer, 2/733. 


- 71 - 



The Second: What the angel invisibly cast in the Prophet’s mind and 
heart. The Messenger of AllSh ^ uii ^ said: “The Noble Spirit 
revealed to me ‘No soul will perish until it exhausts its due course, so 
fear Allah and gently request Him. Never get so impatient to the verge 
of disobedience of Alldh. What Allah has can never be acquired but 
through obedience to Him.’” 

The Third: The angel used to visit the Messenger of Allah ^<><111,/. 
in the form of a human being and would speak to him directly. This 
would enable him to fully understand what the angel said. The angel 
was sometimes seen in this form by the Prophet’s Companions. 

The Fourth: The angel came to him like the toll of a bell and this was 
the most difficult form because the angel used to seize him tightly and 
sweat would stream from his forehead even on the coldest day. If the 
Prophet fL-j <_ut was on his camel, the camel would not withstand 
the weight, so it would immediately kneel down on the ground. Once 
the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ 411 ^ had such a revelation when he was 
sitting and his thigh was on Zaid’s, Zaid felt the pressure had almost 
injured his thigh. 

The Fifth: The Prophet ^ an saw the angel in his actual form. 
The angel would reveal to him what Allah had ordered him to reveal. 
This, as mentioned in (Qur’an), in Surah An-Najm (Chapter 53 - The 
Star), happened twice. 

The Sixth: What Allah Himself revealed to him in heaven i.e. when 
he ascended to heaven and received Allah’s behest of Salat (prayer). 

The Seventh: Allah’s Words to His Messenger fL-, 411 at first 
hand without the mediation of an angel. It was a privilege granted to 
Moses r x_ji «^u and clearly attested in the Qur’an, as it is attested to 
our Prophet ^ ^jl. in the Surah Al-Isrd ’ (Chapter 17 - The 
Journey by Night) of the Noble Qur’an. 

Some religious scholars added a controversial eighth stage in which they 
state that Allah spoke to the Prophet ^ <4* an directly without a curtain in 
between. This issue re mains however unconfirmed.! 1 ) 


PlZad Al-Ma'ad, 1/18 


- 72 - 



Proclaiming Allah, the All-High; 
and the Immediate Constituents 

The first Revelation sent to the Prophet ( L ., «jji ^ implied several 
injunctions, simple in form but highly effective and of serious far-reaching 
ramifications. The angel communicated to him a manifest Message saying: 




“O you (Muhammad *j» an jJ) enveloped (in garments)! Arise 
and warn! And your Lord (Allah) magnify! And your garments 
purify! And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols). And give not a 
thing in order to have more (or consider not your deeds of 
Allah’s obedience as a favour to Allah). And be patient for the 
sake of your Lord (i.e. perform your duty to Allah)!” [74:1-7] 



For convenience and ease of understanding, we are going to segment the 
Message into its immediate constituents: 


l.The ultimate objective of warning is to make sure that no one 
breaching the pleasures of Allah in the whole universe is ignorant 
of the serious consequences that his behaviour entails, and to create 
a sort of unprecedented shock within his mind and heart. 


2. ‘Magnifying the Lord’ dictates explicitly that the only pride 
allowed to nourish on the earth is exclusively Allah’s to the 
exclusion of all the others’. 


3. ‘Cleansing the garments and shunning all aspects of abomination’ 
point directly to the indispensable need to render both the exterior 
and interior exceptionally chaste and pure, in addition to the 
prerequisite of sanctifying the soul and establishing it highly 
immune against the different sorts of impurities and the various 
kinds of pollutants. Only through this avenue can the soul of the 
Prophet r L 0 v,u«jii >r u reach an ideal status and become eligible to 
enjoy the shady mercy of Allah and His protection, security, 
guidance and ever-shining light; and will consequently set the 
highest example to the human community, attract the sound hearts 
and inspire awe and reverence in the stray ones in such a manner 


- 73 - 



that all the world, in agreement or disagreement, will head for it 
and take it as the rock-bed in all facets of their welfare. 

4. The Prophet «jii ^jl, must not regard his strife in the way of 

Allah as a deed of grace that entitles him to a great reward. On the 
contrary, he has to exert himself to the utmost, dedicate his whole 
efforts and be ready to offer all sacrifices in a spirit of self- 
forgetfulness enveloped by an ever-present awareness of Allah, 
without the least sense of pride in his deeds or sacrifices. 

5. The last verse of the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet 

alludes to the hostile attitude of the obdurate disbelievers, who will 
jeer at him and his followers. They are expected to disparage him 
and step up their malice to the point of scheming against his life 
and lives of all the believers around him. In this case he has got to 
be patient and is supposed to persevere and display the highest 
degree of stamina for the sole purpose of attaining the pleasure of 

Allah. 

These were the basic preliminaries that the Prophet had to 

observe, very simple injunctions in appearance, greatly fascinating in their 
calm rhythm, but highly effective in practice. They constituted the trigger 
that aroused a far-ranging tempest in all the comers of the world. 

The verses comprise the constituents of the new call and propagation of 
the new faith. A warning logically implies that there are malpractices with 
painful consequences to be sustained by the perpetrators, and since the 
present life is not necessarily the only room to bring people to account for 
their misdeeds or some of them, then the warning would necessarily imply 
calling people to account on another day, i.e. die Day of Resurrection, and 
this per se suggests the existence of a life other than this one we are living. 
All die verses of the Noble Qur’an call people to testify explicitly to the 
Oneness of Allah, to delegate all their affairs to AllSh, the All-High, and to 
subordinate the desires of the self and the desires of Allah’s servants to the 
attainment of His Pleasures. 

The constituents of the call to Islam could, briefly speaking, go as 
follows: 

A. Testimony to the Oneness of All&h. 

B. Belief in the Hereafter. 

C. Sanctifying one’s soul and elevating it high above evils and 
abominations that conduce to terrible consequences, besides this. 


- 74 - 



there is the dire need for virtues and perfect manners coupled with 
habituating oneself to righteous deeds. 

D. Committing one’s all affairs to Allah, the All-High. 

E. All the foregoing should run as a natural corollary to unwavering 
belief in M uhammad ’s Message, and abidance by his noble 
leadership and righteous guidance. 

The verses have been prefaced, in the voice of the Most High, by a 
heavenly call mandating the Prophet to undertake this daunting 

responsibility (calling people unto Allah). The verses meant to extract him 
forcibly out of his sleep, divest him of his mantle and detach him from the 
warmth and quiet of life, and then drive him down a new course attended 
with countless hardships, and requiring a great deal of strife in the way of 
Allah: 

“O you (Muhammad ^ mi* j ^) enveloped (in garments)! Arise 
and warn.” [74:1-2] 

Suggesting that to live to oneself is quite easy, but it has been decided 
that you have to shoulder this heavy burden; consequently sleep, comfort, or 
warm bed are items decreed to be alien in your lexicon of life. O 
Muhammad, arise quickly for die strife and toil awaiting you; no time is 
there for sleep and such amenities; grave responsibilities have been Divinely 
determined to fall to your lot, and drive you into the turmoil of life to 
develop a new sort of precarious affinity with the conscience of people and 
the reality of life. 

The Prophet managed quite successfully to rise to his feet and 

measure up to the new task, he went ahead in a spirit of complete 
selflessness, relentlessly striving and never abating in carrying the burden of 
the great Trust, the burden of enlightening mankind, and die heavy weight 
of the new faith and strife for over twenty years, nothing distracting his 
attention from the awesome commission. May Allah reward him, for us and 
all h umani ty, the best ending. The following research at hand gives an 
account in miniatur e of his long strive and uninterrupted struggle he made 
after receiving the ministry of Messengership.fi 


PlFi Zilal Al-Qur’in, 29/168-171,182. 


- 75 - 



Phases and Stages of the Call 

The Muhammadan Call could be divided into two phases distinctively 
demarcated: 

1. The Makkan phase: nearly thirteen years. 

2. The Madinese phase: fully ten years. 

Each of the two phases included distinctive features easily discernible 
through accurate scrutiny into the circumstances that characterized each of 
them. 

The Makkan phase can be divided into three stages: 

1. The stage of the secret Call: three years. 

2. The stage of the proclamation of the Call in Makkah: from the 
beginning of the fourth year of Prophethood to almost the end of the 
tenth year. 

3. The stage of the call to Islam and propagating it beyond Makkah: it 

lasted from the end of tenth year of the Prophethood until 
Muhammad’s emigration to Madinah. 

The Madinese phase will be considered later in its due course. 


- 76 - 



The First Stage 

Strife in the Way of the Call 

Three Years of Secret Call: 

It is well-known that Makkah was the centre for the Arabs, and housed 
the custodians of Al-Ka‘bah. Protection and guardianship of the idols and 
stone graven images that received veneration on the part of all the Arabs lay 
in the hands of the Makkans. Hence the difficulty of hitting the target of 
reform and rectitude in a place considered the den of idolatry. Working in 
such an atmosphere no doubt requires unshakable will and determination, 
that is why the call unto Islam assumed a clandestine form so that the 
Makkans should not be enraged by the unexpected surprise. 

The Early Converts: 

The Prophet fi— } «*i* <w naturally initiated his sacred mission right from 
home and then moved to the people closely associated with him. He called 
unto Islam whomsoever he thought would attest the truth which had come 
from his Lord. In fact, a host of people who nursed not the least seed of 
doubt as regards the Prophet piu, «*u immediately responded and quite 
readily embraced the true faith. They are known in the Islamic literature as 
the early converts. 

Khadijah, the Prophet’s spouse, the mother of believers, was the first to 
enter the fold of Islam followed by his freed slave Zaid bin Harithah, his 
cousin, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, who had been living with him since his early 
childhood, and next came his intimate friend Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (Abu 
Bakr the truth verifier). All of those professed Islam on the very first day of 
the call.t'l Abu Bakr, and from the first day he embraced Islam, proved to be 
an* energetic and most zealous activist. He was wealthy, obliging, mild and 
upright. People used to frequent his house and draw nigh to him for his 
knowledge, amity, pleasant company and business. He invited whomever he 
had confidence in to Islam and through his personal efforts a good number 
of people converted to Islam, such as ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan Al-Umawi, 
Az-Zubair bin ‘Awwam Al-Asadi, ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf, Sa‘d bin Abi 
Waqqas, Az-Zuhri and Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah At-Tamimy. Those eight 


IriRahmat-ul-liPalameen, 1/SO. 


- 77 - 


men constituted the forerunners and more specifically the vanguard of the 
new faith in Arabia. Among the early Muslim were Bilal bin Rabah (the 
Abyssinian), Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah from Bani Harith bin Fahr (the 
most trustworthy of the Muslim Nation), Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad, 
Al-Arqam bin Abi Al-Arqam from the tribe of Makhzum, ‘Uthman bin 
Maz‘oun and his two brothers Qudama and ‘Abdullah, ‘Ubaidah bin 
Al-Harith bin Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf, Sa‘id bin Zaid Al-‘Adawi and 
his wife Fatimah - daughter of Al-Khattab (the sister of ‘Umar bin 
Al-Khattab), Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud Al-Hadhali and 
many others. These were the Muslim predecessors. They belonged to 
various septs of Quraish. Ibn Hisham, a biographer, counted them to be 
more than forty.!*] 

Ibn Ishaq said: “Then people entered the fold of Islam in hosts, men or 
women and the new faith could no longer be kept secret.”! 2 ! 

The Prophet *jii used to meet and teach, the new converts, the 
religion in privacy because the call to Islam was still running on an 
individual and secret basis. Revelation accelerated and continued after the 
first verses of “O you wrapped in garments .” The verses and pieces of 
Surah (chapters) revealed at this time were short ones with wonderful strong 
pauses and quite fascinating rhythms in full harmony with that delicate 
whispering setting. The central topic running through them focused on 
sanctifying the soul, and deterring the Muslims from falling prey to the 
deceptive glamour of life. The early verses used as well to give a highly 
accurate account of the Hell and the Garden (Paradise), leading the believers 
down a new course diametrically opposed to the ill practices rampant 
amongst their compatriots. 

As-SalSt (the Prayer): 

Muqatil bin Sulaiman said: “Salat (prayer) was established as an 
obligatory ritual at an early stage of the Islamic Call, a two Rak'ah (unit of 
prayer) Salat in the morning and the same in the evening; 


['llbn Hisham, 1/245-262. 
Pllbn Hisham, 1/262. 



*‘And glorify the praises of your Lord in the ‘Ashi (i.e. the time 
period after the mid-noon till sunset) and in the Ibkar (i.e. the 
time period from early morning or sunrise till before mid- 
noon).” [40:55] 

Ibn Hijr said: “Definitely the Prophet ^ ^ used to pray before ‘The 
Night Journey’ but it still remains a matter of controversy whether or not the 
prayer was established as an obligatory ritual before imposing the rules of 
the usual five prayers a day. It is related that obligatory prayer was 
established twice a day, in the morning before sunrise and after sunset. It is 
reported through a chain of narrators that when the Prophet ^ «<i* «ui 
received the first Revelation, Gabriel - the angel, proceeded and taught him 
how to observe Wudu (ablution). When the Prophet ^ «ui had finished, 
he took a handful of water and sprinkled it on his loins.!'] 

Ibn Hisham reported that when it was time for prayers, the Messenger of 
Allah jJl—j uii and his Companions went into a mountain valley to pray 
secretly. Abu Talib once saw the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ and Ali 
praying, he asked them what they were up to. When he got to know that it 
was obligatory prayer, he told them to stay constant in their practice.! 2 ! 

The Quraishites learn about the Call: 

This stage of the Call, even though conducted in a clandestine manner 
and on an individual basis, its news leaked out and assumed a public interest 
all over Makkah. In the beginning, the Makkan leaders did not care much 
about Muhammad fi~j <_ui ^.uand took no heed of his teachings. At first, 
they thought that Muhammad pj—was merely a religious 
philosophist like Omaiyah bin Abi As-Salt, Quss bin Sa’idah, ‘Amr bin 
Nufail and their ilk who used to philosophize on godship and religious 
obligations. But this attitude of indifference soon changed into real 
apprehension. The polytheists of Quraish began to watch Muhammad’s 
movements closely and anxiously for fear of spreading his Call and 
producing a change in the prevalent mentality.! 3 ! 


I'lMukhtasar Seerat-ur-Rasool, p. 88 
Pllbn Hisham, 1/247. 

PlFiqh As-Seerah, p.76. 


- 79 - 



For three underground years of activism, a group of believers emerged 
stamped by a spirit of fraternity and cooperation with one definite objective 
in their mind: propagating and deeply establishing the call unto Islam. For 
full three years Muhammad had been content to teach within a 

rather narrow circle. The time had, however, come to preach the faith of the 
Lord openly. The angel Gabriel had brought him down a further Revelation 
of Allah’s Will to confront his people, invalidate their falsehood and crush 
down their idolatrous practices. 


- 80 - 



The Second Phase 

Open Preaching 

First Revelation regarding the Preaching: 

“And warn your tribe (O Muhammad ^ uii ^i-) of near 

kindred.” [26:214]. 

This was the first verse to be revealed in this concern. It is included in 
Surah Ash-Shu'ara (Chapter 26 - The Poets) which relates the story of 

Moses r n_jt <_*u from his early days of Prophethood going through his 

migration with the Children of Israel, their escape from the Pharaoh and his 
folk, and the drowning Pharaoh and his hosts. This Chapter in fact narrates 
the different stages that Moses r *—ii passed through in his struggle with 
Pharaoh and the mission of calling his people unto AMh. Moreover, it 
includes stories that speak about the terrible end in store for those who 
belied the Messengers such as the people of Noah, ‘Ad, Thamud, Abraham, 
Lout and Ahlul-Aikah (Companions of the Wood). (A group of people who 
used to worship a tree called Aikah) 

Chronologically, this Chapter belongs to the middle Makkan period, 
when the contact of the light of Prophecy with the cultural milieu of pagan 
Makkah was testing the Makkans in their most arrogant mood. The Message 
that this Chapter communicates is in brief: “The Truth is insurmountable. 
When the spirit of Prophecy came to Makkah, it was resisted by the votaries 
of evil; but Truth, unlike falsehood, is bound to stay, whereas falsehood is 
surely perishable.” 

Calling the Closest Kinspeople: 

In obedience to AllSh’s Commands, Muhammad <*u «uirallied his 
kinsmen of Bani Hashim with a group of Bani Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf. 
The audience counted forty-five men. 

Abu Lahab immediately took the initiative and addressed the Prophet 
uii “These are your uncles and cousins, speak on to the point, but 
first of all you have got to know that your kinspeople are not in a position to 
withstand all the Arabs. Another point you have got to bear in mind is that 


- 81 - 



your relatives are sufficient unto you. If you follow their tradition, it will be 
easier for them than to face the other clans of Quraish supported by the 
other Arabs. Verily, I have never heard of anyone who has incurred more 
harm on his kinspeople than you.” The Messenger of Allah «ui ^ kept 
silent and said nothing in that meeting. 

He invited them to another meeting and managed to secure audience. He 
then stood up and delivered a short speech explaining quite cogently what 
was at stake. He said: “I celebrate Allah’s praise, I seek His help, I believe 
in Him, I put my trust in Him, I bear witness that there is no god to be 
worshipped but Allah with no associate. A guide can never lie to his people. 
I swear by Allah, there is no god but He, that I have been sent as a 
Messenger to you, in particular and to all the people, in general. I swear by 
Allah you will die just as you sleep, you will be resurrected just as you wake 
up. You will be called to account for your deeds. It is then either Hell 
forever or the Garden (Paradise) forever.” 

Abu Talib replied: “We love to help you, accept your advice and Relieve 
in your words. These are your kinspeople whom you have collected and I 
am one of them but I am the fastest to do what you like. Do what you have 
been ordered. I shall protect and defend you, but I can’t quit the religion of 
‘Abdul-Muttalib.” 

Abu Lahab then said to Abu Talib: “ I swear by Allah that this is a bad 
thing. You must stop him before the others do.” Abu Talib, however, 
answered: “I swear by Allah to protect him as long as I am alive.”! 1 ! 

On Mount As-Safa: 

After the Messenger of Allah uh became sure of Abu Talib’s 

commitment to his protection while he called the people unto Allah, he 
stood up on Mount As-Safa one day and called out loudly: “O Sabahah!* ” 
Septs of Quraish came to him. He called them to testify to the Oneness of 
Allah and believe in his Messengership and the Day of Resurrection. 
Al-Bukhari reported part of this story on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas «w 
He said: “When the following verses were revealed: 


WFiqh As-Seerah, pp.77,78. 

* This is an Arabic expression used when one appeals for help or draws die attention of 
others to some dangers. 


- 82 - 



“And warn your tribe (O Muhammad ^ <jh „j->) of near 
kindred.” [26:214] 

The Messenger of Allah ^ <ui ascended Mount As-Safa and started 
to call: “O Bani Fahr! O Bani‘Adi (two septs of Quraish).” Many people 
gathered and those who couldn’t, sent somebody to report to them. Abu 
Lahab was also present. The Prophet ^ an said: “You see, if I were to 
tell you that there were some horsemen in die valley planning to raid you, 

will you believe me?” They said: “Yes, we have never experienced any lie 
from you.” He said: “I am a wamer to you before a severe torment.” Abu 
Lahab promptly replied: “Perish you all the day! Have you summoned us 
for such a thing?” The verses were immediately revealed on that occasion!'!: 



“Perish the two hands of Abi Lahab...” [111:1]. 

Muslim reported another part of this story on the authority of Abu 
Hurairah — He said: “When the following verses were revealed: 


“Arid warn your tribe (O Muhammad of near 

kindred.” [26:214] 

The Messenger of Allah an ^ called all the people of Quraish; so 
they gathered and he gave them a general warning. Then he made a 
particular reference to certain tribes, and said: “O Quraish, rescue 
yourselves from the Fire; O people of Bani Ka‘b, rescue yourselves from 
Fire; O F atimah, daughter of Muhammad ft.. <w. > , rescue yourself from 
the Fire, for I have no power to protect you from Allah in anything except 
that I would sustain relationship with you.”Pl 

It was verily a loud su gge stive Call stating unequivocally to the closest 
people that belief in his Message constituted the corner-stone of any future 


ClSahih Al-Bukhari, 2/702; Sahib Muslim, 1/114. 
(riSahih M uslim 1/114; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/385,2/702. 


- 83 - 



relation between him and them, and that the blood-relation on which the 
whole Arabian life was based, had ceased to exist in the light of that Divine 
ultimatum. 

Shouting the Truth and the Polytheists’ Reaction: 

The Prophet’s voice kept reverberating in Makkah until the following 
verse was revealed: 

“Therefore proclaim openly (Allah’s Message — Islamic 
Monotheism), that which you are commanded, and turn away 
from Al-Mushrikurt (polytheists).” [15:94] 

He then commenced discrediting the superstitious practices of idolatry, 
revealing its worthless reality and utter impotence, and giving concrete 
proofs that idolatry per se or taking it as the media through which an 
idolater could come in contact with Allah, is manifest falsehood. 

The Makkans, on their part, burst into outrage and disapproval. 
Muhammad’s fi —,, a_ui cr x- words created a thunderbolt that turned the 
Makkan time-honoured ideological life upside down. They could ill afford 
to hear someone attaching to polytheists and idolaters, the description of 
straying people. They started to rally their resources to settle down the 
affair, quell the onward marching revolution and deal a pre-emptive strike to 
its votaries before it devours and crushes down their consecrated traditions 
and long standing heritage. The Makkans had the deep conviction that 
denying godship to anyone save Allah and that belief in the Divine Message 
and the Hereafter are interpreted in terms of complete compliance and 
absolute commitment, and this in turn leaves no area at all for them to claim 
authority over themselves and over their wealth, let alone their subordinates. 
In short, their arrogated religiously-based supremacy and highhandedness 
would no longer be in effect; their pleasures would be subordinated to the 
pleasures of Allah and His Messenger; and lastly they would have to abstain 
from incurring injustices on those whom they falsely deemed to be weak, 
and perpetrating dreadful sins in their everyday life. They had already been 
fully aware of these meanings, that is why their souls would not condescend 


- 84 - 


to accept this ‘disgraceful’ position not out of motives based on dignity and 
honour but rather because: 

“Nay! (Man denies Resurrection and Reckoning. So) he desires 
to continue committing sins.” [75:5] 

They had been aware of all these consequences but they could afford to 
do nothing before an honest truthful man who was the highest example of 
good manners and human values. They had never known such an example 
in the history of their folks or grandfathers. What would they do? They were 
baffled, and they had the right to be so. 

Following careful deliberations, they hit upon the only target available, 
i.e. to contact the Messenger’s uncle, Abu Talib and request him to 
intervene and advise his nephew to stop his activities. In order to attach a 
serious and earnest stamp to their demand, they chose to touch the most 
sensitive area in Arabian life, viz., ancestral pride. They addressed Abu 
Talib in the following manner: “O Abu Talib! Your nephew curses our 
gods; finds faults with our way of life, mocks at our religion and degrades 
our forefathers; either you must stop him, or you must let us get at him. For 
you are in the same opposition as we are in opposition to him; and we will 
rid you of him.” Abu Talib tried to appease their wrath by giving them a 
polite reply. The Prophet ^ , however, continued on his way 

preaching Allah’s religion and calling men hitherto, heedless of all their 
desperate attempts and malicious intentions.! 1 ) 

An Advisory Council to debar Pilgrims from Muhammad’s Call: 

During those days, Quraish had another serious concern; the 
proclamation of the Call had only been a few months old when the season of 
pilgrimage was soon to come. Quraish knew that the Arab delegates were 
coming wi thin a short time. They agreed that it was necessary to 
contemplate a device that was bound to alienate the Arab pilgrims from the 
new faith preached by Muhammad ^,<^< 111 ^. They went to see Al-Waleed 
bin Al-Mugheerah to deliberate on this issue. Al-Waleed invited them to 


(‘Jlbn Hisham, 1/265. 


- 85 - 



agree on a unanimous resolution that could enjoy the approbation of them 
all. However, they were at variance. Some suggested that they describe him 
as Kahin, i.e., soothsayer; but this suggestion was turned down on grounds 
that his words were not so rhymed. Others proposed Majnun, i.e., possessed 
by jinn; this was also rejected because no insinuations peculiar to that state 
of mind were detected, they claimed. “Why not say he is a poet?” Some 
said. Here again they could not reach a common consent, alleging that his 
words were totally outside the lexicon of poetry. “OK then; let us accuse 
him of practising witchcraft,” was a fourth suggestion. Here also Al-Waleed 
showed some reluctance saying that the Prophet (L*, an was known to 
have never involved himself in the practice of blowing on the knots, and 
admitted that his speech was sweet tasting root and branch. He, however, 
found that the most plausible charge to be levelled against Muhammad 
ft -., <jji was witchcraft. The ungodly company adopted this opinion and 
agreed to propagate one uniform formula to the effect that he was a 
magician so powerful and commanding in his art that he would successfully 
alienate son from father, man from his brother, wife from her husband and 
man from his clan.!'] 

It is noteworthy in this regard to say that Allah revealed sixteen verses as 
regards Al-Waleed and the cunning method he contemplated to manipulate 
the people expected to arrive in Makkah for pilgrimage. Allah says: 


y o ^ Oj*> f o ->-*» Ji* y Oj* o M 7* 


“Verily, he thought and plotted; so let him be cursed! How he 
plotted! And once more let him be cursed, how he plotted! Then 
he thought; then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered 
way; then he turned back and was proud; then he said: ‘This is 
nothing but magic from that of old; this is nothing but the word 
of a human being!’ ” [74:18-25] 

The most wicked of them was the sworn enemy of Islam and M uhammad 
fi -. } «_di , Abu Lahab, who would shadow the Prophet’s steps crying 
aloud, “O men, do not listen to him for he is a liar; he is an apostate.” 


t'llbn Hisham, 1/271; Fi Zilal Al-Qur’an, 29/188. 


- 86 - 




Nevertheless, Muhammad «w ^ managed to create a stir in the whole 

area, and even to convince a few people to accept his Call.t'l 


Attempts made to check the Onward March of Islam: 

Having fully perceived that Muhammad ^ <-ih could never be 
desisted from his Call, Quraish, in a desperate attempt to quell the tidal 
wave of the Call, resorted to other cheap means acting from base motives: 


1. Scoffing, degrading, ridiculing, belying and laughter-instigating cheap 
manners, all of which levelled at the new converts in general, and the 
person of Muhammad «im > in particular, with the aim of dragging 
the spirit of despair into their morale, and slackening their ardent 
zealotry. They used to denounce the Prophet ,j_, uji as a man 
possessed by a jinn, or an insane person: 




“And they say: O you (Muhammad fj_.j j-°) to whom the 

Dhikr (the Qur’an) has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad 
man.” [15:6] 


or a liar practising witchcraft: 






“And they (Arab pagans) wonder that a wamer (Prophet 
Muhammad jJl-j w* «_ui has come to them from among 
themselves! And the disbelievers say: This (Prophet 
Muhammad ^ «ui jJ) is a sorcerer, a liar.” [38:4]. 


Theij eyes would also look at the good man as if they would ‘eat him 
up’, or trip him up, or disturb him from the position of stability or 
firmness. They used all sorts of terms of abuse ‘madman’ or ‘one 
possessed by an evil spirit’, and so on: 




WAt-Tinmdhi; Musnad Ahmad, 3/492,4/341. 


- 87 - 



“And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip 
with their eyes through hatred when they hear the Reminder 
(the Qur’an), and they say: Verily, he (Muhammad ^ <ui ^u) 
is a madman!” [68:51] 

Amongst the early converts, there was a group who had unfortunately 
no strong clan at their back to support them. These innocent souls were 
ridiculed and jeered in season and out of season. Referring to such 
people, the highbrow Quraish aristocrats used repeatedly to ask the 
Prophet ft-* mi* an j*, with jest and scorn: 

“Allah has favoured from amongst us?” [6:53] 

And Allah said: 


“Does not Allah know best those who are grateful?” [6:53] 

The wicked used to laugh at the righteous in many ways: 

a. They would inwardly laugh at their Faith, because they felt themselves so 
superior. 

b. In public places, when the righteous passed, they used to insult and wink 
at them. 

c. In their own houses, they would run them down. 

d. Whenever and wherever they saw them, they reproached and called them 
fools who had lost their way. In the Hereafter, all these tricks and 
falsehoods will be shown for what they are, and the tables will be 
reversed. All&h had said: 



“Verily! (During the worldly life) those who committed crimes 
used to laugh at those who believed; and whenever they passed 


- 88 - 



by them, used to wink one to another (in mockery); and when 
they returned to their own people, they would return jesting; and 
when they saw them, they said: ‘Verily! These have indeed gone 
astry!’ But they (disbelievers, sinners) had not been sent as 
watchers over them (the believers).” [83:29-33] 


2. Distorting Muha mm ad’s teachings, evoking ambiguities, circulating false 
propaganda; forging groundless allegations concerning his doctrines, 
person and character, and going to excess in such a manner in order to 
screen off any scope of sound contemplation from the public. With 
respect to the Qur’Sn, they used to allege that it was: 




“Tales of the ancients, which he (Muhammad ^ *di jJ) has 
written down, and they are dictated to him morning and 
afternoon.” [25:5] 

The iniquitous went on ceaselessly inculcating in people’s ears that 
the Qur’§n was not a true Revelation: 



“This (the Qur’§n) is nothing but a lie that he (Muhammad 
«j» ^J-) has invented, and others have helped him at it.” 


[25:4] 


The wicked would also attribute to men of Allah just such motives and 
springs of action as they themselves would be guilty of in such 
circumstances. The pagans and those who were hostile to the Revelation 
of AllSh and Islam, could not understand how such wonderful verses 
could flow from the tongue of the Prophet ^ «w without having 
someone to teach, and claimed: 



“It is only a human being who teaches him.” [16:103] 
They also raised another baseless and superficial objection: 



- 89 - 



“Why does this Messenger (Muhammad ft—, <jji „u) eat food 

and walk about in the markets (like ourselves)?” [25:7] 

They were sadly ignorant and painfully at fault for they could not 
perceive that a teacher for mankind is one who shares their nature, 
mingles in their life, is acquainted with their doings, and sympathises 
with their joys and sorrows. 

The Noble Qur’an has vehemently refuted their charges and 
allegations and has explained that the utterances of the Prophet 
are the Revelations of the Lord and their nature and contents provide a 
bold challenge to those who attribute his Prophetic expressions to some 
base origin, at times to the mental throes of a dreaming reformer, at 
others to the effusion of a frenzied poet or the incoherent drivelling of an 
insane man. 

3. Contrasting the Qur’an with the mythology of the ancients in order to 
distract people’s interests from Allah’s Words. Once An-Nadr bin Harith 
addressed the Quraishites in the following manner: “O Quraish! You 
have experienced an unprecedented phenomenon before which you have 
so far been desperately helpless. Muhammad ^ 4iii grew up here 
among you and always proved to be highly obliging, the most truthful 
and trustworthy young man. However, later on when he reached 
manhood, he began to preach a new faith alien to your society, and 
opposed to your liking so you began to denounce him at a time as a 
sorcerer, at another as a soothsayer, a poet, or even an insane man. I 
swear by Allah he is not anyone of those. He is not interested in blowing 
on knots as magicians are, nor do his words belong to the world of 
soothsaying; he is not a poet either, for his mentality is not that of a 
rambler, nor is he insane because he has never been witnessed to develop 
any sort of hallucinations or insinuations peculiar to madmen. O people 
of Quraish, it is really a serious issue and I recommend that you 
reconsider your attitude.” 

It is narrated that An-Nadr, at a later stage, headed for Heerah where 
he got conversant with the traditions of the kings of Persia and the 
accounts of people like Rustum and Asphandiar, and then returned to 
Makkah. Here he would always shadow the Messenger’s steps in 
whatever audiences the later held to preach the new faith and to caution 


- 90 - 



people against Allah’s wrath. An-Nadr would directly follow the Prophet 
(jLj .uu ail jU and narrate to the same audience long tales about those people 
of Persia. He would then always append his talk with a question 
cunningly inquiring if he did not outdo Muhammad fU, Ibn 

‘Abbas an ^ related that An-Nadr used to purchase songstresses who 
would through their bodily charms and songs entice away from Islam 
anyone developing the least attachment to the Prophet ^ an in this 
regard, Allah says: 




“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, 
singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the path of Allah.” [31:6]1 2 ) 

4. In a fresh attempt to dissuade Muhammad ^ u* an ^ from his principled 
stand, Quraish invited him to compromise on his teachings and come to 
terms with their pre-Islamic practices in such a way that he quits some of 
his religion and the polytheists do the same. Allah, the All-High says: 




“They wish that you should compromise (in religion out of 
courtesy) with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.” 
[68:9], 

On the authority of Ibn Jareer and At-Tabarani, the idolaters offered 
that Muhammad fj-, «_ui ^ worship their gods for a year, and they 
worship his Lord for a year. In another version, they said: “If you accept 
our gods, we would worship yours.” Ibn Ishaq related that Al-Aswad bin 
Al-Muttalib, Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah, Omaiyah bin Khalaf and 
Al-‘As bin Wa’il As-Sahmy, a constellation of influential polytheists, 
intercepted the Prophet ^ ^ while he was circumambulating in the 

Holy Sanctuary, and offered him to worship that they worshipped, and 
they worship that he worshipped so that, according to them, both parties 
would reach a common denominator. They added “Should the Lord you 
worship prove to be better than ours, then it will be so much better for us, 


Cllbn Hisham, 1/299,300,358; Tafheem-ul-Qur’an, 4/8,9. 
PlTafheem-ul-Qur’an, 4/9. 


- 91 - 



but if our gods proved to be better than yours, then you would have 
benefit from it.” Allah, die Exalted, was decisive on the spot and 
revealed the following Chapter: 




“Say: “O Al-Kafirun (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in 
His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of 
Resurrection, in Al-Qadar, etc.)! I worship not that which you 
worship, nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall 
not worship that which you are worshipping, nor will you 
worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to 
me my religion (Islamic Monotheism). [109]t*l 

Persecutions: 

At the beginning of the fourth year of the Call, and for a period of some 
months, the polytheists confined their harassment tactics to the above- 
mentioned ones. But on realizing the futility of these procedures, they 
decided to organize a full-scale opposition campaign. They called fora 
general meeting and elected a committee of twenty-five men of Quraish 
notables with Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s uncle, as a chairman. Following 
some lengthy deliberations, they reached a decisive decision to take 
measures deemed to stop the tidal wave of Islam through different channels. 
They were determined to spare no effort, in combatting the new faith. They 
decided to malign the Messenger of Allah ^ <jji ^ and put the new 
converts to different sorts of torture using all available resources. It was 
easy to put the resolutions relating to the new converts who were deemed 
weak into effect. As for the Prophet fi. 3 <di , it was not easy to malign 
him because he had such gravity, magnanimity and matchless perfection of 
character that deterred even his enemies from committing any act of folly 
against him. He had, as well, Abu Talib, his uncle, who came from a noble 
descent and had an awe-inspiring clan to support him. This situation was a 


t'llbn Hisham, 1/362 


- 92 - 



source of great worry to the infidels, but they felt that they could no longer 
exercise patience or show any tolerance before a formidable power 
marching steadily to annul their religious office and temporal authority. 

Abu Lahab himself took the initiative in the new series of persecutions, 
and started to mete out countless aspects of harmful deeds, hatred and spite 
against Muhammad jj-j <* 1 * an ^ . Starting with flinging stones at him, forcing 
his two sons to divorce their wives Ruqaiya and Umm Kulthum, the 
Prophet’s daughters^ 1 !, gloating over him on his second son’s death calling 
him ‘the man cut off with offspring’, and then shadowing his step during the 
pilgrimage and forums seasons to belie him and entice the bedouins against 
him and his Call.! 2 ) His wife, Umm Jameel bint Harb, the sister of Abu 
Sufyan had also her share in this ruthless campaign. She proved that she was 
not less than her husband in the enmity and hatred she harboured for the 
Prophet fL., 4 *u an . She used to tie bundles of thorns with ropes of twisted 
palm-leaf fibre and strew them about in the paths which the Prophet , 0 -* ^ *di 
was expected to take, in order to cause him bodily injury. She was a real 
shrew, bad-tempered with abusive language, highly skilled in the art of 
hatching intrigues, and enkindling the fire of discord and sedition. She was 
deservedly stained as ‘the carrier of firewood' in the Noble Qur’an. On 
receiving this news, she directly proceeded to the Mosque with a handful of 
pebbles to hurl at the Prophet *ui . Allah, the Great, took away her 
sight and she saw only Abu Bakr who was sitting immediately next to the 
Prophet She then addressed Abu Bakr most audaciously 

threatening to break his Companion’s mouth with her handful of pebbles, 
and recited a line of verse pregnant with impudent defiance: “We have 
disobeyed the dispraised one, rejected his Call, and alienated ourselves from 
his religion.” When she had left, Abu Bakr turned to the Prophet «*t» *di 
and inquired about the matter. The Prophet assured him that she 

did not see him because Allah had taken away her sight.! 3 ! 

Abu Lahab and his household used to inflict those shameful examples of 
torture and harassment in spite of the blood relation that tied them for he 
was the Prophet’s uncle and both lived in two contiguous houses. Actually, 


UlFi Zilal Al-Qur’an, 30/282; Talbeem -ul-Qur’an, 6/522. 
PlAt-Tirmidhi. 

Pllbn Hisham, 1/335. 


- 93 - 



few of the Prophet’s neighbours abstained from maligning him. They even 
threw the entrails of a goat on his back while he was performing his prayers. 
He always used to complain about that unbecoming neighbourliness but to 
no avail for they were deeply indulged in error. 

Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ud, narrated that once when the 
Prophet (j-j nu uii ^ was prostrating himself while praying in Al-Ka‘bah, 
Abu Jahl asked his companions to bring the dirty foetus of a she-camel and 
place it on his back. ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu'ait was the unfortunate man who 
hastened to do this ignoble act. A peal of laughter rose amongst the infidels. 
In the meanwhile, Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet ^ ^ 

happened to pass that way. She removed the filth from her father’s back. 
The Prophet ^ uii invoked the wrath of Allah upon them, especially 
upon Abu Jahl, ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, Shaibah bin Rabi’a, Al-Waleed bin 
‘Utbah, Omaiyah bin Khalaf and ‘Uqbah bin Mu‘ait. It is recorded that all 
of them were killed in the battle of Badr.tn 

Scandal-mongering and backbiting were also amongst the means of 
oppression that the chiefs of Makkah, in general, and Omaiyah bin Khalaf, 
in particular, resorted to in their overall process of evil-doing. In this regard, 
Allah says: 


“Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.” [104:1] 

‘Uqbah bin Al-Mu‘ait once attended an audience of the Prophet ^ <111 

and listened to him preaching Islam. A close friend of his, Ubai bin Khalaf, 
heard of this. He could not tolerate any act of this sort, so he reproached 
‘Uqbah and ordered him to spit in the Prophet’s holy face, and he 
shamelessly did it. Ubai did not spare any thinkable way to malign the 
Prophet fL-, uii ^ ; he even ground old decomposed bones and blew the 
powder on him. Al-Akhnas bin Shuraique Ath-Thaqafi used to detract from 
the character of the Prophet ^ in season and out of season. The 

Noble Qur’an, in direct reference to this man’s ignominious deeds, attached 
to him nine abominable traits: 


t'lSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/37. 


- 94 - 



“And obey not everyone who swears much, — and is considered 
worthless, a slanderer, going about with calumnies, hinderer of 
the good, transgressor, sinful, cruel —after all that base-bom 
(of illegitimate birth).” [68:10-13]('l 

Abu Jahl’s arrogance and haughtiness blocked all avenues that could 
produce the least light of belief in his heart: 

“So he (the disbeliever) neither believed (in this Qur’an, in the 
Message of Muhammad ^ «w ^) nor prayed! [75:31] 

He, moreover, wanted to debar the Prophet ^ from the Noble 

Sanctuary. It happened once that the Prophet ^ <w j^> was praying within 
the precinct of the Sacred House, when Abu Jahl proceeded threateningly 
and uttering abusive language. The Prophet ^ chided him severely 

to which Abu Jahl answered back defiantly claiming that he was the 
mightiest in Makkah; Allah then revealed: 

“Then, let him call upon his council (of helpers).” [96:17] 

In another version of the same incident, the Prophet ^ took Abu 

Jahl by his neck, rocked him severely saying: 

40 & Y o0 $ 4 

“Woe to you [O man (disbeliever)]! And then (again) woe to 
you! Again, woe to you [O man (disbeliever)]! And then (again) 
woe to you!” [75:34,35]. 

Notwithstanding this reproach, Abu Jahl would never wake up to himself 
nor did he realize his foolish practices. On die contrary, he was determined 
to go to extremes, and swore he would dust the Messenger’s face and tread 


I'llbn Hisham, 1/356. 



on his neck. No sooner had he proceeded to fulfill his wicked intention than 
he was seen turning back shielding himself with his hands (as if something 
horrible in his pursuit). His companions asked him what the matter was. He 
said: “I perceived a ditch of burning fire and some wings flying.” Later on, 
the Messenger commented saying, “If he had proceeded further, the angels 
would have plucked off his limbs one after another.”Pl 

Such was the disgraceful treatment meted out to the Prophet ^ ju, 
the great man, respected as he was by his compatriots, with an influential 
man, his uncle Abu Talib, at his back to support him. If the matters were so 
with the Prophet ^ what about those people deemed weak with no 

clan to support them? Let us consider their situation in some detail. 
Whenever Abu Jahl heard of the conversion of a man of high birth with 
powerful friends, he would degrade his prudence and intellect, undermine 
his judgement; and threaten him with dire consequences if he was a 
merchant. If the new convert was socially weak, he would beat him 
ruthlessly and put him to unspeakable tortures.Pl 

The uncle of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan used to wrap ‘Uthman in a mat of palm 
leaves, and set fire under him. When Umm Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair heard of her 
son’s conversion, she put him to starvation and then expelled him from her 
house. He used to enjoy full luxurious easy life, but in the aftermath of the 
tortures he sustained, his skin got wizened, and he assumed a horrible 
physical appearance.Pl 

Bilal, the slave of Omaiyah bin Khalaf, was severely beaten by his 
master when the latter came to know of his conversion to Islam. Sometimes 
a rope was put around his neck and street boys were made to drag him 
through the streets and even across the hillocks of Makkah. At times he was 
subjected to prolonged deprivation of food and drink; at others he was 
bound up, made to lie down on the burning sand and under the crushing 
burden of heavy stones. Similar other measures were resorted to in order to 
force him to recant. All this proved in vain. He persisted in his belief in the 


PlFi Zilal Al-Qur’an, 29/312; Sahih Muslim. 


PlRahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 1/57; Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar, p. 60. 


- 96 - 



Oneness of Allah. On one such occasion, Abu Bakr was passing by; moved 
by pity, he purchased and emancipated him from slavery.l'l 

Another victim of the highhandedness of Quraish was ‘Ammar bin 
Yasir, a freed slave of Bani Makhzoum. He, along with his mother and 
father, embraced Islam in its early phase. They were repeatedly made to lie 
on the burning sand and were beaten severely. ‘Ammar was at times tossed 
up on embers. The Prophet ^ «w was greatly moved by the atrocities 
which were being perpetrated upon ‘Ammar and his family. He always 
comforted them and raised his hand in prayer and said: “Be patient, you will 
verily find your abode in the Paradise.” Yasir, the father, died because of 
repeated tortures. Sumaiyah, ‘Ammar’s mother was bayoneted to death by 
Abu Jahl himself, and thus merited the title of the first woman martyr in 
Islam. ‘Ammar himself was subjected to various modes of torture and was 
always threatened to sustain severe suffering unless he abused Muhammad 

. .it *jji and recanted to Al-Lat and ‘Uzza. In a weak moment, he uttered 
a word construed as recantation though his heart never wavered and he 
came back once to the Prophet fi-, ^ «ui ^, who consoled him for his pain 
and confirmed his faith. Immediately afterwards the following verse was 
revealed: 

“Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who 
is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith —.” 
[ 16 : 106 ] 

Abu Fakeeh, Aflah, a freed slave of Bani ‘AbdAd-Dar was the third of 
those helpless victims. The oppressors used to fasten his feet with a rope 
and drag him in the streets of Makkah.P) 

Khabbab bin Al-Aratt was also an easy victim to similar outrages on 
every possible occasion. He experienced exemplary torture and 
maltreatment. The Makkan polytheists used to pull his hair and twist his 
neck, and made him lie on burning coal with a big rock on his chest to 
prevent him from escaping. Some Muslims of rank and position were 



Pllbn Hisham, 1/317-318; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 1/57. 
PlEijaz At-Tanzil, p. 53. 


- 97 - 



wrapped in the raw skins of camels and thrown away, and others were put in 
armours and cast on burning sand in the scorching sun of Arabia.! 1 ] 

Even the women converts were not spared, and the list is too long to 
include all of them. Zanirah, An-Nahdiyah and her daughter, Umm ‘Ubais 
and many others had their full share of persecution at the hand of the 
oppressors — ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab included — of course before his 
conversion to Islam.! 2 ) 

Abu Bakr, a wealthy believer, purchased and freed some of those she- 
slaves, just as he did with regard to Bilal and ‘Amir bin Fuheirah. 

The House of Al-Arqam: 

In the light of these inhuman persecutions, the Prophet 
deemed it wise to advise his followers to conceal their conversion, in both 
word and deed. He took the decision to meet them secretly lest Quraish 
should get to know of his designs, and so take measures that might foil his 
goals. He also had in mind to avoid any sort of open confrontation with the 
polytheists because such a thing at this early stage would not be in the 
interest of the newly-born Call, still vulnerable and not fully fledged. Once, 
in the fourth year of Prophethood, the Muslims were on their way to the 
hillocks of Makkah to hold a clandestine meeting with the Prophet ^ *ui 
when a group of polytheists did observe their suspicious movement and 
began to abuse and fight them. Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas beat a polytheist and 
shed his blood and thus recorded the first instance of bloodshed in the 
history of Islam.PI 

The Prophet <111 ^u, on the other hand, used to proclaim the Islamic 

Faith and preach it openly with deep devotion and studious pursuit, but for 
the general welfare of the new converts and in consideration of the strategic 
interest of Islam, he took Dar Al-Arqam, in As-Safa mountain, in the fifth 
year of his mission, as a temporary centre ‘o meet his followers secretly and 
instruct them in the Qur’an and in the Islamic wisdom. 


t'lTalqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar, p. $0; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 1/57. 
! 2 )lbn Hisham, 1/319. 

P)lbn Hisham, 1/263. 


- 98 - 



The First Migration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia): 


The series of persecutions started late in the fourth year of Prophethood, 
slowly at first, but steadily accelerated and worsened day by day and month 
by month until the situation got so extremely grave and no longer tolerable 
in the middle of the fifth year, that the Muslims began to seriously think of 
feasible ways liable to avert the painful tortures meted out to them. It was at 
that gloomy and desperate time that Surah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18 — The 
Cave) was revealed comprising definite answers to the questions with which 
the polytheists of Makkah constantly pestered the Prophet ^ <*i« «ui . It 
comprises three stories that include highly suggestive parables for the true 
believers to assimilate. The story of the Companions of the Cave implies 
implicit guidance for the believers to evacuate the hot spots of disbelief and 
aggression pregnant with the peril of enticement away from the true 
religion: 


Si 


“(The young men said to one another): And when you 
withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, 
then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you 
from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will 
give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.)” 
[18:16]. 


Next, there is the story of Al-Khidr (The Teacher of Arabia) and Moses 
in a clear and delicate reference to the vicissitudes of life. Future 
circumstances of life are not necessarily the products of the prevalent 
conditions, they might be categorically the opposite. In other words, the war 
waged against the Muslims would in the future assume a different turn, and 
the tyrannous oppressors would one day come to suffer and be subjected to 
the same tortures to which the Muslims were then put. Furthermore, there is 
the story of Dhul-Qamain (The Two Homed One), the powerful ruler of 
west and east. This story says explicitly that AMh takes His righteous 
servants to inherit the earth and whatever in it. It also speaks that Allah 
raises a righteous man every now and then to protect the weak against the 
strong. 


- 99 - 



Surah Az-Zumar (Chapter 39 — The Crowds) was then revealed pointing 
directly to migration and stating that the earth is spacious enough and the 
believers must not consider themselves constrained by the forces of tyr ann y 
and evil: 







“Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and 
Alllh’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot worship Allah at a 
place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall 
receive their rewjards in full without reckoning.” [39:10]. 


The Prophet ^ «l» <ui had already known that Ashamah Negus, king of 
Abyssinia (Ethiopia), was a fair ruler who would not wrong any of his 
subordinates, so he permitted some of his followers to seek asylum there in 
Abyssinia (Ethiopia). 


In Rajab of the fifth year of Prophethood, a group of twelve men and four 
women left for Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Among the emigrants were ‘Uthman 
bin ‘AfFan and his wife Ruqaiyah (the daughter of the Prophet ^ <jui 

With respect to these two emigrants, the Prophet «<u <m said: 





“They are the first people to migrate in the cause of Allah after 
Abraham and Lot f %ji l*u.” 

They sneaked out of Makkah under the heavy curtain of a dark night and 
headed for the sea where two boats happened to be sailing for Abyssinia 
(Ethiopia), their destination. News of their intended departure reached the 
ears of Quraish, so some men were despatched in their pursuit, but the 
believers had already left Shuaibah Port towards their secure haven where 
they were received warmly and accorded due hospitality. 

In Ramadan of the same year, the Prophet ,j-, «<i* an went into the Holy 
Sanctuary where there was a large host of Quraish polytheists, including 
some notables and celebrities. Suddenly he began reciting Surah An-Najm 
(Chapter 41 — The Star). The awe-inspiring Words of Allah descended 


- 100 - 



unawares upon them and they immediately got stunned by them. It was the 
first time for them to be shocked by the truthful Revelation. It had formerly 
been the favourite trick of those people who wished to dishonour 
Revelation, not only not to listen to it themselves but also to talk loudly and 
insolently when it was being read, so that even the true listeners may not be 
able to hear. They used to think that they were drowning the Voice of Allah; 
in fact, they were piling up misery for themselves, for Allah’s Voice can 
never be silenced, “And those who disbelieve say: 

Listen not to this Qur’an, and make noise in the midst of its 
(recitation) that you may overcome.” [41:26]. 

When the unspeakably fascinating Words of Allah came into direct 
contact with their hearts, they were entranced and got oblivious of the 
materialistic world around them and were caught in a state of full 
attentiveness to the Divine Words to such an extent that when the Prophet 
fL., <ui reached the stormy heart-beating ending: 



“So fall you down in prostration to Allah and worship Him 
(Alone).” [53:62] 

The idolaters, unconsciously and with full compliance, prostrated 
themselves in absolute god-fearing and stainless devotion. It was in fact the 
wonderful moment of the Truth that cleaved through the obdurate souls of 
the haughty and the attitude of the scoffers. They stood aghast when they 
perceived that Allah’s Words had conquered their hearts and done the same 
thing that they had been trying hard to annihilate and exterminate. Their co¬ 
polytheists who had not been present on the scene reproached and blamed 
them severely; consequently they began to fabricate lies and calumniate the 
Prophet (j—, tjii alleging that he had attached to their idols great 
veneration and ascribed to them the power of desirable intercession. All of 
these were desperate attempts made to establish an excusable justification 
for their prostrating themselves with the Prophet ^ «ui on that day. Of 
course, this foolish and iniquitous slanderous behaviour was in line with 
their life-consecrated practice of telling lies and plot hatching. 


- 101 - 



News of this incident was misreported to the Muslim emigrants in 
Abyssinia (Ethiopia). They were informed that the whole of Quraish had 
embraced Islam so they made their way back home. They arrived in Makkah 
in Shawwal of the same year. When they were only an hour’s travel from 
Makkah, the reality of the situation was discovered. Some of them returned 
to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), others sneaked secretly into the city or went in 
publicly but under the tutelage of a local notable. However, due to the news 
that transpired to the Makkans about the good hospitality and warm 
welcome that the Muslims were accorded in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), the 
polytheists got terribly indignant and started to mete out severer and more 
horrible maltreatment and tortures to the Muslims. Thereupon the 
Messenger of Allih ^ deemed it imperative to permit the helpless 

creatures to seek asylum in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for the second time. 
Migration this time was not as easy as it was the previous time, for Quraish 
was on the alert to the least suspicious moves of the Muslims. In due course, 
however, the Muslims managed their affairs too fast for the Quraishites to 
thwart their attempt of escape. The group of emigrants this time comprised 
eighty three, men and nineteen or, in some versions, eighteen women. 
Whether or not ‘Ammar was included is still a matter of doubt.t'l 

Quraish’s Machination against the Emigrants: 

Quraish could not tolerate the prospect of a secure haven available for 
the Muslims in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), so they despatched two staunch 
envoys to demand their extradition. They were ‘Amr bin Al-‘As and 
‘Abdullah bin Abi Rabi‘a — before embracing Islam. They had taken with 
them valuable gifts to the king and his clergy, and had been able to win 
some of the courtiers over to their side. The pagan envoys claimed that the 
Muslim refugees should be expelled from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and made 
over to them, on the ground that they had abandoned the religion of their 
forefathers, and their leader was preaching a religion different from theirs 
and from that of the king. 

The king summoned the Muslims to the court and asked them to explain 
the teachings of their religion. The Muslim emigrants had decided to tell the 


niTa&eem-ul-Qur’fin, 5/188; Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 1/24; Ibn Hisham, 1/364; 
Rahmat-ul-liralameen, 1/61 


- 102 - 


whole truth whatever the consequences were. Ja‘far bin Abi Talib stood up 
and addressed the king in the following words: “O king! we were plunged in 
the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in 
unchastity, we ate the dead bodies, and we spoke abominations, we 
disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and 
neighbourhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong, when 
Allah raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and 
purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allah, and taught us 
not to associate any thin g with Him. He forbade us the worship of idols; and 
he enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful 
and to regard the rights of the neighbours and kith and kin; he forbade us to 
speak evil of women, or to eat the substance of orphans; he ordered us to fly 
from the vices, and to abstain from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and 
to observe fast We have believed in him, we have accepted his teachings 
and his injunctions to worship Allah, and not to associate anything with 
Him, and we have allowed what He has allowed, and prohibited what He 
has prohibited. For this reason, our people have risen against us, have 
persecuted us in order to make us forsake the worship of Allah and return to 
the worship of idols and other abominations. They have tortured and injured 

us, until finding no safety among them, we have come to your country, and 

hope you will protect us from oppression. 

The kin g was very much impressed by these words and asked the 
Muslims to recite some of Allah’s Revelation. Ja‘far recited the opening 
verses of Surah Maryam (Chapter 19 — Mary) wherein is told the story of 
the birth of both John and Jesus Christ, down to the account of Mary having 
been fed with the food miraculously. Thereupon the king, along with the 
bishops of his realm, was moved to tears that tolled down his cheeks and 
even wet his beard. Here, the Negus exclaimed: “It seems as if these words 
and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have 
radiated from the same source.” Turning to the crest-fallen envoys of 

Quraish, he said, “I am afraid, I cannot give you back these refugees. They 

are free to live and worship in my realm as they please.” 

On the morrow, the two envoys again went to the king and said that 
Muhammad and his followers blasphemed Jesus Christ. Again 

the M uslims were summoned and asked what they thought of Jesus. Ja far 
again stood up and replied: “We speak about Jesus as we have been taught 


- 103 - 



by our Prophet , that is, he is the servant of Allah, IBs 

Messenger, His spirit and His Word breathed into Virgin Mary” The king at 
once remarked, “Even so do we believe. Blessed be you, and blessed be 
your master.” Then turning to the Gowning envoys and to his bishops who 
got angry, he said: “You may fret and fume as you like but Jesus is nothing 
more than what Ja‘far has said about him .” He then assured the Muslims of 
full protection. He returned to the envoys of Quraish, the gifts they had 
brought with them and sent them away. The Muslims lived in Aby ssinia 
(Ethiopia) unmolested for a number of years till they returned to MadinahJ 1 ) 

In this way Quraish’s malicious intentions recoiled on them and their 
machination met with utter failure. They came to fully realize that the 
grudge they nursed against he Muslims would not operate but within their 
realm of Makkah. They consequently began to entertain a horrible idea of 
silencing the advocate of the new Call once and for all, through various 
channels of brutality, or else killing him. An obstinate difficulty, however, 
used to curtail any move in this direction embodied by the Prophet’s uncle 
Abu Talib and the powerful social standing he used to enjoy as well as the 
full protection and support he used to lend to his nephew. The pa gans of 
Makkah therefore decided to approach Abu Talib for the second time and 
insisted that he put a stop to his nephew’s activities, which if allowed 
unchecked, they said, would involve him into severe hostility. Abu Talib 
was deeply distressed at this open threat and the breach with his people and 
their enmity, but he could not afford to desert the Messenger too. He sent 
for his nephew and told him what the people had said, “Spare me and 
yourself and put not burden on me that I can’t bear.” Upon this the Prophet 
(L.) *> uii j_Li thought that his uncle would let him down and would no longer 
support him, so he replied: 


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j.yc 4-iii :5 j Oii jit iiSu Jj ife ijzj 

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t'llbn Hisham, 1/334-338. 


- 104 - 



“O my uncle! by Allah if they put the sun in my right hand and 
the moon in my left on condition that I abandon this course, 
until Allah has made me victorious, or I perish therein, I would 
not abandon it.” The Prophet ^ «i» an got up, and as he turned 
away, his uncle called him and said, “Come back, my nephew,” 
and when he came back, he said, “Go and preach what you 
please, for by Allah I will never forsake you.” 

He then recited two lines of verse pregnant with meanings of full support 
to the Prophet ^ «*u and absolute gratification by the course that his 
nephew had chalked out in Arabia.!'] 

Once more Quraish approaches Abu Talib: 

Quraish, seeing that the Messenger of Allah ^ «di was still intent on 
his Call, realized that Abu Talib would never forsake his nephew even if 
this incurred their, enmity. Some of them then went to see him once more 
taking with them a youth called ‘Amarah bin Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah, 
and said, “O Abu Talib! we have brought you a smart boy still in the bloom 
of his youth, to make use of his mind and strength and take him as your son 
in exchange for your nephew, who has run counter to your religion, brought 
about social discord, found fault with your way of life, so that we kill him 
and rid you of his endless troubles; just man for man.” Abu Talib’s reply 
was, “It is really an unfair bargain. You give me your son to bring him up 
and I give you my son to kill him! By Allah, it is something incredible!!” 
Al-Mut‘im bin ‘Adi, a member of the delegation, interrupted saying that 
Quraish had been fair in that bargain because “they meant only to rid you of 
that source of hateful trouble, but as I see you are determined to refuse their 
favours.” Abu Talib, of course, turned down all their offers and challenged 
them to do whatever they pleased.! 2 ) Historical resources do not give the 
exact date of these two meetings with Abu Talib. They, however, seem 
more likely to have taken place in the sixth year of Prophethood with a brief 
lapse of time in between. 

The Tyrants* Decision to kill the Prophet 

Now that all the schemes and conspiracies of Quraish had failed, they 
resorted to their old practices of persecution and inflicting tortures on the 


['llbn Hisham, 1/265. 
Pllbn Hisham, 1/266. 


- 105 - 



Muslims in a more serious and brutal manner than ever before. They also 
began to nurse the idea of killing the Prophet ^ . In fact, contrary to 

their expectations, this new method and this very idea served indirectly to 
consolidate the Call to Islam and support it with the conversion of two 
staunch and mighty heroes of Makkah, i.e. Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib and 
‘Umar bin Al-Khattab «ui 

‘Utaibah bin Abi Lahab once approached the Prophet ^ «iii ^ and 
most defiantly and brazenly shouted at him, “I disbelieve in: “By the star 
when it goes down.” [53:1] and in “Then he (Gabriel) approached and came 
closer.” [53:8] In other words: “I do not believe in any of the Qur’an.” He 
then started to deal highhandedly with Muhammad ^ w* «jji and laid 
violent hand on him, tore his shirt and spat into his face but his saliva 
missed the Holy face of the Prophet fL., «u< . Thereupon, the Prophet 

^ «ui jL. invoked Allah’s wrath on ‘Utaibah and supplicated: 

tduW Ija 6s 4* fjbi» 

“O Allah! Set one of Your dogs on him.” 

Allah responded positively to Muhammad’s supplication, and it 
happened in the following manner: Once ‘Utaibah with some of his 
compatriots from Quraish set out for Syria and took accommodation in 
Az-Zarqa’. There a lion approached the group to the great fear of‘Utbah, 
who at once recalled Muhammad’s words in supplication, and said: “Woe to 
my brother! This lion will surely devour me just as Muhammad 
supplicated. He has really killed me in Syria while he is in Makkah.” The 
lion did really rush like lightning, snatched ‘Utbah from amongst his people 
and crushed his head.!'! 

It is also reported that a wretched idolater from Quraish, named ‘Uqbah 
bin ‘Abi Mu‘ait once trod on the Prophet’s neck while he was prostrating 
himself in prayer until his eyes protruded.PI 

More details reported by Ibn Ishaq testify to the tyrants’ deeply- 
established intentions of killing the Prophet ,j_, un ^ . Abu Jahl, the 


I'lTafheem-ul-Qur’an, 6/522; 

Quoted from Al-Isti‘ab, Al-Isaba, Dala’il An-Nubuwwah, etc. 
PlMukhtasar Seerat Ar-RasooL, p.l 13. 


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archenemy of Islam, once addressed some of his accomplices: “O people of 
Quraish! It seems that Muhammad ^ «<u 4» ^ is determined to go on finding 
fault with our religion, degrading our forefathers, discrediting our way of 
life and abusing our gods. I bear witness to our god that I will carry a too 
heavy rock and drop it on Muhammad’s head while he is in prostration to 
rid you of him, once and for all. I am not afraid of whatever his sept, Banu 
‘Abd Munaf, might do.” The terrible unfortunate audience endorsed his plan 
and encouraged him to translate it into a decisive deed. 


In the morning of the following day, Abu Jahl lay waiting for the arrival 
of the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ «ui ^ to offer prayer. The people of Quraish 
were in their assembly rooms waiting for news. When the Prophet 
prostrated himself, Abu Jahl proceeded carrying the big rock to fulfill his 
wicked intention. No sooner had he approached closer to the Prophet 
fiwj an than he withdraw pale-faced, shuddering with his hands strained 
the rock falling off Thereupon, the people watching hurried forward asking 
him what the matter was. He replied: “When I approached, a male-camel 
unusual in figure with fearful canines intercepted and almost devoured me.” 
Ibn Ishaq reported that the Prophet ,jl~, «jii in the context of his 
comment on the incident, said “It was Gabriel f *_ji vj», if Abu Jahl had 
approached closer, he would have killed him.1'1” Even so the tyrants of 
Quraish would not be admonished, contrariwise, the idea of killing the 
Prophet fi—j 4^u <jm was still being nourished in their iniquitous hearts. On 
the authority of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As, some people of Quraish 
were in a place called Al-Hijr complaining that they had been too patient 
with the Prophet ^ 4» ^, who suddenly appeared and began his usual 

circumambulation. They started to wink at him and utter sarcastic remarks 
but he remained silent for two times, then on the third, he stopped and 
addressed the infidels saying: 


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“O people of Quraish! Hearken, I swear by Allah in Whose 
Hand is my soul, that you will one day be slaughtered to 


I'llbn Hisham, 1/298. 


- 107 - 



pieces. As soon as the Prophet ^ 4<u <in jl. uttered his word of 
slaughter, they all stood aghast and switched off to a new style 
of language smacking of fear and even horror trying to soothe 
his anger and comfort him saying: “You can leave Abul Qasim, 
for you have never been foolish.”! 1 ! 

‘Urwa bin Az-Zubair narrated: I asked Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As to 
tell me of the worst thing that the pagans did to the Prophet ^ «ui ^. He 
said: “While the Prophet ^ *j* 4 uj* was praying in Al-Hijr of Al-Ka‘bah, 
‘Uqbah bin Al-Mu‘ait came and put his garment around the Prophet’s neck 
and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr came and caught him by his shoulder 
and pushed him away from the Prophet an and said: “Do you want 

to kill a man just because he says. My Lord is A113h?”Pl 

The Conversion of Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib: 

In a gloomy atmosphere infested with dark clouds of iniquity and 
tyranny, there shone on the horizon a promising light for the oppressed, i.e. 
the conversion of Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib in Dhul Hijjah, the sixth 
year of Prophethood. It is recorded that the Prophet ^ v* an jl. was one day 
seated on the hillock of Safa when Abu Jahl happened to pass by and 
accused the religion preached by him. M uhammad ^ an jl. , however, 
kept silent and did not utter a single word. Abu Jahl went on unchecked, 
took a stone and cracked the Prophet’s head which began to bleed. The 
aggressor then went to join the Quraishites in their assembly place. It so 
happened that shortly after that, Hamzah, while returning from a hunting 
expedition, passed by the same way, his bow han g in g by his shoulder. A 
slave-girl belonging to ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an, who had noted the 
impertinence of Abu Jahl, told him the whole story of the attack on the 
Prophet . On hearing that, Hamzah was deeply offended and 

hurried to Al-Ka‘bah and there, in the courtyard of die Holy Sanctuary, 
found Abu Jahl sitting with a company of Quraishites, Hamzah rushed upon 
him and struck his bow upon his head violently and said: “Ah! You have 
been abusing Muhammad ^ v* an ; I too follow his religion and profess 
what he preaches.” The men of Bani Makhzum came to his help, and men of 
Bani Hashim wanted to render help, but Abu Jahl sent diem away saying: 


!*! Ibn Hisham, 1/289. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/544. 


- 108 - 



“Let Abu ‘Ummarah alone, by Allah I did revile his nephew shamelessly.”!!! 
In fact, Hamzah’s conversion derived initially from the pride of a man who 
would not accept the notion of others humiliating his relative. Later on, 
however, Allah purified his nature and he managed to grasp the most 
trustworthy hand-hold (Faith in Allah). He proved to be a source of great 
strength to the Islamic Faith and its followers.! 2 ! 


The Conversion of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab: 


Another significant addition to the strength of Islam was the conversion 
of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab in Dhul-Hijjah, the sixth year ofProphethood, 
three days following the conversion of Hamzah.! 3 ! He was a man of 
dauntless courage and resolution, feared and respected in Makkah, and 
hitherto a bitter opponent of the new religion. The traditional account 
reveals that the Prophet ^ ^ *ui ^ once raised his hands in prayer and said: 


1 jt v uLUi dJ-i f&yi *?) 

<y. 


“O Allah! Give strength to Islam especially through either of 
two men you love more: ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin 
Hisham.” 


‘Umar, obviously, was the one who merited that privilege.! 4 ! 

When we scrutinize the several versions that speak of ‘Umar’s 
conversion, we can safely conclude that various contradictory emotions 
used to conflict with one another within his soul. On the one hand, he used 
to highly regard the traditions of his people, and was habituated to the 
practice of indulgence in wine orgies; on the other hand, he greatly admired 
the stamina of the Muslims and their relentless dedication to their faith. 
These two extreme views created a sort of skepticism in his mind and made 
him at times tend to believe that the doctrines of Islam could bear better and 
more sacred seeds of life, that is why he would always experience fits of 


!'! Ibn Hisham, 1/291; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 1/68; Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 66. 
PlMukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 101. 

PlTareekh ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, p.l 1. 

WAt-Tirmidhi, 2/209 


- 109 - 



outrage directly followed by unexpected enervationl'l. On the whole, the 
account of his conversion is very interesting and requires us to go into some 
details. 


One day, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab set out from his house, and headed for 
the Holy Sanctuary where he saw the Prophet ^ <ui j*. offering prayer and 
overheard him reciting the Surah Al-Haqqah (Chapter 69 — The Reality) of 
the Noble Qur’an. The Words of Allah appealed to him and touched the 
innermost cells of his heart. He felt that they derived from unusual 
composition, and he began to question his people’s allegations as regards 
the man-composed poetry or words of a soothsayer that they used to attach 
to the Noble Qur’an. The Prophet ^ <111 went on to recite: 






4^-*^ «1>J J* o 

“That this is verily the word of an honoured Messenger (i.e. 
Gabriel or Muhammad (i—, <ji< j*. which he has brought from 
Allah). It is not the word of a poet, little is that you believe! Nor 
is it the word of a soothsayer (or a foreteller), little is that you 
remember! This is the Revelation sent down from the Lord of 
the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).” [69:40-43] 


At that very moment, Islam permeated his heart. PI However, the dark 
layer of pre-Islamic tendencies, the deep-seated traditional bigotry as well 
as the blind pride in his forefathers overshadowed the essence of the great 
Truth that began to feel its way reluctantly into his heart. He, therefore, 
persisted in his atrocities against Islam and its adherents unmindful of the 
pure and true-to-man’s nature feeling that lay behind that fragile cover of 
pre-Islamic ignorance and mentality. His sharp temper and excessive enmity 
towards the Prophet ^ <ui led him one day to leave his house, sword in 
hand, with the intention of killing the Prophet ^ <111 j*. He was in a fit of 

anger and was fretting and fuming. Nu‘aim bin ‘Abdullah, a friend of 
‘Umar’s, met him accidentally half way. What had caused so much 
excitement in him and on whom was the fury to burst, he inquired casually. 
‘Umar said furiously: “To destroy the man Muhammad (^ <^> «ui ^) this 


UlFiqh As-Seerah, pp. 92,93. 
PlTareekh ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, p.6. 


- 110 - 



apostate, who has shattered the unity of Quraish, picked holes in their 
religion, found folly with their wise men and blasphemed their gods.” 
"‘Umar, I am sure, your soul has deceived you, do you think that Banu ‘ Abd 
Munaf would let you walk on earth if you slain Muhammad *_' i jJl 

Why don’t you take care of your own family first and set them right?” 

“Which of the folk of my house?” asked ‘Umar angrily. “Your brother- 
in-law and your sister have apostatized (meaning to say: They have become 
followers of Muhammad ^ u* jJ) and abandoned your religion.” 

‘Umar directed his footsteps to his sister’s house. As he drew near, he 
heard the voice of Khabbab bin Aratt, who was reading the Qur’anic 
Chapter Td-Hd (mystic letters, T. H.) to both of them. Khabbab, perceiving 
the noise of his footsteps retired to a closet. Fatimah, ‘Umar’s sister, took 
hold of the leaf and hid it. But ‘Umar had already heard the voice. “What 
sound was that I have heard just now?” shouted the son of Khattab, entering 
angrily. Both his sister and her husband replied, “You heard nothing.” 
“Nay,” said he swearing fiercely, “I have heard that you have apostatized.” 
He plunged forward towards his brother-in-law and beat him severely, but 
Fatimah rushed to the rescue of her husband. Thereupon,‘Umar fell upon 
his sister and struck upon her head. The husband and wife could not contain 
themselves and cried aloud: “Yes, we are Muslims, we believe in Allah and 
His Messenger Muhammad ^ <ui ^ so do what you will.” When ‘Umar 
saw the face of his dear sister besmeared with blood, he was softened and 
said: “Let me see what you were reading, so that I may see what 
Muhammad fi —, «_<u *jii has brought.” Fatimah was satisfied with the 
assurance, but said: “O brother, you are unclean on account of your idolatry, 
none but the pure may touch it. So go and wash first.” He did so, and took 
the page and read the opening verses of the Chapter Td-Hd until he reached: 





“Verily! I am Allah! La ildha ilia Ana (none has the right to be 
worshipped but I), so worship Me and offer prayers perfectly 
( Iqdmat-as-Saldt ), for My Remembrance.” [20:14]. 

‘Umar read the verses with great interest and was much entranced with 
them. “How excellent it is, and how graceful! Please guide me to 
M uham mad , } <_di said he. And when he heard that, Khabbab came 


- 111 - 



out of concealment and said, “O ‘Umar, I hope that Alltih has answered the 
prayer of the Prophet fU, ^ <ui ^, for I heard him say: ‘O Allah! Strengthen 
Islam through either ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham.’” 
‘Umar then left for a house in Safa where M uhammad ^ ^ an had been 
holding secret meetings along with his Companions. ‘Umar reached that 
place with the sword swinging by his arm. He knocked at the door. The 
Companions of the Prophet fU, an turned to see who the intruder was. 
One of them peeped through a chink in the door and reeled back exclaiming: 
“It is ‘Umar with his sword.” Hamzah, dispelling the fears of his friends, 
said: “Let him in. As a friend he is welcome. As a foe, he will have his head 
cut off with his own sword.” The Prophet ^ «ut asked his Companions 
to open the door. In came the son of Khattab. The Prophet ^ an j*. 
advanced to receive the dreadful visitor, caught him by his garment and 
scabbard, and asked him the reason of his visit. At that ‘Umar replied: “O 
Messenger of Allah ^ an ^, I come to you in order to believe in Allah 
and his Messenger and that which he has brought from his Lord.” Filled 
with delight, Muhammad ^ «jn together with his Companibns, cried 
aloud: ‘Allahu Akbar ’ (Allah is Great).!') 

The conversion of ‘Umar was areal triumph for the cause of Islam. So 
great and instant was the effect of his conversion on the situation that the 
believers who had hitherto worshipped Allah within their four walls in 
secret now assembled and performed their rites of worship openly in the 
Holy Sanctuary itself. This raised their spirits, and dread and uneasiness 
began to seize Quraish. 

Ibn Ishaq narrated on the authority of ‘Umar a* an ^ “When I embraced 
Islam, I remembered the archenemy of Muhammad ^ ^ an , i.e. Abu 
Jahl. I set out, and knocked at his door. When he came out to see me, I told 
him directly that I had embraced Islam. He immediately slammed the door 
repulsively denouncing my move as infamous and my face as ugly.” In fact, 
‘Umar’s conversion created a great deal of stir in Makkah that some people 
denounced him as an apostate, yet he would never waver in Faith, on the 
contrary, he persisted in his stance even at the peril of his life. The 
polytheists of Quraish marched towards his house with the intention of 
killing him. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar an ^ narrated:“While ‘Umar was at 


I'lTareekh ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, pp. 7-11; Ibn Hisham, 1/343. 


- 112 - 




home in a state of fear, there came Al-‘As bin Wa’il As-Sahmy Abu ‘Amr, 
wearing an embroidered cloak and a shirt having silk hems. He was from 
the tribe of Bani Sahm who were our allies during the pre-Islamic period of 
ignorance. Al-‘As said to ‘Umar: What’s wrong with you? He said: Your 
people claim that they will kill me if I become a Muslim. Al-‘As said: 
Nobody will harm you after I have given protection to you. So Al-‘As went 
out and met the people streaming in the whole valley. He said: Where are 
you going? They replied: We want son of Al-Khattab who has embraced 
Islam. Al-*As said: There is no way for anybody to touch him. So the people 
retreated.Pl 

With respect to the Muslims in Makkah, ‘Umar’s conversion had a 
different tremendous impact Mujahid, on the authority of IbnAl-‘Abbas 
i uii related that he had asked ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab why he had been 
given the epithet of Al-Farouque (he who distinguishes truth from 
falsehood), he replied: After I had embraced Islam, I asked the Prophet 
^ on ‘Aren’t we on the right path here and Hereafter?’ The Prophet 

( i j .j. .ih^i. answered: ‘Of course you are! I swear by Allah in Whose Hand 
my soul is, that you are right in this world and in the hereafter.’ I, therefore, 
asked the Prophet ^ on ^ ‘Why we then had to conduct clandestine 
activism. I swear by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth, that we will 
leave our concealment and proclaim our noble cause publicly.’We then 
went out in two groups, Hamzah leading one and I the other. We headed for 
the Mosque in broad daylight when the polytheists of Quraish saw us, their 
faces went pale and got incredibly depressed and resentful. On that very 
occasion, the Prophet ^ .uii attached to me the epithet of Al-Farouque. 
Ibn Mas‘ud o. ^ related that they (the Muslims) had never been able to 
observe their religious rites inside the Holy Sanctuary except when ‘Umar 
embraced Islam. PI 

S uhaib bin Sinan <ui ^j, in the same context, said that it was only after 
‘Umar’s conversion, that we started to proclaim our Call, assemble around 
and circ umamb ulate the Sacred House freely. We even dared retaliate 
against some of the injustices done to harm us. In the same context, Ibn 


11] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/545; Ibn Hisham, 1/349. 

P] Ibn Hisham; Tareekh ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, p. 13; Mukhtasar As-Seerah, p. 103. 


- 113 - 



Mas‘ud said: We have been strengthened a lot since ‘Umar embraced 
Islam. 

Quraish’s Representative negotiates with the Messenger of Allah 

Shortly after the conversion of these two powerful heroes, Hamzah bin 
‘Abdul-Muttalib and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab u^e <jji the clouds of tyranny 
and oppression started to clear away and the polytheists realized that it was 
no use meting out torture to the Muslims. They consequently began to direct 
their campaign to a different course. The authentic records of the biography 
of the Prophet ^ *ui ^ show that it had occurred to the Makkan leaders to 
credit Muhammad ^ uji ^ with ambition. They, therefore, time and 
again plied him with temptation. One day some of the important men of 
Makkah gathered in the enclosure of Al-Ka‘bah, and‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, a 
chief among them, offered to approach the Prophet ^ *ui ^ and contract 
a bargain with him whereby they give him whatever worldly wealth he asks 
for, on condition that he keep silent and no longer proclaim his new faith. 
The people of Quraish endorsed his proposal and requested him to 
undertake that task. ‘Utbah came closer to Muhammad (Jl-j «_ui and 
addressed him in the following words: 

We have seen no other man of Arabia, who has brought so great a 
calamity to a nation, as you have done. You have outraged our gods and 
religion and taxed our forefathers and wise men with impiety and error and 
created strife amongst us. You have left no stone unturned to estrange the 
relations with us. If you are doing all this with a view to getting wealth, we 
will join together to give you greater riches than any Quraishite has 
possessed. If ambition moves you, we will make you our chief. If you desire 
kingship we will readily offer you that. If you are under the power of an evil 
spirit which seems to haunt and dominate you so that you cannot shake off 
its yoke, then we shall call in skilful physicians to cure you. 

“Have you said all?” asked Muhammad *ui and then hearing that 
all had been said, he spoke forth, and said: 



- 114 - 



“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 
Ha-Mim. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’an, 
and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. A revelation 
from Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. A Book 
whereof the verses are explained in detail; — a Qur’an in Arabic 
for people who know. Giving glad tidings [of Paradise to the 
one who believes in the Oneness of Allah (i.e. Islamic 
Monotheism) and fears Allah much (abstains from all kinds of 
sins and evil deeds.) and loves Allah much (performing all kinds 
of good deeds which He has ordained)], and warning (of 
punishment in the Hell-fire to the one who disbelieves in the 
Oneness of Allah), but most of them turn away, so they listen 
not. And they say: Our hearts are under coverings (screened) 
from that to which you invite us ...” [41: 1-5] 

The Messenger of Allah ^ ^ went on reciting the Chapter while 

‘Utbah sitting and listening attentively with his hand behind his back to 
support him. When the Messenger reached the verse that required 
prostration, he immediately prostrated himself. After that, he turned to 
‘Utbah saying: “Well Abu Al-Waleed! You have heard my reply, you are 
now free to do whatever you please.” ‘Utbah then retired to his company to 
apprise them of the Prophet’s attitude. When his compatriots saw him, they 
swore that he had returned to them with a countenance unlike the one he had 
before meeting the Prophet ^ <jji ^ . He immediately communicated to 
them the details of the talk he gave and the reply he received, and appended 
saying: “I have never heard words similar to those ones he recited. They 
definitely relate neither to poetry nor to witchcraft nor do they derive from 
soothsaying. O people of Quraish! I request you to heed my advice and 
grant the man full freedom to pursue his goals, in which case you could 
safely detach yourselves from him. I swear that his words bear a supreme 
Message. Should the other Arabs rid you of him, they will then spare you 
the trouble, on the other hand if he accedes to power over the Arabs, then 
you will bask in his kingship and share him his might.” These words of 
course fell on deaf ears, and did not appeal to the infidels, who jeered at 
‘Utbah and claimed that the Prophet ^ <jji ^ had bewitched him.l'l 


[>1 Ibn Hisham, 1/293,294. 


- 115 - 



In another version of the same event, it is related that ‘Utbah went on 
attentively listening to the Prophet ^ *jui until the latter began to recite 
Allah’s Words: 




“But if they turn away, they say (O Muhammad ^ * 1 * «w ^): “I 
have warned you of a Sa 'iqa (a destructive awfbl cry, torment, 
hit, a thunder-bolt) like the Sa'iqa which overtook ‘Ad and 
Thamud (people).” [41:13] 

Here ‘Utbah stood up panicked and stunned putting his hand on the 
Prophet’s mouth beseeching him: “I beg you in the Name of Allah and 
uterine ties to stop lest the calamity should befall the people of Quraish.” He 
then hurriedly returned to his compatriots and informed them of what he had 
heard.!') 


Abu Talib assembles Bani Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib: 

The new and welcome changes notwithstanding, Abu Talib still had a 
deep sensation of fear over his nephew. He deliberated on the previous 
series of incidents including the barter affair of‘Amarah bin Al-Waleed, 
Abu Jahl’s rock, ‘Uqbah’s attempt to choke the Prophet ^ , and 

finally ‘Umar’s (before conversion) intention to kill M uhammad ^ .m j. 

The wise man understood that all of these unequivocally smacked of a 
serious plot being hatched to disregard his status as a custodian of the 
Prophet fa *ui , and kill the latter publicly. In the event of such a thing, 
Abu Talib deeply believed, neither ‘Umar nor Hamzah would be of any 
avail, socially powerful though they were.Pl 

Abu Talib was right. The polytheists had laid a carefully-studied plan to 
kill the Prophet ^ uii ^ , and banded together to put their plan into 
effect. He, therefore, assembled his kinsfolk of Bani Hashim and Bani 
Al-Muttalib, sons of ‘Abd Munaf and exhorted them to immuniz e and 
defend his nephew. All of them, whether believers or disbelievers, 
responded positively except his brother Abu Lahab, who sided with the 
idolaters. 


t*l Tafseer Ibn Kathir, 6/159-161. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 1/269; Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-RasooL, p. 106. 


- 116 - 



General Social Boycott 


Four events of special significance occurred within less than four weeks 
— the conversion of Hamzah, the conversion of ‘Umar, Muhammad’s 

^ «jji jX. refusal to negotiate any sort of compromise and then the pact 
drawn up between Banu Muttalib and Banu Hashim to immunize 
Muhammad ^ and shield him against any treacherous attempt to 

kill him. The polytheists were baffled and at a loss as to what course they 
would follow to rid themselves of this obstinate and relentless obstacle that 
had appeared to shatter to pieces their whole tradition of life. They had 
already been aware that if they killed Muhammad ^<* 1 * *ui their blood 
would surely flow profusely in the valleys of Makkah and they would 
certainly be exterminated. Taking this dreadful prospect into consideration, 
they grudgingly resorted to a different iniquitous course that would not 
imply murder. 

A Pact of Injustice and Aggression: 

The pagans of Makkah held a meeting in a place called Wadi 
Al-Muhassab, and formed a confederation hostile to both Bani Hashim and 
Bani Al-Muttalib. They decided not to have any business dealings with 
them nor any sort of inter-marriage. Social relations, visits and even verbal 
contacts with Muhammad ^ *ui and his supporters would discontinue 
until the Prophet ^ -jji was given up to them to be killed. The articles 
of their proclamation, which had provided for merciless measures against 
Bani Hashim, were committed to writing by an idolater, Bagheed bin ‘Amir 
bin Hashim and then suspended in Al-Ka‘bah. The Prophet ^ ^ -jji 
invoked Allah’s imprecations upon Bagheed, whose hand was later 
paralysed.!') 

Abu Talib wisely and quietly took stock of the situation and decided to 
withdraw to a valley on the eastern outskirts of Makkah. Banu Hashim and 
Banu Al-Muttalib, who followed suit, were thus confined within a narrow 
pass (Shi‘b of Abu Talib), from the beginning of Muharram, the seventh 
year of Muhammad’s mission till the tenth year, viz., a period of three years. 
It was a stifling siege. The supply of food was almost stopped and the 


[*1 7M Al-Ma‘ad, 2/46. 


- 117 - 


A 


people in confinement faced great hardships. The idolaters used to buy 
whatever food commodities entered Makkah lest they should leak to the 
people in Ash-Shi‘b, who were so overstrained that they had to eat leaves of 
trees and skins of animals. Cries of little children suffering from hunger 
used to be heard clearly. Nothing to eat reached them except, on few 
occasions, some meagre quantities of food were smuggled by some 
compassionate Makkans. During ‘the prohibited months’ — when hostilities 
traditionally ceased, they would leave their confinement and buy food 
coming from outside Makkah. Even then, the food stuff was unjustly 
overpriced so that their financial situation would fall short of finding access 
to it. 

Hakeem bin Hizam was once on his way to smuggle some wheat to his 
aunt Khadijah i«i» «ui ^ when Abu Jahl intercepted and wanted to debar him. 
Only when Al-Bukhtari intervened, did Hakeem manage to reach his 
destination. Abu Talib was so much concerned about the personal safety of 
his nephew. Whenever people retired to sleep, he would ask the Prophet 
fi-, <j)i ^ to lie in his place, but when all the others fell asleep, he would 
order him to change his place and take another, all of which in an attempt to 
trick a potential assassin. 

Despite all odds, Muhammad ^ «jui ^ persisted in his line and his 
determination and courage never weakened. He continued to go to 
Al-Ka‘bah and to pray publicly. He used every opportunity to preach to 
outsiders who visited Makkah for business or on pilgrimage during the 
sacred months and special seasons of assemblies. 

This situation ultimately created dissension amongst the various Makkan 
factions, who were tied with the besieged people by blood relations. After 
three years of blockade and in Muharram, the tenth year of Muhammad’s 
mission, the pact was broken. Hisham bin ‘Amr, who used to smuggle some 
food to Bani Hashim secretly at night, went to see Zuhair bin Abi Omaiyah 
Al-Makhzoumy and reproached him for resigning to that intolerable 
treatment meted out to his uncles in exile. The latter pleaded impotence, but 
agreed to work with Hisham and form a pressure group that would secure 
the extrication of the exiles. On the ground of motivation by uterine 
relations, there emerged a group of five people who set out to abrogate the 
pact and declare all relevant clauses null and void. They were Hisham bin 
‘Amr, Zuhair bin Abi Omaiya, Al-Mut‘im bin ‘Adi, Abu Al-Bukhtari and 


Zam‘a bin Al-Aswad. They decided to meet in their assembly place and 
start their self-charged mission from the very precinct of the Sacred House. 
Zuhair, after circumambulating seven times, along with his colleagues 
approached the hosts of people there and rebuked them for indulging in the 
amenities of life whereas their kith and kin of Bani Hashim were perishing 
on account of starvation and economic boycott. They swore they would 
never relent until the parchment of boycott was tom to piece and the pact 
broken at once. Abu Jahl, standing nearby, retorted that it would never be 
tom. Zam‘a was infuriated and accused Abu Jahl of telling lies, adding that 
the pact was established and the parchment was written without seeking 
their approval. Al-Bukhtari intervened and backed Zam‘a. Al-Mut‘im bin 
‘Adi and Hisham bin ‘Amr attested to the truthfulness of their two 
companions. Abu Jahl, with a cunning attempt to liquidate the hot argument 
that was running counter to his malicious goals, answered that the issue had 
already been resolved sometime and somewhere before. 

Abu Talib meanwhile was sitting in a comer of the Mosque. He came to 
communicate to them that a Revelation had been sent to his nephew, the 
Prophet fi— } <_ui ^ to the effect that ants had eaten away all their 
proclamation that smacked of injustice and aggression except those parts 
that bore the Name of Allah. He contended that he would be ready to give 
Muhammad ^ «jh up to them if his words proved undue, otherwise, 

they would have to recant and repeal their boycott. The Makkans agreed to 
the soundness of his proposition. Al-Mut‘im went to see the parchment and 
there he did discover that it was eaten away by ants and nothing was left 
save the part bearing (in the Name of Allah). 

The proclamation was thus abrogated, and Muhammad ^ an and 
the other people were permitted to leave Ash-Sh‘ib and return home. In the 
context of this trial to which the Muslims were subjected, the polytheists 
had a golden opportunity to experience a striking sign of Muhammad’s 
Prophethood (the white ants eating away the parchment) but to their 
miserable lot they desisted and augmented in disbelief: 



“But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say ‘This is 
continuous magic.” [54:2]t'l 


PI Sahih Al-Bukhari (in several chapters); Z&d Al-Ma‘ad, 2/46; Ibn Hisham, 1/350. 


- 119 - 



The Final Phase of the Diplomacy of Negotiation 

The Messenger of Allah ^ uii ^ left his confinement and went on 
preaching his Faith as usual. Quraish, likewise, repealed the boycott but 
went on in their atrocities and oppression on the Muslims. Abu Talib, the 
octogenarian notable, was still keen on shielding his nephew but by that 
time, and on account of the series of tremendous events and continual pains, 
he began to develop certain fits of weakness. No sooner had he emerged 
victorious from the inhuman boycott, than he was caught in a persistent 
illness and physical enervation. The polytheists of Makkah, seeing this 
serious situation and fearing that the stain of infamy that the other Arabs 
could attribute to them in case they took any aggressive action against the 
Prophet , 1 -, uji ^ after he had lost his main support, Abu Talib, took a 
decision to negotiate with the Prophet fU, <ui once more and submit 
some concessions withheld previously. They then delegated some 
representatives to see Abu Talib and discuss the issue with him . Ibn Ishaq 
and others related: “When a serious illness caught Abu Talib, the people of 
Quraish began to deliberate on the situation and reviewed the main features 
that characterized that period and which included the conversion of‘Umar 
and Hamzah to Islam, coupled with the tremendous stir that Muhammad 
^ had created amongst all the tribes of Quraish. They then deemed 
it imperative to see Abu Talib befq^ he died to pressure his nephew to 
negotiate a compromise on the various disputed points. They were afraid 
that the other Arabs might attribute to them the charge of opportunism.” 

The delegation of Quraish comprised 25 men including notables like 
‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, Shaibah bin Rabi‘a, Abu Jahl bin Hisham, Omaiyah bin 
Khalaf, Abu Sufyan bin Harb. They first paid tribute to him and confirmed 
their high esteem of his person and position among them. They then shifted 
to the new give-and-take policy that they claimed they wanted to follow. To 
substantiate their argument they alleged that they would refrain from 
intervening in his religion if he did the same. 

Abu Talib summoned his nephew and apprised him of die minutes of his 
meeting with them, and said: “Well, my nephew, here are the celebrities of 
your people. They have proposed this meeting to submit a policy of mutual 


- 120 - 



concessions and peaceful coexistence.” The Messenger of Allah ^.< 1 ** 111 ,^ 
turned to diem saying: 


C-jtaj ^4* jl jUjjl* 


“I will guide you to the means by which you will gain 
sovereignty over both the Arabs and non-Arabs.” 


In another version, the Prophet <l. s addressed Abu Talib in the 

following words: “O uncle! Why don’t you call them unto something 
better?” Abu Talib asked him, “What is it that you invite them to?” The 
Prophet fL-, «jii jj- replied, “I invite them to hold fast to a Message that is 
bound to give them access to kingship over the Arabs and non-Arabs.” 
According to Ibn Ishaq’s version, “It is just one word that will give you 
supremacy over the Arabs and non-Arabs.” The Makkan deputies were 
taken by incredible surprise and began to wonder what sort of word was that 
which would benefit them to that extent. Abu Jahl asked, “What is that 
word? I swear by your father that we will surely grant you your wish 
followed by ten times as much.” He said, “I want you to testify that there is 
no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah, and then divest yourselves of 
any sort of worship you harbour for any deities other than Allah.” They 
immediately clapped their hands in ridicule, and said “How can you expect 
us to combine all the deities in one God. It is really something incredible.” 
On their way out leaving, they said to one another, “By god this man 
(Muhammad ^ *_ui ) will never relent, nor will he offer any 
concessions. Let us hold fast to the religion of our forefathers, and Allah 
will in due course adjudicate and settle the dispute between us and him.” As 
regards this incident, Allah revealed the following verses: 


£ O S*. ojull ^ 

£j\'j£ I jl* Jlij ^ O ijw Cj'Jj 

M o 3# ’■& & k Ki W & o 

^ ir^'l 


“Sad: [These letters (Sad, etc.) are one of the miracles of the 
Qur’an and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. By 


- 121 - 



the Qur’an full of reminding. Nay, those who disbelieve are in 
false pride and opposition. How many a generation We have 
destroyed before them, and they cried out when there was no 
longer time for escape! And they (Arab pagans) wonder that a 
wamer (Prophet Muhammad ^ «ui jJ) has come to them from 
among themselves! And the disbelievers say, ‘This (Prophet 
Muhammad is a sorcerer, a liar. Has he made the 

gods (all) into One God (Allah). Verily, this is a curious thing!’ 
And the leaders among them went about (saying): ‘Go on, and 
remain constant to your gods! Verily, this is a thing designed 
(against you)! We have not heard (the like) of this among the 
people of these later days. This is nothing but an invention.’” 
[38:1-7]['J 


t') Ibn Hisham, 1/417-419; Tafheem-ul-Qur’Sn, 4/316; Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p.91. 



The Year of Grief 


Abu Talib’s Death: 


In Rajabt'!, the tenth year of the Prophethood, Abu Talib fell ill and 
passed away, six months after leaving the confinement at Ash-Sh‘ib. In 
another version, Abu Talib breathed his last in Ramadan, three days prior to 
the death of Khadijah w* «u. ^. On the authority of Al-Musaiyab, when Abu 
Talib was on the death bed, the Prophet ft., *ui ^ entered the room where 
he saw Abu Jahl and ‘Abdullah bin Abi Omaiyah. He requested his uncle: 


«4»i% 4, /-it ^ii aij Si tjU ,ii» 


“My uncle, you just make a profession that there is no true god 
but Allah, and I will bear testimony before AMh (of your being 
a believer)”. 


Abu Jahl and ‘Abdullah bin Abi Omaiyah addressing him said: “Abu 
Talib, would you abandon the religion of 4 Abdul-Muttalib?” The Messenger 
of Allah fL., < 1 ) 1 ^ constantly requested him (to accept his offer), and (on 
the other hand) was repeated the same statement (of Abu Jahl and ‘Abdullah 
bin Abi Omaiyah) — till Abu Talib gave his final decision and he stuck to 
the religion of ‘Abdul-Muttalib and refused to profess that there is no true 
god but Allah. Upon this the Messenger of Allah ^ «di ^l. remarked: 




“By Allah, I will persistently beg pardon for you till I am 
forbidden to do so (by Allah)”. 


It was then that Allah, the Magnificent and Glorious revealed this verse: 



“It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask 
Allah’s forgiveness for the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, 
pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allih) even though they 


l'l Tareekh Al-Islam, 1/120. 


- 123 - 



be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the 
dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief).” 
[9:113] 

And it was said to the Messenger of Allah ^ 4111 

“Verily! You (O Muhammad guide not whom you 

like.” [28:56]H1 

It goes without saying that Abu Talib was very much attached to 
Muhammad ,jl.j «jji ^ . For forty years, Abu Talib had been the faithful 
friend — the prop of his childhood, the guardian of his youth and in later 
life a very tower of defence. The sacrifices to which Abu Talib exposed 
himself and his family for the sake of his nephew, while yet incredulous of 
his mission, stamp his character as singularly noble and unselfish. The 
Prophet , 0 -, did his best to persuade-his octogenarian uncle to make 

profession of the true faith, but he remained obdurate and stuck to the 
paganism of his forefathers, and thus could not achieve complete success. 
APAbbas bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib narrated that he said to the Prophet ^ 

“You have not been of any avail to your uncle (Abu Talib) (though) by 
Allah, he used to protect you and get angry on your behalf.” The Prophet 
(JL-, «jji ^ said: “He is in a shallow fire, and had it not been for me, he 
would have been at the bottom of the (Hell) Fire.”Pl 

Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri narrated that he heard the Prophet ^ <ui ^ say, 
when the mention of his uncle was made, “I hope that my intercession may 
avail him, and he be placed in a shallow fire that rises up only to his 
heels.”I3] 

Khadijah passes away to the Mercy of Allih: 

Only two months after the death of his uncle, did the Messenger of Allah 
«jii experience another great personal loss viz., the Mother of 
believers, his wife Khadijah passed away in Ramadan of the tenth year of 


t»l Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/548. 
PI ibid. 

PI ibid. 


- 124 - 



his Prophethood, when she was sixty-five years old, and he was fiftyl 1 1. 
Khadijah was in fact a blessing of Allah for the Prophet , 1 ^ «*!* ju. She, for 
twenty-five years, shared with him the toils and trials of life, especially in 
the first ten years of his ministry of Prophethood. He deeply mourned over 
her death, and once he replied in an honest burst of tender emotions: 


‘o- 


1131 








U Lfi 


l» 


tfj Jff C^: ty* (J, 

jS* ,x)^ 


“She believed in me when none else did. She embraced Islam 
when people disbelieved me. And she helped and comforted me 
in her person and wealth when there was none else to lend me a 
helping hand. I had children from her only.”! 2 ! 


Abu Hurairah reported that Gabriel came to Allah’s Messenger ^ <ni 
and said: “Allah’s Messenger, lo, Khadijah is coming to you with a vessel 
of seasoned food or drink. When she comes to you, offer her greetings from 
her Lord, and give her glad tidings of a palace of jewels in Paradise where 
there is no noise and no toil.”! 3 ! 


These two painful events took place within a short lapse of time and 
added a lot to his grief and suffering. The Makkans now openly declared 
their campaign of torture and oppression. The Prophet ^ *jji lost all 
hope of bringing them back to the right path, so he set out for Al-Ta’if 
seeking a supportive atmosphere. But there too, he was disappointed and he 
sustained unbearable tortures and maltreatment that far outweighed his 
miserable situation in his native town. 


His Companions were on equal footing subjected to unspeakable torture 
and unbearable oppression to such an extent that his closest friend, Abu 
Bakr, to escape pressure, fled out of Makkah and wanted to leave for 
Abyssinia (Ethiopia) if it were not for Ibn Ad-Daghanah who met him at 


U1 Talqeeh Fuhoom.Ahl-al-Athar, p.7; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 2/164. 
PI Musnad Imam Ahmad, 6/118. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/539. 


- 125 - 



Bark Al-Ghamad and managed to dissuade him from completing his journey 
of escape and brought him back under his protection.!'! 

The death of Abu Talib rendered the Prophet (L., vulnerable, and 

the polytheists availed them of that opportunity to give free rein to their 
hatred and highhandedness and to translate them in terms of oppression and 
physical tortures. Once an insolent Quraishite intercepted him and sprinkled 
sand on his head. When he arrived home, a daughter of his washed the sand 
away and wept. “Do not weep, my daughter. Allah will verily protect your 
father.” The Prophet ^ an saidPl. 

Rapid succession of misfortunes, led the Prophet ^ »ui ^ to call that 
period, ‘the year of grief and mourning’. Thenceforth, that year bore that 
appellation. 

His Marriage to Sawdah <ui ^ in ShawwaL, the tenth year of Prophethood: 

The death of Khadijah left the Prophet lonely. The name of 

Sawdah was suggested to him for marriage which he accepted. This lady 
had suffered many hardships for the sake of Islam. She was an early convert 
to- the Islamic Faith and it was by her persuasion that her husband had 
embraced Islam. On the second emigration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Sawdah 
had accompanied her husband As-Sakran bin ‘Amr. He died on their way 
back to Makkah leaving her in a terrible state of destitution. She was the 
first woman for the Prophet ^ <111 to marry after the death of Khadijah. 

Some years later she granted her turn with the Prophet (L., ^ m to her 
co-wife, ‘Aishah.P! 


['] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/552; Ibn Hisham, 1/372. 

I 2 ! Ibn Hisham, 1/416. 

PI Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar, p.10; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 2/165. 


- 126 - 



Factors inspiring Patience and Perseverance 


It is natural for sensible and mild-tempered people to meditate deeply on 
the factors that inspired those early Muslims that miraculous constancy and 
perseverance. It is normal to wonder how those people managed to tolerate 
unspeakable persecutions, and stand fast in the face of tyrannical tortures. 
With respect to these questions, we deem it wise just to touch on those 
underlying reasons: 


1. Unshakable Belief in Alldh. The first and foremost factor is no doubt, 
unshakable Belief in Allah Alone coupled with a wonderful degree of 
perception of His Attributes. A man with this Belief deeply averred in his 
heart will look at those foreseen difficulties as triflings and can under no 
circumstance compare with the sweetness of Belief: 



“Then, as for the foam, it passes away as scum upon the banks, 
while that which is for the good of mankind remains in the 
earth.” [13:17] 

Other sub-factors that branch out from that Belief and assist in 
strengthening it and promoting long amity are: 

2. Wholeheartedly-loved leadership. Muhammad ^ uii the great 
leader of the Muslim community, and mankind at large, was an 
exemplary man in his perfect manners and noble attributes; no one could 
measure up to his endowments of nobility, honesty, trustworthiness and 
abstinence; unanimously and uncontestedly acknowledged even by his 
enemies. Abu Jahl himself, the great enemy of Islam, used repeatedly to 
say: “O Muhammad (^j uii >), we are in no position to belie you, we 
rather disbelieve what you have brought us (Islam).” It is narrated that 
three people of Quraish each separately and secretly listened to some 
verses of the Noble Qur’an. Later, this secret was uncovered and one of 
them asked Abu Jahl (one of the three) what he thought of what he heard 
from Muhammad (,j_j uii ^). He answered: We contested the honour 
of leadership and generosity with Banu ‘Abd Munaf and shared equal 
privileges competitively. They then began to boast saying that a Prophet 


- 127 - 



rose among them whom Revelation came down upon from heavens. I 
swear we will never believe in him!' 1 

So Allah said: 




“... It is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Qur’an) 
of Allah that the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) deny.” 
[ 6 : 33 ] 


One day, the disbelievers of Quraish leveled to him a cynical remark 
three times. He remained silent but for the third one he remarked, “O 
Quraish! Slaughter is in store for you.” They were taken aback and 
ulterior fear filled their hearts to such an extent that the most hostile 
among them began to make up for their insult by the best friendly terms 
they could afford. When they slung the entrails of a camel on him while 
prostrating himself in prayer, he invoked AllSh’s wrath on them, and they 
immediately were caught in an inexpressible state of worry and were 
almost convinced that they would be destroyed. Ubai bin Khalaf used 
always to threaten he would kill Muhammad ^ <111 j*,. One day the 

Prophet fL.j 4iii ^ retorted that he would kill him by Allah’s Will. When 
Ubai received a scratch in his neck, on the day of Uhud, he, under the 
sense of horror, remembered the Prophet’s words and remarked, “I am 
convinced he would be able to kill me even if he spat on me. [21 ”Sa‘d bin 
Mu'adh said to Omaiyah bin Khalaf in Makkah, “I heard the Messenger 
of Allah ,j_.j «di one day say that the Muslims would surely kill you.” 
Omaiyah was extremely panicked and swore he would never step out of 
Makkah. Even when Abu Jahl obliged him to march with them to fight 
the Prophet jj-j <jji ^ on the day of Badr, he bought the best and 
swift camels in Makkah in order that they hasten his escape.. Even his 
wife warned him against going out reminding him of Sa’d’s words, his 


1,1 Ibn Hisham, 1/316. 
PI ibid* 2/84. 


- 128 - 



reply was “By Allah, I have no intention of going out with Quraish, I will 
disengage from them after a short distance.”!'] 

That was the clear sense of horror and terror haunting his enemies 
wherever they were. His friends and companions, on the other hand, held 
him dearest to them, and he occupied the innermost cells of their hearts. 
They were always ready to defend him and secure his well-being even at 
the risk of their lives. One day, Abu Bakr bin Abi Quhafa was severely 
beaten by ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, a terrible polytheist. His whole body was 
almost bleeding and he was on the verge of death, yet when his people 
took him back home extremely indignant at his misfortune, he swore he 
would never eat or drink anything until they had told him about the well¬ 
being of his noble Companion, Muhammad | 0 _, uii ^u. That was the 
spirit of selflessness and sacrifice that characterized the behaviour of 
those early Companions. 12 ] 

3. The sense of responsibility. The early Companions were fully aware of 
the daunting responsibility they were expected to shoulder. They were 
also convinced that those charges were inescapable even though they 
were being persecuted for fear of the far-reaching ramifications, and the 
horrible impact that humanity would suffer in case they shirked their 
obligations. 

4. Unwavering Belief in the truth of the Hereafter. This was the corner¬ 
stone that strengthened their sense of responsibility. There was a deep 
certainty established through the light of their religion that one day they 
would have to rise on the Day of Resurrection and account for all 
worldly deeds, small or big. They were sure that their future in the other 
world would depend wholly on their acts in their provisional life on 
earth, either to everlasting Garden (Paradise) or perpetual chastisement in 
Hell. Their whole life was divided between hope for Allah’s mercy and 
fear of His punishment. 


4 jity dl (£' OjJ> 4 


fl) Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/563. 

PI Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, 3/30. 


- 129 - 



"... who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do 
other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their 
alms and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because 
they are sure to return to their Lord.” [23:60] 

They had already known that life with all its amenities and pains was 
worthless when compared with the Hereafter. Such deep convictions 
brought about in them a sense of indifference to all troubles and 
hardships that attended their life. 


5. The Qur’an. The verses and chapters of the Noble Qur’an were 
attractively, forcefully and successively revealed at that gloomy and 
critical stage, supporting and advancing arguments on the truth and 
soundness of the principles of Islam, round whose axis the whole Call of 
Muhammad ^ ^ was revolving. They constituted the immune 

basis upon which the best and most wonderful Divinely decreed society 
was to be established. The Qur’anic verses served also to excite the 
feelings of the believers, strengthen their selves on their course of 
patience and endurance and introduce them to the most purposeful 
examples and suggestive instructions: 


v&s ye i-5t & & 


“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) 
as came to those who passed away before you? They were 
afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken 
that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him 
said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes! Certainly, the 
Help of Allah is near!” [2:214] 




“ Alif-Lam-Mim . Do people think that they will be left alone 
because they say: ‘We believe’, and will not be tested. And We 
indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will 
certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and 
will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are 


- 130 - 



liars, (although Allah knows all that before putting them to 

test).” [29: 1-3] 

Mere lip profession of Faith is not enough. It must be tried and tested 
in the real turmoil of life. The test will be applied in all kinds of 
circumstances, in individual life and in relation to the environment 
around us to see whether we can strive constantly and put the Lord above 
self. Much pain, sorrow and self-sacrifice may be necessary, not because 
they are good in themselves, but because they will purify us, like fire 
applied to a goldsmith’s crucible to bum out the dross. 

These verses also constituted an irrefutable answer to the false 
allegations of the disbelievers, and a clear ultimatum that smacked of the 
horrible consequences that would ensue in case they persisted in their 
disbelief. On the other hand, the Noble Qur’an was leading the Muslims 
to a new world and enlightening them as to its features, the beauty of 
Lordship, the perfection of Godship, the impact of kindness and mercy 
and the manifestations of the yearned for Allah’s pleasure. They 
implicitly connoted meaningful messages carrying glad tidings of 
definitely approaching Divine Mercy leading to eternal bliss in a blissful 
Garden (Paradise). They, at the same time, envisaged the end of the 
tyrants and disbelievers who would be brought to Divine Justice and then 
dragged through the Fire where they would taste the touch of Hell. 

6. Glad tidings of success. Ever since the time they experienced the 
adversities of life, the Muslims had been certain that entrance into the 
fold of Islam did not entail involvement into hardships or digging one’s 
own grave. They had been aware that the Islamic Call had one goal, viz 
extermination of pre-Islamic tradition and destroying its iniquitous 
system, to go on parallel lines with extending its influence allover the 
earth and holding in firm control the political situation worldwide to lead 
humanity along a course conducive to Allah’s Pleasure, and perfect 
enough to rid people of worshipping Allah’s servant to worshipping 
Allah, Himself. Glad tidings of this sort were being revealed sometimes 
explicitly and at other times implicitly, in a manner relevant to the 
situation. When the Muslims were forced to undergo constraints, or when 
their life was kept under continual restraint, there would be revealed 
verses telling identical stories of past Prophets with their people and the 
sufferings and pains they had experienced. The verses would also include 


- 131 - 



suggestive clues to the final tragic end of the Makkan disbelievers 
envisaging their final perdition, yet and at the same time, bearing glad 
tidings to the believers and promising the true servants of vicegerency on 
earth to go with absolute success, and victory to attend the Islamic Call 
and its proponents. 

Here we could adduce some of the verses of this category pregnant 
with glad tidings referring to the final victory that would crown the 
perseverance and patience of the Muslims: 


'a&iJ fi fix o C&.J& I ua 123 TJifj> 

Jji lj^ O yj»- fit- <Syj O 


“And, verily. Our Word has gone forth of old for Our slaves, — 
the Messengers, that they verily would be made triumphant. And 
that Our hosts, they verily would be the victors. So turn away (O 
Muhammad ^ mu <ui j*) from them for a while, and watch them 
and they shall see (the punishment)! Do they seek to hasten on 
Our torment? Then, when it descends into their courtyard (i.e. 
near to them), evil will be the morning for those who had been 
warned.” [37:171-177] 


In the same context, Allih told His Prophet ^ «w j*: 



“Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their 
backs.” [54:45] 


He also.said: 



“They will be a defeated host like the confederates of the old 
times.” [38:11] 


The Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) had the following: 


- 132 - 



“And as for those who emigrated for the cause of Allah, after 
suffering oppression. We will certainly give them goodly 
residence in this world, but indeed the reward of the Hereafter 
will be greater, if they but knew.” [16:41] 


In the context of the story of Joseph, there was: 




“Verily, in Joseph and his brethren there were Ayat (proofs, 
evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for those who 
ask.” [12:7] 


i.e., the Makkans will receive the same fate that befell Joseph’s 
brothers, viz, failure and surrender. In another instance, Allah speaks 
about the Messengers: 








“And those who disbelieved, said to their Messengers: ‘Surely, 
we shall drive you out of our land, or you shall return to our 
religion!’ So their Lord inspired diem: ‘Truly, We shall destroy 
the Zalimun (polytheists, disbelievers and wrong-doers). And 
indeed. We shall make you dwell in the land after them. This is 
for him who fears standing before Me (on the Day of 
Resurrection or fears My punishment) and also fears My threat. 
[14:13,14] 


During the war between the Persians and the Romans, the disbelievers 
imH a sincere wish that victory be die former’s lot, because both parties 
professed polytheism, whereas the Muslims prayed for a Roman victory 
because both groups believed in Allih, His Messengers, Books, the 
Revelation and the Hereafter. 


The war resulted in die overthrow of Rome by Persia. They were pro- 
Persian, as we have said, and in their hearts they hoped that the nascent 
movement of Islam, which at that time was, from a worldly point of 


- 133 - 



view, very weak and helpless, would collapse under their persecution. 
But they misread the true signs of the times. They were told that they 
would soon be disillusioned in both their calculations, and it actually so 
happened when Heraclius carried his campaign into die heart of Persia 
and the Makkan Quraish were beaten off at Badr: 





“And on that Day, the believers (i.e. Muslims) will rejoice (at 
the victory given by Allah to the Romans against the Persians) 
with the help of AllSh.” [30:4,5] 

During the season of ‘Ukaz forum, and other such occasions, the 
Messenger of AllSh (L., an himself would communicate not only glad 
tidings pertinent to the Garden (Paradise) but also news of promising 
prospects for the true believers in the Call of Islam. He would openly tell 
them that they would surely prosper, rule the whole of Arabia and subdue 
Persia if they professed the most serious pillar of Islam, i.e. the Oneness 
of Allah. 11 1 

Khabbab bin Al-Aratt once urged the Messenger to call upon AllSh to 
shield him against the adversities he was suffering at die hand of the 
polytheists. The Prophet’s face reddened and he remarked (hat die true 
believer must not precipitate things, it was incumbent upon a believer to 
undergo all the odds of life as much as he could, fearing nobody except 
AllSh until the religion was established, which would surely happen. The 
Prophet in this regard, referred to the perseverance that the 

Muslims had to show and the hardships they had to undergo in order to 
establish the land of Islam where peace and security would prevail all 
over it. 

Glad tidings of better prospects for Islam and die Muslims were not 
confined to Muhammad’s followers, in fact they woe being disclosed 
time and again to both believers and disbelievers. Whenever the two 
parties met, the latter would jeer at the former and mockingly say “Here 
are the sovereigns of earth who will defeat Chosroes and Caesar.” But 
the believers, in anticipation of that shining and Godly-orientated future, 


in At-Tirmidhi. 


- 134 - 



would always persevere and tolerate all sorts of persecution and 
humiliation regarding them as summer clouds that would soon clear 
away. [1] 

The Prophet ^ un on his part, would always maintain and 
sustain his followers’ souls with the light of belief, sanctify them through 
inculcating the Qur’anic wisdom in their hearts and cultivate their minds 
deeply with the spirit of Islam that would elevate them to a state of noble 
spirituality, pure heartedness and an absolute degree of freedom from the 
yoke of materialism, a high morale powerful enough to resist worldly 
lusts and consequently lead them from darkness to light. He would 
constantly teach them to be tolerant, forgiving and overpowering over 
their selves in order to get well established in their religion, disdain lust, 
and devote themselves to attaining the Pleasure of Allah, yearning for the 
Garden (Paradise), enthusiasm in sciences relating to their faith, calling 
themselves to account, subordinating fleeing whims, holding under firm 
control all rage-provoking incidents and finally observing sobriety, 
patience and gravity. 


111 Fiqh As-Seerah, p. 84. 



The Third Phase 

Calling unto Islam beyond Makkah 

In Shawwalt 1 ) (in the last of May or in the beginning of June 619 A.D.), 
ten years after receiving his mission from his Lord, the Prophet ^ ^ *ui ^ 
set out towards At-Ta’if, about 60 kilometres from Makkah, in the company 
of his freed slave Zaid bin Haritha inviting people to Islam. But contrary to 
his expectations, the general atmosphere was terribly hostile. He approached 
the family of ‘Umair, who were reckoned amongst the nobility of the town. 
But, to his disappointment, all of them turned deaf ear to his message and 
used abusive language as regards the noble' cause he had been striving for. 
Three brothers from the chieftains of Thaqeef—‘Abd Yaleel, Mas‘ud and 
Habeeb — sons of‘Amr bin ‘Umair Ath-Thaqafy met the Prophet ^ ^ an ju, 
who invited them to embrace Islam and worship Allah, but they impudently 
jeered at him and refused his invitation. “He is tearing die cloths of 
Al-Ka‘bah; is it true that Allah has sent you as a Messenger?” said one of 
them. “Has not Allah found someone else to entrust him with His 
Message?” said the second. “I swear by Allah that I will never have any 
contact with you. If you are really the Messenger of Allah, then you are too 
serious to retort back; and if you are belying Allah, then I feel it is 
imperative not to speak to.” said the third. The Messenger of Allah ^ <m ju, 
finding that they were hopeless cases, stood up and left them saying: 
“Should you indulge in these practices of yours, never divulge them to me.” 

For ten days he stayed there delivering his message to several people, 
one after another, but all to no purpose. Stirred up to hasten the departure of 
the unwelcome visitor, the people hooted him through the alley-ways, pelted 
him with stones and obliged him to flee from the city pursued by a relentless 
rabble. Blood flowed down both his legs; and Zaid, endeavouring to shield 
him, was wounded in the head. The mob did not desist until they had chased 
him two or three miles across the sandy plains to the foot of the surrounding 
hills. There, wearied and exhausted, he took refuge in one of the numerous 
orchards, and rested against the wall of a vineyard. At a time when the 
whole world seemed to have turned against him, Muhammad ^ 
turned to his Lord and betook himself to prayer and the following touching 


1'1 Tareekh-e-Islam, 1/122. 


- 136 - 



words are still preserved as those through which his oppressed soul gave 
vent to its distress. He was weary and wounded but confident of the help of 
his Lord: 

“O Allah! To You alone I make complaint of my 
helplessness, the paucity of my resources and my insignificance 
before mankin d. You are the most Merciful of the mercifuls. 

You are the Lord of the helpless and the weak, O Lord of mine! 

Into whose hands would You abandon me: into the hands of an 
unsympathetic distant relative who would sullenly frown at me, 
or to the enemy who has been given control over my affairs? 

But if Your wrath does not fall on me, there is nothing for me to 
worry about.” 

“I seek protection in the light of Your Countenance, which 
illuminates the heavens and dispels darkness, and which 
controls all affairs in this world as well as in the Hereafter. May 
it never be that I should incur Your wrath, or that You should be 
wrathful to me. And there is no power nor resource, but Yours 
alone.” 

Seeing him in this helpless situation, Rabi‘a’s two sons, wealthy 
Makkans, were moved on grounds of kinship and compassion, and sent to 
him one of their Christian servants with a tray of grapes. The Prophet 
f i - j . ; i. 4 _m accepted the fruit with pious invocation: “In the Name of the 
Allah.” The Christian servant ‘Addas was greatly impressed by these words 
and said: “These are words which people in this land do not generally use. 
The Prophet ^ ^ inquired of him whence he came and what religion 

he professed. ‘Addas replied: “I am a Christian by faith and come from 
Nineveh.” The Prophet ^ ^ then said: “You belong to the city of the 

righteous Jonah, son of Matta.” ‘Addas asked him anxiously if he knew 
anything about Jonah. The Prophet , 1 -,*!. > significantly remarked: “He 

is my brother. He was a Prophet and so am I.” Thereupon ‘Addas paid 
homage to Muhammad ^ uii and kissed his hands. His masters 
admonished him at this act but he replied: “None on the earth is better than 
he is. He has revealed to me a truth which only a Prophet can do.” They 
again reprimanded him and said: “We forewarn *■ you against the 
consequences of abandoning the faith of your forefathers. The religion 
which you profess is far better than the one you feel inclined to. 


- 137 - 



Heart-broken and depressed, Muhammad pL-j 4 * 1 * <di ^ set out on the way 
back to Makkah. When he reached Qam Al-Manazil, Allah, the Almi ghty 
sent him Gabriel together with the angel of mountains. The latter asked the 
Prophet ^ 4 U 1 ^ for permission to bury Makkah between Al-Akh$habain 

—Abu Qubais and Qu‘ayqa‘an mountains. Full narration of this event was 
given by ‘Aishah l** uji ^ (the Prophet’s spouse). She said: “I asked the 
Prophet pL-j ^ if he had ever experienced a worse day than Uhud. He 
answered that he had suffered a lot from those people (the idolaters) but the 
most painful was on the day of ‘Aqabah. I went seeking support from Ibn 
‘Abd Yalil bin ‘Abd Kalal, but he spumed me. I set out wearied and grieved 
heedless of anything around me until I suddenly realized I was in Qam 
Ath-Tha‘alib, called Qam Al-Manazil. There, I looked up and saw a cloud 
casting its shade on me, and Gabriel addressing me: Allah has heard your 
people’s words and sent you the angel of mountains to your aid. The latter 
called and gave me his greetings and asked for my permission to bury 
Makkah between Al-Akhshabain, the two moun tains flanking Makkah. I 
said in reply that I would rather have someone from their loins who will 
worship Allah, the All-Mighty with no associate.” A concise meaningful 
answer fully indicative of die Prophet’s matchless character and the 
fathomless magnanimous manners.^ 


The Messenger of Allah ,jl.j *ui then came back to wakefulness and 
his heart was set at rest in the light of that invisible Divinely provided aid. 
He proceeded to Wadi Nakhlah where he stayed for a few days. 


During his stay there, Allah sent him a company of jinns who listened to 
him reciting the Noble Qur’an: 

a !>' ££ SCjiK y\ £ & » 


“And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad 
r>-j siu <jii ^ju) Nafran (three to ten persons) of the jinns, (quietly) 
listening to the Qur’an, when they stood in die presence thereof 





0 Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/458; Sahih Muslim, 2/109. 


- 138 - 



they said: ‘Listen in silence!’ And when it was finished, they 
returned to their people, as wamers. They said: ‘O our people! 
Verily! We have heard a Book (this Qur’an) sent down after 
Moses, confirming what came before it, it guides to the Truth 
and to a Straight Path (i.e. Islam). O our people! Respond (with 
obedience) to Allah’s Caller (i.e. Allah’s Messenger 
Muhammad ^ «ui jJ), and believe in him (i.e. believe in that 
which Muhammad uh ^ has brought from Allah and 

follow him). He (Allah) will forgive you of your sins, and will 
save you from a painful torment (i.e. Hell-fire).’” [46:29-31] 


The same incident is referred to in Surah Al-Jinn: 


2$X o Q& 






a 3 I 


<S<3 






“Say (O Muhammad ^ <-ui ^): “It has been revealed to me 
that a group (from three to ten in number) of jinns listened (to 
this Qur’an). They said: ‘Verily! We have heard a wonderful 
Recital (this Qur’an)! It guides to the Right Path, and we have 
believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything 
with our Lord (Allah).’” [72:1,2]... Till the end of the 15th verse. 


From the context of these verses and their relevant interpretation, we can 
safely establish it that the Prophet ^4iii was not aware of the presence 
of that group of jinns. It was only when Allah revealed those verses that he 
came to know of it. The verses also confirm that it was the first time they 
came. However, the context of the different versions suggests that the jinns 
repeated their visits later on. The presence of that company of jinns comes 
in the context of the Divine support given to His Messenger, and constitutes 
a propitious sign of ultimate victory and success for the Call of Islam. It 
provides an unshakable proof that no power however mighty could alter 
what is wrought by Allah: 






“And whosoever does not respond to Allah’s Caller, he cannot 
escape on earth, and there will be no Auliya (protectors) from 


- 139 - 



him besides Allah (from Allah’s punishment). Those are in 
manifest error.” [46:32] 


4 Sit S-^J ^ 


“And we think that we cannot escape (from the punishment of) 

Allah in the earth, nor can we escape (from the punishment) by 
flight.” [72:12] 

Given this support and auspicious start, depression, dismay and sadness 
that used to beset him since he was driven out of At-Ta’if, he turned his face 
towards Makkah with fresh determination to resume his earlier plan to 
expose people to Islam and communicate his Message in a great spirit of 
zeal and matchless enthusiasm. 


Zaid bin Harithah, his companion, addressing the Prophet ^ <> «ui 
said, “How dare you step into Makkah after they (Quraish) have expatriated 
you?” The Prophet ^ answered: “Hearken Zaid, Allah will surely 

provide relief and He will verily support His religion and Prophet.” 

When he was a short distance from Makkah, he retired to Hira’ Cave. 
Whence he despatched a man from Khuza‘ah tribe to A!-Akhnas bin 
Shuraiq seeking his protection. The latter answered that he was Quraish’s 
ally and in no position to offer protection. He despatched the messenger to 
Suhail bin ‘Amr, but to no avail, either. Al-Mut‘im bin ‘Adi, a notable in 
Makkah, however, volunteered to respond to the Prophet’s appeal for 
shelter. He asked his people to prepare themselves fully armed and then 
asked Muhammad ^ un to enter into the town and directly into the 
Holy Sanctuary. The Prophet ^ «di observed a two-Rak ‘a prayer and 
left for his house guarded by the heavily-armed vigilant ‘Adi’s. 

It has been reported that later Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam, asked 
Mut‘im if his behaviour suggested protection or conversion, the latter 
replied it was merely protection. Abu Jahl was relieved and said that he 
would give Muhammad protection for his sake. 

The Messenger of Allah ft., *i» ^ never forgot Mut‘im’s favour. At the 

conclusion of the battle of Badr, he declared publicly that if Mut‘im had 
been still alive and asked for the release of the Quraishite captives, he would 
not deny him his request.! 1 ! 

f 1 ) Ibn Hisham, 1/419-422; Z&d Al-Ma'ad, 2/46;.Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p.l41; 

Rahmat-al-lil ‘ alameen, 1/71-74; Tareekh-e-Islam 1/123. 


- 140 - 



Islam being introduced to 
Arabian Tribes and Individuals 


In Dhul Qa‘dah, the tenth year of Prophethood, i.e. July 619, the 
Prophet (j-j uii returned to Makkah to resume his activities. The time 
for pilgrimage to Makkah was approaching so he hastened to introduce 
people both tribes and individuals to Islam and call upon them to embrace it, 
just as it was his practice since the fourth year of his Prophethood. 

On the authority of Az-Zuhri, of the tribes that Islam was introduced to, 
we could speak of Banu‘Amir bin Sa‘sa‘ah, Muharib bin Khasfa, Fazarah, 
Ghassan, Murrah, Haneefah, Saleem, ‘Abs, Banu Nasr, Banu Al-Buka’, 
Kindah, Kalb, Al-Harith bin Ka‘b, Udhrah and people of Hadrmout. Islam 
was not introduced to them in one single year but rather repeatedly from the 
fourth year till the last pre-migration season of pilgrimage. They however, 
remained obdurate and none of them responded positively.! 1 ! 

The following is a resume of aspects relating to the Prophet’s appeals as 
regards the new faith he was preaching: 

1. He visited a sept of Banu Kalb known as Banu‘Abdullah. He called 
them to Allah’s Message and entreated them to accept it for the sake of 
Allah Who had chosen a beautiful name for their father, but without 
avail. 

2. He called on Bani Haneefah in their habitation, but received very 
repugnant treatment. 

3. He addressed Bani ‘Amir bin Sa‘sa‘ah in their encampment, calling them 
to abandon idolatry and join him. One of them called Buhairah bin Firras, 
answered him back: “Should we give you allegiance and Allah give you 
power over your opponents, will you give us right to inheritance and 
succeed you in power?” The Prophet replied: “The whole affair lies in 
Allah’s Hands. He gives the power to whomever He desires.” The man 
commented: “Do you expect us to incur the wrath and vengeance of the 
Arabs without the least hope of leadership? We can in fact readily 
dispense with your offers.” 


I 1 ! At-Tirmidhi; Mukhtasar See rat Ar-Rasool, p.149; Tareekh-e-Islam, 1/125. 


- 141 - 



When Banu ‘Amir returned to their habitations, they narrated the story to 
an elderly man who had lingered behind because he was too old. They told 
him, “A young man of Quraish of Bani ‘Abdul Muttalib, claiming that he is 
a Prophet, contacted us, asked for support and invited us to embrace his 
religion.” The old sheikh was struck by the news, and wondered if there was 
no way of making amends for the loss of that opportunity and swore, “He is 
really Ishmaelite (he descends from Ishmael). He is the Truth (he is a real 
Prophet). How did it happen that you misjudged his words?” 

The Prophet ^ <jii ^jl. was not dismayed at all. He persisted in his 
mission for the fulfillment of which he had been commissioned to strive 
despite all odds. He did not confine his efforts to the tribes but also 
conducted contacts with individuals from some of whom he was able to 
receive a favourable response. Moreover, later in the same season, some of 
them did believe in his Prophethood and entered the fold of Islam. The 
following list included some of those early converts: 

l.Swaid bin Samit. He was an intelligent discreet poet from Yathrib 
(Madinah). During his stay in Makkah for pilgrimage (or lesser 
pilgrimage), he encountered the Prophet fL* <*u «w ^ who invited him to 
embrace Islam. At this invitation, Swaid imparted to the Prophet some 
sound words from Luqman’s wisdom. The Prophet approved of that 
wisdom but told the man that he had something far better. He recited 
some verses from the Qur’an, the man listened meditatively and the 
words appealed to his originally pine nature and accepted Islam as his 
faith at once. He was killed in the battle of Bu‘ath. That was in the 
eleventh year of the Prophethood J 1 ! 

2. Eyas bin Mu‘adh. He was still a youth from Aws tribe. He came as a 
member of delegation seeking alliance with Quraish against another rival 
tribe dwelling in Madinah, Al-Khazraj. The Prophet fa ju met them 
and advised them to follow a better course than that they had in mind. He 
introduced himself and Islam to them, apprised them of his mission and 
narrated some verses from the Noble Qur’an. Eyas’s heart immediately 
absorbed the Divine Message and agreed with the Prophet fa ^ *ui 
Abul Haisar Anas bin Rafi*, a member of the delegation disapproved of 


I'l Ibn His ham, 1/42S; Rahmat-al-li] ‘ alameen, 1/ 74. 


- 142 - 



the boy’s behaviour and silenced him by hurling some dust into his face. 
The people then left Madinah after having failed in establishing alliance 
with Quraish. Shortly after arrival in Madinah, the boy breathed his last 
acclaiming Allah’s Name and celebrating His Glory.! 1 ] 

3. Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari. He used to live in the suburbs of Yathrib. News 
of the Islamization of Swaid bin Samit and Eyas bin Mu‘adh reached him 
and constituted a turning point in his life per se. He sent his brother to 
Makkah for more details about the Prophet’s intentions. The man came 
back and reported to Abu Dhar that the ‘said man’ enjoined good and 
forbade evil. Abu Dhar was not satisfied and decided that he himself 
should go out and probe the real situation. After some attempts to 
identify the person of the Prophet ^ ^ «ui ju, he managed to meet him 
though not without some difficulties due to the antagonistic atmosphere 
within which the proponents of the new faith were trying to work their 
way. No sooner than Abu Dhar was exposed to the real nature of Islam, 
he embraced it. Despite the Prophet’s earnest plea not to divulge his new 
move, Abu Dhar went directly to the Holy Sanctuary where he publicly 
declared that he had testified to the Oneness of Allah and Prophethood of 
Muhammad. The heathens all around hurried and began beating him. He 
almost died when Al-‘Abbas intervened warning against killing someone 
whose tribe was in full command of the strategic commercial caravan 
routes leading to Makkah. The event recurred in the following morning 
with the same man to come to the scene and rescue him.! 2 ] 

4. Tufail bin ‘Amr Ad-Dausi. He was an honest poet and chief of 
Ad-Daus tribe inhabiting an area close to Yemen in South Arabia. He 
arrived in Makkah in the eleventh year of Prophethood. Great reception 
ceremonies were accorded to him on his advent. The Makkans soon 
started to inculcate in his ears all sorts of antipathy against the Prophet 
r i_ J <jji They even alleged that he had caused the most horrible 
societal schism, dividing all sorts of social life even the family ties were 
subject to his schemes and plans of dissension. They even warned him 
against speaking or even listening to him. The man overpowered by these 
pleas, complied by Iheir requests. He even stuffed his ears with a piece of 

I'l Ibn Hisham, 1/424; Tareekh-e-Islam, 1/126. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/449-544. 


- 143 - 




cotton in order not to hear any word of his. However, when this 
tribesman entered the mosque, he saw Muhammad ^ ^ ^ observing 

his prayer and out of curiosity, he approached him for it was a Divine 
Will to hear the Prophet’s sound and appealing words. The temptation to 
hear more was irresistible so he followed the Prophet ^ ^ into his 

house, briefed him on his advent and all the story of the people of 
Quraish. The Messenger of Allah ^ ^ <ui ^ recited some verses of the 
Noble Qur’an and the man managed to taste something exceptionally 
beautiful and discern the truth latent within. He embraced Islam and 
testified that there was no god but Allah and that Muhammad was His 
Messenger. He then said that he was an influential man among his people 
and that he would call them to profess Islam, yet he wanted the Prophet 
fi-j <w ^ to equip him with a supportive sign that would ease his future 
task. It was in fact a Divinely bestowed light in his whip. He called his 
father and wife to embrace Islam and they did respond. His people 
lagged a little but he exhorted them fervently and was fully successful. 
He and seventy or eighty of his followers emigrated to Madinah after the 
Trench Battle. He was a perfect fighter in the cause of Allah and was 
martyred in Al-Yamama events.! 1 ! 

5. Dhumad Al-Azdi. He came from Azd Shanu’a in Yemen, specialist in 
incantation. He arrived in Makkah to hear the fools there say that 
Muhammad ^ «*i* <j»i was out of his mind. He decided to practise his 
craft on the Prophet ^ «*i# uii who on seeing him said: “Praise is to 
Allah, we entertain His praise and seek His help. Whomsoever Allah 
guides, none will lead astray, and whomsoever Allah leads astray, none 
will guide. I testify there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His 
servant and Messenger.” Dhumad heard the words and requested the 
Prophet fL«j <> «jm ^ to echo them again, and he was granted his wish 
thrice. Here he said: “I have heard the soothsayers, sorcerers and poets, 
but never have I experienced the sweetness of your words.” He then gave 
a pledge of a sincere convert.! 2 ! 


!‘l Ibn Hisham, 1/385; Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 144. 
PI Mishkat Al-Masabech, 2/525. 


- 144 - 




Hope inspiring Breezes from the Madinese: 

It was during the pilgrimage season, in the eleventh year of Prophethood, 
that the I slami c Call found the righteous seeds through which it would grow 
up to constitute tall trees whose leaves would foster the new faith and 
shelter the new vulnerable converts from the blows of injustices and high¬ 
handness of Quraish. It was the Prophet’s wise practice to meet the 
delegates of the Arabian tribes by night so that the hostile Makkans would 
not debar him from achieving his objectives.! 1 ! In the company of his two 
truthful Companions ‘Ali and Abu Bakr, he had an interesting talk regarding 
Islamization with Bani Dhuhal, but the latter suspended their conversion.! 2 ! 
In pursuit of the same objective, the Prophet and his Companions passed by 
‘Aqabat Mina where they heard people talking. They went at their heels 
until they encountered six men from Yathrib, all of whom from Khazraj 
tribe: As‘ad bin Zurarah, ‘Awf bin Harith, Rafi‘ bin Malik, Qutbah bin 
‘Amir, ‘Uqbah bin ‘Amir and Jabir bin ‘Abdullah. The last two being from 
Aws and the former four from Khazraj. 

The Madinese always heard the Jews say that a Prophet was about to 
rise, for the time for a new dispensation had arrived. Him they would follow 
and then smite their enemies as the children of ‘Ad and Iram had been 
smitten.! 3 ! 

“Of what tribe are you?” asked the Prophet. “Of the tribe of Khazraj, ’ 
they replied. “Are you the allies of the Jews?” The Prophet enquired. They 
said: “Yes.” “Then why not sit down for a little and I will speak to you.” 
The offer was readily accepted for the fame of Muhammad jji had 
spread to Madinah and the strangers were curious to see more of the man 
who had created a stir in the whole area. The Prophet ^ presented 

to them an expose of Islam, explained its implications, and the 
responsibilities that fell upon the men who accepted it. When the Prophet 
uii ^ concluded his talk, they exchanged among themselves ideas to 
the following effect: “Know surely, this is the Prophet with whom the Jews 


l 1 ! Tareekh-e-Islam, p.129. 

P! Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. ISO. 

PI Rahmat-al-liralameen, 1/84; Ibn His ham, 1/429; ZSd Al-M a‘ad, 2/SO. 


- 145 - 




are ever threatening us; wherefore let us make haste and be the first to join 
him.” 

They, therefore, embraced Islam, and said to the Prophet, “We have left 
our community for no tribe is so divided by hatred and rancour as they are. 
Allah may cement our ties through you. So let us go and invite them to this 
religion of yours; and if Allah unites them in it, no man will be dearer than 
you. 

The handful of Madinese converts remained steady to the cause and they 
preached the Islam with full zeal and devotion with the result that they 
succeeded in winning adherents for Islam from amongst their fellow citizens 
and hardly was there a house in Madinah not talking curiously and 
enthusiastically about the Messenger of Allah u. an 

Marriage of the Prophet ft-, «jm ju to ‘Aishah i** 

In Shawwal of the same year, the Prophet ^ un concluded a 
marriage contract with ‘Aishah an ‘the truth verifier ’, when she was 
six of age and consummated his marriage with her in Shawwal, the year 1 
A.H. in Madinah when she was nine.! 2 ! 


['] Ibn Hisham, 1/428-430. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/551; Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-A thar , p.10. 


- 146 - 



Al-Isra’ and Al-Mi‘raj 
(The Miraculous Night Journey from Makkah 
to the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, 
and the Ascent through the Spheres of Heavens) 

The last days of the Makkan phase of the Prophet’s life are noted for 
alternate fortunes ranging between two extremes: gradual success and 
continual persecution. However, glimpses of propitious lights were looming 
on the distant horizon, to ultimately materialize in the event of the Prophet’s 
Night Journey to Jerusalem and then Ascension through the spheres of the 
heavens. 

As for its exact date, it is still controversial and no common consent has 
been reached. However, the majority of jurists is in favour of a date between 
16-12 months prior to migration to Madinah. The following is a epitome of 
the details of that miraculous event narrated on the authority of Ibn 
Al-Qayyim.I 1 ] 

The Messenger of Allah ^ «ui ju was carried in body from the Sacred 
Mosque in Makkah to the Distant Mosque in Jerusalem on a horse called 
Al-Buraq in the company of Gabriel, the archangel. There he alighted, 
tethered the horse to a ring in the gate of the Mosque and led the Prophets in 
prayer. After that Gabriel took him to the heavens on the same horse. When 
they reached the first heaven Gabriel asked the guardian angel to open the 
door of heaven. It was opened and he saw Adam, the progenitor of mankind. 
The Prophet ^ uji ^ saluted him and the other welcomed him and 
expressed his faith in Muhammad’s Prophethood. He saw the souls of 
martyrs on his right and those of the wretched on his left. 

Gabfiel then ascended with the Prophet to the second heaven, asked for 
op ening the gate and there he saw and saluted John, son ofZachariya 
(Yahya bin Zakariya) and Jesus, son of Mary. They returned the salutation, 
welcomed him and expressed their faith in his Prophethood. Then they 
reached the third heaven where they saw Joseph (Yusuf) and saluted him. 
The latter welcomed the Prophet and expressed fai(h in his Prophethood. 
The Prophet, in the company of Gabriel, then reached the fourth heaven 


I'l ZM Al-M a‘ad, 2/49; Tareekh-e-Islam, 1/124; Rahmat-al-lil‘alameen, 1/76. 


- 147 - 




where he met the Prophet Enoch (Idris) and saluted him. Prophet Enoch 
returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. Then he was 
carried to the fifth heaven where he met the Prophet Aaron (Harun) and 
saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in hi? 
Prophethood. In the sixth heaven he met Moses (Musa) and saluted him. 
The latter returned the salutation and expressed faith in his Prophethood. 
Muhammad ^ ^ on leaving, saw that Moses began to weep. He asked 

about the reason. Moses answered that he was weeping because he 
witnessed a man sent after him as a Messenger (Muhammad) who was able 
to lead more of his people to the Paradise than he himself did. Then Prophet 
Muhammad , 1 -, <jii ^ reached the seventh heaven and met Abraham 
(Ibrahim) f *_ji and saluted him. The latter returned the salutation and 
expressed faith in his Prophethood. Then he was carried to Sidrat-al- 
Muntaha (the remotest lote tree) and was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma ‘mur [(the 
much frequented house) which is like the Ka‘bah (Sacred House) 
encompassed daily by seventy thousand angels, so that the angels who once 
encompassed it would not have their turn again till the Resurrection]. He 
was then presented to the Divine Presence and experienced the thrill of 
witnessing the Divine Glory and Manifestation at the closest possible 
propinquity. There the Lord revealed unto His servant that which He 
revealed, and ordained fifty daily prayers for him. On his return, he spoke to 
Moses that his followers had been enjoined to pray fifty times a day. Moses 
addressing the Prophet ^ said: “Your followers cannot perform so 

many prayers. Go back to your Lord and ask for a remission in number.” 
The Prophet «*u «jii ^ turned to Gabriel as if holding counsel with him. 
Gabriel nodded, “Yes, if you desire,” and ascended with him to the Presence 
of Allah. The All-Mighty Allah, Glory is to Him, made a reduction of ten 
prayers. He then descended and reported that to Moses, who again urged 
him to request for a further reduction. Muhammad fu, «*u «jji ju once more 
begged his Lord to reduce the number still further. He went again and again 
in the Presence of Allah at the suggestion of Moses for reduction in the 
number of prayers till these were reduced to five only. Moses again asked 
him to implore for more reduction, but he said: “I feel ashamed now of 
repeatedly asking my Lord for reduction. I accept and resign to His Will.” 
When Muhammad ^ «jii ^jl. went farther, a Caller was heard saying: “I 
have imposed My Ordinance and alleviated the burden of My servants.” 


- 148 - 



There is however some difference as regards the issue whether the 
Prophet saw Allah with his physical eye or not. Some interpreters say that 
seeing Allah with his naked eyes was not confirmed. Ibn ‘Abbas, on the 
other hand, says that the word Ru 'ya as used in the Noble Qur’an signifies 
the observation with the help of the eye. 

In Surah An-Najm (Chapter —The Star) we read: 

“Then he approached and came closer.” [53:8] 

Here (he) refers to archangel Gabriel, and this context is completely 
different from that in the Prophetic tradition of Isra ’ and Mi ‘raj, where ‘the 
approach’ relates to that of the Lord, Glory is to Him. 

Some significant suggestive incidents featured the ‘Night Journey’ of the 
Prophet, of which we could mention: 

1. The Prophet’s breast was cleft by Gabriel, his heart extracted and washed 
with the water of Zamzam —a sacred spring in Makkah. 

2. In the same context, there were brought to him two gold vessels. There 
was milk in one, while the other was full of wine. He was asked to 
choose either of them, so he selected the vessel containing milk and 
drank it. He (the angel) said: “You have been guided on Al-Fitrah or you 
have attained Al-Fitrah. Had you selected wine, your nation would have 
been misled.” [It is a symbolic way of saying that good and evil in the 
form of milk and wine were brought before the Prophet and he 
instinctively made a choice for the good. It is very difficult to render the 
Arabic term ‘Fitrah ’ into English. It denotes the original constitution or 
disposition, with which a child comes into this world, as contrasted with 
qualities or inclinations acquired during life; besides it refers to the 
spiritual inclination inherent in man in his unspoilt state]. 

3. The Prophet ^ «w told that he saw two manifest rivers, — the Nile 
and the Euphrates — and two hidden ones. It appears that the two 
mani fest rivers, the Nile and the Euphrates, symbolically describe the 
area in whose fertile valleys, Muhammad’s Message will settle, and the 
people whereof will always remain the adherent bearers of Islam that will 


- 149 - 



be passed on from generation to another. They can by no means suggest 
that they well up from the Garden. 

4. He had the opportunity to see Malik, the guardian of Hell, with a 
cheerless frowning face. Therein, he saw the Hell dwellers, of whom 
were those who unjustly eat up the property of the orphans. They have 
flews similar to those of camels, swallowing red-hot stones and then 
issuing out of their backs. There were also the people who take usury 
with bellies too big to be able to move around; they are trodden by the 
people of Pharaoh when these are admitted into Hell. In the same abode, 
he saw the adulterers offered tasty fatty meat and rotten smelly one but 
they make option for the latter. The licentious women were also there 
hanging from their breasts. 

5. The ‘Night Journey’raised a good deal of stir among the people and the 
sceptical audience plied Muhammad with all sorts of questions. He told 
them that he saw the camels of Makkan merchants to and fro. He also 
guided them to some of their animals that went astray. He informed them 
that he had drunk some of their water while they were fast asleep and left 
the container covered. 

The disbelievers, however, found it a suitable opportunity to jeer at the 
Muslims and their creed. They pestered the Prophet with 

questions as to the description of the Mosque at Jerusalem, where he had 
never gone before and, to the astonishment of many, the Prophet’s replies 
furnished the most accurate information about that city. He supplied them 
with all the news about their caravans and the routes of their camels. 
However, all this increased in them nothing but flight from the Truth, and 
they accepted nothing but disbelief.! 1 ! 

For the true Muslims, however there was nothing unusual about the 
Night Journey. The All-Mighty Allah, Who is Powerful enough to have 
created the heavens and the earth by an act of His Will, is surely Powerful 
enough to take His Messenger beyond the heavens and show him those 
signs of His at firsthand which are inaccessible to man otherwise. The 
disbelievers on their part went to see Abu Bakr on account of this event, and 


(') Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/684; Sahih Muslim, 1/96; Ibn Hisham, 1/402. 



he readily said: “Yes, I do verify it.” It was on this occasion that he earned 
the title of As-Siddiq (the verifier of the truth).! 1 ! 

The most eloquent and most concise justification of this ‘Journey’ is 
expressed in Allah’s Words: 

"... in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayat 
(proofs, evidences, signs, etc.)’’ [17:1] 

The Divine rules as regards the Prophets goes as follows: 





“Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and 

the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.” 

[6:75] 

To Moses, his Lord said: 

“That We may show you (some) of Our Greater Signs.” [20:23] 

In order that: 

^ Uj^Lj ^ 

“He be of those who have Faith with certainty.” 

The Prophets, after seeing Allah’s Signs, will establish their Faith on 
solid certainty too immune to be parted with. They are in fact eligible for 
this Divine privilege because they are the ones who will bear burdens too 
heavy for other ordinary people to carry, and in the process of their mission, 
they will regard all worldly ordeals and agonies too small to care about. 

There are simple facts that emanate from this blessed Journey, and flow 
along into the flowery garden of the Prophetic biography; peace and 
blessings of Allah be upon its author, Muhammad. The story of ‘the Night 


Cl Ibn Hisham, 1/399. 


- 151 - 



Journey’ as we see in the Noble Qur’an is epitomised in the first verse of the 
Surah Isra (Chapter 17 — The Journey by Night) then there is a quick Shift 
to uncover the shameful deeds and crimes of the Jews, followed by an 
admonition saying that the Qur’an guides to that which is most just and 
right. This arrangement is not in fact a mere coincidence. Jerusalem was the 
first scene of the Night Journey, and here lies the message directed to the 
Jews and which explicitly suggested that they would be discharged of the 
office of leadership of mankind due to the crimes they had perpetrated and 
which no longer justified their occupation of that office. The message 
suggested explicitly that the office of leadership would be reinstituted by the 
Messenger of Allah ,jl, «<u to hold in his hand both headquarters of the 
Abrahamic Faith, the Holy Sanctuary in Makkah and the Farthest Mosque in 
Jerusalem. It was high time for the spiritual authority to be transferred from 
a nation whose history got pregnant with treachery, covenant-breaching and 
aggression to another nation blessed with piety, and dutifulness to Allah, 
with a Messenger who enjoys the privilege of the Qur’anic Revelation, 
which leads to that which is best and right. 

There, however, remains a crucial question waiting to be answered: How 
could this foreseen transition of authority be effected while the champion 
himself (Muhammad) was left deserted and forsaken stumbling in the 
hillocks of Makkah? This question per se uncovered the secrets of another 
issue which referred to a phase of the Islamic Call and the appearance of 
another role it was about to take up, different in its course and noble in its 
approaches. The forerunners of that new task took the shape of Qur’anic 
verses smacking of direct and unequivocal warning accompanied by a 
severe ultimatum directed to the polytheists and their agents: 



“And when We decide to destroy a town (population). We (first) 
send a definite order (to obey Allah and be righteous) to those 
among them [ or We (first) increase in number those of its 
population] who are given the good* things of this life. Then, 
they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is 
justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete 
destruction. And how many generations (past nations) have We 


- 152 - 



destroyed after Noah! And Sufficient is your Lord as an All- 
Knower and All-Beholder of the sins of His slaves.” [17:16, 17] 

Together with these verses, there were others revealed to show the 
Muslims the rules and items of the civilization upon which they could erect 
their Muslim community, and foreshadowing their ownership of a piece of 
land, exercising full freedom over it and establishing a coherent society 
around whose axis the whole humanity would rotate. Those verses in reality 
implied better prospects for the Prophet <-w ^ comprising a secure 
shelter to settle in, and headquarters safe enough to empower and embolden 
him to communicate his Message to all the world at large; that was in fact 
the inner secret of that blessed journey. For this very wisdom and the like 
we deem it appropriate to su gg est that ‘the Night Journey’ took place either 
before the First Pledge of ‘Aqabah or between the two; after all, Allah 
knows best. 



The First ‘Aqabah Pledge 

We have already spoken about six Madinese who embraced Islam in the 
pilgrimage season in the eleventh year of Prophethood. They promised to 
communicate the Message of Islam to their townsfolk. 

The following year, on the occasion of the pilgrimage, there came a 
group of twelve disciples ready to acknowledge Muhammad as their 
Prophet. The group of men comprised five of the six who had met the 
Prophet ,i», & 4)i the year before, the sixth who stayed away was Jabir bin 
‘Abdullah bin Reyab, the other seven were: 

1. Mu‘adh bin Al-Harith, Ibn ‘Afra, from Khazraj. 

2. Dhakwan bin ‘Abd Al-Qais, from Khazraj. 

3. ‘Ubadah bin As-Samit, from Khazraj. 

4. Yazeed bin Thaiabah, from Khazraj. 

5. ‘Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Ubadah bin Nadalah, from Khazraj. 

6. Abul Haitham bin At-Taihan, from Aws. 

7. ‘Uwaim bin Sa‘idah, from Aws. 

They avowed their faith in Muhammad as a Prophet and 

swore: “We will not worship any one but one Allah; we will not steal; 
neither will we commit adultery, nor kill our children; we will not utter 
slander, intentionally forging falsehood and we will not disobey you in any 
just matter.” When they had taketime pledge, Muhammad fj-j ^ said: 
“He who carries it out, Allih will reward him; and who neglects anything 
and is afflicted in this world, it may prove redemption for him in the 
Hereafter; and if the sin remains hidden from the eyes of the men and no 
grief comes to him, then his affair is with Allih. He may forgive him or He 
may not.”! 1 ! 

The Muslim Envoy In Madinah: 

After the Pledge (in the form of an oath had been taken) the Prophet 
fL-s «jw sent to Yathrib (Madinah) Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair Al-‘Abdari o> <i» 
the first Muslim ‘ambassador’ to teach the people there the doctrines of 


I'! Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/550,2/727; 2/1003. 


- 154 - 



Islam, give them practical guidance and make attempts at propagating the 
Islam among those who still professed polytheism. As‘ad bin Zurarah 
hosted him in Madinah. So prepared was the ground, and so zealous the 
propagation that the Islam spread rapidly from house to house and from 
tribe to tribe. There were various cheerful and promising aspects of success 
that characterized Mus‘ab’s task. One day Mus‘ab and As‘ad were on their 
way to the habitations of Bani ‘Abd Al-Ashhal and Bani Zafar, when they 
went into the premises of the latter clan. There they sat near a well 
conversing with some new converts. Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh and Usaid bin Hudair, 
chiefs of the two clans heard of this meeting, so Usaid approached the 
Muslims armed with his lance while the other Sa‘d excused himself on 
grounds that As‘ad was his maternal cousin. Usaid came closer cursing and 
swearing and accused the two men of befooling people weak of heart, and 
ordered that they stop it altogether. Mus‘ab calmly invited him to sit saying, 
“If you are pleased with our talk, you can accept it; should you hold it in 
abhorrence, you could freely immunize yourself against what you hate.” 
“That’s fair,” said Usaid, pierced his lance in the sand, listened to Mus’ab 
and then heard some verses of the Noble Qur’an. His face bespoke 
satisfaction and pleasure before uttering any words of approval. He asked 
the two men about the procedures pertinent to embracing Islam. They asked 
him to observe washing, purge his garment, bear witness to the Truth and 
then perform two Rak'a. He responded and did exactly what he was asked 
to do, and then said there was a man (Sa‘d bin Mu'adh) whose people would 
never hang back if he followed the Islam. He then left to see Sa‘d and his 
people. Sa‘d could immediately understand that Usaid had changed. To a 
question posed by Sa‘d, Usaid said that two men were ready to comply with 
whatever orders they received. He then managed a certain situation that 
provided the two men with a chance to talk with Sa‘d privately. The 
previous scene with Usaid recurred and Sa‘d embraced Islam, and directly 
turned to his people swearing that he would never talk with them until they 
had believed in Allah, and in His Messenger. Hardly did the evening of that 
day arrive when all the men and women of that sept of Arabians embraced 
Islam with the exception of one, Al-Usairim, who hung back until the Day 
of Uhud. On that day he embraced Islam and fought the polytheists but was 
eventually killed before observing any prostration in the way of prayer. The 
Prophet «ui ^ commented saying: “He has done a little but his reward 

is great.” 


- 155 - 



Mus‘ab stayed in Madinah carrying out his mission diligently and 
successfully until all the houses of Al-Ansar (the future Helpers) had 
Muslims elements, men and women. One family only stood obdurate to the 
Islamic Da'wah (Call). They were under the influence of the poet Qais bin 
‘ 1-Aslat, who managed to hold them at bay and screen off the Call of Islam 
rom their ears until the year 5 A.H. 

Shortly before the approach of the following pilgrimage season, i.e. the 
hirteenth year of Prophethood, Mus'ab bin ‘Umair returned to Makkah 
carrying to the Prophet ^ j* glad tidings about the new fertile soil of 
slam in Madinah, and its environment rich in the prospects of good, and the 
power and immunity that that city was bound to provide to the cause of 
Islam.! 1 ! 


['] Ibn Hisham, 1/435; Z&d Al-Ma‘ad, 2/51. 



The Second ‘Aqabah Pledge 


The next year, thirteenth of Prophethood, June 622 A.D., during the 
pilgrimage season, over seventy converts from Madinah came in the trail of 
their polytheist people to perform the rituals of pilgrimage in Makkah. The 
oft-repeated question amongst them was “Isn’t it high time we protect 
Muhammad instead of leaving him forsaken, deserted and stumbling in the 
hillocks of Makkah?” 

Shortly after arrival, they conducted clandestine contacts with the 
Prophet vu jL. and agreed to meet him secretly at night in mid Tashreeq 
Days (the 11th, 12th and 13th days of Dhul Hijja) in a hillock at 
Al-‘Aqabah, the last year’s meeting place. 

One of the leaders of the Ansar (Helpers), Ka‘b bin Malik Al-Ansari 
vi» vui j-ij, gave an account of the historic meeting which changed the whole 
course of the struggle between Islam and paganism, he said: 

We set out for pilgrimage and struck a rendezvous in mid Tashreeq Days. 
We were accompanied by a celebrity and a notable of ours called ‘Abdullah 
bin ‘Amr bin Haram, who was still a polytheist. We disclosed to him our 
intention of meeting Muhammad ^ and exhorted him to join our 

ranks and give up polytheism lest he should serve as wood for Hell in the 
Hereafter. He promptly embraced Islam and witnessed the serious meeting 
at Al-‘Aqabah. 

That very night we slept with our people in our camps. After a third of 
the night had elapsed, we began to leave stealthily and met in a hillock 
nearby. We were seventy three men and two women Nusaibah bint Ka‘b 
from the Najjars and Asma’ bint ‘Amr from Bani Salamah. We waited for 
the Messenger of Allah fL-j un ^ until he came in the company of his 
uncle Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib who (though himself not a Muslim), 
adjured us not to draw his nephew away from the protection of his own 
kindred unless we were fully prepared to defend him even at the risk of our 
lives. He was the first to speak: 

“O you people of the Khazraj — the Arabs used to call the Ansar 
(Helpers) Khazraj, whether from Khazraj or Aws — you all know the 
position that Muhammad holds among us. We have protected him from our 


- 157 - 



people as much as we could. He is honoured and respected among his 
people. He refuses to join any party except you. So if you think you can 
carry out what you promise while inviting him to your town, and if you can 
defend him against the enemies, then assume the burden that you have 
taken. But if you are going to surrender him and betray him after having 
taken him away with you, you had better leave him now because he is 
respected and well defended in his own place.”!'] 

Ka‘b replied: “We have heard your words, and now O Messenger of 
Allah, it is for you to speak and take from us any pledge that you want 
regarding your Lord and yourself.” 

It was a definite stance showing full determination, courage and deep 
faith to shoulder the daunting responsibility and bear its serious 
consequences. 

The Messenger of Allah then preached the Faith, and the pledge was 
taken. Al-Imam Ahmad, on the authority of Jabir, gave the following 
details: 

The Ansar (Helpers) asked the Messenger of Allah about the principles 
over which they would take a pledge. The Prophet answered: 

1. To listen and obey in all sets of circumstances. 

2. To spend in plenty as well as in scarcity. 

3. To enjoin good and forbid evil. 

4. In Allah’s service, you will fear the censure of none. 

5. To defend me in case I seek your help, and debar me from anything 
you debar yourself, your spouses and children from. And if you 
observe those precepts. Paradise is in store for you.! 2 ! 

In another version narrated by Ka‘b, he said: 

The Prophet ^ «jii ^jl, began to speak, recited some Qur’anic verses, 
called people unto Allah, exhorted them to enter the fold of Islam and 
concluded saying: “I give you my pledge that you debar me from whatever 
you debar your women and children from.” Here Al-Bara’ bin Ma‘rur, 
caught him by hand, and said: “Oh yes, we swear by Allah, Who sent you as 


t'l Ibn Hisham, 1/440-442. 

PI Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p.155; Ibn Hisham, 1/454. 


- 158 - 



a Prophet in Truth, that we will debar you from whatever we debar our 
women from. Have confidence in us, O Messenger of Allah. By Allah, we 
are genuine fighters and quite reliable in war, it is a trait passed down to us 
fro n our ancestors.” 


Then ‘Abul Haitham At-Taihan interrupted and said: “O Prophet of 
Allah! Between us and the Jews, there are agreements which we would then 
sever. If Allah grants you power and victory, should we expect that you 
would not leave us, and join the ranks of your people (meaning Quraish)?” 
The Prophet^ ^ smiled and replied: 

{j* IjI t^jJl ^jJI Jj» 


“Nay, it would never be; your blood will be my blood. In life 
and death I will be with you and you with me. I will fight whom 
you fight and I will make peace with those with whom you 
make peace.”! 1 ! 


After the negotiations concerning the conditions of allegiance had ended, 
and all of the audience were unanimously agreed to ratify it, two men of the 
early generation of converts who had embraced Islam in the eleventh and 
twelfth years rose to their feet to apprise the others of the serious step they 
were about to take so that they could give their pledge fully aware of the 
whole affair and consequently be ready for the sacrifice they were expected 
to make. A1 ‘Abbas bin Ubada bin Nadlah, in this context, remarked: “O 
you people of Khazraj! Do you know the significance of the pact that you 
are entering into with this man? You are in fact avowing that you will fight 
against all and sundry. If you fear that your property will be at stake or the 
lives of your nobles will be endangered, then leave him now, because if you 
do this after the pledge, it will be degrading for you both in this world and 
the world to come. But if you think that you can carry out what you are 
called upon to do in spite of the loss of precious lives and property, then 
undertake this heavy responsibility, and I swear by Allah, that herein lies 
the good of this world and that of the next.” 

They replied, “We have already considered the loss of property and the 
murder of our notables, yet we pay him allegiance. But what is our reward if 


!’l lbn Hisham, 1/442. 


- 159 - 



we observe all the items of this pact?” The Prophet replied: “Paradise is in 
store for you.” Then they asked him to stretch out his hand, and they all 
stretched out their hands and took the pledge. Only at that time did As‘ad 
bin Zurarah come to realize the people’s readiness for sacrifice in the cause 
ofAliah.I 1 ] 

On the authority of Jabir, who said: “When we started to pay allegiance 
to the Prophet ^ «jji ^ju, As‘ad bin Zurarah stood up and gave the 
following short address: “Take it easy people of Yathrib! We have not 
covered that long distance except because we have had deep belief that he 
(Muhammad <_ui ^jl.) is the Messenger of Allah. We are already 

convinced that following him entails departure from the pagan Arabs even if 
it were at the risk of our life. Should you preserve in this course, holdfast to 
it, and your great reward is placed in the Hand of Allah, but if you are 
caught in fear, I admonish you to give it up just now, and then you would be 
more excusable by Allah.”! 2 ! 

With respect to the two women, the pledge was taken orally for the 
Prophet , 0 -, «w had never shaken hands with a strange lady.! 3 ! 

The Prophet <*u ^ then asked the group to appoint twelve deputies 

to preach Islam to their people in Madinah, to shoulder the responsibility of 
implementing the articles of this pledge and to guide the respective men of 
their own tribes in matters relating to the propagation of Islam. The deputies 
elected were nine from Al-Khazraj: As‘ad bin Zurarah bin ‘Ads, Sa‘d bin 
Ar-Rabi‘ bin ‘Amr, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah bin Tha‘labah, Rafi‘ bin Malik 
bin Al-‘Ajlan, Al-Bara’ bin Ma‘rur bin Sakhr, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin 
Haram, ‘Ubadah- bin As-Samit bin Qais, Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah bin Dulaim and 
Al-Mundhir bin ‘Amr bin Khunais. Three others were from Al-Aws: Usaid 
bin Hudair bin Sammak, Sa‘d bin Khaithamah bin Al-Harith and Rifa‘a bin 
‘Abdul Mundhir bin Zubair. Once again, those twelve men were sworn to 
act as surety over the affairs of their people just as the Christ’s disciples did, 
and the Prophet would act as surety over his people, meaning all the 
Muslims. 


t'llbnHisham, 1/446. 

! 2 1 Musnad Ahmad. 

PI Sahih Muslim, 2/131. 


- 160 - 



Somehow or other, the news of these secret desert meetings with the 
Madinese leaked out. The Prophet immediately knew that it was a certain 
pudgy ugly devil, inhabited in Al-‘Aqabah, who discovered their meeting, 
and he threatened to settle his account with him as soon as possible. 

On hearing this, Al-‘Abbas bin Nadlah said “By Allah, Who has sent you 
in Truth, we are powerful enough to put the people of Mina (the 
Quraishites) to our swords tomorrow, if you desire.” The Prophet ^ <* 1 * 
said “We have not been commanded to follow that course. Now, back to 
your camps.” They went back to sleep till morning, t’l 

No sooner did Quraish hear of this treaty than a kind of trouble- 
provoking tumult began to mushroom in all directions. They realized quite 
fully that an allegiance of this sort is bound to produce far-reaching 
ramifications of direct impact on their lives and wealth. The following day, 
a large delegation comprising the leaders and arch-criminals of Makkah set 
out for the camp of the Madinese to protest severely against the treaty. They 
addressed the Madinese: “O people of Khazraj, it transpired to us that you 
have come here to conclude a treaty with this man (Muhammad) and 
evacuate him out of Makkah. By Allah, we do really hold in abhorrence any 
sort of fight between you and us.”t 2 l 

The Madinese polytheists having known nothing about the secretly taken 
pledge, began to swear by Allah and answered in good faith that there was 
no truth in the report. ‘Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul, a Madinese polytheist, 
refuted their allegations denouncing them as null and void, claiming that his 
people would never initiate anything unless he gave them clear orders. 

The Madinese Muslims, however, remained silent neither negating nor 
confirming. The Quraishite leaders seemed to be almost convinced by the 
arguments presented by the polytheists, and went back home frustrated. 
However, they did not fully acquiesce in the words they heard. They began 
to scrutinize the smallest details, and trace the minutest news till it was 
established beyond a shadow of doubt that the pact did take place, but that 
was after the Madinese pilgrims had left Makkah. In a fit of rage, they 
pursued the pilgrims but did not succeed in catching hold of anyone except 


1'1 Ibn Hisham, 1/448. 
PI ibid. 



Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah. They subjected him to unspeakable tortures, but he was 
later rescued by Al-Mut‘im bin ‘Adi and Harith bin Harb bin Omaiya with 
whom he had trade relations.! 1 ! 

That is the story of the Second ‘Aqabah Pledge, later known as the Great 
‘Aqabah Pledge, effected in an atmosphere of love, allegiance and mutual 
support between Madinese believers and weak Makkan Muslims. This new 
spirit of affection, rapport and cooperation could never be attributable to a 
fleeing whim, on the contrary, it totally derived from an already deeply- 
established approach, viz. Belief in Allah, His Messenger and His Book. It 
was a Belief so rooted in the selves that it managed to stand immune to all 
powers of injustice and aggression, and could be translated into miracles in 
the practical aspects of action and ideology pursuit. That sort of Belief was 
the real instrument for the Muslims to record in the annals of history 
unprecedented breakthroughs. We are also sure that the future will always 
remain wanting as regards those great achievements carried out by those 
great men. 


(■] ZSd Al-Ma'ad, 2/51,52; Itm Hisham, 1/448-450. 




The Vanguard of Migration 
(in the Cause of AllSh) 

After the endorsement of the Second ‘Aqabah Pledge and the 
establishment of a petite Muslim state in a vast desert surging with disbelief 
and ignorance — the most serious gain in terms of Islam—, the Prophet 
,jUj uii jju gave his leave for the Muslims to migrate to Madinah, the 
nascent Muslim state. 

Migration to Madinah, in terms of personal interests, was no more than 
material waste and sacrifice of wealth, all in return for personal safety only. 
Even here, the migrant could not expect full security; he was liable to be 
robbed or even killed either at the beginning or end of his departure. The 
future was foggy, pregnant with various unpredictable sorts of sorrows and 
crises. 

Bearing all this in mind, the Muslims began to migrate, while the 
polytheists spared no effort in hindering and debarring them, knowing 
beforehand that such a move implied unimaginable threats and unthinkable 
destructive dangers to their whole society: 

1. The first one to migrate was Abu Salamah, a year before the Great 
‘Aqabah Pledge. When he had made up his mind to leave Makkah, his in¬ 
laws, in a desperate attempt to raise obstacles, detained his wife and 
snatched his son and dislocated his hand. Umm Salamah, after the 
departure of her husband and the loss of her son spent a year by herself 
weeping and lamenting. A relative of hers eventually had pity on her and 
exhorted the others to release her son and let her join her husband. She 
then set out on a journey of 500 kilometres with no help whatsoever. At a 
spot called At-Tan‘im, ‘Uthman bin Talhah came across her and offered 
to give her a ride to Madinah. She, along with her son, joined Abu 
Salamah in the village of Quba’, a suburb of Madinah.! 1 ! 

2. Another instance of the atrocities of the polytheist Makkans, as regards 
migration, is Suhaib. This man expressed his wish to migrate and of 
course this was a source of indignation to the disbelievers. They began to 


t'l Ibn Hisham, 1/468. 



insult him claiming that he had come into Makkah as a worthless tr amp , 
but their town was gracious enough and thanks to them he managed to 
make a lot of money and become wealthy. They gave orders that he 
would not leave. Seeing this, he offered to give away all his wealth to 
them. They eventually agreed to release him on that condition. The 
Prophet heard this story and commented on it saying: 

„ + o' * ' ' * * ""ft 

“Suhaib is the winner, Suhaib is the winner, after all.” 1*1 

3. Then, there was the story of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, ‘Ayyash bin Abi 
Rabi‘a and Hisham bin Al-‘Asi, who agreed to meet at a certain place 
one morning in order to leave for Madinah; ‘Umar and ‘Ayyash came but 
Hisham was detained by the Makkans. 

Shortly afterwards Abu Jahl, and his brother Al-Harith came to Madinah 
to see their third brother ‘Ayyash. They cunningly tried to touch the most 
sensitive area in man, i.e. his relation with his mother. They addressed him 
claiming that his mother had sworn she would never comb her hair, nor 
shade herself off the sun unless she had seen him. ‘Ayyash took pity on his 
mother, but ‘Umar was intelligent enough to understand that they wanted to 
entice ‘Ayyash away from Islam so he cautioned him against their tricks, 
and added “your mother would comb her hair if lice pestered her, and would 
shade herself off if the sun of Makkah got too hot for her.” These words 
notwithstanding, ‘Ayyash was determined to go and see his mother, so 
‘Umar gave him his manageable docile camel advising him to stick to its 
back because it would provide rescue for him if he perceived anything 
suspicious on their part. The party of three then set forth towards Makkah. 
As soon as they covered part of the distance, Abu Jahl complained about his 
camel and requested ‘Ayyash to allow him to ride behind him on his camel. 
When they knelt down to the level of the ground, the two polytheists fell 
upon ‘Ayyash and tied him. They rode on into Makkah shouting at people to 
follow their example with respect to ‘fools’.! 2 ! 

I 1 ! Ibn Hisham, 1/477. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 1/474; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/558. 


- 164 - 


These are just three self-explanatory models of the Makkans’ reaction 
towards anyone intending to migrate. Nevertheless, the believers still 
managed to escape in successive groups and so rapidly that within two 
months of the Second ‘Aqabah Pledge, entire quarters of Makkah were 
deserted. Almost all the followers of Muhammad had migrated to their new 
abode, except Abu Bakr, ‘Ali, the Prophet ^ «ui ^ himself, and those 
helpless noble souls who had been detained in confinement or were unable 
to escape. The Prophet ^ «_ui together with Abu Bakr and ‘Ali, had 
made all the necessary preparations for migration but was waiting for leave 
from his Lord.l'l 

It is noteworthy that most of the Muslims who had migrated to Abyssinia 
(Ethiopia), came back to Madinah to join the rest of the Muslims there. 

The situation was no doubt critical in Makkah but Muhammad ^ <w ^ 
was not at all perturbed. Abu Bakr was, however, urging the Prophet to 
depart from that town. He was also eagerly waiting for an opportunity to 
accompany Muhammad on this eventful journey. But the Prophet 

told him that the time had not yet come; the Lord had not given him the 
command to migrate. In anticipation of the Command of Allah, Abu Bakr 
had made preparations for the journey. He had purchased two swift camels 
and had fed them properly for four months so that they could successively 
stand the ordeals of die long desert journey.! 2 ) 


t'l Zad Al-Ma’ad, 2/52. 

PI Sahib Al-Bukhari, 1/553. 



In An-Nadwah (Council) House 
The Parliament of Quraish 

The polytheists were paralysed by the carefully planned and speedy 
movement of Muhammad’s followers towards their new abode in Madinah. 
They were caught in unprecedented anxiety and got deeply worried over 
their whole pagan and economic entity. They already experienced 
Muhammad ,jl -, uii ^ as an influential leader; and his followers as 
determined, decent and always ready to sacrifice all they had for the sake of 
the Messenger of Allah fj-j <*i* uii ^jl,. Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj tribes, the 
would-be-hosts of the Makkan Muslims, were also known in Arabia for 
their might and power in war, and judicious and sensible approach in peace. 
They were also averse to rancour and prejudice for they themselves had had 
bitter days of inter-tribal warfare. Madinah , itself, the prospective 
headquarters of the ever-growing Islamic Call, enjoyed the most serious 
strategic position. It commanded the commercial routes leading to Makkah 
whose people used to deal in about a quarter of a million gold dinar-worth 
commodities every year. Security of the caravan routes was crucial for the 
perpetuity of prosperous economic life. All those factors borne in mind, the 
polytheists felt they were in the grip of a serious threat. They, therefore, 
began to seek the most effective method that could avert this imminent 
danger. They convened a meeting on Thursday, 26th Safar, the year 
fourteen of Prophethood / 12th September 622 A.D [1, .,i.e. two and a half 
months after the Great ‘Aqabah Pledge. On that day, “the Parliament of 
Makkah” held the most serious meeting ever, with one item on the agenda: 
How to take effective measures with a view to stopping that tidal wave. 
Delegates representing all the Quraishite tribes attended the meeting, the 
most significant of whom were: 

1. Abu Jahl bin Hisham, from Bani Makhzum; 

2. Jubair bin Mut‘im, Tuaima bin ‘Adi, and Al-Harith bin ‘Amir 
representing Bani Naufal bin ‘Abd Munaf; 

3. Rabi'a’s two sons Shaibah and ‘Utbah besides Abu Sufyan bin Harb 
from Bani ‘Abd Shams bin ‘Abd Munaf; 


t'lFor detail see Rahmat-al-lil‘alameen, 1/95-102. 


- 166 - 



4. An-Nadr bin Al-Harith (who had besmeared the Prophet ole *UJt 
with animal entrails) to speak for Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar; 

5. Abul Bukhtary bin Hisham, Zama'a bin Al-Aswad and Hakeem bin 
Hizam to represent Bani Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza; 

6. Al-Hajjaj’s two sons Nabih and Munbih from Bani Sahm; 

7. Omaiyah bin Khalaf from Bani Jumah. 

On their way to An-Nadwah House, Iblis (Satan) in the guise of a 
venerable elderly man standing at the door interrupted their talk and 
introduced himself as a man from Najd curious enough to attend the 
meeting, listen to the debate and wish them success to reach a sound 
opinion. He was readily admitted in. 

There was a lengthy debate and several proposals were put forward. 
Expulsion from Makkah was proposed and debated in turn but finally turned 
down on grounds that his sweet and heart-touching words could entice the 
other Arabs to attack them in their own city. Imprisonment for life was also 
debated but also refused for fear that his followers might increase in 
number, overpower them and release him by force. At this point, the arch¬ 
criminal of Makkah, Abu Jahl bin Hisham suggested that they assassinate 
him. But assassination by one man would have exposed him and his family 
to the vengeance of blood. The difficulty was at last solved by Abu Jahl 
himself, who suggested that a band of young men, one from each tribe, 
should strike Muhammad simultaneously with their swords so that the 
blood-money would be spread over them all and therefore could not be 
exacted, and his people would seek a mind-based recourse for settlement. 
The sinful proposal was unanimously accepted, and the representatives 
broke up the meeting and went back home with full determination for 
immediate implementation!') 


fillbn Hisham, 1/480-482. 


- 167 - 



Migration of the Prophet 


When the iniquitous decision had been made, Gabriel was sent down to 
Muhammad <jji ^ to reveal to him Quraish’s plot and give him his 
Lord s Permission to leave Makkah. He fixed to him the time of migration 
and asked him not to sleep that night in his usual bed. At noon, the Prophet 
H-j ^ went to see his Companion Abu Bakr and arranged with him 
everything for the intended migration. Abu Bakr was surprised to see the 
Prophet , 1 -, «jji masked coming to visit him at that unusual time, but he 
soon learned that Allah’s Command had arrived, and he proposed that they 
should migrate together, to which the Prophet ^ gave his consent.^ 

To make the necessary preparations for the implementation of their 
devilish plan, the chiefs of Makkah had chosen eleven men: Abu Jahl, 
Hakam bin Abil Al-‘As, ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu‘ait, An-Nadr bin Harith, 
Omaiyah bin Khalaf, Zama'a bin Al-Aswad, Tu‘aima bin ‘Adi, Abu Lahab, 
Ubai bin Khalaf, Nabih bin Al-Hajjaj and his brother Munbih bin Al-Hajjaj. 
All were on the alert. As night advanced, they posted assassins around the 
Prophet’s house. Thus they kept vigil all night long, waiting to kill him the 
moment he left his house early in die morning, peeping now and then 
through a hole in the door to make sure that he was still lying in his bed. 
Abu Jahl, the great enemy of Islam, used to walk about haughtily and 
arrogantly jeering at Muhammad’s words, saying to the people around him: 
Muhammad claims that if you follow him, he will appoint you rulers over 
the Arabs and non-Arabs and in the Hereafter your reward will be Gardens 
similar to those in Jordan, otherwise, he will slaughter you and after death 
you will be burnt in fire. ^He was too confident of the success of his 
devilish plan. Allah, the All-Mighty, however, in Whose Hands lie the 
sovereignty of the heavens and earth, does what He desires; He renders 
succour and can never be overpowered. He did exactly what He later said to 
His Prophet: 



1'lSahih Ai-Bukhari, 1/553. 
Pllbn Hisham, 1/483. 


- 168 - 







“And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O 
Muhammad ^ v* *»i ^u) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get 
you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah); they were plotting and 
Allah too was planning, and Allah is the Best of the planners.” 

[8:30] 

At that critical time the plans of Quraish utterly failed despite the tight 
siege they laid to the Prophet’s house, the Prophet and ‘ Ali were 

inside the house. The Prophet ^ «w ^ told ‘Ali to sleep in his bed and 
cover himself with his green mantle and assured him full security under 
Allah’s protection and told him that no harm would come to him. The 
Prophet fj-j <_ii* «jji then came out of the room and cast a handful of dust at 
the assassins and managed to work his way through them reciting verses of 
the Noble Qur’an: 



“And We have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind 
them, and We have covered them up, so that they cannot see.” 

[36:9] 

He proceeded direct to the house of Abu Bakr who, immediately 
accompanied him and both set out southwards, clambered up the lofty peak 
of Mountain Thawr, and decided to take refuge in a cavePl 

The assassins who laid siege to the house were waiting for the zero hour 
when someone came and informed them that the Prophet ^ an j* had 
already left They rushed in and to their utter surprise, found that the person 
lying in the Prophet’s bed was ‘Ali not Muhammad ^ «di This created 
a stir in the whole town. The Prophet ^ ^ had thus left his house on 
Safar 27th, the fourteenth year of Prophethood, i.e. 12/13 September 622 
A.DP1 

Knowing already that Quraish would mobilize all its potentials to find 
him, he played a clever trick on them and instead of taking the road to 


Ullbn Hisham, 1/483; Zad Al-Ma*ad 2/52. 
[ 2 JRahmat-al-liralameen, 1/95. 


- 169 - 



Madinah in north side of Makkah as the polythiest would expect, he walked 
along a road least expected lying south of Makkah and leading to Yemen. 
He walked for 5 miles until he reached a rough rocky mountain called 
Thawr. There his shoes were worn out, some said he used to walk tiptoe in 
order not to leave a trail behind him. Abu Bakr 4 « 411 ^ carried him up the 
mountain to a cave called after the name of the mountain, Cave Thawr. Abu 
Bakr first entered to explore the cave and be sure that it was safe, closed all 
holes with pieces tom off from his clothes, cleaned it and then asked the 
Prophet <*1* «jji ^ to step in. The Prophet «jw ^ went in and 

immediately laid his head in Abu Bakr’s lap and fell asleep. Suddenly Abu 
Bakr’s foot was stung by a poisonous insect. It hurt so much that his tears 
fell on the Prophet’s face. The Prophet ^ 411 j* immediately applied his 

saliva on Abu Bakr’s foot and the pain went off on the spot. They confined 
themselves to this cave for three nights, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 
'Abdullah, the son of Abu Bakr would go to see them after dusk, stay the 
night there, apprise them of the latest situation in Makkah, and then leave in 
the early morning to mix with the Makkans as usual and not to draw the 
least attention to his clandestine activities. ‘Amir bin Fuhairah, while in the 
company of other shepherds of Makkah tending his master Abu Bakr’s 
flock, used to stole away unobserved every evening with a few goats to the 
cave and furnished its inmates with a plentiful supply of milkt 1 ' 

Quraish, on the other hand, were quite baffled and exasperated when the 
news of the escape of the two companions was confirmed. They brought 
‘Ali to Al-Ka‘bah, beat him brutally and confined him there for an hour 
attempting desperately to make him divulge the secret of the disappearance 
of the two ‘fugitives’, but to no avail. They then went to see Asma’, Abu 
Bakr’s daughter, but here also their attempts went in vain. While at her door 
Abu Jahl slapped the girl so severely that her earring broke uppl 

The notables of Makkah convened an emergency session to determine 
the future course of action and explore all areas that could help arrest the 
two men. They decided to block all avenues leading out of Makkah and 
imposed heavy armed surveillance over all potential exits. A price of 100 


t'lSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/553; Ibn Hisham, 1/486. 
t 2 lRahmat-al-lil‘alameen, 1/96; Ibn Hisham, 1/487. 


- 170 - 




camels was set upon the head of each one. 1 ^Horsemen, infantry and tracers 
of tracks scoured the country. Once they even reached the mouth of the cave 
where the Prophet ^ jji and Abu Bakr were hiding. When he saw the 
enemy at a very close distance, Abu Bakr whispered to the Prophet 
fL~y “What, if they were to look through the crevice and detect us?” The 
Prophet ,jL.j ^ <ui in his God-inspired calm replied: 

«u£m '&] oiiit ijz d c d-O# 

“Silence Abu Bakr! What do you think of those two with whom 
the Third is Allah.” PI 

It was really a Divine miracle, the chasers were only a few steps from the 
cave. 

For three days Muhammad fu } ^ and Abu Bakr lived in the cave 
and Quraish continued their frantic efforts to get hold of them. 

Someone called ‘Abdullah bin Uraiquit, who had as yet not embraced 
Islam, but was trusted by Abu Bakr, and had been hired by him as a guide, 
reached the cave after three nights according to a plan bringing with him 
Abu Bakr’s two camels. His report satisfied the noble ‘fugitives’ that the 
search had slackened. The opportunity to depart was come. Here Abu Bakr 
offered the Prophet the swift animal to ride on. The latter agreed 

provided that he would pay its price. They took with them the food 
provisions that Asma’, daughter of Abu Bakr, brought and tied in a bundle 
of her waistband, after tearing it into two parts, hence the appellation 
attached to her: “Asma’ of the two waistbands.” The Prophet ^ u* «ui 
Abu Bakr and ‘Amir bin Fuhairah departed, and their guide ‘Abdullah bin 
Uraiquit led them on hardly ever trodden ways along the coastal route. That 
was in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 1st year A.H., i.e. September 622 A.D. The little 
caravan travelled through many villages on their way to Quba’. In this 
context, it is relevant to introduce some interesting incidents that featured 
their wearying journey: 

1. One day they could find no shelter from the scorching heat so Abu Bakr 
<jjt ^ cast a glance and found a little shade beside a rock. He cleaned 


I'lSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/554. 

PlS ahih Al-Bukhari, 1/516; Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p.168. 


- 171 - 



the ground, spread his mantle for the Prophet ^vkdi^to lie on and 
himself went off in search of food. He came across a shepherd, a bedouin 
boy, who was also seeking a shelter. Abu Bakr asked him for some milk 
and took it to the Prophet ^ v*u uii ^ju, cooled it with some water and 
waited till the Prophet ^ «ui ju woke up and quenched his thirst. 1 * 5 

2. Whoever asked Abu Bakr «_w ^ about the identity of his honourable 
companion, he would reply that he was a man who guided him on his 
way. The questioner would think that M uhammad ^ ^ «jji ^ was a 
guide, in terms of roads, whereas Abu Bakr used to mean guide to the 
way of righteousness.! 25 

3. Quraish, as we have already mentioned, had declared that whoever would 

seize Muhammad an would receive a hundred camels as reward. 
This had spurred many persons to try their luck. Among those who were 
on the lookout for the Prophet ^ an jl. and his companion in order to 

win the reward was Suraqah, the son of Malik. He, on receiving 
information that a party of four, had been spotted on a certain route, 
decided to pursue it secretly so that he alone should be the winner of the 
reward. He mounted a swift horse and went in hot pursuit of them. On 
the way the horse stumbled and he fell on the ground. On drawing a lot 
so as to divine whether he should continue the chase or not, as the Arabs 
used to do in such circumstances, he found the omens unpropitious. But 
the lust for material wealth blinded him altogether and he resumed the 
chase. Once more he met with the same fate but paid no heed to it. Again 
he jumped onto the saddle and galloped at a break-neck speed till he 
came quite close to the Prophet ^ <ui Abu Bakr’s heart agitated and 
he kept looking back while the Prophet ^ <111 j*. remained steadfast 

and continued reciting verses of the Qur’an. 

The repeated stumbling of Suraqah’s horse and his falling off 
awakened him to the situation, and he realized that it was a constant 
warning of Allah for his evil design which he contemplated against the 
Prophet (j-j <*i* uji jju. He approached the travelling group with a penitent 
heart and begged of the Prophet ^ an ^ forgiveness in all humility. 


[* 5 Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/510. 
PlSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/556. 


- 172 - 



He addressed the Prophet ^ <*u jji and his companion, saying: “Your 
people (the Quraishites) have promised a generous reward to anyone who 
captures you.” He added that he offered them provision but they declined 
his offer. They only asked him to screen off their departure and blind the 
polytheists to their hiding place. Then the Prophet ^ ^ «ui forgave him 
and confirmed it with a token written by ‘Amir bin Fuhairah on a piece 
of parchment. Suraqah hurried back to Makkah and tried to foil the 
attempts of those who were in pursuit of Muhammad ^ and his 

noble companions. The swom enemy was converted into an honest 
believer! 1 ! 

In a version by Abu Bakr & jji he said: “We emigrated while the 
Makkans were in pursuit of us. None caught up with us except Suraqah 
bin Malik bin Ju‘sham on a horse. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, this one 
has caught up with us.’ The Prophet ^ <jn replied: 

‘Don’t be cast down, verily, Allah is with us.’” 

4. The party continued its journey until it reached to solitary tents belonging 
to a woman called Umm Ma‘bad Al-Khuza‘iyah. She was a gracious 
lady who sat at her tent-door with a mat spread out for any chance 
traveller that might pass by the way. Fatigued and thirsty, the Prophet > 
fu, <*i» «_ui and his companions wanted to refresh themselves with food and 
some milk. The lady told them that the flock was out in the pasture and 
the goat standing nearby was almost dry. It was a rainless year. The 
Prophet fi ~, «jji ^u, with her permission, touched its udders, reciting over 
them the Name of Allah, and to their great joy, there flowed plenty of 
milk out of them. The Prophet fU, «<u <ui first offered that to the lady of 
the house, and he shared what was left with the members of the party. 
Before he left, he milked the goat, filled the container and gave it to 
Umm Ma‘bad. Later on, her husband arrived with slender goats hardly 
having any milk in their udders. He was astonished to see milk in the 
house. His wife told him that a blessed man passed by the way, and then 
she gave details about his physical appearance and manner of talk. Here 
Abu Ma‘bad realized on the spot that the man was the one whom Quraish 


t'lSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/516,1/554; Zid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/53. 


- 173 - 




were searching for and asked her to give full description of him. She 
gave a wonderful account of his physique and manners, to which we will 
go in detail later in the process of talking about his attributes and merits. 

Abu Ma‘bad, after listening to his wife’s account, expressed a sincere 
wish to accompany the Prophet ^ «w j* whenever that was possible, 
and reiterated his admiration in verses of poetry that echoed all over 
Makkah to such an extent that the people therein thought it was a jinn 
inculcating words in their ears. Asma’, daughter of Abu Bakr, on hearing 
those lines, got to know that the two companions were heading for 
Madinah ! IJ The short poem opened with thanks giving to Allah having 
given them (the Ma‘bads) the chance to host the Prophet fU, «ui ^ 
for a while. It then gave an account of the bliss that would settle in the 
heart of the Prophet’s companion whosoever he was; it closed with an 
invitation to all mankind to come and see by themselves Umm Ma‘bad, 
her goat and the container of milk that would all testify to the 
truthfulness of the Prophet m ■ 

5. On his way to Madinah, the Prophet met Abu Buraidah, one 

of those driven by their lust for the reward of Quraish. No sooner did he 
face the Prophet ^ «ui ^l. and talk with him, than he embraced Islam 
along with seventy of his men. He took off his turban, tied it round his 
lance and took it as a banner bearing witness that the angel of security 
and peace had come to imbue the whole world with justice and fairness! 21 

6. The two Emigrants resumed their journey. It was during this time that 
they met Az-Zubair at the head of a caravan returning from Syria. There 
was warm greeting and Az-Zubair presented to them two white garments 
which they thankfully accepted! 31 

On Monday, 8th Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, the fourteenth year of Prophethood, 

i.e. September 23rd. 622, the Messenger of Allah arrived at Quba’J 41 


WZad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/54. 
PJRahmat-al-lil'alameen, 1/101. 
l 31 Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/554. 
WRahmat-al-lil'alameen, 1/102. 


- 174 - 



As soon as the news of Muhammad’s arrival began to spread, crowds 
came flocking out of Madinah. They would come every morning and wait 
eagerly for his appearance until forced by the unbearable heat of the midday 
sun to return. One day they had gone as usual, and after a long wait and 
watch they retired to the city when a Jew, catching a glimpse of three 
travellers clad in white winding their way to Madinah, shouted from the top 
of a hillock: “O you people of Arabia! Your grandfather has come! He, 
whom you have been eagerly waiting for, has come!” The Muslims 
immediately rushed holding their weapons, (to defend him) 11 . 1 The joyful 
news soon spread through the city and people marched forward to greet 
their noble guest. 

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The shouts of ‘Allahu Akbar' (Allah is Great) 
resounded in Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Auf. Muhammad’s ^ elation 

correspondingly increased, but with rare sense of timing and propriety, 
called a halt. Serenity enveloped him and the 'evelation was sent down:! 21 



“... then verily, Allah is his Maula (Lord, Master or Protector), 
and Gabriel, and the righteous among the believers, - and 
furthermore, the angels - are his helpers.” [66:4j 31 

‘Urwah bin Az-Zubair said: They received the Messenger of Allah 
fL. } 4ii, and went with them to the right There Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Awf hosted 
him. That was on Monday, Rabi‘ Al-Awwal. He sat down silent, and 
Al-Ansar (the Helpers), who had not had the opportunity to see him before, 
came in to greet him: It is said that the sun became too hot so Abu Bakr 
stood up to shade him from the hot sun raysl^t was really an unprecedented 
day in Madinah . The Jews could perceive concretely the veracity of their 
Prophet Habquq, who said: ‘God has come from At-Taiman, and the Qudus 
one from Faran Mount.’ 


ftlSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/555. 

PlZftd Al-Ma‘ad, 2/54. 

PlZftd Al-Ma‘ad, 2/54; Ibn Hisham, 1/493. 
MSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/555. 


- 175 - 



Muhammad ^ «_ui ^ stayed in Quba’ with Kulthum bin Al-Hadm, a 
hospitable chief of die tribe of ‘Amr bin ‘Awf. Here he spent four days: 
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It was during this period that 
the foundation of Quba’ Mosque was laid on the basis of pure piety. ‘Ali 
hung back in Makkah for three days to return the trusts, on behalf of the 
Prophet ,j_j <*i» «_ui to their respective owners. After that he started his 
emigration journey to catch up with him at Quba’j 1 ) 

On Friday morning, the Prophet ^ sent for Bani An-Najjar, his 

maternal uncles, to come and escort him and Abu Bakr to Madinah. He 
rode towards the new headquarters amidst the cordial greetings of his 
Madinese followers who had lined his path. He halted at a place in the vale 
of Banu Salim and there he performed his Friday prayer with a hundred 
others 12 . 1 Meanwhile the tribes and families of Madinah, the new name for 
Yathrib and a short form of ‘The Messenger’s Madinah (City)’, came 
streaming forth, and vied with one another in inviting the noble visitor to 
their homes. The girls of the Madinese used to chant beautiful verses of 
welcome rich in all meanings of obedience and dutifulness to the new 
Messenger. 

Though not wealthy, every Ansar (Helper) was wholeheartedly eager and 
anxious to receive the Messenger in his house. It was indeed a triumphal 
procession. Around the camel of Muhammad ^ and his immediate 

followers, rode the chiefs of the city in their best raiment and in glittering 
armour, everyone saying: “Alight here O Messenger of Allah, abide by us.” 
Muhammad fL», «ji used to answer everyone courteously and kindly: 
“This camel is commanded by Allah, wherever it stops, that will be my 
abode.” 

The camel moved onward with slackened rein, reached the site of the 
Prophetic Mosque and knelt down. He did not dismount until it rose up 
again, went on forward, turned back and then returned to kneel down in the 
very former spot. Here, he alighted in a quarter inhabited by Banu Najjar, a 
tribe related to the Prophet ^ ^ «jji ^ from the maternal side. In fact, it was 
his wish to honour his maternal uncles and live among them. The fortunate 


[‘feid Al-Ma‘ad 2/54; Ibn Hisham, 1/493. 
P^Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/555. 


- 176 - 



host, Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, stepped forward with unbounded joy for the 
Divine blessing appropriated to him, welcomed the Noble Guest and 
solicited him to enter his house. 1 ' 1 

A few days later, there arrived the Prophet’s spouse Sawdah, his two 
daughters Fatimah and Umm Kulthum, Usama bin Zaid, Umm Aiman, 
‘Abdullah — son of Abu Bakr with Abu Bakr’s house-hold including 
‘Aishah Zainab was not able to emigrate and stayed with her 

husband Abi Al-‘As till Badr Battle! 21 

‘Aishah u*. *ui ^ said: “When the Messenger of Allah arrived 

in Madinah., both Abu Bakr and Bilal fell ill. I used to attend to their needs. 
When the fever took firm grip of Abu Bakr he used to recite verses of poetry 
that smacked of near death; Bilal, when the fit of fever alleviated, would 
also recite verses of poetry that pointed to clear homesickness. Aishah ^ 

«im added: 

“I briefed the Prophet ^ «bi on their grave situation, and he replied: 
O Allah, we entreat You to establish in our hearts a strong love for Madinah 
equal to that we used to have for Makkah, or even more. O Allah, bless and 
increase the wealth of Madinah and we beseech You to transmute its rotten 
mud into wholesome edible fat.”P! 


MZSd Al-Ma‘ad, 2/55. 
PlSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/556. 
Plgahih Al-Bukhari, 1/588. 



Life in Madinah 


The Madinese era could be divided into three phases: 

1. The first phase was characterized by too much trouble and discord, and 
too many obstacles from within coupled by a hostile wave from without 
aiming at total extermination of the rising faith. It ended with 
Al-Hudaibiyah Peace Treaty in Dhul Qa‘da 6 A.H. 

2. The second phase featured a truce with the pagan leadership and ended in 

the conquest of Makkah in Ramadan 8 A.H. It also witnessed the Prophet 
fi~) an yL. inviting kings beyond Arabia to enter the fold of Islam. 

3. In the third phase, people came to embrace Islam in hosts. Tribes and 

other folks arrived in Madinah to pay homage to the Prophet ^ an It 
ended at the death of the Prophet in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 11 A.H. 


- 178 - 



Dwelling ofYathrib tribes 
at the time of migration 


jd'watet 


Confluf nce 


Doumat 
well I 






0 aVf^ 


mountain 


Qanat Valley 


Houses 


sofBanu Haritha^- 



Houses 


of Banu Abd al-Ash-hal 






WSmi 


^1-Madina 


% J'y House of 

I :-,Banu Zaferp^ 

A t-Tahan Mahzuz 
Valley VaWey \— - 

' ' A "H g 1 S 

§ L ‘ AWal < % 1 

o \ h c 5/1 

£ \% . Pa/ «lea^_ 2 ° 


^sir Mou; 


Houses of Bani an-Nadir 

gP** 

W*'" Castle of Ka‘b bin al-Ashraf 


- 179 - 




The First Phase 
The Status Quo in Madinah 
at the Time of Emigration 

Emigration to Madinah could never be attributable to attempts to escape 
from jeers and oppression only, but it also constituted a sort of cooperation 
with the aim of erecting the pillars of a new society in a secure place. Hence 
it was incumbent upon every capable Muslim to contribute to building this 
new homeland, immunizing it and holding up its prop. As a leader and 
spiritual guide, there was no doubt the Noble Messenger ^ in 

whose hands exclusively all affairs would be resolved. 

In Madinah, the Prophet had to deal with three distinctively 

different categories of people with different respective problems: 

1. His Companions, the noble and Allah fearing elite ^ ^ 

2. Polytheists still detached from the Islam and were purely Madinese 
tribes. 

3. The Jews. 

1. As for his Companions, the conditions of life in Madinah were totally 
different from those they experienced in Makkah. There, in Makkah, they 
used to strive for one corporate target, but physically, they were 
scattered, overpowered and forsaken. They were helpless in terms of 
pursuing their new course of orientation. Their means, socially and 
mate rially, fell short of establishing a new Muslim community. In 
parallel lines, the Makkan Chapters of the Noble Qur’an were confined to 
delineating the Islamic precepts, enacting legislations pertaining to the 
believers individually and enjoining good and piety and forbidding evils 
and vices. 

In Madinah , thing s were otherwise; here all the affairs of their life 
rested in their hands. Now, they were at ease and could quite confidently 
handle the chal len ges of civilization, construction, means of living, 
economics, politics, government administration, war and peace, 
codification of the questions of the allowed and prohibited, worship, 

ethics and all the relevant issues. In a nutshell, they were in Madinah at 
full liberty to erect the pillars of a new Muslim community not only 


- 181 - 



utterly different from that pre-Islamic code of life, but also distinctive in 
its features in the world at large. It was a society that could stand for the 
Islamic Call for whose sake the Muslims had been put to unspeakable 
tortures for 10 years. No doubt, the construction of a society that runs in 
line with this type of ethics cannot be accomplished overnight, within a 
month or a year. It requires a long time to build during which legislation 
and legalization will run gradually in a complementary process with 
mind cultivation, training and education. Allah, the All-Knowing, of 
course undertook legislation and His Prophet Muhammad ^ v* 
implementation and orientation: 




“He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger 
(Muhammad uh^) from among themselves, reciting to 
them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and 
polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur’an, Islamic 
laws and Islamic Jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah ( As-Sunna: 
legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of the Prophet 
Muhammad ^ «*u J-*)” [62:2] 

The Prophet’s Companions ii^j, rushed enthusiastically to 
assimilate these Qur’anic rules and fill their hearts joyfully with them: 




“And when His Verses (this Qur’an) are recited unto them, they 
(i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith.” [8:2] 

With respect to the Muslims, this task constituted the greatest 
challenge for the Messenger of Allah ^ v»u uii ^-l,. In fact, this very 
purpose lay at the heart of the Islamic Call and the Muhammadan 
mission; it was never an incidental issue though there were the matters 
that required urgent addressing. 

The Muslims in Madinah consisted virtually of two parties: The first 
one already settled down in their abode, land and wealth, fully at ease, 
but seeds of discord amongst them were deeply seated and chronic 
enmity continually evoked; they were Al-Ansar (the Helpers). The 
second party were Al-Muhajirun (the Emigrants), homeless, jobless and 


- 182 - 



penniless. Their number was not small, on the contrary, it was increasing 
day by day after the Prophet fU, <jji had given them the green light to 
leave for Madinah whose economic structure, originally not that 
prosperous one, began to show signs of imbalance aggravated by the 
economic boycott that the anti-Islamic groups imposed and consequently 
imports diminished and living conditions worsened. 

2. The purely Madinese polytheists constituted the second sector with 
whom the Prophet ^ <ui had to deal. Those people had no control at 
all over the Muslim. Some of them mused no grudge against the 
Muslims, but were rather skeptical of their ancestors’ religious practices, 
and developed tentative inclination towards Islam and before long they 
embraced the new faith and were truly devoted to Allah. However, some 
others harboured evil intentions against the Prophet ^ *ui j*, and his 
followers but were too cowardly to resist them publicly, they were rather, 
under those Islamically favourable conditions, obliged to fake 
amicability and friendliness. ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, who had almost been 
given presidency over Al-Khazraj and Al-Aws tribes in the wake of 
Bu‘ath War between the two tribes, came at the head of that group of 
hypocrites. The Prophet’s advent and the vigorous rise of the new spirit 
of Islam foiled that orientation and the idea soon went into oblivion. He, 
seeing another one, Muhammad ^ <<u «ui coming to deprive him and 
his agents of the prospective temporal privileges, could not be pleased, 
and for overriding reasons he showed pretension to Islam but with 
horrible disbelief deeply-rooted in his heart. He also used to exploit some 
events and weak-hearted new converts in scheming malevolently against 
the true believers. 

3. The Jews (the Hebrews), who had migrated to Al-Hijaz from Syria 
following the Byzantine and Assyrian persecution campaigns, were the 
third category existent on the demographic scene in Madinah. In their 
new abode they assumed the Arabian stamp in dress, language and 
manner of life and there were instances of intermarriage with the local 
Arabs, however they retained their ethnic particularism and detached 
themselves from amalgamation with the immediate environment. They 
even used to pride in their Jewish-Israeli origin, and spurn the Arabs 
around designating them as illiterate meaning brutal, naive and 
backward. They desired the wealth of their neighbours to be made lawful 
to them and they could thus appropriate it the way they liked. 


- 183 - 



... because they say: “There is no blame on us to betray and 
take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs)” [3:75] 

Religiously, they showed no zeal; their most obvious religious 
commodity was fortunetelling, witchcraft and the secret arts (blowing on 
knots), for which they used to attach to themselves advantages of science 
and spiritual precedence. 

They excelled at the arts of earning money and trading. They in fact 
monopolized trading in cereals, dates, wine, clothes, export and import. For 
the services they offered to the Arabs, the latter paid heavily. Usury was a 
common practice amongst them, lending the Arab notables great sums to be 
squandered on mercenary poets, and in vanity avenues, and in return seizing 
their fertile land given as surety. 

They were very good at corrupting and scheming. They used to sow 
seeds of discord between adjacent tribes and entice each one to hatch plots 
against the other with the natural corollary of continual exhaustive bloody 
fighting. Whenever they felt that fire of hatred was about to subside, they 
would nourish it with new means of perpetuity so that they could always 
have the upper hand, and at the same time gain heavy interest rates on loans 
spent on inter-tribal warfare. 

Three famous tribes of Jews constituted the demographic presence in 
Yathnb (now Madinah): Banu Qainuqua*, allies of Al-Khazraj tribe, Banu 
An-Nadir and Banu Quraizah who allied Al-Aws and inhabited the suburbs 
of Madinah. 

Naturally they held the new changes with abhorrence and were terribly 
hateful to them, simply because the Messenger of AllSh was of a different 
race, and this point was in itself too repugnant for them to reconcile with. 
Second, Islam came to bring about a spirit of rapport, to terminate the state 
of enmity and hatred, and to establish a social regime based on denunciation 
of the prohibited and promotion of the allowed. Adherence to these canons 
of life implied paving the way for an Arab unity that could work to the 
prejudice of the Jews and their interests at both die social and economic 
levels; the Arab tribes would then try to restore their wealth and land 
misappropriated by the Jews thro ugh usurious practices. 


- 184 - 



The Jews of course deeply considered all these things ever since they had 
known that the Islamic Call would try to settle in Yathrib, and it was no 
surprise to discover that they harboured the most enmity and hatred to Islam 
and the Messenger ^ <in even though they did not have the courage to 
uncover their feelings in the beginning. 

The following incident could attest clearly to that abominable antipathy 
that the Jews harboured towards the new political and religious changes that 
came to stamp the life of Madinah. Ibn Ishaq, on the authority of the Mother 
of believers Safiyah narrated: Safiyah, daughter ofHuyayibin 

Akhtab said: I was the closest child to my father and my uncle Abi Yasir’s 
heart. Whenever they saw me with a child of theirs, they should pamper me 
so tenderly to the exclusion of anyone else. However, with the advent of the 
Messenger of Allah ^ <jji ^ and setting in Quba’ with Bani ‘ Amr bin 
‘Awf, my father, Huyayi bin Akhtab and my uncle Abu Yasir bin Akhtab 
went to see him and did not return until sunset when they came back 
walking lazily and fully dejected. I, as usually, hurried to meet them 
smiling, but they would not turn to me for the grief that caught them. I heard 
my uncle Abu Yasir say to Ubai and Huyayi: “Is it really he (i.e. 
M uhamma d ^ <jji The former said: “It is he, I swear by Allah! 
“Did you really recognize him?” they asked. He answered: “Yes, and my 
heart is burning with enmity towards himV [l] 

An interesting story that took place on the first day, the Prophet ^l. 
f < . j <j]i stepped in Madinah, could be quoted to illustrate the mental 
disturbance and deep anxiety that beset the Jews. ‘Abdullah bin Salam, the 
most learned rabbi among the Jews came to see the Prophet ^ ^ <ui ^ 
when he arrived, and asked him certain questions to ascertain his real 
Prophethood. No sooner did he hear the Prophet’s answers than he 
embraced Islam, but added that if his people knew of his Islamization they 
would advance false arguments against me. The Prophet ^ <ui ^ sent for 
some Jews and asked them about ‘Abdullah bin Salam, they testified to his 
scholarly aptitude and virtuous standing. Here it was divulged to them that 
he had embraced Islam and on the spot, they imparted categorically opposite 
testimonies and described him as the most evil of all evils. In another 
narration ‘Abdullah bin Salam said, “O Jews! Be Allah fearing. By Allah, 
the only One, you know that he is the Messenger of Allah sent to people 


WflmHisham, 1/518,519. 


- 185 - 



with the Truth.” They replied, “You are lying.”... That was the Prophet’s 
first experience with the JewsJ'l 

That was the demo-political picture within Madinah. Five hundred 
kilometres away in Makkah, there still lay another source of detrimental 
threat, the archenemy of Islam, Quraish. For ten years, while at the mercy of 
Quraish, the Muslims were subjected to all sorts of terrorism, boycott, 
harassment and starvation coupled by a large scale painstaking 
psychological war and aggressive organized propaganda. When they had 
emigrated to Madinah, their land, wealth and property were seized, wives 
detained and the socially humble in rank brutally tortured. Quraish also 
schemed and made attempts on the life of the first figure of the Call, 
Muhammad . Due to their acknowledged temporal leadership 

and religious supremacy among the pagan Arabs, given the custodianship of 
the Sacred Sanctuary, the Quraishites spared no effort in enticing the 
Arabians against Madinah and boycotting the Madinese socially and 
economically. To quote Muhammad Al-Ghazali: “A state of war virtually 
existed between the Makkan tyrants and the Muslims in their abode. It is 
foolish to blame the Muslims for the horrible consequences that were bound 
to ensue in the light of that long-standing feud.”f 2 J 

The Muslims in Madinah were completely eligible then to confiscate the 
wealth of those tyrants, mete out for them exemplary punishment and br ing 
twofold retaliation on them in order to deter them from committing any 
folly against the Muslims and their sanctities. 

That was a resume of the major problems that the Prophet Mu hammad 
^ uii ^ had to face, and the complicated issues he was supposed to 
resolve. 

In full acknowledgment, we could safely say that he quite honestly 
shouldered the responsibilities of Messengership, and cleverly discharged 
the liabilities of both temporal and religious leadership in Madinah. He 
accorded to everyone his due portion whether of mercy or p unishme nt^ with 
the former usually seasoning the latter in the overall process of establishing 
Islam on firm grounds among its faithful adherents. 


(fiSahih Al-Bukhari, 1/459. 
2 Fiqh As-Seerah, p.162. 


- 186 - 



A New Society being built 


We have already mentioned that the Messenger of Allah ,j—. j ^ <di j*. 
arrived in Madinah on Friday, 12th Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 1 A.H., i.e. September 
27th. 622 A.D. and took the downstairs of Abi Ayyub’s house as a 
temporary residence. 


The first task to which the Prophet ^ «*i* «w attended on his arrival in 
Madinah was the construction of a Mosque, in the very site where his camel 
knelt down. The land, which belonged to two orphans, was purchased. The 
Prophet (j-j an himself contributed to building the Mosque by carrying 
adobe bricks and stones while reciting verses: 




“O Allah! no bliss is there but that of the Hereafter, I beseech 
you to forgive the Emigrants and Helpers.” 

The ground was cleared, of weeds and shrubs, palm trees and rubbish, 
the graves of the polytheists dug up and then levelled and the trees planted 
around. The Qiblah (the direction in which the Muslims turn their faces in 
prayer) was constructed to face Jerusalem; two beams were also erected to 
hold the ceiling up. It was square in form, each side measuring 
approximately 100 yards, facing towards the north and having three gates on 
each of the remaining sides. Nearby, rooms reserved for the Prophet’s 
household were built of stones and adobe bricks with ceilings of palm 
leaves.!'1 To the north of the Mosque a place was reserved for the Muslims 
who had neither family nor home. The Adhan (summoning the Muslims to 
the Mosque by the Call for prayer) was initiated at this early stage of post- 
migration era. The Mosque was not merely a locus to perform prayers, but 
rather an Islamic league where the Muslim’s were instructed in Islam and its 
doctrines. It served as an assembly place where the conflicting pre-Islamic 
trends used to come to terms; it was the headquarter wherein all the affairs 
of the Muslims were administered, and consultative and executive councils 
held. 


[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/71,555, 560; Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/56. 


- 187 - 



The Mosque being thus constructed, the Prophet next turned 

his attention to cementing the ties of mutual brotherhood amongst the 
Muslims of Madinah, Al-Ansar (the Helpers) and Al-Muhajirun (the 
Emigrants). It was indeed unique in the history of the world. A gathering of 
90 men, half of whom Emigrants and the others Helpers assembled in the 
house of Anas bin Malik where the Prophet gave the spirit of 

brotherhood his official blessing. When either of the two persons who had 
been paired as brothers, passed away, his property was inherited by his 
brother-in-faith. This practice continued till the following verse was 
revealed at the time of the battle of Badr, and the regular rule of inheritance 
was allowed to take its usual course: 




“But kindred by blood are nearer to one another regarding 
inheritance! 1 ).” [8:75] 


“Brotherhood-in-faith” to quote Muhammad Al-Ghazali again, “was 
holding subordinate every distinction of race and kindred and suppor ting the 
Islamic precept: none is superior to the other except on the basis of piety 
and God-fearin g PI” 


The Prophet ^ attached to that brotherhood a valid contract; it 

was not just meaningless words but rather a valid practice rela ting to blood 
and wealth rather than a passing whim taking the form of accidental 
greeting. 


The atmosphere of brotherhood and fellow-feeling created a spirit of 
selflessness infused deeply in the hearts of his followers, and produced very 
healthy results. For example, Sa‘d bin Ar-Rabi‘, a Helper, said to his fellow 
brother ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf, “I am the richest man among st the 
Helpers. I am glad to share my property half and half with you. I have two 
wives, I am ready to divorce one and after the expiry of her ‘Iddah, (the 
prescribed period for a woman divorcee to stay wi thin her house unmarried) 
you may marry her.” But ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf was not prepared to 


('] Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/56. 

I 2 ) Fiqh As-Seerah, P.140,141. 


- 188 - 



accept anything: neither property nor home. So he blessed his brother and 
said: “Kindly direct me to the market so that I may make my fortune with 
my own hands.” And he did prosper and got married very shortly by his 
own labour.!'] 

The Helpers were extremely generous to their brethren-in-faith. Abu 
Hurairah reported that they once approached the Prophet ^ «> *ui ^ with the 
request that their orchards of palm trees should be distributed equally 
between the Muslims of Madinah and their brethren from Makkah. But the 
Prophet oji ^ was reluctant to put this heavy burden upon them. It 

was, however, decided that the Emigrants would work in the orchards 
alongwith the Helpers and the yield would be divided equally amongst 
them.! 2 ! 

Such examples point directly to the spirit of sacrifice, altruism and 
cordiality on the part of the Helpers, and also to the feeling of appreciation, 
gratitude and self-respect that the Emigrants held dear to their hearts. They 
took only what helped them eke a reasonable living. In short, this policy of 
mutual brotherhood was so wise and timely that many obstinate problems 
were resolved wonderfully and reasonably. 

/A Charter of Islamic Alliance: 

Just as the Prophet (Jl., «_ui ^ had established a code of brotherhood 
amongst the believers, so too he was keen on establishing friendly relations 
between the Muslims and non-Muslim tribes of Arabia. He established a 
sort of treaty aiming at ruling out all pre-Islamic rancour and inter-tribal 
feuds. He was so meticulous not to leave any area in the charter that would 
allow pre-Islamic traditions to sneak in or violate the new environment he 
wanted to establish. Herein, we look over some of its provisions. 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. This is 
a document from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, concerning 
Emigrants and Helpers and those who followed and strove with them. 

1. They are one nation to the exclusion of other people. 


['] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/553. 
I 2 ] ibid, 1/312. 


- 189 - 



2. The Emigrants of Quraish unite together and shall pay blood money 
among themselves, and shall ransom honourably their prisoners. 
Every tribe of the Helpers unite together, as they were at first, and 
every section among them will pay a ransom for acquitting its 
relative prisoners. 

3. Believers shall not leave anyone destitute among them by not paying 
his redemption money or blood money in kind. 

4. Whoever is rebellious or whoever seeks to spread enmity and 
sedition, the hand of every God-fearing Muslim shall be against him, 
even if he be his son. 

5. A believer shall not kill another believer, nor shall support a 
disbeliever against a believer. 

6. The protection of Allah is one (and is equally) extended to the 
humblest of the believers. 

7. The believers are supported by each other. 

8. Whosoever of the Jews follows us shall have aid and succour; they 
shall not be injured, nor any enemy be aided against them. 

9. The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be 
made when believers are fighting in the way of Allah. Conditions 
must be fair and equitable to all. 

10. It shall not be lawful for a believer, who holds by what is in this 
document and believes in Allah and the Day of Judgement, to help a 
criminal nor give him refuge. Those who give him refuge and render 
him help shall have the curse and anger of Allah on the Day of 
Resurrection. Their indemnity is not accepted. 

11. Whenever you differ about a matter, it must be referred to Allah and 
to Muhammad.!') 

12. Killing a believer deliberately with no good reason entails killing the 
killer unless the sponsor deems it otherwise. 


I'l Ibn Hisham, 1/502,503. 


- 190 - 



It was solely by his wisdom and dexterity, that the Prophet ^ u* ^ 
erected the pillars of the new society. This phenomenon no doubt left its 
mark on the virtuous Muslims. He used to bring them up in the light of the 
Islamic education, he sanctified their selves, enjoined them to observe 
righteousness and praiseworthy manners and was keen on infusing into 
them the ethics of amity, glory, honour, worship and first and foremost 
obedience to Allah and His Messenger. 

The following is a cluster of the virtues he used to inculcate in the minds 
of his followers: 


A man asked the Messenger of Allah ^<* 1 ** 111 ^ which of the merits is 
superior in Islam. He (the Prophet an jj) remarked: 


tiljjc jj ‘Ja Js- yLJi yk;» 


“That you provide food and extend greetings to one 
whom you know or do not know.”!'! 


‘Abdullah bin Salim said: When the Prophet ^ <* 1 * ai arrived in 
Madinah, I went to see him and I immediately recognized through his 
features that he would never be a liar. The first things he (the Prophet 


ai jL.) said was: 

ijLfj ifULl Il^lit 0 C» 

1 ifLj I jlUj 


“Extend peace greetings amongst yourselves, provide 
food to the needy, maintain uterine relations, observe 
prayer at night while people are asleep, then you will 
peacefully enter the Garden (Paradise).”! 2 ! 


And he said: 


ja Syoun jX* y* yLU.ni 


['! Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/6,9. 

I 2 ! Narrated by At-Tiimidhi; Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1/168. 


- 191 - 


“The Muslim is that one from whose tongue and hand the 
Muslims are safe.!*]” 

And said: 


4 •■ ’* 4 J^ 44 ^ 


“None amongst you believes (truly) till one likes for his 
brother that which he loves for himself. PJ” 

And said: 


J «jl4 *jk V J &Jl 


“He will not enter Paradise, he whose neighbour is not 
secure from his wrongful conduct.! 3 !” 


And said: 


34^- j> d\s J.'j *<44 Yj zik Si 41^1 >1 4idi» 

i>? 4^5 <uj! plL* o* ^ <jl£ 

(( 4-0 Lil 1 4ij| o^1** L ^ . L m.o ^1** 4 4-oLaJI oL^S 


“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he neither 
oppresses him nor does he fail him. Whosoever removes a 
worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him 
one of the griefs of the Day of Judgement. Whosoever 
shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him on the Day of 
Resurrection.^]” 


And said: 




M Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/6. 

P] ibid, 1/6 

Narrated by Muslim; Mishkat Al-Masabih, 2/422. 
t 4 ] Mishkat Al-Masabih, 2/422; Sahih Al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim. 

- 192 - 


/ 



“Abusing a Muslim is an outrage and fighting against him 
is disbelief.! 1 )” 

And said: 


“To remove something harmful from the road, is 
charity.! 2 )” 


And said: 


* jllll iUJl aj L*5 tjUaijI 43JL^aJl* 


“Charity erases sins just as water extinguishes fire.! 3 )” 
And said: 


<UjU- Jj JsU ^JJL ^jijl 

“He is not a perfect believer, who goes to bed full and 
knows that his neighbour is hungry.! 4 )” 

He said: 


Ja 'p£Xs-’J) ^ \jil~ jl» 

“Show mercy to people on earth so that Allah will have 
mercy on you in heaven.! 5 )” 

And said: 


•liCLb <uJiSvj ,«J <1)^3 0 jJj jlljl 


!>) Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/893 
P) Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1/12. 
[3] ibid, 1/14. 
t 4 ) ibid, 2/424. 

t 5 ) Sunan Abu Da’ud, 2/235. 


- 193 - 


“Try to avert fire even by half a date (in charity) if not by 
tendering a good word.M” 

And said: 


^ 'diJ C>* Uili ui U& 

UjI j 4 Ai»Jl jUi 4>i A*Jda! UJLlJo UjI j 

,j* dll «LU> ui UJLli ( _ y il |JUi 


“Clothing an under-clad Muslim, entitles you to a 
garment from the Paradise; feeding a hungry Muslim will 
make you eligible (by Allah’s Will) for the fruit of the 
Paradise, and if you provide water to a thirsty Muslim, 
Allah will provide you with a drink from ‘die Sealed 
Nectar’.PI” 


He used as well to exhort the believers to spend in charity reminding 
them of relevant virtues for which the hearts yearn. 

And said: 


0\j <• a1 ^ A^P ^^ScLil (jl l 

t'Js 11 1 I 5 

“The believers in their mutual love, are like the human 
body where when the eye is in agony, the entire body 
feels the pain; when the head aches, all the body will 
suffer. PI” 

And said: 


(LaIm A . 4 w oU£JI£ 




PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/190. 

PI Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1/169. 
PI Narrated by Muslim. 


- 194 - 


“The bonds of brotherhood between two Muslims are like parts 
of a house, one part strengthens and holds the other.t'l” 

And said: 


Tj C\y-\ tiijl-UjV} 

i3> ols-t J>» ^ .l.i.-qj 


“Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of 
other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O 
the slaves of Allah! Be like brothers with each other. It is not 
violable for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three 
days.Pl” 


The Prophet ^<* 1 * 411 ^ used as well to promote that habit of abstention 
from asking the others for help unless one is totally helpless. He used to talk 
to his companions a lot about the merits, virtues and Divine reward implied 
in observing the prescribed worships and rituals. He would always bring 
forth corroborated proofs in order to link them physically and spiritually to 
the Revelation sent to him, hence he would apprise them of their duties and 
responsibilities in terms of the consequences of the Call of Islam, and at the 
same time emphasize the exigencies of comprehension and contemplation. 


That was his practice of maximizing their morale and imbuing them with 
the noble values and ideals so that they could become models of virtue to be 
copied by subsequent generations. \ 


‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud uh once said: If you are willing to follow a 
good example, then you can have a recourse in the tradition of the deceased, 
because the living are likely to fall an easy victim to oppression (so they 
might waver in faith). Follow the steps of Muhammad’s Companions. They 
were the best in this nation, the most pious, the most learned and the least 
pretentious. Allah chose them to accompany the Prophet ^ ^ *ui and 


PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/890. 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2 /896. 


- 195 - 


to his companions a lot about the merits, virtues and Divine reward implied 
in observing the prescribed worships and rituals. He would always bring 
forth corroborated proofs in order to link them physically and spiritually to 
the Revelation sent to him, hence he would apprise them of their duties and 
responsibilities in terms of the consequences of the Call of Islam, and at the 
same time emphasize the exigencies of comprehension and contemplation. 

That was his practice of maximizing their morale and imbuing them with 
the noble values and ideals so that they could become models of virtue to be 
copied by subsequent generations. 

‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud uii ^ once said: If you are willing to follow a 
good example, then you can have a recourse in the tradition of the deceased, 
because the living are likely to fall an easy victim to oppression (so they 
might waver in faith). Follow the steps of Muhammad’s Companions. They 
were the best in this nation, the most pious, the most learned and the least 
pretentious. Allah chose them to accompany the Prophet ^ ^ ^ and 

establish His religion. Therefore, it is imperative to get to know their grace, 
follow their righteous way and adhere as much as you can to their manners 
and assimilate their biography. They were always on the orthodox path. 
There is then the great Messenger of Allah ^ «ui ^ whose moral visible 
attributes, aspects of perfection, talents, virtues, noble manners and 
praiseworthy deeds, entitle him to occupy the innermost cells of our hearts, 
and become the dearest target that the self yearns for. Hardly did he utter a 
word when his Companions would race to assimilate it and work in its 
light.!*! 

Those were the attributes and qualities on whose basis the Prophet 
, 1 -, 4*i» 4_ut wanted to build a new society, the most wonderful and the most 
honourable society ever known in history. On these grounds, he strove to 
resolve the longstanding problems, and later gave mankind the chance to 
breathe a sigh of relief after a long wearying journey in dark and gloomy 
avenues. Such lofty morale lay at the very basis of creating a new society 
with integrated components immune to all fluctuations of time, and 
powerful enough to change the whole course of humanity. 


W Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1/32. 


- 196 - 


A Cooperation and Non-Aggression Pact 
with the Jews 

Soon after emigrating to Madinah and making sure that the pillars of the 
new Islamic community were well established on strong bases of 
administrative, political and ideological unity, the Prophet 
commenced to establish regular and clearly-defined relations with non- 
Muslims. All of these efforts were exerted solely to provide peace, security, 
and prosperity to all mankind at large, and to bring about a spirit of rapport 
and harmony within his region, in particular. 

Geographically, the closest people to Madinah were the Jews. Whilst 
harbouring evil intentions, and nursing bitter grudge, they showed not the 
least resistance nor the slightest animosity. The Prophet decided to ratify a 
treaty with them with clauses that provided full freedom in faith and wealth. 
He had no intention whatsoever of following severe policies involving 
banishment, seizure of wealth and land or hostility. 

The treaty came within the context of another one of a larger framework 
relating to inter-Muslim relationships. 

The most important provisions of the treaty are the following: 

1. The Jews of Bani ‘Awf are one community with the believers. The 
Jews will profess their religion, and the Muslims theirs. 

2. The Jews shall be responsible for their expenditure, and the Muslims 
for theirs. 

3. If attacked by a third party, each shall come to the assistance of the 
other. 

4. Each party shall hold counsel with the other. Mutual relation shall be 
founded on righteousness; sin is totally excluded. 

5. Neither shall commit sins to the prejudice of the other. 

6. The wronged party shall be aided. 

7. The Jews shall contribute to the cost of war so long as they are 
fighting alongside the believers. 


- 197 - 



8. Madinah shall remain sacred and inviolable for all that join this 
treaty. 

9. Should any disagreement arise between the signatories to this treaty, 
then AllSh, the All-High and His Messenger shall settle the dispute. 

10. The signatories to this treaty shall boycott Quraish commercially; 
they shall also abstain from extending any support to them. 

11. Each shall contribute to defending Madinah, in case of a foreign 
attack, in its respective area. 

12. This treaty shall not hinder either party from seeking lawful 
revenge.10 

Madinah and its suburbs, after the ratification of this treaty, turned into a 
coalition state, with Madinah proper as capital and Muhammad ^ 
as ‘president’; authorities lay mainly in the hand of the Muslims, and 
consequently it was a real capital of Islam. To expand the zone of peace and 
security the Prophet fj-, «jji ^ started to enter into similar treaties with 
other tribes living around ‘his state’. 


I'l Ibn Hisham, 1/503,504. 


- 198 - 



The Prophet on the Battlefield 


The Quraishites, mortified at the escape of the Prophet along 

with his devoted companions, and jealous of his growing power in Madinah, 
kept a stringent watch over the Muslims left behind and persecuted them in 
every possible way. They also initiated clandestine contacts with ‘Abdullah 
bin Uabi bin Salul, chief of Madinese polytheists, and president designate of 
the tribes ‘Aws and Khazraj before the Prophet’s emigration. They sent him 
a strongly-worded ultimatum ordering him to fight or expel the Prophet, 
otherwise they would launch a widespread military campaign that would 
exterminate his people and proscribe his women.!'] 

His pride wounded and kingship no longer his, ‘Abdullah bin Uabi bin 
Salul, a priori responded positively to his Quraishite co-polytheists. He 
mobilized his supporters to counteract the Muslims. The Prophet ,ju, »jji 
on hearing about this unholy alliance, summoned ‘Abdullah and 
admonished him to be more sensible and thoughtful and cautioned his men 
against being snared in malicious tricks.! 2 ! The men, on grounds of 
cowardice, or reason, gave up the idea. Their chief, however, seemingly 
complied, but at heart, he remained a wicked unpredictable accomplice with 
Quraish and the envious Jews. Skirmishes and provocations started to pave 
the way for a major confrontation between the Muslims and polytheists. 
Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, an outstanding Helper, announced his intention to observe 
‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) and headed for Makkah. There Omaiya bin 
Khalaf provided tutelage for him to observe the ritual circumambulation. 
Abu Jahl, an archenemy of Islam saw him in the Sacred Sanctuary and 
threatened he would have killed him if he had not been in the company of 
Omaiya. Sa‘d, fearlessly and defiantly, challenged him to committing any 
folly at the risk of cutting their caravans off.! 3 ! 

Provocative actions continued and Quraish sent the Muslims a note 
threatening to put them to death in their own homeland. Those were not 
mere words, for the Prophet ^ ««n un j*. received information from reliable 


l 1 ! Narrated by Abu Da’fld. 
121 ibid. 

P! Sahib Al-Bukhari, 2/563. 



sources attesting to real intrigues and plots being hatched by the enemies of 
Islam. Precautionary measures were taken and a state of alertness was called 
for, including the positioning of security guards around die house of the 
Prophet pi—«) 4-i l c 4JJI jJ- and strategic junctures. ‘Aishah reported that 

Allah’s Messenger lay down on bed during one night on his 

arrival in Madinah and said: Were there a pious person from amongst my 
Companions who should keep a watch for me during the night? She 
(‘Aishah «jji said: We were in this state when we heard the clanging 
noise of arms. He (the Prophet ^ <111 ju) said: Who is it? He said: This is 

Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas. Allah’s Messenger fi—j said to him: What 

brings you here? Thereupon he said: I harboured fear (lest any harm should 
come to) Allah’s Messenger ^ v* «ni so I came to save as your sentinel. 
Allah’s Messenger fi—, ^ invoked blessings upon him and then he 
slept.! 1 ! 

This state of close vigilance continued ceaselessly until the Words of 
Allah were revealed saying: 

“Allah will protect you from mankind.” [5:67] 

Here, the Prophet ^ <ui ^ peeped from the dome of his house asking 
his people to go away, and making it clear that Allah would take the charge 
of protecting him.PJ 

The Prophet’s life was not the only target of the wicked schemes, but 
rather the lives and the whole entity of the Muslims. When the Madinese 
provided the Prophet ^ <ui ^ and his Companions with safe refuge, the 
desert bedouins began to look at them all in the same perspective, and 
outlawed all the Muslims. 

At this precarious juncture with Quraish, intent on pursuing their 
aggressive and devilish plans, Allah, the All-Higjh, gave the Muslims the 
permission to take arms against the disbelievers: 




01 Sahih Muslim, 2/280; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/404. 
W At-Tirmidhi, 2/130. 


- 200 - 



“Permission to fight is given to those (i.e. believers 
against those disbelievers), who are fighting them, (and) 
because they (believers) have been wronged, and surely 
Allah is Able to give them (believers) victory.” [22:39] 

This verse was revealed in a larger context of Divine instructions to 
eradicate all aspects of falsehood, and hold in honour the symbols and rites 
of Allah: 


IJCj i jiili 4 il > 


“Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in 
the land, (they) order for Iqamat-as-Salat : [i.e. to perform 
Salat (prayer) — the five compulsory, congregational 
prayers (die males in Mosques)], to pay the Zakat 
(obligatory charity), and they enjoin Al-Ma ‘ruf (i.e. 
Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), 
and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all 
that Islam has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur’an as the 
Law of their country in all the spheres of life].” [22:41]. 


Doubdessly, the permission to fight was revealed in Madinah after 
emigration, not in Makkah, still the exact date where of is in doubt. 

The permission to fight was already there, but in the light of the status 
quo, it was wise for the Muslims to bring the commercial routes leading to 
Makkah under their control. To realize this strategic objective, the Prophet 
fa an had to choose either of two options: 

a. Entering into non-aggression pacts with the tribes inhabiting either the 
areas adjacent to the routes or between these routes and Madinah. 
With respect to this course of action, the Prophet ,jl-, ^ an had 
already signed, together with the Jews and other neighbouring tribes, 
the aforementioned pact of cooperation and good neighbourliness. 


b. Despatching successive armed missions for harassment along the 
strategic commercial routs. 


- 201 - 



Pre-Badr Missions and Invasions. 

With a view to implementing these plans, the Muslims commenced real 
military activities, which at first took the form of reconnaissance patrols 
delegated to explore the geopolitical features of the roads surrounding 
Madinah and others leading to Makkah, and building alliances with the 
tribes nearby. The Prophet wanted to impress upon the polytheists and Jews 
of Madinah as well as the bedouins in its vicinity, that the Muslims had 
smashed their old fears, and had been too strong to be attacked with 
impunity. He also wanted to display the power of his followers in order to 
deter Quraish from committing any military folly against him which might 
jeopardize their economic life and means of living, and to stop them from 
persecuting the helpless Muslims detained in Makkah, consequently he 
would avail himself of this opportunity and resume his job of propagating 
the Divine Call freely. 

The following is a resume of these missions and errands: 

l.Saif Al-Bahr Platoon sent in Ramadan 1 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. led by 
Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib and comprising 30 Emigrants with a 
definite task of intercepting a caravan belonging to Quraish. It was a 
caravan of 300 people including Abu Jahl bin Hisham. The two parties 
encountered each other and aligned in preparation for fighting. Majdi bin 
‘Amr, on good terms with both sides, happened to be there and managed 
to prevent an imminent clash. 

On that occasion, the Prophet ^ <ui accredited the first flag in the 
history of Muslims.- It was white in colour and was entrusted to Kinaz bin 
Husain Al-Ghanawi, to carry. 

2. In Shawwal, 1 A.H., i.e. April 623 A.D. The Messenger of Allah 
|j-j uji despatched ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Harith bin Al-Muttalib at the head 
of 60 horsemen of Emigrants to a spot called Batn Rabegh where they 
encountered Abu Sufyan at the head of a caravan of200 men. There was 
arrow shooting but no actual fighting. 

It is interesting to note that two Muslims, Al-Miqdad bin ‘ Amr 
Al-Bahrani and ‘Utbah bin Ghazwan Al-Mazini, defected from the 
caravan of Quraish and joined the ranks of ‘Ubaidah. The Mus lims had a 


- 202 - 



white flag carried by Mistah bin Athatha bin Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd 
Munaf. 

3. In Dhul Qa'dah 1 A.H., i.e. May 623 A.D. the Prophet ^ «ui jl. 

despatched Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas at the head of 20 horsemen, and 
instructed them not to go beyond Al-Kharrar. After a five-day march they 
reached the spot to discover that the camels of Quraish had left the day 
before; their flag, as usual, was white and carried by Al-Miqdad bin 
‘Amr. 

4. Ghazwa Al-Abwa’ or Waddan. It was in Safar 2 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. The 

Messenger of Allah ^ uji set out himself at the head of 70 men, 

mostly Emigrants, to intercept a camel caravan belonging to Quraish, 
leaving behind Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah to dispose the affairs in Madinah. When 
he reached Waddan, a place between Makkah and Madinah, he found 
none. 

In the process of this campaign, he contracted a non-aggression pact with 
‘Amr bin Makhshi Ad-Damari. The provisions of the pact go as follows: 

“This is a document from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah 
concerning Bani Damrah in which he established them safe and 
secure in their wealth and lives. They can expect support from the 
Muslims unless they oppose the religion of Allah. They are also 
expected to respond positively in case the Prophet sought their 
help.t'l” 

This was the first invasion under the leadership of the Messenger of 
Allah. It took fifteen days, with a white flag carried byHamzahbin 
‘Abdul Muttalib. 

5. Buwat Invasion. It took place in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 2 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. 

The Prophet ^ at the head of200 companions, marched for 

Buwat to intercept a caravan belonging to Quraish comprising 100 
Quraishites, Omaiya bin Khalaf among them, and 2500 camels. When he 
reached Buwat, the caravan had left. Before leaving Madinah, he 
mandated Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh to dispose the affairs until his return. 


01 Al-Mawahib Al-Ladunniyah, 1/75 


- 203 - 



6 . Safwan Invasion. In Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 2 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. Karz bin Jabir 
at the head of a small group of polytheists raided the pastures ofMadinah 
and looted some animals. The Prophet ^^ 411 ^ at the head of 70 men 
left Madinah to fight the aggressors. He went in their pursuit till he 
reached a place called Safwan near Badr but could not catch up with 
them. This invasion came to be known as the preliminary Badr Invasion. 
During his absence, the Prophet + entrustedZaidbinHarithah 
with the disposition of the affairs in Madinah. The standard was white in 
colour and entrusted to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to cany. 

7. Dhil ‘Ushairah Invasion. It was in Jumada-al-Ula and Jumada-al-Akhirah 

the first or second 2 A.H., i.e. November-December 623 A.D. The 
Prophet [L*, «*i» uii at the head of 150-200 Muslim volunteers, with 30 

camels which they rode turn by turn, set out to intercept a Quraishite 
caravan. He reached Dhil ‘Ushairah but the camels had left some days 
before. These camels were the same that he went out to intercept on their 
return from Syria, and were the direct reason for the break out of the 
battle of Badr. In the process of this campaign, the Prophet ^ <*u 411 
contracted a non-aggression pact with Bani Madlij and their allies Bani 
Dhumrah. Abu Salama bin ‘Abd Al-Asad Al-Makhzumi was mandated 
to rule Madinah in his absence. 

8 . The Platoon of Nakhlah. It took place in Rajab 2 A.H., i.e. January 624 

A.H. The Messenger of Allah despatched ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh 

Asadi to Nakhlah at the head of 12 Emigrants with six camels. ‘Abdullah 
was given a letter by the Prophet ^ an but was instructed to read it 
only after two days. He followed the instructions and discovered that he 
was asked to go on to a place called Nakhlah s tanding between Makkah 
and At-Ta’if, intercept a caravan for Quraish and collect news about their 
intentions. He disclosed the contents of the letters to his fellows who 
blindly obeyed the orders. At Nakhlah, the caravan passed carrying loads 
of raisins (dried grapes), food stuff and other commodities. Notable 
polytheists were also there such as ‘ Amr bin Al-Hadrami, ‘Uthman and 
Naufal, sons of 'Abdullah bin Al-Mugheerah and others... The Muslims 
held consultations among themselves with respect to fi ghting them taking 
into account Rajab which was a sacred month (during which, along with 
Dhul Hijjja, Dhul Qa‘da and Muharram, war activities were suspended as 
was the custom in Arabia then). At last they agreed to engage with them 


- 204 - 



in fighting. ‘Amr bin Al-Hadrami was shot dead by an arrow, ‘Uthman 
and Al-Hakam were captured whereas Naufal escaped. They came back 
with the booty and the two prisoners. They set aside one-fifth of the 
booty assigned to Allah and His Messenger, and took the rest. The 
Messenger disapproved of that act and suspended any action as regards 
the camels and the two captives on account of the prohibited months 
already mentioned. The polytheists, on their part, exploited this golden 
opportunity to calumniate the Muslims and accuse them of violating what 
is Divinely inviolable. This idle talk brought about a painful headache to 
Muhammad’s Companions, until at last they were relieved when the 
Revelation came down giving a decisive answer and stating quite 
explicitly that the behaviour of the polytheists in the whole process was 
much more heinous and far more serious than the act of the Muslims: 






“They ask you concerning fighting in the sacred months 
(i.e. 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Islamic 
calendar). Say, ‘Fighting therein is a great (transgression) 
but a greater (transgression) with Allah is to prevent 
mankind from following the way of Allah, to disbelieve in 
Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (at 
Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al-Fitnah is 
worse than killing.” [2:217] 

The Words of Allah were quite clear and said that the tumult created by 
the polytheists was groundless. The sacred inviolable sanctities had been 
repeatedly violated in the long process of fighting Islam and persecuting its 
adherents. The wealth of the Muslims as well as their homes had already 
been violated and their Prophet ^ mu «im had been the target of repeated 
attempts on his life. In short, that sort of propaganda could deservedly be 
described as impudence and prostitution. This has been a resume of pre- 
Badr platoons and invasions. None of them witnessed any sort of looting 
property or killing people except when the polytheists had committed such 


- 205 - 



crimes under the leadership of Kaiz bin Jabir Al-Fahri. It was, in fact, the 
polytheists who had initiated such acts. No wonder, for such ill-behaviour is 
immanent in their natural disposition. 

Shortly afterwards, the two captives were released and blood money was 
given to the killed man’s father.!'] 

After this event, Quraish began to realize the real danger that Madinah 
could present with. They came to know that Madinah had always been on 
the alert, watching closely their commercial caravans. It was then common 
knowledge to them that the Muslims in their new abode could span and 
extend their military activities over an area of300 miles, and bring it under 
full control. However, the new situation borne in mind, the Makkans could 
not be deterred and were too obstinate to come to terms with the new rising 
power of Islam. They were determined to bring their fall by their own hands 
and with this recklessness they precipitated the great battle of Badr. 

The Muslims, on the other hand, and at the behest of their Lord, were 
ordered to go to war in Sha’ban 2 A.H: 





“And fight, in the way of, Allah those who fight you; but 
transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the 
transgressors. And kill them wherever you find them, and 
turn them out from where they have turned you out. And 
Al-Fitnah (polytheism or calamity) is worse than killing. 
And fight not with them at Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (the 
Sanctuary at Makkah), unless they (first) fight you there. 
But if they attack you, then kill them. Such is the 


('] For details see Zfid Al-Ma'ad, 2/83-85; Ibn Hisham, 1/605; 
Rahmat-ul-liTalameen, 1/115.2/468. 


- 206 - 



recompense of the disbelievers. But if they cease, then 
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Mercifixl. And fight them 
until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping 
of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of ) 
worship is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there 
be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun 
(polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.).” [2:190-193] 

Before long, Allah again sent the Muslims a different sort of verses 
whereby teaching them ways of fighting, urging them to go to war and 
demonstrating relevant rules: 


jfSut \jQ J&JAil 4^' ds*- 

p> 143^- £X\ o fate* ® j [3^ 

d\)^4)4 o 


“So, when you meet (in fight - Jihad in Allah s cause), 
those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you 
have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond 
firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives). Thereafter (is 
the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them without 
ransom), or ransom (according to what benefits Islam), 
until the war lays down its burden. Thus [you are ordered 
by Allah to continue in carrying out Jihad against the 
disbelievers till they embrace Islam (i.e. are saved from 
the punishment in the Hell-fire) or at least come under 
your protection], but if it had been Allah s Will, He 
Himself could certainly have punished them (without 
you). But (He lets you fight), in order to test you, some 
with others. But those who are killed in the way of Allah, 
He will never let their deeds be lost. He will guide them 
and set right their state. And admit them to Paradise 
which He has made known to them (i.e. they will know 
their places in Paradise more than they used to know their 
houses in the world). O you who believe! If you help (in 


- 207 - 



the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your 
foothold firm.” [47:4-7]!*] 

Shortly afterwards, Allah began to dispraise the hypocrites, the weak at 
heart and cowardly elements: 


TjU ^ 



“But when a decisive Surah (explaining and ordering 
things) is sent down, and fighting {Jihad — the holy 
fighting) is mentioned (i.e. ordained) therein, you will see 
those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) looking 
at you with a look of one fainting to death. ” [47:20] 


The prevalent exigencies required as a top priority exhorting the Musl ims 
to fight. Any leader with a deep insight would order his soldiers to get ready 
for any sort of emergency, let alone the All-Knowing Exalted Lord, Who is 
at all times omniscient of the minutest details of affairs. The event of that 
skirmish with the polytheists dealt a heavy blow to the pride of Quraish and 
created a sort of horrible restlessness amongst them. 


The aforementioned Qur’anic verses, enjoining the Muslims to strive in 
the cause of Allah, betrayed the proximity of blood clashes that would be 
crowned by a decisive victory for the Muslims, and final expulsion of 
polytheists out of the Sacred City, Makkah. They referred to rules pertinent 
to the treatment of captives and slaughtering the pagan soldiers till the war 
ended and laid down its burdens. All of these could act as clues to a final 
triumph that would envelop the strife of the Muslims towards their noble 
objectives. 


Another event of great significance featured the same month Sha‘ban 
2 A.H., i.e. February 624 A.D., which was a Divine injunction ordering that 
Al-Qiblah be changed from Jerusalem to the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. 
That was of a great advantage to the Muslims at two levels. First, it brought 
about a kind of social sifting, so to speak, in terms of the hypocrites of the 
Jews and others weak at heart, and revealed their true nature and 


1*1 Tafheem-ul-Qur’an, 5/11 


- 208 - 



inclinations; the ranks of the Muslims were thereby purged from those 
discord-prone elements. Second, facing a new Qiblah, the Sacred Mosque in 
Makkah, refers gently to a new role awaiting the Muslims to take up, and 
would start only after the repatriation of the Muslims to their Sacred City, 
Makkah for it is not logical for the Muslims to leave their Qiblah at the 
mercy of non-Muslims. 

The Muslims, therefore, at the behest of Allah and on account of those 
Divine clues, augmented their activities and their tendency towards striving 
in the cause of Allah and encountering His enemies in a decisive battle were 
greatly intensified. 


- 209 - 



The Battle of Badr 

The First Decisive Battle in the History of Islam 
Reason of the Battle: 

We have already spoken about Al-‘Ushairah Invasion when a caravan 
belonging to Quraish had escaped an imminent military encounter with the 
Prophet fj—j 4ii and his men. When their return from Syria approached, 
the Prophet ^ uji ^ despatched Talhah bin‘Ubaidullah and Sa‘id bin 
Zaid northward to scout around for any movements of this sort. The two 
scouts stayed at Al-Hawra’ for some days until Abu Sufyan, the leader of 
the caravan, passed by them. The two men hurried back to Madinah and 
reported to the Prophet ^ u* ui ,> their findings. Great wealth amounting to 
50 thousand gold Dinars guarded by 40 men moving relatively close to 
Madinah constituted a tempting target for the Muslim military, and provided 
a potentially heavy economic, political and military strike that was bound to 
shake the entire structure of the Makkan polytheists. 

The Prophet ^ uji ^ immediately exhorted the Muslims to rush out 
and waylay the caravan to make up for their property and wealth they were 
forced to give up in Makkah. He did not give orders binding to everyone, 
but rather gave them full liberty to go out or stay back, thinkin g that it 
would be just an errand on a small scale. 

The Muslim army was made up of 300-317 men, 82-86 Emigrants, 61 
from Aws and 170 from Khazraj. They were not well-equipped nor 
adequately prepared. They had only two horses belonging to Az-Zubair bin 
Al-‘Awwam and Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad Al-Kindi, 70 camels, one for 
two or three men to ride alternatively. The Messenger of Allah ^ <ui 

himself, ‘Ali and Murthid bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi had only one camel. 
Disposition of the affairs of Madinah was entrusted to Ibn Umm Maktum 
but later to Abu Lubabah bin ‘Abdul Mundhir. The general leadership was 
given to Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair Al-Qurashi Al-‘Abdari, and their standard was 
white in colour. The little army was divided into two battalions, the 
Emigrants with a standard raised by ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, and the Helpers 
whose standard was in the hand of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh. Az-Zubair bin 
Al-‘Awwam was appointed to the leadership of the right flank, Al-Miqdad 
bin ‘Amr to lead the left flank, and the rear of the army was at the command 


- 210 - 



of Qais bin Abi Sa‘sa‘ah. The General Commander-in-Chief was the 
Prophet ,jL-j 4)i of course. 

The Prophet ^ -_ui j*, at the head of his army, marched out along the 
main road leading to Makkah. He then turned left towards Badr and when 
he reached As-Safra’, he despatched two men to scout about for the camels 
of Quraish. 

Abu Sufyan, on the other hand, was on the utmost alert. He had already 
been aware that the route he was following was attended with dangers. He 
was also anxious to know about the movements of Muhammad ^ on 
His scouting men submitted to him reports to the effect that the Muslims 
were lying in ambush for his caravan. To be on the safe side, he hired 
Damdam bin ‘Amr Al-Ghifari to communicate a message asking for help 
from the Quraishites. The messenger rode fast and reached Makkah in 
frenzy. Felling himself from his camel, he stood dramatically before 
Al-Ka‘bah, cut off the nose and the ears of the camel, turned its saddle 
upside down, tore off his own shirt from front and behind, and cried: “O 
Quraish! Your merchandise! It is with Abu Sufyan. The caravan is being 
intercepted by Muhammad fi—j and his companions. I cannot say 

what would have happened to them. Help! Help!” 

The effect of this hue and cry was instantaneous and the news stunned 
Quraish and they immediately remembered their pride that was wounded 
when the Muslims had intercepted Al-Hadrami caravan. They therefore 
swiftly mustered almost all of their forces and none stayed behind except 
Abu Lahab, who delegated someone who owed him some money. They also 
mobilized some Arab tribes to contribute to the war against the Prophet 
fL-j <jji cf ju. All the clans of Quraish gave their consent except Banu ‘Adi. 
Soon an excited throng of 1300 soldiers including 100 horsemen and 600 
mailed soldiers with a large number of camels, was clamouring to proceed 
to fight the Muslims. For food supplies, they used to slaughter an alternate 
number of camels of ten and nine every day. They were however afraid that 
Banu Bakr, on account of old long deep-seated animosity, would attack 
their rear. At that critical moment, Iblis (Satan) appeared to them in the 
guise of Suraqa bin Malik bin Ju‘sham Al-Mudlaji — chief of Bani Kinana 
— saying to them: “I guarantee that no harm will happen from behind.” 


- 211 - 



They set out burning with indignation, motivated by a horrible desire for 
revenge and exterminating anyone that might jeopardize the routes of their 
caravans: 




w * • boastfully and to be seen of men, and hinder (men) from the 
path of Allah. ” [8:47] 

Or as the Prophet ^ ^ <ui ^ said: 

“O Allah these are the haughty and conceited; they have come 
defying Allah and defying His Messenger.” 

They moved swiftly northward to Badr. On the way they received 
another message from Abu Sufyan asking them to go back home because 
the caravan had escaped the Muslims. Incidentally, Abu Sufyan, on learning 
the intention of the Muslims, led his caravan off the main route, and 
inclined it towards the Red Sea. By this manoeuvre, he was able to slip past 
the Madinese ambush and was out of their reach. 


On receiving Abu Sufyan’s message, the Makkan army showed a desire 
to return home. The tyrant Abu Jahl, however haughtily and arrogantly 
insisted that they proceed to Badr, stay three nights there for making 
festivities. Now they wanted to punish the Muslims and prevent them from 
intercepting their caravans, and impress on the Arabs that Quraish still had 
the upper hand and enjoyed supremacy in that area. 

Abu Jahl’s threats and insistence notwithstanding, Banu Zahrah, acting 
on the advice of Al-Akhnas bin Shuraiq, broke away and returned to 
Makkah. Thenceforth Al-Akhnas remained ‘the well-rubbed palm tree’ for 
Bam Zahrah and was blindly obeyed in all relevant matters. 

Banu Hashim were also inclined to break away, but Abu Jahl’s threats 
made them desist from that idea. 


The rest of the army, now 1000 soldiers, approached Badr and encamped 
themselves beyond a sand dune at Al- lldwat Al-Quswa. 

‘The intelligence corps’ of the Madinese army reported to the Prophet 
(J —.y that a bloody encounter with die Makkans was inescapable, and 

that a daring step in this context had to be taken, or else the forces of evil 


- 212 - 



would violate the inviolable and would consequently manage to undermine 
the noble cause of the Islam and tread upon its faithful adherents. The 
Muslims were afraid that the pagan Makkans would march on and start the 
war activities within the headquarters of Islam, Madinah. A move of such 
nature would certainly damage and produce an infamous impact on the 
dignity and stance of the Muslims. 


On account of the new grave developments, the Prophet ^ <ui held 
an advisory military emergency meeting to review the ongoing situation and 
exchange viewpoints with the army leaders. Admittedly, some Muslims 
feared the horrible encounter and their courage began to waver; in this 
regard, Allah says: 




(Sv JS jpt 


“As your Lord caused you (O Muhammad ^ <*u to go out 
from your home with the Truth, and verily, a party among the 
believers disliked it, disputing with you concerning the Truth 
after it was made manifest, as if they were being driven to death 
while they were looking (at it).” [8:5,6] 


The Prophet ( i .., <jui apprised his men of the gravity of the situation 
and asked for their advice. Abu Bakr was the first who spoke on the 
occasion and assured the Prophet ^ ««u of the unreserved obedience to 

his command. ‘Umar was the next to stand up and supported the views 
expressed by his noble friend. Then Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr got up and said: 
“O Messenger of Allah! Proceed where Allah directs you to, for we are with 
you. We will not say as the Children of Israel said to Moses f 5 ui 


•ojJtpli LI Sujj OjI 


“Go you and your Lord and fight and we will stay here;” 


Rather we shall say: 


*OjJLLI '^LLii viljjj 



“Go you and your Lord and fight and we will fight along with 
» 

you. 


- 213 - 



By Allah! If you were to take us to Baric Al-Ghimad, we will still fight 
resolutely with you against its defenders until you gained it.” 

The Prophet ^ ^ an thanked him and blessed him. 

The three leaders who spoke were from the Emigrants, who only 
constituted a minor section of the army. The Prophet fL* <*u <ui wanted, and 
for the more reason, to hear the Helpers’ view because they were the 
majority of the soldiers and were expected to shoulder the brunt of the war 
activities. Moreover, the clauses of Al-‘Aqabah Pledge did not commit them 
to fighting beyond their territories. 

The Prophet fL., «w then said: 

«J-&I i# \yjJ\* 

“Advise me my men!” 

by which he meant the Helpers, in particular. Upon this Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh 
stood up and said: “By Allah, I feel you want us (the Helpers) to speak.” 
The Prophet directly said: “Oh, yes!” Sa‘d said: “O Prophet of 

Allah! We believe in you and we bear witness to what you have vouchsafed 
to us and we declare in unequivocal terms that what you have brought is the 
Truth. We give you our firm pledge of obedience and sacrifice. We will 
obey you most willingly in whatever you command us, and by AllSh, Who 
has sent you with the Truth, if you were to ask us to plunge into the sea, we 
will do that most readily and not a man of us will stay behind. We do not 
grudge the idea of encounter with the enemy. We are experienced in war 
and we are trustworthy in combat. We hope that Allah will show you 
through our hands those deeds of valour which will please your eyes. 
Kindly lead us to the battlefield in the Name of Allah.” 

The Prophet ^ was impressed with the fidelity and the spirit of 

sacrifice which his companions showed at this critical juncture. Then he 
said to them: “Forward and be of cheer, for AllSh has promised me one of 
the two (the lucrative course through capturing the booty or strife in the 
cause of AllSh against the polytheists), and by AllSh it is as if I now saw the 
enemy lying prostrate.” 


- 214 - 



In the immediate vicinity of Badr, the Prophet <_ui ^ and his 

cavemate Abu Bakr conducted a scouting operation during which they 
managed to locate the camp of Quraish. They came across an old bedouin 
nearby whom they manipulated and managed to extract from him the exact 
location of the army of the polytheists. In the evening of the same day, he 
despatched three Emigrant leaders, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair bin 
Al-‘ Awwam and Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas to scout about for news about the 
enemy. They saw two men drawing water for the Makkan army. On 
interrogation, they admitted that they were water carriers working for 
Quraish. But that answer did not please some Muslims and they beat the two 
boys severely in order to exact from them an answer, even if it isn’t true, 
alluding to the caravan laden with wealth. The two boys thus lied, and so 
they were released. The Prophet ^ <m ju was angry with those men and 
censured them saying: “On telling the truth, you beat them, and on telling a 
lie, you released them!” He then addressed the two boys and after a little 
conversation with them he learned a lot about the enemy: number of 
soldiers, their exact location and names of some of their notables. 

He then turned to the Muslims and said: “Hearken, Quraish has sent you 
their most precious lives.” 

The same night it rained on both sides. For the polytheists it obstructed 
further progress, whereas it was a blessing for the Muslims. It cleaned them 
and removed from them the stain of Satan. Allah sent rain to strengthen 
their hearts and to plant their feet firmly therewith. They marched a little 
forward and encamped at the farther bank of the valley. Muhammad 
«_ui <J _i_ stopped at the nearest spring of Badr. Al-Hubab bin Mundhir 
asked him, “Has Allah inspired you to choose this very spot or is it 
stratagem of war and the product of consultation?” The Prophet ^ «ui 
replied “It is stratagem of war and consultation.” Al-Hubab said: “This 
place is no good; let us go and encamp on the nearest water well and make a 
basin or reservoir full of water, then destroy all the other wells so that they 
will be deprived of the water.” The Prophet ^ <* 1 * an approved of his plan 

and agreed to carry it out, which they actually did at midnight. 

Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh suggested that a trellis be built for the Prophet ^ 
to function as headquarters for the Muslim army and a place providing 
reasonable protection for the leader. Sa‘d began to justify his proposal and 
said that if they had been victorious, then everything would be satisfactory. 


- 215 - 



In case of defeat, the Prophet would not be harmed and he could 

go back to Madinah where there were more people who loved him and who 
would have come for help if they had known that he was in that difficult 
situation, so that he would resume his job, hold counsel with them and they 
would strive in the cause of Allah with him again and again. 

A squad of guards was also chosen from amongst the Helpers under the 
leadership of the same man, Sa‘d bin Mu'adh, in order to defend the Prophet 
,jLy <ui in his headquarters. 

The Prophet ^ uii spent the whole night preceding the day of the 
battle in prayer and supplication. The Muslim army, wearied with their long 
march, enjoyed sound and refreshing sleep, a mark of the Divine favour and 
of the state of their undisturbed minds. 



“(Remember) when He covered you with a slumber as a security 
from Him, and He caused rain to descend on you from the sky, 
to clean you thereby and to remove from you the Rijz 
(whispering, evil suggestions, etc.) of Satan, and to strengthen 
your hearts, and make your feet firm thereby.” [8:11] 

That was Friday night, Ramadan 17th., the year 2 A.H. 

In the morning, the Prophet ^<>< 111 ,^ called his men to offer the prayers 
and then urged them to fight in the way of Allah. As the sun rose over the 
desert, the Prophet pi-, <> an ^l. drew up his little army, and pointing with an 
arrow which he held in his hand, arranged the ranks. 

Quraish, on the other hand, positioned their forces in Al-‘Udwat 
Al-Quswa opposite the Muslim lines. A few of them approached, in a 
provocative deed, to draw water from the wells of Badr, but were all shot 
dead except one. Hakeem bin Hizam, who later became a devoted Muslim. 
‘Umair bin Wahab Al-Jumahi, in an attempt to reconnoiter the power of the 
Muslims, made a scouting errand and submitted a report saying that the 
Muslim army numbered as many as 300 men keen on fighting to the last 
man. On another reconnaissance mission he came to the conclusion that 
neither reinforcements were coming nor ambushes laid. He understood that 


- 216 - 



they were too brave to surrender and too intent on carrying out their military 
duties to withdraw without slaying the largest number possible of the 
polytheists. This report as well as kindred relations binding the two 
belligerent parties together, slackened the desire to fight among some of the 
Quraishites. To counteract this reason-based opposition advocated by a rival 
of his, ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a and others, Abu Jahl started an anti-campaign 
seeking vengeance on Muhammad ,j—, ^ <_ui j_l>’s followers for the 
Quraishites killed at Nakhlah. In this way, he managed to thwart the 
opposite orientation, and manipulated the people to see his evil views only. 

When the two parties approached closer and were visible to each other, 
the Prophet began supplicating Allah “O Allah! The conceited 

and haughty Quraishites are already here defying You and belying Your 
Messenger. O Allah! I am waiting for Your victory which You have 
promised me. I beseech You Allah to defeat them (the enemies).” He also 
gave strict orders that his men would not start fighting until he gave them 
his final word. He recommended that they use their arrows sparingly! 1 ! and 
never resort to sword unless the enemies came too close.! 2 ! 

Abu Jahl also prayed for victory, saying: “Our Lord, whichever of the 
two parties was less kind to his relatives, and brought us what we do not 
know, then destroy him tomorrow.”. They were confident that their superior 
number, equipment and experience would be decisive. The Noble Qur’an, 
with a play on the word, told them that the decision had come, and the 
victory — but not in the sense they had hoped for: 



“(O disbelievers) if you ask for a judgement, now has the 
judgement come unto you and if you cease (to do wrong), it will 
be better for you, and if you return (to the attack), so shall we 
return, and your forces will be of no avail to you, however 
numerous it be, and verily, Allah is with the believers.” [8:19] 


!') Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/568. 
P! Abu Da’ttd, 2/13. 


- 217 - 



Map of 
Badr Invasion 



218 





The first disbeliever to trigger the fire of the battle and be its first victim 
was Al-Aswad bin ‘Abdul Asad Al-Makhzumi, a fierce bad-tempered 
idolater. He stepped out swearing he would drink from the water basin of 
the Muslims, otherwise, destroy it or die for it. He engaged with Hamzah 
bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, who struck his leg with his sword and dealt him 
another blow that finished him off inside the basin. 


The battle had actually started. Protected by armour and shields, ‘Utbah 
bin Rabi‘a stepped forth between his brother Shaibah and his son Al-Waleed 
bin ‘Utbah from the lines of Quraish and hurled maledictions at the 
Muslims. Three young men of the Helpers came out against them: ‘Awf and 
Mu‘wwadh — the sons of Harith, and ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha. But the 
Makkans yelled that they had nothing to do with them. They wanted the 
heads of their cousins. Upon this the Prophet ^ <*u *ui ^ asked ‘Ubaidah bin 
Al-Harith, Hamzah — his uncle, and his cousin ‘Ali ^ to go forward 
for the combat. The three duels were rapid. Hamzah killed Shaibah, while 
‘Ali killed Al-WaleedJ 1 ) ‘Ubaidah was seriously wounded but, before he 
fell, Hamzah fell upon ‘Utbah and with a sweep of his sword, cut off his 
head. ‘Ali and Hamzah carried‘Ubaidah back with his leg cut off. He died 
four or five days later of a disease in the bile duct. 


‘Ali was 
revealed: 


possessed of a deep conviction that Allah’s Words were 




“These two opponents (believers and disbelievers) dispute with 
each other about their Lord.” [22:19] 

These verses were revealed in connection with men of Faith who confess 
their Lord and seek to carry out His Will (i.e. Muhammad ^ 
followers at Badr Battle), and men who deny their Lord and defy Him (the 
people of Quraish). 

The duel was followed by a tew more duels but the Makkans suffered 
terrible defeats in all the combats and lost some of their most precious lives. 
They were too much exasperated and enraged and fell upon the Muslims to 


I'l Mishkat, 2/343. 



exterminate them once and for all. The Muslims, however, after suppli cating 
their Lord, calling upon Him for assistance, were made to hold to their 
position and conduct a defensive war plan that was successful enough to 
inflict heavy losses on the attackers. The Prophet ^ <i>i^ used to pray to 
his Lord ceaselessly persistently and day and night to come to their succour. 
When the fierce engagement grew too hot he again began to supplicate his 
Lord saying: 



ol |11 1 pjl aAmmJI »Jut kiligj Ol ^JLlU 

ilJbt (.^jl 


“O Allah! Should this group (of Muslims) be defeated today. 
You will no longer be worshipped.” 


He continued to call out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands and facing 
Al-Qiblah, until his cloak fell off his shoulders. Then Abu Bakr came, 
picked up the cloak, and put it back on his shoulders and said: “O Prophet of 
Allah, you have cried out enough to your Lord. He will surely fulfill what 
He has promised you.” 


Immediate was the response from Allah, Who sent down angels from the 
heavens for the help and assistance of the Prophet ^ and his 

companions. The Noble Qur’an observes: 



“Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I 
will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved.” [8:12] 


Allah, the All-Mighty, also inspired another message to His Messenger, 
saying: 




“I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the 
other (following one another) in succession.” [8:9] 

The Prophet ^ «w in his trellis, dozed off a little and then raised his 
head joyfully crying: 


- 220 - 



J* ieijZj olljo Jl>-I Ula t4)l^soj ilUl ijioUHj j-Ll# 

O^^Jl cljllj 


“O Abu Bakr, glad tidings are there for you: Allah’s victory has 
approached, by Allah, I can see Gabriel on his mare in the thick 
of a sandstorm.” 


He then jumped out crying: 

4jjI\ Cijyj £pS ^ 

“Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their 
backs.” [54:45] 


At the instance of Gabriel, the Prophet ^ took a handful of 

gravel, cast it at the enemy and said: “Confiision seize their faces!” As he 
flung the dust, a violent sandstorm blew like furnace blast into the eyes of 
the enemies. With respect to this, Allah says: 

“And you (i.e. Muhammad ^ *jji ^l.) threw not when you did 
throw but Allah threw.” [8:17] 


Only then did he give clear orders to launch a counter-attack. He was 
commanding the army, inspiring confidence among his men and exhorting 
them to fight manfully for the sake of their Lord, reciting the Words of 
Allah: 




£ &&& » 


“And be quick for forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise 
as wide as are the heavens and the earth.” [3:133] 


The spirit he infused into his men was clearly witnessed by the valour of 
‘Umair, a lad of sixteen, who flung away some dates he was eating crying 
out: “These (the dates) are holding me back from Paradise.” So saying he 
plunged into the thick of the battle and died fighting bravely. Unique deeds 
of valour, deep devotion and full obedience to the Prophet ^ ^ <ui ^ were 
exhibited in the process of the battle. The army of the faithfuls was borne 


- 221 - 



forward by the power of enthusiasm which the half-hearted warriors of 
Makkah miserably lacked. A large number of the polytheists were killed and 
the others began to waver. No wonder! The standard-bearers of Truth were 
given immediate help, and supernatural agencies (the angels), were sent to 
their assistance by their Lord to help them defeat the forces of evil. 

The records of Hadith speak eloquently of the fact that the angels did 
appear on that day and fought on the side of the Muslims. Ibn ‘Abbas said: 
“While on that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever and he heard over 
him the swashing of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: ‘Go ahead 
Haizum’. He glanced at the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his 
back. The Helper came to the Messenger of AllSh ^ and related 

that event to him. The Prophet fU, <*i* «ui replied: ‘You have told the truth. 
This was the help from the third heaven.”! 1 ) 


One of the Helpers captured ‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, who said: “O 
Messenger of Allah, by Allah this man did not capture me. I was captured 
by a man who was bald and had the most handsome face, and who was 
riding a piebald horse, I cannot see him here among the people.” The Helper 
interrupted: “I captured him, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet ^^* 111 ^ 
replied: 


vl / ^ jii vLO* 

' ✓ ^ ^ 


“Be quiet, Allah the All-Mighty strengthened you with the help 
of a noble angel.” 


Iblis, the archsatan, in the guise of Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju‘sham 
Al-Mudlaji, on seeing angels working in favour of the Muslims, and 
Quraish rapidly losing ground on the battlefield, made a quick retreat 
despite the polytheists’ pleas to stay on. He ran off and plunged into the sea. 

The ranks of Quraish began to give way and their numbers added nothing 
but confusion. The Muslims followed eagerly their retreating steps, slaying 
or taking captive all that fell within their reach. Retreat soon turned into 
ignominious rout; and they flied in haste, casting away their armour, 
abandoned beasts of burden, camp and equipage. 


Cl Sahib Muslim, 2/93. 



The great tyrant Abu Jahl, however, on seeing the adverse course of the 
battle, tried to stop the tidal wave of the Islamic victory by nerving the 
polytheists and encouraging them by all means available and adjuring them 
by Al-Lat and ‘Uzza and all symbols of paganism to stand firm in place and 
retaliate against the Muslims, but to no avail. Their morale had already been 
drastically reduced to zero, and their lines broken down. He then began to 
realize the reality of his arrogance and haughtiness. None remained around 
him except a gang of doomed polytheists whose resistance was also quelled 
by an Islamic irresistible storm of true devotion-based valour and Islam- 
orientated pursuit of martyrdom. Abu Jahl was deserted and left by himself 
on his horse waiting for death at the hand of two courageous lads of the 
Helpers. 

‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf related the following interesting story in this 
regard: I was in the thick of the battle when two youths, still seemingly 
inexperienced in the art of fighting, one on the right and the second on the 
left. One of them spoke in a secret voice asking me to show him Abu Jahl. I 
asked about his intention, to which he replied, that he had a strong desire to 
engage with him in a combat until either of them was killed. It was 
something incredible to me. I turned left and the other said something to the 
same effect and showed a similar desire. I acceded to their earnest pleas and 
pointed directly at their target. They both rushed swiftly towards the spot, 
and without a moment’s hesitation struck him simultaneously with their 
swords and finished him off. They went back to the Messenger of Allah 
^ *ui jL., each claiming that he had killed Abu Jahl to the exclusion of the 
other. The Prophet ^ uii ^ju asked if they had wiped the blood off their 

swords and they answered that they had not. He then examined both swords 
and assured them that they both had killed him. When the battle concluded, 
Abu Jahl’s spoils were given to Mu‘adh bin ‘Amr bin Al-Jumuh, because 
the other Mu‘awwadh bin Al-'Afra’t'l was later killed in the course of the 
same battle. At the termination of the battle, the Prophet ^ ^ <ui j*. wanted 
to look for this archenemy of Islam, Abu Jahl. ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud found 
him on the verge of death breathing his last. He stepped on his neck 
addressing him: “Have you seen how Allah has disgraced you?” The enemy 
of Islam still defiantly answered: “I am not disgraced. I am no more than a 


l'l Sahib Al-Bukhari, 1/444,2/568; Mishkat, 2/352. 


- 223 - 



man killed by his own people on die battlefield.” And then inquired “Who 
has won the battle?” Ibn Mas‘ud replied “Allah and His Messenger.” Abu 
Jahl then said with a heart full of grudge “You have followed difficult ways, 
you shepherd! Ibn Mas'ud used to be a shepherd working for the Makkan 
aristocrats. 


Ibn Mas'ud then cut off his head and took it to die Messenger of Allah 
fi-j m u 4)1 who, on seeing it, began to entertain Allah’s praise: 



8 &J&-J 

“Allah is Great, praise is to Allah, Who has fulfilled His 
Promise, assisted His servant and defeated die confederates 
alone.” 


He then set out to have a look at the corpse. There he said: 

oJL* Oj&’ji Ua» 

“This is the Pharaoh of this nation.” 

Some Significant Instances of Devotion: 

1. The Prophet ^ «u advised his companions to preserve the lives of 
Banu Hashim who had gone out to Badr with the polytheists unwillingly 
because they had feared the censure of their people. Among them, he 
named Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib and Abu Bukhtari bin Hisham. He 
ordered the Muslims to capture, but not to kill them. Abu Hudhaifah bin 
‘Utbah showed great surprise and commented saying: “We kill our 
fathers, children, brothers and members of our clan, and then come to 
spare Al-‘Abbas? By Allah! If I see him I will surely strike him with my 
sword.” On hearing these words, the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui 
addressing ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, said: “Is it fair that the face of the 
Messenger’s uncle be struck with sword?” ‘Umar got indignant and 
threatened to kill Abu Hudhaifah; the latter later said that extreme fear 
had taken firm grip of him and felt that nothing except martyrdom could 
expiate for his mistake. He was actually killed later on during 
Al-Yamamah events. 


- 224 - 



2. Abu Al-Bukhtari bin Hisham had already done his best to restrain his 

people, the Makkans, from committing any act of folly against the 
Prophet (Jl-j uii ^ while the latter was still in Makkah. He also neither 
hurt nor was reported to have uttered anything repugnant with regard to 
the Prophet u* ” >ad as well been among the people who tried 
to invalidate the b .iance taken against Banu Hashim and Banu 

‘Abdul Muttalib. 

Here, however, in the battle of Badr he insisted on fighting unless his 
compatriot was spared. Al-Mujdhir bin Ziyad Al-Balwi, with whom he 
was engaged in combat, replied that the other was not included in the 
Prophet , 0 -, uii ^’s recommendation. The combat went on to end in 
Al-Bukhtari’s death. 

3. ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf and Omaiyah bin Khalaf had been close 
friends during the pre-Islamic era. When the battle of Badr ended, 
‘Abdur-Rahman saw Omaiyah and his son among the captives. He threw 
away the armour he had as spoils, and walked with them both. Bilal, the 
Prophet (Jl.* uii ^’s caller for prayer, saw Omaiyah and soon all the 
torture he had been put to at the hand of this man dawned upon him, and 
swore he would have revenge on Omaiyah. ‘Abdur-Rahman tried to ease 
the tension and address embarrassing situation amicably but with no 
success. The Muslims gathered around and struck Omaiyah’s son with 
swords. At this point, ‘Abdur-Rahman called upon his old friend to run 
for his life but he was put to swords from different people and lay down 
dead. ‘Abdur-Rahman, completely helpless and resigned said: May Allah 
have mercy on Bilal, for he deprived me of the spoils, and I have been 
stricken by the death of my two captives. 

4. On the moral level, the battle of Badr was an inescapable conflict 
between the forces of good and those of evil. In this context, ‘Umar bin 
Al-Khattab did not spare the life of any polytheist even his uncle on the 
maternal side Al-‘As bin Hisham bin Al-Mugheerah. 

5. Abu Bakr shouted at his son ‘Abdur-Rahman, still a polytheist and 
fighting with them, “Where is my wealth, you wicked boy?” The son 
answered that it was gone with the wind. 

6. When the battle ended, the Muslims began to hold some polytheists in 
captivity. The Prophet ^^uiijj- looked into the face of Sa‘d bin 


- 225 - 



Mu‘adh, the Head of the Prophet ,jl, ^ <jji ^u’s guards, and understood 
that he was hateful to taking the enemy elements as prisoners. Sa‘d 
agreed to what the Prophet ^ «ui jl. said and added that it was the first 
victory for the Muslims over the forces of polytheism, and he had more 
liking for slaying them than sparing their lives. 

7. On the day of Badr, the sword of‘Ukashah bin Mihsan Al-Asdi broke 

down so the Prophet ^ ^ gave him a log of wood which he shook 

and it immediately turned into a long strong white sword. ‘Ukashah went 
on using that same sword in most of the Islamic conquests until he died 
in the process of the apostasy wars. 

8. When the war activities had been concluded, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair 
Al-‘Abdari saw his brother, still a polytheist, being handcuffed by a 
Ansari. Mus‘ab recommended that the Helper tighten the knot for the 
prisoner’s mother was wealthy enough to ransom her son. ‘Abu ‘Aziz, 
Mus‘ab’s brother, tried to appeal to his brother through the family ties, 
but the latter firmly replied that the Helper was more eligible for 
brotherhood than him. 

9. When the Prophet «ui jl. ordered that the corpses of the polytheists 
be dropped into an empty well, Abu Hudhaifah bin ‘Utbah looked sadly 
at his dead father, who fought on the side of the polytheists. The Prophet 
fL-j <-ui ^ noticed that and asked him about it. Hudhaifah said that he 
had never held the least doubt that his father met his fate deservedly, but 
added that he wished he had been guided to the path of Islam, and that is 
why he felt sad. The Prophet ^ uii ^ whispered in his ears some 
comforting words. 

The outcome of the battle was as aforementioned an ignominious rout for 
the polytheists and a manifest victory for the Muslims. Fourteen Muslims 
were killed, of whom six were from the Emigrants and eight from the 
Helpers. The polytheists sustained heavy casualties, seventy were killed and 
a like number taken prisoners. Many of the principal men of Makkah, and 
some of Muhammad ^ «w j-’s bitterest opponents, were among the slain. 
Chief of these was Abu Jahl. 

On the third day, the Messenger of Allah went out to look at 

die slain polytheists, and said: 

What did the Prophet Muhammad says when slain polytheists? 

- 226 - 



Jj*i'j+'j &&& (3 V^JI Jij* 

•J-&I c^>b * J-&I 


‘o' ul 


“What an evil tribe you were as regards your Prophet, you 
belied me but the others have believed; you let me down while 
the others have supported me; you expelled me, whereas the 
others have sheltered me.” 


He stood over the bodies of twenty-four leaders of Quraish who had been 
thrown into one of the wells, and started to call them by name and by the 
names of their fathers, saying: “Would it not have been much better for you 
if you had obeyed Allah and His Messenger? Behold, we have found that 
our Lord’s promise do come true; did you (also) find that the promises of 
your Lord came true?” Thereupon, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab said: “O 
Messenger of Allah! Why you speak to bodies that have no souls in them?” 
The Prophet ^ <^u «jii answered: “By Him in Whose hand is Muhammad 
fLy <jji ^l,’s soul! You do not hear better what I am saying than they do.” 


Reaction in Makkah: 

The polytheists having received a large dose of disciplining and heavy 
defeat, fled away in great disorder in the vales and hillocks heading for 
Makkah,panicked and too ashamed to see their people. 

Ibn Ishaq related that the first herald of bad tidings was Al-Haisaman bin 
‘Abdullah Al-Khuza‘i. He narrated to them how their notables were killed. 
People there did not believe him at first and thought that he had gone mad, 
but soon the news was confirmed and a state of incredible bewilderment 
overwhelmed the whole Makkan scene. Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith gave Abu 
Lahab a full account of the massacre and the disgraceful rout they sustained, 
with emphasis on the role that the angels played in bringing about their 
tragic end. Abu Lahab could not contain himself and gave vent to his 
feelings of resentment in beating, abusing and slapping Abu Rafi‘, a 
Muslim, but reticent on his conversion, for reiterating the role of the angels. 
Umm Al-Fadl, another Muslim woman, greatly exasperated by Abu Lahab’s 
thoughtless behaviour, struck him with a log and cracked his head. Seven 
days later, he died of an ominous ulcer and was left for three days unburied. 
His sons, however, for fear of shameful rumours, drove him to a pit and 
keeping their distance, hurled stones and dust at him. 


- 227 - 



The defeat was a matter of great shame and grief for the Makkans. In 
almost eveiy house there were silent tears for the dead and the captives. 
They were burning with humiliation and were thirsting for revenge. 
Wailing, lamenting and crying however were decreed strictly forbidden lest 
the Muslims should rejoice at their affliction. 

Madinah receives die News of Victory: 

Two heralds, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah and Zaid bin Harithah were 
despatched to Madinah, to convey the glad tidings of victory to the Muslims 
there. 

The multi-ethnic and ideological structure of Madinah featured different 
respective reactions. Rumour-mongers amongst the Jews and hypocrites 
spread news to the effect that the Prophet ,jl, «> <u had been killed, and 
tried to impress their false assumption on the fact that Zaid bin Harithah was 
riding Al-Qaswi’, the Prophet ^ ju’s she-camel. Having reached, the 
two messengers imparted to the Muslims the happy news of victory, and 
furnished accurate information about the course of events in order to 
establish the sense of reassurance deep in the hearts of the anxious, but now, 
joyous Muslims. They immediately started acclaiming Allah’s Name and 
entertaining His praise at the top of their voices. Their chiefs went out of the 
city to wait and receive the Prophet ^ an j* on the road leading to Badr. 

Usamah bin Zaid related that they received the news of the manifest 
victory shortly after Ruqaiyah, the Prophet ,j_, ^ <vi ju’s daughter, and the 
wife of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan had been committed to earth. She had been 
terminally ill and the Prophet fU, «*u uii ^ had asked ‘Uthman to stay in 
Madinah and look after her. 

Before leaving the scene of the battle, dispute concerning the spoils of 
war arose among the Muslim warriors, as the rule relating to their 
distribution had not yet been legislated. When the difference grew wider, the 
Messenger of Allah ^ <-w ^ suspended any solution whereof until the 

Revelation was sent down. 

‘Ubadah bin As-Samit said: “We went out with the Messenger of Allah 
fUj 4_ui j* and I witnessed Badr with him. The battle started and Allah, the 
Exalted, defeated the enemy. Some of the Muslims sought and pursued the 
enemy, some were intent on collecting the spoils from the enemy camp, and 


- 228 - 



others were guarding the Messenger of Allah ^ «w and were on the 
alert for any emergency or surprise attack. When night came and the 
Muslims gathered together, those who had collected the booty said: “We 
collected it, so no one else has any right to it.” Those who had pursued the 
enemy said: “You do not have more right to it than we do; we held the 
enemy at bay and then defeated them.” As for the men who had been 
guarding the Prophet ^ «ui j*, they also made similar claims to the spoils. 


At that very time, a Qur’anic verse was revealed saying: 

oli [^xL^j ail iySlS ji. JUiVl ^ 


“They ask you (O Muhammad ^ about the spoils of 

war. Say: ‘The spoils are for Allah and the Messenger.’ So fear 
Allih and adjust all matters of difference among you, and obey 
Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ^ ju), if you are 
believers.” [ 8 : 1 ] 


On their way back to Madinah, at a large sand hill, the Prophet ^ 
divided the spoils equally among the fighters after he had taken Al-Khums 
(one-fifth). When they reached As-Safra’, he ordered that two of the 
prisoners should be killed. They were An-Nadr bin Al-Harith and ‘Uqbah 
bin Abi Muait, because they had persecuted the Muslims in Makkah, and 
harboured deep hatred towards Allah and His Messenger ^ <di j*. In a 
nutshell, they were criminals of war in modem terminology, and their 
execution was an awesome lesson to oppressors. ‘Uqbah forgot his pride 
and cried out, “Who will look after my children O Messenger of Allah?” 
The Prophet ^ answered, “The fire (of Hell).! 1 !” Did ‘Uqbah not 

remember the day whi n he had thrown the entrails of a sheep onto the head 
of the Prophet j-. while he was prostrating himself in prayer, and 

Fatimah had come and washed it off him? He had also strangled the Prophet 
4 J 11 with his cloak if it had not been for Abu Bakr to intervene and 
release the Prophet «ui The heads of both criminals were struck off 

by ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. 


I 1 ) Sunan Abu Da’ud with ‘Aun-ul-Ma‘bood, 3/12. 


- 229 - 



At Ar-Rawha’, a suburb of Madinah, the Muslim army was received by 
the joyous Madinese who had come to congratulate the Prophet ^ an 
on the manifest victory that Allah had granted him. Usaid bin Hudair, acting 
as a mouthpiece of the other true believers, after entertaining Allah’s praise, 
he excused himself for not having joined them on grounds that the Prophet 
fL-j .an jjJs intention was presumably, an errand aiming to intercept a 
caravan of camels only, he added that if it had occurred to him that it would 
be real war, he would have never tarried. The Prophet ^ «i» assured 

Usaid that he had believed him. 


The Prophet ^ ^ <ui now entered Madinah as a man to be counted for 
in a new dimension — the military field. In consequence, a large number of 
the people of Madinah embraced Islam, which added a lot to the strength, 
power and moral standing of the true religion. 

The Prophet ^ <*u «jii ^ exhorted the Muslims to treat the prisoners so 
well to such an extent that the captors used to give the captives their bread 
(the more valued part of the meal) and keep the dates for themselves. 

Prisoners of war constituted a problem awaiting resolution because it was 
a new phenomenon in the history of Islam. The Prophet ^ <*u «jh ^ 
consulted Abu Bakr and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab as to what he should do with 
the prisoners. Abu Bakr suggested that he should ransom them, explaining 
this by saying: “They are after all our relatives, and this money would give 
us strength against the disbelievers, moreover, Allah could guide them to 
Islam.” ‘Umar advised killing them, saying, “They are the leaders of Kufr 
(disbelief).” The Prophet ^ <*u preferred Abu Bakr’s suggestion to that 
of ‘Umar’s. The following day, ‘Umar called on the Prophet ^ ^ «di j *. and 
Abu Bakr to see them weeping. He showed extreme astonishment and 
inquired about the situation so that he might weep if it was worth weeping 
for, or else he would feign weeping. 

The Prophet ^ said that a Qur’anic verse had been revealed 

rebuking them for taking ransom from the captives rather than slaying them: 





- 230 - 



“It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and 
free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter 
(among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this 
world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but 
Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is All-Mighty, 
All-Wise. Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah, a 
severe torment would have touched you for what you took.” 
[8:67,68] 

The previous Divine ordainment went as follows: 

“Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them 
without ransom) or ransom.” [47:4] 

Which included an area providing permission to take ransom, that is why 
no penalty was imposed. They were rebuked only for taking prisoners 
before subduing all the land of disbelief. Apart from this, the polytheists 
taken to Madinah were not only prisoners of war but rather archcriminals of 
war whom modem war penal law brings to justice to receive their due 
sentence of death or prison for life. 

The ransom for the prisoners ranged between 4000 and 1000 Dirhams in 
accordance with the captive’s financial situation. Another form of ransom 
assumed an educational dimension; most of the Makkans, unlike the 
Madinese, were literate and so each prisoner who could not afford the 
ransom was entrusted with ten children to teach them the art of writing and 
reading. Once the child had been proficient enough, the instructor would be 
set free. Another clan >f prisoners were released unransomed on grounds of 
being hard up. Zainab, the daughter of the Prophet ^ «w paid the 
ransom of her husband Abul-‘As with a necklace. The Muslims released her 
prisoner and returned the necklace in deference to the Prophet ^ *ui 
but on condition that Abul-‘As allow Zainab to migrate to Madinah, which 
he actually did. 

In captivity, there was also an eloquent orator called Suhail bin ‘ Amr. 
‘Umar suggested that they pull out his front teeth to disable him from 
speaking, but the Prophet «jji ^ turned down his suggestion for fear 


- 231 - 



Quraish should retaliate in the same manner on one hand, and on the other 
for fear of Allah’s wrath on the Day of Resurrection. 

Sa‘d bin An-Nu‘man, a lesser pilgrim detained in Makkah, was released 
in return for setting Abu Sufyan’s son, a captive, free. 

The Battle of Badr in its Qur’&nic Context: 

The Chapter of Al-Anfal (spoils of war) was revealed on the occasion of 
the battle of Badr, Ramadan 17th 2 A.H. It constituted a unique Divine 
commentary on this battle. 

Allah, the All-High, in the context of this Chapter draws on major issues 
relating to the whole process of Islamization. Allah, here draws the attention 
of the Muslims to the still lingering moral shortcomings in their character. 
He wants them to build an integrated, purified society. He speaks about the 
invisible assistance he sent down to His obedient servants to enable them to 
accomplish their noble objectives. He wants the Muslims to rid themselves 
of any trait of haughtiness or arrogance that might sneak in. He wants them 
to turn to Him for help, obey Him and His Messenger ^ «ui j*. 

After that He delineated the noble objectives for which the Messenger 

LjU 4_Ul launched that bloody battle, and directed them to the merits and 
qualities that brought about the great victory. 

The polytheists, hypocrites, the Jews and prisoners of war were also 
mentioned, being admonished to surrender to the Truth and adhere to it 
only. 

The question of the spoils of war was resolved and the principles and 
basics relevant to this issue were clearly defined. 

The laws and rules pertinent to war and peace were legalized and 
codified, especially at this advanced stage of the Islamic action. Allah 
wanted the Muslims to follow war ethics dissimilar to those of pre-Islamic 
practices. The Muslims are deemed to outdo the others in ethics, values and 
fine ideals. He wants to impress on the world that Islam is not merely a 
theoretical code of life, it is rather mind cultivation-orientated practical 
principles. In this context. He established inter and intra-state relations. 


- 232 - 



The fast of Ramadan was established as an obligatory observance in the 
year 2 A.H., appended by the duty imposed upon Muslims of paying Zakat 
( alma tax, poor-due) in order to alleviate the burden of the needy Emigrants. 


A wonderful and striking coincidence was the establishment of Shawwal 
‘Eid (the Festival of the Fast-Breaking) directly after the manifest victory of 
Badr. It was actually the finest spectacle ever witnessed of Muslims leaving 
their houses praying, acclaiming Allah’s Name and entertaining His praise 
at the top of their voices in recognition of His favour and grace, and last but 
not least, the support He rendered them and through which the forces of the 
Truth overpowered those of evil. 


SU ’pj&Z ol 4 3i ^ 41 


“And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in 
the land, and were afraid that men might kidnap you, but He 
provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His help, 
and provided you with good things so that you might be 


grateful” [8:26] 


- 233 - 



The Military Activities between Badr and Uhud 

The battle of Badr was the first armed encounter between the Muslims 
and Quraish. It was in fact a decisive battle that gained the Muslims a 
historic victory acknowledged by all the Arabs, and dealt a heavy blow to 
the religious and economic interests of the polytheists. There were also the 
Jews who also used to regard each Islamic victory as a heavy blow to their 
religioeconomic entity. Both parties were burning with rage and fury since 
the Muslims had achieved that great victory: 



“Verily, you will find the strongest among men in enmity to the 
believers (Muslims) the Jews and Al-Mushrikun (polytheists, 
pagans, idolaters and disbelievers, etc.).” [5:82] 

Both resentful parties had their much more indignant suite in the form of 
hypocrites who faked Islam just to save their faces; at the head of whom 
came ‘Abdullah bin Ubai and his retinue. The desert bedouins living in tents 
pitched in the vicinity of Madinah, who depended on plundering and looting 
as a means of living, were totally indifferent to this axial question of belief 
and disbelief. Their worry derived from fear of losing their perverted 
avenues of subsistence in case a powerful nascent Muslim state should rise 
up and put an end to such ill-practices, hence the grudge they nursed against 
Islam and the Muslims, in general, and the person of Muhammad ^ an ^u, 
in particular. 

The whole cause of Faith was thus at stake with four furious parties 
laying ambushes against the new religion, each in its style: Pretension to 
Islam embedded with conspiracy plots and provocative deeds within 
Madinah, explicitly uncovered animosity pregnant with indignation and fire 
of rage on the part of the Jews, and there in Makkah open and persistent 
calls for vengeance coupled with open intentions to mobilize all potential 
resources available to silence the voice of Islam once and for all. This was 
later translated into military action, Uhud Invasion, which left a very bad 
impression on the good name and esteem that the Muslims were 
painstakingly working to merit and preserve. 


- 234 - 



The Muslims were always obliged to be on the lookout for any hostile 
movements, and it was imperative on them to launch pre-emptive strikes in 
all directions in order to enjoy a reasonable degree of security in this great 
instability-provoking ocean of unrest. The following is a list of military 
activities conducted in the post-Badr era: 

Al-Kudr Invasion: 

The scouting body of Madinah reported that Banu Saleem of Ghatafan 
were eng a g ed in mustering troops to invade the Muslims. The Prophet 
f i _, } .m j. took the initiative himself and mounted a surprise attack on them 
in their own homeland at a watering place called Al-Kudr. Banu Saleem, on 
receiving the news, had fled before he arrived. He stayed there for three 
days, took their 500 camels as booty and distributed them to the fighters 
after he had set aside die usual one-fifth; each one gained two camels. 

This invasion took place in Shawwal in the year 2 A.H., seven days after 
the event of Badr.l'l 

An Attempt on the Life of the Prophet 

The impact of defeat at Badr was so great that the Makkans began to 
bum with indignation and resentment over their horrible losses. To resolve 
this situation two polytheists volunteered to quench their thirst and muffle 
the source of that humiliation i.e. die Prophet ^ 411 j~. 

‘Umair bin Wahab Al-Jumahi, a terrible polytheist, and an archenemy 
Safwan bin Omaiyah sat together privately lamenting their loss and 
remembering their dead and captives. ‘Umair expressed a fervent desire to 
kill the Prophet ^ «i» j- and release his captured son in Madinah, if it was 

not for the yoke of debts he was under and the large family he had to 
support. Safwan, also had his good reasons to see the Prophet ^ 
killed, so he offered to discharge ‘Umair’s debts and support his family if he 
went on with his plan. 

‘Umair agreed and asked Safwan to be reticent on the whole scheme. He 
left for Madinah, having with him a sword to which he applied some kind of 
lethal poison. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab saw him at the door of the Mosque and 


p] Zid Al-Ma'ad, 2/90; Ibn Hisham, 2/43,44; Mukhtasar Secret Ar-Rasool, p. 236. 


- 235 - 



understood that he had come with evil intentions. He immediately went into 
the Mosque and informed the Prophet fU , <4* 4ii jl.. He was let in looped by 
the sling of his sword and in greeting he said “good morning”, to which the 
Prophet fi—j uji ^ replied that Allih had been Gracious and tau gh t them 
the greeting of the dwellers of the Paradise: “peace be upon you!” To a 
question raised by the Prophet fU , 411 j ~>, about his object, ‘Umair said that 
he had come to see that his captured son was well treated. As for the sword, 
which the Prophet 411 masked him about, he cursed it and said that it 
gained them nothing. On exhorting him to tell his real goal, he remained 
obdurate and did not divulge the secret meeting with Safwan. Here the 
Prophet fL. } 4#^ got impatient and he himself revealed to ‘Umair his secret 
mission. ‘Umair was taken by surprise, and incredible astonishment seized 
him, and immediately bore witness to the Messengership of Muhammad 
|J —) 411 . He then began to entertain Allah’s praise for having been guided to 

the ‘Straight Path’. The Prophet (L., ^ was pleased and asked his 

Companions to teach ‘Umair the principles of Islam, recite to him the Noble 
Qur’an and release his son from captivity. 

Safwan, meanwhile, was still entertaining false illusions as to the 
approaching redemption of honour, and burying the memory of Badr into 
oblivion. He was impatiently awaiting ‘Umair’s news but to his great 
surprise, he was told that the man had embraced Islam and changed into a 
devoted believer. ‘Umair later came back to Makkah where he started to call 
people unto Islam and he did actually manage to convert a lot of Makkans 
into Islam.! 1 ! 

Invasion of Bani Qainuqa‘: 

We have already spoken about the treaty that the Prophet ^ 4.411 ^ 
signed with the Jews. He was very careful to abide by it to the letter and the 
Muslims did not show the least violation of any of its provisions. The Jews, 
however, whose natural disposition is closely linked to treachery, betrayal 
and covenant-breaching, could not rid themselves of the tradition of theirs, 
and started a process of intrigues and troublemaking with the aim of 
producing schism in the growing solid Muslim ranks. Here is a relevant 
model of their behaviour Shas bin Qais, an elderly Jew, a terrible 


0 Ibn Hisham, 1/661-663. 


- 236 - 



disbeliever and a greatly envious man of the Muslims, passed by a group of 
Muhammad ,j_.j uii ^’s followers of Aws and Khazraj. He perceived a 
prevalent spirit of reconciliation and an atmosphere of rapport and amity 
enveloping the whole group; an unusual scene categorically in conflict with 
the animosity and hatred that characterized their pre-Islam behaviour. He, 
therefore, sent a youth of his to sit among them, remind them of Bu‘ath war 
between them and recite some of their verses which they used to compose 
satirizing each other; all of this with the intention of sowing die seeds of 
discord and disagreement and undermining the new Islamically-orientated 
inter-tribal relations. The youth did in fact succeed and the two parties at no 
time recalled the old days and pre-Islam tribal fanaticism sprang to the front 
to bring about a state of war. 

The Prophet ^ «w ju was reported of this account, and immediately, at 
the head of some Emigrants, set out to see to the situation. He began to 
rebuke them but in the manner of the great instructor and the tolerant spirit 
of the understanding guide: “O, Muslims! Do you still advance pre-Islamic 
arguments after I have been sent to you (as a Messenger). Remember that it 
is not rightful for you to turn backward after Allah has guided you to the 
Straight Path, delivered you from disbelief and created amity between you.’ 
The Mus lims readily realized that it was a Satanic whim and a plot hatched 
by the enemies. They directly embraced each other and went back home 
quite satisfied and in full obedience to the Messenger of AUSh *w 1 

Such were the practices of the Jews, trouble-making, dissension-sowing, 
falsehood-fabrication, faking belief in the day, and poetising disbelief at 
night. In everyday life, they used to tighten the ropes oifjnancial dealings 
on the M uslims . If they happened to owe a Muslim something, they would 
shirk their obligations on grounds that he had converted into a new religion 
and they would allege the basis of agreement was no longer valid. If it was 
the other way, they would never cease to harass him day and night to pay 
back the debt, all of which in a desperate attempt to demolish the great 
edifice of the new religion that was rapidly gaining ground and speedily 
towering up skyward. 


t'llbnHisham, 1/555,556. 


- 237 - 



The Qainuqa‘ Jews breach the Covenant: 

Seeing that Allah sided with the believers and granted them a manifest 
victory and perceiving the Muslims’ awesome presence in Madinah, the 
Jews could no longer contain themselves or conceal indignation. They 
started a series of provocative and harmful deeds publicly. The most wicked 
amongst them were the tribe of Banu Qainuqa‘, who lived in quarters within 
Madinah named after them. As for jobs, they took up goldsmithery, 
blacksmithing and crafts of making household instruments, that is why war 
weaponry was available in large quantities in their houses. They counted 
700 warriors, and were the most daring amongst the Jewish co mmu nity in 
Arabia, and now the first to breach the covenant of cooperation and non¬ 
aggression which they had already countersigned with the Prophet ^ *w 
Their behaviour grew too impolite and unbearable. They started a process of 
trouble-making, jeering at the Muslims, hurting those who frequented then- 
bazaars, and even intimidating their women. Such things began to aggravate 

the general situation, so the Prophet r i_4^u uji ^ gathered them in 

assemblage, admonished and called them to be rational, sensible and guided 
and cautioned against further transgression. Nevertheless they remained 
obdurate and paid no heed to his warning, and said: “Don’t be deluded on 
account of defeating some Quraishites inexperienced in the art of war. If 
you were to engage us in fight, you will realize that we are genuine war 
experts.” 


In this regard, the Words of Allah were revealed saying: 


j>5 O A+Jl J-Lji 



4 


/ s' ' 





“Say (O Muhammad ^ «w ) to those who disbelieve: ‘You 
will be defeated and gathered together to Hell, and worst indeed is 
that place to rest.’ There has already been a Sign for you (O 
Jews) in the two armies that met (in combat — i.e. the battle of 
Badr): One was fighting in the cause of Allah, and as for the 
other (they) were disbelievers. They (the believers) saw them 


- 238 - 



(the disbelievers) with their own eyes twice their number 
(although they were thrice their number). And Allah supports 
with His Victory whom He pleases. Verily, in this is a lesson 
for those who understand.” [3:12,13][*1 

The answer of Banu Qainuqa‘ amounted, as seen, to war declaration. The 
Prophet ^ uii ^ suppressed his anger and advised the Muslims to be 
patient and forbearing and wait for what time might reveal. 

The Jews, went too far in their transgression, presumptuous behaviour 
and licentious practices. One day a Jewish goldsmith provoked a Muslim 
woman whose genitals become uncovered when he had tied the edge of the 
garment to her back. A Muslim man happened to be there and killed the 
man; the Jews retaliated by killing that Muslim. The man’s family called the 
Muslims for help and war started.! 2 ! 

On Saturday, Shawwal 15th, 2 A.H., the Prophet ^ «jui marched out 
with his soldiers, Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, carrying the standard of the 
Muslims and laid siege to the Jews’forts for 15 days. Allah cast fear into 
their hearts, and they were obliged to defer to the Messenger^ *jji ^u’s 
judgement on their lives, wealth, women and children; their hands were tied 
behind their backs. 

At this point, ‘Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul started his hypocritical role 
and began to intercede for them persistently on grounds of former alliance 
between those Jews and His tribe Khazraj. Muhammad ^ «*!* «jji dealt 
with this man as being a Muslim — He had faked conversion into Islam for 
only one month, by that time — and so he granted him his request; for Islam 
accepts people at their face value. Banu Qainuqa‘ handed over all materials, 
wealth and war equipage to the Prophet ^ <*i» *jji ^u, who set aside one fifth 
and distributed the rest to his men. After that they were banished out of all 
Arabia to Azru‘a in Syria where they stayed for a while and soon perished 
away. 


[') Sunan Abu Da’ud with ‘Aunul-Ma'bood, 3/115; Ibn Hisham, 1/552. 
P! Ibn Hisham, 2/47,48. 


- 239 - 



As-Sawiq Invasion: 

Two-pronged hostile activities were being independently conducted 
against the Prophet ^ «w ju; plots and intrigues being hatched by Safwan 
bin Omaiyah, the hypocrites and Jews on the one hand, going on and on 
parallel lines with military hostilities being prepared by Abu Sufyan aiming 
at saving the face of his people and impressing on the other Arabs that 
Quraish was still a military power to be counted for. In the aftermath of 
Badr, Abu Sufyan was burning for revenge and took a solemn vow he 
would never bathe off impurity unless he had avenged himself on 
Muhammad jJl, <ui ^ and his followers. He set out at the head of 200 men 
towards Madinah but was not brave enough to attack it in broad daylight. 
He, instead resorted to acts of piracy that are performed in the dark. He 
infiltrated into the Prophet ^ un ^’s town and went to see an old ally 
Huyai bin Akhtab, who was too cowardly to let him in, so he left for Salam 
bin Mashkam, chief of Bani Nadeer, a tribe of Jews. The Jew entertained 
and gave him a full account of the situation therein. Late at night he 
despatched a group of his men to raid Al-‘Uraid, a suburb of Madinah. 
There, the men felled and burnt the palm trees, killed two Muslims and then 
took swiftly to their heels. 

On hearing the news, the Prophet ^ ^ <«i gathered his men and, set out 
at their heels, but could not catch them. The Muslims brought back the 
provisions (Sawiq, a kind of barley porridge) which the polytheists had 
thrown aside in order to lighten their loads and hasten their escape; hence 
this campaign was called As-Sawiq Invasion. It took place in Dhul-Hijjah 2 
A.H., two months after the event of Badr.t 1 ] 

Dhi Amr Invasion, Muharram, 3 A.H: 

The Prophet ^j-’s intelligence personnel reported that Banu 

Tha‘labah and Banu Muharib were mustering troops with the aim of raiding 
the outskirts of Madinah. The Prophet at the head of 450 

horsemen and footmen set out to handle this new situation. ‘Uthman bin 
‘Affan was asked to dispose the affairs of the Muslims in Madinah. On then- 
way, they captured a man who embraced Islam and acted as a guide for the 
army. When the enemies heard of the approach of the Muslims, they 
hurriedly dispersed in the mountains and disappeared. The Muslims 
encamped at a watering place called “Dhi Amr” for the whole of Safar 3 


PI Zid Al-Ma'ad, 2/90,91;Ibn Hisham, 2/44,45. 


- 240 - 




A.H. The Prophet ^ ^ aimed to impress upon the desert bedouins in 
the area, that the Muslims were then powerful enough to cast fear and awe 
into the hearts of their enemies.! 1 ! 


Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf, killed: 


Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf was the most resentful Jew at Islam and the Muslims, 
the keenest on inflicting harm on the Messenger of Allah and the 

most zealous advocate of waging war against him. He belonged to Tai’ tribe 
but his mother to Banu Nadeer. He was a wealthy man known for his 
handsomeness, and a poet living in luxury in his fort south east of Madinah 
at the rear of Banu Nadeer’s habitations. 


On hearing the news of Badr, he got terribly exasperated and swore that 
he would prefer death to life if the news was true. When this was confirmed 
he wrote poems satirizing Muhammad fi-j <ih jl», eulogizing Quraish and 
enticing them against the Prophet ^ He then rode to Makkah 

where he started to trigger the fire of war, and kindle rancour against the 
Muslims in Madinah. When Abu Sufyan asked him which religion he was 
more inclined to, the religion of the Makkans or that of Muhammad fU,<j»« 
and his companions, he replied that the pagans were better guided. With 
respect to this situation, Allah revealed His Words: 

“Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the 
Scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut, and say to the 
disbelievers that they are better guided as regards the way than 
the believers (Muslims).” [4:51] 


He then returned to Madinah to start a fresh campaign of slanderous 
propaganda that took the form of obscene songs and amatory sonnets with a 
view to defaming the Muslim women. 

At this stage, the situation became unbearable and could no longer be put 
up with. The Prophet ««u «ui j* gathered his men and said: “Who will kill 
Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf? He had maligned Alldh, and His Messenger.” 
Thereupon, Muhammad bin Maslamah, ‘Abbad bin Bishr, Al-Harith bin 


PI Z&d Al-Ma'ad, 2/91; Dm Hisham, 2/46. 



Aws, Abu ‘Abs bin Hibr and Salkan bin Salamah, Ka‘b’s foster brother, 
volunteered to do the job. 

Muhammad bin Maslamah said: “0 Messenger of Allah, do you wish 
that I should kill him?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Permit me to talk (to him 
in the way I deem fit). He said: “Talk (as you like).” So, Muhammad bin 
Maslamah came to Ka‘b and talked to him, saying: “This man (i.e. the 
Prophet fj—j vA* on jj-) has made up his mind to collect charity (from us) and 
tlm has put us to a great hardship.” When he heard this, Ka‘b said: “By 
Allah you will be put to more trouble by him.” Muhammad bin Maslamah 
answered: ‘No doubt, now we have become his followers and we do not 
like to forsake him until we see what turn his affairs will take. I want that 
you should give me a loan.” He said: “What will you mortgage?” 
Muhammad answered: “What do you want?” The immoral and heartless 
Jew demanded women and children as articles of security against the debt. 
Muhammad said: “Should we pledge our women whereas you are the most 
handsome of the Arabs; and the son of one of us may be abused by saying 
that he was pledged for two wasq (measurement unit of weight) of dates but 
we can pledge you (our) weapons.” Ka‘b agreed. Salkan bin Salamah, Abu 
Na’ilah, at another time, went to see Ka‘b for the same purpose and there 
were more or less the same subjects, only that Abu Na’ilah would bring him 
some companions. The plan was successful and provided for the presence of 
both men and weapons. On Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 14th, at night, the year 3 A.H. 
the people said good bye to the Prophet ^ <ui and set out in the Name 
of Allah to implement the carefully drawn plan. The Prophet ^ ^ m j* 
stayed back praying for them and supplicating Allah to render them success. 
The men went and called upon him at night. He came down although his 
wife warned him not to meet them alleging that: “I hear a voice which 
sounds like the voice of murder.” He said: “It is only Muhammad bin 
Maslamah and my foster brother Abu Na’ilah. When a gentleman is called 
at night even if he be pierced with a spear, he should respond to the call.” 
Abu Na’ilah said to his companions: “As he comes down, I will extend my 
hand towards his head to smell and when I hold him fast, you should do 
your job.” So when he came down, they talked together for about an hour. 
They then invited him to go out and spend a nice time in the moonlight. On 
the way out, Abu Na’ilah remarked: “I smell the nicest perfume from you.” 
Ka‘b said: “Yes, I have with me a mistress who is the most scented of the 
women of Arabia.” Abu Na’ilah again said: “Allow me to smell (the scent 
on your head)”. He said: “Yes, you may smell.” So he caught it and smelt. 
Then he said: “Allow me to do so(once again).” He then held his head fast 


- 242 - 



and said to his companions: “Do your job.” And they killed him. The group 
of men came back after fulfilling their mission. One of them Al-Harith bin 
Aws was wounded by mistake with the swords of his men, and was bleeding 
badly. When they reached Baqee‘ Al-Gharqad, they shouted, “Allah is 
Great”. The Prophet ^ <> *ui ^ heard them and realized that they had killed 
the enemy of Allih. As they saw him, he said: “Cheerful faces are yours.” In 
reply, they said: “And yours O Messenger of Allah.” They handed the head 
of the tyrant over to him. He entertained Allah’s praise for their success. He 
then applied his saliva to Al-Harith’s wound and it healed on the spot.t'1 

When the Jews learned about the death of their tyrant, Ka‘b bin 
Al-Ashraf, - they were scared and even their stonelike hearts were in the grip 
of inexpressible panic. They realized that the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui 

would thenceforth never hesitate to use force when good words and 
admonition failed. They remained silent and resigned, and faked adherence 
to covenants. 

Now the Prophet ^ uii was free to collect his thoughts and give 
himself up to resolving foreign affairs, and facing dangers that could be 
carried with hostile wind blowing again from Makkah. 

The Invasion of Buhran: 

In Rabi‘ Ath-Thani, the year 3 A.H. the Prophet uii ^ led a 
campaign comprising 300 warriors to Buhran in the area of Al-Furu‘. He 
stayed there till Jumada Al-Ula, 3 A.H. No fighting took place in the 
process of this patrolling invasion.! 2 ! 

Zaid bin Harithah leads a Campaign on the Trade Routes of 
Quraish: 

This was the most successful campaign prior to Uhud Battle. It took 
place in Jumada Ath-Thaniyah, the year 3 A.H. 

Summer approached and it was high time for the Makkan trade 
caravans to leave for Syria. The people of Quraish whose lives depended 
mainly on a mercantile economy consisting of summer caravans to Syria 
and winter caravans to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), were now at a loss as to 


1*1 Ibn Hisham, 1/51-57; Sahih Al-BukhSri, 1/341,425,2/577. 

Z4d Al-Ma‘ad 2/91; and Sunan Abfl Da’fid with ‘Aun-ul-Ma‘bood, 2/42,43. 
PI Ibn Hisham, 2/50,51; Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/91. 


- 243 - 



what route they would have to follow in order to avoid the backbreaking 
military strikes that the Muslims successfully inflicted on the polytheists. 

They held a meeting to discuss the chances of escaping the economic 
blockade and decided to go along a trade route across Najd to Iraq. Furat 
bin Haiyan was appointed as a guide for the caravan. Safwan bin 
Omaiyah led the caravan along the new route. News of the meeting 
leaked out through Na‘im bin Mas‘ud Al-Ashja‘i under the effect of 
wine, and it flew fast to Madinah by Sulit bin An-Nu‘man. The Prophet 
r*-j «- ui immediately mustered 100 horsemen under the leadership of 
Zaid bin Harithah Al-Kalbi and despatched them to intercept and capture 
the caravan. They caught up with the camels at a place called Al-Qardah. 
They took the polytheists by surprise and arrested their guide and two 
other men. SafWan and his guards fled away without showing the least 
resistance. The caravan was carrying silver and wares whose value 
amounted to 100 thousand dirhams. The booty was distributed among 
the Muslim warriors after one-fifth had been set aside for the Prophet 
(J —> Furat bin Haiyan embraced Islam out of his own sweet free 

will.! 1 ] 

As a result of this episode, the Muslims foiled Quraish’s plans to find 
a new trade route. The economic siege laid to Makkah was thus 
consolidated and had a great impact on the mercantile economy of 
Makkah. The Makkans were terribly anxious and worried about their 
prospects of life now at stake with no hope whatsoever for any possible 
rehabilitation of commercial life or redemption of former prestige at the 
socio-political level except through two avenues categorically 
contrasting: Relinquishing all symbols of arrogance and all attitudes of 
haughtiness through reconciliation with the new status quo, and 
peaceableness with the Muslims; or launching a decisive overwhelming 
war with the aim of crushing down the military forces of Madinah. It was 
apparent through the process of events that Quraish had opted for the 
second alternative. Loud cries were being heard everywhere in Makkah 
demanding immediate vengeance and quick retaliatory action. These 
movements on all levels constituted the direct preliminaries to the battle 
of Uhud. 


Cl Ibn Hisham, 1/50,51; Fiqh As-Seerah, p. 190; Rahmat-ul-lU'alameen, 2/219. 


- 244 - 



The Battle of Uhud 


The defeat at Badr was an ignominy which the Quraishites pride could 
not leave unavenged. Revenge was, therefore, the catchword all over 
Makkah. The Makkans even forbade lamenting over their murdered people, 
or ransoming their captives at Badr Battle lest the Muslims should realize 
the grave degree of sadness and feeling of tragedy they were experiencing. 


In the wake of Badr event, Quraish was in common consent and started 
fresh preparations to launch an overall war against the Muslims in order to 
restore their blemished prestige and wounded pride. The most enthusiastic 
polytheists desiring to go into a new battle were ‘Ikriipah bin Abi Jahl, 
Safwan bin Omaiyah, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, and ‘Abdullah bin Abi Rabi‘a. 
They were determined to crush the commonwealth of Islam once and for all. 
Emissaries were sent to all the tribes to make common cause against the 
rising Faith. As a‘consequence of this, they managed to enlist the support of 
two well-known tribes Kinana and Tihamah besides some desert bedouins 
Ahabish. It was also decided that the profits of the escaped caravan headed 
by Abu Sufyan, which amounted to 1000 camels and 50 thousand Dinars, 
should be devoted for providing equipment to the army. The Noble Qur’an 
has alluded to this decision of theirs in the following words: 





“Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder (men) 
from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend it; but 
in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will be 
overcomed.” [8:36] 


They also devised other ways of recruitment including hiring poets to 
entice the tribes into fighting the Muslims. Safwan bin Omaiyah allured 
Abu ‘ Azza, the poet to work in this context in return for riches after the war 
or supporting his daughters if killed. Incidentally, this poet was prisoner of 
war (in the context of the Badr events) in the hands of the Muslims and the 
Prophet fi—j 4 _bi jj- was gracious enough to release him unransomed 
provided he would not engage in fight against him. 


- 245 - 



Abu Sufyan nursed the most grudge against Muslims because he had lost 
most of his supplies in As-Sawiq invasion, let alone the heavy economic 
losses that Quraish had sustained in the aftermath of the events that featured 
the platoon of Zaid bin Harithah. 

In the light of these successive failures, Quraish precipitated and 
accelerated their preparations for a decisive battle with the Muslims. At the 
turn of the year everything was ready for the move. The Makkans also 
decided to take their women along with them for they might arouse them to 
fight manfully. Thus a contingent of three thousand pitched warriors, of 
whom seven hundred were mailed soldiers and two hundred well-mountedP] 
cavalry with three thousand camels and fifteen women marched towards 
Madinah. The general leader was Abu Sufyan bin Harb, the cavalry under 
the leadership of Khalid bin Al-Waleed assisted by ‘Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl, 
and Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar were entrusted with the flag. 

Old deep-seated feelings of hatred, with heart-based grudge enveloped 
the whole process foreshadowing bitter, bloody revenge-instigated fighting 
between the two parties. 

Meanwhile Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, was closely watching the 
military movements and preparations for war, and these were all included in 
an urgent message sent by him to Prophet ^ <w who received it while 
he was in Quba’ Mosque. Ubai bin Ka‘b read the letter to the Prophet 
r'—j <-“•» who asked him to be reticent with respect to its serious contents. 
He hurried back to Madinah, convened a meeting with the Helpers and 
Emigrants and conducted with them serious consultations as regards the 
measures to be taken. 

The whole of Madinah was put on the alert and all men were heavily 
armed even during prayer in anticipation of any emergency. A group of 
Helpers volunteered to guard the Prophet and kept watchful eye 

all night at his door, amongst whom there were Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, Usaid bin 
Hudair and Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah. Lest they should be taken by surprise, armed 
groups of the Madinese began to police the entrances and roads leading to 
the city. To reconnoitre the movements of the polytheists, Muslim platoons 
began to patrol the routes for any probable enemy raids. 


PI Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/92; Fath Al-Bari, 7/346. 


- 246 - 



The Makkan army, on the other hand, continued the march along the 
usual western road. On reaching Al-Abwa’, Hind bint ‘Utbah, Abu Sul'yan’s 
wife, suggested that they dig up the grave of the Prophet ^ ^u’s 
mother, but the leaders of the army refused to do so for fear of the 
consequent results. The army then followed Wadi Al-‘Aqeeq and turned 
right to encamp themselves at a place called ‘Ainain near Uhud Mountain. 
That was on Friday, 6th Shawwal, 3 A.H. 

A Consultation Assembly for a Defence Plan: 

The scouting party ofMadinah conveyed the news of the Makkan army 
step by step. Then the Messenger of Allah ^ held a head military 

consultation assembly to exchange views about the situation. He told them 
about a dream he had. He said: “By Allah, I have dreamt of— I implore 
Allah to be a dream of bounty — cows slaughtered and that there was a 
groove at the pointed top of my sword, and that I had inserted my hand into 
an immune armour.” 

The interpretation of ‘the cows’ was that some of his men were killed, 
and ‘the groove at the pointed top of his sword’ was that a member of his 
House would be hurt. As for ‘the armour’ it was Madinah. Then he offered a 
suggestion that his Companions should not go out ofMadinah and that they 
should encamp themselves within the city. He was of the opinion that the 
enemies should be left in the open to exhaust themselves and thus the 
Muslims would not risk a battle. But if they thought of attacking Madinah, 
Muslim men would be ready to fight them at the mouths of lanes; whereas 
Muslim-women would help from over the house roofs.” ‘Abdullah bin Ubai 
bin Salul — the head of the hypocrites; who attended the meeting as a chief 
of Al-Khazraj — supported the Prophet ^ s plan. 

As a matter of fact his agreement was not based on the righteousness of 
the plan but rather on personal benefit. He did not want to fight. On the 
contrary he secretly aimed at being far away from fight. However it was 

Allah’s Will that he should be disclosed and disgraced in public — for the 

first time. It was His Will that the curtain which concealed their disbelief 
behind should be uncovered and pulled down. Allah’s Will enabled the 
Muslims to recognize the reality of those snakes that were creeping within 
their garments and inside the sleeves of their clothes. Thanks to Allah they 
recognized them in one of the most critical times of their lives. 


- 247 - 



Some of the best honourable Companions, who had missed Al-Jihad in 
Badr invasion, suggested that the Prophet ^ ^ uji ^ should go out of 
Madinah and urged him to accept their point of view. One of them said: “O, 
Messenger of Allah ^ v* 4 » for long time we have been looking forward 

to this day; and we have implored Allah to make such a day draw near. 
Thanks to Allah it is time to fight. So let us go out and fight our enemies lest 
they should think that we have lost heart and do not dare to fight them.” 
Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib the paternal uncle of the Prophet ^ 411 

who had already covered the ornaments of his sword with idolaters’ blood 
in Badr Battle, was ahead of those enthusiastics who urged him to go out 
and meet the disbelievers. He said to the Prophet ^ 4 » j*: “By Allah, 

Who has sent the Book down unto you, I will not taste food till I fight them 
with my sword outside Madinah.”!*! 

After weighing carefull the pros and cons of the issue, it was decided that 
the enemy should be resisted outside the city at Uhud. 

Dividing the Islamic Army into Phalanxes and Departure to the Battle¬ 
field: 

Ascending the pulpit at the Friday congregational prayer, the Prophet 
(JL-, **u uii ^ urged the people in his sermon to fight courageously. “If you 
remain steadfast,” he said “you will be helped by the Power of the All- 
Mighty.” Then he commanded his men to make ready for the battle. Most of 
them rejoiced greatly. 

He led the afternoon prayer with crowds of people. Then he entered his 
house accompanied by his two friends Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. They helped 
him dress and wear his headcloth. He armed himself and wore two armours 
one over the other. He wore his sword and went out to meet people. 

People were waiting for him impatiently. Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh and Usaid bin 
Hudair blamed people for pressing on the Prophet ^ < 4 * 411 They said: 
“You have forced the Messenger of Allah ( jl.,v* 4 m ( /» to fight the enemy 
outside Madinah.” Therefore they were determined to leave the whole 
matter to the Prophet ^ *4* 411 ^l., and blamed themselves for what they had 
already done. When the Prophet (Jl., uji ^ came out, they said: “O 


[*! As-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, 2/14. 


- 248 - 



Messenger of Allah, we should have not disagreed with you. So, you are 
free to do what you desire. If you prefer to stay inside Madinah we will stay 
with you. Upon this the Messenger of Allah ^ «ui remarked: “It does 
not become a Prophet that once he had put on armour, he should take it off, 
until Allah has decided between him and the enemy.”1*1 

The Prophet ^ jii ^ divided his army into three battalions: 

1. Al-Muhajireen battalion, under the command of Mus‘ab bin 
‘Umair Al-‘Abdari. 

2. Al-Ansari-Aws battalion was commanded by Usaid bin Hudair. 

3. Al-Ansari-Khazraj battalion with Al-Hubab bin Al-Mundhir to lead 
it. 

The army consisted of a thousand fighters; a hundred of them armoured; 
another fifty horsemen.Pl He appointed Ibn Umm Maktum to lead the 
people in prayer in Madinah. Departure was announced and the army moved 
northwards with the two Sa‘ds, who were armoured, running in front of the 
army. 

Upon passing along Al-Wada‘ mountain trail he saw a well-armed 
battalion, which were detached from the main body of the army. The 
Prophet (j—j uji j*. inquired who they were and he was told that they were 
Jews and were allies of Al-Khazraj. They told him that they wanted to 
contribute to the fight against the idolaters. “Have they embraced 
Islam?” The Prophet asked. “No,” they said. So he refused 

admitting them and said that he would not seek the assistance of 
disbelievers against the idolaters. 

Parading the Army: 

As soon as he reached a location called Ash-Shaikhan, he paraded his 
army. He dismissed those whom he considered to be disabled or too young 
to stand the fight. Among them were ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. 
Usama bin Zaid; Usaid bin Zaheer, Zaid bin Thabit, Zaid bin Arqam. ‘Araba 
bin Aws, ‘Amr bin Hazm, Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri, Zaid bin Haritha 


PI Quoted by Ahmad, Nasa’i, Hakim and Ibn Ishaq. 
PI Al-Huda, 2,92. 


- 249 - 



Al-Ansari, Sa‘d bin Habba and Al-Bara’ bin ‘Azib, Sahih Al-Bukhari 
pointed out that he had shared in the fight that day. 

The Messenger of Allah ^ ^ »ui allowed both Rafi‘ bin Khadaij and 
Samura bin Jundub to join the army — though they were too young. The 
former proved to be skillful at shooting arrows; the latter wrestled the 
former and beat him. The admission of Rafi‘ made Samura say: “I am 
stronger than him, I can overcome him.” When the Prophet ^ ju heard 
this saying he ordered them to wrestle. They did. Samura won so he was 
also admitted. 

Passing the Night between Uhud and Madinah: 

As night fell upon them there, they performed both the sunset and the 
evening prayers and spent the night there as well. Fifty people were chosen 
to guard the camp and go round it Muhammad bin Maslama Al-Ansari, the 
hero of the brigade of Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf, was in charge of the guards. 
Whereas Dhakwan bin ‘Abd Qais undertook the responsibility of guarding 
the Prophet ^ <i» in particular. 

The Rebellion of ‘Abdullah bin Ubai and his Followers: 

At the end of the night and just before it was daybreak, the Prophet 
ft-, «ui moved and when he got to Ash-Shawt he observed the dawn prayer. 
There he was close enough to the enemy that they could see one another. It 
was there that ‘Abdullah bin Ubai — the hypocrite — rebelled against the 
Muslims. One-third of the army withdrew with him — that is to say three 
hundred fighters. He said, “We do not know why we shall kill ourselves.” 
He claimed that his withdrawal was no more than showing protest against 
the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ who had already refused his opinion and 
accepted that of the others. 

Undoubtedly that was not the real cause of his detachment. If it had been 
the refusal of his opinion — as the hypocrite claimed — there would have 
no sense whatsoever for his joining the Prophetic army. If it had been so, he 
would have refused to go out with the army from the very beginning of the 
march. As a matter of fact the real purpose of this rebellion, withdrawal and 
detachment — at this delicate and awkward position and time — was to 
produce bewilderment, confusion of mind, and disorder in the Muslims 
army who were within the sight and hear range of the enemy who were also 


- 250 - 



looking forward to seeing more and more dissension on the side of the 
Muslims, like themselves. They also aimed at breaking the high morale of 
the believers. That would accelerate — in their opinion — the breakdown 
and consequently the death of Muhammad, his faithful Companions and 
Islam as a whole. The way would then be clear for the reclaim of 
presidency, which that hypocrite had lost on the advent of Islam into 
Madinah. 

Short of Allah’s Care, the hypocrite’s plot would have been successful. 
Banu Haritha of Al-Aws and Banu Salama of Al-Khazraj were partially 
impressed by the hypocrite’s behaviour. Both of them were overwhelmed by 
confusion and they had almost started to withdraw, but Allah’s Care saved 
them from that disgrace. About their incident Allah says: 



“When two parties from among you were about to lose their 
heart, but Allah was their Wall (Supporter and Protector). And 
in AMh should the believers put their trust.” [3:122] 


‘Abdullah bin Haram — the father of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah — attempted to 
stop their withdrawal. He reminded the hypocrites of their duty at this 
delicate and awkward condition, but in vain. He followed them, reproached 
them and urged them to go back saying: “Come and fight in the way of 
Allah or at least be defenders.” They said: “If we had known that you would 
really fight we would have not gone back.” Having despaired of them, he 
addressed them saying: “May Allah cast you away, you enemies of Allah. 
Allah will certainly suffice His Prophet.” Allah says about those hypocrites: 




“And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: 
‘Come, fight in the way of Allah or (at least) defend yourselves.’ 
They said: ‘Had we known that fighting will take place, we 
would certainly have followed you.’ They were that day, nearer 
to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not 


- 251 - 



in their hearts. And Allah has fall knowledge of what they 
conceal.” [3:167] 


The Remainder of the Islamic Army are on the Move to Uhud: 

With the remainder of fighters, the Messenger of Allah ,jl, ^ an moved 
towards the enemy. After the rebellion and withdrawal of the hypocrites, the 
number of soldiers was reduced to seven hundred only. 

The camp of idolaters was situated in such a place that the many roads 
leading to Uhud were almost blocked by them. So the Messenger of Allah 
,jUj <jii ^ said to his men: “Which man of you can lead us to where the 
people (i.e. the idolaters) are, along a short track that does not pass by 
them?” Abu Khaithama said: “O Messenger of Allah ^ anj-, I am the 
man you need.” Then he chose a short track that led to Uhud passing by 
Harrah Bani Harithah and their farms, leaving the idolaters’ army 
westwards. 


On their way they passed by Ha 'it (i.e. the field) of Marba* bin Qaizi, 
who was a blind hypocrite. When Marba‘ felt and realized that they were 
the Prophetic army, he started throwing earth at their faces, so they rushed 
to kill him, but the Prophet ,jl, an jl. said: 


* j *apt IJ4* ojJs2lV» 


“Do not kill him. He is blind in heart and eyes.” 


The Messenger of Allah ^ un ^ went along till climbed down the 
hillock of Uhud at the slope of the valley. He camped there with his army 
facing Madinah while their backs were to the hills of Uhud mountain. So the 
army of the enemy stood a barrier between the Muslims and Madinah. 


The Defence Plan: 

The Messenger of Allah ^ un ^ mobilized his army. He arranged 
them into two rows to prepare them for fight. He selected fifty skillful 
archers that formed a squad and made them under the command of 
‘Abdullah bin Jubair bin An-Nu‘man Al-Ansari Al-Awsi Al-Badri. He 
issued his orders to them to stay where they were — on a mountain(side) at 
the south bank of Qanat Al-Wadi (i.e. a canal of the valley), south east of 


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Muslims camp at about one hundred and fifty metres from the Islamic army. 
Later on this mountain was called the Mountain of Archers. 

The Messenger of Allfih ,jL,j <i» j- clarified the mission of this squad in 
words he directed to them. He said to their leaden “Drive off the horses 
from us by means of arrows, lest they should attack us from behind (the 
rear). Whether we win the battle or lose it, stand steadily in your position 
and mind that we are not attacked from your side.”!*! 


He added: __ f 




“Defend our backs! If you see us slain. Do not come to assist us; 
and if you see gaming grounds, do not share us.”Pl 


In a version by Al-Bukhari the Prophet ^ <iji ^ said: 

\ J-j! lii I ’jU' Uj&h 01» 


“If you see us snatched into pieces by birds, do not leave this 
position of yours till I send for you. And if you see that we have 
defeated the enemy and trodden on them do not desert your 
position till I send for you.”Pl 


With the assignment of this squad and locating it on the mountainside 
and the issuance of those strict military orders, the Messenger of Allah 
, 0 -, blocked the only groove that might lead the idolaters stealthily to 

the rear of Muslim ranks and might even enable them to encircle them in an 
encompassment procedure. 

The assignments of posts and responsibilities for the rest of the army 
were performed by the Prophet ^ j- as follows: On the right wing, he 
appointed Al-Mundhir bin ‘Amr. On die left he appointed Az-Zubair bin 
Al-‘Awwam, and made Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad his assistant and 


ID ibn Hisham, 2/65,66. 
m Fath Al-Bari, 7/350. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Book of Jihad, 1/426. 


- 253 - 



supporter. Az-Zubair’s function was to standfast in the face of Khalid bin 
Al-Waleed’s horsemen. The Messenger of Allah ^ 411 selected the top 

and the most courageous group to be in the vanguard of the army. They 
were notable for their readiness, alertness and bravery and estimated to be 
equal to thousands of men. 

It was a wise and carefully-laid plan which revealed the genius of 
military leadership that the Prophet ^ 411 possessed. No other leader 

could have drawn a more accurate or wise plan. Although he approached the 
site later than the enemy, he managed to occupy better positions. He made 
the rocky mountainside to function as shield for the army’s rear and right 
flank. He was able, by blocking the only vulnerable gap on the side, to, 
provide additional maximum protection for the rear as well as the left wing. 
For fear of possible defeat, and to deter the Muslims from fleeing, in which 
case they would fall easy prisoners in the hands of the enemy, he chose a 
high place for encampment. Moreover a strategic site of this sort would 
surely inflict heavy losses on the polytheists if they thought of approaching 
or occupying his positions. In a further step, he reduced the enemy to a 
narrow scope of choice when they were cornered for encampment in 
geographically low positions that would avail them nothing of the benefits 
of any possible victory; at the same time they would not be able to escape 
the pursuit of the Muslims in case victory sided with the latter. To make up 
for the quantitative shortage in fighting personnel, he chose a picked body 
of fighters to stand at the front. 

The army of the Prophet ^ ««u 411 ^ was thus fully mobilized on Shawwal 
7th, 3 A.H. 

The Messenger of Allah implants the Spirit of Bravery 

among his Armed Forces: 

The Messenger of Allah ^ «ui forbade the Muslims to start the fight 
without having an order from him. He, then, wore two armours — a front 
armour and a back one. He urged his Companions to fight and spurred them 
to show stamina and steadfastness at fight. He started to implant the spirit of 
boldness and bravery in them. To wage and inflame his Companions and in 
order to standfast in the fight, he took a sharp sword, held it in his hand and 
called out unto his Companions and said: “Who is ready to take this sword 
and give it its proper due?” Many a man set out to take it. Some of them 


- 254 - 



were ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam and ‘Umar bin 
Al-Khattab. But it was granted to none. Abu Dujana Sammak bin Kharsha 
inquired: “O Messenger of AMh, what is its price?” The Prophet ^<>*1)1^ 
said: “It is to strike the enemy’s faces with it till it wias bent.” So Abu 
Dujana said: “O Messenger of Allah I will take it for that price.” and he was 
given the sword. 

Abu Dujana was a man of courage who used to swagger at war. He had a 
red band which he wore round his head. Whenever he was head-banded 
everybody knew that he was determined to fight to death. Therefore as soon 
as Abu Dujana took the Prophet an ju’s sword, he banded his head and 
started strutting amongst the fighters. 

Watching him doing that, the Messenger of Allah ^ an ^ said: “This 

is a sort of walking that Allah detests except in such a situation.” 

Recruitment of the Makkan Army: 

The idolaters applied the rows system in the mobilization of their army. 
The general leadership of the army was entrusted to Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin 
Harb, who would be in the centre-position of the army. Khalid bin 
Al-Waleed was on the right wing; whereas ‘Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl was 
on the left. Safwan bin Omaiya was in charge of infantry men. The archers 
were under the command of ‘Abdullah bin Abi Rabi’a. 

As for the standard, a squad of Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar were in charge to bear 
it. Thus was the distribution of the posts of the army ever since ‘Abd Munaf 
had already assigned them. This assignment had been inherited from Qusai 
bin Kilab — as we have previously alluded to in an early phase of this book. 
No one had the right to compete them with it. It was consistent with their 
traditions that they had inherited from their ancestors. 

Abu Sufyan, the general leader, reminded his men — the standard 
bearers — of what had happened to Quraish on Badr Day (i.e. battle) when 
their standard bearer, An-Nadr bin Al-Harith, was captured. In an attempt to 
wage their anger and enmity to the Muslims he said: “O Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar! 
You have been assigned bearers of our standard and you know that the 
standard is the first thing that the enemy attacks. Should it fall, we fall down 
too. Therefore, I say either you guarantee its safety or leave it for us, and we 
will certainly suffice you that task.” 


- 255 - 



Abu Sufyan’s attempt seemed to be fruitful. For his speech made Bani 
‘Abd Ad-Dar so extremely angry that they threatened him and almost 
attacked him for that. Addressing him, they said: “You want us to deliver 
you the custodianship of the standard? Tomorrow when we fight them, you 
will witness our deeds.” As a matter of fact, they fought bravely and 
stoodfast in defence of the standard till they were all killed. 

Political Manoeuvres of Quraish: 

A little time before the break out of the battle, Quraish made some 
endeavours to sow the seeds of discord and dispute among the Muslims. 
First, Abu Sufyan sent to the Helpers a message saying: “Leave us alone to 
fight our cousins and do not interfere. If you stand aside, we will not fight 
you; for fighting you is not a target of ours.” But that attempt proved to be 
fruitless. What could such a wicked scheme do to those whose Faith was as 
solid and firm as mountains?! The Helpers reply was undoubtedly 
disappointing and contrary to Abu Sufyan’s expectations. 

The zero-hour was due. The two parties drew nearer. Undespaired by the 
first failure, Quraish made another attempt, for the same purport but now 
with the assistance of a traitor called Abu ‘Amir Al-Fasiq, whose name was 
‘Abd ‘Amr bin Saifi. He was called a monk, but the Messenger of All&h 

4 *u 4_ui nicknamed him Al-Fasiq (i.e. perverted transgressor; dissolute). 
As he was the head of Aws in Al-Jahiliya, he could not tolerate Islam when 
it came. He announced his enmity to the Messenger of All&h ^ ^ in 

public. He left Madinah for the Quraishites in Makkah to rally them against 
the Messenger of Allah and to urge them to start the fight against 

him. He claimed that he was obeyed and esteemed by his people and that as 
soon as they saw him come they would join him immediately. 

So he was the first one among the mob and slaves of Quraish to show 
resistance. He called out unto his people, recognized them and said: “O 
kinfolk of Aws! I am Abu ‘Amir.” Their reply was “No eyes of anybody 
shall be consoled by viewing you, O Fasiq.” Hearing them say so, he said: 
“My people must have been afflicted by an evil after my departure.” 
Therefore when the fight broke out, he fought them fiercely and pelted his 
people with stones, as well. 


- 256 - 



That was how the second attempt of Quraish to sow the seeds of discord 
among people of Faith. This, however, revealed the great terror of the 
Quraishites cast in their hearts in spite of their supremacy in number and 
equipment. 

The effort of Quraishite Women at waging the Zeal of Men: 

Quraishi-women participated in the battle led by the wife of Abu Sufyan, 
Hind bint ‘Utbah. They wandered among the rows of the idolaters, tapped 
on tambourines, encouraged men to fight, inflamed the emotions of heroes, 
lancers,- swordsmen and brave fighters. At one time they addressed the 
standard-bearers: 

“O Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar! 

O home defenders, 

Strike with your sharp swords ...” 

And at another time they would wage people’s zeal by singing: 

“If you fight (bravely), we will embrace 
and unfold mats to welcome you. 

But if you flee from the battlefield, we leave you. 

Desert you and no more love you.” 

The Combat 

The two parties approached and grew very close to each another. The 
phases of fight started. The first combatant was the standard-bearer, Talha 
bin Abi Talha Al-‘Abdari, who was the most distinguished idolater. He was 
one of the bravest men of Quraish fighters. Muslims nicknamed him ‘the 
ram of the battalion.’ He came forth riding a camel and challenged the 
Muslims to a single combat. People refrained from fighting him due to his 
bravery; but Az-Zubair bin APAwwam advanced for the fight. He did not 
give die ‘Ram’ any chance to fight but fell on him like a lion on his camel’s 
back, pulled him down to the ground and slaughtered him with his sword. 

The Messenger of Allah fL«u who was watching that wonderful 
incident exclaimed: Alldhu Akbar that is ‘Allah is the Greatest’ and the 
Muslims exclaimed Alldhu Akbar too. He praised Az-Zubair when he said: 


- 257 - 



“Every Prophet has a disciple and Az-Zubair is a disciple of 
mine.”!'] 


Soon the general engagement ^nsued and the fight of the two parties 
grew fierce everywhere on the battlefield. The strain of the fight was 
centred round the carriers of the standard. After the death of their leader 
Talha bin Abi Talha, Banu ‘Abd Ad-Dar alternated the mission 
successively. Talha’s brother, ‘Uthman, ran forward and seized the standard 
which lay by the lifeless body of his brother, chanting: “The standard-bearer 
has the right to dye its shaft in blood, till it be beaten in his hand.” Hamzah 
bin ‘Abdul Muttalib attacked and dealt him a blow that cut his arm and 
shoulder and went down to his navel to uncover his lung. 

The standard was raised up again by Abu Sa‘d bin Abi Talha; but Sa‘d 
bin Abi Waqqas shot him with a deadly arrow that hit him at his throat and 
made his tongue hang out breathing his last. 

In another version it was narrated that Abu Sa‘d lifted the standard up 
and challenged the Muslims to fight him. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib went forth. 
They exchanged two blows. Then ‘Ali gave him a terminal blow that 
finished him off. 

Musafi‘ bin Talha bin Abi Talha then hoisted the standard, but was soon 
shot with an arrow by ‘Asim bin Thabit bin Abi Al-Aqlah. His brother Kilab 
bin Talha bin Abi Talha followed him picked the banner and lifted it up; but 
Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam attacked him and managed to kill him. Their 
brother Al-Jallas bin Talha bin Abi Talha lifted the banner up but Talha bin 
‘Ubaidu-Allah stabbed him to death. They also said that it was ‘Asim bin 
Thabit who managed to deal a terminal blow to him. 

All those six people killed round and in defence of the standard, 
belonged to one house, the house of Abi Talha ‘Abdullah bin ‘Uthman bin 
‘Abd Ad-Dar. Another man from Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar, called Artat bin 
Sharhabeel carried the standard but he also was killed by ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. 
Others said it was Hamzah who killed him not ‘Ali. 

Then it was Shuraih bin Qariz who was killed by Quzman — he was a 
hypocrite who fought for prestige only, not in defence of Islam. Abu Zaid 


PI As-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, 2/18. 


- 258 - 



‘Amr bin ‘Abd Munaf Al-‘Abdari lifted the standard up but he was killed by 
Quzman too. A son of Sharhabeel bin Hashim Al-‘Abdari hoisted it again 
and was also killed by Quzman. 

/^So we see that ten fighters of Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar — the standard-bearers 

were annihilated. Seeing that none of ‘Abd Ad-Dars survived to carry the 
standard, a slave of theirs — called Sawab — came to raise it. The slave 
showed more admirable sorts of bravery and steadfastness than his former 
masters. Sawab, the slave went on fighting till his hand was cut off. So he 
knelt down and embraced the banner, leant it against his chest and neck lest 
it should fall down to the ground. He remained fighting steadily and 
steadfastly till he was killed. In the meanwhile he did not stop saying: “O 
AllSh, have I been excused?” After the death of the slave Sawab, the 
standard fell down to the ground, and remained there as there was no one to 
carry it. 

Whilst the brunt of the battle centred around the standard, bitter fighting 
was going on everywhere on the battlefield. The spirit of Faith 
overwhelmed the Muslims’ ranks; so they rushed among the idolaters as if 
they had been an outbreak of a destructive flood that overflowed and 
knocked down all dams and barriers standing in its way “I seek death, I seek 
death.” That was their announced motto on Uhud Day. 

Abu Dujana, recognized by the red band worn round his head, came 
forth, fighting with the sword of the Messenger of Allah ^ «*!* an ju. He was 
determined to pay its price at all costs. He killed all the idolaters that stood 
on his way splitting and dispersing their ranks. Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam 
said: 

“I felt angry and discouraged when the Messenger of Allah ^ «<i» «w ju 
refused to give me the sword but gave it to Abu Dujana. I said to myself: ‘I 
am his paternal cousin — the cousin of his aunt Safiya — a Quraishite, 
besides, I was the first who demanded it and yet he favoured him to me. By 
Allah, I will watch how he will use it.’ So I followed him, I saw him take 
out his red band and wear it round his head. Seeing him like that, the 
Helpers said, ‘Abu Dujana had worn the band of death.’ Then he set out 
saying loudly: 

‘I am the one whom my intimate friend made covenant with, 
when we were under the palm-trees on the mountain side. 


- 259 - 



The covenant that we made was that I should not fight at the 
rear. 

But fight at the front heroically with the sword of Allah and His 
Messenger.’ 

No one stood die way of Abu Dujana but was killed. There was a man 
among the idolaters whose only target was to finish off the wounded 
Muslims. During the fight Abu Dujana drew near that man; so I implored 
Alhih that they might engage in combat. They in fact did and exchanged two 
sword-strokes. The idolater struck Abu Dujana, but he escaped it and it 
pierced into his leather shield. The idolater’s sword now stuck to it, Abu 
Dujana struck him with the sword and killed him.!*) Into the thick of the 
battle, he rushed to kill a person who was inciting the enemy to fight the 
Muslims. Upon this the person shrieked and lo! it was a woman. Abu 
Dujana spared her saying: ‘I respect the Prophet ^ ^ <in j^’s sword too 
much to use it on a woman.’ The woman was Hind bint ‘Utbah.” 

Describing the same incident, Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam said: “I saw 
Abu Dujana raising a sword over the parting part of Hind bint ‘Utba’s head 
then he moved it off. I said to myself: ‘Allah and His Messenger know 
best.’ (i.e. know why he acted like thatj.PJ” 

Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib displayed wonderful feats of gallantry 
against the overwhelming odds which stood unparalled and created 
consternation and confusion in the disbelieving hosts. Heroes dispersed off 
his way as if they had been tree-leaves blown away by strong wind. In 
addition to his effective contribution to the annihil ation of the idolaters who 
stood in defence of the standard, he was even of much greater effect at 
fighting against men of bravery and distinguished horsemen. It was Allah’s 
Will that he be murdered when he was at the top. He was not killed in a 
face-to-face fight on the battlefield — in die normal way by which heroes 
die — but rather assassinated in the dead-dark as was the custom of killing 
generous and noble men that were impossible to kill in an honourable fight. 


t‘l Ibn Hisham, 2/68,69. 
PI ibid, 2/69. 


- 260 - 



Assassination of AsadnUfih (the Lion of Allah) Hamzah bin ‘Abdul 
MnttaUb: 

Hamzah’s assassin, Wahshi bin Harb, described how he killed Hamzah. 
He said: 

“I was a slave working to Jubair bin Mut‘im, whose paternal uncle 
Tu‘aimah bin ‘Adi was injured at Badr Battle. So when Quraish marched to 
Uhud, Jubair said to me: ‘If you kill Hamzah, the uncle of Muhammad, 
stealthily you shall be manumi tted. * ” 

“So I marched with the people to Uhud.” He used to describe himself as, 
“I am a picaro good at spearing.” “So when the two parties fought, I set out 
seeking Hamzah. I saw him amidst people fighting. He was like a white and 
black striped camel, striking severely with his sword and no one could stand 
on his way. By Allah! When I was getting ready and trying to seize the fit 
opportunity to spear him, hiding sometimes behind a tree or a rock hoping 
that he might draw nearer and be within range — at that moment I caught 
sight of Siba‘ bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza going closer towards him. When Hamzah 
observed him, he said: ‘Come on! O son of the ‘clitoris-cutter.’ — for his 
mother used to be a circumciser. Then he struck one strong stroke that could 
hardly miss his head.” 

Wahshi said: “Then I balanced my spear and shook it till I was content 
with it, then I speared him and it went down into his stomach and issued out 
between his legs. He attempted moving towards me but he was overcome by 
his wound. I left him there with the spear in his entrails till he died. Then I 
came to him, pulled out my spear and returned to the encampment place. I 
stayed there and did not go out, for he was the only one I sought. I only 
killed him to free myself. So as soon as I got back to Makkah, I became a 
free man .”! 1 ! 

Bringing the Situation under Control: 

Although the death of Asad (Lion) of Allah and His Messenger — 
Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib —was a great loss, the Muslims maintained 
full control over the whole situation on the battlefield. On that day, Abu 
Bakr, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair bin 


1» Dm Hisham, 2/69-72; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/583. 


- 261 - 




Al-‘Awwam, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair, Talha bin ‘Ubaidullih, ‘Abdullah bin 
Jahsh, Sa‘d bin Ar-Rabi‘ and Anas bin An-Nadr and others — all of them 
fought so fiercely, effectively and efficiently that they broke the strong will 
of the idolaters and scattered them. 

From his Wife’s lap to Sword-fights and Sorrows: 

One of the brave adventurers of that day was Hanzala Al-Ghaseel — He 
was Hanzala bin Abu ‘Amir. Abu ‘Amir was the very monk that was 
nicknamed ‘ Al-Fasiq ’ (i.e. the dissolute, evildoer). He is the very one that 
we have recently mentioned. Hanzala, who was newly married, left his 
wife’s bed iotAl-Jihad (Fight in the cause of Allah). He set out the moment 
he heard of the call to Al-Jihad. When he faced the idolaters on the 
battlefield, he made his way through their ranks till he reached their leader 
Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb and had almost killed him, if he had not been 
ordained to be a martyr. For at that moment he was seen by Shaddad bin 
Al-Aswad who struck him to death. 

The Contribution of the Archers Squad to the Battle: 

The archers squad whom the Messenger of Allah (Jl., ^ located on 

the Archers Mountain, had the upper hand in administering the war 
activities to go in favour of the Muslim army. The Makkan horsemen — 
commanded by Khalid bin Al-Waleed, supported by Abu ‘ Amir Al-Fasiq — 
had for three times attacked the left wing of the Muslim army with the aim 
of crushing it and then infiltrating into the rear to create a sort of confusion 
and disorder in the ranks of the Muslims and subsequently inflict heavy 
defeat on them. But thanks to the dexterity and great efforts of the archers, 
the three assaults were thwarted.! 1 ) 

War activities went on and on fiercely with the Muslims in full command 
of the whole military developments until the idolaters finally staggered and 
retreated, leaving all motives of alleged pride, and affected dignity in 
oblivion, and their standard trodden by the feet of the fighters with none 
ever courageous enough to approach it. It seemed as if the three thousand 
idolaters had been fighting thirty thousand Muslims and not merely several 
hundreds. 


I 1 ) Fath Al-Bari, 7/346. 


- 262 - 



Ibn T«haq gaid: “Then Allah sent down His Help unto the Muslims and 
verified His Promise to them. They chased the idolaters and evacuated them 
from their camp. No doubt it was a certain defeat.” In a version by 
* A bdullah bin Az-Zubair that his father had said: “By Allah, I was watching 
die servants of Hind bint ‘Utbah and her women friends fleeing with their 
garments gathered up. No one was there to prevent us from capturing 
them.”! 1 ! 

In another version by Al-BarS’ bin ‘Azib — mentioned in Sahih 
Al-Bukhari — he said: “When we fought them, they fled, and their women 
could be seen fleeing in the mountains with their anklets and legs 
revealed.”P1 The Muslims pursued the enemies putting them to sword and 
collecting the spoils. 

The Archers’ Fatal Mistake: 

While the small army of Islam were recording the second absolute and 
clear victory over the Makkans—which was no less in splendour and glory 
than the first one at Badr—the majority of the archers on the mountainside 
pn mm ittpH a fetal mistake that turned the whole situation upside down, and 
constituted a source of heavy losses amongst the Muslims. It has almost 
brought about die murder of the Prophet ^ and left a very bad 

impression on the fame and dignity they deservedly earned at Badr Battle. 

We have already spoken about the positive orders given to the archers to 
hold on to their position whatever the course of the main engagement. In 
spite of those strict orders, and their leader’s — ‘Abdullah bin Jubair 
warning, forty archers deserted their posts, enticed by the too soon roar of 
victory as well as worldly avarice for the spoils of war.P! The others, 
however, nine in nunber and ‘Abdullah, their leader, decided to abide by the 
Prophet fL., *>«j*^’s enter and stay where they were until they were given 
leave or kille d to the last Consequently the cleft was left inadequately 
defended. 


!>] Ibn Hisham, 2/77. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/579. 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/426. 


- 263 - 



The shrewd Khalid bin Al-Waleed seized this golden opportunity to turn 
swiftly round to the rear of the Muslim army and encompass Hum 
Exterminating Ibn Jubair and his group, they fell p romptly upon the rear of 
the Muslims and his horsemen uttered a shout that si gnalle d the new 
military developments. The polytheists returned once again to counterattack 
the Muslims. An idolist woman — called ‘Umra bint ‘Alqama 
Al-Harithiyah — rushed to the lying-on-earth standard, picked it up and 
hoisted it. The idolaters gathered together around the standard and called 
out unto one another till they encircled the Muslims and stan dfast to fi ght 
again. 

The Muslims consequently got entrapped between two millstones. 

The Messenger of Allah ^ ^ «_ui {r L. was then among a small group of 
fighters — nine in number at the rear of the armyt 1 !, watching die 
engagement and braving the Muslim fighters. Khalid and his men tonic him 
by utter surprise, and obliged him to follow either of two options: 

a. To flee for his life and abandon his army to its doomed end, or 

b. To take action at the risk of his life, ralfy the ranks of the Muslims 
again and work their way through the hills of Uhud towards the 
encompassed army. 

The genius of the Messenger of AMh r i~j«>4jN tr u, his peerless and 
matchless courage made him opt for die second course. He raised his voice 
calling out unto his Companions: “Slaves ofAlllh.” He did that though he 
knew that his loud voice would be heard by die idolaters before it was heard 
by the Muslims. He called out unto diem risking his life in thin d e l icate 
situation. 

The idolaters, indeed, recognized him and reached his position even 
before the other Muslims could do so. 

The encompassment of the Muslims revealed three categories of people: 
The first group were those who were only interested in themselves and they 
went so mad that they fled. They left the battlefield and did not know what 
happened to the others. Some of this group fled as far as Madinah. Some 
others went up the mountain. 


1 ( ] Sahih Muslim, 2/107. 


- 264 - 



The second Muslim group were those who returned to the battle, but 
mixed with the idolaters in such a way that they could not recognize one 
another. Consequently some of them were killed by mistake. On the 
authority of Al-Bukhari, he states that ‘Aishah 4* said: “When it was 

Uhud Battle, the idolaters were utterly defeated. Satan that called out: ‘O 
slaves of Allah. Beware the rear (i.e. the enemy is approaching from 
behind)’. So those who were at the front turned back and fought the ones 
who were behind.” 

Then Hudhaifah caught sight of his father ‘Al-Yaman’ about to be killed 
by other Muslims. So he said: “O servants of Allah! Beware! This is my 
father. This is my father.” ‘Aishah 4* jh ^ said: “But they did not part with 
him till he was killed.” Hudhaifah then said: “May All&h forgive you.” And 
‘Urwa said: “By Allah, from that time on Hudhaifah has always been 
blessed and wealthy till he died.”!*! That was because he forgave them and 
refused to take any blood-money for his father’s murder but recommended 
that it be spent in charity. 

This Muslim group suffered from great bewilderment, and disorder 
prevailed among them. A lot of them got lost and did not know where to go. 
•At this awkward time they heard someone calling: “Muhammad is killed.” 
This news made them even more bewildered and almost out of sense. Their 
morale broke down, or almost did in a great number of individuals. Some of 
them stopped fighting, slackened, and cast down their weapons. Others 
thought of getting in touch with ‘Abdullah bin Ubai — the head of the 
hypocrites — and seeking his assistance to fetch them a security pledge 
from Abu Sufyan. 

Anas bin An-Nadr passed by those people who were shuddering of fear 
and panic, and inquired: “What are you waiting for?” They said: “The 
Messenger of Allah fi-, «* 4»„u has been killed.” “What do you live for after 
Muhammad ^ .l*u an Come on and die for what the Messenger of Allah 
ft-, iju «_m ^ has died for.” Then he said: “O Allah I apologize for what these 
people (i.e. die Muslims) have done; and I swear disavowal of what the 
idolaters have perpetrated.” Then he moved on till he was encountered by 
Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh who asked him: “Where to, Abu ‘Umar?” Anas replied: 
“Ah, how fine the scent of the Paradise is! I smell it here in Uhud.” He went 


l'l Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/539,2/581; Fath Al-Bari, 7/351,362,363. 


- 265 - 




on and fought against the idolaters till he was killed. Nobody but his sister 
could recognize his dead body. It had been cut and stabbed by over eighty 
swords, arrows or spears. It was by the tip of his finger that she — after die 
battle — recognized him.1'] 

Thabit bin Ad-Dahdah called unto his people saying: 

“O kinfolk of Helpers, if M uhammad ^ 4iM l( u were killed, Allah is 
Everlasting and He never dies. Fight in defence of your Faith. Allah will 
help you and so you will be victorious.” A group of Helpers joined him and 
all set out and attacked a battalion of Khalid’s horsemen. He kept on 
fighting till he and his friends were killed.Pl 

An Emigrant passed by a Helper who was besmeared by blood. He said: 
“O fellow! Have you heard of Muhammad ^^un^ju’s murder?” The 
Helper answered: “If Muhammad ^ «<u were killed, then he must have 

completed the delivery of the Message. So fight in defence of your 
religion!”Pl 

With such boldness and encouragement, the Mu slims soon recovered 
their spirits, came round to senses and desisted the idea of surrender or 
contacting the hypocrite ‘Abdullah bin Ubai. They took up arms and 
resumed the fight attempting to make way to the headquarters, particularly 
after the news of the Prophet ^’s death had been falsified. The glad 

tidings nerved them, and helped them to manage quite successfully the 
break of the military blockade, and concentrate their forces in an immune 
place to resume a relentless and fierce fight against die polytheists. 

The third group of Muslims were those who cared for nothing except the 
Prophet ^ 4^. *» 1/ l,. At the head of them were notable Companions like Abu 
Bakr, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib and others ^ an ^ who 
hastened to protect tire Prophet (j-j ^ through unrivalled devotion. 

As those groups of Muslims were receiving the blows of the idolaters and 
resisting instantly, the fight flared up around the Messenger of AllSh «*. <» 
who had only nine people around him. We have already mentioned that 


I'] ZM Al-Ma‘ad, 2/93,96; Sahih Al-Bukhan, 2/579. 
PI As-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, 2/22. 

PI ZM Al-Ma'ad, 2/96. 


- 266 - 




when the idolaters started their encompassment there were only nine 
persons around the Messenger of Allah and that as soon as he 

called out unto the Muslims: “Come on! I am the Messenger of Allah an > 
fi-j the idolaters heard his voice and recognized him. So they turned 
back and attacked him with all their power before any of his Companions 
ran to his aid. 

A violent raging struggle broke out between the nine Muslims and the 
idolaters during which peerless sort of love, self-sacrifice, bravery and 
heroism were revealed. 

Muslim, on the authority of Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger 
of Allah r L r ,4*u4jN <r u along with seven Helpers and two Emigrants, was 
c onfine d to a trap when the idolaters attacked him. The Messenger of Allah 

«*u <jn then said: “ He who pushes back those idolaters, will be housed 
in Paradise.” or “He will be my Companion in Paradise.” One of the Helpers 
stepped forward and fought the idolaters in defence of the Prophet <>* 1 ) 1 ^ 
fL. } till he was killed. Then they attacked the Messenger again. 

The same process was repeated again and again till all die seven Helpers 
were killed Then the Messenger of AllSh ^ <jii ^ said to his two 
Quraishite C omp anions: “We have not done justice to our Companions.”! 1 ) 

The last of those seven Helpers was ‘Amara bin Yazeed bin As-Sakan, 
who kept on fi ghting till his wounds neutralized him and he fell dead! 2 ) 

The Most Awkward Hour in the Messenger’s Life: 

After the fell of Ibn Sakan, the Messenger of Allah ^ mi» *111 ^ remained 
alone with only those two Quraishites. In a version by Abu ‘Uthman — 
authorized in As-Sahihain —he said “At that time, there were none with the 
Prophet except Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah and Sa‘d bin Abi 

Waqqas.Pl That was die most awkward and dangerous hour for the Prophet 
but it was a golden opportunity for the idolaters who promptly 
took advantage of it They concentrated their attack on die Prophet ^ ^jU 
and looked forward to killing him. 


S ahih Muslim, 2/107. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 2/81. 

P) Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/527,2/581. 


- 267 - 



‘Utbah bin Abi Waqqas pelted him with stones. One of the stones fell on 
his face. His lower right incisor Ruba ‘iya (i.e. the tooth that is between a 
canine and a front tooth) was injured. His lower lip was wounded. He was 
also attacked by ‘Abdullah bin Shihab Az-Zuhri who cleaved his forehead. 
‘Abdullah bin Qami’a ( Qami’a means ‘a humiliated woman’), who was an 
obstinate strong horseman, struck him violently on his shoulder wife his 
sword; and that stroke hurt fee Messenger of Allah ^ ^ for over a 

month — though it was not strong enough to break his two armours. He 
dealt a heavy blow on his cheek. It was so strong that two rings of his iron- 
ringed helmet penetrated into his holy cheek. “Take this stroke from me, I 
am Ibn Qami’a.” He said while striking the Messenger wife his sword. The 
Messenger of Allah (Jl., uji ^ replied—while he was wiping fee blood 
flowing on his face: “I implore Allah to humiliate you.”!'! (i.e. Aqma 'aka 
Allah). In Al-Bukhari it is stated his incisor broke, his head was cleaved, and 
that he started wiping fee blood off it and saying: “(I wonder) how can 
people who cut the face of their Prophet and break the incisor of 

his — he who calls them to worship Allah. How can such people thrive or 
be successful?” About feat incident, Allah, Glory is to Him, salt down a 
Qur’anic verse saying: 




“Not for you (O M uhammad ,jl., but for All&h) is fee 

decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardons) them or 
punishes them; verily, they are fee Zalimun (polytheists, 
disobedients, and wrong-doers).” [3:128]P1 


At-Tabarani states that fee Prophet ,jL.j said: “Allah’s Wrath is 

great on those who besmear fee face of His Messenger,” observed silence 
for a short while and then resumed saying: 


‘j £I $J1» 


“O Allah, forgive my people for they have no knowledge.”!*] 


t'l Fath Al-Bari, 7/373,366. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/582; Sahib Muslim, 2/108. 
PI Fath Al-Bari, 7/373. 


- 268 - 



In Sahih Muslim it is stated that the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui said: 

uV ^4)^ 'jii- 1 ij* 

“My Lord, forgive my people for they have no knowledge .’’P! 

In Ash-Shifa — a book by ‘Ayad Al-Qadi — it is related that the Prophet 
fU, *ui ju said: 

^ oil fjbl» 

“O Allah, guide my people for they have no knowledge .’’PI 

It is quite certain that killing the Prophet was their primary 

aim, but the two Quraishites — Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas and Talha bin 
‘Ubaidullah, who showed great and rare courage and fought so fiercely and 
boldly that — though they were only two — were able to stop the idolaters 
short of realizing their aim. They were of the best skillful Arab archers and 
kept on militating in defence of the Messenger of Allah ^ 4. <111 ^ till the 
whole squad of idolaters was driven off him ^ j*. 

The Messenger of Allah ^ 4.<vi ^ emptied his quiver of arrows and said 
to Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas: “Shoot, an arrow Sa‘d. May my father and mother 
be sacrified for you. PI” The Prophet ^ <jji ^ had never gathered his 
parents except in the case of Sa‘d — a privilege granted to him for his 
efficiency.! 4 ! 

In a version by Jabir — authorized by An-Nasa’i — concerning the 
attitude of Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah towards the gathering of idolaters around 
the Messenger of Allah ^ 4.<vi ^—when there were only some Helpers 
with him — Jabir said: “When the idolaters reached him, the Messenger of 
AllSh said: ‘Who will suffice us their evils (i.e. fight them 

back)?’ Talha said: ‘I will.’” Then Jabir mentioned the advance of the 
Helpers to fight and how they were killed one after the other in a similar 


PI Sahih Muslim, 2/108. 

P) Ash-Shife’, 1/81. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/407,2/580,581. 
M ibid, 1/407,2/580,581. 


- 269 - 



way to Muslim’s narration — “When all the Helpers were killed, Talha 
proceeded forward to fight as much as the other eleven ones did till his hand 
was hurt and his fingers were cut off. So he said: ‘Be they cut off!’The 
Prophet ,jL.j ^jui ju said: ‘If you had said: In the Name of Allah, the angels 
would have raised you up before the people’s very eyes.’” Then he said: 
“Allah drove the idolaters off them.”!'! In Al-Ikleel — a book by Hakim — 
it is stated that Talha had sustained thirty-nine or thirty-five wounds, and his 
fingers (i.e. the forefinger and the one next to it — got paralyzed.Pl 

In a version by Qais bin Abi Hazim — authorized by Al-Bukhari, he 
said: “I saw the hand of Talha paralyzed. That was because he protected the 
Prophet fi-j «di ^ with it in Uhud Battle.”! 3 ! 

At-Tirmidhi stated that the Prophet fL. } «w then said about Talha: “He 
who desires to see a martyr walking on the ground, let him look at Talha bin 
‘ Ubaidullah.”! 4 ] 

Abu Da’ud At-Tayalisi on the authority of ‘Aishah <_ui said: 
“Whenever Uhud Day (i.e. battle) was mentioned, Abu Bakr used to say: 
‘That was Talha’s day (i.e. battle)’.! 5 ! Abu Bakr recited a verse of poetry 
about him: ‘O Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah! Paradise is due to you as water- 
springs are due to deer to drink out of.’! 6 ! At the awkward and most delicate 
circumstances, Allah, Glory is to Him, sent down His invisible Heljf! In a 
version by Sa‘d — cleared and authorized in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim 
— he said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah on Uhud Day with two 

men — dressed in white defending him fiercely — I have never seen similar 
to them neither before Uhud nor after it.” In another version: “He means to 
say that they were Gabriel and Michael”.! 7 ! 

All those events happened in no time. If the Prophet ^ «*i» ^’s elite 

Companions had realized the grave situation immediately, they would have 


!>! Fath-al-Bari, 7/361; An-Nasa’i, 2/52,53. 
PI ibid, 7/361. 

! 3 1 Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/527,2/581. 

I 4 } Mishkat, 2/566; Ibn Hisham, 2/86. 

1*1 Fath Al-Bari, 7/361. 

I 6 ! Mukhtasar Tareekh Damishq, 7/82. 

I 7 ! S ahih Al-Bukhari, 2/580. 


- 270 - 



rushed on the spot and would not have left him sustain these wounds. 
Unfortunately, they got there after the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ <ui ju had 
been wounded and six of the Helpers killed, the seventh was staggering 
under the brunt of wounds and desperately militating in defence of the 
Prophet ^ <jji j-u. However as soon as they arrived they encircled the 
Messenger with their bodies and weapons and were alert enough to prevent 
the enemies from reaching him. The first one who returned to give help, was 
his cavemate Abu Bakr As-Siddiq <111 

In a version by ‘ Aishah ui* <jji ^ recorded in Ibn Hibban’s Sahih, she 
narrated that Abu Bakr had said: 

“When it was Uhud Day and at the time that the Prophet ^ & *ui ju was 
left behind, I was the first to go back and see him. Before him I saw a man 
fighting to shield him from the enemies. I said to myself: ‘I wish he were 
Talha. Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you. (O Allah) Let him be 
Talha! Let my parents be sacrificed for you! ’ On the way, I was overtaken 
by Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, who was then moving as swiftly as a bird. 
We both rushed to dress the Prophet ^ wounds. There we found 

Talha suffering from serious wounds before the Messenger of Allah ^ ju 

The Prophet ^ <*u «w j* said: ‘See to your brother. His deed entitled him for 
an abode in Paradise.’ I noticed that two rings of the iron-ringed helmet had 
penetrated his cheek. So I set out to take them out; but Abu ‘Ubaidah 
demanded: ‘By Allah, O Abu Bakr — I beseech you, let me do it myself.’ 
Fearing to hurt the Prophet ,jl~, <jji he started pulling one of the two 
rings out very slowly and carefully with his mouth. Then he pulled the 
arrow out by his mouth, too. Consequently, his front tooth fell. Then I 
proceeded to pull the second out; but Abu ‘Ubaidah besought me to leave it: 
‘O, Abu Bakr, I adjure you by Allah to let me do it.’ He pulled the second 
ring very slowly and carefully with his mouth — till it came out. The 
Messenger of Allah ^ ^ «iw ju said: ‘See to your brother. He has proved to 
be worthy of being housed in Paradise.’ We approached Talha to cure him 
but found out that he had had some ten sword-strokes in his body.Pl (This 
showed how efficiently Talha had fought and struggled on that day).” 

At those awkward moments of that day, a group of Muslim heroes 
gathered around the Prophet ^ v* «w forming a shield to protect him from 


PI Zid Al-Ma'ad, 2/95. 


- 271 - 



the idolaters. Some of them were Abu Dujana, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair, ‘ Ali bin 
Abi Talib, Sahl bin Haneef, Malik bin — Sinan the father of Abu Sa‘id 
Al-Khudri, Umm'Amara, Nusaiba bint Ka‘b Al-Maziniya, Qatada bin 
An-Nu‘man, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, Hatib bin Abi Balta‘a and Abu Talha. 

The number of idolaters was steadily increasing; and their attacks, 
naturally, got severer. Their press had increased to an extent that the 
Messenger of AllSh ^ «n j* fell into one of the holes dug and designed 
by Abu ‘Amir Al-Fasiq to be used as traps. His knee scratched and ‘Ali 
helped him by grasping his hand up. Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah took him in his 
lap till he could stand upright. Nafi‘ bin Jubair said: I heard an Emigrant 
say: “I have witnessed Uhud Battle and watched how arrows had been 
hurled from all directions at the Prophet ^ **1* «i» None of them however 
hit him. ‘Abdullah, bin Shihab Az-Zuhri said: ‘Guide me to Muhammad j*. 
(j-j **u 4 jji! By AllSh, If I didn’t kill him, I would not hope to live. ’ Although 
the Messenger of Allah ,j-j «*u *w was next to him, alone — but he did not 
observe him. Safwan, a co-polytheist of his, blamed him (for not translating 
his words into deeds), but ‘Abdullah swore that he did not see him (the 
Prophet fL-j «ui jj) and added that he might be immune to our attempts on 
his life. He also said that four of them pledged to make a fresh attempt and 
kill him, but also to no avail.( ] l 

The Muslims showed unprecedented rare heroism and marvellous 
sacrifices. Abu Talha — for instance — shielded the Messenger of Allih 
fi-j <*u uii jU by his body and used his chest to protect him against the enemy 
arrows. Anas related that on Uhud Day when people dispersed off the 
Prophet (L., *ui ^u, Abu Talhah was a skillful sort of archer who would pull 
arrows so much that he broke two or three bows that day. When a man 
passed along with a quiver full of arrows, the Prophet ^*>*1)1^ would say: 
“Spread the arrows to Abu Talhah!” Then when the Prophet ^*>*1)1^ 
watched people shooting, Abu Talhah would say: “I sacrifice my father and 
mother for your safety. Do not go too close lest an arrow of theirs should hit 
you. I would rather die than see you hurt.”! 2 ) 

Abu Dujana stood before the Messenger of Allah ^*^.*111^ and used to 
protect him from the arrows by his back. Hatib bin Balta‘a followed ‘Utbah 

I 1 ! Zld Al-Ma‘ad, 2/97. 

[2] Sahib Al-Bukhari, 2/581. 


- 272 - 



bin Abi Waqqas — who broke the honourable incisor (of the Prophet ^u 
jL-j uii) — struck him with the sword, cracked his head and took his mare 
and sword. Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas was so keen to kill his brother ‘Utbah, but 
he could not; however, Hatib could. 

Sahl bin Haneef — a hero archer — who had pledged to die in the cause 
of Allah, also played a prominent part in Uhud hostilities. 

The Messenger of Allah ^ uii ^ himself was involved in shooting 
arrows. In a version by Qatadah bin An-Nu‘man that the Messenger of 
Allah fL-j *> uii ^ shot so many arrows that the two ends of his bow were 
flattened. So Qatadah bin An-Nu‘man took it to remain with him for good. 
On that day his eye was so hurt that it fell down onto his cheek; but the 
Messenger of All&h ^ vn* uii reput it in its socket with his hand and it 
became the better and the more sharp-sighted of the two. 

On that day ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf kept on fighting till his mouth was 
hurt and got broken. He sustained over twenty wounds, some in his leg, and 
that lamed him. 

Malik bit Sinan,the father of Abi Sa‘eed Al-Khudri sucked the blood out 
of the Prophet ^ «ui ^u’s cheek till he cleaned it. The Prophet ^ ^ *ui j- 
said: “Spit it!”. But Malik said: “By Allah, I will never spit it”. Then he set 
out to fight. The Prophet ^ ^ jji then said: “He who wants to see a man 
of the people of Paradise, let him look at this one.” No sooner had he 
resumed fighting than he was martyred in the thick of the battle. 

Ti mm ‘Amarah participated in die fight too. She encountered Ibn Qami’a 
in combat, and sustained a slight wound on her shoulder, but she herself 
also struck him with her sword several times but he survived because he 
was wearing two armours. She, however, went on striking until her wounds 
counted twelve. 

Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair, in his turn, fought fiercely and violently defending 
the Prophet against die attacks of Ibn Qami’a and his fellows. He 

was carrying the standard with his right hand. In die process of fighting, it 
was cut off, so he grabbed die standard in his left hand till this was also 
amputated so he knelt down and shielded it with his chest and neck. Ibn 
Qami’a then killed him, mistaking him for the Messenger of Allah »*i» <111 ^ 


- 273 - 



fj-, on account of resemblance in appearance. Only then did Ibn Qami’a 
shout ‘Muhammad ^ -ju an ^ has been killed. ’HI 

No sooner had Ibn Qami’a uttered that ominous sentence than 
consternation spread among Muhammad fa «<i* 411 ^’s followers, and their 
morale was drastically reduced. Consequently, confusion and a miserable 
state of disorder prevailed amongst them. Whilst the rumours managed to 
adversely act amongst the Muslims, it alleviated the sharp impact of the 
assaults of the polytheists who came to believe that they did really achieve 
their final objective and so they turned towards mutilating the dead bodies. 

When Mus‘ab was killed, the Messenger of Allah fa 411 delivered 
the standard to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. ‘Ali, in conjunction with the other 
Companions, went on fighting bravely and set marvellous examples of 
heroism, courage and endurance in both defence and attack. 

Then the Messenger of Allah fa 411 fa made his way to his encircled 
army. Ka‘b bin Malik, who was the first one to recognize the approaching 
Prophet fi—j an fa, shouted as loudly as he could: “O folks of Muslims, be 
cherished! The Messenger of Allah fa an fa is here.” But the Messenger 
of Allah fa 4 ii fa signed to him to stop lest his position should be located 
by the idolaters. Upon hearing the shout, the Muslims immediately raced 
towards the source of the shout which brought about thirty Companions to 
gather around the Prophet fi-, *^1*411^. With this assembled number of his 
Companions, the Messenger of Allah fa <<i* 411 fa started drawing a planned 
withdrawal to the hillocks nearby. 

Hostilities of the enemy grew fiercer than ever with the aim of foiling the 
plan of withdrawal of the Muslims. Their attempts however proved to be 
fruitless due to the heroic steadfastness of the lions of Islam. 

‘Uthman bin ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mugheerah — one of the enemy 
horsemen — progressed towards the Messenger of Allah fa & 411 fa while 
saying: “Either I kill him (i.e. Muhammad fa « fa) or I will be killed.” 
The Messenger of Allah fa } 411 fa moved to encounter him but his mare 
tripped into some holes. So Al-Harith bin As-Simma combated with the 
enemy, and struck him on his leg so he went lame, then he finished him off, 
took his arm and overtook the Messenger of Allah fa 411 jl.. 


tl] Ibn Hisham, 2/73,80-83; Zid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/97. 


- 274 - 



Map of 
Uhud invasion 




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S %' \iH A 


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The place; where 

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if A ° 


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/ t 


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X 


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1) The way he adopted to reach the Prophet jj| 

2) The way of the defeated ones ran to the foot of Uhud mountain after 
retrogression. 

3) The way of the defeated ones adopted towards Al-Madinah after 
retrogression. 


- 275 - 




But later on another Makkan horseman, called ‘Abdullah bin Jabir, 
attacked Al-Harith bin As-Simma, and struck him on the shoulder with his 
sword and he was carried to the camp of the Muslims suffering from serious 
wounds. Anyway that very idolater did not escape death, for Abu Dujana — 
the red head-banded hero and adventurer—struck him heavily and cut his 
head off. 

During this bitter fight, a desire to sleep overwhelmed the Muslims — 
that was a security and tranquillity to help His slave Muslims as the Qur’an 
spoke in this context Abu Talhah said: “I was one of those who were 
possessed by a desire to sleep on Uhud Day. On that day my sword fell off 
my hand several times. Again and again it fell down and again and again I 
picked it up.”l‘l 

In a regular withdrawal and with great bravery and boldness, the 
M uslims finally retreated to the cover of Mountain Uhud. Then, the rest of 
the army followed them to that safe position. In this manner, die genius of 
M uhammad ^ *ut foiled that of Khalid bin Al-Waleed.' 

Ibn Ishaq related that: “When the Messenger of Allah «di was 
going up the hillo ck, he was followed by Ubai bin Khalaf who was saying: 
‘Where is M uhammad ^^,411 jJ! Either I kill him or I will be killed.’ The 
Companions of M uhammad ^,^<111^, said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you 
mind if one of us combats with him?’ But the Messenger of Allah 
(j—j said: ‘Leave him!’ So when he drew nearer, the Messenger of Allah ^ 

(JL-, took the spear from Al-Harith bin As-Simma. He shivered violently in 
such a way that made all of them scatter in all directions violently and 
impulsively. Then he faced him, observed his clavicle through a gap 
between the wide opening of the armour and the part of his neck enclosed 
by. He speared him in that spot. The effect of the stroke was so strong that it 
made him roll off his horse over and over. When he returned to Quraish, 
they fo und that he had only had a small scratch in his neck. So when blood 
became congested he said: ‘By Allah, Muhammad has killed me.’ Hearing 
him say so, they said: ‘By Allah you are afraid to death. By Allah, you are 
possessed by a devil.’ He replied: ‘He had already told me when we were in 
Makkah- ‘I will kill you.’ By Allah, had he spate on me, he would have 
killed me.’ Eventually, the enemy of Allah breathed his last at a place called 


M Sahib Al-Bukhari, 2/582. 



Sarif, while they were taking him back to Makkah.”!'! In a version by Abul- 
Aswad, on the authority of ‘Urwa: He was lowing like a bull and sa ying- 
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if (the pain) I am suffe ring from 
now were distributed among the people of Al-Majaz, it would cause them to 
die.”P] 

During the withdrawal of the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ .m jl, up to the 
cover of the mountain, a big rock blocked his way. The Prophet ,1.* «w l4 i. 
tried to mount it, but having worn a short heavy armour, and being seriously 
wounded — he could not ascend it. Readily enough Talha sat in a position 
that enabled the Prophet <ui „u to stand on his back. Then he lifted him 
up till he stood on it. The Prophet ^ <w then said: “Talha, after this 
job, is eligible for the Garden (Paradise).”! 3 ! 

When the Messenger of Allah ui lir u settled down in his head 
quarters in the hillock, the idolaters started their last attack upon the 
Muslims. Ibn Ishaq related that: “While the Prophet (L., <w ^ was on the 
way to the hillock, a group of Quraishite elite ascended the mountain. They 
were led by Khalid bin Al-Waleed and Abu Sufyan. So the Messenger of 
Allah fU, <tic «i» ^ implored his Lord saying: ‘O Allah, they (i.e/the idolaters) 
should not be higher (i.e. in position or in power) than us (i.e. the Muslims). 
Therefore ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab and some of the Emigrants fought the 
idolaters till they drove them down the mountain.! 4 ! 

In Al-Maghazi — a book by Al-Umawi — it is stated that the idolaters 
went up the mountain. So the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ ^ said to Sa‘d: 
“Drive them off.” “How can I drive them oflfby myself (i.e. without anyone 
to assist).” But the Messenger of Allah ^ v* 4111 repeated the phrase three 
times. Sa‘d then took an arrow out of his quiver, shot it at one of them and 
killed him. He said: “Then I took another one I know (to be good) and I shot 
with it another man. Then I took a third I know and killed a third one. 
Consequently they climbed down the mountain. I said to myself 'this must 


!'! Ibn Hisham, 2/84; Zfid Al-Ma’ad, 2/97. 
! 2 1 Mulchtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 250. 

! 3 ! Ibn Hisham, 2/86. 

! 4 ! Ibn Hisham, 2/86. 


- 278 - 



be a blessed arrow.’ I put it in my quiver.” He kept it with him till he died. 
His children kept it with them ever after.Pl 

Mutilation of the Martyrs: 

That was the last attack made by the idolaters against the Prophet & j- 
Being almost certain of his death, the idolaters returned to their camp 
and started preparations to go back to Makkah. Some of them involved 
themselves in mutilating the killed Muslims, and so did their women. 
Women and men cut off the ears, the noses, the genitals of the martyrs. 
They even cut open their bellies. Hind bin ‘Utbah — for instance — ripped 
open the liver of Hamzah and chewed it; but finding it unpleasant, she spat 
it out. She even made die ears and noses of Muslims into anklets and 
necklaces.! 2 ! 

Two incidents occurred during the last hours of the fight. Which revealed 
for certain how far the Muslims were ready to fight and sacrifice in the way 
of Allah: 

1. Ka‘b bin Malik said: I was one of those Muslims who fought in Uhud 
and witnessed the polytheists’ act of barbarity in mutilating the dead 
bodies, but I passed them because I couldn’t stand it. Then I saw an 
armed* stout idolater pass through the Muslims and say: “Gather them up 
and combine them in the way that sheep are gathered and slaughtered.” 
S imilar ly I saw an armed Muslim waiting for him. I walked towards them 
till I stood behind him. Comparing both of them, I found that the 
disbeliever was better than the other in arms and figure. I kept on 
watching them till they were engaged in single combat. The Muslim 
thrust at the disbeliever with his sword that went down his hip and split it 
into two. When the Muslim unveiled his face, he said: “What about that, 
Ka‘b. I am Abu Dujana.”Pl 

2 . Some Muslim women came to the battlefield when the fight was over. 
Anas said: I saw ‘Aishah bint Abu Bakr «di ^ with Umm Sulaim. 
Their garments were gathered up so I could see their anklets. They 


PI Zdd Al-Ma'ad, 2/95. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 2/90. 

PI Al-Bidaya wan Nihaya, 4/17. 


- 279 - 



carried water bags on their shoulders and emptied them into the mouths 
of peopled*] Then they would go back to fill them and come back to do 
the same. ‘Umar said: “Umm Saleet used to carry water bags to us on 
Uhud Day.”Pl 

When Umm Aiman, who was one of those Muslim women who saw the 
defeated Muslim fighters entering Madinah, she started throwing dust at 
their faces rebukingly saying: “Here is a spinning wheel, take it! and give up 
carrying swords.” Then she raced to the battlefield. There she watered the 
wounded. Hibban bin Al-‘Arqa shot an arrow at her, she fell down and ha 
clothes were lifted up. Seeing that, the enemy of Allah, burst into laughter 
That sight upset the Messenger of Allah ^ so he gave Sa‘d bin Abi 

Waqqas an arrow lacking an arrow-head and said “Shoot it” Sa‘d shot it, it 
pierced the idolater’s throat. He fell down and some parts of his body were 
revealed. The Messenger of Allah ^ an ju then laughed so much that his 
molars could be seen. Sa‘d avenged her and Allah responded to her 
supplication.! 3 ! 

As soon as the Messenger of Allih ^ <ui ju reached the defile, ‘ Ali bin 
Abu Talib went out and filled his water container with water from 
Al-Mihras. 'Al-Mihras' is said to be hollow (concaved) rock co ntaining 
plenty of water. It was also said that it is a water spring in Uhud mountain. 
Anyway, ‘Ali brought that water to the Messenger of Allih ^ «ui j* to 
drink. Finding that it smelt bad he refused to drink it, but only washed the 
blood off his face and poured some of it over his head sayin g : AllSh’s Wrath 
is great on those who besmeared His Messenger’s face with blood.! 4 ! 

Sahl said: “By Allih, I know who washed the wound of the Messenger of 
Allah 4*u 4_i» yju and who poured out water for him and what (substances) 
his wound was treated with: His daughter Fatimah washed it, whereas ‘Ali 
poured water out of the container. When Fatimah realized that water 


!*1 Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/403,2/381. 
PI ibid, 1/401. 

PI As-Seerat Al-Halabiyah, 2/22. 
! 4 1 Ibn Hisham, 2/83. 


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increased the flow of blood, she took a piece of straw mat, burnt it a little 
and stuck it to the wound so blood ceased flowing.”!'] 

Muhammad bin Maslamah brought him fresh water to drink. The Prophet 
fj-.j 4 _u> ^ drank and supplicated A 113 h to provide him with good things.! 2 ] 
Owing to the wounds and their bad effects on his body, the Messenger of 
Alldh ^ led his followers in prayer in a sitting posture and so did 

the Muslims.! 3 ! 

When the preparations of the idolaters for departure came to an end, Abu 
Sufyan went up the mountain and called out: “Is Muhammad ^ ^ ju 
among you?” They did not answer him. Then he asked “Is Ibn Abi Quhafah 
(i.e. Abu Bakr) among you?” They did not answer. He asked again: “Is 
‘Umar bin Al-Khattab among you?” They did not answer him; for the 
Prophet fU, on forbade them answering him. He only asked about those 
three. That is because he and his people knew quite well that the call to 
Islam depended to a large degree on those men. Abu Sufyan then said: “As 
for those three, we have relieved you of.” ‘Umar could not help but talking, 
so he said, “O enemy of Allah, those whom you have just mentioned, I tell 
you that they are still alive. Allah has maintained what you hate.” Abu 
Sufyan answered: “The mutilation of your killed is something I did not 
order it; but it did not displease me.” Then he shouted: “Hubal (an idol), let 
it be sublime!” The Prophet said: “Why do you not reply?” 

“What shall we say?” They asked him . “Say: AllSh is more Sublime and 
Exalted and Mightier as well.” 

He said: “Al-‘Uzza (i.e. an idol) is ours but you have no ‘Uzza.” “Why 
do you not reply?” The Prophet ^ *ui ju said. “What shall we say?” They 
inquired. He said: “Say Allah is our Protector, but you have no protector.” 

Abu Sufyan said: “Well deeds! Today is a vengeance for Badr Day. This 
for that. War is attended with alternate success.” ‘Umar’s reply was: “No. 
They are not the same. Our killed men are housed in Paradise; but yours are 
in Fire.” 


('] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/584. 

PI As-Seerat Al-Halabiyah, 2/30. 
PI Ibn Hisham, 2/87. 


- 281 - 



Then Abu Sufyan said: “Come on, ‘Umar!” The Messenger of Allah 
fL-j uii ^ said: “Go and see what the matter is.” ‘He went there. Abu 
Sufyan asked him: “I beseech you by Allah’s Name to tell me the truth: 
Have we killed Muhammad ^ ^ <in jJf' ‘Umar said: “O Allah, ‘No’ and 
now he is listening to you words.” He said: “For me, you are more truthful 
than Ibn Qami’a, and even more reliable.”!'! 

Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Sufyan and those who were with him were 
leaving he called out notifying: “We will meet again at Badr next year.” The 
Messenger of All&h ^*^,4311 said to one of his men: “Say: ‘Yes, it is an 
appointment for both of us.’”! 2 ! 

Later on, the Messenger of Allah ^ dispatched ‘Ali bin Abi 

Talib to trace them out. He said to him : “Pursue them and see what they are 
going to do, and what they aim at. If they dismount horses and ride on 
camels’ back, this means that they are heading for Makkah; but if they ride 
horses and lead camels unmounted, they are leaving for Madinah. By the 
One, in Whose Hand my soul is, if they attacked Madinah I would march to 
them there and I would fight them.” ‘Ali said: “I went out and traced them 
to see what they were up to. I saw them mounting camels and leaving the 
horses unmounted. They were heading for Makkah.”! 3 ! 

After the departure of the Quraishites, people went out to check die 
identity of the killed and the wounded. Zaid bin Thabit said: “The 
Messenger of Allah ^ sent me on Uhud Day to seek Sa‘d bin 

Ar-Rabi* and said: “When you see him, say: ‘peace be upon you from me.’ 
and say to him ‘the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ *ui ^ says: How do you feel?’” 
Zaid said: “I started wandering about checking the killed till I came across 
Sa‘d when he was dying — with about seventy strokes or stabs of a sword, a 
spear and an arrow in his body.So I said: “O Sa‘d, the Messenger of Allah 
(j—j «jji tr L> sends you his greetings, and says ‘peace be upon you, tell me 
how do you feel?”’ Sa‘d said: “And let peace be upon the Messenger of 
Allah oji too. Tell him, I smell the scent of the Paradise. And tell 
the Helpers, my people, ‘you shall not be excused before Allah if the 


!'! Ibn Hisham, 2/93,94; ZM Al-Ma‘ad, 2/94; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/579. 
! 2 ! Ibn Hisham, 2/94. 

I 3 ! Ibn Hisham, 2/94. 


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Messenger of Allah 4U1 jl, is hurt and your eyes are blinking’ (i.e. you 

are still alive and not dead).” Then he died.M 

They came across Al-Usairim — ‘Amr bin Thabit, whom they had 
already urged to embrace Islam but refused. They saw him among the 
wounded on the verge of close death. “What has he come here for? We have 
parted with him and he was still too obdurate to accept Islam as his 
religion”. They asked him: “What made you come here? Is it out of zeal to 
defend your people or is it because of an inclination to Islam?” He said: “It 
is (certainly) an inclination to Islam. I believe in Allah and in His 
Messenger. I have fought with the Messenger of Allah jJl, *jji ^ till I have 
got what you see,” and then he immediately died. They told the Messenger 
of Allah jJl-j uii ^ about him. Hearing that, he said: “He is one of the 
inhabitants of Paradise.” “Although he had not offered one single prayer, 
narrated Abu Hurairah.Pl 

Qazman, who was found among the wounded, fought heroically, and 
killed seven or eight idolaters. He was weakened by the wounds he had 
sustained, they carried him to the habitation of Bani Zufr. The Muslims 
gave him glad tidings of the Paradise. But he said: “By Allah I have fought 
out of a zeal to my people. Had it not been for that I would have never 
fought.” When his wounds worsened he committed suicide. The Messenger of 
Allah <ui ^ had already said whenever he was mentioned to him: “He is 
an inhabitant of Fire.”^ This is the end of those who fight for a national 
cause or in a way other than that of raising up the Word of Allah, though 
they fought under the banner of Islam or even in the army of the Messenger 
of Allah pLj 4ui or of his Companions. 

Contrary to Qazman there was a Jew of Bani Tha‘labah among the killed. 
He said to his people, “O folk people of Jews! By Allah you have already 
known that it is imperative to support Muhammad jJLj uii ^.” They said: 
‘Today is Saturday.” He said: “There is no Saturday for you.” He took his 
sword and the war equipment and said: “If I were killed, my property should 
be put at Muhammad <ui ^’s disposal”. Then next morning he kept on 


WZfidAl-Ma'ad, 2/96. 

PI Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/94; Ibn Hisham, 2/90. 

Pi Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/97; Ibn Hisham, 2/88. 

- 283 - 



fighting till he was killed. The Messenger of Allah <di said about 
him, “Mukhaireeq is the best Jew.”l') 

Burial of the Martyrs: 

The Messenger of AllSh ^ «ui supervised the martyrs’ burial and 
said: “I bear witness that anyone who is wounded in die way of Allah Allah 
will resurrect him with his wound bleeding a liquid which is blood-like in 
colour but musk-like in scent”! 2 ) 

Some of the Companions carried their men killed in the war to Madinah, 
but the Messenger of Allah ^ *w ordered that they should be sent back 
in order to be buried where they were killed. He ordered that they should 
not be washed but buried as they were after stripping them off their armours 
and leather clothes. He used to bury every two or three martyrs together in 
one grave and even join two men in one garment while sayin g; “Who is the 
more learned of the Qur’an?” and he would commit him to earth first He 
would say: “I bear witness to those on the Day of Resurrection.” He buried 
both ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Haram and ‘Amr bin Al-Jamuh in one grave 
due to the affection they used to possess to each other. P) 

They missed the coffin of Hanzalah, they sought it and found that it was 
on a spot nearby with water dripping off it The Messenger of Allah ^ 

told his Companions that the angels were washing him and said: “Ask his 
wife”. They asked her and she confirmed that he had beat in a state of 
ceremonial impurity. That was why Hanzalah was called ‘Ghaseel 
Al-Mala ’ikah' (i.e. the one washed by the angels).M 

When the Messenger of Allah fL., <j* an ^l. saw how his uncle and foster 
brother, Hamzah, was mutilated, he was extremely grieved. When his aunt 
Safiyah came to see her brother Hamzah, the Messenger of Allah ^ an lf u 
ordered her son Az-Zubair to dismiss her in order not to see what happened 
to her brother. She refused and said, “But why should I go away. I have 
been informed that they have mutilated him. But so long as it is in die way 


[') Ibn Hisham, 2/88,89. 

P) Ibn Hisham, 2/98. 

P) Zad Al-Ma'ad, 2/98; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/584. 
PI 7M Al-Ma‘ad, 2/94. 


- 284 - 



of Allah, whatever happens to him satisfies us. I say: Allah is Sufficient and 
I will be patient if Allah wills.” She approached, looked at him and 
supplicated Allah for him and said: “To Alllh we all belong and to Him we. 
will verily return.” and she implored Alllh to forgive him. Then the 
Messenger of Alllh ordered that he should be buried with 

‘Abdullah bin Jahsh — who was his nephew as well as his foster brother. 

Ibn Mas‘ud said: We have never seen the Messenger of Alllh ^ an 
weeping so much as he was for Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib. He directed 
him towards Al-Qiblah, then he stood at his funeral and sobbed his heart 
out.Cl 


The sight of the martyrs was extremely horrible and heart-breaking. 
Describing Hamzah’s funeral, Khabbab said: “No shroud long enough was 
available for Hamzah except a white-darkish garment. When they covered 
his head with it, it was too short to cover his feet. Similarly if they covered 
his feet his head would be revealed. Finally they covered his head with it 
and put some plant called ‘ Al-Idhkhir ’ to cover his feet.”Pl 


Al-Imam Ahmad reported that when it was Uhud Day and the time that 
the idolaters returned, the Messenger of Alllh ^ ^ <jji said: 

‘ 5 *^ 3 * Ju 


“Istawoo (i.e. form rows as for prayer) so that I offer thanks and 
praise to my Lord, the Great and the All-Mighty.” 


So they stood in rows behind him. Then he said: 

uj LxXj uj fjb iuii iu fib* 

UJ J feiTj icJUS 

UJ tOJiplj UJ c JJa pt UJ ^UNj 

«. Jjp^3 ^ : j#JI . c# 


“O Allah, no one can withhold what You permit or permit what 
You withhold. No one can guide whom You decree to go astray 
or make go astray the one whom You guide. No one can grant 


Cl Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p.255. 
PI Mishkat, 1/140. 


- 285 - 



provisions you have withheld and no one can withhold what you 
grant. No one can near what You ordained to be distant, or 
detach what You decree to be close. O Allah, spread onto all of 
us Your Mercy, Your Grace, and Provisions.” 


jl JUbt Jl ^Ll» 

^ Su;>i 1*131 44 ^- u 3 S 3 tEkil u j*, 

• Oi^lS 31 ^ «}>dllj j&5l V)j cllji 

^ Sji^.3 .iilij 3$*$ 3;ii sj&i jjis fjbi <.'££Aj 

\0 sjai jju fjbi .iaU} % ^ j^i3 .iini 

«j^ji sii 4.1^1 


“O Allah, I implore You to grant me permanent bliss that neither 
changes nor vanishes. O Allah, You Alone we seek for Help at 
hardships. You Alone we resort to for security on a day of 
terror. O Allah, to You Alone I resort to protect us from the 
evils of Your grants (i.e. the evils they may lead us to) and from 
the evils of Your deprivation. O Allah, make us love Faith and 
make it pleasant and beloved wholeheartedly by us! Make 
disbelief, ungodliness and disobedience detestable to us. Let us 
be among those who are rightly guided. O Allah, make us live as 
Muslims and cause us to die as Muslims; and make us join with 
the righteous but not with the disgraced and misled ones. O 
Allah, make Your enmity befall the disbelievers, who belie Your 
Messenger and divert from Your righteous way. O Allah, let 
Your wrath. Your chastisement and Your enmity befall the 
disbelievers, and those on whom You sent down the Book. Let 
them be afflicted with war decreed by You. O Allah, the Author 
of Truth.”! 1 ] 


I 1 ! Musnad Imam Ahmad, 3/424. 



After committing all the martyrs to earth, and after offering praise and 
supplication to Allah, the Messenger of Allah ^ un went back to 
Madinah. 

On his way back, matchless examples of love and devotion were revealed 
by the truthful women believers; in no way less great than the men’s heroic 
deeds in the fight. 

Hamnah bint Jahsh met the Messenger of Allah ^ «*!* «ui on the way 
back, and he announced the death of her brother — ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh — 
to her. She said: “To Allah we belong and to Him we will verily return. I 
ask Allah’s forgiveness.” Then he announced the death of her maternal 
uncle Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib. She said: “To Allah we belong and to 
Him we will verily return. I ask Allah’s forgiveness.” But when he 
announced the death of her husband Mus‘ab bin‘Umair to her, she shouted 
and woed. Seeing her doing so, the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ *di ^ said: 
“The woman’s husband is extremely dear to her.”! 1 ! 

He passed by a woman of Bani Dinar whose husband, father and brother 
were all killed at Uhud. When their death announced, she said: “How is the 
Messenger of Allah ^ «_ui ^ ?” They said: “Well indeed. O mother of 
so... Thanks for Allah; he is well and as good as you desire.” She said: “Let 
me see him.” They pointed at him. Seeing him she said: “All misfortunes 
are nothing so long as you are safe.”! 2 ! 

Umm Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh came running to see the Prophet «ui At 
that time her son was holding the rein of his mare. Seeing his mother, he 

said to the Prophet (j_.j «*u an j*: “O Messenger of Allah ^ ^ *ui ju. This is 

my mother.” The Prophet «jii ^ said: “She is welcome”; and he 
stopped and waited for her. When she drew near, he consoled her, for her 
killed son ‘Amr bin Mu‘adh. But she said: “So long as I see you are safe, 
my misfortune will certainly go into oblivion.” Then the Messenger of Allah 
^ ^ supplicated Allah for the relatives of those who were killed at 

Uhud and said: “Cheer up! Umm Sa‘d and bear good tidings to their kindred 
that all their people killed in the battle are comrades in Paradise and they are 
intercessors for all their kinsfolk.” She replied, “O Messenger of Allah, we 


l 1 ! Ibn Hisham, 2/98. 
PI Ibn Hisham, 2/99. 


- 287 - 



are satisfied. Who would cry on them after this cheerful news?” Then she 
resumed saying: “O Messenger of Allah, invoke Allah (for those who stayed 
behind)” He said: “O Allah keep sorrow off their hearts! And console them 
with their misfortunes. Compensate those who stayed behind with goodness 
and welfare.”!'! 

In the evening of that day — i.e. Saturday, the seventh of Shawwal, 3 rd 
year A.H. — the Messenger arrived in Madinah. As soon as he reached his 
house, he handed his sword to his daughter Fatimah and said: “O daug hter, 
wash the blood off this sword. By Allah it has been helpful to me today.” 
‘ Ali bin Abi Talib handed her his sword and said: “And wash the blood of 
this sword too. By Allah, it has been helpful to me today.” So the 
Messenger of Allah ^ *di said: “Sahl bin Haneef and Abu Dujana have 
been as courageous as you are in the fight.”! 2 ! 

Most of the narrations confirmed that seventy Muslims were killed and 
most of them, sixty-five. Helpers; forty-one of whom were from Khazraj 
and twenty-four from Aws. This, besides one Jew and four Emigrants. 

As for the polytheists, twenty-two of them were killed, but some versions 
speak of thirty-seven; after all, Allah knows best.Pl 

On Saturday night, the eighth of Shawwal, and after their return from 
Uhud, the Muslims spent that night in an emergency case — though they 
were dead-beat, extremely exhausted. They stayed on the alert, and spent 
that night guarding the outlets and inlets of Madinah. They were specially 
busy guarding their general leader, the Messenger of Allah ft., «*u an „l> for 
fear that some suspects could commit an unexpected folly. 

Hamri’ Al-Asad Invasion: 

The Messenger of Allah on his part, spent the night pondering 

over the situation. He feared that the idolaters might think — while they 
were still on their way to Makkah — of reversing their way and diverting to 
Madinah after they had realized that they had availed no thin g of that 
victory. They might regret and decide to invade Madinah as a 


1*1 As-Seerat Al-Halabiyah, 2/47. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 2/100. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 2/122-129; Fath Al-Bari, 7/351. 


- 288 - 



compensation. Therefore the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ was determined 
to go out in pursuit of the Makkan army. 

The Prophet ^ ^ un ^ called out unto people and ordered them to 
march to encounter the enemy of Islam. That was on Sunday morning — 
next day to Uhud — the eighth of Shawwal. He said: “Nobody will march to 
the fight except those who have already participated in Uhud fight.” 
‘Abdullah bin Ubai said: “I will march out with you.” “No,” said the 
Prophet pL-j <tin 

Whilst the Muslims were suffering a lot from painful pains and deep 
anxiety, they responded to his call positively. Jabir bin ‘Abdullah implored 
the Prophet fL*, an ^ to allow him join them in that fresh invasion on 
account that he always had a liking to witness all the battles that the Prophet 
fL-j uji was involved in. He had not participated in Uhud because his 
father asked him to stay in Madinah with his sisters . And he was granted 
his wish. 

The Muslims marched out until they reached a place called Hamra’ 
Al-Asad — about eight miles from Madinah. He encamped there. In that 
place Ma‘bad bin Abi Ma‘bad came to the Messenger of Allah ^ «ui j*. 
and professed Islam. Some people said that he remained an idolater; he 
simply .desired to give the Messenger some advice out of abidance by a 
covenant between Khuza‘ah (his tribe) and Bani Hashim. He said “O 
Muhammad (S-., «_ui By Allah, we feel great sorrow for what had 
happened to you and to your Companions. We really hope you will not 
suffer again.” So, the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ uji suggested that he 
overtake Abu Sufyan and discourage him from pursuing his evil intentions. 

The Messenger’s fears of a possible return of die idolaters proved to be 
absolutely true. For no sooner had the idolaters dismounted and encamped 
at Ar-Rawha’ — a place thirty-six miles from Madinah, than they started 
reproaching one another. A group of them said to another one: “You did 
nothing. You broke down their force but you left them. There are still some 
distinguished men among them who will probably gather people up to fight 
you again. So let us go back and annihilate them and crush down their 
forces.” 

It was in fact a hasty decision taken by shallow-minded people who 
misjudged the potential power and morale on both parties, that is why an 


- 289 - 



eminent leader of Quraish, Safwan bin Omaiyah, tried to dissuade his 
people from pursuing that venture, saying: “O people. Do not do such a 
thing! For I fear that he will gather up those who had stayed behind and did 
not share in Uhud. Go back home as winners. For I am not sure of what turn 
will the consequences take if you get involved in such a fight. It might be to 
your prejudice in the final place.” Notwithstanding that weighty argument, 
the majority of the polytheists were determined to embark on that risky 
undertaking. 

Ma'bad bin Abu Ma‘bad meanwhile arrived on the scene and tried to 
exaggerate the danger awaiting them in order to thwart their plan, he said: 
“Muhammad ^ uii has marched to meet you with a large host of 
fighters, I have never seen something similar to it before. He has mustered 
all the troops who have tarried and did not share in Uhud. They surely regret 
what they have missed and want to compensate for it now. Their hearts are 
filled with hate and resentment.” Abu Sufyan said: “Woe to you! What do 
you suggest?” He said: “By AMh, I see that you would not leave till he 
comes and you see the heads of their horses; or till the vanguard of his army 
turns up to you from behind that hill.” 

Abu Sufyan said: “By Allah, we have reached a common consent to 
crush down the Muslims and their power.” The man, once more with an 
implied warning, advised him to stop it. 

In the light of this news, the resolution and determination of the Makkan 
army failed and panic and terror took firm hold of them. They consequently 
deemed it safest to complete there withdrawal back to Makkah. They, 
however, as an alternative, started a hostile nerve propaganda aiming at 
dissuading the Muslims army from pursuing them. A caravan belonging to 
‘Abd Qais happened to pass by towards Madinah. Abu Sufyan, in the 
context of his propaganda, asked them to communicate a message to 
Muhammad ^ ^ to the effect that the Makkans had rallied their ranks 

to annihilate the Messenger and his Companions, in return Abu Sufyan 
promised to give the people of the caravan loads of raisins at the forum of 
‘Ukaz the following year. 

The people of the caravan conveyed the message to the Messenger of 
Allah fL-y *iji jU. at Hamra’ Al-Asad, but to no effect, on the contrary, Abu 
Sufyan’s words augmented them in Faith. Allah says: 


- 290 - 



W ' •' 

r»—* 



y i.'- , '< 

^^Jae. ( y a iji 4»ij4Ul6y^yW-*'j *>- 


“... And they said: ‘Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is 
the Best Disposer of affairs (for us). So they turned with Grace 
and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they 
followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Owner of 
Great Bounty.” [ 3 : 173 , 174 ] 


After the arrival of the caravan on Sunday, the Messenger of Allah ju 
uii stayed at Hamra’ Al-Asad for three days — Monday, Tuesday and 
Wednesday — 9-11 Shawwal, 3 A.H. and then returned to Madinah. Before 
his return, he took Abu ‘Azza Al-Jumahi as a prisoner of war. Incidentally, 
this man had also been captured at Badr but on account of his poverty, and 
the large family he supported, the Prophet ^ ju had been gracious 
enough to release him on condition that he would not involve himself in war 
against the Muslims again. Abu ‘Azza did not keep his promise and took 
part in Uhud hostilities on the side of the polytheists. Here again he 
implored Muhammad ^ ^ for pardon but the latter told him that a 

believer wouldn’t be taken twice in the same snare. He then deservedly 
merited the sentence of death which was executed by Az-Zubair or, in 
another version, by ‘Asim bin Thabit. 

A Makkan spy, called Mu‘awiyah bin Al-Mugheerah bin Abi Al-‘As, 
was sentenced to death too. This spy was the grandfather of ‘Abdul Malik 
bin Marwan on his mother side. When the idolaters went back after Uhud, 
Mu‘awiyah came to his paternal cousin ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan 
‘Uthman gave him shelter — after securing the Prophet 
permission — on condition that if he was caught there after three days, he 
would be killed. But he did not comply with it, so when the Muslim army 
left Madinah, he stayed there for more than three days during which he was 
spying for Quraish. So when the army returned, Mu‘awiyah fled out of 
Madinah. The Messenger of Allah ^ <im jl., on this account, ordered Zaid 


- 291 - 



bin Harithah and ‘Aimnar bin Yasir to pursue him and kill him. So he was 
killed.ni 

Undoubtedly, the invasion of Hamra’ Al-Asad is not a separate invasion, 
but rather a part, or more specifically, a sequel to Uhud. 

That was Uhud Invasion with all its stages and details. It has for long 
been discussed by scholars and men of research. Was it a defeat or not? 
Doubtlessly, the military superiority in the second phase of the battle was in 
favour of the polytheists who could successfully direct the steering 
mechanism of hostilities and inflict heavy losses in lives on the Muslims. 
Admittedly, a part of the believers were clearly defeated, but this could 
never be considered a Makkan victory. 

The Makkan army failed to occupy the camp of the Muslims. The greater 
bulk of the Madinese army, chaos and confusion notwi thstanding, did not 
take to escape, on the contrary they showed matchless and heroic resistance 
and managed to gather themselves again around their headquarters fighting 
bravely and courageously. They, moreover, did not allow the Makkans to 
run after them in pursuit. Neither Muslim captives were taken nor spoils 
were gained by the Makkans. The enemies of Islam were also too cowardly 
to conduct the third phase of war, and impress their superiority on the 
battlefield, on the contrary, they were in hot haste to evacuate the field even 
before the Muslims did. Madinah itself, the capital of the Muslims, was only 
a stone’s throw from the lines of the enemy, and vulnerably exposed, yet the 
polytheists were not bold enough to storm it to plunder its wealth or capture 
the Muslim women therein. 

These suggestive details in fact support our argument that the event of 
Uhud was just a precious occasion on which the Makkans managed only to 
inflict heavy losses on the Muslims but failed to achieve their ultimate goals 
of annihilating the Muslim army in the process of their encompassment 
operation. After all, it is not unusual for conquerors to sustain such 
casualties and losses, but these could under no circumstances be regarded as 
victory for the hostile party. 


t>) Ibn Hisham, 2/60-129; Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/91-108; Fath Al-Bari, 7/345-377; 
Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, pp. 242-275. 


- 292 - 



The incident of Hamr&’ Al-Asad is interesting in this regard. It is a 
curious sight indeed of a victorious army in retreat for fear of disgrace and 
defeat, and the crestfallen and crippled group of Muslims in pursuit. 

Uhud Battle in the final judgement was just one phase of military 
activities in the whole process of war between two hostile parties each of 
whom earned their legitimate portion of both success and failure and then 
desisted further engagement but without cowardly escape or resigned 
surrender. In this sense, this battle could be rightly regarded as an 
inseparable war. 

In this context, Allah says: 



“And don’t be weak in die pursuit of die enemy; if you are 
suffering (hardships) then surely, they (too) are suffering 
(hardships) as you are suffering, but you have a hope from Allah 
(for the reward, i.e. Paradise) that for which they hope not” 
[ 4 : 104 ] 


The verse explicidy identifies both attitudes as regards losses and 
hardships as identical. Both parties concluded the war operations and went 
back neither victorious nor vanquished. 


The Observations of the Noble Qur’&n on the Battle of Uhud: 

Some Qur’anic verses were revealed to shed light on the most decisive 
phases of the battle su xessively, adduce quite clearly the cause that led to 
that heavy loss, and illustrate the vulnerable areas that were still persisting 
in the souls of some believers as regards their duties in forging a decisive 
attitude with respect to die noble objectives for which the Muslim 
Community, was created and was supposed to accomplish. 

The Noble Qur’an also spoke about the attitude of the pretenders to Faith 
and made clear the hostility and hatred that they harboured against Allah 
and His Messenger. The Words of Allah managed as well to erase all traces 
of ambiguities and insinuations, raised by the hypocrites and their allies, the 


- 293 - 



Jews — the authors of conspiracy and intrigue hatching — and which were 
still in active operation in die hearts of some weak-of-heart Muslims. 

The laudable judgement and long-sought objectives that were attributable 
to the battle of Uhud, were also another topic for die Noble Qur’an to dwell 
on at length. Sixty verses relevant to the battle were revealed giving full 
account of the first phase of the battle: 





“And (remember) when you (Muhammad left your 

household in the morning to post the believers at their stations 
for the battle (of Uhud).” [3:121] 


And to end in a comprehensive commentary on its results and moralities: 




“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are 
now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will 
Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but 
Allah chooses of His Messengers whom He pleases. So believe 
in Allah and His Messengers. And if you believe and fear Allah, 
then for you there is a great reward.” [3:179] 


Lessons and Moralities: 

Ibn Al-Qaiyim has made a pointed reference to the battle of Uhud and 
given full elucidation of the Divine benefits and moralities that resulted 
from it. Some Muslim scholars, on the authority oflbnHajar, said: The 
reverse in Uhud resulted from the neglect on the part of the archers of the 
explicit command of the Prophet ^ <jui j *., and leaving the spot which 
they were ordered to safeguard to the end. In other words, the success of the 
Mus lims depends upon their obedience to the Prophet ^ «w j-. As long 
as they carry out his behests, Allah will help them in facing all kinds of 


- 294 - 



odds. But when they will set aside his commands in their pursuit of worldly 
riches, they are bound to come to grief. Another relevant issue of great 
significance says that it is customary for Prophets to be tried with different 
adversities; nevertheless, the fina l outcome is positively in their favour. 
Should the Muslims be victorious all the time, great many pretenders to 
Faith will enter the fold of Islam, and consequently the clear line of 
demarcation between true believers and hypocrites will become blurred. 
Contrarily, if the Muslims were to be defeated all the time, the final 
objective of the ministry of Prophets will not be effected. It is wise then to 
combine both success and failure so that sifting between true Muslims and 
hypocrites could be realized. 

In the aftermath of the battle of Uhud, the hypocrites disclosed their real 
intentions in words and in deeds, consequently, the Muslims got to realize 
the existence of those wicked elements working secretly in their own 
homeland; and of course there would be appropriate measures to be taken in 
due course of time. 

A third point in this context refers to purposeful deferment of victory in 
some areas in order to check the pride of the soul and teach the believers 
how to observe full patience in times of adversity. Trials and tests are 
provided by Allah in order that the true believers could deservedly occupy 
their abode in the blessed Hereafter. Martyrdom, the highest ranks that the 
true friends of Allah could occupy, is provided by Allah to function as a 
passport, granted by the Lord, leading to Paradise. In brief, fight in the 
cause of Allah is a golden opportunity for the true believers to have their 
sins effaced, and a Divinely-devised event for the disbelievers and enemies 
of Allah to face destruction and annihilation in recompense for their 
disbelief, tyranny and transgression! 1 ) 


(>] Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/99-108. 


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Military Platoons and Missions between the Battle of Uhud 
and die Battle of the Confederates 

Uhud’s misfortune left a bad impact on both the credibility and military 
reputation of the Muslims. Their dignity and power in people’s eyes were 
unpaired. Troubles and dangers spread everywhere in and out of Madinah. 
The Jews, hypocrites and bedouins declared publicly their enmity to the 
Muslims and each party was keen on degrading and, in the final place, 
exterminating their whole existence. 

Two months had almost passed after this battle, when Banu Asad made 
preparations to raid M a dinah, ‘Udal and Qarah tribes conspired against 
the Muslims in the month of Safer, 4 A.H. and killed ten of the Prophet 
fi-j uii j-u’s Companions. Similarly Banu’Amir plotted against them too, 
and seventy Companions were killed in the battle of Ma’una Well. During 
that period, Banu Nadeer kept on announcing their enmity and were 
involved in a plot to kill the Prophet Muhammad ,j-, uh in Rabi‘ 
Al-Awwal in 4 A.H. Banu Ghatfen were about to attack Madinah in Jumada 
Al-Ula in 4 A.H. 

Thus we see that the Muslims turned into an attractive target of several 
potential dangers after they had lost their military credibility in the battle of 
Uhud. Muhammad ,jl, «ui most wisely managed to hpld all those hostile 
currents at bay, and even redeem the lost dignity of the Muslims and gain 
them anew fresh glory and noble standing. The first initiative he took in this 
process was Hamra’ Al-Asad pursuit operation, whereby he could retain the 
Muslim military reputation. He succeeded in recovering his followers’ 
dignity and awe-inspiring position in such a mann er that astonished or even 
astounded both the Jews and hypocrites, alike, then he proceeded to crown 
his successful attempts by despatching military errands and missions: 

Abi Salamah Mission: 

The first people to take up arms against the Muslims in the aftermath of 
Uhud reverse were Banu Asad bin Khuzaimah. “The Intelligence Corps” of 
Madinah reported that Talhah and S alamah, sons of Khuwailid have 
mustered some volunteers to fight the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ an j*,. The 
Prophet ft-., <* 1 * on immediately despatched a 150-man-platoon of Helpers 


- 296 - 



and Emigrants headed by Abu Salamah. The Muslim leader took Bani Asad 
bin Khuzaimah by surprise in their own homeland, neutralized their 
attempts, dispersed them and captured their cattle. On his return, Abu 
Salamah had an inflammation of a previous wound he sustained in Uhud, 
and caused him to die soon after. This expedition took place on Muharram 
1st, 4 A.H.I 1 ] 

An Errand led by ‘Abdullah bln Unais: 

On the fifth day of the same month Muharram, 4 A.H., it was reported 
that Khalid bin Sufyan Al-Hudhali was gathering some mob to raid the 
Muslim positions. ‘Abdullah bin Unais, at the behest of the Prophet fi. * ^ 
set out to destroy the enemies. 

The Muslim military leader stayed away for eighteen days during which 
he successfully fulfilled his task, killed the head of the rebels and brought 
his head back to Madinah on Saturday, seven days before the end of 
Muharram. The Prophet ^ uii as a reward, gave him a stick saying 
“This will function as a sign of recognition for you and me on the Day of 
Resurrection.” On his death bed, ‘Abdullah requested that the log be with 
him in his shroudd 2 ! 

The Event of Ar-Raji‘: 

In Safar of the fourth year A.H., a delegation from the tribes of ‘Udal and 
Qarah came to Madinah and asked the Prophet ^ ^ «w ju to send a group of 
Companions to instruct them in religion, claiming the existence of some 
Mus lims among them. He sent six of his Companions, in another version, 
ten headed by Murthid bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi, or, according to 
Al-Bukhari, ‘Asim bin Thabit, the grandfather of ‘Asim bin ‘Umar bin 
Al-Khattab. When they reached a spot called Ar-Raji‘ between Rabigh and 
Jeddah, a hundred archers of Banu Libyan clan surrounded the place and 
attacked them. The delegation of Muslims took shelter on some high 
ground, Fudfud, and the bedouins offered them a pledge that they would not 
be killed. ‘Asim refused to come down, instead he fought them until he and 
six of his companions were killed. Three men were left, Khubaib, Zaid bin 


I 1 ] Zid Al-Ma'ad, 2/108. 

PI Zid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/109; Ibn Hisham, 2/619,620. 


- 297 - 


Ad-Dathna and another one. Once again, the bedouins offered them a 
guarantee of safety and they accepted. When they descended, the bedo uins 
treacherously bound them. The third man rebuked them for their insincerity 
and resisted them so they killed him. The other two men who had killed 
some notables of Quraish at Badr were taken and sold in Makkah. The first 
was Khubaib who was detained for some time and then it was unanimously 
decided to crucify him. He was taken from the Holy Sanctuary to At-Tan‘im 
for crucifixion. He requested a respite to offer a two-Rak ‘a prayer. After 
the final greeting, he turned to his executioners, and said: “Had I not been 
afraid that you would think that I was afraid of death, I would have prayed 
for a long time.” It was then that Khubaib first set the tradition of praying 
two Rak'a before being executed. He then said: 






“O Lord! Count them one by one, exterminate them to the last 
one. 


He then recited some verses of poetry which speak eloquently of the 
atrocities borne by him, and testify to his Faith in Allah at this hour of 
suffering: 

The confederates have gathered their tribes around me. 

And summoned all of them who could come. 

They have gathered their women and children, 

I am bound fastly to a lofty trunk. 

To Allah alone I complain of my helplessness and sufferings, 

And of the death, the confederates have prepared for me. 

Lord of the Throne! Give me endurance against their design. 

They have cut my flesh bit by bit, and I have been deprived of sustenance. 
They let me choose infidelity but death is preferable. 

Tears roll out of my eyes, though not of fear. 

By Allah! I fear not if I die a Muslim, 

On what side I fall for the sake of Allah. 

I will not show subservience to the enemy. 

If Lord so desires, He will bless my tom limbs and broken joints. 

Abu Sufyan then addressed him saying: “I adjure you by Allah, don’t 
you wish that Muhammad jJl-j uit ^ were here in your place so that we 


- 298 - 



might cut off his head, and that you were with your family?” Khubaib 
answered, “By Allah, I do not wish that Muhammad «ro ^ now were in 

the place I occupy or that a thorn could hurt him, and that I were sitting with 
my family.” Quraish ordered ‘Uqbah bin Al-Harith, whose father had been 
killed by Khubaib himself, to crucify him. They also appointed someone to 
guard his corpse. ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari played a cunning trick and 
carried the corpse stealthily at night to bury it somewhere. It was later 
reported that shortly before his crucifixion, he was seen eating a bunch of 
grapes although there was not even one date available in Makkah at that 
time. [In fact, it was nothing but sustenance bestowed upon him by Allah.] 

Safwan bin Omaiyah purchased the second man, Zaid bin Ad-Dathna, 
and killed him as an act of vengeance for his hither’s murder. 

Quraish, whom ‘Asim had killed one of their notables, sent someone to 
fetch a portion of his body, but to their disappointment, his corpse was 
inaccessible because a large swarm of hornets had been shielding him 
against any malicious tampering. ‘Asim had already given his Lord a pledge 
to remain immune against any polytheist tampering with respect to his body, 
and also stay detached from any contact with the enemies of Allah. ‘Umar 
bin Al-Khattab, when hearing this piece of news exclaimed, “Allah verily 
protects His believing slave after death just as He does during his 
lifespan.”! 1 ! 

The Tragedy of Ma‘una Well: 

Ma'una Well tragedy, which was even more horrible than that of 
Ar-Raji‘, took place in the same month. 

Abu Bara’ — ‘ Amir bin Malik — nicknamed ‘Spear Player ’ came to the 
Messenger of Alkih mj* in Madinah. The Messenger of AllSh^^dii^ 

called him to embrace Islam but he neither agreed nor refused. He said: “O 
Messenger of Allah, if you dispatch some of your Companions to the people 
of Najd to call them to Islam, I expect them to accept.” “I am afraid the 
people of Najd will kill them.” Said the Messenger. But he replied, “I will 
protect them.” Ibn Ishaq confirms that forty men were sent to them; but 
As-Sahih states that they were seventy — Al-Mundhir bin ‘Amr, one of 


PI Dm Hisham, 2/169-179; ZM Al-Ma‘ad, 2/109; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/568,569,585. 


- 299 - 



Bam Sa ida, nicknamed ‘Freed to die* — commanded that group, who were 
the best and most learned in the Qur’an and jurisprudence. 

On their way to Najd they used to gather firewood to buy food for the 
people of ‘Ahl As-Suffah ’ as charity by day and study, meditate on the 
meanings of the Qur’an by night. They kept on doing that till they arrived at 
Ma‘una Well — which was a well in between Bani ‘Amir, Harrah and Bani 
Saleem. They stayed there and sent the Message of die Prophet ^ with 
Haram bin Milhan, the brother of Umm Sulaim to the enemy of Allah ‘Amir 
bin At-Tufail. ‘Amir did not heed the Message but rather ordered a man to 
spear Haram in the back. When the spear penetrated Haram’s body, he saw 
the blood and said: “Allahu Akbar! (i.e, Allah is the Greatest) By Lord of 
Al-Ka‘bah I have won!” 

Then the enemy of Allah, promptly, called out Bani‘Amir to fight the 
rest. Bani ‘Amir refused because they were under the protection of Abu 
Bara’. Therefore he turned to Bani Saleem for help. The people of ‘Usaiyah, 
Ri‘al and Dhakwan, who were folks of Bani Saleem, responded to his call. 
The Companions of the Prophet ^ uji who were encompassed by 
idolaters, kept on fighting till they were all killed. The only survivor was 
Ka‘b bin Zaid bin An-Najjar who was carried wounded from among the 
dead. It was in Al-Khandaq (the trench) Battle that he was killed. 

‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari and Al-Mundhir bin ‘Uqbah bin ‘Amir, 
who were entrusted with the Muslims’ animals far from them, saw the birds 
circling in the air over the battleground. Al-Mundhir rushed to share in the 
fight till he was killed. But ‘Amr bin Omaiyah was captured. ‘Amir set him 
free when he knew that he was of Mudar tribe but that was after he had cut 
his hair. He did that to fulfil a pledge of his mother’s to set a slave free. 

Returning to the Prophet ^ uii ^ ‘Amr bin Omaiyah conveyed the 
news of the painful disaster, which resulted in the murder of seventy of the 
best believers, and recalled the tragedy of Uhud but with the difference that 
those of Uhud were killed in a clear war but those ofMa‘una were killed in 
a disgraceful treachery. On his way back to Qarqara , 4 Amr bin Omaiyah 
rested in the shade of a tree, and there two men of Bani Kilab joined him. 
When they slept, ‘Amr killed them both, thinking that by doing that he 
would avenge some of his killed companions. Then he found out that they 
had been given a pledge of protection by the Prophet ^ ^ He told the 


- 300 - 



Messenger of Alllh ^<^411^ what he had done. The Messenger of Allah 
(Jl-j <-<1* ^ said to‘Amr: “You have killed two people; their blood-money 

shall be a debt I have to discharge.” He then engaged himself collecting 
their blood-money from the Muslims and their allies, the Jews! 1 !. This very 
act was later to trigger the invasion of Bani An-Nadeer. 

The Prophet ,0-, 411 ju was so deeply moved by this tragedy and that of 

Ar-Raji‘ that he used to invoke Allah’s wrath against those people and tribes 
who killed his Companions. Anas reported that for thirty days the Prophet 
fi-, <*1* uii supplicated Alllh against those who killed his Companions at 
Ma‘una Well. Every dawn prayer he would invoke Alllh’s wrath against 
Ri‘l, Dhakwan, Lihyan and ‘Usaiyah. He would say, “ ‘Usaiyah disobeyed 
Alllh and His Messenger.” Therefore Alllh sent down unto His 

Messenger a Qur’lnic verse that we kept on reciting till it was abrogated 
later on: ‘Inform our folk that we have encountered our Lord and He is 
satisfied with us and we are satisfied with Him.’ So the Messenger of Alllh 
,jl, 411 ju stopped his invocation.! 2 ! 

Bani An-Nadeer Invasions^ 

We have already spoken about the disgraceful behaviour of the Jews and 
how they were always thirsting to shed the blood of the Muslims and 
undermine the cause of Islam despite all the covenants and pledges they had 
given to the Prophet ^ «*i» uii Their behaviour fluctuated between 
resignation and slackness after the Banu Qainuqa‘ event and the murder of 
Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf, and rebellion coupled with treacherous clandestine 
contacts with Quraish and the hypocrites in order to establish an alliance 
against the Muslims after the battle of Uhudl 3 !. Being inexperienced in war 
tactics, they resorted to conspiracy and intrigue hatching. They first of all 
declared open hatred and enmity, and chose to play all sorts of tricks that 
might harm the Muslims, but were very careful not to initiate any sort of 
hostilities that might involve them in open war. 

The Prophet ^ on his part, exercised the highest degree of 

patience with them but they went too far in their provocative deeds, 

t'l Ibn Hisham, 2/183-188; Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/109-110; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/584-586. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/586-588. 

PI ‘Aunul Ma'bood, 3/116-117. 


- 301 - 



especially after Ar-Raji‘ and Ma‘una Well events; they even made an 
attempt on his life. 

Once the Prophet ^ ^ «ui ^ with some of his Companions set out to see 
Banu Nadeer and seek their help in raising the blood-money he had to pay 
to Bani Kalb for the two men that ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Daman had killed 
by mistake. All of that was in accordance with the clauses of the treaty that 
both parties had already signed. On hearing his story they said they would 
share in paying the blood-money and asked him and his Companions Abu 
Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Ali and others to sit under a wall of their houses and wait. 
The Jews held a short private meeting and conspired to kill the Prophet 
uii jJl*. The most wicked among them, ‘Amr bin Jahsh, volunteered to 
climb up the wall and drop a large millstone on his head. One of them, 
Salam bin Mashkam, cautioned them against perpetrating such a crime, 
predicting that Allah would divulge their plot to him, and added that such an 
act would constitute a manifest violation of the pact concluded with the 
Muslims. 


In fact, Gabriel did come down to reveal to the Prophet ^ «w their 
wicked criminal intention, so he, with his Companions, hurried off back to 
Madinah. On their way, he told his Companions of the Divine Revelation. 


Soon after, the Prophet ^ delegated Muhammad bin Maslamah 

to communicate an ultimatum to Bani Nadeer to the effect that they should 
evacuate Madinah within ten days, otherwise, their heads would be cut off. 
The chief of the hypocrites, ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, urged the Jews not to pay 
heed to the Prophet «*i» uii ^j-’s words and to stay in their habitations, 
offering to run to their support with two thousands of his followers, and 
assuring them of help to come from Quraizah tribe and former allies Banu 
Ghatfan. In this regards, Allah says: 






“If you are expelled, we (too) indeed will go out with you, and 
we shall never obey anyone against you, and if you are attacked 
(in fight), we shall indeed help you.” [ 59 : 11 ] 


The Jews regained their confidence and were determined to fight. Their 
chief Huyai bin Akhtab relied hopefully on what the chief of the hypocrites 


- 302 - 



said. So he sent to the Messenger of Allah fa uii saying: “We will not 
leave our houses. Do whatever you like to do.” 

Undoubtedly the situation was awkward for the Muslims. Launching a 
war against their opponents at this critical stage could entail terrible far 
reaching ramifications in the light of the unfavourable conditions they were 
passing through, besides the hostile environment growing in power and 
hatred around them, the harbinger of which assumed the form of killing the 
Muslim missions, as it has been already introduced. 


The Jews of Bani Nadeer were also a power to count for, and the 
prospects of inflicting a military defeat on them was precarious; 
consequently forcing them into war engagement would be attended with 
unpredictable risks. On the other hand, the continual state of repeated 
assassinations and acts of treachery carried out against the Muslims 
individually and collectively brought about unbearable headache to 
Muhammad ^ uii ^ju’s followers. Having judged all the prevalent status 
quo in this perspective, and in the light of the disgraceful attempt on the life 
of the Prophet ^ uii the Muslims made the decisive decisions of 
taking up arms whatever turn the consequences could assume. 

When the Messenger of Allah ^ »*u «di received the reply of Huyai bin 
Akhtab he said: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar." (Allah is the Greatest of all) 
and his Companions repeated after him. Then he set out to fight them after 
appointing Ibn Umm Maktum to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his 
absence. The standard was entrusted to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. He laid siege to 
their forts for six nights — in another version, fifteen. 

s' Banu Nadeer resorted to their castles, mounted them and started shooting 
'arrows and pelting stones at the Muslims enjoying the strategic advantage 
that their thick fields of palm trees provided. The Muslims were therefore 
ordered to fell and bum those trees. In this respect, Allah, the All-Mighty, 
states in the Qur’an: 






“What you (O Muslims) cut down of the palm-trees (of the 
enemy), or you left them standing on their stems, it was by leave 
of All§h.” [ 59 : 5 ] 


- 303 - 



Quraizah tribe remained neutral, and the hypocrite ‘Abdullah bin Ubai as 
well as Ghatfan failed to keep their promises of support. In this regard All&h 
says: 

“(Their allies deceived them) like Satan, when he says to man: 

‘Disbelieve in All&h.’ But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, 

Satan says: ‘I am free of you.’” [59:16] 

The siege did not last long for Allah, the All-Mighty, cast horror into the 
hearts of the Jews, and they willingly offered to comply with the Prophet 
,j-j «*u un^’s order and leave Madinah. The Prophet ^ 4 i>i accepted 
their request and allowed them to carry as much luggage as their camels 
could lift, arms were excepted. Of course, they had no choice but to carry 
out the orders, so they took with them everything they could carry even the 
pegs and beams of ceilings. Their caravan counted 600 loaded camels 
including their chiefs, Huyai bin Akhtab and Salam bin Abi Al-Huqaiq, who 
left for Khaibar whereas another party shifted to Syria. Two of them 
embraced Islam, Yameen bin ‘Amr and Abu Sa‘d bin Wahab, and so they 
retained their personal wealth. 

The • Messenger of Allah ^ 4i» seized their weapons, land, houses, 

and wealth. Amongst the other booty he managed to capture, there were 50 
armours, 50 helmets, and 340 swords. 

This booty was exclusively the Prophet ^ «i» 4i» because no fighting 
was involved in capturing it. He divided the booty at his own discretion 
among the early Emigrants and two poor Helpers, Abu Dujana and Suhail 
bin Haneef. Anyway the Messenger of Allih (/ l. spent a portion of 

this wealth on his family to sustain their living the year around. The rest was 
expended to provide the Muslim army with equipment for further wars in 
the way of Allah. 

The invasion of Bani An-Nadeer took place in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 4 A.H. 
i.e. in August 625 A.D. Almost all the verses of Surah Al-Hashr (Chapter 59 
- The Gathering) describe the banishment of the Jews and reveal the 
disgraceful manners of the hypocrites. The verses manifest the rules 
relevant to the booty. In this Chapter, Allah, the All-Mighty, praises the 
Emigrants and Helpers. This Chapter also shows the legitimacy of cut tin g 




- 304 - 



down and burning the enemy’s land and trees for military purposes. Such 
acts cannot be regarded as phenomena of corruption so long that they are in 
the way of AllSh. 

In this very Chapter, Allah recommends the believers to be pious and 
prepare themselves for the world to come and He ends it with a compliment 
upon Himself and a manifestation of His Holy Names and Attributes. 

As this Chapter concentrates on Bani An-Nadeer and their banishment, 
Ibn ‘Abbas used to describe it as ‘An-Nadeer Chapter’.! 1 ! 

The Invasion of Najd: ^ 

With the peaceful victory that the Muslims achieved at Bani An-Nadeer 
invasion, their control over Madinah was undisputedly established, and the 
hypocrites receded to a state of silence and stopped their artful machinations 
publicly. Consequently the Prophet pi-, an jl, had ample time to direct all 
his energies and human resources towards suppressing the desert bedouins 
and curbing their harmful provocations and wicked malicious practices of 
killing his missionaries and even contemplating an invasion of Madinah 
itself.! 2 ! Meanwhile, the Muslim scouting groups reported building up of 
bedouin troops of Bani Muharib and Tha‘labah of Ghatfan around Madinah. 
The Prophet ^ uii with the Muslims, hurriedly set out to discipline 
those new outlaws, cast fear into their hearts and deter them from 
perpetrating further wicked practices. These deterring operations were 
carried out repeatedly and did produce effective results. The rebellious hard¬ 
hearted desert bedouins were terrorized into the mountains, and Madinah 
remained completely immune against their raids. 

In the context of these invasions, it is interesting to draw some 
prominence to a significant one —Dhat Ar-Riqa * (rags) campaign —-which 
some scholars claim, took place in Najd (a large area of tableland in the 
Arabian Peninsula) in Rabi‘ Ath-Thani or Jumada Al-Ula, 4 A.H. They 
substantiate their claim by saying that it was strategically necessary to carry 
out this campaign in order to quell the rebellious bedouins in order to meet 
the exigencies of the agreed upon encounter with the polytheists, i.e. minor 


l 1 ! Ibn Hisham, 2/190-192; Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/71,110; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/574-575. 
P! Fiqh As-Seerah, p. 214. 


- 305 - 



Badr Battle in Sha‘ban, 4 A.H. The most authentic opinion, however, is that 
Dhat Ar-Riqa' campaign took place after the fall of Khaibar. This is 
supported by the fact that Abu Hurairah and Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari ^ 
witnessed the battle. Abu Hurairah embraced Islam only some days before 
Khaibar, and Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari came back from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 
and joined the Prophet ^ un ^ at Khaibar. The rules relating to the 
prayer of fear which the Prophet (j-, un observed at Dhat Ar-Riqa ' 
campaign, were revealed at ‘Asfan Invasion and this beyond a shadow of 
doubt took place after Al-Khandaq (the trench) Battle in late 5 A.H. 

The Invasion of Badr, the Second: 

A 

When the Muslims destroyed the power of the Arab-desert tribes and 
guarded themselves against their evils, they started preparations to 
encounter their great enemy. A year elapsed since they fought Quraish at 
Uhud. So it was due time to meet them and start war again in order to 
determine which of the two parties was worthy of survival.! 1 ! 

In Sha‘ban 4 A.H., January 626 A.D., the Messenger of Allah ^ j- set 

out to Badr accompanied by one thousand and five hundred fighters and ten 
mounted horsemen, and with ‘Ali bin Abi Talib as standard bearer. 
‘Abdullah bin Rawahah was given authority over Madinah during the 
Prophet (J-, w. «jji ^’s absence. Reaching Badr, the Muslims stayed there 
waiting for the idolaters to come. 

Abu Sufyan’s forces comprised two thousand footmen and fifty 
horsemen. They reached Mar Az-Zahran, some distance form Makkah, and 
camped at a water place called Mijannah. Being reluctant, discouraged and 
extremely terrified of the consequences of the approaching fight, Abu 
Sufyan turned to his people and began to introduce cowardice-based flimsy 
pretexts in order to dissuade his men from going to war, saying: “O tribe of 
Quraish! Nothing will improve the condition you are in but a fruitful year 
— a year during which your animals feed on plants and bushes and give you 
milk to drink. And I see that this is a rainless year, therefore I am returning 
now and I recommend you to return with me.” 


l l l Fiqh As-Seerah, p. 315. 


- 306 - 



It seems that his army were also possessed of the same fears and 
apprehensions, for they readily obeyed him without the least hesitation. 

The Muslims, who were then at Badr, stayed for eight days waiting for 
their enemy. They took advantage of their stay by selling goods and earning 
double as much the price out of it. When the idolaters declined to fight, the 
balance of powers shifted to rest in favour of the Muslims, who thus 
regained their military reputation, their dignity and managed to impose their 
awe-inspiring presence over the whole of Arabia. In brief, they mastered 
and controlled the whole situation. 

This invasion had many a name. It is called ‘Badr the Appointment’, 
‘Badr, the Second’, ‘Badr, the Latter’, and ‘Badr Minor’.! 1 ] 

The Invasion of Doumat Al-Jandal;-^' 

With the Messenger ^ return from Badr, peace and security 

prevailed the whole area; and the Islamic headquarters, Madinah, enjoyed 
full security. The Prophet ^ «<!* «w then deemed it fit and appropriate to 
head for the most distant areas of Arabia in order to subdue all hostile 
elements in order to force undisputed recognition out of friend and enemy 
alike. 

After a six-month lull of military activities, the Prophet ^ «<!* *ui was 
reported that some tribes, in the vicinity of Doumat Al-Jandal, on the 
borders of Syria, were involved in highway robbery and plundering, and 
were on their way to muster troops and raid Madinah itself. He immediately 
appointed Siba‘ bin ‘Arfatah Al-Ghifari to dispose the affairs of Madinah 
during his absence, and set out at the head of 1000 Muslims in late Rabi‘ 
Al-Awwal, 5 A.H. taking with him a man, named Madhkur, fromBani 
‘Udhrah, as a guide. 

On their way to Doumat Al-Jandal, they used to march by night and hide 
by day, so that they might take the enemy by surprise. When they drew near 
their destination, the Muslims discovered that the highway men had moved 
to another place, so they captured their cattle and shepherds. The inhabitants 
of Doumat Al-Jandal had also fled in all directions for their lives and 
evacuated their habitations. The Prophet ^ un stayed there for 5 days 


1*1 Ibn Hisham, 2/209-210; Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/112 


- 307 - 



during which he despatched expeditionary forces to hunt for the enemy 
personnel but they detected none. He then returned to Madinah but en route 
he entered into a peace treaty with ‘Uyainah bin Hisn. Doumat Al-Jandal is 
located at about a distance of fifteen days inarch from Madinah and five 
from Damascus. 

With this decisive and steady progress and wise strict plans, the Prophet 
managed to spread security, control the situation and make peace 
prevail the whole area. He also succeeded in shifting the course of events 
for the welfare of the Muslims by reducing the incessant internal and 
external troubles. The hypocrites were silenced, a tribe of the Jews 
evacuated while the other continued to fake good neighbourliness and 
seemingly faithful adherence to the covenants, the desert bedouins subdued 
and finally the archenemy Quraish no longer keen on attacking the Muslims. 
This secure strategic attitude created optimum circumstances for the 
Muslims to resume their logical course in propagating Islam and 
communicating the Messages of the Lord to all worlds. 


- 308 - 



Banu Abs Banu Kalb 
Damra and Diyan ■' 



309 


Arab tribes in the lifetime 

of Prophet 2H 








Al-Ahzab (the Confederates) Invasion 


Once again, peace and security enveloped the Arabian Peninsula and this 
turbulent area began to experience a period of lull after a whole year war. 
The Jews, however, whose treachery, intrigues and disloyalty made them 
taste all types of humiliation and disgrace, were not admonished. After they 
had been exiled to Khaibar, they remained waiting anxiously for the results 
of the skirmishes going on between the Muslims and the idolaters. Contrary 
to their hopes, the events of the war were in favour of the Muslims, 
therefore they started a new stage of conspiracy and prepared themselves to 
deal a deadly blow against the Muslims, but were too cowardly to 
manoeuvre directly against them, so they laid a dreadful plan in order to 
achieve their objectives. Twenty chiefs of the Jews with some celebrities of 
Bani Nadir went to Makkah to negot iate an u nholy alliance with Quraish. 
They began to goad the people there to attack the Messenger of Allah 
fL_,j 4 * 1 * 011 ^ promising them full support and backing. People of Quraish, 
who had been languid and proved too weak to challenge the Muslims at 
Badr, seized this opportunity to redeem their stained honour and blemished 
reputation. The same delegation set out for Ghatfan, called them to do the 
same, and they responded positively. The Jewish delegation then started a 
fresh effort and toured some parts of Arabia and managed to incite the 
confederates of disbelief against the Prophet fi*w j*>, his Message and 
the believers in Allah. Quraish, Kinanah and other allies from Tihama, in 
the south; rallied, ranked and recruited four thousand men under the 
leadership of Abu Sufyan. From the east there came tribes of Banu Saleem, 
Ghatfan, Bani Murrah, etc. They all headed for Madinah and gathered in its 
vicinity at a time already agreed upon. It was a great army of ten thousand 
fighters. They in fact outnumbered all the Muslims in Madinah, women, 
lads and elders included. To tell the truth, if they had launched a surprise 
attack against Madinah, they could have exterminated all the Muslims. 
However, the leadership inside the city was on the alert and the intelligence 
personnel managed to reconnoitre the area of the enemies, and reported their 
movement to the people in charge in Madinah. The Messenger of Allah 
fi-, «j»i ^ summoned a high advisory board and conducted a careful 
discussion of a plan to defend Madinah. After a lengthy talk between 
military leaders and people possessed of sound advice, it was agreed, on the 


- 311 - 



proposal of an honourable Companion, Salman Al-Farisi, to dig trenches as 
defensive lines. The Muslims, with the Prophet an ./.at their head, 
encouraging, helping and reminding them of the reward in the Hereafter, 
most actively and diligently started to build a trench around Madinah. 
Severe hunger, bordering on starvation, could not dissuade or discourage 
them from achieving their desperately sought objective. Salman said: O 
Messenger of AllSh! When siege was to laid to us in Persia, we used to dig 
trenches to defend ourselves. It was really an unprecedented wise plan. The 
Messenger of Allah hurriedly gave orders to implement the plan. 

Forty yards was allocated to each group of ten to dig. Sahl bin Sa‘d said: 
We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah ^ j*, the men 

used to dig and we evacuate the earth on our backs. 

Some preternatural Prophetic signs appeared in the process of trenching. 
Jabir bin ‘Abdullah, seeing the Prophet ^ <jii ^ starving, slaughtered a 

sheep, cooked some barley and requested the Prophet and some 

Companions to accept his invitation, but the Prophet (L., gathered all 

the thousand people engaged in digging the trench and they started to eat 
until they were all completely full and yet the shoulder of mutton and dough 
that was being baked remained as they were undiminished. A certain 
woman brought a handful of dates and passed by the Prophet ^ *u <w j*, 
who took the dates, threw them over his cloak and invited his followers to 
eat. The dates began to increase in number until they dropped over the trim 
of his robe. Another illustrious preternatural example went to the effect that 
an obstinate rock stood out as an immu ne obstacle in the ditch. The 
Prophet «jii jO- took the spade and struck, and the rock immediately 

turned into a loose sand dune. In another version, Al-Bara‘ said: On 
Al-Khandaq (the trench) Day there stood out a rock too immune for our 
spades to break up. We therefore went to see the Messenger of All§h 
«ui ju, for advice. He took the spade, and struck the rock uttering “in the 
Name of Allah, Allah is Great, the keys of Ash-Sham (Geographical Syria) 
are mine, I swear by Allah, I can see its palaces at the moment;” on the 
second strike he said: “Allah is Great, Persia is mine, I swear by Allah, I can 
now see the white palace of Madain;” and for the third time he struck the 
rock, which turned into very small pieces, he said: “Allah is Great, I have 
been given the keys of Yemen, I swear by Allah, I can see die gates of San'a 


- 312 - 



while I am in my place” The same version was narrated by Ishaq.!’! The 
northern part of Madinah was the most vulnerable, all the other sides being 
surrounded by mountains and palm tree orchards, the Prophet ^ ^ »ui as a 
skillful military expert, understood that the Confederates would march in 
that direction, so die trench was ordered to be on that side. The Muslims 
went on digging the trench for several days; they used to work on it during 
the day, and go back home in the evening until it had assumed its full 
dimensions militarily before the huge army of the idolaters;! 2 ! which 
numbered, as many as ten thousand fighters, arrived and settled in the 
vicinity of Madinah in places called Al-Asyal and Uhud. 



“And when the believers saw ’Al-Ahzab’ (the confederates), 
they said: ‘This is what Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad 
fL-, *> <jh had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger 
(Muhammad ^ an jj) had spoken the truth, and it only added 
to their Faith and to their submissiveness (to Allih).” [33:22] 

Three thousand Muslims, with Muhammad uji at their head, 
came out to encounter the idolaters, with Allah’s Promise of victory deeply 
established in their min ds. They entrenched themselves in Sila‘ Mountain 
with the trench standing as a barrier between them and the disbelievers. 

On attempting to attack the Muslims and break into Madinah, the 
idolaters were surprised to see a wide trench, a new stratagem unknown in 
Arabia before, standing as an obstinate obstruction. Consequently they 
decided to lay siege to Madinah and began to manoeuvre around the trench 
tr ying hard to find a vulnerable spot through which they could infiltrate into 
Madinah. To deter their enemies from approaching or bridging any gap in 
their defences, the Muslims hurled arrows, and engaged in skirmishes with 
them. The veteran fighters of Quraish were averse to this situation waiting 
in vain in anticipation of what the siege might reveal. Therefore they 
decid ed that a group of fighters led by ‘Amr bin ‘Abd-e-Wudd, Tkrima bin 
Abi Jahl and Dirar bin Al-Khattab, should work its way through the trench. 


I 1 ! Ibn Hisham, 3/330,331. 
PI ibid. 


- 313 - 



They, in fact, managed to do that and their horsemen captured a marshy area 
between the trench and Sila* Mountain. ‘Amr challenged the M uslims to a 
duel, and ‘Ali bin Abi Talib was deputed. After a short but fierce 
engagement, ‘Ali killed ‘Amr and obliged the others to evacuate in a state of 
panic and confusion. However, some days later, the polytheists conducted 
fresh desperate attempts but all of them failed due to Muslims ’ steadfastness 
and heroic confrontation. 

In the context of the events of the Trench Battle, the Messenger of Allah 
fj-, <jji failed to observe some prayers in their right time. Jabir «ih ^ 
narrated: On the Day of Trench ‘U mar bin Al-Khattab ^ came, 
cursing the disbelievers of Quraish and said: “O Allah’s Messenger! I have 
not offered the afternoon prayer and the sun has set” The Prophet ^^< 111 ^ 
replied: “By Allah! I, too, have not offered the prayer yet.” The Prophet 
fj-, <jui ^ then went to Buthan, performed ablution and observed the 
afternoon prayer after the sun had set and then offered the sunset prayer 
after it.’*Ul He was so indignant for this failure that he invoked Allah’s wrath 
on his enemies and besought Allah to fill their houses and graves with fire 
because they distracted him from observing the afternoon prayer. It was 
narrated by Ahmed and Shafa‘i that the events of that battle detained him 
from the noon, afternoon, evening and night prayers, but he observed them 
combined. The different narrations point to the fact that the situation lasted 
for a few days.Pl 

It is clear that, and because of the trench standing between the two 
parties, no direct engagement took place, but rather there were military 
activities confined to arrow hurling, consequently the fight claimed the lives 
of a small number of fighters, six Muslims and ten polytheists, one or two 
killed by sword. 

During the process of fighting, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh was shot by an arrow 
that pierced his artery. Perceiving his end approaching, he invoked Allah 
saying: “Oh, Allah, you know nothing is closer to my heart than striving in 
Your way against those people (disbelievers) who belied Your Messenger 
and banished him from his town. Oh, Allah, I deeply believe that You have 
decreed that we should fight them, so if there is still more fighting to go 


t‘] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/590. 

(3 Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p.287; Sharh Muslim, 1/227. 


- 314 - 




with them, let me stay alive in order to strive more against them. If it has 
settled down, I beseech you to ignite it again so that I breathe my last in its 
context.”!'] He concluded his supplication beseeching Allah not to let him 
die until he had had full revenge on Banu Quraiza. In the midst of these 
difficult circumstances, plotteiy and intrigues were in fervent action against 
the Muslims. The chief criminal of Bani Nadir, Huyai, headed for the 
habitations of Banu Quraiza to incite their chief Ka‘b bin Asad Al-Qurazi, 
who had drawn a pact with the Messenger of All&h fU, *> *iii ju to run to his 
aid in times of war. Ka‘b, in the beginning resisted all Huyai’s temptation, 
but Huyai was clever enough to manipulate him, speaking of Quraish and 
their notables in Al-Asyal, as well as Ghatfan and their chieftains 
entrenched in Uhud, all in one mind, determined to exterminate Muhammad 
*ui and his followers. He, moreover, promised to stay in Ka‘b’s fort 
exposing himself to any potential danger in case Quraish and Ghatfan 
recanted. The wicked man went on in this manner until he later managed to 
win Ka‘b to his side and persuade him to break his covenant with the 
Muslims.! 2 ) Banu Quraiza then started to launch war operations against the 
Muslims especially the secluded garrisons that housed the women and 
children of the Muslims. On the authority of Ibn Ishaq, Safiyah *ui ^ 
daughter of ‘Abdul Muttalib happened to be in a garrison with Hassan bin 
Thabit as well as some women and children. Safiyah said: “A Jew was 
spotted lurking around our site, which was vulnerable to any enemy attacks 
because there were no men to defend it. I informed Hassan that I was 
suspicious of that man’s presence near us. He might take us by surprise now 
that the Messenger of Allah ^ *> «_m and the Muslims are too busy to 
come to our aid, why don’t you get down and kill him? Hassan answered 
that he would not do it, so I took a bar of wood, went down and struck the 
Jew to death. I returned and asked Hassan to loot him but again Hassan 
refused to do that.! 3 ) This event had a far reaching effect and discouraged the 
Jews from conducting further attacks thinking that those sites were fortified 
and protected by Muslim fighters. They, however, went on providing the 
idolaters with supplies in token of their support against the Muslims. 


!'] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 3/S91. 
P] Ibn Hisham, 3/337. 

PI ibid, 2/228. 




-316- 




On hearing this bad news, the Messenger ^ 4111 j*. despatched four 

Muslim prominent leaders Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, Sa‘d bin ‘Ubada, ‘Abdullah 
bin Rawaha and Khawat bin Jubair for investigation but warning against 
any sort of spreading panic amongst the Muslims and advising that they 
should declare in public that the rumours are groundless if they happen to be 
so. Unfortunately the four men discovered that the news was true and that 
the Jews announced openly that no pact of alliance existed any longer with 
Muhammad ^ an The Messenger of Allah fL., an ^ was briefed on 
this situation, and the Muslims understood their critical position with the 
horrible danger implied therein. Their back was vulnerable to the attacks of 
Banu Quraiza, and a huge army with no way to connive at in front, while 
their women and children unprotected standing in between. In this regard, 
Allah says: 


rjx 


“And when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the 
throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allih. There, the 
believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking.” 
[33:10,11] 


Now that the Muslims were shut in within the Trench on the defensive, 
the hypocrites taunted them with having indulged in delusive hopes of 
defeating Kisra, emperor of Persia, and Caesar, emperor of the Romans. 
They began to sow the seeds of defeatism, and pretended to withdraw for 
the defence of their homes, though these were, in no way exposed to danger. 
Here, Allah says: 





“And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease 
(of doubts) said, ‘Allah and His Messenger «jm l ^.) 

promised us nothing but delusions!’And when a party of them 
saiu: ‘O people of Yathrib (Al-Madinah), there is no stand 


- 317 - 



(possible) for you (against the enemy attack!) therefore go 
back!’ And a band of them asked for permission of die Prophet 
(fL-j ^uiju) saying: ‘Truly, our homes lie open (to the enemy).’ 
And they lay not open. They but wished to flee.” [33:12,13] 


The Messenger of Allah, ^ ^ un wrapped hims elf in his robe and 

began to meditate on die perfidy of Banu Quraiza. The spirit of hopefulness 
prevailed over him and he rose to his feet saying: 




Kt 




“Allah is Great. Hearken you Muslims, to Allah’s good tidings 
of victory and support.” 


He then started to lay decisive plans aiming at protecting the women and 
children, and sent some fighters back to Madinah to guard them against any 
surprise assault by the enemy. The second step was to take action that could 
lead to undermining the ranks of the disbelieving confederates. There, he 
had in mind to conclude a sort of reconciliation with the chiefs of Ghatfan 
on the basis of donating them a third of Madinah’s fruit crops. He sought 
the advice of his chief Companions, namely, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh and Sa‘d bin 
‘Ubadah, whose reply went as follows: 

“O Messenger of Allah! If it is Allah’s injunction, then we have to obey, 
but if it is a new course you want to follow just to provide security for us 
then we don’t need it. We experienced those people in polytheism and 
idolatry and we can safely say that they don’t need the fruit of our orchards, 
they rather need to exterminate us completely. Now that Allah has honoured 
us with Islam, I believe the best recourse in this situation is to put them to 
the sword.” Thereupon the Prophet ^ corrected their Belief saying: 

“My new policy is being forged to provide your security after all the Arabs 
have united to annihilate you (Muslims).” 

Allah, the Glorious, the Exalted, praise is to him, created something that 
led to the dissension of the enemies of Islam and later on to their full defeat. 
A man from the tribe of Ghatfan called Na‘im bin Mas‘ud asked to be 
admitted in the audience of the Prophet ^ «*u <ui He declared that he had 
embraced Islam secretly and asked the Prophet ^ «ui to order him do 
anything that might benefit the Muslims. The Prophet ^ asked him 


- 318 - 



to do anything that could help the Muslims in the present distress and use 
any strategem of avail. The man, in a shuttle movement, between the Jews, 
Quraish and Ghatfan managed to incite each party to let down the other. He 
went to see the chiefs of Banu Quraiza and whispered in their ears not to 
trust Quraish nor fight with them unless the latter pledged some hostages. 
He tried to lend support to his counsel by claiming that Quraish would 
forsake them if they perceived that victory over Muhammad fa, <*i» 4 U 1 ju was 
far fetched, and the Muslims then would have terrible revenge on them. 
Na‘im, then headed for the camp of Quraish and managed to practise a 
similar strategem in its final result but different in content. He claimed that 
he felt that the Jews regretted breaching their covenant with Muhammad 
faj <Di jJl» and his followers. He told them that the Jews maintained regular 
correspondence with the Muslims to the effect that Quraishite hostages be 
sent to the camp of the Muslims with full Jewish allegiance paid to them as 
already agreed upon. Na‘im then exhorted Quraish not to send hostages to 
the Jews. On a third errand, he did the same with the people of Ghatfan. 


On Saturday night, Shawwal 5 A.H., both Quraish and Ghatfan 
despatched envoys to the Jews exhorting them to go into war against 
M uhamma d fa, «_ui < _ r u. The Jews sent back messages that they would not 
fight on Saturday. They added that they needed hostages from them to 
guarantee their consistency. On receiving the replies, Quraish and Ghatfan 
came to believe Na‘im’s words fully. Therefore, they sent a message to the 
Jews again inviting them to war and asking them to preclude that condition 
of hostages. Na‘im’s scheme proved successful, and a state of distrust and 
suspicion among the disbelieving allies prevailed and reduced their morale 
to deplorable degree. 


Meanwhile, the Muslims were preoccupied supplicating their Lord to 
protect their homes and provide security for their families. The Messenger 
of Allah fa, an fa on his part invoked AllSh’s wrath on the Confederates 
supplicating: 




- 319 - 



“Oh, Allfih! You are quick in account. You are the sender of the 
Book, we beseech You to defeat the confederates ”[>1 

Allih the Glorious, the Exalted, responded to the call of the Muslims on 
the spot. Coupled with the dissension and variance that found their way into 
the hearts of the disbelievers, forces of nature — wind, rain and cold 
weaned them, tents were blown down, cooking vessels and other equipage 
oyerthrown. 

That very cold night the Messenger of Allah ^ 4 j» ju despatched 

Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman to hunt around for news about the enemy. He found 
out that they were preparing to leave frustrated for their inability to achieve 
their target. Allah did really fulfill His Promise, spared the Muslims fighting 
a formidable army, supported His slave (Muhammad ^ uii and 
inflicted a heavy blow on the Confederates. 

The battle of the Trench took place in the fifth year Hijri. The siege of 
Madinah started in Shawwal and ended in Dhul Qa‘dah, i.e. it lasted for 
over a month. It was in feet a battle of nerves rather than of losses. No bitter 
fighting was recorded; nevertheless, it was one of the most decisive battles 
in the early history of Islam and proved beyond a shadow of doubt that no 
forces, however huge, could ever exterminate the nascent Islamic power 
growing steadily in Madinah. When Allah obliged the Confederates to 
evacuate, His Messenger was in a position to confidently declare that 
thenceforth he would take the initiative in war and would not wait for the 
land of Islam to be invaded. I 2 1 


[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/411,2/590. 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/590. 


- 320 - 



Invading Banu Quraiza 

Archangel Gabriel f *_ji **l», on the very day the Messenger of Allah 
(L., 4)i came back to Madinah after the previous battle, and while he was 

washing in Umm Salama’s house, visited him asking that he should 
unsheathe his sword and head for the habitation of the seditious Banu 
Quraiza and fight them. Gabriel noted that he with a procession of angels 
would go ahead to shake their forts and cast fear in their hearts. 

The Messenger of Allah ^ <in immediately summoned the prayer 
caller and ordered him to announce fresh hostilities against Banu Quraiza, 
institued Ibn Umm Maktum as a ruler of Madinah, and entrusted the banner 
of war to ‘ Ali bin Abi Talib who marched towards the appointed target and 
came close enough to hear the Jews abusing the Messenger of Allah ^ 
who on his part set out at the head of three thousand infantry men and thirty 
horsemen of Ansar (Helpers) and Muhajireen (Emigrants). On their way to 
encounter the enemy, the afternoon prayer was due. Some Muslims refused 
to observe it until they had defeated the enemy, while others offered it in its 
proper time, as usual. The Prophet objected to neither. When 

they reached the habitations of Banu Quraiza, they laid tight siege to their 
forts. Seeing this terrible situation they were in, the chief of the Jews Ka‘b 
bin Asad offered them three alternatives: to embrace Islam, and 
consequently their life, wealth, women and children would be in full 
security, and reminded them that such behaviour would not be incongruous 
with what they had read in their books about the veracity of Muhammad’s 
Prophethood; to kill their children and women and then challenge the 
Prophet , 1 -, *ui ^ and his followers to the sword to either exterminate the 
•Muslims or be exterminated, or as a third possibility to take Muhammad 
, 1 -, ^ and his people by surprise on Saturday — a day mutually 

understood to witness no fighting. 

None of those alternatives appealed them, so their chief, angrily and 
indignantly, turned to them saying: “You have never been decisive in 
decision-making since you were bom” The gloomy future already visible, 
they made contacts with some Muslims, who had maintained good relation 
with them, in order to learn about their fate in the light of the current 
circumstances. They requested that Abu Lubaba be despatched to them for 
advice. On his arrival, the men began to implore, women and children to cry 
desperately. In answer to their demand for advice he pointed to his throat 
saying it was homicide awaiting them. He then immediately realized that he 


- 321 - 



had betrayed the Prophet’s trust, so he headed directly for the mosque in 
Madinah and tied himself to a wooden tall pole swearing that no one would 
untie him save the Messenger of Allah ^ «w ju, and added that he would 
never enter the habitation of Banu Quraiza in recompense for the deadly 
mistake he made. When the Messenger fU } ^ «-w was informed of this 
incident, he said, “ I would have begged Allah to forgive him if he had 
asked me, but since he had tied himself out of his own free will, then it was 
Allah Who would turn to him in forgiveness.” 

The Jews of Banu Quraiza could have endured the siege much longer 
because food and water were plentifully available and their strongholds 
were greatly fortified, whereas the Muslims were in the wild bare land 
suffering a lot from cold and hunger, let alone too much fatigue consequent 
on endless warfare operations that had started even before the battle of 
Confederates. Nevertheless, this was a battle of nerves, for Allah had cast 
fear in the the Jews’ hearts, and their morale had almost collapsed especially 
when two Muslim heroes, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib and Az-Zubair bin ‘Awwam 
Uii* ail proceeded with ‘Ali swearing that he would never stop until he had 
either stormed their garrisons or been martyred like Hamza (a former 
Muslim martyr). 

In the light of this reluctance, they had nothing except to comply with the 
Messenger’s judgement. The Messenger of Allah ordered that 

the men should handcuffed, and this was done under the supervision of 
Muhammad bin Salamah Al-Ansari while the women and children were 
isolated in confinement. Thereupon Al-Aws tribe interceded begging the 
Prophet r i_~j 4_ui lS ±* to be lenient towards them. He suggested that Sa‘d bin 
Mu‘adh, a former ally, be deputed to give verdict about them, and they 
agreed. 

Sa‘d meanwhile stayed behind in Madinah due to a serious wound he 
sustained in the Confederates Battle. He was summoned and brought on a 
donkey. On his way to the Prophet ^ <jii the Jews used to exhort him 
to be lenient in his judgement on account of former friendship. Sa‘d 
remained silent but when they persisted he uttered: “It is time for Sa‘d not to 
be afraid of the blame of the blamers.” On hearing this decisive attitude, 
some of them returned to Madinah waiting for a desperate doom. 

On arrival, he alighted with the help of some men. He was informed that 
the Jews had agreed to accept his verdict about them. He immediately 



wondered if his judgement would pass on all the people present, the Prophet 
fL-, *> 4 ii jL. included, turning his face away in honour of him. The reply was 
positive. 

He decided that all the able-bodied male persons belonging to the tribe 
should be killed, women and children taken prisoners and their wealth 
divided among the Muslim fighters. The Prophet ^ 411 accepted his 

judgement saying that Sa‘d had adjudged by the Command of Allah. In fact, 
the Jews deserved that severe punitive action for the ugly treachery they had 
harboured against Islam, and die large arsenal they have amassed and which 
consisted of one thousand and five hundred swords, two thousand spears, 
three hundred armours and five hundred shields, all of which went into the 
hands of the Muslims. Trenches were dug in the bazaar ofMadinah and a 
number of Jews between six and seven hundred were beheaded therein. Hot 
beds of intrigue and treachery were thus exterminated once and for all. 

Huyai, a chief criminal of war, a devil of Bani Nadir and Safiyah’s 
father, had joined the ranks of Banu Quraiza when Quraish and Ghatfan 
defected, was admitted into the audience of the Prophet ^ 411 j*. with his 

hands tied to his neck with a rope. In audacious defiance, he declared 
obstinate enmity to the Prophet ^<* 1 * but admitted that Allah’s Will 
was to be fulfilled and added that he was resigned to his fate. He was 
ordered to sit down, and was beheaded on the spot. 

Only one woman of the Jews was killed because she had killed a Muslim 
warrior by flinging a grinding stone upon him. A few elements of the enemy 
embraced Islam and their lives, wealth and children were spared. As for the 
spoils of the war, the Prophet ^jl, 4 ji divided them, after putting a fifth 
aside, in accordance with AllSh’s injunctions. Three shares went to the 
horseman and one to the infantry fighter. Women captives were sent to Najd 
to be bartered with horses and weaponry. For himself, the Prophet ^^ 411 ^ 
selected Rehana bint ‘Amr bin Khanaqah, manumitted and married her in 
the year 6 Hijri. She died shortly after the farewell pilgrimage and was 
buried in Al-Baqi‘1'1 

After the war with Banu Quraiza had been settled and they had been 
defeated, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh’s wish was gratified and he gave his last breath. 
In response to his supplication ‘Aishahc^* uii narrated, Sa‘d’s wounds 
began to bleed from the front part of his neck while he was in his tent which 


[!] ibn Hisham, 2/245; Talqeeh Fuhum Ahl Al-Athar, p. 12. 


- 323 - 



the Prophet ^ 411 had pitched for him in the mosque so that he would 

be in close proximity in order to inquire about and watch his well-being 
closely. The people were not scared except when the blood flowed towards 
them, and in the Mosque along with Sa‘d’s tent, there was the tent of Banu 
Ghifar. They said: O people of the tent, what is it that is coming to us from 
you? Lo! it was Sa'd’s wound that was bleeding and he died thereon.! 1 ] 

Jabir narrated that the Messenger of AllSh ^ «u4»,/~ had said: “The 
Throne of the Compassionate shook for the death of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh.Pl” 
When his bier was carried, At-Tirmidhi said: The hypocrites alleged it was 
too light. The Messenger of Allah ^ 411 retorted: 

cji s Si* 

“The angels are carrying him.” 

In the process of the sieze laid to Banu Quraiza, one man of the Muslims, 
Khallad bin Suwaid was killed when a women of the Jews dropped the 
grinding stone on him, and another, Abu Sinan bin Mihsan, the brother of 
‘Ukasha, died. 

Abu Lubaba stayed tied for six nights. His wife used to untie him at 
prayer times and then he tied himself again to the pole. One early morning, 
Allah the All-Forgiving revealed a verse to the Messenger of Allah ,j-, 411 

to the effect that Allah had turned to Abu Lubaba with forgiveness. The 
Muslims rushed to release him but he insisted that the Messenger of AllSh 
,jl.j ^ 1 * .jut jju himself do it. And this was done shortly before the morning 
prayer. 

This Ghazwah took place in the month of Dhul Qa‘dah in the year five 
HijriPl, and the siege of Banu Quraiza’s forts lasted for 25 days. The 
Chapter of Confederates was revealed containing Allah’s Words concerning 
the basic issues relating to the believers and hypocrites during the battle of 
the Confederates, and die consequences of the treachery and breaching of 
covenants by the Jews. 


[*] Sahib Al-Bukhari, 2/591. 

p] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/536; Sahib Muslim, 2/294; Jami* At-Tinnidhi, 2/225. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 2/237,238; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/590,591; ZM Al-Ma‘ad, 2/72-74; 
Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 287-290. 


- 324 - 



Military Activities continued 


Salam bin Abi Al-Huqaiq (Abu Rafi‘) was a terrible Jew criminal, who 
had mustered the troops of the Confederates and provided them with a lot of 
wealth and supplies, on the one handl‘ 1 , and used to malign the Prophet 
^ 4 .^ ^-ui ^ju, on the other. When the Muslims had settled their affair with 
Banu Quraiza; Al-Khazraj tribe, a rival of Al-Aws, asked for the Prophet’s 
permission to kill that criminal in order to merit a virtue equal to that of 
Al-Aws who had killed another criminal of the Jews, Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf. 
The Prophet ^ ju gave them his permission provided that no women 
or children be killed. 

A group of five people with ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ateeq at their head, headed 
for Khaibar where ‘Abu RafP’s fort was situated. When they approached 
the place, ‘Abdullah advised his men to stay a little behind, while he went 
ahead disguised himself in his cloak as if he had been relieving himself. 
When the people of the fort went in, the gate-keeper called him to enter 
thinking he was one of them. ‘Abdullah went in and linked inside. He then 
began to unbolt the doors leading to Salam’s room. There it was absolutely 
dark but he managed to put him to the sword, and then leave in safety. On 
his way back, his leg broke so he wrapped it up in a band, and hid in a secret 
place until morning when someone stood on the wall and announced the 
death of Salam bin Abi Al-Huqaiq officially. On hearing the glad news he 
left and went to see the Prophet ^ <111 j.., who listened to the whole story, 

and then asked ‘Abdullah to stretch his leg, which he wiped and the fracture 
healed on the spot! 2 ! 

In another version, &'l the group of five participated in killing that enemy 
of Islam. This incident took place in Dhul Qa‘dah or Dhul Hijjah in the year 
five Hijri.Pl 


['] Fath Al-Bari, 7/343. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/577. 

PI Rahmat-al-liTalameen, 2/223. 


- 325 - 



Shortly after the conclusion of the battle with the Confederates and 
Quraiza, the Prophet (i~ } began to despatch punitive expeditions to 

force the aggressive tribes and rebellious Arabians to come to peaceful 
terms with the rising state of Islam. 

A platoon of thirty believers under the leadership of Muhammad bin 
Maslamah was despatched on a military mission in Muharram, the sixth 
year Hijri, following the two previous battles. It headed for the habitation of 
Bani Bakr sept. The Muslims attacked that sept and dispersed them in all 
directions. Plenty of spoils fell to the lot of the Muslims who returned home 
with a terrible disbeliever, Thumamah bin Uthal Al-Hanafi, chief of Bani 
Hanifa, who had gone out by order of Musailama, the Liarf'l, to assassinate 
the Prophet (L. } an j*.. The Prophet’s Companions tied him to a pole of the 

Prophetic Mosque. To a question posed by the Prophet ^ «jui „ju, 
Thumamah used to say: “If you were to kill someone, then you would have 
to choose one of noble descent, if you were to be gracious, then let it be to a 
grateful man and if you were to ask for money, you would have to ask for it 
from a generous man.” He repeated that three times on three different 
occasions. On the third time, the Prophet ^ <ui ordered that he should 
be released. He soon went nearby, washed and then came back to profess 
the new faith addressing the Prophet ^ ^ an “No face had been more 
awful to me than yours but now it is the closest to my heart, no religion had 
ever been more repugnant to me than yours, now it is the dearest in my 
heart. Now I want to perform the ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage).” The Prophet 
gave him good tidings and asked him to do that. On his arrival in 
Makkah, the Quraishites accused him of apostasy. He denied it and affirmed 
that he had embraced Islam, and then swore that they would never get a 
grain from Yamama, a suburban area around Makkah, unless the Prophet 
fL-j «jji would allow it. In fact, he did it and refused to send food 
supplies to Makkah until the Prophet ^ an interceded at the Makkans’ 
earnest plea.! 2 ! 


1*1 As-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, 2/297. 

PI ZSd Al-Ma'ad, 2/119; Mukhtasar Seen* Ar-Rasool, p. 292,293. 


- 326 - 


Bani Libyan Invasion: 


Bani Lihyan had acted treacherously towards ten of the Prophet’s 
Companions and had them hanged. Their habitation being situated deep in 
the heart ofHijaz on the borders ofMakkah, and due to deep-seated blood- 
revenge between the Muslims on the one hand, and Quraish and the 
Arabians on the other, the Prophet ^ <> «ui ^l, deemed it unwise to penetrate 
deep and come close to the greatest enemy, Quraish. However, when the 
power of the allied Confederates collapsed and they began to slacken and 
resign to the current unfavourable balance of power, the Messenger of Allah 
fL-j ^ seized this rare opportunity and decided that it was time to take 
revenge on Bani Lihyan. He set out in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal or Jumada Al-Ula in 
the year six Hijri at the head of two hundred Muslim fighters and made a 
feint of heading for Syria, then soon changed route towards Batn Gharran, 
the scene of his Companions’ tragedy, and invoked Allah’s mercy on them. 
News of his march reached Bani Libyan, who immediately fled to the 
mountain tops nearby and thus remained out of his reach. On his way back, 
the Prophet ^<><11^ despatched a group of ten horsemen to a place called 
Kura* Al-Ghamim, in the vicinity of the habitation of Quraish in order to 
indirectly confirm his growing military power. All these skirmishes took 
fourteen days, after which he left back for home. 

Expeditions and Delegations continued: 

1. A platoon led by ‘Ukasha bin Al-Mihsan was despatched to a place 
called Al-Ghamir inhabited by Bani Asad in the year six Hijri. The 
enemy immediately fled leaving behind them two hundred camels which 
were taken to Madinah. 

2 . A platoon led by Muhammad bin Maslamah set out towards the 
habitation of Bani Tha’labah in Dhil Qassa. But a hundred men of the 
enemies ambushed and killed all of them except Muhammad bin 
Maslamah who managed to escape but badly wounded. 

3 . In retaliation against Bani ThaMabah, Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, at the 
head of forty men, was despatched to Dhil Qassa. They walked that night 
and took the enemy by surprise in the morning. Again, they fled to the 


- 327 - 



mountains except one who was injured, and later embraced Islam. A lot 
of booty fell to their lot in that particular incident. 

4. A platoon, under the leadership of Zaid bin Haritha, was sent to 
Al-Jumum, the habitation of Bani Saleem, in the same year. A woman 
from Bani Muzaina showed than the way to the enemy’s camp. There 
the Muslims took some captives and gained a lot of booty. Later on, the 
Messenger of Allah fi-j <jji ^ granted the woman her freedom and 
married her to one of his followers. 

5. Zaid bin Haritha, in Jumada Al-Ula 6 Hijri, at the head of a hundred and 
seventy horsemen, set out to a place called Al-‘Ais, intercepted a caravan 
of Quraish led by Abul-‘As, the Prophet’s relative and looted their 
camels. Abul-‘As escaped and took refuge in Zainab’s (his wife and the 
Prophet’s daughter) house. He begged her to ask the Prophet 

for the restitution of his wealth. The Prophet (L* } recommended, 

but without coercion, that the people do that. They immediately gave the 
man back all his wealth. He went back to Makkah, gave over the trusts to 
those entitled to them, embraced Islam and emigrated to Madinah where 
the Prophet ^ an ^ reunited him with his wife, Zainab, after three and 
a half years of their first marriage contract. The verse relating to 
prohibition of marriage between women Muslims and disbelievers had 
not been revealed then. 

6. In Jumada Ath-Thania, the same year, Zaid at the head of fifteen men 
raided Bani Tha’labah and captured twenty of their camels but the people 
had fled. 

7. In Rajab of the same year, Zaid, at the head of twelve men, set out to a 
place called Wadi Al-Qura in a reconnaissance mission to explore the 
movements of the enemy. The people there attacked the Muslims, killed 
nine of them, while the rest including Zaid bin Haritha managed to 
escapeJ 1 ! 

8. The invasion of Al-Khabt (diluted yoghurt) took place in the year eight 
Hijri i.e. before Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah led 


!'] Rahmat-al-liralameen, 2/226; ZM Al-Ma‘ad, 2/120-122. 


- 328 - 




three hundred horsemen to observe a caravan belonging to Quraish. 
Because of the inadequacy of food supplies, they began to starve so 
much that they had Khabt (diluted yoghurt), hence the appellation “The 
Army of Al-Khabt”. One of the men slaughtered nine camels at three 
times, three each time at different stages of the mission. Abu ‘Ubaidah, 
the leader of the campaign prohibited him from doing so. The sea was 
generous and presented them with an animal called Al- ‘Anbar (sperm- 
whale) so rich in fat that they subsisted on it for half a month. When they 
came back home, they narrated the story to the Prophet ^ who 

co mment ed that it was provision granted by Allah, and asked them to 
share him some of its meat.! 1 ! 

This campaign came chronologically prior to Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty 
because of and after which the Muslims stopped intercepting Quraishi 
caravans. 


(U Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/625,626; Sahih Muslim, 2/145,146. 



Bani Al-Mustaliq (Muraisi‘) Ghazwah , Sha‘ban 6 Hijri 

Though militarily it did not assume its full dimension, this Ghazwah had 
certain implications that brought about a state of turbulence within the 
Islamic State, and resulted in disgracefulness to clothe in the hypocrites. 
Moreover, it entailed enactment of consolidating legislations that attached 
an impression of nobility, dignity and purity of souls to the Islamic 
community. 

News reached the Prophet ^ ^ un on Sha'ban 2nd. to the effect that 
the chief of Bani Al-Mustaliq, Al-Harith bin Dirar had mobilised his men, 
along with some Arabs, to attack Madinah. Buraidah bin Al-Haseeb 
Al-Aslami was immediately despatched to verify the reports. He had some 
words with Abi Dirar, who confirmed his intention of war. He later sent a 
reconnoiterer to explore the positions of the Muslims but he was captured 
and killed. The Prophet ^ summoned his men and ordered them to 
prepare for war. Before leaving, Zaid bin Haritha was mandated to see to the 
affairs of Madinah and dispose them. On hearing the advent of the Muslims, 
the disbelievers got frightened and the Arabs going with them defected and 
ran away to their lives. Abu Bakr was entrusted with the banner of the 
Emigrants, and that of the Helpers went to Sa‘d bin ‘Ubada. The two armies 
were stationed at a well called Muraisi. Arrow shooting went on for an hour, 
and then the Muslims rushed and engaged with the enemy in a battle that 
ended in full victory for the Muslims. Some men were killed, women and 
children of the disbelievers taken as captives, and a lot of booty fell to the 
lot of the Muslims. Only one Muslim was killed by mistake by a Helper. 
Amongst the captives was Juwairiyah, daughter of Al-Harith, chief of the 
disbelievers. The Prophet «*u uii married her and, in compensation, the 
Muslims had to m an um i t a hundred others of the enemy prisoners who 
embraced Islam, and were then called the Prophet's in-iawsJ'l 

The Treacherous Role of the Hypocrites prior to 
the Bani Al-Mustaliq Ghazwah'. 

‘Abdullah bin Ubai, a terrible hypocrite was full of rancour against Islam 
and the Muslims because he believed that the Prophet ^ *> un had 


(•] Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/112,113; Ibn Hisham, 2/289,290,294,295. 


- 330 - 




dispossessed him of his leadership over Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj, two clans 
already agreed on the Prophethood of Muhammad and his 

masterhood over them. 

‘Abdullah’s rancour had appeared before he feigned Islam. Following the 
battle of Badr, he made pretensions of being a Muslim, but deep at heart, he 
remained that terrible enemy of Allah, His Messenger; and all the believers, 
in general. His sole target had always been to sow the seeds of dissension in 
the Muslim co mmuni ty, and undermine the cause of the new heavenly 
religion it has. His treacherous behaviour could be witnessed everywhere 
but was strikingly evident in his wicked attempts at creating a state of 
confusion and disorder amongst the Muslims at Uhud Battle. His hypocrisy 
and deceit assumed serious and ugly dimensions when he used to stand up 
among the Muslims shortly before the Prophet’s Friday speech, and 
mockingly say to them: “This is the Messenger of Allah, who has honoured 
you with Allah, so you have got to support, obey and listen to him,” and 
then he would sit down. 


He did the same following Uhud Battle on Friday. He was so rude and 
presumptuous that his words smacked unmistakingly of deeply-rooted 
rancour, so that some of the Muslims took him by his cloak reproachingly 
and silenced him . He immediately left, uttering rude and mocking words. A 
Helper met him at the Mosque gate and ordered him to return and beg the 
Messenger for Allah’s forgiveness, but he retorted that he had never wanted 
him to ask for that.! 1 ) He, moreover, conducted clandestine contacts with 
Rani Nadir, another tribe of Jews, encouraging them to make alliance with 
him and promising support for them; all of this in his ceaseless efforts in a 
long process of conspiracy and intrigue hatched against the Muslims. 
Allah ’s Words as regards his treacherous acts and awe-inspiring attempts 
during the Trench Battle came to testify quite clearly to this mode of 
hypocrisy: £ 




“And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease 
(of doubts) said: ‘Allah and His Messenger uii ^ju) 

promised us nothing but delusions!” [33:12] 


PI Ibn Hisham, 2/105. 


- 331 - 



The verses go on in the same context to describe the hypocrite as a 
coward and a defeatist. He is a liar and has no regard for pledges solemnly 
made. He is treacherous, disloyal and perfidious. He is niggardly and 
greedy. In short, he is the complete antithesis of a true believer: 


‘They think that Al-Ahzab (the Confederates) have not yet 
withdrawn, and if Al-Ahzab (the Confederates) should come 
(again), they would wish they were in the deserts (wandering) 
among the bedouins, seeking news about you (from a far place); 
and if they (happen) to be among you, they would not fight but 
little.” [33:20] 


All enemies of Islam from the Jews, hypocrites and polytheists did 
acknowledge that Islam had the upper hand not because of material 
superiority, multitudes of troops or much equipment; but it was rather due to 
the noble values, refined ethics and high attributes that imbued the Muslim 
community and whoever was attached to it. The enemies of Islam were 
already aware of that flood of light derived wholly from the person of the 
Prophet jj -3 ^ , who always stood as an excellent exemplar for men to 

copy and follow. 


The enemies of Islam, after steering the course of futile warfare against 
the new religion for five years, came to realize fully that exte rminating 
Islam is not accessible in the battlefields, so they resorted to other tactics. 
They, being reputed gossip-mongers, decided to launch a widespread 
propaganda campaign aiming at slandering the person of the Prophet 
ij-j 4_ui ^ in a most sensitive area of the Arabian life, namely ethics and 
traditions. Following the battle of the Confederates, the Prophet ^ 4 *u un jl, 
married Zainab bint Jahsh after her marriage with Zaid bin Haritha, his 
adopted son, had broken up. They seized this opportunity and began to 
circulate idle talk against the Prophet pu, <jui ^ in Arabia depending on a 
tradition among the desert Arabs that prohibits contracting a marriage with 
an adopted son’s divorcee. They alleged that his marriage would be 
considered a heinous sin. They also based their malicious propaganda on die 
fact that Zainab was his fifth wife whereas the number was strictly limited 


- 332 - 



to a maximum of four in the Noble Qur’an, hence the validity of this 
marriage was in doubt, according to them. 


These rumours and gossips had a negative impact on the morale of some 
weak-hearted Muslims until the decisive verses were revealed acquitting the 
Prophet ^ uii ^ and invalidating all those ill designs and obnoxious 
schemes: 




“O Prophet (Muhammad ^ <ui ^)! Keep your duty to Allah, 
and obey not the disbelievers and the hypocrites (i.e. do not 
follow their advices). Verily! AMh is Ever AU-Knower, All- 
Wise.”^:!] 


The wicked Role they played in the course of 
the Ghazwah of Bani Al-Mustaliq: 

During this Ghazwah, the hypocrites almost managed to create a sort of 
discord among the Muslims themselves, coupled with a serious and ugly 
slander against the Prophet ^ «w himself. In short, their behaviour was 
an authentic translation of Allah’s Words: 



“Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you 
nothing except disorder, and they would have hurried about in 
your midst (spreading corruption) and sowing sedition among 
you...” [9:47] 

A quarrel was about to break out between the Emigrants and the Helpers 
on account of plots and evil intentions designed by the hypocrites. The 
Prophet (j—j 4 _iii jju told them off describing their misbehaviour as 
something smacking of pre-Islamic practices. They, hypocrites with 
'Abdullah bin ‘Ubai at their head, were furious for the challenge which the 
Muslims showed towards the hostile plans and vicious intrigues woven 


- 333 - 



behind closed doors, and swore “the most honourable will expel the meanest 
out of Madinah,” and added: “They (the Muslims) have outnumbered and 
shared us our land. If you fatten your dog, it will eat you.” When that talk 
was reported to the Prophet ( L . } «jji ‘Umar, avenerable Companion, 
asked for permission to have Ibn ‘Ubai killed. The Prophet 
naturally turned down his proposal on the grounds that it did not become of 
a Prophet ^ <*u 411 jl* to be accused of killing his people. He, on the contrary 
in an unexpected move, asked ‘Umar to announce departure. He marched 
with his men for two days until the sun grew too hot. TTiey stopped and fell 
asleep, a clever attempt at diverting his people’s attention from die previous 
event. ‘Abdullah’s son heard of that vile of his father and as the party 
reached Madinah, he drew his sword and barred his father’s entry into the 
town until he had confessed and declared that he himself was the meanest of 
the citizens of Madinah and the Prophet ^ 411 j* the most honourable of 

them. Thus the boast recoiled on his head. It was also reported that the son 
was ready to kill his father if the Prophet ^ «*i# «ro had wanted him to. 

The Slander Affair: 

This extremely painful incident took place on the Prophet’s return from 
the expedition against Bani Mustaliq. TTie Muslim army had to halt for a 
night at a place, a short distance from Madinah. In this expedition, the 
Prophet fLy *> «jm ^ was accompanied by his noble and talented wife, 
‘Aishah «jji As it so happened, ‘Aishah went out some 

distance from the camp to attend to the call of nature. When she returned, 
she discovered that she had dropped her necklace somewhere. The necklace 
itself was of no great value, but as it was a loan from a friend, ‘Aishah ^ 

went out again to search for it. On her return, to her great grief and 
mortification, the army had already marched away with the camel she was 
riding, her attendants thinking that she was in the litter as she was then thin, 
very young and light of weight In her helplessness she sat down and cried 
till sleep overpowered her. Safwan bin Mu‘attal, an Emigrant who was 
coming in the rear recognized her as he had seen her before the verse 
enjoining the veil was revealed, and brought her on his camel to Madinah 
without saying a single word to her, himself walking behind the animal. The 
hypocrites of Madinah led by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ubai bin Salul, sought to make 
capital out of this incident and spread a malicious scandal against ‘Aishah 


- 334 - 



t*j» uii and unfortunately some of the Muslims also became involved in it. 
On arrival in Madinah, the Prophet ^ u» ^ held counsel with his 
Companions, who pronounced different opinions ranging from divorce to 
retention. The incident almost roused a fight between two rival factions, 
Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj, but the Prophet’s intervention silenced both parties 
on the sport. ‘ Aishah i+u unaware of the rumours being circulated, fell 
ill and was confined to bed for a month. On recovering, she heard of the 
slander and took permission to go and see her parents seeking authentic 
news. She then burst into tears and stayed for two days and one sleepless 
night ceaselessly weeping to such an extent that she felt her liver was about 
to rip open. The Prophet ^ «<i» «di ju visited her in that situation, and after 
testifying to the Oneness of Allah he told her, “If you are innocent, Allah 
will acquit you, otherwise, you have to beg for His forgiveness and pardon.” 
She stopped weeping and asked her parents to speak for her, but they had 
nothing to say, so she herself took the initiative and said “Should I tell you I 
am innocent, and AllSh knows that I am surely innocent, you will not 
believe me; and if I were to admit something of which, AllSh knows, I am 
innocent, you will believe me, then I will have nothing to make recourse to 
except the words of the father of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph): 



“So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is AllSh (Alone) 
Whose Help can be sought against that which you assert.” 
[12:18] 

She then turned away and lay down for some rest. At that decisive 
moment the Revelation came acquitting ‘Aishah ^ of all the 

slanderous talk fabricated in this concern. ‘Aishah w* of course, was 

wholeheartedly joyful and praised AllSh thankfully. AllSh’s Words in this 
regard went as follows: 




“Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against ‘Aishah 
Ui» uii ^ — the wife of the Prophet fi—, ««u <w are a group 
among you.” [24:11] 


- 335 - 



The principal elements involved in the slander affair, Mistah bin Athatha, 
Hassan bin Thabit and Hamnah bint Jahsh, were flogged with eighty stripes. 

As for the man who took the principal part, ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, he was 
not flogged, either because the corporal punishment commutes the 
chastisement in store for him in the Hereafter, and he does not deserve this 
merit, or for the same public interest for which he was not killed previously. 
He, moreover, became the butt of reproach and humiliation amongst his 
people after his real intentions had been unequivocally exposed to all the 
public.!*! 

Almost a month later, the Messenger of Allah ^ <*u «i» and ‘Umar bin 
Al-Khattab were engaged in the following talk: “Don’t you see‘Umar if I 
had had him (Abdullah bin Ubai) killed, a large number of dignitaries would 
have furiously hastened to fight for him. Now, on the contrary, if I ask them 
to kill him, they will do so out of their own free will.” ‘Umar replied “I 
swear by Allah that the Prophet's judgement is much more sound than 
mine.”! 2 ] 


I'l Sahih Al-Bukhari; 1/364,2/696-698; Z8d Al-Ma‘ad, 2/113-115; Ibn Hisham, 2/297-307. 
PI Ibn Hisham, 2/293. 


- 336 - 



Delegations and Expeditions following Al-Muraisi‘ Ghazwah 

1. A military expedition led by ‘ Abdur Rahman bin 4 Auf was despatched to 

the habitation of Bani Kalb in Doumat Al-Jandal in Sha‘ban 6 Hijri. 
Before setting out, the Prophet ^ «w summoned 4 Abdur Rahman, 

and placed his hand on the latter’s hand invoking Allah’s blessings and 
giving him commandments to act magnanimously during the war. He 
told him to many the king’s daughter if they obeyed him. ‘Abdur 
Rahman stayed among those people for three days, invited them to Islam 
and they responded positively. He then did marry the king’s daughter 
Tamadur bint Al-Asbagh. 

2. In the same month and year, 4 Ali bin Abi Talib was despatched at the 
head of a platoon to the habitation of Bani Sa‘d bin Bakr in a place called 
Fadk. Prophet Muhammad ^ «-»u had been reported that those had 
rallied ranks to support the Jews. The Muslim fighters used to march in 
the day and lurk at night. On their way, they captured an enemy scout 
who admitted being sent to Khaibar tribe, to offer them support in return 
for their dates. ‘Ali and his companions raided their encampment, 
captured five hundred camels and two thousand goats, but Banu Sa‘d, 
with their chieftain Wabr bin 4 Aleem had fled away. 

3. An expedition led by Abu Bakr As-Siddiq or Zaid bin Haritha was 
despatched to Wadi Al-Qura in Ramadan 6 Hijri after Fazara sept had 
made an attempt at the Prophet’s life. Following the morning prayer, the 
detachment was given orders to raid the enemy. Some of them were 
killed and others captured. Amongst the captives, were Umm Qirfa and 
her beautiful daughter, who was sent to Makkah as a ransom for the 
release of some Muslim prisoners there.!') Umm Qirfa’s attempts at the 
Prophet’s life recoiled on her, and the thirty horsemen she had gathered 
and sustained to implement her evil scheme were all killed. 

4. Anas bin Malik reported that some people belonging to tribe of ‘Uraina 

came to Allah’s Messenger ,j—, v<i» «ui and made pretensions to Islam. 

They stayed in Madinah but found its climate uncongenial, so they were 
asked to pitch their tents in the pastures nearby. They did so and were all 
right. They then fell on the Prophet’s shepherd and killed him, turned 


(') Sahih Muslim, 2/89. 


- 337 - 



apostates from Islam and drove off the camels. This news reached the 
Prophet ji-j tin ^, who sent a group of twenty Muslims led by Karz bin 
Jabir Al-Fihri on their track. They were brought and handed over to him 
He had their hands and feet cut off, their eyes gouged out in recompense 
for their behaviour, and then they were thrown on the stony ground until 
they died.! 1 ! 

Biographers also reported ‘Amr bin Omaiya Ad-Damari and Salamah bin 
Abi Salamah to have been sent on an errand to kill Abu Sufyan, the chief 
of Quraish, who had already sent a bedouin to kill the Prophet ^ 

The two-men mission failed except for three polytheists killed on die 
way. It is noteworthy that all the foregone invasions did not imply real 
bitter fighting, they were rather skirmishes or punitive military 
manoeuvres carried out to deter some enemies still unsubdued. Deep 
meditation on the development of war circumstances reveal the 
continuous collapse of the morale among the enemies of Islam, who had 
come to understand that they were no longer in a position to contain the 
Islamic call or weaken its active drive. This state of affairs reached its 
climax in Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty when the two belligerent parties, 
believers and disbelievers, entered into a truce agreement that pointed 
markedly to the ever-growing power of Islam, and recorded 
unequivocally the perpetuity of this heavenly religion in pan-Arabia. 


ti]ZfidAl-Ma‘ad, 2/122. 



Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty 
(Dhul Qa‘dah 6 A.H.) 

When Arabia began to witness the large impressive sweep in favour of 
the Muslims, the forerunners of the great conquest and success of the 
Islamic Call started gradually to loom on the demographic horizon, and the 
true believers restored their undisputed right to observe worship in the 
sacred sanctuary. 

It was about the sixth year Hijri when the Prophet ^ saw in a 

dream, while he was still in Madinah, that he had entered the sacred 
sanctuary in Makkah in security with his followers, and was performing the 
ceremonies of ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). Their heads were being shaved 
and hair cut off. As soon as he informed some of his Companions the 
contents of his dream, their hearts leapt up with joy since they found in it 
the actualization of their deep longing to take part in pilgrimage and its 
hallowed rites after an exile of six years. 

The Prophet had his clothes washed, mounted his camel and 

marched out towards Makkah at the head of fifteen hundred Muslims 
including his wife Umm Salamah. Some desert bedouins whose Faith was 
lukewarm hung back and made excuses. They carried no weapons with 
them except sheathed swords because they had no intention of fighting. Ibn 
Umm Maktum was mandated to dispose the affairs of Madinah during the 
Prophet’s absence. As they approached Makkah, and in a place called Dhi 
Hulaifa, he ordered that the sacrificial animals be garlanded, and all 
believers donned Al-Ihram, the pilgrim’s garb. He despatched a 
reconnoiterer to hunt around for news of the enemy. The man came back to 
tell the Prophet ^ <ui that a large number of slaves, as well as a huge 
army, were gathered to oppose him, and that the road to Makkah was 
completely blocked. The Prophet consulted his Companions, 

who were of the opinion that they would fight none unless they were 
debarred from performing their pilgrimage. 

The Quraishites, on their part, held a meeting during which they 
considered the whole situation and decided to resist the Prophet’s mission at 
all costs. Two hundred horsemen led by Khalid bin Al-Waleed were 
despatched to take the Muslims by surprise during Zuhr (the afternoon) 
prayer. However, the rules of prayer of fear were revealed meanwhile and 


- 339 - 



thus Khalid and his men missed the chance. The Muslims avoided marching 
on that way and decided to follow a rugged rocky one. Here, Khalid ran 
back to Quraish to brief them on the latest situation. 

When the Muslims reached a spot called Thaniyat Al-Marar, the 
Prophet’s camel stumbled and knelt down and was too stubborn to move. 
Muhammad fu, uii ^ swore he would willingly accede to any plan they 
put forward that would glorify Allah’s sanctities. He then reprovingly 
spurred his camel and it leapt up. They resumed their march and came to 
pitch their tents at the furthest part of Al-Hudaibiyah beside a well of scanty 
water. The Muslims reported thirst to the Prophet ^ jL, who took an 
arrow out of his quiver, and placed it in the ditch. Water immediately gushed 
forth, and his followers drank to their fill. When the Prophet had 

rested, Budail bin Warqa’ Al-Khuza‘i with some celebrities of Khuza’ah 
tribe, the Prophet’s confidants, came and asked him what he had come for. 
The Prophet ^ un ^ replied that it was not for war that he had come 
forth: “I have no other design,” he said, “but to perform ‘Umrah (the lesser 
pilgrimage) in the Holy Sanctuary. Should Quraish embrace the new 
religion, as some people have done, they are most welcome, but if they 
stand in my way or debar the Muslims from pilgrimage, I will surely fight 
them to the last man, and Allah’s Order must be fulfilled.” The envoy 
carried the message back to Quraish, who sent another one called Mikraz 
bin Hafs. On seeing him, the Prophet ^ un ^ said that that was a 
treacherous man. He was given the same message to communicate to his 
people. He was followed by another ambassador known as Al-Hulais bin 
‘Alqamah. He was very much impressed by the spirit of devotion that the 
Muslims had for the Sacred Ka’bah. He went back to his men and warned 
them against debarring M uham mad ^ <ui and his Companions from 
doing honour to Allah’s house on the peril of breaking his alliance with 
them. Hulais was succeeded by ‘Urwa bin Mas'ud Ath-Thaqafi to negotiate 
with Muhammad (j-, uii ^ In the course of discussion he said to the 
Prophet ^ oji “Muhammad! Have you gathered around yourself 
mixed people and then brought them against your kith and kin in order to 
destroy them. By Allah I think I see you deserted by these people 
tomorrow.” At this point Abu Bakr stood up and expressed his resentment at 
this imputation. Al-Mugheerah bin Shu’bah expressed the same attitude and 
reprovingly forbade him from touching the Prophet’s beard. Here, Quraish’s 


- 340 - 



envoy remarked indignantly and alluded to the latter’s treacherous act of 
killing his companions and looting them before he embraced Islam. 
Meanwhile, ‘Urwah, during his stay in the Muslim camp, had been closely 
watching the unfathomable love and profound respect that the followers of 
Muhammad ^ vj* «jii showed him. He returned and conveyed to Quraish 
his impression that those people could not forsake the Prophet ^ ^ «jji ^ 
under any circumstances. He expressed his feelings in the following words: 
“I have been to Chosroes, Caesar and Negus in their kingdoms, but never 
have I seen a king among a people like Muhammad ^ among his 

Companions. If he performs his ablution, they would not let the water 
thereof fall on the ground; if he expectorates, they would have the mucus to 
rub their faces with; if he speaks, they would lower their voices. They will 
not abandon him for anything in any case. He, now, offers you a reasonable 
plan, so do what you please.” 

Seeing an overwhelming tendency towards reconciliation among their 
chiefs, some reckless, fight-prone youngsters of Quraish devised a wicked 
plan that could hinder the peace treaty. They decided to infiltrate into the 
camp of the Muslims and produce intentional skirmishes that might trigger 
the fuse of war. Muhammad bin Maslamah, chief of the Muslim guards, 
took them captives, but in view of the far-reaching imminent results about to 
be achieved, the Prophet ^ 4*i* ^ set them free. In this context Allah says: 



“And He it is Who has withheld their hands from you and your 
hands from them in the midst of Makkah, after He had made you 
victors over them.” [48:24] 


Time passed. Negotiations went on but with no results. Then the Prophet 
(j-j <-ui >i desired ‘Umar to see the nobles of Quraish on his behalf. ‘Umar 
excused himself on account of the personal enmity of Quraish; he had, 
moreover, no influential relatives in the city who could shield him from 
danger; and he pointed to ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan, who belonged to one of the 
most powerful families in Makkah, as the suitable envoy. ‘Uthman went to 
Abu Sufyan and other chiefs and told them that the Muslims had come only 
to visit and pay their homage to the Sacred House, to do worship there, and 
that they had no intention to fight. He was also asked to call them to Islam, 
and give glad tidings to the believers in Makkah, women and men, that the 


- 341 - 



conquest was approaching and Islam was surely to prevail because AllSh 
would verily establish His religion in Makkah. ‘Uthman also assured them 
that after the performance of ceremonies they would soon depart peacefully, 
but the Quraishites were adamant and not prepared to grant them the 
permission to visit Al-Ka‘bah. They, however, offered ‘Uthman the 
permission to perform the pilgrimage, if he so desired in his individual 
capacity, but ‘Uthman declined the offer saying: “How is it possible that I 
avail myself of this opportunity, when the Prophet ^ v» an ^ is denied of 
it?” The Muslims anxiously waited for the arrival of ‘Uthman with mingled 
feelings of fear and anxiety. But his arrival was considerably delayed and a 
foul play was suspected on the part of Quraish. The Muslims were greatly 
worried and took a solemn pledge at the hand of the Prophet ^ v» that 

they would sacrifice their lives to avenge the death of their Companion and 
stand firmly by their master, Muhammad under all conditions. 

This pledge goes by the name of Bay ‘at Ar-Ridwart (a covenant of fealty). 
The first men to take a pledge were Abu Sinan Al-Asadi and Salamah bin 
Al-Akwa‘, who gave a solemn promise to die in the cause of Truth three 
times, at the front of the army, in the middle and in the rear. The Prophet 
jJl-j v* jii caught his left hand on behalf of ‘Uthman. This fealty was sworn 
under a tree, with ‘Umar holding the Prophet’s hand and Ma‘qil bin Yasar 
holding a branch of the tree up. The Noble Qur’an has referred to this 
pledge in die following words: 





“Indeed, Allih was pleased with the believers when they gave 
their Bai'a (pledge) to you (O Muhammad^y.<m) under 
the tree.” [48:18] 


When Quraish saw the firm determination of the Muslims to shed the last 
drop of blood for the defence of their Faith, they came to their senses and 
realized that Muhammad’s followers could not be cowed down by these 
tactics. After some further interchange of messages they agreed to conclude 
a treaty of reconciliation and peace with the Muslims. The clauses of the 
said treaty go as follows: 

1. The Muslims shall return this time and come back next year, but they 
shall not stay in Makkah for more than three days. 


- 342 - 



2. They shall not come back armed but can bring with them swords only 
sheathed in scabbards and these shall be kept in bags. 

3. War activities shall be suspended for ten years, during which both parties 
will live in full security and neither will raise sword against the other. 

4. If anyone from Quraish goes over to Muhammad ^ «ui without his 
guardian’s permission, he should be sent back to Quraish, but should any 
of Muhammad’s followers return to Quraish, he shall not be sent back. 

5. Whosoever wishes to join Muhammad ^ «w or enter into treaty 
with him, should have the liberty to do so; and likewise whosoever 
wishes to join Quraish, or enter into treaty with them, should be allowed 
to do so. 

Some dispute arose with regard to the preamble. For example, when the 
agreement was to be committed to writing, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, who acted as 
a scribe began with die words: Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem, i.e., “In the 
Name of Allih, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful” but the Makkan 
plenipotentiary, Suhail bin ‘Amr declared that he knew nothing about 
Ar-Rahman and insisted upon die customary formula Bi-ismika Allahumma, 
i.e., “In Your Name, O AllSh!” The Muslims grumbled with uneasiness but 
the Prophet 4_Ul agreed. He then went on to dictate, “This is what 
Muh ammad , the Messenger of Allah has agreed to with Suhail bin ‘Amr.” 
Upon this Suhail again protested: “Had we acknowledged you as Prophet, 
we would not have debarred you from the Sacred House, nor fought against 
you. Write your own nam e and the name of your father.” The Muslims 
grumbled as before and refused to consent to the change. The Prophet 
jjL-j 4 _ui however, in the larger interest of Islam, attached no importance 
to such an insignificant detail, erased the words himself, and dictated 
instead: “M uhammad , the son of 4 Abdullah.” Soon after this treaty, Khuza‘a 
c l an, a former ally of Banu Hashim, joined the ranks of Muhammad ^ ^ aui 
and Banu Bakr sided with Quraish. 

It was during this time while the treaty was being written that Abu 
Jandal, Suhail’s son, appeared on the scene. He was brutally chained and 
was staggering with privation and fatigue. The Prophet ^ <in ^ and his 
Companions were moved to pity and tried to secure his release but Suhail 
was adamant and said: “To signify that you are faithful to your contract, an 
opportunity has just arrived.” The Prophet <ui said: “But the treaty 


- 343 - 



was not signed when your son entered the camp” Upon this, he burst forth 
and said, “but the terms of the treaty were agreed upon.” It was indeed an 
anxious moment. On the one hand, Abu Jandal was lamenting at the top of 
his voice, “Am I to be returned to the polytheists that they might entice me 
from my religion, O Muslims!” but, on the other hand, the faithful 
engagement was also considered to be necessary, above all other 
considerations. The Prophet’s heart welled up with sympathy, but he wanted 
to honour his word at all costs. He consoled Abu Jandal and said, “Be 
patient, resign yourself to the Will of Allah. AlUlh is going to provide for 
you and your helpless companions relief and me ans of escape. We have 
concluded a treaty of peace with diem and we have taken the pledge in the 
Name of Allah. We are, therefore, under no circ umstan ces prepared to br eak 
it.” ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab could not help giving vent to die deep-seated 
agony of his heart. He rose to his feet uttering words implyin g deep hatred 
and extreme indignation and requested Abu Jandal to take his sword and kill 
Suhail, but the son spared his father. However, in silent resignation was 
therefore, Abu Jandal borne away with his chains. 

When the peace treaty had been concluded, the Prophet ,jl., «jji ^ 
ordered his Companions to slaughter their sacrificial animal s, but they were 
too depressed to do that The Prophet ^ «w gave instructions in thi s 
regard three times but with negative response. He told his wife Umm 
Salamah about this attitude of his Companions. She advised that he hims elf 
take the initiative, slaughter his animal and have his head shaved. Seeing 
that, the Muslims, with rended hearts, started to slaughter their animals and 
shave their heads. They even almost killed one another because of their 
distress. The Prophet ^ ^ prayed three times for those who shaved 

their heads and once for those who cut their hair. A camel was sacrificed on 
behalf of seven men and a cow on behalf of the same number of people. The 
Prophet (JL, an sacrificed a camel which once belonged to Abu Jahl and 
which the Muslims had seized as booty at Badr, thus enrag in g the 
polytheists. During Al-Hudaibiyah campaign, the Prophet «jm ir u 
permitted Ka‘b bin ‘Ujrah, who was in a state of Ihram (state of ritual 
consecration of the pilgrim) for ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) to shave his 
head due to illness, on the condition that he will pay compensation by 
sacrificing a sheep, fasting for three days or feeding six needy persons. 
Concerning this, the following verse was revealed: 


- 344 - 





“And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp 
(necessitating shaving), he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of either 
fasting (three days) or giving Sadaqa (feeding six poor persons) 
or offering sacrifice (one sheep).” [2:196] 

Meanwhile some believing women emigrated to Madinah and asked the 
Prophet fL-j 4 > an for refuge which they were granted. When their families 
demanded their return, he would not hand them back because the following 
verse was revealed: 


a$ ^ 



“O you who believe! When believing women come to you as 
emigrants, examine them, Allah knows best as to their Faith, 
then if you know them for true believers, send them not back to 
the disbelievers, they are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers 
nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them. But give the 
disbelievers that (amount of money) which they have spent [as 
their Mahr] to them. And there will be no sin on you to marry 
them if you have paid their Mahr to them. Likewise hold not the 
disbelieving women as wives ...” [60:10] 

The reason why the believing women were not handed back was either 
because they were not originally included in the terms of the treaty, which 
mentioned only men, or because the Qur’an abrogated any terms dealing 
with women in the verse: 




“O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you 
the Bai ‘a (Pledge), that they will not associate anything in 
worship with Allah ...” [60:12] 


- 345 - 



This is the verse which forbade Muslim women from marrying 
disbelieving men. Likewise, Muslim men were commanded to terminate 
their marriages to disbelieving women. In compliance with this injunction, 
‘Umar bin Al-Khattab divorced two wives he had married before he 
embraced Islam; Mu'awiyah married the first woman, and Safwan bin 
Omaiyah married the second. 

Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty: Socio-political Impact: 

A series of events confirmed the profound wisdom and splendid results 
of the peace treaty which Allah called “a manifest victory”. How could it be 
otherwise when Quraish had recognized the legitimate Muslims’ existence 
on the scene of political life in Arabia, and began to deal with the believers 
on equal terms. Quraish in the light of the articles of the treaty, had 
indirectly relinquished its claim to religious leadership, and admitted that 
they were no longer interested in people other than Quraish, and washed 
their hands of any sort of intervention in the religious future of the Arabian 
Peninsula. The Muslims did not have in mind to seize people’s property or 
kill them through bloody wars, nor did they ever think of pursuing any 
coercive approaches in their endeavours to propagate Islam, on the contrary, 
their sole target was to provide an atmosphere of freedom as regards 
ideology or religion: 

“Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let 
him disbelieve.” [18:29] 

The Muslims, on the other hand, had the opportunity to spread Islam over 
areas not then explored. When there was armistice, war was abolished, and 
men met and consulted together, none talked about Islam intelligently 
without entering it; within the two years following the conclusion of the 
treaty double as many entered Islam as ever before. This is supported by the 
fact that the Prophet ^ went out to Al-Hudaibiyah with only 1,400 

men, but when he set out to liberate Makkah, two years later, he had 10,000 
men with him. 

The article of the treaty pertaining to cessation of hostilities for ten years 
points directly to the utter failure of political haughtiness exercised by 



- 346 - 



Quraish and its allies, and functions as evidence of the collapse and 
impotence of the war instigator. 

Quraish had been obliged to lose those advantages in return for one 
seemingly in its favour but does not actually bear any harm against the 
Muslims, i.e., the article that speaks of handing over believing men who 
seek refuge with the Muslims without their guardians’ consent to Quraish. 
At first glance, it was a most distressing clause and was considered 
objectionable in the Muslim camp. However, in the course of events, it 
proved to be a great blessing. The Muslims sent back to Makkah were not 
likely to renounce the blessings of Islam; contrariwise, those very Muslims 
turned out to be centres of influence for Islam. It was impossible to think 
that they would become apostates or renegades. The wisdom behind this 
truce assumed its full dimensions in some subsequent events. After the 
Prophet fj-j <-> «-ut had reached Madinah, Abu Baseer, who had escaped 
from Quraish, came to him as a Muslim; Quraish sent two men demanding 
his return, so die Prophet ^ m handed him over to them. On the way 
to Makkah, Abu Baseer managed to kill one of them, and the other one fled 
to Madinah with Abu Baseer in pursuit. When he reached the Prophet 
on jX., he said, “Your obligation is over and Allah has freed you from 
it. You duly handed me over to the men, and AMh has rescued me from 
them.” The Prophet ^ un said, “Woe is his mother, he would have 
kindled a war if there had been others with him.” When he heard that, he 
knew tha t he would be handed back to them, so he fled from Madinah and 
went as far as Saif Al-Bahr. The other Muslims who were oppressed in 
Makkah began to escape to Abu Baseer. He was joined by Abu Jandal and 
others until a fair-sized colony was formed and soon sought revenge on 
Quraish and started to intercept their caravans. The pagans of Makkah 
finding themselves unable to control those exiled colonists, begged the 
Prophet fi—^ «_ui jX to do away with the clause which governed the 
extradition. They implored him by Allah and by their ties of kinship to send 
for the group, saying that whoever joined the Muslims in Madinah would be 
safe from them. So the Prophet ^ on sent for the group and they 
responded, as expected, positively. 

These are the realities of the clauses of the truce treaty and as it seems 
they all function in favour of the nascent Islamic state. However, two points 
in the treaty made it distasteful to some Muslims, namely they were not 


- 347 - 



given access to the Holy Sanctuary that year, and the seemingly humiliating 
attitude as regards reconciliation with the pagans of Quraish. ‘Umar, unable 
to contain himself for the distress taking full grasp of his heart, went to the 
Prophet {L., <w and said: “Aren’t you the true Messenger of Allah?” The 
Prophet fi-j 4jii ^ replied calmly, “Why not?” ‘Umar again spoke and 
asked: “Aren’t we on the path of righteousness and our enemies in the 
wrong?” Without showing any resentment, the Prophet fU 3 «w replied 
that it was so. On getting this reply he further urged: “Then we should not 
suffer any humiliation in the matter of Faith.” The Prophet ^ un was 
unruffled and with perfect confidence said: “I am the true Messenger of 
Allah, I never disobey Him, He shall help me.” “Did you not tell us,” 
rejoined ‘Umar, “that we shall perform pilgrimage?” “But I have never told 
you,” replied the Prophet (L., <> <m ^u, “that we shall do so this very year.” 
‘Umar was silenced. But his mind was disturbed. He went to Abu Bakr and 
expressed his feelings before him. Abu Bakr who had never been in doubt 
as regards the Prophet’s truthfulness and veracity confirmed what the 
Prophet fj-j <jji had told him. In due course the Chapter of Victory 
(48th) was revealed saying: 


“Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad a 

manifest victory.” [48:1] 

The Messenger of Allah ^ «ui summoned ‘Umar and imported to 
him the happy tidings. ‘Umar was overjoyed, and greatly regretted his 
former attitude. He used to spend in charity, observe fasting and prayer and 
free as many slaves as possible in expiation for that reckless attitude he had 
assumed.! 1 ! 

The early part of the year 7 A.H. witnessed the Islamization of three 
prominent men of Makkah, ‘Amr bin Al-‘As, Khalid bin Al-Waleed and 
‘Uthman bin Talhah. On their arrival and entrance into the fold of Islam, the 
Prophet ^ mu <ui said, “Quraish has given us its own blood.” 


t>l Fath Al-Bari, 7/439-458; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/378-381. 


- 348 - 



The Second Stage 
A New Phase of Islamic Action 


Al-Hudaibiyah Truce marked a new phase in the process of Islamic 
action and life of the Muslims. Quraish, a bitter enemy of Islam, now 
withdraws from the war arena and embraces a peaceful settlement with the 
Muslims, thus the third support of a tripartite enemy (Quraish, Ghatfan and 
the Jews) is broken, and being the holder of the banner of paganism in 
Arabia, the other pagans’ aggressive feelings towards Islam considerably 
subsided. Ghatfan Tribe no longer constituted any remarkable threat, and 
their provocative deeds were mainly Jewish-instigated actions. The Jews, 
after being banished from Madinah, resorted to Khaibar to change it into a 
hot bed of intrigues against the Prophet ^ There, they used to 

hatch their plots, ignite the fire of dissension and allure the Arabs living in 
the vicinity of Madinah to join them with the aim of exterminating the new 
Islamic state, or at least inflict heavy losses on the Muslims. The Prophet 
(L. } u« jj-, not heedless of their devilish schemes, placed a decisive war 
with them as a first priority on his agenda shortly after the endorsement of 
the above-mentioned treaty. The treaty of Hudaibiyah allowed the Muslims 
to intensify their Islamic career and double up their ceaseless efforts in 
propagating their Da'wah, and consequently give this sort of action 
preponderance over the military activities. Hence, we deem it imperative to 
divide this post-treaty stage into two sections: 

1. Ceaseless peaceful efforts in propagating the Islamic Da'wah 
(Call) and initiating a sort of correspondence with kings and 
princes of the neighbouring political entities. 

2. Military activities. 


- 349 - 



The Prophet’s Plans 
to spread the Message of Islam 
beyond Arabia. 

Late in the six year A.H., on his return from Hudaibiyah, the Prophet 
r i — 'j <-*•* UJI u-i- decided to send messages to the kings beyond Arabia calling 
them to Islam. In order to authenticate the credentials of his envoys, a silver 
seal was made in which were graven the words: “Muhammad the Messenger 
of Allah" in the following formation:!'! 

4 

4JJI 

J>-*o 

Envoys were chosen on the basis of their experience and knowledge, and 
sent on their errands in Muharram in the year 7 A.H., a few days before 
heading for Khaibar.! 2 ! 

1. A Deputation to Abyssinia (Ethiopia): 

Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), his name was Ashama bin 
Al-Abjar, received the Prophet’s message, despatched by Amr bin Omaiyah 
Ad-Damari, which At-Tabari referred to, either late in the sixth year or early 
in the seventh year A.H. Deep scrutiny into the letter shows that it was not 
the one sent after Al-Hudaibiyah event. Wording of the letter rather 
indicates that it was sent to that king when Ja‘far and his companions 
emigrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the Makkan period. One of its 
sentences read “I have despatched my cousin, Ja‘far with a group of 
Muslims, to you. Do be generous towards them and give up haughtiness.” 

Al-Baihaqi, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq, gave the following narration of 
the Prophet’s letter sent to Negus: 

“This letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet to Negus Al-Ashama, 
the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). 


W Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/872,873. 
I 2 ! Rahmat-al-lil‘ alameen, 1/171. 


- 350 - 



Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and believes in Allah and 
His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah Alone with no 
associate. He has taken neither a wife nor a son, and that Muhammad is His 
slave and Messenger. I call you unto the fold of Islam; if you embrace 
Islam, you will find safety, 



“Say (O Muhammad ^ um ^): ‘O people of the Scripture 
(Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us 
and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate 
no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as 
lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness 
that we are Muslims.’ ” [3:64] 

Should you reject this invitation, then you will be held responsible for all 
the evils of the Christians of your people.” 

Dr. Hameedullah (Paris), a reliable verifier, has adduced a version of the 
above letter disclosed only a short time ago and identical to Ibn Al-Qaiyim’s 
narration. Dr. Hameedullah exerted painstaking effort and used all means of 
modem technology to verify the text of the letter, which reads as follows: 

“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From M uhamma d the Messenger of Allah to Negus, king of Abyssinia 
(Ethiopia). 

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Salutations, I entertain 
Allah’s praise, there is no god but He, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source 
of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the Preserver of safety. I 
bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allah and His Word 
which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the pure, so that she 
conceived Jesus. Allah created him from His spirit and His breathing as He 
created Adam by His Hand. I call you to Allah Alone with no associate and 
to His obedience and to follow me and to believe in that which came to me. 


- 351 - 



for I am the Messenger of Allih. I invite you and your men to Allah, the 
Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness that I have communicated 
my message and advice. I invite you to listen and accept my advice. Peace 
be upon him who follows true guidance.”!'! 

The text of this letter is doubtlessly authentic, but to maintain that it was 
written after Al-Hudaibiyah event is still a question lacking in definite 
evidence. 

When * Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari communicated the Apostolic letter 
to Negus, the latter took the parchment and placed it on his eye, descended 
to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam and wrote the following reply to the 
Prophet (j—j«u <111 j*,: 


“In the Name of AU§h, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Negus Ashama to Muhammad, the Messenger of AllAh. Peace be 
upon you, O Messenger of Allah! and mercy and blessing from Allih beside 
Whom there is no god. I have received your letter in which you have 
mentioned about Jesus and by the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus is not 
more than what you say. We fully acknowledge that with which you have 
been sent to us and we have entertained your cousin and his companions. I 
bear witness that you are the Messenger of AllSh, true and confirming 
(those who have gone before you), I pledge to you through your cousin and 
surrender myself through him to the Lord of the worlds.”! 2 ! 

The Prophet <> *_w ^ had asked Negus to send Ja‘far and his 
companions, the emigrants to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), back home. They came 
back to see the Prophet , jl , <111 j*. in Khaibar. Negus later died in Rajab 9 
A.H. shortly after Tabuk Ghazwa. The Prophet ft-, *1* <111 announced his 
death and observed prayer in absentia for him. Another king succeeded 
Negus to the throne and another letter was sent to him by the Prophet 
but whether or not he embraced Islam is still a question not answered yet.! 3 ! 


I'l Z3d Al-Ma‘ad, 3/60. 
I 2 ! Zad Al-Ma'ad, 3/61. 
PI Sahih Muslim, 2/99. 



2. Letter to the Vicegerent of Egypt, called Muqawqas: 

The Prophet ^ <> um ^ wrote to Juraij bin Mattat'l, called Muqawqas, 
vicegerent of Egypt and Alexandria saying: 


“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 


From Muhammad slave of Allih and His Messenger to Muqawqas, 
vicegerent of Egypt. 


Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Thereafter, I invite you to 
accept Islam. Therefore, if you want security, accept Islam. If you accept 
Islam, Allah, the Sublime, shall reward you doubly. But if you refuse to do 
so, you will bear the burden of the transgression of all the Copts. 


n £ ^ \ zi $ && ^ jiii ji > 

61 oj> & <<6 cz 


“Say (O Muhammad ^ uii ‘O people of the Scripture 
(Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us 
and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate 
no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as 
lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness 
that we are Muslims.’ ” [3:64] 


Hatib bin Abi Balta'a, who was chosen to communicate the message, 
requested an audience with Muqawqas before imparting the contents of the 
letter. He addressed Egypt’s vicegerent saying: “There used to be someone 
before you who had arrogated the status of the Supreme Lord, so Allah 
punished him and made an example of him in the Hereafter, and in this life; 
therefore, take warning and never set a bad example to others.” Muqawqas 
answered: “We are in no position to relinquish our religion except for a 
better one.” Hatib resumed: “We invite you to embrace Islam, which will 
suffice you all what you may lose. Our Prophet has called people to profess 
this Faith, Quraish and the Jews stood against him as bitter enemies. 


PI Rahmat-al-lil‘alameen, 1/178; Dr. Hamidullah said that his name was Binyamin. 


- 353 - 



whereas Christians stood closest to his Call. Upon my life, Moses’s news 
about Christ is identical to the latter’s good tidings about the advent of 
Muhammad; likewise, this invitation of ours to you to embrace Islam is 
similar to your invitation to the people of Torah to accept the New 
Testament. Once a Prophet rises in a nation, he is eligible for positive 
response, hence you are subject to the same Divine Law. Bear in mind that 
we have not come to dissuade you from religion of Christ but rather bidding 
you to adhere to its tenets.” Muqawqas meditated over the contents of the 
letter deeply and said: “I have come to the conviction that this Prophet bids 
nothing abominable; he is neither a straying magician nor a lying 
soothsayer. He bears the true manifest seeds of Prophethood, and so I will 
consider the affair deeply.” He took the parchment and ordered that it be 
kept in an ivory casket. He called a scribe to write the following reply in 
Arabic: 


“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Muqawqas to Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah. 

Peace be upon you. I have read your letter and understood its contents, 
and what you are calling for. I already know that the coming of a Prophet is 
still due, but I used to believe he would be bom in Syria. I am sending you 
as presents two maids, who come from noble Coptic families; clothing and a 
steed for riding on. Peace be upon you.” 

It is noteworthy that Muqawqas did not avail himself of this priceless 
opportunity and he did not embrace Islam. The presents were accepted; 
Maria, the first maid, stayed with the Prophet u* and gave birth to 
his son Ibrahim; the other Sirin, was given to Hassan bin Thabit Al-Ansari. 

3. A Letter to Chosroes, Emperor of Persia: 

“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to Chosroes, king of Persia. 

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance, believes in Allah and His 
Messenger and testifies that there is no god but Allah Alone with no 


- 354 - 



associate, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I invite you to 
accept the religion of Allah. I am the Messenger of Allah sent to all people 
in order that I may infuse fear of Allih in every living person, and that the 
charge may be proved against those who reject the Truth. Accept Islam as 
your religion so that you may live in security, otherwise, you will be 
responsible for all the sins of the Magians.” ' 

‘Abdullah bin Hudhafa As-Sahmi was chosen to carry the letter. This 
envoy carried it to the king of Bahrain but we do not know as yet if the 
latter despatched to Chosroes by one of his men or chose ‘Abdullah himself. 

The proud monarch was enraged by the style of the letter as the name of 
the Prophet fju, <ui ^ had been put above his own name. He tore the letter 
into shreds and forthwith dictated a command to his viceroy in Yemen to 
send a couple of troopers to arrest the Prophet and bring him to his 
presence. The governor, Bazan by name, immediately sent two men to 
Madinah for the purpose. As soon as the men reached Madinah, the Prophet 
fj-j «j* tin ju was informed by a Divine Revelation that Pervez, the emperor of 
Persia, had been murdered by his son. The Prophet ^ <ui ju disclosed to 
them the news and they were stunned. He added asking them to tell their 
new monarch that Islam would prevail everywhere and outstrip the 
sovereignty of Chosroes himself. They hurried back to Bazan and 
communicated to him what they heard. Meanwhile, Sherweh, the new 
monarch sent a letter to Bazan confirming the news and bidding him to stop 
any procedures as regards the Prophet till further notice. Bazan, together 
with the Persians in Yemen, went into the folds of Islam, and gladly 
signified his adhesion to the Prophet.! 1 ) 

4. The Envoy to Caesar, King of Rome: 

Al-Bukhari gave a long narration of the contents of the letter sent by the 
Prophet ft-, aii to Hercules, king of the Byzantines: 

“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger to Hercules, 
king of the Byzantines. 


P) Falh Al-Bari, 8/127,128. 



Blessed are those who follow true guidance. I invite you to embrace 
Islam so that you may live in security. If you come within the fold of Is lam, 
All&h will give you double reward, but in case you turn your back upon it, 
then the burden of the sins of all your people shall fall on your shoulders. 




“Say (O Muhammad fU, «jii „j-): ‘O people of the Scripture 
(Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us 
and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate 
no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as 
lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness 
that we are Muslims.’ ” [3:64]P1 

The Muslim envoy, Dihyah bin Khalifah Al-Kalbi, was ordered to hand 
the letter over to king of Busra, who would in turn, send it to Caesar. 


Incidentally, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who by that time had not embraced 
Islam, was summoned to the court and Hercules asked him many questions 
about Muhammad and the religion which he preached. The 

testimony which this avowed enemy of the Prophet gave regarding the 
personal excellence of the Prophet’s character and the good that Islam was 
doing the human race, left Hercules wonder-struck. 


Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, narrated that Hercules sent for 
Abu Sufyan and his companions, who happened to be trading in Ash-Sham, 
Jerusalem. That was during the truce that had been concluded between the 
polytheists of Quraish and the Messenger of Allah ^ <ih j*. Hercules, 
seated amongst his chiefs of staff, asked, “Who amongst you is the nearest 
relative to the man who claims to be a Prophet?” “I (Abu Sufyan) replied: ‘I 
am the nearest relative to him from amongst the group.’ So they made me sit 
in front of him and made my companions sit behind me. Then he called 
upon his translator and said (to him). ‘Tell them (i.e. Abu Sufyan’s 
companions) that I am going to ask him (i.e. Abu Sufyan) regarding that 


PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/4,5. 


- 356 - 



men who claims to be a Prophet. So if he tells a lie, they should contradict 
him (instantly)’. "By Allah had I not been afraid that my companions would 
consider me a liar, I would have told lies”, Abu Sufyan later said. 

Abu Sufyan’s testimony went as follows: “Muhammad descends from a 
noble family. No one of his family happened to assume kingship. His 
followers are those deemed weak with numbers ever growing. He neither 
tells lies nor betrays others, we fight him and he fights us but with alternate 
victory. He bids people to worship Allah Alone with no associate, and 
abandon our fathers’ beliefs. He orders us to observe prayer, honesty, 
abstinence and maintain strong family ties.” “Hercules, on hearing this 
testimony, turned to his translator bidding him to communicate to us his 
following impression which reveals full conviction in the truthfulness of 
M uhammad ’s Prophethood: ‘I fully realize that Prophets come from noble 
families; he does not affect any previous example of Prophethood. Since 
none of his ancestors was a monarch, we cannot then allege that he is a man 
trying to reclaim his father’s monarchy. So long as he does not tell lies to 
people, he is for the more reason, immune to telling lies as regards Allah. 
Concerning his followers being those deemed weak with numbers ever 
growing, it is something that goes in agreement with questions of Faith until 
this latter assumes its full dimensions geographically and demographically. I 
have understood that no instance of apostasy has as yet appeared among his 
followers, and this points to the bliss of Faith that finds its abode in the 
human heart. Betrayal, as I see, is alien to him because real Prophets hold 
betrayal in abhorrence. Bidding worship of Allah with no associates, 
observance of prayer, honesty and abstinence and prohibition of paganism 
are traits bound to rubject to him all my possessions. I have already known 
that a Prophet must arise but it has never occurred to me that he will be an 
Arab from among you. If I was sure I would be faithful to him, I might hope 
to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet.’ Hercules then 
requested that the Prophet’s letter be read. The observations of the emperor 
and finally the definite and clear-cut exposition of the Islamic message 
could not but create a tense atmosphere amongst the clergy present at the 
court. We were ordered to go out.” Abu Sufyan said, “While coming out, I 
said to my companions, ‘The matter of Ibn Abi Kabshah (i.e. Muhammad 
(j—, on ^l.) has become so prominent that even the king of Banu Al-Asfar 
(i.e. the Romans) is afraid of him. ’ So I continued to believe that Allah’s 


- 357 - 



Messenger would be victorious, till Allah made me embrace 

Islam. The king did not embrace Islam — for it was differently o rdained 
However, the Muslim envoy was returned to Madinah with the felicitations 
of the emperor. 

On his way back to Mad inah, Dihyah Al-Kalbi was intercepted by people 
from Judham tribe in Hasmi, who looted the presents sent to the Prophet 
fi—j on Zaid bin Haritha at the head of five hundred men was 
despatched to that spot, inflicted heavy losses on those people and captured 
1000 camels, 5000 of their cattle and a hundred women and boys. The chief 
of Judham who had embraced Islam filed a com plaint with the Prophet, who 
gave a positive response to the former’s protest, and ordered that all the 
spoils and captives be returned. 

5. A Letter to Mnndhlr bln Sawa, Governor of Bahrain: 

The Prophet — .j <jii despatched ‘ Al-‘Ala’ bin Al-Hadrami to the 
governor of Bahrain, carrying a letter inviting him to embrace Islam in 
reply, Al-Mundhir bin Sawa wrote the following letter: 

“Allah’s Messenger ^ ^ I received your injunctions. Prior to this, 
I read your letter, which you wrote to the people of Bahrain exte nding to 
them an invitation to Islam. Islam appealed to some of than and they 
entered the fold of Islam, while others did not find it appe alin g In my 
country, there live Magians and Jews, and therefore you may inform me of 
the treatment to be extended to them.” 

The Prophet ^ ^ wrote the following letter in reply to his: 

“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Muhammad, Messenger of Alldh to Mundhir bin Sawa. 

Peace be on you! I praise Allah with no associate, and I bear witness that 
Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. 

Thereafter, I remind you of Allah, the Mighty, die Glorious. Whoever 
accepts admonition, does it for his own good. Whoever follows my 
messengers and acts in accordance with their guidance, he, in fact, accepts 
my advice. 


- 358 - 



My messengers have highly praised your behaviour. You shall continue 
in your present office. Give the new Muslims full chance to preach their 
religion. I accept your recommendation regarding the people of Bahrain, 
and I pardon the offences of the offenders; therefore, you may also forgive 
them. 

Of the people of Bahrain whoever wants to go on in their Jewish or 
Magian faith, should be made to pay Jizya (poll-tax).”!'] 

6. A Letter to Haudha bin ‘Ali, Governor of Yamama: 

“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah to Haudha bin ‘Ali. 

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Be informed that my 
religion shall prevail everywhere. You should accept Islam, and whatever 
under your command shall remain yours.” 

The envoy chosen was Sulait bin ‘Amr Al-‘Amiri, who after 
communicating his message, carried back the following reply to the Prophet 

pL-j <111 'jLtl 

“The Faith, to which you invite me, is very good. I am a famous orator 
and poet, the Arabs highly respect me ajjd I am of account among them. If 
you include me in your government, I am prepared to follow you.” 

The governor then bestowed a reward on Sulait and presented him with 
clothes made of Hajr fabric. Of course, he put all those presents in the trust 
of the Prophet ^ <u ju>. 

The Prophet <* 1 ** 11 ^ did not accept Haudha’s demand. He usually 
turned down such peremptory tone, and would say that the whole matter 
was in the Hand of Allah, Who gave His land to whoever He desired. 
Gabriel later came with the Revelation that Haudha had died. The Prophet 
^ uji in the context of his comment on this news, said: “Yamama is 
bound to give rise to a liar who will arrogate Prophethood to himself but he 


!'] ZSd Al-Ma'ad, 3/61,62. 


- 359 - 



will subsequently be killed.” In reply to a question relating to the identity of 
the killer, the Prophet said “It is one of you, followers of Islam.”! 1 ! 

7. A Letter to Harith bin Abi S hamir Ai- Ghassani, King of Damascus: 

“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah to Al-Harith bin Abi Shamir 

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance, believes in it and regards 
it as true. I invite you to believe in Allah Alone with no associate, 
thenceafter your kingdom will re main yours.” 

Shuja‘ bin Wahab had the honour of taking the letter to Harith, who upon 
hearing the letter read in his audience, was madly infuriated and uttered: 
“Who dares to disposs me of my country, I’U fight him (the Prophet),” and 
arrogantly rejected the Prophet’s invitation to the fold of Islam.! 2 ! 

8. A Letter to the King of ‘Oman, Jaifer, and his Brother ‘Abd 
Al-Jalandi: 


“In the Name of Allah, 
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah to Jaifer and ‘Abd Al-Jalandi. 

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance; thereafter I invite both of 
you to the Call of Islam. Embrace Islam. Allah has sent me as a Prophet to 
all His creatures in order that I may instil fear of Allah in the hearts of His 
disobedient creatures so that there may be left no excuse for those who deny 
Allah. If you two accept Islam, you will remain in command of your 
country; but if you refuse my Call, you’ve got to remember that all your 
possessions are perishable. My horsemen will appropriate your land, and my 
Prophethood will assume preponderance over your kingship.” 


1‘] Z&d Al-Ma'ad, 3/63. 

I 2 ! Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 3/62; Muhadarat Tareekh A 1-1 I mam Al-Islamiyah, 1/146. 


- 360 - 



‘Amr bin Al-’As, who was chosen to cany the letter, narrated the 
following story that happened before he was admitted into the audience of 
Jaifer. 

“When I arrived in ‘Oman I contacted ‘Abd, who was known to be more 
mild-tempered (ban his brother: 

‘Amr: I am die messenger of AllSh’s Prophet coming to see both, you 
and your brother. 

‘Abd: You have to see my brother and read to him the letter you are 
carrying. He is my senior in both age and kingship. 
Incidentally, what is the purport of your mission? 

‘Amr The Prophet calls upon you to believe in Allah Alone with no 
associate, discard any other deities and testify to the slavehood 
and Messengership of Muhammad. 

‘Abd: O ‘Amr! You come from a noble family, but first of all, tell me 
what was your father’s attitude concerning this Faith? You 
know, we used to follow his steps. 

♦Amr- Death overtook him before believing in Muhammad’s mission; 

I wish now he had embraced Islam and been truthful to it 
before his death. I myself had adopted the same attitude until 
AllSh guided me towards Islam. 

‘Abd: When did you embrace Islam? 

‘Amr- When I was at Negus’s court. By the way, the latter did also 
enter into die fold of Islam. 

‘Abd: What was his people’s reaction? 

‘Amr They approved of him and followed his steps. 

‘Abd: The bishops and monks? 

‘Amr They did the same. 

‘Abd: Beware ‘Amr of lying for this soon betrays man. 

‘Amr. I never tell lies; moreover, our religion never allows it. 

‘Abd: Has Hercules been informed of the Islamization of Negus? 


- 361 - 



‘Amr: Yes, of course. 

‘ Abd: How did you happen to know that? 

‘Amr: Negus used to pay land tax to Hercules, but when the former 
embraced Islam, he swore he would discontinue that tax. When 
this news reached Hercules, his courtiers urged him to take 
action against Negus but he refused and added that he himself 
would do the same if he were not sparing of his kingship. 

‘Abd: What does your Prophet exhort you to do? 

‘Amr: He exhorts us to obey Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Glorious, 
be pious and maintain good ties with family kin; he forbids 
disobedience, aggression, adultery, wine, idolatry and devotion 
to the cross. 

‘Abd: Fair words and fair beliefs are those you are calling for. I wish 
my brother would follow me to believe in M uhammad 
and profess his religion, but my brother is too sparing of his 
kingship to become a subordinate 

‘Amr: Should your brother surrender himself to Islam, the Prophet 
would give him authority over his people and take alms tax 
from the wealthy people to be given to the needy. 

Abd. That is fair behaviour. But what is this alma tax you have 
mentioned? 

‘Amr: It is a Divine injunction that alms tax be taken from the well-to- 
do people who have surplus wealth and be distributed to the 
poor. 

‘Abd: I doubt if this can work among our people. 

‘Amr stayed for some days to be admitted into Jaifer’s court until he was 
finally granted this permit. “He asked me to hand him the letter to read it 
After that he asked me how Quraish reacted and I answered that they had 
followed him, some out of their own freewill and others overpowered by 
military fighting. Now, people have chosen Islam in preference to other 
creeds, and have realized through their mental insight that they had been 
straying in darkness. None, except you, is now out of the domain of Islam, 


- 362 - 



so I advise you to embrace Islam so that you can provide security to 
yourself and your country” 

Here, he asked me to call on him the following day. The following day 
he showed some reluctance in receiving me but his brother, ‘Abd, 
interceded and I was given the chance to see him again but this time to 
address me in a threatening arrogant tone. However, after a private talk with 
his brother and reconsidering the whole situation, both brothers embraced 
Islam and proved to be true to Is lam that had begun to make its way into this 
new area. 

The context of this story reveals that this letter was sent at a much later 
date than the others, most likely after the conquest of Makkah. 

Through these letters, the Prophet managed to communicate his Message 
to most monarchs at Unit time; some believed, while others remained 
obdurate and persisted in their disbelief. However, the idea of embracing 
Islam, and the advent of a new Prophet preoccupied all of them. 


- 363 - 



Post-Hudaibiyah Hostilities 
Dhu Qarad Invasion. 

It was in fact not a battle but rather a skirmish carried out against a 
platoon of Bani Fazarah. The place by which it was fought is known as Dhu 
Qarad, a reservoir of water at a day’s journey from Madinah. According to 
the majority of scholars, this incident took place three days before the battle 
ofKhaibar. 

It has been narrated on the authority of Salamah bin Al-Akwa‘, the hero 
of this battle, that the Messenger of Allah sent his hireling 

Rabah, with his camels to a nearby pasture. I, taking Talhah’s horse, went 
there for the same purpose. When the day dawned, ‘Abdur Rahman 
Al-Fazari made a raid, drove away all the camels, and killed the man who 
looked after them. I told Rabah to ride the horse, take it to Talhah and 
inform the Messenger of AllSh fi— } g> <_w that the polytheists had muHs 
away with his camels. Then I stood upon a hillock and turning my face to 
Madinah, shouted thrice: “Come to our help!” After that I set out in pursuit 
of the raiders, shooting at them with arrows and chanting (self-eulogatory) 
verse: 

I am the son ofAl-Akwa' 

Today is the day ofdefeat for the mean. 

By Allah, I continued shooting at them and hamstringing their animals. 
Whenever a horseman turned upon me, I would come to a tree (hid myself) 
sitting at its base, shoot at him and hamstring his horse. At last they entered 
a narrow mountain gorge. I ascended that mountain and held diem at bay 
throwing stones at them. I continued to chase them in this way until I got all 
the camels released with no one left with them. They fled in all directions 
and I following and shooting at diem continually until they dropped more 
than thirty mantles and thirty lances, lightening their burden. On everything 
they dropped, I put a tnaik with a stone so that the Messenger of Allah pL, 
and his Companions might recognize them (that it was booty left by the 
enemy). They went on until they came to a narrow valley. They sat down to 
eat something, and I sat on the top of a tapering rode. Four of diem ascended 
the mountain coming towards me. When they were near enough to hear me, 
I shouted: “Do you recognize me?” They said: “No. Who are you?” I said: 
“I am Salamah son of Al-Akwa‘. I can kill anyone of you I like but none of 


- 364 - 



you can kill me.” So they returned. I did not move from my place until I saw 
the horsemen of the Messenger of Allah ^ «*u un ^ju, who came riding 
through the trees. The foremost among them was Akhram, behind him was 
Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari followed by Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad. Akhram and 
‘Abdur Rahman Al-Fazari met in combat. Akhram hamstrung ‘Abdur 
Rahman’s horse but the latter managed to strike him with his lance and kill 
him. ‘Abdur Rahman turned around riding Akhram’s horse. Abu Qatadah, 
seeing this, got engaged in fierce combat with‘Abdur Rahman, smote him 
with his lance and it was fatal. The polytheists consequently fled away and I 
was in their pursuit until before sunset they reached a valley with a spring of 
water called Dhu Qarad. They rested there to have a drink. I however, 
r unning in hot pursuit, turned them out of the valley before they could drink 
a drop of water. Later on, the Prophet ^ uii along with his 
Companions, overtook me. I addressed him saying: Messenger of Allah, let 
me select from our people one hundred men and I will follow the marauders 
and finish them. In reply, the Prophet said: “Ibn Al-Akwa‘, you 

have taken enough and so now you have to show magnanimity; now they 
have reached die habitation of Ghatfan where they are being feted.” He 
added saying: “Our best horseman today is Abu Qatadah, and our best 
footman today is Salamah.” He allotted me two shares of the booty - the 
share meant for the horseman and the other meant for the footman, and 
combined both of them for me. Intending to return to Madinah, he made me 
mount behind him on his she-camel called Al-‘Adba’. 


- 365 - 



The Conquest of Khaibar 
(In Moharram, 7A.H.) 


Khaibar was a spacious strongly fortified territory, studded with castles 
and farms, lying at a distance of 60-80 miles north of Madinah, now a 
village known for its uncongenial climate. After Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty, the 
major party of the anti-Islam tripartite coalition —Quraish, the bedouin 
horde of Najd tribes and the Jews — was neutralized, therefore, the Prophet 
A—i uji j-l. deemed it an appropriate time to settle his affairs with the other 
two wings — the Jews and the Najd tribes — in order that peace and 
security could prevail and the Muslims may devote their time and effort in 
propagating the Message of Allah and calling people to embrace it. Khaibar 
itself had always remained a hotbed of intrigue and conspiracy, and the 
Jews had always constituted it a source of military provocations and war 
instigation centre, so it was given a top priority on the agenda of the 
Prophet’s compelling exigencies. The Jews of Khaibar had united by an 
ancient alliance with the Confederates, triggered Bani Quraiza to practise 
treachery, maintained contacts with Ghatfan and the Arabians and they even 
devised an attempt at the Prophet’s life. In fact, the continual afflictions that 
the Muslims had sustained were primarily attributable to the Jews. Envoys 
were repeatedly sent to them for peaceful settlement, but all in vain. 
Consequently the Prophet ^ *i* an ^ came to the conclusion that a military 
campaign was a must in order to forestall their hostilities. 

Interpreters of the Noble Qur’an suggest that capturing Khaibar had been 
a Divine promise implied in Allah’s Words: 






“Allah has promised you abundant spoils that you will capture, 
and He has hastened for you this.” [48:20] 
i.e., Al-Hudaibiyah Peace Treaty and the surrender of Khaibar. 


The hypocrites and people weak of heart had hung back from jo ining the 
true Muslims in Al-Hudaibiyah campaigns, so now Allah, the All-Mighty 
inculcated the following words in His Prophet’s ears: 






& 65 ^ jar d 


-y-'rVi 


- 366 - 





“Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take 
the spoils, ‘Allow us to follow you.’ They want to change 
Allah’s Words. Say: ‘You shall not follow us; thus Allah has 
said beforehand.’ Then they will say: ‘Nay, you envy us.’ Nay, 
but they understand not except a little.” [48:15] 


For this reason, the Prophet invited only those who were 

willing to fight in the cause of Allah to accompany him in his march against 
Khaibar. 1400 men only, who had sworn allegiance in response to his call. 

Meanwhile, Siba‘ bin ‘Arfatah Al-Ghifari was chosen to run the affairs 
of Madinah. Another incident of high significance is noteworthy, namely 
the Islamization of Abu Huraira, a venerable Muslim scholar and an 
authentic narrator of the Prophetic traditions. 


The hypocrites of Arabia took notice of the fresh Islamic intentions so 
they began to alert the Jews to the imminent military activities. Their chief, 
‘Abdullah bin Ubai delegated an envoy to the Jews of Khaibar warning 
them against the dangers approaching, and nerving them to resist the 
Muslims as they outnumbered the latter and were better equipped. On 
hearing the news the Jews despatched Kinanah bin Abi Al-Huqaiq and 
Haudha bin Qais to their former allies, the tribe of Ghatfan requesting 
military assistance, promising to grant them half the yield of the fiuit that 
their farms could yield if they managed to beat the Muslims. 

The Prophet marched by way of Isra Mountain and then went forward 
with the army till he halted in a valley called Ar-Raji‘, encamping between 
Khaibar and Ghatfan so as to prevent the latter from reinforcing the Jews. 
The guides accompanying him led him to an intersection from which 
branched out three roads with different designations; all leading to his 
destination. He abstained from following the first two roads on grounds of 
their ominous designation and chose the third for its propitious indications. 

It is noteworthy that some interesting incidents featured the Muslims’ 
march towards Khaibar; of which we mention the following: 

1. It has been narrated on the authority of Salamah bin Al-Akwa‘, who said: 

We marched upon Khaibar with die Messenger of AllSh ^ ^u. We 

journeyed during die night. One of die men said to my brother ‘Amir: 


- 367 - 



Won’t you recite to us some of your verses, ‘Amir? So he began to chant 
his verses to urge the camels, reciting: 

O Allah, if You had not guided us, 

We would have neither been guided rightly nor practised 
charity, nor offered prayers. 

We wish to lay down our lives for You; so forgive You our 
lapses, 

And keep us steadfast when we encounter (our enemies). 

Bestow upon us peace and tranquility. 

Behold, when with a cry they called upon us to help. 

The Messenger of Allah ,jl-, <-w said: “Who is this driver (of the 

camels)?” They said: “It is ‘Amir.” He said: “Allah will show mercy to 
him.” A man said: “Martyrdom is reserved for him; O Messenger of 
Allah, would that you had allowed us to benefit ourselves from his 
life.”!*! The Prophet’s Companions had already known that he would 
never invoke Allih’s mercy upon a close Companion but to single him 
out for martyrdom.Pl 

2. On their way down a valley, the Muslims began to entertain Allah’s 
Greatness: shouting at the top of their voices: “Allah is Great, Allah is 
Great, there is no god but Allah.” The Prophet ^ ^ asked them to 
lower down their voices saying: “The One you are invoking is neither 
absent nor deaf; He is close to you, All-hearing.l 3 l” 

3. In a spot called As-Sahba’, not far from Khaibar, the Prophet ^ *ui 
observed the afternoon prayer, then he called his Companions to have 
whatever food provisions they had. What they brought was too scanty to 
satisfy them all. The Prophet took it by his hand and it immediately grew 
in quantity, so they all ate to their fill. Shortly afterward, he and the 
others, rinsed their mouths and performed the evening prayer without 
ablution^ 4 !; he did the same for the night prayed 5 !. 


[i] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/603; Sahih Muslim, 2/115. 
P! Sahih Muslim, 2/115. 

P! Sahih AI-Bukhari, 2/605. 
t 4 ! Sahih AI-Bukhari, 2/603. 

P! Maghazi Al-Waqidi, p. 112. 


- 368 - 



The following morning, at sunrise, the Muslims encountered the Jews 
when they had come out about their jobs with their axes, spades and strings 
driving their cattle along. They began to shout in surprise: “Muhammad has 
come along with his force!” The Messenger of Allah ^ u* ui ^ said: “Allah 
is Great, Khaibar shall face destruction. Behold! When we descend in the 
city centre, it will be a bad day for those who have been warned (but have 
not taken heed)J l 3” 

For encampment, the Prophet i jl 0 uji had chosen a certain plot of 
land he deemed suitable to serve as the headquarters of his army. However, 
a veteran fighter of his called Hubab bin Al-Mundhir suggested that they, 
under the exigencies of war requirements and for the sake of providing 
maximum logistic facilities, shift to another place. On approaching the 
vicinity of Khaibar, the Prophet ordered his troops to halt, and began to 
invoke his Lord saying: “O Allah! Lord of the seven heavens and what they 
harbour beneath, Lord of the seven earths and what lies in their wombs, 
Lord of devils and whomsoever they have led astray; we beseech You to 
grant us the good of this village (Khaibar), the good of its inhabitants and 
the good that lies in it. We seek refuge with You from the evil of this 
village, the evil of its inhabitants, and the evil that lies in it. Then he 
ordered, 4 ‘Now march (towards the village) in the Name of Allah.’ 1 2 1 

“The banner”, the Prophet ^ j* declared “would be entrusted to a 
man who loves Allah and His Messenger and they (Allah and His 
Messenger) love him.” All the Muslims came forward in the following 
morning hoping to be granted the honour of carrying the banner. The 
Prophet uji ^ called for ‘Ali bin Abi Talib whose eyes used to hurt, 

and handed it to him. ‘Ali, on his part, pledged he would fight the enemies 
until they embraced Islam. The Prophet ^ up ui j* answered him saying: 
“Take things easy and invite them to accept Islam and brief them on their 
duties towards Allah. I swear by Allah that if only one should be guided 
through your example, that would surely outweigh the best of our 
camels.”^ 


HI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/603,604. 
m IbnHisham, 2/329. 

[3] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/505,606. 



Khaibar, it seems, was split into two parts with five forts in the first: 
Na‘im, As-Sa‘b bin Mu‘adh, the castle of Az-Zubair, ’Abi Castle, and 
An-Nizar in Ash-Shiqq; three others were in part two: Al-Qamus, 
Al-Wateeh and As-Salalim. 

The Actual Operation begins: 

The Prophet ^ uji ^ began the campaign by reducing the minor 
strongholds one after the other. The first fort he was to attack was Na‘im, 
the first defence line with a formidable strategic position. Marhab, the 
leader of the fort, invited ‘ Amr bin Al-Akwa‘ to meet him in combat and the 
latter responded; when ‘Amr struck the Jew, his sword recoiled and 
wounded his knee, and he died of that wound. The Prophet ^ later 

said: “For him (‘Amir) there is a double reward in the Hereafter.” He 
indicated this by putting two of his fingers together. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib then 
undertook to meet Marhab in combat, and managed to kill him. Yasir, 
Marhab’s brother, then turned up challenging the Muslims to a fight. Az- 
Zubair was equal to it and killed him on the spot. Real fighting then broke 
out and lasted for a few days. The Jews showed courage and proved to be 
too formidable even to the repeated rushes of the veteran soldiers of Islam. 
However, they later realized the futility of resistance and began to abandon 
their positions in An-Na‘im and infiltrate into the fortress of As-Sa‘b. 

Al-Hubab bin Al-Mundhir Al-Ansari led the attack on As-Sa‘b fortress 
and laid siege to it for three days after which the Muslims stormed it with a 
lot of booty, provisions and food to fall to their lot therein. This victory 
came in the wake of the Prophet’s ^ «di ^ invocation to Allah to help 
Banu Aslam in their relentless and daring attempts to capture that fort. 

During the process of the war operations, extreme hunger struck the 
Muslims. They lit fires, slaughtered domestic asses and began to cook them. 
When the Prophet ^ «*u uji ^ inquired about the fires and cooking, he 
ordered that they throw away the meat and wash the cooking pots, 
forbidding the practice of eating such meat. 

The Jews, meanwhile, evacuated An-Natat and barricaded themselves in 
Az-Zubair fort, a formidable defensive position inaccessible to both cavalry 
and infantry. The Muslims besieged it for three days, but in vain. A Jew spy 
told the Prophet about a subterranean water source that provided them with 


- 370 - 



water, and advised that it be cut off in order to undermine their resistance. 
The Prophet ^ uji did that so the Jews got out to engage with the 
Muslims in fierce figh t in g during which some Muslims and ten Jews were 
killed, but the fort was eventually conquered. 

Shortly after this battle, the Jews moved to ’Abi Castle and barricaded 
themselves inside. The same events recurred; the Muslims besieged the new 
site for three days and then the great Muslim hero Abu Dujanah Sammak 
bin Kharshah Al-Ansari — of the red ribbon — led the Muslim army and 
broke into the castle, conducted fierce military operations within and forced 
the re mainin g Jews to flee for their lives into another fort, An-Nizar. 

An-Nizar was the most powerful fort, and the Jews came to the 
established conviction that it was too immune to be stormed, so they 
deemed it a safe place for their children and women. The Muslims, 
however, were not dismayed but dragged on the siege, but because standing 
at a commanding top, the fort was impregnable. The Jews inside were too 
cowardly to meet the Muslims in open fight but rather hurled a shower of 
arrows and stones on the attackers. Considering this situation, the Prophet 
f i j , ,i. .in ordered that rams be used and these proved effective and caused 
cracks in the ramparts providing an easy access into the heart of the fort, 
where the Jews were put to rout and fled in all directions leaving behind 
their women and children. 

With these series of military victories, the first division of Khaibar was 
totally reduced, and the Jews in the other minor fortresses evacuated them 
and fled to the second division. 

The Second Part of Khaibar conquered: 

When the Prophet ^ «w ju, along with his army, moved to this part of 
Khaibar, Al-Katiba, he laid a heavy siege to it for fourteen days with the 
Jews barricading themselves inside their forts. When he was about to use the 
r ams, the Jews realized that they would perish, therefore, they asked for a 
negotiable peace treaty. 

There is one controversial point in this context. Was this part of Khaibar 
(with its three forts) conquered by force? Ibn Ishaq clearly stated that 
Al-Qamus fort was conquered by force. Al-Waqidi, on the other hand, 
maintained that die three forts were taken through peace negotiations, and 


- 371 - 



force, if any, was resorted to only to hand the fort over to the Muslims; the 
two other forts surrendered without fighting 

Negotiations: 

Ibn Abi Al-Huqaiq was despatched to the Messenger of Allah fUj 44 L* -dJl 
to negotiate the surrender treaty. The Prophet fU, ^ agreed to spare 
their lives on condition they evacuate Khaibar and the adjacent land, leaving 
whatever gold and silver they had in their possession. However, he 
stipulated that he would disavow any commitment if they concealed 
anything. Shortly afterwards, the forts were handed over to the Muslims and 
all Khaibar was reduced and brought under the sway of Islam. 

This treaty notwithstanding, Abi Al-Huqaiq’s two sons concealed a 
leather bag full of jewels, and money belonging to Huyai bin Al-Akhtab, 
who carried it with him when Banu Nadir had been banished. Kinanah bin 
Ar-Rabi\ who had hidden the musk somewhere, was obdurate in his denial 
and so he was killed when the musk was discovered and his dishonesty was 
proven. Abi Al-Huqaiq’s two sons were killed in recompense for breaching 
the covenant, and Safiyah, Huyai’s daughter was taken as a captive. 

Distribution of Spoils: 

In accordance with the agreement already concluded, the Jews would be 
obliged to evacuate Khaibar, but they were anxious to keep on cultivating 
the rich soil and fine orchard for which Khaibar was famous. They, 
therefore, approached the Prophet ^ <ui j*. with the request that they be 
allowed to cultivate their lands and they would give half of the produce to 
the Muslims. Muhammad ^ uii ^ was kind enough to accede to their 
request. 

The Messenger fL. } an divided the land of Khaibar into two: one half 
to provide the food to be stored in case of any accidental calamity that might 
befall the Muslims, and for entertaining the foreign delegates who started to 
frequent Madinah a lot; the other half would go to the Muslims who had 
witnessed Al-Hudaibiyah event whether present or absent The total number 
of shares came to 36, of which 18 were given to the people above- 


- 372 - 



mentioned. The army consisted of 1400 men of whom were 200 horsemen. 
The horseman was allotted 3 shares and the footman one.!*] 

The spoils taken at Khaibar were so great that Ibn ‘Umar said: “We never 
ate our fill until we had conquered Khaibar.” ‘Aishah *ui ^ is narrated to 
have said: “Now we can eat our fill of dates.”! 2 ! 

On their return to Madinah, the Emigrants were able to return to the 
Helpers of Madinah all the gifts they had received. All of this affluence 
came after the conquest of Khaibar and the great economic benefits that the 
Muslims began to reap.! 3 ! 

The conquest of Khaibar coincided with the arrival of the Prophet’s 
cousin Ja‘far bin Abi Talib and his companions along with Abi Musa 
Al-Ash‘ari and some Mus lims from Abyssinia (Ethiopia). 

Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari narrated that he and over fifty companions, while 
in Yemen, took a ship which landed them in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and they 
happened to meet there Ja‘far and his companions. He said, “We stayed 
together until the Prophet fU, an ^ sent an envoy asking us to come back. 
When we returned, we found out that he had already conquered Khaibar, yet 
he gave us our due shares of the spoils.” The advent of those men came at 
the request made by the Messenger of Allah v* an to Negus, king of 
Abyssinia (Ethiopia), through a Prophetic deputy, ‘Amr bin Omaiya 
Ad-Damari. Negus sent them back, 16 men altogether with their wives and 
children on two boats. The rest of emigrants had arrived in Madinah 
earlier.! 4 ! 

In the same context, Safiyah, whose husband Kinanah bin Abi Al-Huqaiq 
was killed for treachery, was taken as a captive and brought along with 
other prisoners of war. After the permission of the Prophet an was 

sought, Dihyah Al-Kalbi chose one of them and she happened to be Safiyah. 
The other Muslims, however, advised that Safiyah, being die daughter of the 
chief of Bani Quraiza and Bani Nadir, should be married to the Prophet 
r i—«ui jL*, who agreed to their opinion, invited her to Islam, freed and took 


t‘l Zid Al-Ma'ad, 2/137,138. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/609. 

PI Zid Al-Ma'ad, 2/148; Sahih Muslim, 2/96. 

HI Muhadarat Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah, 1/128. 


- 373 - 



her as wife on her embracing Islam. The wedding feast consisted of dates 
and fat; and was held on his way back to Madinah at a spot called Sadd 
As-Sahba’. 

After the conquest of Khaibar, a Jewish woman called Zainab bint 
Al-Harith offered the Prophet y, *w a roasted sheep she had poisoned. 
He took a mouthful, but it was not to his liking so he spat it out. After 
investigation, the woman confessed that she had stuffed the food with 
poison alleging that if the eater were a king, she would then rid herself of 
him, but should he be a Prophet, then he would be bound to learn about it. 
The Prophet y—, j-., however, connived at her treacherous attempt, but 

ordered that she be killed when Bishr bin Al-Bara’ died of that poison. 

The number of Muslims who were martyred was controversial, but it 
ranged between 16 and 18, while the number of Jews killed came to 93. 

The rest of Khaibar also fell to the Muslims. Allah cast fear into the 
hearts of the people of Fadak, a village standing to the north of Khaibar, and 
they hastened to ask for peace, and be allowed to leave in safety, and give 
up their wealth in return for that The Prophet y, y- entered into an 
agreement with them similar to the previous one with the people of Khaibar. 
Fadak was exclusively the Prophet’s because neither Muslim cavalry nor 
camelry were involved in fight thereby. 

No sooner had the Prophet y^ .any. discharged the affair of Khaibar 
than he started a fresh move towards Wadi Al-Qura, another Jewish colony 
in Arabia. He mobilized his forces and divided them into three regiments 
with four banners entrusted to Sa‘d bin ‘Ubada, Al-Hubab bin Mundhir, 
‘Abbad bin Bishr and Sahl bin Haneef. Prior to fighting, he invited the Jews 
to embrace Islam but all his words and exhortations fell on deaf ears. Eleven 
of the Jews were killed one after another and with each one newly killed, a 
fresh call was extended inviting those people to profess the new faith. 
Fighting went on ceaselessly for approximately two days and resulted in full 
surrender of the Jews. Their land was conquered, and a lot of booty fell in 
the hands of the Muslims. 


- 374 - 



The Prophet ,jl., 4iii ^ stayed in Wadi Al-Qura for four days, distributed 
the booty among the Muslim fighters and reached an agreement with the 
Jews similar to that of Khaibar.! 1 ') 

The Jews of Taima’, hearing beforehand about the successive victories of 
the Muslim army and the defeats that their brethren, the Jews, had sustained, 
showed no resistance when the Prophet f i~,« 4 u«in preached their habitation. 
On the contrary, they took the initiative and offered to sign a reconciliation 
treaty to the effect that they receive protection but pay tribute in return. 
Having achieved his objective and subdued the Jews completely, the 
Prophet ft-, <ui ju made his way back home and arrived in Madinah in late 
Safar or early Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 7 A.H. 

It is noteworthy that the Prophet <w ju, being the best amongst war 
experts, realized quite readily that evacuating Madinah after the lapse of the 
prohibited months (Muharram, Dhul Qa‘da and Dhul Hijja) would not be 
wise at all with the presence of the desert bedouins roaming in its vicinity. 
Such a careless attitude, the Prophet ^ believed, would tempt the 

undisciplined mob to practise their favourite hobby of plundering, looting 
and all acts of piracy. This premonition always in mind, the Prophet 
fi—, «in ^ despatched Aban bin Sa‘id at the head of a platoon to deter those 
bedouins and forestall any attempt at raiding the headquarters of the nascent 
Islamic state during his absence in Khaibar. Aban achieved his task 
successfully and joined the Prophet ^ in Khaibar after it had been 

conquered. 


M ZM Al-Ma‘ad, 2/146,147. 



Sporadic Invasions 


The Expedition called Dhat-ur-Riqa* (in the year 7 A.H.): 

Having subdued two powerful sides of the Confederates coalition, the 
Prophet (j—j 4 » ju started preparations to discipline the third party, i.e. the 
desert bedouins, who took Najd for habitation, and continued in their usual 
practices of looting and plundering. Unlike the Jews of Khaibar and people 
of Makkah, they had a liking for living in the wilderness dispersed in 
scattered spots, hence the difficulty of bringing them under control, and the 
futility of carrying out deterrent campaigns against them. However, the 
Prophet fL-j uji jX. was determined to put an end to this unacceptable 
situation and called the Muslims around him to get ready to launch a 
decisive campaign against those harassing rebels. Meanwhile it was 
reported to him that Bani Muharib and Banu ThaTbah of the Ghatfan tribe 
were gathering army in order to encounter the Muslims. The Prophet ^ ^ 
proceeded towards Najd at the head of 400 or 700 men, after he had 
mandated Abu Dhar - in another version,‘Uthman bin‘Affan - to dispose 
the affairs of Madinah during his absence. The Muslim fighters penetrated 
deep into their land until they reached a spot called Nakhlah where they 
came across some bedouins of Ghatfan, but no fighting took place because 
the latter had agreed to go into reconciliation with the Muslims. The Prophet 
(Xj v* 4 ji jL. led his followers that day in a prayer of fear. 

Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari, narrated that they 
set out on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui “We were 
six in number and had (with us) only one camel which we rode turn by turn. 
Our feet were injured. My feet were so badly injured that my nails came off. 
We, therefore, bandaged our feet with rags, so this expedition was called 
Dhat-ur-Riqa' (i.e. the expedition of rags.)”!') 

Jabir narrated: In the course of Dhat-ur-Riqa ‘ expedition, we came to a 
leafy tree where the Prophet sat shading himself off the burning 

sun. The others dispersed here and there seeking shelter from heat. The 
Prophet fU* «w ^ had a short nap after he had hung his sword on the tree: 
A polytheist, meanwhile came, seized the sword and unsheathed it. 


PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/592; Sahib Muslim, 2/118. 


- 376 - 




The Prophet v<i® «jm ^ woke up to find his sword drawn in the man’s 
hand. The bedouin here asked the Prophet (unarmed then): “Who would 
hold me back from killing you now?” The Prophet ^ un ^ then 
answered: “It is Allah.” In another version, it was reported that the Prophet 
(Jl-j vii* <_ui took the sword when it had fallen down and the man said: “You 
(the Prophet) are the best one to hold a sword.” The Prophet ^ 
asked the man if he would testify to the Oneness of Allah and the 
Messengership of Muhammad. The Arabian answered that he would never 
engage in a fight against him, nor would he ally people fighting the 
Muslims. The Prophet uii ^ set the man free and let him go to his 
people to say to them that he had seen the best one among all people.!'] 

A woman from the Arabians was taken prisoner in the context of this 
battle. Her husband, on hearing the news, swore he would never stop until 
he had shed the blood of a Muslim. Secretly at night, he approached the 
camp of the Muslims when he saw two sentries stationed there to alert the 
Muslims against any emergency. He shot the first one, Abbad bin Bishr, 
who was observing prayer, with an arrow but he did not stop prayer, he 
simply pulled it out. Then he was shot by three other arrows but would not 
interrupt his prayer. After he had done the closing salutations, he awakened 
his companion ‘Ammar bin Yasir, who remonstrated that he should have 
alerted him to which the latter replied that he was half way through a 
Chapter and did not like to interrupt it.Pl 

The victory at the expedition of Dhat-ur-Riqa ‘ had a tremendous impact 
on all the Arabians. It cast fear into their hearts and rendered them too 
powerless to antagonize the Muslim society in Madinah. They began to 
acquiesce in the prevailing situation and resigned themselves to new geo¬ 
political conditions working in favour of the new religion. Some of them 
even embraced Islam and took an active part in the conquest of Makkah and 
the battle of Hunain, and received their due shares of the war booty. 

From that time onward, the anti-Islam tripartite coalition had been 
subdued, and peace and security prevailed. The Muslims, then started to 
redress any political imbalance and fill in the small gaps that still triggered 


1*1 Mukhtasar See rat Ar-Rasool, p. 264; Fath Al-Bari, 7/416. 
PI Zad Al-Ma'ad, 2/112; Ibn Hisham, 2/203-209. 


- 377 - 




unrest here and there in the face of the great drive oflslamizationthat 
enveloped the whole area. We could in this context mention some of these 
incidental skirmishes which pointed markedly to the ever-growing power of 
the Muslim society. 

1. A platoon headed by Ghalib bin ‘Abdullah Al-Laithi in Safar or in Rabi‘ 
Al-Awwal 7 A.H. was despatched to muffle the provocative behaviour of 
Bani Al-Muluh. The Muslims managed to kill a large number of the 
enemy soldiers and captured a great deal of booty. A large army of 
polytheists rushed in their heel but floods hindered the pursuit, and the 
Muslims managed to withdraw in safety. 

2. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, at the head of a 30-soldier group, set out to a spot 
called Turbah in Sha‘ban 7 A.H. to discipline the people of Hawazin. He 
no longer arrived at their habitation that they fled for their lives. 

3. Thirty men with Basheer bin Sa‘d Al-Ansari headed for Bani Murrah in 
Sha‘ban 7 A.H. in Fadak area. He killed a large number of the enemy and 
seized a lot of their camels and cattle. On his way back, the enemy 
gathered up forces and overtook the Muslims at night. They showered 
Basheer and his men with arrows, and killed all the Muslims except 
Basheer, who took refuge in Fadak and stayed with the Jews there until 
his wounds healed. 

4. Ghalib bin ‘Abdullah Al-Laithi at the head of a platoon of 130 men 

launched an attack against Bani ‘Awal and Bani ‘Abd bin Thaibah in 
Ramadan 7 A.H. They killed some of die enemy’s men and captured 
their cattle and camels. ‘Usama bin Zaid killed Mardas bin Nahik, a 
polytheist, but after he had pronounced the testimony of Allah’s Oneness 
to which incident the Prophet commented addressing his 

Companions: “Would you rip open his heart to discern whether he is 
truthful or a liar?” 

5. A thirty-horseman group headed by ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha marched 
towards Khaibar on reports that Aseer (or Basheer bin Razam) was 
rallying the ranks of Bani Ghatfan to attack the Muslims: They managed 
to persuade that Jew to follow them to Madinah encouraging him that the 
Prophet pu-j uii ^ would institute him as a ruler of Khaibar. On their 
way back there occurred a sort of misunderstanding that gave rise to 


- 378 - 



fierce fighting between the two parties resulting in the death of Aseer and 
the thirty men with him. 

6. In Shawwal 7 A.H., Basheer bin Sa‘d Al-Ansari marched towards Yemen 
and Jabar at the head of300 Muslim fighters to subdue a large mob of 
polytheists who gathered to raid the outskirts of Madinah. Basheer and 
his men used to march at night and lurk during the day until they reached 
their destination. Having heard about the advent of the Muslims, the 
polytheists fled away leaving behind them a large booty and two men 
who later embraced Islam on arrival in Madinah. 

7. In the year 7 A.H., shortly before the Compensatory ‘Umrah (lesser 
pilgrimage), a man called Jashm bin Mu‘awiyah came to a spot called 
Ghabah where he wanted to gather the people of Qais and entice them 
into fighting the Muslims. The Prophet ^ uii on hearing these 
reports, despatched Abu Hadrad with two men to see to the situation. 
Abu Hadrad, through a clever strategy, managed to rout the enemy and 
capture a lot of their cattle.!'] 


I'l Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 2/149,150; Rahmat-ul-Walameen, 2/229,230; 
Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasooi, p. 322-324. 


- 379 - 



The Compensatory ‘Umrah 
(Lesser Pilgrimage) 


When Dhul Qa‘da month approached towards the close of the seventh 
year A.H., the Prophet ^ uji ordered his people, and the men who 
witnessed Al-HudaibiyahTraceTreaty in particular, to make preparations to 
perform ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). He proceeded with 2000 men besides 
some women and children!'1, and 60 camels for sacrifice, to visit the Holy 
Sanctuary in Makkah. The Muslims took their weapons with them fearing 
the treachery of the Quraishites, but left them with a party of two hundred 
men at a place some eight miles from Makkah. They entered the city with 
the swords in their scabbards! 2 !, with the Prophet ^ m at their head on 
his she-camel, Al-Qaswa’, while the surrounding Companions attentively 
focusing their look on him, all saying: “Here I am! at Your service O 
Allah!” The Quraishites had left the place and retired to their tents on the 
adjoining hills. The Muslims performed the usual circumambulation 
vigorously and briskly; and on recommendation by the Prophet ^ «ui ju 
they did their best to appear strong and steadfast in their circumambulation 
as the polytheists had spread rumours that they were weak because the fever 
of Yathrib (Madinah) had sapped their strength. They were ordered to run in 
the first three rounds and then walk in the remaining ones. The Makkans 
meanwhile aligned on the top of Qu‘aiqa‘an Mount watching the Muslims, 
tongue-tied at witnessing their strength and devotion. When they entered the 
Holy Sanctuary, ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha walked before the Prophet ^ «w ju 
reciting: 

“Get out of his way, you disbelievers, make way, we will fight you about 
its revelation with strokes that will remove heads from shoulders and make 
friend unmindful of friend.” 

After ritual walking and running between the two hills of Makkah, Safa 
and Marwah, the Prophet «_w ju with the Muslims halted at the latter 
spot to slaughter the sacrificial animals and shave their heads. 


1*1 Fath Al-Bari, 7/700. 

[21 Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/151; Fath Al-Bari, 7/700. 


- 380 - 



The main body of the pilgrims had now performed the basic rites of the 
lesser pilgrimage, but there remained those who were entrusted the charge 
of the weapons. The Prophet had these relieved, and they went through the 
same devotions as the others did. 

On the morning of the fourth day of the pilgrimage, the notables of 
Quraish asked ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to tell the Prophet (i~, «m to leave 
Makkah along with his Companions. He, of course, could not conceive of 
violating the terms of Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty, therefore he ordered his men 
to depart for a village called Sarif where he stayed for some time. 

It was during this visit of the Prophet uii ^ to Makkah for 
pilgrimage that his uncle ‘Abbas offered the hand of his sister-in-law, 
Maimuna — the daughter of Harith, to him. The Prophet was 

kind enough to accept this offer since it was an effective step towards 
cementing the ties of relationship between the Prophet and the 

influential men of Makkah. The wedding took place in Sarif. HI 

Narrators attached different designations to this lesser pilgrimage. Some 
called it the compensatory lesser pilgrimage, performed instead of that 
uncompleted of Hudaibiyah; and the other one, given preponderance by 
jurists, is the lesser pilgrimage consequent on certain terms of a treaty 
already agreed upon. 

On the whole, compensatory, judicial consent, retribution and 
reconciliation are all terms applicable to that visit. 

Some military operations, directed against some still obdurate desert 
Arabians, took place at the conclusion of the lesser pilgrimage, of which we 
could mention: 

1. A platoon of 50 men led by Ibn Abi Al-‘Awja’was despatched by the 

Prophet to the habitations of Bani Saleem inviting them to 

embrace Islam, but all the words fell on deaf ears. Fierce fighting erupted 
between both parties during which the Muslim leader was wounded, and 
two of the enemy were captured. 

2. Ghalib bin ‘Abdullah at the head of200 men was despatched to Fadak 
where they killed some rebels and a lot of booty fell to their lot. 


PI ZfidAl-Ma‘ad, 2/152. 


- 381 - 



3. Banu Quda‘a had gathered a large number of men to raid the Muslim 
positions. On hearing the news, the Prophet ^ <jji despatched Ka‘b 
bin ‘Umair Al-Ansari at the head of 15 men to deal with this situation. 
They encountered the army, and called them to enter into the fold of 
Islam but the rebels gave a negative response and showered the Muslims 
with arrows killing all of them except one who was carried back home 
later seriously wounded.!'] 

There was also an insignificant skirmish that occurred in Rabi‘ 
Al-Awwal 8 A.H. Shuja‘ bin Wahab Al-Asadi, along with 25 men, marched 
towards Bani Hawazin tribe where they encountered no resistance but 
managed to gain some booty.! 2 ) 


Cl Rahmat-ul-liPalameen, 2/231. 

! 2 ) Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl Al-Athar, p.33; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 2/231. 


- 382 - 



The Battle of Mu’tah 


It was the most significant and the fiercest battle during the lifetime of 
the Messenger of Allah ^ «di a preliminary and a prelude to the great 
conquests of the land of the Christians. It took place in Jumada Al-Ula 8 
A.H. / September 629 A.D. Mu’tah is a village that lies on the borders of 
geographical Syria. 

The Prophet (L. } uii ^ had sent Al-Harith bin ‘Umair Al-Azdi on an 
errand to carry a letter to the ruler of Busra. On his way, he was intercepted 
by Sharhabeel bin ‘Amr Al-Ghassani, the governor of Al-Balqa’ and a close 
ally to Caesar, the Byzantine Emperor. Al-Harith was tied and beheaded by 
Al-Ghassani. 

Killing envoys and messengers used to be regarded as the most awful 
crime, and amounted to the degree of war declaration. The Prophet ^ «ui 
was shocked on hearing the news and ordered that a large army of 3000 men 
be mobilized and despatched to the north to discipline the transgressors.!'] It 
was the largest Muslim army never mobilized on this scale except in the 
process of the Confederates Battle. 

Zaid bin Haritha was appointed to lead the army. Ja‘far bin Abi Talib 
would replace him if he was killed, and ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha would 
succeed Ja‘far in case the latter fell.! 2 ] A white banner was raised and 
handed over to ZaidJ 3 ' 

The Prophet fi_, uii recommended that they reach the scene of 
Al-Harith’s minder and invite the people to profess Islam. Should the latter 
respond positively, then no war would ensue, otherwise fighting them would 
be the only alternative left. 

He ordered them: 


i 4)L jOz 4)1 ^ 4)1 

iLSli \^Tj I jJJj IjJ&ftj 

*oll» to jOvlNj ^>4 


['] Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/155; Fath Al-Bari, 7/511. 
t 2 ] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/611. 

P] Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p.327. 


- 383 - 



“Fight the disbelievers in the Name of Allah, neither breach a 
covenant nor entertain treachery, and under no circumstances a 
new-bom, woman, an ageing man or a hermit should be killed; 
moreover neither trees should be cut down nor homes 
demolished.!*] 


At the conclusion of the military preparations, the people of Madinah 
gathered and bade the army farewell. ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha began to weep 
at that moment, and when asked why he was weeping, he swore that it was 
not love for this world nor under a motive of infatuation with the glamour of 
life but rather the Words of Allah speaking of Fire that he heard die Prophet 
,j~j << 1 * «ui reciting: 




“There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with 
your Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished.” [19:71] 

The Muslim army then marched northward to Ma‘an, a town bordering 
on geographical Syria. There news came to the effect that Heraclius had 
mobilized a hundred thousand troops together with another hundred 
thousand men of Lakham, Judham and Balqain — Arabian tribes allied to 
the Byzantines. The Muslims, on their part had never thought of 
encountering such a huge army. They were at a loss about what course to 
follow, and spent two nights debating these unfavourable conditions. Some 
suggested that they should write a letter to the Prophet seeking 

his advice. ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha was opposed to diem being reluctant and 
addressed the Muslims saying: “I swear by Allah that this very object which 
you hold in abhorrence is the very one you have set out seeking, martyrdom. 
In our fight we don’t count on number of soldiers or equipment but rather 
on the Faith that Allah has honoured us with. Dart to win either of the two, 
victory or martyrdom.” In die light of these words, they moved to engage 
with the enemy in Masharif, a town of Al-Balqa’, and then changed 
direction towards Mu’tah where they encamped. The right flank was led by 
Qutba bin Qatadah Al-‘Udhari, and the left by ‘Ubadah bin Malik 
Al-Ansari. Bitter fighting started between the two parties, three thousand 
Muslims against an enemy fiftyfold as large. 


!'] Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 327; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 2/271. 


- 384 - 




Zaid bin Haritha, the closest to the Messenger’s heart, assumed 
leadership and began to fight tenaciously and in matchless spirit of bravery 
until he fell, fatally stabbed. Ja‘ far bin Abi Talib then took the banner and 
did a miraculous job. In the thick of the battle, he dismounted, hamstrung 
his horse and resumed fighting until his right hand was cut off. He seized 
the banner with his left hand until this too was gone. He then clasped the 
banner with both arms until a Byzantine soldier struck and cut him into two 
parts, he was posthumously called “the flying Ja‘far” or “Ja‘far with two 
wings” because Allah has awarded him two wings to fly wherever he 
desired there in the eternal Garden. Al-Bukhari reported fifty stabs in his 
body, none of them in the back.!*] 

‘Abdullah bin Rawaha then proceeded to hold up the banner and fight 
bravely on his horseback while reciting enthusiastic verses until he too was 
killed. Thereupon a man, from Bani ‘Ajlan, called Thabit bin Al-Arqam 
took the banner and called upon the Muslims to choose a leader. The honour 
was unanim ously granted to Khalid bin Al-Waleed, a skilled brave fighter 
and an outstanding strategist. It was reported by Al-Bukhari that he used 
nine swords that broke while he was relentlessly and courageously fighting 
the enemies of Islam. He, however, realizing the grave situation the 
Muslims were in, began to follow a different course of encounter, revealing 
the super strategy-maker, that Khalid was rightly called. He reshuffled the 

right and left flanks of the Muslim army and introduced forward a division 

from the rear in order to cast fear into the hearts of the Byzantine by 
deluding them that fresh reinforcements had arrived. The Muslims engaged 
with the enemies in sporadic skirmishes but gradually and judiciously 
retreating in a fully organized and well-planned withdrawal. 

The Byzantines, seeing this new strategy, believed that they were being 
entrapped and drawn in the heart of the desert. They stopped the pursuit, 
and consequently the Muslims managed to retreat back to Madinah with the 
slightest losses.! 2 ) 

The Muslims sustained twelve martyrs, whereas the number of casualties 
among the Byzantines was unknown although the details of the battle point 
clearly to a large number. Even though the battle did not satisfy the 


t l l Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/611. 

PI Fath-Al-Bari, 7/513,514; ZMAl-Ma'ad, 2/156. 


- 385 - 



Muslims’ objective, namely avenging Al-Harith’s murder, it resulted in a 
far-ranging impact and attached to the Muslims a great reputation in the 
battlefields. The Byzantine Empire, at that time, was a power to be reckoned 
with, and mere thinking of antagonizing it used to mean self-annihilation, 
let alone a three-thousand-soldier army going into fight against 200,000 
soldiers far better equipped and lavishly furnished with all luxurious 
conveniences. The battle was a real miracle proving that the Muslims were 
something exceptional not then familiar. Moreover, it gave evidence that 
Allah backed them and their Prophet, Muhammad, was really Allah’s 
Messenger. In the light of these new strategic changes, the archenemies 
among the desert bedouins began to reconcile themselves with the new 
uprising faith and several recalcitrant tribes like Banu Saleem, Ashja 1 , 
Ghatfan, Dhubyan, Fazarah and others came to profess Islam out of their 
own sweet free will. 

Mu’tah Battle, after all, constituted the forerunner of the blood encounter 
to take place with the Byzantines subsequently. It pointed markedly to a 
new epoch of the Islamic conquest of the Byzantine empire and other 
remote countries, to follow at a later stage. 

Dhat As-Salasil Campaign: 

Dhat As-Salasil is a spot situated ten days’ walk north of Madinah. The 
Muslims are said to have encamped in a place with a well of water called 
Salsal, hence the terminology Dhat As-Salasil. In view of the alliance 
between the Arabian tribes on the borders of Syria and the Byzantines, the 
Prophet fL-j <_iii deemed it of top urgency to carry out a wisely-planned 
manoeuvre that might bring about a state of rapport with those bedouins, 
and would at the same time detach them from the Byzantines. For the 
implementation of this plan, he chose ‘Amr bin Al-‘As, whose paternal 
grandmother came from Bali, a tribe dwelling in that area. This motive in 
mind, combined with provocative military movements, by Bani Quda‘a, 
precipitated this preemptive strike which started in Jumada Ath-Thaniya, 8 
A.H. 

‘Amr bin Al-‘As was awarded a white flag with a black banner to go 
with it. He set out at the head of300 Emigrants and Helpers assisted by a 
cavalry of 30 men, and was recommended to seek help from Bali, ‘Udhra 
and Balqain tribes. He used to march at night and lurk during the day. On 


- 386 - 



approaching the enemy lines and realizing the large build up of men, he sent 
for reinforcements from Madinah, and these arrived on the spot headed by 
Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah leading further 200 men as well as other 
platoons including Abu Bakr and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. All of them were 
given strict orders to cooperate, work in harmony and never leave any area 
for disagreement. 

At noon, Abu ‘Ubaidah wanted to lead the Muslims in prayer, but ‘ Amr 
objected on grounds that the former came only to assist, and leadership in 
prayer was given to ‘Amr. 

The Muslim army reached the habitations of Quda‘a and penetrated deep 
in their land, destroyed the enemies and obliged the others to flee for their 
lives in different directions. 

At the conclusion of the military operations, a courier was despatched to 
the Messenger of Allah ^ un ^ to brief him on the developments of 
events and the ultimate victory achieved. 

Khadrah Campaign: 

In Sha‘ban month 8 A.H., news reached the Prophet ^ ^ uii of 
amassing troops by Bani Ghatfan, still outside the domain of Islam. He 
urgently summoned Abu Qatadah and sent him at the head of fifteen men to 
discipline those outlaws. 

It took fifteen days to teach them an unforgettable lesson. Some were 
killed, others captured and all their property confiscated.!'] 


!'] Rahmat-ul-liPalameen, 2/233; Talqeeh Fuhootn Ahl Al-Athar, p.33. 


The Conquest of Makkah 


Ibn Al-Qaiyim described the conquest of Makkah as the greatest one 
by which AllSh honoured His religion, Messenger, soldiers and honest 
party. He thereby rescued the Sacred House, whose guidance all people 
seek. It was the greatest propitious event in heaven and on earth. It was 
the most significant prelude to a new era that was to witness the great 
march of Islamization and the entry of people into the fold of Islam in 
huge hosts. It provided an ever shining face and a most glowing source of 
inspiration to the whole earth.!'] 

Pre-Conquest Events: 

According to the terms of the treaty of Hudaibiyah, the Arab tribes 
were given the option to join either of the parties, the Muslims or 
Quraish, with which they desired to enter into treaty alliance. Should any 
of these tribes suffer aggression, then the party to which it was allied 
would have the right to retaliate. As a consequence, BanuBakr joined 
Quraish, and Khuza‘ah joined the Prophet ^ «ui They thus lived in 
peace for sometime but ulterior motives stretching back to pre-Islamic 
period ignited by unabated fire of revenge triggered fresh hostilities. 
Banu Bakr, without caring a bit for the provisions of the treaty, attacked 
Banu Khuza‘ah in a place called Al-Wateer in Sha‘ban, 8 A.H. Quraish 
helped Banu Bakr with men and arms taking advantage of the dark night. 
Pressed by their enemies, the tribesmen of Khuza‘ah sought the Holy 
Sanctuary, but here too, their lives were not spared, and, contrary to all 
accepted traditions, Nawfal, the chief of Banu Bakr, chasing them in the 
sanctified area — where no blood should be shed — massacred his 
adversaries. 

When the aggrieved party sought justice from their Muslim allies, the 
Prophet ,jl-j <jji jju, as their leader, demanded an immediate redress for 
not only violating the treaty but also slaying men allied to him in the 


WzildAl-Ma‘ad, 2/160. 


- 388 - 



sanctified area. Three demands were made, the acceptance of any one of 
them was imperative: 

a) to pay blood money for the victims of Khuza‘ah, 

b) to terminate their alliance with Banu Bakr; or 

c) to consider the truce to have been nullified. 

This behaviour on the part of Quraish was clearly a breach of the treaty 
of Al-Hudaibiyah and was obviously an act of hostility against the allies of 
the Muslims, i.e. Banu Khuza‘ah. Quraish immediately realized the grave 
situation and feared the horrible consequences looming on the horizon. 
They immediately called for an emergency meeting and decided to delegate 
their chief Abu Sufyan to Madinah for a renewal of the truce. He directly 
headed for the house of his daughter Umm Habiba (the Prophet’s wife). But 
as he went to sit on the Messenger’s carpet, she folded it up. “My daughter,” 
said he, “I hardly knew if you think the carpet is too good for me or that I 
am too good for the carpet.” She replied, “It is the Messenger of Allah’s 
carpet, and you are an unclean polytheist.” 

Being disgusted at the curt reply of his daughter, Abu Sufyan stepped out 
of her room and went to see the Prophet ^ but the latter was well 

aware of his tricks and did not hold him any assurance. He then approached 
Abu Bakr, but the latter too declined to interfere. He contacted ‘Umar to 
intercede but this great Companion made a point-blank refusal. At last he 
saw ‘Ali bin Abi Talib and began begging him in the most humble words, 
cunningly alluding to the prospects of mastery over all the Arabs if he were 
to intercede for the renewal of the treaty. ‘Ali also briefly regretted his 
inability to do anything for him. 

Abu Sufyan turned his steps back to Makkah in a state of bitter 
disappointment and utt t horror. There he submitted a report of his meeting 
with his daughter, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Ali’s reaction and the meaningful 
silence of die Prophet. The Makkans were dismayed, but did not expect 
imminent danger. 

Preparations for the Attack on Makkah, 

and the Prophet’s Attempt at imposing a News Black-out: 

On the authority of At-Tabari, the Messenger of AllSh *i» ^ asked 

‘Aishah l^uii his spouse three days prior to receiving news relating to 


- 389 - 



breaching of covenant, to make preparations peculiar to marching out for 
war. Abu Bakr, meanwhile, came in and asked ‘ Aishah «ui ^ what the 
matter was, showing surprise at the preparations being made as it was not, 
as he said, the usual time for war. She replied that she had no idea. On the 
morning of the third day ‘Amr bin Sdlim Al-Khuza‘i arrived in the company 
of forty horsemen to brief die Prophet ^ «n on the plight of his people 
and seeking the Muslims' help for retaliation. People of Madinah then got to 
know that Quraish had breached die covenant Budail followed ‘Amr, and 
then Abu Sufyan and the news was unequivocally confirmed. 

With view of securing a complete news black-out concerning his military 
intentions, the Prophet ^ *bi despatched an eight-men platoon under 
the leadership of Qatadah bin Rab‘i in the direction of Edam, a short 
distance from Madinah, in Ramadan 8 A.H., in order to divert the attention 
of people and screen off the main target with which he was preoccupied. 

There was so much dread and fear everywhere that Hatib, one of the 
most trusted followers of the Prophet secretly despatched a 

female messenger with a letter to Makkah containing intimation of the 
intended attack. The Prophet ^received news from die heaven of 

Hatib’s action and sent ‘Ali and Al-Miqdad with instructions to go after her. 
They overtook the messenger, and after a long search discovered the letter 
carefully hidden in her locks. The Prophet , 0 -, *ui summoned Hatib and 
asked him what had induced him to this act. He replied, “O Messenger of 
Allih ft-j *> <jm yJ-1 I have no affinity of blood with Quraish; there is only a 
kind of friendly relationship between them and myself. My family is at 
Makkah and there is no one to look after it or to offer protection to it. My 
position stands in striking contrast to that of the refugees whose families are 
secure due to their blood ties with Quraish. I felt that since I am not related 
to them, I should, for the safety of my children, earn their gratitude by doing 
good to them. I swear by Allah that I have not done this act as an apostate, 
forsaking Islam. I was prompted only by the considerations I have just 
explained.” 

‘Umar wanted to cut his head offas a hypocrite, but the Prophet 
accepted his excuse and granted him pardon, then addressed ‘Umar saying: 
M Hatib is one of those who fought in the battle of Badr. How do you know 
that he is a hypocrite? Allah is likely to look favourably on those who 


- 390 - 




participated in that battle. Turning then, to Hatib, he said: “Do as you 
please, for I have forgiven you.” 

After making full preparation, the Prophet fi_y <jji ^ proceeded to 
Makkah at the head of ten thousand soldiers on the 10th of Ramadan, 8 A.H. 
He mandated Abu Ruhm Al-Ghifari to dispose the affairs of Madinah 
during his absence. When they reached Al-Juhfa, Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul 
Muttalib and his family came to join the Prophet ^ «ui j*. At Al-Abwa’, 
'the Muslims came across Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith and ‘Abdullah bin 
Omaiyah, the Prophet’s cousins, but, on account of the harm they had 
inflicted, and their satiric language, on the believers, they were not 
welcomed. ‘Ali addressed Abu Sufyan to go and beseech the Prophet 
(j_j 4_ui ^ for pardon and confess his ill-behaviour in a manner similar to 
that of Yusuf s (the Prophet Joseph) brothers: 



“They said: ‘By Allah! Indeed Allah has preferred you above us, 
and we certainly have been sinners.’” [12:91] 


Abu Sufyan observed ‘Ali’s counsel, to which the Prophet quoted 
Allah’s Words: 




“He said: ‘No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you, 
and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!’” 
[12:92] 

Abu Sufyan rec ted some verses paying a generous tribute to the Prophet 
fiy ait and professing Islam as his only religion. 

The Muslims then marched on in a state of fasting until they reached a 
place called Al-Qadeed where water was available. There they broke fasti 1 1 
and resumed their movement towards Mar Az-Zahran. The Quraishites were 
quite unaware of the development of affairs, but the Prophet ^ ^ <ui did 
not like to take them by surprise. He, therefore, ordered his men to kindle 
fire on all sides for cooking purposes. The idea behind this was that Quraish 


HI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/613. 


- 391 - 



should be afforded full opportunity to assess the situation in which they 
were pitchforked correctly, and should not endanger their lives by leaping 
blindly in the battlefield. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab was entrusted with die 
guard duty. In the meanwhile, Abu Sufyan along with Hakim bin Hizam and 
Budail bin Warqua', two terrible polytheists, went out to reconnoiter. 
Before they got near the camp, they met ‘Abbas, the Prophet’s uncle. He 
apprised Abu Sufyan of the situation and advised him to accept Islam and 
persuade his people to surrender before M uhammad ^ ^ an otherwise, 
his head would be struck off. 

Under the prevailing compelling circumstances, Abu Sufyan went in the 
company of ‘Abbas seeking the Prophet’s jj—, <jii ^ audience. The 
Muslims were furious to see Abu Sufyan and wanted to kill him on the spot 
But the two men managed, not without difficulties, to see the Messenger of 
Allah fL-, <jii who advised that they see him die following day. The 
Prophet fL, ^ addressed Abu Sufyan saying: “Woe to you! Isn’t it time 
for you to bear witness to the Oneness of Allah and Prophethood of 
Muhammad?” Here, the archenemy of Islam began to beseech die Prophet 
fL-j «^u an in the most earnest words that testify to the Prophet’s generosity 
and mild temper begging for pardon and forgiveness, and professing 
wholeheartedly the new faith. 

On request by ‘Abbas, the Prophet ^ <jh in the context of die 
general amnesty he proclaimed, gave Abu Sufyan, who had a liking for 
bragging, a special privilege, saying: “He who takes refuge in Abu Sufyan’s 
house is safe; whosoever confines himself to his house, the inmates thereof 
shall be in safety, and he who enters the Sacred Mosque is safe.” 

On the morning of Tuesday, 17th. Ramadan, 8 A.H., the Prophet ^ ^ *jii 
left Mar Az-Zahran. He ordered Al-‘Abbas to detain Abu Sufyan at a 
commanding gorge that could afford a full view of the Muslim army 
parading on its way towards Makkah, and hence give him the chance to see 
the great and powerful soldiers of Allah. The different tribes successively 
passed with their banners flown up, until at last the battalion of the 
Emigrants and Helpers with die Prophet , 1 —* at their head heavily 

armed marched by. Abu Sufyan began to wonder who those people were, to 
which Al-‘Abbas told him that they woe Muhammad r L 9 «i»4m u L. and his 
Companions. Abu Sufyan said that no army however powerful could resist 
those people and addressing Al-‘Abbas, he said: “I swear by Allah that the 


- 392 - 



sovereignty of your brother’s son has become too powerful to withstand.” 
Al-‘ Abbas answered, “It is rather the power of Prophethood,” to which the 
former agreed. 

Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah carried the flag of the Helpers. When he passed by Abu 
Sufyan, he said “Today will witness the great fight, you cannot seek 
sanctuary at Al-Ka‘bah. Today will witness the humiliation of Quraish.” 
Abu Sufyan complained about this to the Prophet fa who got angry 

and said “Nay, today Al-Ka‘bah will be sanctified, and Quraish honoured,” 
and quickly ordered that Sa‘d should be stripped off the flag, and that it 
should be entrusted to his son Qais, in another version, to Az-Zubair. 

A1-*Abbas urged Abu Sufyan to hasten into Makkah and warn the 
Quraishites against any aggressive behaviour towards the Muslims. There in 
Makkah, he shouted at the top of his voice and warned against any 
hostilities advising them to seek safety in his house. His wife got indignant 
and tugged at his moustache cursing him and abusing his cowardly stance. 
The people within Makkah mocked Abu Sufyan and dispersed in different 
directions, some into their houses, others into the Holy Sanctuary while 
some undisciplined reckless ruffians led by ‘Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl, Safwan 
bin Omaiyah and Suhail bin ‘Amr encamped themselves in a place called 
Khandamah, with a murderous intent in their minds. 

The Prophet on his part, was quite modestly and calmly 

drawing the final touches for the military breakthrough awaiting the 
Muslims, by Allah’s Will. He appointed Khalid bin Al-Waleed as a leader 
of the right flanlr of die army with Aslam, Sulaim, Ghifar, Muzainah and 
Juhainah tribes under his command to enter Makkah through its lower 
avenues. Az-Zubair bin ‘Awwam was to lead the left flank and would storm 
Makkah from the upper side holding up the Messenger’s banner. Abu 
‘Ubaidah took command of the infantry and was to penetrate into the city 
via a side valley. They were given full and decisive orders not to kill unless 
in self defence and in that case they would exterminate any aggressive 
elements and quell any opposition. 

The Muslim battalions marched out each in its already drawn route to 
fulfill the miss ions they were supposed to carry out. Khalid bin Al-Waleed 
worked his way into the heart of the town quite successively killing twelve 
of the ruffians and sustaining two martyrs. Az-Zubair set out and reached 


- 393 - 


the fixed destination where he planted the banner at Al-Fath (conquest) 
Mosque and waited there for the arrival of the Prophet ^ m A tent 
was pitched for him where he offered prayers of thanks to die All- Mighty 
Allah, Who, out of His immense grace, had granted him a spl endid victory. 
But he did not repose long. He, in the company of the Helpers «nH 
Emigrants, got up and proceeded towards Al-Ka‘bah, the Sacred House, 
which is an emblem of die Oneness and Supremacy of Allfih. It was 
unfortunately infested with idols that numbered 360. He knocked diem 
down with his bow while reciting die verse of the Noble Qur’Sn: 




“And Say: ‘Truth (i.e. Islamic Monotheism or this Qur’Sn or 
Jihad against polytheists) has come and Batil (falsehood, Le. 

Satan or polytheism, etc.) has vanished. Surely! Batil is ever 
bound to vanish.’” [17:81] 

And Allah further said: 

“Say (O Muhammad ^ jJ): “The Truth (the Qur’Sn and 
Allah’s Inspiration) has come, and Al-Batil (falsehood - Iblis) 
can neither create anything nor resurrect (any thing).” [34:49] 

He then started die usual circumambulation on his ride. He was not in a 
state of Ihram (ritual consecration) then. On completion, he called for 
‘Uthman bin Talhah, the janitor oiAl-Ka ‘bah, from whom he took the key. 
He went in and saw images of Prophets I brahim and lghmael t f %ji 
throwing divination arrows. He denounced these acts of Quraish amt 
ordered that all idols be dismanded, images and effigies deleted. He then 
entered the sacred hall to face die wall opposite the door and them again 
performed devout prostrations, and went around acc laiming Allih’s 
Greatness and Oneness. Shortly afterwards, he returned to die door-way and 
standing upon its elevated step, gazed in thankfulne ss on die thron ging 
multitude below and delivered the following celebrated address: 

“There is no god but AllSh Alone. He has no associates. He 
made good His Promise that He held to His slave and helped 
him and defeated all the Confederates along. Bear in mind that 


- 394 - 


every claim of privilege, whether that of blood, or property, is 
under my heel, except that of the custody of Al-Ka‘bah and 
supplying of water to the pilgrims. Bear in mind that for anyone 
who is slain, even though semi-deliberately, with club or whip, 
for him die blood-money is very severe: a hundred camels, forty 
of them to be pregnant 

iuuji syJ 


j^£p CJot Ji d)l 


O 


*(— >vj> {j* ijusiu 


“O people of Quraish! surely Allah has abolished from you all 
pride of die pre-Islamic era and all conceit in your ancestry, 
(because) all men are descended from Adam, and Adam was 
made out of clay.” 


He then recited to them die verse: 



“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, 
and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one 
another. Verily, the most honourable of you near Allah is that 
(believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun: i.e. 
pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from 
all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden), and 
love Allfih much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has 
ordained)]. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” [49:13] 


He further added: 


JpU ^ Oj jjf* 4 


“O you people of Quraish! What do you think of die treatment 
that I am about to accord to you?” 


They replied: 


pj c? 


- 395 - 



“O noble brother and son of noble brother! We expect nothing 
but goodness from you.” 


Upon this he said: 


iv&'lZ&Cs/z't} Z&A Ou us ft b# 

lilyi i5ti i^iii 


•il 


“I speak to you in the same words as Yusuf (the Prophet Joseph) 
spoke unto his brothers: He said: “No reproach on you this day,” 
(12:92] go your way, for you are freed ones.” 


As for the door-keeping of Al-Ka‘bah and supplying of water to pilgrims, 
the Prophet ^ <jji ^ ordered that these jobs remain in the hand of 
‘Uthman bin Talhah and that the key will stay with him and his descendants 
for ever. 


When time for prayer approached, Bilal ascended Al-Ka‘bah and called 
for prayer. Abu Sufyan bin Harb, ‘Itab bin Usaid and Al-Harith bin Hisham 
were meanwhile sitting in the yard. ‘Itab bin Usaid commented on the new 
situation (Bilal ascending Al-Ka‘bah and calling for prayer) saying that 
Allah honoured Usaid (his father) having not heard such words. The Prophet 
(j—^ 4_ui cr L- approached and assisted by Divine Revelation told them that he 
had learnt about what they had spoken of. Al-Harith and ‘Itab, taken by 
incredible surprise, immediately professed Islam and bore witness to the 
Messengership of Muhammad adding that “We swear by Allah 

that none had been with us to inform you.” 

On that very day, the Prophet ^^ entered ‘Timm Hani’s house 
where he washed and offered prayers of victory. ‘Umm Hani had sheltered 
two Makkan relatives of hers in her house in which act she was granted 
support by the Prophet ^ aw j*. 

Shedding blood of nine arch-criminals was declared lawful even under 
the curtains of Al-Ka‘bah. Nevertheless, only four of them were killed while 
the others were pardoned for different reasons. As for those who were 
killed, mention could be made of ‘Abdul ‘Uzza bin Khatal who had become 
a Muslim and then deputed to collect alms-tax in the company of a Helper. 
They had also a slave with them. ‘Abdullah, in a fit of rage, killed the 
Helper’s slave on account of a mere trifling dispute, and joined the pagan 


Arabs as an apostate. He was never repentant at this heinous crime but 
rather employed two women singers and incited them to sing satirically 
about the Prophet an 

The other man who was put to death was Miqyas bin Sababa. He was a 
Muslim. A Helper accidently killed his brother Hisham. The Prophet an 
^ had arranged the payment of blood money to him, which he had 
accepted. His revengeful nature, however, was never appeased, so he killed 
the Helper and went to Makkah as an apostate. 

Similarly, Huwairith and one woman singer went to death. 

On the other hand, every attempt was made to grant pardon to the people. 
‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl, who had attacked Khalid’s detachment at the time of 
the entry into Makkah, was forgiven. To Wahshi, the murderer of Hamzah, 
the Prophet’s uncle, and to Hind, who had chewed his liver, was also 
extended his generous clemency. The same generous treatment was 
accorded to Habar who had attacked the Prophet’s daughter with a spear, 
while on her way from Makkah to Madinah, so grievously that she 
ultimately died of the fatal injuries. 

In the same context of magnanimity peculiar to Muhammad *jji ^l., 
two chiefs of Quraish were pardoned once they had embraced Islam. They 
were Safwan bin Omaiyah and Fudalah bin ‘Umair. The latter had 
attempted to assassinate the Prophet ^ 4*u <i>i while circumambulating in 
the Holy Sanctuary. The Prophet’s matchless tolerance and broad¬ 
mindedness instigated by his mission as‘A mercy to all people’, converted 
a terrible hypocrite into a faithful devout believer. 

On the second day of the great conquest, the Prophet stood up 

and addressed the people in matters relating to the holy status of Makkah. 
After entertaining Allah’s praise, he proclaimed that Makkah was a holy 
land and would remain so till the Day of Judgement. No bloodshed was 
allowed therein. Should anyone take the liberty of fighting within Makkah 
on grounds derived from the events that characterized the conquest, he 
should remember that it had been a licence granted temporarily to the 
Prophet, and virtually does not go for others. Ibn ‘Abbas narrated: 

The Prophet ^ «jh said: “Allah has made Makkah, a sanctuary, so it 
was a sanctuary before me and will continue to be a sanctuary after me. It 
was legal fen me (i.e. I was allowed to fight in it) for a few hours of a 


- 397 - 



day. It is not allowed to uproot its shrubs or to cut its trees, or to chase (or 
disturb) its game, or to pick up its fallen things except by a person who 
would announce that (what has found) publicly.” Al-‘Abbas said: “O 
Allah’s Messenger! Except the lemon grass (for it is used) by our 
goldsmiths and for our homes.” The Prophet fi-, «*i» then said: “Except 
the lemon grass.” 

In this context, out of the spirit of revenge, the tribesmen of Khuza‘ah 
killed a man from Laith Tribe. Here the Prophet was indignant and ordered 
Khuza'ah to stop those pre-Islamic practices. He, moreover, gave the family 
of anyone killed the right to consider either of two options, blood-money or 
just retribution (the killer is killed). 

After having delivered his address, the Prophet ^ «*i* an rode to a small 
hill, Safa, not far from Al-Ka‘bah. Turning his face towards the Sacred 
House, amidst a vast admiring and devotional multitude, he raised his hand 
in fervent prayer to Allah. The citizens of Madinah who had gathered round 
him entertained fear, as Allah had given him victory over his native city, he 
might choose to stay here. He insisted on explanation of their fear and so 
they spoke openly. He immediately dispelled their fears and assured them 
that he had lived with them and would die with them. 

Immediately after the great conquest, the Makkans came to realize that 
the only way to success lay in the avenue of Islam. They complied with the 
new realities and gathered to pledge fealty to the Prophet ^ an The 
men came first pledging full obedience in all areas they can afford. Then 
came the women to follow the men’s example. The Prophet ^ an ^ with 
‘Umar bin Al-Khattab receiving the pledge of fealty and communicating to 
them for him. Hind bint ‘Utbah, Abu Sufyan’s wife, came in the trail of 
women disguised lest the Prophet ^ <111 should recognize and account 

for her, having chewed the liver of Hamzah, his uncle. The Prophet an 
r'-j accepted their allegiance on condition that they associate none with 
Allah, to which they immediately agreed. He added that they should not 
practise theft. Here Hind complained that her husband, Abu Sufyan, was 
tight-fisted. Her husband interrupted granting all his worldly possessions to 
her. The Prophet laughed and recognized the woman. She 

implored him to extend his pardon to her and efface all her previous sins. 
Some other conditions were appended including the prohibition of adultery, 
infanticide or forging falsehood. To all these orders. Hind replied positively 


- 398 - 



swearing that she would not have come to take an oath of allegiance if she 
had had the least seed of disobedience to him. On returning home, she broke 
her idol admitting her delusion as regards stone-gods. 


The Messenger of Allah ^*>* 011 ^ stayed in Makkah for 19 days. 
Dining that period he used to define the way to Islam, guide people to die 
orthodox path. He ordered Abu Usaid Al-Khuza‘i to restore the pillars of 
the Holy Sanctuary, sent missions to all quarters inviting them to adopt 
Islam and break down the graven images still lying in the vicinity of 
Makkah, and he did have all of them scrapped, inculcating in the believers’ 
ears his words: 


«o 'jLS uli J ££> gi 1 $\j ^ 


“Whoever believes in Allah and the Hereafter is supposed to 
scrap out the idols that should happen to be in his house.” 

Shortly after the great conquest, the Prophet fj_j oji ^ began to 
despatch platoons and errands aiming at eliminating the last symbols 
reminiscent of pre-Islamic practices. 

He sent Khalid bin Al-Waleed in Ramadan 8 A.H. to a spot called 
Nakhlah where there was a goddess called Al-‘Uzza venerated by Quraish 
and Kinanah tribes. It had custodians from Bani Shaiban. Khalid, at the 
head of thirty horsemen arrived at the spot and exterminated it. On his 
return, the Prophet fj_j oji ^ asked him if he had seen anything there, to 
which Khalid gave a negative answer. Here, he was told that it had not been 
destroyed and he had to go there again and fulfill the task. He went back 
again and there he saw a black woman, naked with tom hair. Khalid struck 
her with his sword into two parts. He returned and narrated the story to the 
Prophet |j-j **u *ui jU, who then confirmed the fulfillment of the task. 

Later, in the same month, ‘Amr bin Al-‘As was sent on an errand to 
destroy another idol, venerated by Hudhail, called Suwa‘. It used to stand at 
a distance of three kilometres from Makkah. On a question posed by the 
door-keeper, ‘Amr said he had been ordered by the Prophet fU, **u *ui ju to 
knock down the idol. The man warned ‘Amr that he would not be able to do 
it. ‘Amr was surprised to see someone still in the wrong, approached the 
idol and destroyed it, then he broke the casket beside it but found nothing. 
The man immediately embraced Islam. 


- 399 - 



Sa‘d bin Zaid Al-Ashhali was also sent in the same month and on the 
same mission to Al-Mashallal to destroy an idol, Manat, venerated by both 
Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj tribes. Here also a black woman, naked with 
messy hair appeared wailing and beating on her chest. Sa‘d immediately 
killed her, destroyed the idol and broke the casket and returned at the 
conclusion of his errand. 

Khalid bin Al-Waleed at the head of 350 horsemen of Helpers, 
Emigrants and Bani Saleem was despatched once again in the same year 8 
A.H. to the habitation of Bani Khuzaimah bedouins to invite them to the 
fold of Islam. He was instructed to carry out his mission with peace and 
goodwill. There, the people were not articulate enough to communicate 
their intentions, so Khalid ordered his men to kill them and take the others 
as captives. He even had in mind to kill the captives but some of the 
Companions were opposed to his plan. News of bloodshed reached the 
Prophet fj-j <jui He was deeply grieved and raised his hands towards 
the heaven, uttering these words: “O Allah! I am innocent of what Khalid 
has done,” twice.M He immediately sent ‘Ali to make every possible 
reparation to the tribes who had been wronged. After a careful inquiry, 
‘Ali paid the blood-money to all those who suffered loss. The remaining 
portion was also distributed amongst the members of the tribe in order to 
alleviate their suffering. Khalid, due to his irrational behaviour, had a row 
with ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf. Hearing this, the Prophet ,ju, ««u «w jl. got 
angry, and ordered Khalid to stop that altercation adding that his 
Companions (meaning ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf) were too high in rank to 
be involved in such arguments. 

That is the story of the conquest of Makkah and the decisive battle that 
exterminated paganism once and for all. The other tribes in the Arabian 
Peninsula were waiting and closely watching the final outcome of the 
bitter struggle between the Muslims and idolaters, already convinced that 
the Holy Sanctuary would not fall but in the hands of the righteous party. 
It had been a conviction deeply established in their minds ever since the 
elephant army of Abraha Al-Ashram advanced from Yemen intending to 
destroy the Sacred House 50 years before. 


t>] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/450., 2/622. 


- 400 - 



Al-Hudaibiyah Peace Treaty was the natural prelude to this great victory 
in which people believed deeply and over which people talked a lot. The 
Muslims in Makkah, who had feared to declare their Faith in public, began 
to appear and work ardently for this new approach of life. People began to 
convert into Islam in hosts, and the Muslim army that numbered 3000 only 
in the previous Ghazwah, now came to reach 10,000 in number. In fact, this 
decisive change provided people with the keen insight to perceive things 
and the world around them as a whole in a different perceptive. The 
Muslims were then to steer the whole political and religious affairs of all 
Arabia. They had monopolised both the religious supremacy and temporal 
power. 

The whole post-Hudaibiyah phase had been well-fledged in favour of the 
new Islamic movement. Streams of the desert Arabians began to pour in 
paying full homage to the Messenger of Allah ^ ju, embracing the 
new faith and then carrying it to different quarters for propagation. 


The Third Stage 

The third and last stage of the life of the Messenger fJ—4-*JLe 4 JUI 
embodies the fruitful results of his call to Islam, which were the 
consequences of long-timed holy fights in the way of Allah (Jihad), 
troubles, toil, disturbances, trials and a lot of bloody conflicts and battles, 
which lasted for over twenty years. 

The conquest of Makkah was considered the most serious profit 
achieved by Muslims during those years. For it affected the course of 
events and consequently altered the Arabs’ whole life. It was a decisive 
distinction between preconquest and post-conquest periods. For Quraish, 
at that time, was in the eyes of Arabs the defenders and helpers of Arabs. 
Other Arabs are only their ancillaries. The submission of Quraish is, 
therefore, estimated to be a final elimination of paganism in the Arabian 
Peninsula. 

This stage can be divided into two main phases: 

The phase of: (1) holy wars and fighting. 

(2) the tribes and people’s race to embrace Islam. 

Being so close and rather inseparable, the two phases of this stage 
intervene in such a way that a happening of one phase occurs during the 
progress of the other. However, we have preferred — for expository 
purposes — to deal with these two phases distinctively. The fighting phase 
was given the priority in order, due to the fact that it is more intimate and fit 
than the other. 


Hunain Ghazwah 


The conquest of Makkah which came forth as a consequence of a swift 
blow astounded both the Arabs and other tribes who realized that they were 
doomed and had to submit to the new situation as a fait accompli. Some of 
the fierce, powerful proud tribes did not submit and favoured resistance. 
Ahead of these were the septs of Hawazin and Thaqif. Nasr, Jashm and Sa‘d 
bin Bakr and people of Bani Hilal — all of whom of Qais ‘Ailan. They 
thought that they were too mighty to admit or surrender to such a victory. 
So they met Malik bin ‘Awf An-Nasri and made up their mind to proceed 
fighting against the Muslims. 

The Enemy’s March and their Encampment at Awtas: 

When Malik bin ‘Awf — the general leader — decided to march and 
fight the Muslims, he made his countrypeople take their wealth, women and 
children with them to Awtas — which is a valley in Hawazin land and is 
quite near Hunain. It differs from Hunain in its being adjacent to Dhi- 
Al-Majaz which is around ten miles from Makkah in ‘Arafat’s direction.1'1 

The War-experienced Man wrongs the Leader’s Judgement: 

As soon as they had camped in Awtas, people crowded round Malik. The 
old sane Duraid bin As-Simmah, who was well-known as a war-experienced 
man, and who was among those who gathered round Malik, asked: “What 
valley are we in?” “In Awtas,” they said. “What a good course it is for 
horses! It is neither a sharp pointed height nor a loosed soiled plain. What? 
Why do I hear camels’ growling, the donkeys’ braying, the children’s cries 
and the sheep bleating?” asked Duraid. They said: “Malik bin‘Awf had 
made people bring their women, properties and children with them.” So he 
called Malik and asked him what made him do such a thing. Malik said that 
his aim was to have everybody’s family and properties around them so that 
they fight fiercely to protect them.” “I swear by Allah that you are nothing 
but a shepherd,” answered Duraid, “Do you believe that there is anything 
whatsoever, can stand in the way of a defeated one or stop him from 
fleeing? If you win the battle you avail nothing but a man with a sword and 


m Fath-Al-Bari, 8/27,42 


- 403 - 



a spear; but if you lose you will bring disgrace on your people and 
properties,” then he resumed his talk and went on wondering about some 
septs and their leaders. “O Malik, thrusting the distinguished people of 
Hawazin into the battlefield will avail you nothing. Raise them up to where 
they can be safe. Then make the young people mount their horses and fight. 
If you win, those whom you tarried will follow you, but if you were the 
loser it would be a loss of a battle, but your kinsmen, people and properties 
would not be lost.” 

But Malik, the general leader, refused this suggestion. “By Allah,” he 
said, “I will not do such a thing. You must have grown a senile. Hawazin 
have to obey me, or else I will lean my body against this sword so that it 
penetrates through my back.” He rejected any sort of contribution of 
Duraid’s in that concern. 

“We obey you,” said his people, Duraid consequently said: ‘Today is a 
day that I have not missed but surely I will not be tempted to witness.” 

Reconnoitering the Weapons of the Messenger of Allah fa sA* fa 

The spies that Malik had already dispatched to spy Muslim forces, 
returned with their limbs cut off. “Woe unto you! What happened to you?” 
Said Malik. They said: “We have seen distinguished people on spotted 
horsebacks. What you see, would not have happened if we had been firmly 
together.” 

Reconnoitering the Enemy’s Weapons: 

News about the enemy’s marching were conveyed to the Messenger of 
Allah fL. } tin „u, so he sent out Al-Aslami with orders to mix with people, 
stay with them so that he would be able to know their news and to convey it 
to the Messenger of AllSh^MU «ui when he turns back. That was exactly 
what he managed to do. 

The Messenger of Alllh fa**t»*wj* leaves Makkah for Hunain: 

On Shawwal, the nineteenth, the captive day, the Messenger of Allah 
<_ui left Makkah accompanied by twelve thousand Muslims. Ten 
thousand of those had previously shared in Makkah Conquest. A great 
number of the other two thousand, who were Makkans, had recently 
embraced Islam. That march was on the nineteenth day of his conquest to 


- 404 - 



Makkah. He borrowed a hundred armours with their equipment from 
Safwan bin Omaiyah. He appointed ‘Itab bin Usaid as a governor over 
Makkah. When it was evening time, a horseman came to the Messenger of 
Allah ^ «jii jX. and said: “I have climbed up so and so mountains and 
came across Hawazin with their riding camels, livestock and sheep. 
Hawazin wholly were gathered together there.” The Messenger of Allah 
pi—j .uui j-u smiled then and said: “They will all be Muslims’ spoils 
tomorrow, if Allah will.” That night Anas bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi 
volunteered to guard.!'! 

On their way to Hunain they saw a great green Nabk plant, that was 
called Dhat-Anwat (the one with suspenders). That was because the Arabs 
used to hang their weapons on it, slay beasts under it and keep to it. So some 
of army members asked the Messenger of Allah ^ «j* to make them a 

Nabk with suspenders as the one they had. “Allah is the Greatest of all!” He 
said, “I swear by the One in Whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul, that you 
have just said what the people of Moses said to him. They said ‘Make us a 
god as the one they have.’ Surely you are ignorant people. These are 
Sunnah, but you will follow and comply with the modes of life of those who 
preceded you.”l 2 l 

Seeing how great in number the army was, some of them said: “We shall 
not be defeated.” Their statement sounded hard upon the Messenger of 
Allah ^ Ml* «UI (< L*. 

The Islamic Army stunned the Archers and the Attackers: 

On Wednesday night the tenth of Shawwal, the Muslim army arrived at 
Hunain. Malik bin ‘Awf, who had previously entered the valley by night, 
gave orders to his army to hide inside the valley and lurk for the Muslims on 
roads, entrances, narrow hiding places. His orders to his men were to hurl 
stones at Muslims whenever they caught sight of them and then to make a 
one-man attack against them. 

At early dawn the Messenger of Allah started mobilizing his 

army and distributing posts and flags to people. In the dark and just before 


I'! Abu Da’fld. 
P! At-Tirmidhi. 


- 405 - 



dawn the Muslims moved towards Hunain Valley. They started descending 
into it unaware of the presence of an enemy lurking for them inside the 
valley. So at the moment they were cam p ing, arrows began showering 
intensively at them, whereas the enemy’s battalions started a fierce attack 
against the Muslims, who had to retreat in disorder and utter confusion. It 
was such a shatteringly defeat that Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who had recently 
embraced Islam, said that their retreat would not stop till they got to the Red 
Sea. Jablah or Kildah bin Al-Junaid commented on that by saying: “Surely 
magic has grown inactive today.” 

The Messenger of Allah «ui turned to the right and said: “Come 
on, people! I am the Messenger of AUSh. I am M uhamma d, the son of 
Abdullah.” Those who stoodfast by him were only few Emigrants and some 
of his kinsmen. The matchless bravery of the Prophet fi- y was then 

brought to light. He went on and on in his attempts to make his mule 
standfast in the face of the disbelievers while saying loudly: 

“Truly saying, I am the Prophet 

I am the (grand) son of Abdul Muttalib.” 

However, Abu Sufyan, who was then holding the rein Of the Prophet’s 
mule, and Al-’Abbas, who was holding its stirrup; were endeavouring to 
make it halt. The Messenger of Allah pL., *ui j-. dismounted and asked his 
Lord to render him help. 

“O, Allah, send down Your Help!” 

Mulsims’ return to the Battlefield, and the fierceness of the Fight: 

The Messenger of Allah ^ «ui ordered his uncle Al-‘Abbas — who 
was a sonorous voiced man — to call out on the followers. As loudly as he 
could, Al-‘Abbas shouted: “Where are die lancers?” “By AllSh,” Al-‘ Abbas 
said, “Upon hearing my voice calling them back, they turned round to the 
battlefield as if they had been oryxes (wild cows) tending towards their 
calves.” 


- 406 - 



“Here we are, at your service. Here we are.”! 1 ) They said. There you see 
them trying to stop their camels and reverse to the battle. He who was 
unable to force his camel to turn back, would take his armour, fling it round 
his neck, and hastily dismount his camel with his weapon in his hand letting 
his camel move freely and run towards the voice source. Voices would grow 
louder and louder till a hundred of them gathered round the Prophet and 
resumed the fight. 

Those who were called out upon next were Al-Ansar, the Helpers, “O, 
folks of Al-Ansar! Folks of Al-Ansar!” 

The last group to be called out upon were Bani Al-Harith bin Al-Khazraj. 
Mus lims battalions poured successively into the battlefield in the same 
manne r that they had left it The stamina of both parties was superb. Both of 
them stoodfast and fought fiercely. The Messenger of Allah ,jl 3 *ui ^ was 
so eagerly and furiously watching the battle that he said: 

“Now the fight has grown fierce.” 

Picking up a handful of earth, he hurled it at their faces while saying: 

CJkl3> 

“May your faces be shameful.” 

Their eyes were thick with dust and the enemy began to retreat in utter 
confusion. 

Reverse of Fortunes and the Enemy’s utter Defeat: 

Few hours had elapsed since the earth-handful was hurled at the enemy’s 
faces, when they were shatteringly defeated. About seventy men of Thaqif 
alone were killed, and the Muslims plundered all their riding camels, 
weapons and cattle. 

All§h, Glory is to Him, alluded to this sudden change in the Qur’an when 
He said: 


PI Sahih Muslim, 2/100. 


- 407 - 




. .and on the Day of Hunain (battle) when you rejoiced at your 
great number but it availed you naught and the earth, vast as it 
is, was straitened for you, then you turned back in flight. Then 
Allah did send down His Sakinah (calmness, tranquillity, and 
reassurance, etc.) on the Messenger (Muhammad ^ ,/*) 

and on the believers, and sent down forces (angels) which you 
saw not, and punished the disbelievers. Such is the recompense 
of disbelievers.” [9:25,26] 

Hot Pursuit of the Enemy: 

After their defeat, some enemy troops headed for Ta’if, others to 
Nakhlah and Awtas. A group of Muslims headed by Abu ‘A mir Al-Ash‘ ari, 
were despatched to chase the enemy, some skirmishes took place during 
which Abu ‘Amir was killed. 

A similar battalion of horsemen pursued the idolaters who threaded the 
track to Nakhlah and caught up with Duraid bin As-Simmah, who was killed 
by Rabi‘a bin Rafi‘. After collecting the booty, the Messenger of Alldh 
(j-, *ui left for Ta’if to face the greatest number of the defeated idolaters. 
The booty was six thousand captives, twenty four thousand camels; over 
forty thousand sheep and four thousand silver ounces. The Messenger of 
Allah (j-, «jji gave orders that booty should be confined at Al-J‘iranah 
and ordained Mas'ud bin 4 Amr Al-Ghifari to be in charge of it. It was only 
when he was entirely free from Ta’if Campaign, that one of the captives 
As-Shaima’, the daughter of Al-Harith As-Sa‘diya, the Messenger’s foster 
sister was brought to the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui she introduced 
herself to him. Upon recognizing her by a certain mark, he honoured her, 
spread for her his garment and seated her on it He was graceful and 
released her and made her turn back to her people. 


- 408 - 



Ta’if Campaign: 

Ta’if Campaign is in fact an extension of Hunain Ghazwah ; that is 
because the majority of the defeated troops of Hawazin and Thaqif went 
into Ta’if with the general commander — Malik bin ‘Awf An-Nasri — and 
fortified themselves within it. So upon finishing with Hunain Invasion, he 
gathered the booty at Al-Ji‘ranah in the very month (i.e. Shawwal) and in 
the eighth year A.H. 

A vanguard battalion of a thousand men led by Khalid bin Al-Waleed 
marched towards At-Ta’if. Whereas the Messenger of Allah 
proceeded passing through Nakhlah Al-Yamaniyah, Qam Al-Manazil and 
through Laiyah. At Laiyah there was a castle that belonged to Malik bin 
’Awf, so the Messenger of Allah ^ «jh ^ gave orders to have it 
destroyed. He resumed his march till he got to Ta’if. There he dismounted, 
camped near its castle and laid siege to the castle inhabitants; but not for 
long. 

How long the siege continued, is still a matter of disagreement. It 
however stands between 10-20 days.!*! 

A lot of arrow-shooting and rock-hurling occurred during the siege. For 
as soon as the Muslims laid siege round the castle, its people started 
shooting arrows against them. The arrows were so intense and fierce that 
they looked as if they had been locusts on the move. A number of Muslims 
were wounded and twelve were killed. 

To be far from the arrow-range, the Muslims had to ascend to a higher 
location and camped on — i.e. to what is now called At-Ta’if Mosque. The 
Prophet fL-, ^ set up a mangonel and shelled the castle. Eventually a 
gap was made in the castle wall, through which a number of Muslims 
managed to pass into the castle, sheltered by a wooden tank, with the 
purpose of setting fire into it. Anyway, the enemy poured down molten hot 
iron on them. Affected by this the Muslims stepped out of the tank and were 
again exposed to arrow shooting and consequently some of them were 
killed. 

To force the enemy to surrender, the Prophet ,jl, «di tended to a war 
policy of burning and cutting the enemy’s crops. His order was to cut their 

U] Sahih Muslim, narrated by Anas ^<1,^; Fath Al-Bari, 8/45. 


- 409 - 



vineyards and bum them. Seeing that the Muslims started rapidly cutting 
and burning their vines, they implored the Prophet ^ <w ^ to stop and 
have mercy on them for the sake of Allah and out of kinship motives. So the 
Prophet agreed. When the caller of the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ jji called 
out unto people saying “He whosoever descends and steps out of the castle 
is free.” Twenty-three men came outl'l One of them was Abu Bakrah who 
tied himself to a wall and let himself down by means of a small wheel, that 
would normally be used for drawing up water from a well. The way he let 
himself down made the Prophet nickname him “Abu Bakrah”, i.e. the man 
with the wheel. The Messenger of Allah ^an set them all free and 
entrusted each one of them to a Muslim to care about their living affairs, 
which was too hard for the castle folkspeople to bear. 

Seeing that the siege lasted too long and that the castle was immune and 
could stand any siege (for they had already stored a supply that suffices for 
over a year) and that the Muslims were suffering — day by day — from 
arrow-shots and heated iron hooks, the Messenger of Allah ^ 
consulted Nawfal bin Mu‘awiyah Ad-Daili about that. He said: “They are 
like a fox hiding inside its burrow. If you stoodfast at it you would catch it, 
but if you parted with it, no harm would afflict you.” The Messenger of 
Allah fL* <ui decided to lift the siege and depart. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, 
who was ordered by the Prophet to notify people, said to them “If Allah 
will, we are leaving the castle and going back tomorrow.” As it was too hard 
for the Muslims to go back and leave the castle unconquered they 
complained saying, “Should we go away while the castle is still unopened?” 
His reply was: “Then, start fighting in the morning.” In the morning they 
fought and were wounded. So when he repeated this statement: “If Allah 
will, we are leaving the castle and going back tomorrow”, they were pleased 
and carried out the order submissively and started moving, which made the 
Messenger of Allah ^«di laugh. 

As soon as they mounted and started moving the Messenger 
said: 


( . \£J t Ip- I : IjJ ji* 


[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/620. 


- 410 - 



“Say! Here we are returning, repenting, worshipping (Allah) and 
to our Lord we offer praise.” 

When the Messenger of Allah was asked to invoke Allah against Thaqif, 
he said: 

otj U12J J>l 

“O Allah, guide Thaqif and bring them to us as Muslims.” 

The Distribution of the Booty at Al-Ji‘ranah: 

Upon returning and lifting the siege in Ta’if, the Messenger of Allah 
fi-j uji ^ had stayed over ten nights at Al-Ji‘ranah before starting to 
distribute the booty. Distribution delay was due to the Prophet’s hope that 
Hawazin’s delegation might arrive and announce their repentance and 
consequently reclaim their loss. Seeing that none of them arrived, he started 
dividing the booty so as to calm down the tribes’ chiefs and the celebrities 
of Makkah. The first to receive booty and the ones who obtained the 
greatest number of shares were the people who had recently embraced 
Islam. 

Abu Sufyan bin Harb was given a hundred camels and forty (gold) 
ounces and yet he said, “What about my son, Yazeed’s Share?” So he was 
given the same quantity for his son as well. But yet he exclaimed: “And 
what about the share of Mu’awiyah, my second son?” So the Prophet 
gave Mu’awiyah as much as he gave his father and brother. 
Hakeem bin_Hizam was given a hundred camels, but he was given a 
hundred more when he demanded. Safwan bin Omaiyah was given three 
hundred camels - a hundred camels at each time. It is thus mentioned in 
Shifa’l*!, Book by Qadi Iyadh. The Prophet fU, mu «w ju gave Al-Harith bin 
Harith bin Kilda a hundred camels. He also gave some chiefs of Quraish and 
other clans a hundred camels; he gave others fifty and some others had 
forty. 

Eventually it was spread among people that “Muhammad grants 
generously and fears not to grow poor.” This made bedouins gather around 
him expecting to be given some wealth. They were so many that they forced 


I'] Ash-Shifa’, 1/86. 


- 411 - 



the Prophet ^ ^ <ui jl, to seek refuge against a tree and they even took away 
his garment, “O people!*' He said, “Give me back my garment! For I swear 
by the One in Whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul, that if I had as many 
numerous camels as the number ofTihama trees, I would distribute them 
among you. You know quite well that I am neither mean nor coward or a 
liar.” Standing by his camel he plucked out a hair of his camel’s hump and 
held it between his two fingers, lifted it up and said: “O people, I swear by 
Allah that I get nothing but one-fifth of your booty, and this very fifth goes 
back to you.” 

As soon as he had given the new converts, the Messenger of Allah 
fL-, uii ordered Zaid bin Thabit to fetch the booty and summon people. 
Then he ordained shares to people. A footman’s share was four camels and 
forty sheep, and a horseman would take twelve camels and a hundred and 
twenty sheep. This distribution of booty was based on a wise policy. In this 
world there are lots of people who know the truth only when it comes 
through their stomachs and they do not recognize it if it comes through their 
brains. The similitude of such people is as the guidance of an animal to its 
herd by means of a bunch of clover held at a constant distance off its mouth. 
The animal would try all the time to catch it, so it would eventually go into 
the herd safely. In the same way you have to do various kinds of temptations 
to make certain kind of people familiarize Islam and be pleased with.!'! 

The Helpers (Al-Ansar) are furious at the Messenger of Allah fL* J*: 

At first the Prophet’s policy of distribution was uncomprehended by 
many a man. Therefore sharp-tongued people started expressing their 
objections. The Helpers were among those who were afflicted by this 
policy. They were deprived of Hunain gifts though they had been the ones 
who were summoned at Hunain hard times and they were the first to rush to 
fight with the Messenger of Allah ^ 4 * <u j*. and standfast till the defeat 
turned into victory. Now here they are watching those who escaped fill their 
hands with booty while they are given nothing. 

On the authority of Ibn Ishaq: “When the Messenger of Allah 
had given Quraish and Arab tribes those gifts and allotted nothing to the 
Helpers, a group of the Helpers felt so uneasy about it that a lot of ill- 


('] Fiqh-us-Seerah, pp. 298,299. 


- 412 - 



statements against the Prophet fu } t> «_w ju were spread among them to an 
extent that one of them said: “By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ 

was ill-spoken of by his folksmen!” And those ill-statements went on 
spreading till Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah met the Messenger of Allah ^ «m jl., who 
in his turn faced his people after a while. 

Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah said: “O Messenger of Allah, this group of the Helpers 
arp furious at you about the distribution of the booty that you had won. You 
have allotted shares to your own kinsmen and forwarded lots of gifts to the 
Arab tribes. But this group has obtained nothing.” The Prophet ^ <*u <w > 
asked Sa‘d exclaiming: “Sa‘d, what do you think of all that?” Sa‘d replied: 
“O Messenger of Allah. You know that I am nothing but a member of this 
group.” “Call out on your people and bring them forth to me into this shed.” 
Said the Prophet ^ <«u ^u. 

So Sa‘d went out and summoned them. When some Emigrants came, he 
let them in but forbade others. When they were all gathered together, he 
informed the Prophet saying: “This group of the Helpers have just arrived to 
meet you in compliance with your orders.” As soon as the Messenger 
<111 'jL, faced them he thanked Allah and praised Him, then said to them 
inquiring, “I have been told that you are angry with me. Didn’t I come to 
you when you were astray and Allah guided you? You were poor and Allah 
gave you wealth. Weren’t you foes and Allah made you love one another.” 
“Yes,” they said, “Allah and His Messenger are better and more gracious.” 
Then he said: “What prevents you from replying to the Messenger of Allah, 
O tribe of Helpers?” They said, “What should be the reply, O Messenger of 
Allah, while to the Lord and to his Messenger belong all benevolence and 
grace.” 


The Prophet (j-, ^ again said: 

3 jJ <iilj uU 


“But by Allah, you might have answered and answered truly, for 
I would have testified to its truth myself: ‘You came to us belied 
and rejected and we accepted you; you came to us as helpless 
and we helped you; a fugitive, and we took you in; poor and we 
comforted you’. 


- 413 - 



You Helpers, do you feel anxious for the things of this world, 
wherewith I have sought to incline these people unto the Faith in 
which you are already established? 


Jij olJtJU J-Ul c)t jL<aiSll j->—Sit* 

>>■ ^ / " ✓ * *>■ 

Sfjp 4 ojC j|| dill Jj-i'jJ 

jlifti ciii3 i&a j-tlJi ilL jJ3 t^T ci£i 

tjL^aiS/l f-lljtj tjUaiS/l ^ <111 ijl^aiSfl C... « ...» cJU-J ill*-'*’ 

ijCaiSn 5 d ;dj 


Are you not satisfied, O group of Helpers that the people go 
with ewes and camels while you go along with the Messenger of 
Allah (fL. } <*u 4ii ju) to your dwellings. By Him in Whose Hand is 
my life, had there been no migration, I would have been one of 
the Helpers. If the people would go through a valley and 
passage, and the Helpers go through another valley and passage, 
I would go through the valley and passage of the Helpers. Allah! 
Have mercy on the Helpers, their children and their children’s 
children.” 


The audience wept until tears rolled down their beards as they said: 
i[L-j Ills gg <Sil J yL'jj 

“Yes, we are satisfied, O Prophet of Allah (fU, 4 ji ,>)! with 
our lot and share.” 


Then the Prophet ^ uh left the gathering and the people also 
dispersed.! 1 ! 

Arrival of the Hawazin Delegation: 

Hawazin’s delegation arrived a Muslims just after the distribution of 
spoils. They were fourteen men headed by Zuhair bin Sard. The 
Messenger’s foster uncle was one of them. They asked him to bestow upon 
them some of the wealth and spoils. They uttered so touching words that the 


[’] Ibn Hisham 2/499,500; and like this quoted by Bukhari, 2/620,621. 


- 414 - 


Messenger of Allah ^ <* <w said to them: “You surely see who are with 
me. The most desirable speech to me is the most truthful. Which is dearer to 
you, your wealth or your women and children?” They replied: “Nothing 
whatsoever compares with kinship.” Then when I perform the noon prayer, 
stand up and say: “We intercede with the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ an to 
exhort the believers, and we intercede with the believers to exhort the 
Messenger of Allah ^ v* «w j* to forego the captives of our people fallen to 
their lot.” So when the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ performed the noon 

prayer, they stood up and said what they had been told to say. The 
Messenger ^ then, said: “As for what belongs to me and to the 

children of Abdul Muttalib, you may consider them, from now on, yours. 
And I will ask my folksmen to give back theirs.” Upon hearing that the 
Emigrants and the Helpers said: “What belongs to us is, from now on, 
offered to the Messenger of Allah ^ «im But Al-Aqra‘ bin Habis said, 
“We will grant none of what belongs to me and to Bani Tamim,”; so did 
‘Uyaina bin Hisn, who said: “As for me and Bani Fazarah, I say ‘No’.” 
Al-‘Abbas bin Mirdas also refused and said: “No” for Bani Saleem and him. 
His people, however, said otherwise: “Whatever spoils belong to us we offer 
to the Messenger of Allah (^*> 4011 ^).” “You have undermined my 
position.” Said Al-‘Abbas bin Mirdas spontaneously. Then the Messenger 
of Allah 'JL, «u .tin said: “These people have come to you as Muslims. For 
this I have already tarried the distribution of the booty. Besides, I have 
granted them a fair option but they refused to have anything other than their 
women and children. Therefore he who has some of theirs and will prefer 
willingly to give them back, let them do. But those who favours to keep 
what he owns to himself, let them grant them back too, and he will be given 
as a recompense six times as much from the first booty that Allah may 
provide us.” People then said, “We will willingly offer them all for the sake 
of the Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah ^ «u <jii said: “But 
in this way we are not able to find out who is content and who is not. So go 
back and we will be waiting for your chiefs to convey to us your decisions.” 
All of them gave back the women and children. The only one who refused 
to comply with the Messenger’s desire was ‘Uyaina bin Hisn. He refused to 
let an old woman of theirs go back at first. Later on he let her go back. The 
Messenger of Allah ,ju, <* 1 * «j>i ^ gave every captive a garment as a gift. 


- 415 - 



Lesser Pilgrimage (Al-‘Umrah) to Makkah and leaving for Madinah: 

Having accomplished the distribution of the spoils at Al-Ji‘ranah he left 
it while wearing Al- ‘Umrah clothes and proceeded to Makkah to perform 
Al- ‘Umrah. The Messenger of Allah (L,, <<u «di j-, turned back from there to 
Madinah after appointing ‘Itab bin Usaid on Makkah as governor. His 
arrival to Madinah was by the last six nights of Dhul-Qa‘dah, in the year 8 
A.H. On this occasion Muhammad Al-Ghazali said: 


“What a great change it is between the victorious period of Muhammad 
at present which Allah has towered with a manifest conquest, and that 
period of the past during which Muhammad first arrived at this town, eight 
years ago.” 


When he first came to Madinah, he was pursued and wanted. He was 
seeking a secure shelter. He was a lonely stranger who sought 
companionship and comfort. The people of Madinah welcomed him, gave 
him residence and aided him and embraced the light of Islam, which had 
been sent down upon him. They, for his sake, did not care about the enmity 
of other peoples. Here he is entering Madinah again, after the lapse of eight 
years of that first visit. Madinah, the town that had received him once, when 
he was a frightened Emigrant; it receives him once again when Makkah has 
become in his hands and at his disposal. It is Makkah that has got rid of its 
pride and Jahiliyah (i.e. pre-Islamic period and traditions). It is now proud 
again and mighty in Islam. The Messenger of Allah forgave all the errors 
and wrongs of its people. 





“Verily, he who fears Allah with obedience to Him (by 
abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing 
righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allah makes 
not the reward of the good-doers to be lost.” [12:90]l'l 


[>1 Fiqh-us-Seerah, 303; Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/160-201; Ibn Hisham 2/389-501; 

Sahih Bukhari: Chapter Fath Ghazwah, Hunain, Awtas and At-Ta’if, 2/612-622. 
Fath Al-Bari, 8/3-58. 


- 416 - 




Missions and Platoons 
After the Conquest 


Upon returning from this long successful travel, the Messenger of Allah 
fi-j viu 4 jji ^ stayed in Madinah where he received delegates and dispatched 
agents and appointed preachers and callers to Islam everywhere. Those 
whose hearts were still full of prejudice against Islam and therefore were too 
proud to embrace Allah’s religion, were decisively muffled on their non¬ 
acquiescence in the status quo prevalent then in Arabia. 

Here is a mini-image about the believed ones. We have already stated 
that the Messenger’s arrival in Madinah was by the last days of the eighth 
year of Al-Hijra. No sooner the crescent of Muharram of the ninth year 
turned up than the Messenger of All&h ^ ^ j*. dispatched the believed 

ones, to the tribes as shown in the list below: 


1. ‘Uyaina bin Hisn 

2. Yazeed bin Husain 

3. ‘Abbad bin Bishr Al-Ashhali 

4. Rafi‘ bin Mukaith 

5. ‘Amr bin Al-‘As 

6. Ad-Dahhak bin Sufyan 

7. Basheer bin Sufyan 

8. Ibn Al-Lutabiyah Al-Azdi 

9. Al-Muhajir bin Abi Omaiyah 

10. Ziyad bin Labid 
1 l.’Adi bin Hatim 

12. Malik bin Nuwairah 

13. Az-Zabraqan bin Badr 

14. Qais bin ‘Asim 

15. Al-‘Ala’ bin Al-Hadrami 

16. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib 


to Bani Tamim. 
to Aslam and Ghifar. 
to Sulaim and Muzainah. 
to Juhainah. 
to Bani Fazarah. 
to Bani Kilab. 
to Bani Ka‘b. 
to Bani Dhubyan. 

to Sana’a’ (Al-Aswad Al-‘Ansi called 
at him when he was in it), 
to Hadramout. 
to Tai’ and Bani Asad, 
to Bani Hanzalah. 
to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them), 
to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them), 
to Al-Bahrain. 

to Najran (to collect Sadaqa & Jizya). 


Some of these agents were despatched in Muharram, 7 A.H., others were 
sent later until the tribes they were heading for had completely converted 
into Islam. Such a move clearly demonstrates the great success that the 
Islamic Da'wah (Call) enjoyed after Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. However, 


- 417 - 



shortly after the conquest of Makkah, people began to embrace Islam in 
large hosts. 

The Platoons: 

In the same way that the believed ones were dispatched to the tribes, we 
understand that dispatching some more platoons to all regions of Arabia is a 
necessity for the prevalence and domination of security on all lands of 
Arabia. 

Here is a list of those platoons: 

1. ‘Uyaina bin Hisn Al-Fazari’s platoon in Al-Muharram, the ninth year of 
Al-Hijra to Bani Tamim. It consisted of fifty horsemen, none of them 
was an Emigrant or a Helper. 

This expedition was dispatched due to the fact that Bani Tamim had 
already urged other tribes not to pay tribute (Al-Jizya) and eventually 
stopped them from paying it 

Therefore, ‘Uyaina bin Hisn set out to fight them. All the way long he 
marched by night and lurked by day. He went on that way till he 
overtook them and attacked them in die desert. They fled back for their 
lives. Eleven men, twenty-one women and thirty boys were captured 
then. He drove them back to Madinah and were housed in Ramlah bint 
Al-Harith’s residence. Ten of their leaders, who came to the Prophet’s 
door, called out unto him saying: “O Muhammad come out and face us.” 
When he went out they held him and started talking. 

He exchanged talk with them for a while then left them and went to 
perform the noon-prayer. After prayer he sat in the mosque-patio. They 
proclaimed a desire to show boasting and self-pride. For this purpose 
they introduced their orator ‘Utarid bin Hajib who delivered his speech. 
The Messenger of Allah ,jl, «w asked Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas 
— the Muslim orator — to respond. He did that. In return, they brought 
forth their poet Az-Zabraqan bin Badr who recited some boastful poetry. 
Hassan bin Thabit, the poet of Islam, promptly replied back. When talks 
and poetry came to an end, Al-Aqra‘ bin Habis said: “Their orator is 
more eloquent than ours, and their poet is more poetically learned than 
ours. Their voices and sayings excel ours, as well.” Eventually they 
announced their embracing Islam. Consequently, the Messenger of Allah 


- 418 - 



fL-j uii ji- acknowledged their Islamization, awarded them well, and 
rendered them back their women and children. 

2. A platoon headed by Qutbah bin ‘Amir to a spot called Khath‘am in 
Tabalah, a plot of land not far from Turbah. That was in Safar, 9 A.H. 
Accompanied by twenty men and only ten camels to mount alternatively 
on, Qutbah raided them and fought so fiercely that a great number of 
both parties were wounded and some others were killed. The Muslims 
drove back with them camels, women and sheep to Madinah. 

3. The mission of Dahhak bin Sufyan Al-Kilabi to Bani KilabinRabi‘ 
Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. This mission was sent to Bani Kilab to call 
them to embrace Islam. Refusing to embrace Islam, they started to fight 
against the Muslims, but were defeated and sustained one man killed. 

4. The three hundred men expedition of ‘Alqamah bin Mujazziz Al-Mudlaji 
to Jeddah shores in Rabi‘ Al-Akhir. This expedition was dispatched to 
fight against some men from (Al-Habasha) Abyssinia (Ethiopia), who 
gathered together near the shores of Jeddah and exercised acts of piracy 
against the Makkans. Therefore he cross'ed the sea till he got to an island. 
But as soon as the pirates had learned of Muslims’ arrival, they fledJ 1 ' 

5. The task of the platoon of ‘Ali bin Abi Talib was to demolish Al-Qullus, 
which was an idol that belonged to Tai’ tribe. That was in Rabi‘ 
Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. ‘Ali was dispatched by the Messenger of 
Allah (jLy «ui with one hundred fifty men. A hundred of them were on 
camels. The other fifty were on horseback. He held a black flag and a 
white banner. 

At dawn they raided Mahallat Hatim, demolished the idol and filled 
their hands with spoils, camels and sheep booties, whereas ‘Adi fled to 
Ash-Sham. The sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim was one of the captives. Inside 
Al-Qullus safe, Muslims found three swords and three armours. On the 
way they distributed the spoils and put aside the best things to the 
Messenger of Allah ^ «ui j*. They did not share the Hatims. 

Upon arrival in Madinah, the sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim begged the 
Messenger of Allah (L., uii to have mercy on her and said: “O 


('] Fath Al-Bari, 8/59. 


- 419 - 



Messenger of All&h, my brother is absent and &ther is dead, and I am too 
old to render any service. Be beneficent to me so that Allah may be 
bountiful to you .” He said: “Who is your brother?” She said: “It is ‘Adi 
bin Hatim.” “Is he not the one who fled from Allah and his Messenger?” 
Said the Prophet then went away from her. Next day she 

reiterated the same thing as the day before and received the same answer. 
A day later she uttered similar words, this time he made benefaction to 
her. The man who was beside the Prophet, and whom she thought to be 
‘Ali, said to hen “Ask for an animal from him to ride on.” And she was 
granted her request 

She returned to Ash-Sham where she met her brother and said to him: 
“The Messenger of AllSh an j* has done me such noble deed that 
your father would never have done it. Therefore, willy-nilly, frightened 
or secure, you should go and see him.” Unsecure neither protected by 
some one, not even recommended by a letter as a means of protection, 
‘Adi came and met the Prophet The Messenger of Allah ^ «ui took 
him home with him. As soon as he sat before him, the Messenger of 
Allah fL,, <ui thanked Allah and praised him, then said: “What makes 
you flee? Do you flee lest you should say there is no god but Allah? Do 
you know any other god but Allah?” “No” he said, then talked for a 
while. The Messenger of Allah went on saying: “Certainly you flee so 
that you may not hear the statement saying‘Allah is the Greatest.’Do 
you know anyone who is greater than Allah?” “No” he said. “The Jews 
are those whose portion is wrath, and the Christians are those who have 
gone astray,” the Prophet retorted. “I am a Muslim and I believe in one 
God (Allah).” ‘Adi finally proclaimed with a joyous face. The Prophet 
ordered him a residence with one of the Helpers. From that time he 
started calling at the Prophet ^ uii ^ in the mornings and in the 
evenings.! 1 ! 

On the authority of Ibn Ishaq, when the Prophet ^ uii made him 
sit down in front of him in his house, the Prophet said, “O ‘Adi, were you 
not cast in disbelief?” “Yes”. ‘Adi said. “Did you not share one quarter 
of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. The Messenger of Allah 
fL-j said: “It is sinful in your religion to do such a thing, and you 


1*1 Zad Al-Ma'ad, 2/205. 


- 420 - 



should not allow yourself to do it.” “Yes, by Allah, that is true”, said 
‘Adi. “Thus I worked out that he was a Prophet inspired by Allah, and 
sent to people. He knows what is unknown.”!') 

In another version, the Prophet ^ ^ said: ‘“Adi, embrace Islam 

and you shall be secure.” “But I am a man of religion.” Said ‘Adi. “I 
know your religion better than you.” Said the Prophet. “Do you know my 
religion better than me?” ‘Adi asked. The Prophet replied, “Yes”. He 
said: “Are you not cast in disbelief because you appropriate to yourself 
the fourth of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. “It is unlawful in 
your religion to do such a thing.” The Prophet said, and “Adi added: “He 
did not need to say it again for I immediately acquiesced it.’ 1 ! 2 ) 

Al-Bukhari narrates that ‘Adi said: While we were with the Prophet 
fL.) v>k 4jji a man came in and complained to him about poverty. Then 
another man came in and complained about highway robbery. The 
Messenger of Allah «ui ^ then said: “O ‘Adi, have you ever been to 

Al-Hirah? If you were doomed to live long life, you would be able to see 
a riding camel woman travel from Hirah till it cireumambulates 
Al-Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah; and if you were to live long enough 
you would open the treasures of Kisra. And if you were to live long you 
would be able to see man offering a handful of gold or silver to others 
but none accepts to take it” At the end of this Hadith ‘Adi later on says: 
“I have seen a riding camel woman travel from Al-Hirah till it 
circumambulates the Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah, I have also been one 
of those who opened the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz. If you were to 
live long life you would witness what the Prophet, Abul Qasim, ^ <ui ^ 
had already said about ‘offering a handful of ...’ i.e. the Prophet’s 
prophecies did really come tme.”I 3 ) 


[») Ibn-Hisham 2/581. 

I 2 ) Musnad Imam Ahmad. 

P) Sahih Al-Bukhari; Mishkat Al-Masabih, 2/524. 


- 421 - 



The Invasion of Tabuk 
in Rajah, in the Year 9 A.H. 


The invasion and the conquest of Makkah was considered a decisive one 
between the truth and the error. As a result of which, the Arabs had no more 
doubt in Muhammad’s mission. Thus we see that things went contrary to the 
pagans’ expectations. People started to embrace Islam, the religion of Allah, 
in great numbers. This is manifested clearly in the chapter — The 
delegations, of this book. It can also be deduced out of the enormous 
number of people who shared in the Hajjatul- Wadd ‘(Farewell Pilgrimage). 
All domestic troubles came to an end. Muslims, eventually felt at ease and 
started setting up the teachings of Allah’s Laws and intensifying the Call to 
Islam. 

The underlying Reasons: 

The Byzantine power, which was considered the greatest military force 
on earth at that time, showed an unjustifiable opposition towards Muslims. 
As we have already mentioned, their opposition started at killing the 
ambassador of the Messenger of Allah fi— 3 <jji Al-Harith bin ‘Umair 
Al-Azdi, by Sharhabeel bin ‘Amr Al-Ghassani. The ambassador was then 
carrying a message from the Prophet ^ * 1 * <ui ju to the ruler of Busra. We 
have also stated that the Prophet consequently dispatched a brigade under 
the command of Zaid bin Haritha, who had a fierce fight against the 
Byzantines at Mu’tah. Although Muslim forces could not have revenge on 
those haughty overproud tyrants, the confrontation itself had a great 
impression on the Arabs, all over Arabia. 

Caesar — who could neither ignore the great benefit that Mu’tah Battle 
had brought to Muslims, nor could he disregard the Arab tribes’ 
expectations of independence, and their hopes of getting free from his 
influence and reign, nor he could ignore their alliance to the Muslims — 
realizing all that, Caesar was aware of the progressive danger threatening 
his borders, especially Ash-Sham-fronts which were neighbouring Arab 
lands. So he concluded that demolition of the Muslims power had grown an 
urgent necessity. This decision of his should, in his opinion, be achieved 
before the Muslims become too powerful to conquer, and raise troubles and 
unrest in the adjacent Arab territories. 


- 422 - 



To meet these exigencies, Caesar mustered a huge army of the 
Byzantines and pro-Roman Ghassanide tribes to launch a decisive bloody 
battle against the Muslims. 

General News about the Byzantines and Ghassanide Preparations for 
War. 

No sooner news about the Byzantine’s preparations for a decisive 
invasion against Muslims reached Madinah than fear spread among them. 
They started to envisage the Byzantine invasion in the least sound they 
could hear. This could be clearly worked out of what had happened to 
‘Umar bin Al-Khattab one day. 

The Prophet had taken an oath to stay off his wives fora 

month in the ninth year of Al-Hijra. Therefore, he deserted them and kept 
off in a private place. At the beginning, the Companions of the Messenger 
of Allah were puzzled and could not work out the reason for such 
behaviour. They thought the Prophet ^ «ui had divorced them and that 
was why he was grieved, disturbed and upset. In ‘Umar’s version of the 
very story he says: “I used to have a Helper friend who often informed me 
about what happened if I weren’t present, and in return I always informed 
him of what had taken place during his absence. They both lived in the high 
part of Madinah. Both of them used to call at the Prophet alternatively 
during that time of suspense. Then one day I heard my friend, knock at the 
door saying: “Open up! Open up!” I asked wondering, “What’s the matter? 
Has the Ghassanide come?” “No it is more serious than that. The Messenger 
of Allah ,j-, 4iu has deserted his wives ”t'l 

In another version, ‘Umar said, “We talked about Ghassanide 
preparations to invade us. When it was his turn to convey the news to me, he 
went down and returned in the evening. He knocked at the door violently 
and said ‘Is he sleeping?’ I was terrified but I went out to meet him. 
‘Something serious bad taken place.’ He said. ‘Has the Ghassaindes 
arrived?’ Said I. ‘No,’ he said, ‘it is greater and more serious. The 
Messenger of AlUih ^ «ui has divorced his wives.’” PI 


PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/730. 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/334. 


- 423 - 



This state of too much alertness manifests clearly the seriousness of the 
situation that Muslims began to experience. The seriousness of the situation 
was confirmed to a large degree by the hypocrites behaviour, when news 
about the Byzantines’ preparations reached Madinah. The fact that the 
Messenger of Allih ^ on ^ won all the battles he fought, and that no 
power on earth could make him terrified, and that he had always proved to 
be able to overcome all the obstacles that stood in his way - did not prevent 
the hypocrites, who concealed evil in their hearts, from expecting an 
affliction to fall upon the Muslims and Islam. 

They used to harbour evil and ill-intentions against the whole process of 
Islam and the Muslims. On grounds of illusory hopes of destroying this 
great religious edifice, they erected a hotbed of conspiracy and intrigue in 
the form of a mosque — Masjid-e-Darar (the mosque of harm). They 
approached the Prophet with the request that he should come and 

consecrate the place by praying in it himself. As he was at the moment 
about to start for Tabuk, he deferred compliance with their request till his 
return. Meanwhile he came to know through Divine Revelation that it was 
not a Mosque for devotion and prayer but a meeting place for the anti- 
Islamic elements. On his return, therefore, the Prophet an sent a 
party to demolish the new structure. 

Particular News about the Byzantine and 
Ghassanide Preparations for War: 

A magnified image of the prominent danger threatening the Muslims life 
was carried to them by the Nabateans who brought oil from Ash-Sham to 
Madinah. They carried news about Heraclius’preparations and equipment 
of an enormous army counting over forty thousand fighters besides Lukham, 
Judham and other tribes allied to the Byzantines. They said that its vanguard 
had already reached Al-Balqa’. Thus was the grave situation standing in 
ambush for the Muslims. The general situation was aggravated seriously by 
other adverse factors of too much hot weather, drought and the rough and 
rugged distance they had to cover in case they decided to encounter the 
imminent danger. 

The Messenger of Allah’s ,jl., u» ^ concept and estimation of the 
situation and its development was more precise and accurate than all others. 
He thought that if he tarried or dealt passively with the situation in such a 


- 424 - 



way that might enable the Byzantines to paddle through the Islamic 
controlled provinces or to go as far as Madinah, this would -— amid these 
circumstances — leave the most awful impression on Islam as well as on the 
Muslims’ military credibility. 

The pre-Islamic beliefs and traditions (Al-Jahiliyah) which were at that 
time dying because of the strong decisive blow that they had already had at 
Hunain, could have had a way to come back to life once again in such an 
environment The hypocrites who were conspiring against the Muslims so 
that they might stab them in the back whereas Byzantines would attack them 
from the front. If such a thing came to light and they succeeded in their evil 
attempts, the Prophet and his Companions’ efforts to spread Islam would 
collapse and their profits which were the consequences of successive and 
constant fights and invasions would be invalidated. The Messenger of Allah 
,ju, un ^ realised all that very well. So — in spite of the hardships and 
drought that Muslims were suffering from—the Prophet «im ^ was 
determined that the Muslims should invade the Byzantines and fight a 
decisive battle at their own borders. He was determined not to tarry at all in 
order to thwart any Roman attempt to approach the land of Islam. 

When the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ had made up his mind and took 

his final decision, he ordered his Companions to get ready for war and sent 
for the Makkans and the other Arab tribes asking for their assistance. 

Contrary to his habit of concealing his real intention of the invasion by 
means of declaring a false one, he announced openly his intention of 
meeting the Byzantines and fighting them. He cleared the situation to his 
people so that they would get ready, and urged them to fight in the way of 
Allah. On this occasion a part of Surat Bara ’a (Chapter 9 — The 
Repentance) was sent down by Allah, urging them to steadfastness and 
stamina. 

On the other hand, the Messenger of All&h fL., «im cherished them to 
pay charities and to spend the best of their fortunes in the way Of Allah. 

No sooner had the Muslims heard the voice of the Messenger of AllSh 
fi—i *jh tr Lm calling them to fight the Byzantines than they rushed to comply 
with his orders. With great speed they started getting ready for war. Tribes 
and phratries from here and there began pouring in Madinah. Almost all the 
Muslims responded positively. Only those who had weakness at their hearts 


- 425 - 



favoured to stay behind. They were only three people. Even the needy and 
die poor who could not afford a ride came to the Messenger of Allah 
asking for one so that they would be able to share in the fight against the 
Byzantines. But when he said: 






“...‘I can find no mounts for you’they turned back while their 
eyes overflowing with tears of grief that they could not find 
anything to spend (for Jihad)'' [9:92] 


The Muslims raced to spend out money and to pay charities to provide 
this invasion. ‘Uthman, for instance, who had already rigged two hundred, 
saddled camels to travel to Ash-Sham, presented them all with two hundred 
ounces (of gold) as charity. He also fetched a thousand dinars and cast them 
all into the lap of the Messenger of Allah ^ «ro who turned them over 
and said: “From this day on nothing will harm ‘Uthman regardless of what 
he does.”! 1 ! Again and again ‘Uthman gave till his charity toped to nine 
hundred camels and a hundred horses, besides the money he paid. 


Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf, on his side, paid two hundred silver ounces, 
whereas Abu Bakr paid the whole money he had and left nothing but Allah 
and His Messenger as a fortune for his family. ‘Umar paid half his fortune. 
Al-‘Abbas gifted a lot of money. Talhah, Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah and Muhammad 
bin Maslamah, gave money for the welfare of the invasion. ‘Asim bin ‘Adi, 
on his turn, offered ninety camel-burdens of dates. People raced to pay little 
and much charities alike. One of them gave the only half bushel (or the only 
bushel) he owned. Women shared in this competition by giving the things 
they owned; such as musk, armlets, anklets, ear-rings and rings. No one 
abstained from spending out money, or was too mean to grant money or 
anything except the hypocrites: 



1*1 Jami* At-Tinnidhi, 2/211 (The virtues of ‘Uthman.) 


- 426 - 



“Those who defame such of the believers who give charity (in 
Allah’s cause) voluntarily, and those who could not find to give 
charity (in Allah’s cause) except what is available to them, so 
they mock at them (believers).” [9:79] 

The Muslim Army is leaving for Tabuk: 

Upon accomplishing the equipment of the army, the Messenger of Allah 
fL-j <_m jX. ordained that Muhammad bin Maslamah Al-Ansari should be 
appointed over Madinah — in another version Siba‘ bin ‘Arftah. To ‘Ali bin 
Abu Talib he entrusted his family’s safety and affairs and ordered him to 
stay with them. This move made the hypocrites undervalue ‘Ali, so he 
followed the Messenger of Allah pLj ole till and caught up with him. But 
the Prophet made ‘Ali turn back to Madinah after saying: “Would it not 
suffice you to be my successor in the way that Aaron (Harun) was to 
Moses’?” Then he proceeded saying: “But no Prophet succeeds me.” 

On Thursday, the Messenger of Allah ^ <111 matched northwards to 

Tabuk. The army that numbered thirty thousand fighters was a great one, 
when compared with the previous armies of Islam. Muslims had never 
marched with such a great number before. 

Despite all the gifts of wealth and mounts the army was not perfectly 
equipped. The shortage of provisions and mounts was so serious that 
eighteen men mounted one camel alternatively. As for provisions, members 
of the army at times had to eat the leaves of trees till their lips got swollen. 
Some others had to slaughter camels — though they were so dear — so that 
they could drink the water of their stomach; that is why that army was called 
“The army of distress”. 

On their way to Tabuk, the army of Islam passed by Al-Hijr — which 
was the native land of Thamud who cut out (huge) rocks in the valley; that 
is “Al-Qura Valley” of today. They watered from its well but later the 
Messenger of AllSh ^ o* ^ told them not to drink of that water, nor 
perform the ablution with it. The dough they made, he asked them to feed 
their camels with. He forbade them to eat anything whatsoever of it. As an 
alternative he told them to water from that well which Prophet Salih’s she- 
camel used to water from. 



On the authority of Ibn‘Umar: “Upon passing by Al-Hijr the Prophet 
fL.j ^ said: 



£)t 


“Do not alter the houses of those who erred themselves lest 
what had happened to them would afflict you, but if you had to 
do such a thing let it be associated with weeping.” 

Then he raised his head up and accelerated his strides till he passed the 
valley out.”Pl 

Shortage of water and the army’s need to it made them complain to the 
Messenger of Allah ^ uii ^ about that. So he supplicated Allah, who 
sent a rainful cloud. It rained and so all people drank and supplied 
themselves with their need of water. 

When they drew near Tabuk, the Prophet said: “If Allah will, tomorrow 
you will arrive at Tabuk spring. You will not get there before daytime. So 
whoever reaches it should not touch its water; but wait till I come.” Mu‘adh 
said: “When we reached the spring it used to gush forth some water. We 
found that two men had already preceded us to it. The Messenger of Allah 
fj-, <jji j-l. asked them: ‘Have you touched its water?’ They replied: ‘Yes’. 
He said what Allah inspired him to say, then he scooped up little water of 
that spring, thin stream which gathered together, he washed his face and 
hand with it and poured it back into it; consequently plenty of water spouted 
out of it so people watered. ‘Mu‘adh’, said die Messenger of Allah, ‘if you 
were doomed to live long life you will see in here fields full of 
vegetation. ”’Pl 

On the way to Tabuk, or as soon as they reached Tabuk, the Messenger 
of Allah fj_j <_ui jj- said: ‘Severe wind will blow tonight, so none of you 
should stand up. Whoever has a camel should tie it up.’ Later on when the 


HI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/637. 
PI Sahih Muslim, 2/246. 


- 428 - 



strong wind blew, one of the men stood up and the wind carried him away 
to Tai’ Mountain.! 1 ! 

All the way long the Messenger of Allah was intent on the 

performance of the combined prayer of noon and the afternoon; and so did 
he with sunset and evening prayers. His prayers for both were either pre¬ 
time or post-time prayers. 

The Army of Islam at Tabuk: 

Arriving at Tabuk and camping there, the Muslim army was ready to face 
the enemy. There, the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ delivered an eloquent 

speech that included the most inclusive words. In that speech he urged the 
Muslims to seek the welfare of this world and the world to come. He warned 
and cherished them and gave them good tidings. By doing that he cherished 
those who were broken in spirits, and blocked up the gap of shortage and 
mess they were suffering from due to lack of supplies, food and other 
substances. 

Upon learning of the Muslims’ march, the Byzantines and their allies 
were so terrified that none of them dared set out to fight. On the contrary 
they scattered inside their territory. It brought, in itself, a good credit to the 
Muslim forces. That had gained military reputation in the mid and remote 
lands of Arabian Peninsula. The great and serious political profits that the 
Muslim forces had obtained, were far better than the ones they could have 
acquired if the two armies had been engaged in military confrontation. 

The Head of Ailah, Yahna bin Rawbah came to the Messenger of Allah 
fi^ s «jji ^ju, made peace with him and paid him the tribute (. Al-Jizya ). Both 
of Jarba’ and Adhruh peoples paid him tribute, as well. So the Messenger of 
Allah ,JL— 3 <^u «jui j* gave each a guarantee letter, similar to Yahna’s, in which 
he says: 

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

This is a guarantee of protection from Allah and Muhammad the 
Prophet, the Messenger of Allah, to Yahna bin Rawbah and the 
people of Ailah; their ships, their caravans on land and sea shall 


111 ibid.Sahih Muslim, 2/246. 


- 429 - 



have the custody of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad, he and 
whosoever are with him of Ash-Sham people and those of the sea. 
Whosoever contravenes this treaty, his wealth shall not save him; it 
shall be the fair prize of him that takes it. Now it should not be 
lawful to hinder the men from any springs which they have been in 
the habit of frequenting, nor from any journeys they desire to make, 
whether by sea or by land.” 

The Messenger of Allah pL., ««u «w dispatched Khalid bin Al-Waleed at 
the head of four hundred and fifty horsemen to ‘Ukaidir Dumat Al-Jandal 
and said to him: “You will see him hunting oryxes.” So when Khalid drew 
near his castle and was as far as an eye-sight range, he saw the oryxes 
coming out rubbing their horns against the castle gate. As it was a moony 
night Khalid could see Ukaidir come out to hunt them, so he captured him 
— though he was surrounded by his men — and brought him back to the 
Messenger of Allih (L., <*l. uh ir ju, who spared his life and made peace with 
him for the payment of two thousand camels, eight hundred heads of cattle, 
four hundred armours and four hundred lances. He obliged him to recognize 
the duty of paying tribute and charged him with collecting it from Dumat, 
Tabuk, Ailah and Taima’. 

The tribes, who used to ally the Byzantines, became quite certain that 
their dependence oinn their former masters came to an end. Therefore they 
turned into being pro-Muslims. The Islamic state had therefore enlarged its 
borders to an extent that it, touched the Byzantines’ and their agents’ 
borders. So we see that the Byzantine agents role was over. 

Returning to Madinah: 

The Muslim army returned from Tabuk victoriously, undeceived or 
wronged. That was because AllSh had sufficed them the evils of fight. 

On the way back and at a mountain road, twelve hypocrites sought the 
Prophet’s life and that was while he was passing along that mountain road 
with only Ammar holding the rein of his she-camel and Hudhaifa bin 
Al-Yaman driving it, at the time that people had already gone down into the 
bottom of the valley. 

The hypocrites seized that opportunity to seek the Prophet’s life. As the 
Messenger of Allah ^ «ui ^ and his two companions were moving along. 


- 430 - 



they heard thrusts of people coming towards him from behind with their 
faces veiled. Hudhaifa, who was sent by the Prophet to see what was going 
on, saw them and stroke their mounts’ faces with a crook in his hand and 
Allah cast fear into their hearts. They fled away and overtook their people. 

However, Hudhaifa named them to the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui 

and informed him of their intentions. So that was why Hudhaifa was called 
the “confidant” of the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui About this event 
Allah, the Exalted says: 

“And they resolved that (plot to murder Prophet Muhammad 

(L, } jj) which they were unable to carry out.” [9:74] 

When his headquarters, Madinah, began to loom at the horizon, the 
Prophet 4*u A-jui said: “This is a cheerful sight. This is Uhud, which is a 
mountain, we like it and it likes us.” When the Madinese leamt of their 
arrival they set out to meet the army. Women, youths, youngsters and small 
children went out of town to celebrate their home-return wholeheartedly 
singing: 

<L 1-co I—« l_£jU ^_*J| 

* 

“The full moon shone down upon us, through the traits of 

Al-Wada‘ Mountain. 

Thanks is due to us, as long as a supplicator invokes to Allah..” 

The Messenger of Allah ^ <ui ^’s march to Tabuk was in Rajab and 
his return in Ramadan. So we see that this Ghazwah took fifty days, twenty 
days of which were spent in Tabuk and the others on the way to and fro. 
Tabuk Invasion was the last one made by the Prophet ^ j*. 


The People Who lagged Behind: 

Due to its particular circumstances, this invasion was a peculiar severe 
trial provided by Allah only to try the believers’Faith and sort them out of 
others. This is Allah’s permanent Will in such circumstances. In this respect 

He says: » 


- 431 - 



“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are 
now, until He distinguish^the wicked from the good.” [3:179] 

Lagging and hanging back from full participation in that invasion 
amounted to the degree of hypocrisy. Whenever the Messenger of Allah 
ft-; uii yju was informed of a man’s lingering, he would say: “Leave him 
alone! If Allah knows him to be good He will enable him to follow you; but 
if he were not so, Allah would relieve us of him.” 

Nobody stayed behind except those who were either hindered by a 
serious excuse or the hypocrites who told lies to Allah and His Messenger. 

Some of those hypocrites’ lingering was due to an excuse based on 
forgery and delusion. Some others tarried but didn’t ask for an instant 
permission. But there were three believers who unjustifiably lingered. They 
were the ones whom Allah tried their Faith, but later on He turned to them 
in mercy and accepted their repentance. 

As soon as the Messenger of Allah ^ «w had entered Madinah, he 
prayed two Rah'a then he sat to receive his people. The hypocrites who 
were over eighty men! 1 ) came and offered various kinds of excuses and 
started swearing. The Prophet acknowledged their excuses and invoked 
Allah’s forgiveness for them but he entrusted their inner thoughts and Faith 
to Allah. 


As for the three faithful believers — Ka‘b bin Malik, Murara bin 
Ar-Rabi‘, and Hilal bin Omaiyah — who favoured telling the truth, the 
Messenger of Allah «w bade his Companions not to talk to them. 


Consequently they were subject to a severe boycott and were excluded 
from the life of the community. Everybody turned them their back. So they 
felt as if the whole land had become constrained to them in spite of its 
spaciousness and they felt awkward and uneasy. The hard times they lived 
and which lasted for over forty days were towered by an order to them to 
forsake their wives. After fifty days’ boycott All&h turned to them and 
revealed that in Qur’an: 


H k t« latf * of f26 -421 




(■] Fath Al-Bari, 8/119. 


- 432 - 



“And (He did foigive also) the three (whom the Prophet ^, & .in jJ) 
left (i.e. he did not give his judgement in their case, and their 
case was suspended for Allah’s Decision) till for them the earth, 
vast as it is, was straitened and their ownselves were straitened 
to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah, 
and no refuge but with Him. Then, He accepted their repentance, 
that they might repent (unto Him). Verily, Allah is the One Who 
accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” [9:118] 


Allah’s turning to them was a great joy for both Muslims and the three 
concerned. The joy of the stayers behind was unaccountable in aim and 
degree. It was the happiest day in their lives. The good tiding cherished 
them and filled their hearts with delight. As for those who lingered due to 
disability or sickness or any other serious excuse, Allah, the Exalted said 
about them: 


A 1 a 


“There is no blame on those who are weak or ill or who find no 
resources to spend [in holy warfare (Jihad)], if they are sincere 
(in duty) to Allah and His Messenger.” [9:91] 


When he approached Madinah, the Messenger ofAllah said: 

\jj\s 'ill I^ i£ j *J b (1)}® 

* . ojuJL : 3l5 4 4 r «; > - 


“Inside Madinah, there are certain men, who though being left 
back due to serious excuses, they have, all the time, been with 
you. Lingerers as they are, they have been while you were 
passing valleys or walking along roads.” “Do you mean that 
they have done that while they are still in Madinah?” They 
wondered. “Yes though they are in Madinah.” The Prophet said. 


The Invasion of Tabuk and its Far-Reaching Ramifications: 

The effect of this invasion is great as regards extending and confirming 
die Mus lims ’ influence and domination on the Arabian Peninsula. It was 


- 433 - 



quite obvious to everybody that no power but Islam’s would live long 
among the Arabs. The remainders of Jahiliyin and hypocrites — who used 
to conspire steadily against the Muslims and who peipetually relied on 
Byzantine power when they were in need of support or help — these people 
lost their expectations and desires of ever reclaiming their ex-influence. 
Realizing that there was no way out and that they were to submit to the fait 
accompli, they gave up their attempts. 

From that time on, hypocrites were no longer treated leniently or even 
gently by the Muslims. Allah not only bade Muslims to treat them severely 
but He also forbade them to take their gift charities or perform prayer on 
their dead, or ask Allah’s forgiveness for them or even visit their tombs. 
Allah bade the Muslims to demolish the mosque, which they verily 
appointed and used as a hiding place where they might practise their plots, 
conspiracy and deceit. Some Qur’anic verses were sent down disclosing 
them publicly and utterly so that everybody in Madinah got to know their 
reality. 

The great impact that this invasion produced could be perceived in of the 
great number of delegations who came successively to meet the Messenger 
of All&h ^ <111 Naturally, deputations used to come to meet him at the 

end of an invasion particularly after Makkah Conquest! 1 ) but they were not 
as many as these nor were they as frequent as they were then in the wake of 
Tabuk event. It was certainly the greatest. 

The Qur’anic Verses Relating to this Invasion: 

Many a verse of Bara ‘a ( Tauba ) Chapter handling the event of Tabuk 
were revealed. Some verses were revealed before the march, while others 
after setting out for Tabuk, i.e. in the context of the battle. Some other 
verses were also revealed on the Prophet’s arrival in Madinah. All of which 
covered the incidents that featured this invasion: the immanent 
circumstances of the battle, exposure of the hypocrites, the prerogatives and 
special rank earmarked for the strivers in the cause of Allah, acceptance of 
the repentance of the truthful believers who slackened and those who hung 
back, etc. 


O Ibn Hisham, 2/515-537; 7M Al-Ma’ad, 3/2-13; 

Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/633,635-637,1/252,414; Fath Al-Bari, 8/110-126; 
Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, pp. 391-407. 


- 434 - 



Some Important Events that featured that Year: 

During this year many events of great significance took place. They 

were: 

1. After the Messenger’s return from Tabuk, the sworn allegation of 
infidelity! 1 ! between ‘Uwaimir Al-‘Ajlani and his wife took place. 

2. Pelting with stones the Ghamidiyah woman who confessed committing 
adultery. She was pelted with stones only after weaning her child off her 
breast milk. 

3. Negus Ashama; the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), died so the Prophet 

fL., 4 i» performed prayer in absentia for him. 

4. The death of Umm Kulthum, the daughter of the Prophet , «*u ^l., the 

Prophet felt extremely sad at her death. “Had I got a third daughter, I 
would let you marry her.” He said to ‘Uthman. 

5. The death of ‘Abdullah bin Abi Salool, the head of hypocrites, after the 
Prophet’s return from Tabuk. The Messenger of Allah , 1 ,, «*u «ui ^ asked 
Allah’s forgiveness for him. He also prayed for him in spite of ‘Umar’s 
disapproval and his attempt to prevent him from doing that. Later on a 
Qur’anic verse was revealed attesting to ‘Umar’s right viewpoint. 


(riln cases of an infidelity accusation that lacks evidence, both husband and wife swear by 
Allah that they are innocent and did not commit infidelity. The husband invokes Allah'; 
curses on himself if he is lying and the woman invokes Allah's wrath on her if she is 
lying. 


- 435 - 




Abu Bakr 

performs the Pilgrimage 

In the month Dhul-Qa‘dah or in Dhul-Hijjah of the very year (the ninth 
of Al-Hijra), the Messenger of Allah ^ dispatched Abu Bakr ^ <iii ^ 

the truthful, as a deputy prince of Al-Hajj (pilgrimage), so that he would 
lead the Muslims in performing of the p il g rima ge rituals. 

Soon after the departure of the Muslims, there came a Revelation from 
AllSh: the opening passages of the Chapter 9 entitled ‘Repentance’ (Surah 
Tauba or Bara’a) in which ‘freedom from obligation’is proclaimed from 
Allah in regard to those idolatrous tribes who had shown no respect for the 
treaties which they had entered into with the Prophet *_ui 

Communication of this news went in line with the Arabian traditions of 
making public any change relating to declining conventions of blood and 
fortunes. 

‘Ali bin Abi Talib was deputed to make this declaration. He overtook 
Abu Bakr at Al-‘Aij or Dajnan. Abu Bakr inquired whether the Prophet 
fi— j had put him in command or he had just been commissioned to 

make the announcement. “I have been deputed to make the proclamation 
only” replied ‘Ali. The two Companions then proceeded with the pilgrimage 
process. Towards the close of the rituals, on the day of the ritual sacrifice, 
‘Ali stood at Al-Jamrah (a spot at which stones are pelted) and read aloud to 
the multitudes that thronged around him and declared quittance from 
covenants with idolaters and giving them four months’ respite to reconsider 
their position. As for the other idolaters with whom the believers had a 
treaty and had abated nothing of the Muslims’ rights nor had supported 
anyone against them, then the terms of the treaty would run valid until the 
duration of which expired. 

Abu Bakr then sent some Muslims to declare publicly that no disbeliever 
would after that year perform pilgrimage, nor would anyone be allowed to 
make the Tawaf (going round) of the Sacred House unclothed. 

That proclamation in fact vetoed all aspects of paganism out of Arabia 
and stated quite unequivocally that those pre-Islam practices were no longer 
in operation.! 1 ) 


1,1 Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/220,415,2/626,671; Zld Al-Ma'ad, 3/25,26; 
Ibn Hisham, 2/543-546. 


- 436 - 



A Meditation on the Ghazawat 

Meditation on the Prophet’s Ghazawat, missions, and the battalions he 
formed and dispatched, will certainly give us and everybody a true and clear 
impression that the Prophet ^ <111 jl, was the greatest military leader in 

the whole world as well as the most righteous, the most insightful and the 
most alert one. He was not a man of superior genius for this concern but he 
was also the Master and the greatest of all Messengers as far as Prophethood 
and Heavenly Message are concerned. Besides, all the battles that he had 
fought were standard in their application to the requirements of strictness, 
bravery, and good arrangements that fitted the terms and conditions of war. 
None of the battles he fought was lost as a consequence of shortage of 
wisdom or due to any other technical error in army mobilization or a 
location in a wrong strategical position. The loss of any of his battle was not 
due to misjudgement about occupying the best and the most appropriate 
sites of battles, nor was it due to a mischoice of leaders of the fight, for he 
had proved himself to be a peculiar sort of leader that differs from any of 
those leaders that our world had known and experienced. As regards Uhud 
and Hunain events, there were consequences of weakness in some military 
elements in Hunain; and disobedience to orders in Uhud. Their non- 
compliance with wisdom and the plan of the battle played a passive role in 
the course of those two invasions. 

His genius was clearly shown in these two battles when the Muslims 
were defeated; for he stoodfast facing the enemy and managed, by his super 
wisdom, to thwart the enemy’s aim as was the case in Uhud. Similarly he 
managed to change the Muslims’ defeat in Hunain into a victory. 
Notwithstanding the fact that serious grave developments in military 
operations usually leave the worst impression on the military leaders and 
entice them to flee for their lives. 

We have, so far, discussed the mere aspects of military leadership of the 
invasions. On the other hand, through these invasions he was able to impose 
security, institute peace, diffuse dissension and destroy the military might of 
the enemies through relentless struggle between Islam and paganism. 

The Prophet had also profound insight and could differentiate the faithful 
from the hypocrites and plotters. 


- 437 - 



Great was the group of military leaders who fought and excelled the 
Persians and the Byzantines in the battlefields of Ash-Sham and Iraq with 
respect to war strategy and leading the fight procedures. The very leaders, 
who succeeded Muhammad ^ ^managed to drive off the enemies of 
Islam, from their lands and countries, their gardens and springs, and their 
farms. They drove them off their honourable residence and from the grace 
and provisions they owned and enjoyed. Those Muslim leaders were all 
Muhammad’s men. They were imbued with the spirit of Islam at the hand of the 
Prophet fL. j <<u 4tu j*. 


Thanks to these battles, the Messenger of Allah ^ «ui managed 
accommodation, seciued land and provided chances of work for all 
Muslims. He, even, made a lot of inquiries about the refugee problems who 
(then) had no houses or fortunes. He equipped the army with weapons, 
horses and expenditures. He had all that realized without exercising a 
particle weight of injustice. The Prophet ^ «*u «ui has altered the standards 
and aims of pre-Islamic wars. Their war was no more than robbing, killing, 
plundering, tyranny and aggression-oriented wars. Those wars focused on 
winning victory, oppressing the weakling and demolishing their houses and 
constructions. For them, war was a means by which they can rape or unveil 
women, practise cruelty against the weakling, the babies and small children, 
spoil tillage and race, and spread corruption on the earth. Islamic wars are 
different from pre-Islamic wars. A “war” in Islam is a Jihad. That is to say it 
is a noble sacred fight in the way of Allah for the verification of a Muslim 
society that seeks to free man from oppression, tyranny and aggression. It is 
a society that everyone everywhere and at all times should be proud ofiPre- 
Islamic thoughts and traditions of Al-Jahiliyah period have been turned 
upside down by Islam. These were so hard upon the weakling that they had 
to invoke Allah to enable them to get away from that pre-Islamic 
environment by saying: 


. Ja U fJUaJI ijyijl «JL» {jA iLj-l2j» 

{jA U 


“Our Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are 
oppressors, and raise for us from You one who will protect, and 
raise for us from You one who will help.” 


- 438 - 



The war of corruption, slaying and robbing that used to prevail has now 
turned into a sacred one, Al-Jihad. One of the greatest aims of Al-Jihad is to 
free man from the aggression, the oppression and the tyranny of men of 
power. A man of power, in Islam, is a weakling till after the right of the 
poor is taken from him. War, in Islam, is & Jihad for the purification of the 
land of Allah from deception, treachery, sinful deeds and aggression. It is a 
sacred war that aims at spreading security, safety, mercy and compassion as 
well as observing the rights and magnanimity. The Messenger of Allah 
(j—j 4*u «jii ^ had issued honourable strict rules about war and bade his 
soldiers and leaders to comply with them. They were forbidden to break 
those rules under any circumstances. In reference to Sulaiman bin 
Buraidah’s version, who said that his father had told him that whenever the 
Messenger of Allah «*u un ^ appointed a leader on an army or on a 
battalion, he used to recommend him to fear Allah, the Great and All- 
Mighty, when dealing with those who were closest to him and to be good 
with all Muslims. Then the Prophet ^ «iit ^ would say to him: 


\‘Jj3 l\j£\ i>Lii mS>i xjl. j oil 

■. .lay J 11 


“Let your invasion be in the Name of Allah and for His sake. 

Fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Invade but do not 
exaggerate nor commit treachery. Never deform the corpse of a 
dead person or kill an infant child.” 

The Messenger of Allah «jii ^ asked people to facilitate but he 
forbade them to bear down hard on others or constrain. “Pacify”, he said, 
“and do not disincline”.! 1 ! When it happened that he arrived at the battlefield 
by night, he would never invade the enemy till it was morning. He utterly 
forbade burning (i.e. torturing people) in fire, killing children and women or 
even beating them. He also forbade theft and robbery and proceeded so far 
as to say gains acquired through plundering are not less forbidden than the 
flesh of a corpse. Corruption of tillage and race and cutting down of trees 
were all forbidden unless they were badly needed and there was no other 
substitute: 


til Sahih Muslim, 2/82,83. 


- 439 - 





“Do not kill a wounded person nor run after a fleeing one or kill 
a captive.” 


He decreed that envoys cannot be killed. He also stressed on not killing 
those who made covenants. He even said: 


- • 

0 r 


■y. Sp i^ji far, y p 'ft & 

1 • • ^ 


“He whoever kills one who is under pledge to a covenant shall 
not smell Paradise, though its smell could be experienced at a 
forty-year distance from it.” 


There were some other noble rules which purified wars from their 
Al-Jahiliyah (pre-Islamic) filthiness and turned them into sacred warsJ'l 


[>] Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 2/64-68; and for detail Jifiad in Islam, pp. 216-262. 




People embrace the Religion 
of Allah in Large Crowds 


The invasion and the conquest of Makkah was — as we have already 
stated — a decisive battle that destroyed paganism utterly. The Arabs as 
a result of that battle were able to differentiate the truth from the error. 
Delusion no longer existed in their life. So they raced to embrace Islam. 
‘Amr bin Salamah said: “We were at a water (spring) where the passage 
of people was. So when camel riders passed by us we used to ask them: 
‘What is the matter with people? What is this man (i.e. the Prophet) like?’ 
They would say, ‘He claims that AMh has revealed so and so.’ I used to 
memorize those words as if they had been recited within my chest. The 
Arabs used to ascribe their Islamization to the conquest. They would say: 
‘Leave him alone to face his people. If he were a truthful Prophet he 
would overcome them.’ So when the conquest took place, peoples 
hastened to declare their Islam. My father was the quickest of all my 
people to embrace Islam. Arriving at his people he said: ‘By Allah I have 
just verily been to the Prophet ^ju. And he said: ‘Perform so a 
prayer at such a time, and so and so prayers at such and such time. When 
the prayer time is due let one of you call for the prayer and appoint the 
most learned of the Qur’an among you to be an Imam (leader) of 
yours.!'!” This Prophetic tradition manifests the great effect of the 
conquest of Makkah on the phase of events. It certainly shows the 
influence of the conquest of Makkah upon the consolidation of Islam as 
well as on the Arabs’ stand and their surrender to Islam. That influence 
was absolutely confirmed and deeply rooted after the invasion of Tabuk. 
A clear and an obvious evidence of that influence could be deduced from 
the great number of delegations arriving in Madinah successively in the 
ninth and tenth years of Al-Hijra. The immense crowds of people who 
raced to embrace the religion of Allah and the great army which included 
ten thousand fighters in the invasion of the conquest of Makkah had 
grown big enough to include thirty thousand fighters sharing in Tabuk 


Cl Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/615,616. 



invasion. It was only in less than a year after the conquest of Makkah that 
this growth in Islamic army had taken place. A hundred thousand or a 
hundred and forty four thousand Muslim pilgrims shared in Hajjatul - 
Wada ‘ (i.e. Farewell Pilgrimage); it was such an enormous number of 
Muslims surging — as an ocean of men — round the Messenger of Allah 
,j_j t-t u an jL., that the horizon echoed their voices and the expanses of land 
shook whereby while saying Labbaik (i.e. Lord, here we are 
worshipping), glorifying and magnifying Allah, and thanking Him. 


- 442 - 



The Delegations 


The number of delegations listed in Ahl Al-Maghazi were over seventy. 
Investigating such a large number is not an accessible thing; besides stating 
them in detail is not of a great benefit. Therefore, I am going to reveal an 
expose about what is historically wonderful or highly significant. Anyway a 
reader should always keep in mind that whilst the majority of tribes arrived 
in Madinah after the conquest, there were also pre-conquest delegations. 

1. The delegation of * Abdul Qais: This tribe had two arrivals. The first 

was in the fifth year of Al-Hijra or before that date. Munqidh bin Haiyan, 
a member of that tribe, used to trade in Madinah. So, as soon as he heard 
of Islam when he had arrived in it for trading — that was after the 
migration — he embraced Islam and carried a pledge from the Prophet 
fi-, <jii jju to his people who eventually became Muslims too. Thirteen 
or fourteen of them came to the Prophet , 0 -, ^ in one of the Hurum 

Months. It was then that they asked the Prophet’s advice about the Faith 
and drinks. Their chief was Al-Ashaj Al-Usri, to whom the Messenger of 
Allah fj_; 4iii jL. said: “You have two qualities that Allah likes: They are 

deliberatenessandclemency.” 

Their second arrival was in the Year of Delegations. They were forty 
men. Al-Jarud bin Al-‘Ala’ Al-‘Abdi, who was Christian but turned to be 
a good Muslim, was one of that group.!') 

2. Daws Delegation: The arrival of this tribe was in the early times of the 
seventh year and that was when the Messenger of Allah ^ s ^ *ui was 
in Khaibar. At-Tufail bin ‘ Amr Ad-Dawsi, that we have already talked 
about and explained how he became a Muslim at the time the Messenger 
of Allah fL . } uii jju was in Makkah. He went back home to his people 
where he kept calling people to Islam but they tarried till he despaired of 
them and returned to the Messenger of Allah ,j_ , <ui and asked him 
to invoke Allah against Daws but the Messenger of Allah ^<ut 
invoked Allah to guide Daws. Later on, Daws embraced Islam. So 
At-Tufail arrived in Madinah accompanied by seventy or eighty families 
of his people in the early times of the seventh year of Al-Hijra, at the 


('] Explanation of Sahih Muslim by An-Nawawi, 1/33; Fath Al-Bari, 8/85, 86. 


- 443 - 



time that the Messenger of Allah f L-j4*u<jn tr L. was at Khaibar, so he 
overtook him there. 

3. Farwah Bani ‘Amr Al-Judhami’s messenger: Farwah was an Arab 
leader in the Byzantine army. He was a Byzantine agent ruler by proxy 
on the Arabs allied to the Byzantines. His home was at Mu‘an and the 
surrounding area of Ash-Sham lands. Seeing the stamina and courage of 
the Muslims he became a Muslim. The battle of Mu’tah—which took 
place in the eighth year of Al-Hijra — compelled his admiration. He sent 
a white mule gift with a messenger of his to the Messenger of Allah 
fi— j «jii to inform him of his conversion into Islam. When the 
Byzantines learnt of his embracing Islam, they sent him to prison. At first 
they gave him an opportunity to choose one of the two — “either he 
defects from Islam or death shall be his punishment.” Refusing to defect 
they crucified him and cut his neck at a water (fountain) called ‘Afra’ in 
Palestine.!*! 

4. Sudd’ Delegation: The arrival of this delegation was after the departure 

of the Messenger of Allah ^ } ^ from Al-Ji‘ranah in the eighth year 

of Al-Hijra. It was because the Messenger of AUdh aiij-had 

already dispatched a mission that comprised four hundred Muslims and 
asked them to go to where Sudd’ was. Sudd’ was (a fresh-water fountain) 
in Yemen. While the mission was camping there at the starting point of a 
canal. Ziyad bin Al-Harith As-Sudd’i learned of their stay, so he came to 
the Messenger of Allah ^«ut and said: “I have come to you as a 
deputy of my people, so tell your army to go back and I guarantee of my 
people.” The army were sent away off the canal. In his turn As-Sudd’i 
went back, cherished and urged his people to come and meet the 
Messenger of Allah fi-Eventually fifteen of them came and 
pledged allegiance to him as true Muslims. Returning home, they in their 
turn, urged the rest to be Muslims. Thus Islam spread among them. Later 
on, a hundred men joined the Messenger of Allah > v. an j*. in Hajjatul- 
Wada ‘(Farewell Pilgrimage.) 

5. The arrival of Ka‘b bin Zuhair bin Abi Sulma: Ka‘b who was a 
member of a family of poets, was considered one of the most poetic Arab 


1*1 Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 3/45; Tafheem-ul-Qur’in, 2/169. 




poets. He used to satirize the Prophet <jji ^ when he wasn’t a 

Muslim. In the eighth year of Al-Hijra and at the time that the Messenger 
of AllSh fLy ij* <ui j*. had already gone back from At-Ta’if invasion, Bujair 
bin Zuhair wrote a letter to his brother Ka‘b warning and advising him: 
“The Messenger of Allah an jJ) had killed some men in Makkah 

who used to satirize and harm him, and that the other poets who had 
survived fled in all directions for their lives. So if you want to save your 
skin, hasten to the Messenger of Allah } <111 ^u. He never kills those 

who resort to him as repentant. If you refuse to do as I tell, it is up to you 
to try to save your skin by any means.” The two brothers corresponded 
with one another for a long time till Ka‘b was awkward and felt as if the 
earth had constrained on him. Arriving in Madinah, he stayed at a man’s 
house from Juhainah as a guest. They performed the dawn prayer 
together; but when he was about to leave, the man suggested that he go to 
the Messenger of Allah ^ «*i» un j*. He went there, sat by him, put his 
hand in his. The Messenger of Allah ^ ^ who had never seen Ka‘b 

before, did not recognize him. Ka‘b then said: “O, Messenger of Allah! 
Ka‘b bin Zuhair has come to you as a* repentant Muslim; will he be 
secure and forgiven if I fetch him?” The Messenger of Allah 
said, “Yes.” “I am Ka‘b bin Zuhair,” said he. Upon hearing that one of 
the Helpers rose to his feet and asked the Messenger’s allowance to cut 
his throat. “Leave him alone!” Said the Prophet <ui ^u, “He has 
become a repentant Muslim after his disposal of the past.” Ka‘b then 
recited his well-known poem “ Su'ad appeared... ” in which he praised 
the Prophet ^l- , thanked him and apologized for the wrongs he 

had done. He acknowledged Muhammad’s mission. Both Emigrants and 
Helpers were spoken of in this poem but differently. He praised the 
Emigrants but criticized the Helpers, for one of them demanded a 
Prophet’s permission to kill him. Later on Ka‘b tried to compensate for 
that by praising the Helpers too but that was in another poem. 

6. ‘Udharah Delegation: This delegation which consisted of twelve men, 
had arrived in Madinah in Safar, the ninth year of Al-Hijra. They spent 
three days there. One of them was Hamza bin An-Nu‘man. When they 
were asked who they were, they said “We are Bani ‘Udharah, the foster 
brothers of Qusai to his mother. We are the ones who supported Qusai, 
and removed Khuza’a and Bani Bakr from the bosom of Makkah. We 


- 445 - 



have relatives and kinspeople.” So the Messenger of Allah & <w 

welcomed them and gave good tidings to them, which was Ash-Sham 
Conquest; but he, on the other hand, forbade them from consulting a 
soothsayer and from eating the slain animals they slaughtered. Eventually 
they became Muslims, stayed there for several days then went back. 


7. Bali Delegation: Their arrival was in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, the ninth year of 
Al-Hijra. They embraced Islam, stayed in Madinah for three days. Their 
chief Abu Ad-Dabeeb wondered whether hospitality was rewarded by 
Allah. The Messenger of Allah ^ «*u «ui said: 



“Yes, and so is any charity you offer to poor or rich people that 
is Sadaqah.” 

He also inquired about the time allotted to hospitality. “Three days,” 
said he. “What about the stray ewe?” The Prophet said: “It is either yours 
or your brother’s, otherwise it goes to the wolf.” He inquired about the 
stray camel. “It is not of your business. Leave it alone! Its owner will try 
to find it.” 


8. Thaqif Delegation: Their arrival was in Ramadan, the ninth year of 
Al-Hijra, after the return of the Messenger of Allah ft. * <> from 
Tabuk. As to how they became Muslims, this could be deduced from the 
following: 

Their chief ‘Urwah bin Mas‘ud Ath-Thaqafi came to see the 
Messenger of Allah ^ after the latter’s return from At-Ta’if in 

Dhul-Qa‘dah in the year 8 A.H. ‘Urwah became a Muslim. He thought 
that when he will tell his people and call them to embrace Islam, they 
would obey him, because he had always been an obeyed Master. He was 
even more beloved to them than their own firstborn. But contrary to that, 
when he called them to Islam they shot arrows at him from everywhere 
and killed him. They remained as they were for months before they 
started discussing the situation again among themselves. Upon realizing 
that they were incapable of fighting the neighbouring Arabs who had 
paid allegiance to the Prophet fi., and converted to Islam, they 

made up their mind to dispatch a man to the Messenger of Allah <ui 

They concluded that ‘Abd Yalail bin ‘Amr would be the right messenger. 


- 446 - 



‘Abd refused to do such a thing lest they should kill him as they had 
killed ‘Urwah. “I will not do such a thing till you send some other men 
with me,” said ‘Abd. So they sent two men of their allies and three others 
from Bani Malik. The six of them including ‘Uthman bin Abi Al-‘As 
Ath-Thaqafi who was the youngest among them all. 

When they entered into the Prophet’s ,jl- , 411 ^ audience, a tent was 

pitched up in a comer of the mosque so that they might listen to the 
Qur’an and see people at prayer. During their stay they came again and 
again to the Prophet fL -, uii ^ who kept on calling them to embrace 
Islam, till their chief asked the Messenger of Allah fL- s to enter 

into a peace treaty between him and Thaqif by means of which he allows 
them to commit fornication, drink wine and deal with usury. They also 
asked him not to injure their tyrant idol “Al-Lat” or to oblige them to 
perform the prayer. Finally they insisted that they would not knock down 
the idols themselves. But the Messenger of Allah fL- s «ui ^ turned 
down all their requests. They went aside to council. Realizing that there 
were no other alternatives they yielded and professed Islam. The only 
condition that they insisted on was that the demolition of Al-Lat should 
be dealt with and handled by the Messenger of Allah ,jl- , ^ «ui whereas 
Thaqif should in no way knock it down themselves. The Messenger of 
Allah ,j-j ^ an jL. agreed and took a pledge with them. 

Being the most attentive and the keenest to study jurisprudence and 
learn Qur’an, ‘Uthman bin Abi Al-‘As was appointed by the Messenger 
of Allah , 1 . j «*!* an ^ a prince on his people. His keenness and carefulness 
to learn the Qur’an and study jurisprudence were clearly discernible 
through his behaviour during their stay. 

Everyday morning, the group of delegates used to go and see the 
Messenger of AMh fL - } uii Being the youngest one, ‘Uthman bin 
Abi Al-‘As was left behind with their camels and things to keep an eye 
on. At noon when they came back and slept, ‘Uthman used to go to the 
Messenger of Allah ,jl- } <ji* «w in order to learn the Qur’an and inquire 
about religious matters. If it happened that the Messenger of Allah 
fL- j uji ^ was asleep, he would then go to Abu Bakr for the same 
purpose. With the passage of time, he turned out to be a source of 
blessing to his people. For at the Apostasy Times ( Ar-Riddah ) when 


- 447 - 



Thaqif were determined to apostatize, he addressed them saying: “0, 
folkmen of Thaqif! You have been the latest at embracing Islam, so do 
not be the first to apostatize.” Consequently they gave up apostasy and 
clung fast to Islam. 

The group of delegates returned home but they were determined to 
conceal the truth for a while. They told their people to expect fight at any 
moment. They pretended to be grieved and depressed. They claimed that 
the Messenger of Allah ^ v* <ui demanded that they should embrace 
Islam and abandon adultery, drinking wine and dealing with usury and 
some other things, or else he would fight them. Seized by the arrogance 
and zeal of Al-Jahiliyah (pre-Islamic traditions), Thaqif remained for 
days intent on fighting. Then Allah cast terror and dismay in their hearts 
in such a way that they gave up fighting and thought that the delegation 
should go back to him and announce their approval. It was until then that 
the group of delegates told them the truth and revealed the items of their 
peace-talk with the Prophet, consequently Thaqif embraced Islam. 

The Messenger of Allah ^ <_ui sent some men to demolish the 
idol called “Al-Lat” under the command of Khalid bin Al-Waleed. 
Al-Mugheerah bin Shu‘bah, stood to his feet, held the hoe and the ax and 
said: “By Allah, I will make you laugh at Thaqif.” He struck with them, 
and pretended to fall down while running. The people of Thaqif trembled 
at that sight and said: “May Allah dismay Al-Mugheerah off. The 
goddess has killed him.” Hearing that Al-Mugheerah leapt up to his feet 
and said: “May Allah bring shame on you. Al-Lat is nothing but a mass 
of dirt and stones.” Then he struck the door and broke it. He mounted its 
highest wall, and so did the other men. They knocked Al-Lat down till 
they levelled it with the ground. Then they dug up its foundation and 
brought out its jewels and garments; to the great astonishment of Thaqif. 
Khalid bin Al-Waleed and his group came back to the Messenger of 
Allah fi~) kin carrying Al-Lat’s jewels and garments. The Messenger 
of Allah uii distributed them and thanked Allah for helping his 

Prophet and solidifying his religion.!'] 


I 1 ! Zad Al-Ma‘ad, 3/26-28; Ibn Hisham, 3/537-542. 


- 448 - 



9. The message of the Yemeni kings: After the return of the Messenger of 

Allah fL- j an from Tabuk, a message came to him from the kings of 
Himyar, Al-Harith bin ‘Abd Kilal, Na‘eem bin ‘Abd Kilal, An-Nu‘man 
bin Qeel Dhi Ra‘in, Hamdan and Mu‘afir. Their messenger was Malik 
bin Murrah Ar-Rahawi. They sent him in order to inform the Prophet 
fi— j about their embracing Islam and their parting with 

polytheism. In reply to their message, the Messenger of Allah ,jl j *i» «w j- 
gave them the pledge of Allah and the pledge Of His Messenger provided 
they paid the tribute, which was still overdue. He sent to them some of 
his Companions under the command of Mu‘adh bin Jabal a* «vi 

10. Hamdan Delegation: The arrival of this delegation was in the ninth year 

of Al-Hijra after the Messenger’s return from Tabuk. So the Messenger 
of Allah fL. } uii gave them a pledge to guarantee the fulfillment of 
their demands. He sent to them Malik bin An-Namt as their chief, and 
appointed him as an agent on those of his people who embraced Islam. 
Khalid bin Al-Waleed was appointed for them all with a purpose of 
calling them to Islam. He stayed with them for six months calling them to 
Islam but no one responded to his call. Later on ‘Ali bin Abi Talib was 
dispatched there and Khalid was ordered to come back. Upon arriving at 
Hamdan, ‘Ali communicated to them a message from the Messenger of 
Allah ^ i uii jj- and called them to Islam. They responded to the call 

and became Muslims. ‘Ali wrote to the Messenger of Allah ^ <ui ^ 
informing him of the good tidings. The Messenger of Allah ^ 4 * 1 ** 111 ^ 
was briefed on the content of that letter, so he prostrated, then raised his 
head up and said: “Peace be upon Hamdan. Peace be upon Hamdan.” 


11.The Delegation of Bani Fazarah: Upon the Messenger’s return from 
Tabuk, the delegation of Bani Fazarah came to see him. That was in the 
ninth year of Al-Hijra. The group of delegates were over ten men. They 
came in order to profess Islam and complain about the drought of their 
region. The Messenger of Allah ft-, «vi ascended the pulpit, lifted his 

hands up and implored Allah to send rain forth onto them and said: 


iloL Jlj 'J&j iiUJljil fjbl » 

t 4 lib 4 4 li l y 4 


- 449 - 



ifiiSlj lylii USi di ^JW $U > liiU t 

mjlp^i j£ 13^13 4 *»Jji Oil ^Jin i^Sl3 * <33^13 


“O Allah let rain fall down, and water Your country and 
animals, and spread Your mercy and bring to life the dead lands. 
O Allah send rain that would be saving, comforting, and 
sprouting grass, and overwhelming vast areas sooner and later. 
Let it be useful rain and not harmful. O Allah let it be rain of 
mercy and not rain of torture and chastisement. Let that rain not 
be destructive or floody. O Allah send us down water and help 
to fight the enemies.”!‘1 


12.Najran’s Delegation: Najran is rather a big area of land. It was at a 
distance of seven trip stagessouthwardsofMakkahtowardsYemen.lt 
included seventy three villages. It took a fast-rider one day ride to get 
there.PI Its military forces consisted of a hundred thousand fighters. 

Their arrival was in the year 9 A.H. The delegation comprised sixty 
men. Twenty-four of them were of noble families. Three out of twenty- 
four were at one time leaders of Najran. Al- ‘Aqib, i.e. who was in charge 
of princehood and government affairs. His name was ‘Abdul Maseeh. 
The second was As-Saiyid (the Master) under whose supervision were 
the educational and political affairs; his name was Al-Aiham or 
Sharhabeel. Abu Haritha bin ‘Alqamah was the third. He was a bishop to 
whom all religious presidency and spiritual leadership belonged and were 
his charge. 

When that group of delegates arrived in Madinah, they met the 
Prophet ,j—j on exchanged inquiries with him; but when he called 
them to Islam and recited the Qur’an to them, they refused. They asked 
him what he thought about ‘Isa (i.e. Jesus)* f *-ii he ^ j*. tarried a 

whole day till the following Qur’anic reply was revealed to him; 


t>] Zad Al-Ma'ad, 3/48. 
PI Fath Al-Bari, 8/94. 


- 450 - 






“Verily, the likeness of Jesus before Allah is the likeness of 
Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: ‘Bel’ 
— and he was. (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of 
those who doubt. Then whoever disputes with you concerning 
him (Jesus) after (all this) knowledge that has come to you, (i.e. 
Jesus being a slave of Allah, and having no share in Divinity) 
say: (O Muhammad ^ «<i* «ui jJ) ‘Come, let us call our sons and 
your sons, our women arid your women, ourselves and 
yourselves — then we pray and invoke (sincerely) the Curse of 
Allah upon those who lie.” [3:59-61] 


v When it was morning, the Messenger of Allah ^ an told them 
what ‘Iesa (Jesus) was in the light of the recently revealed verses. He left 
them a whole day to consult and think it over. So when it was next 
morning and they still showed disapproval to admit Allah’s Words about 
‘Isa or to embrace Islam, the Prophet suggested Al-Mubahala that is each 
party should supplicate and implore Allah to send His Curse upon him or 
them if they were telling lies. After that suggestion of his, the Prophet 
fL- j 4_di iS l» came forward wrapping Al-Hasan and Al-Husain under his 
garment whereas Fatimah was walking at his back. Seeing that the 
Prophet i «j)i jJl. was serious and prepared to face them firmly, they 
went aside and started consulting. Al-‘Aqib and As-Saiyid (i.e. the 
Master) said to each other: “We shall not supplicate. For, I swear by 
Allah, if he is really a Prophet and exchanges curses with us, we will 
never prosper nor will the descendants of ours. Consequently neither us 
nor our animals will survive it.” Finally they made their mind to resort to 
the Messenger of Allah’s judgement about their cause. They came to him 
and said: “We grant you what you have demanded.” The Messenger of 
Allah fiu., <jm ju then admitted that agreement and ordered them to pay 
Al-Jizya (i.e. tribute) and he made peace with them for the provision of 
two thousand garments, one thousand of them to be delivered in Rajab, 
the other thousand ones in Safar. With every garment they had to pay an 


- 451 - 



ounce (of gold). In return they will have the covenant of Allah and His 
Messenger. He gave them a covenant that provides for practicing their 
religious affairs freely. They asked the Prophet ,l. j <ih to appoint a 
trustworthy man to receive the money agreed on for peace, so he sent 
them the trustworthy man of this nation Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah to 
receive the amounts of money agreed on in the peace treaty. 

By the time Islam started to spread in Najran, naturally, they did not 
have to pay Al-Jizya that usually non-Muslims paid. Whatever the case 
was, it was said that Al-Aqib and As-Saiyid embraced Islam as soon as 
they reached Najran on their journey back home. It is also said that the 
Prophet ,JL . } «*!» 4ji ^ sent to them 4 Ali too, for the collection of charities 
and tribute.!'] 

13.Ban! Haneefa Delegation: They arrived in Madinah in the ninth year of 
Al-Hijra. They were 17 in number and included the Master of Liars, 
Musailima! 2 ] bin Thumamah bin Kabeer bin Habeeb bin Al-Harith of 
Bani Haneefa The group of delegates were housed in a Helper’s house. 
They came to the Prophet ^ <ui and declared their Islamization. As 
for Musailima the liar, versions vary concerning his embracing Islam. 
Contemplation of all these versions shows clearly that Musailima 
expressed disapproval and revealed haughtiness, boastful spirit and 
expectations to.be a prince. 

At first the Prophet ^«w j* attempted going on well with him. he 
dealt with him nicely and charitably but that did not do with him. The 
Messenger of Allah (Uf <ui perceived evil in his soul and recognized 
that he was one of those three evils he dreamt of while asleep. 

The Prophet ^ 3 ^ «w had already dreamt that he had been granted 
the treasures of earth. His hand fell upon two golden bracelets, which 
distressed and worried him a lot. He was taught by inspiration to blow 
them off, so he did that and they were gone off. They were interpreted to 
be two liars who would turn up after the death of Muhammad ^ u* j*,. 
So when Musailima acted that way and showed disapproval, he realized 
that he would be one of the two liars. However Musailima used to say, 


1*1 Fath Al-Bari, 8/94,95; Z8d Al-Ma‘ad, 3/38-40. 
PI Fath Al-Bari, 8/87. 


- 452 - 




“If Muhammad appointed me a successor of his, I would be a Muslim. 
Later on the Messenger of Allah came to him, with a piece of 

palm leaf in his hand, and in the company of his orator, Thabit bin Qais 
bin Shammas. He was among some of his friends. The Prophet 
talked to him but Musailima addressed him saying: “If you agree to 
transfer the whole thing to me after your death, I will not stand in your 
way.” The Messenger of Allah mu ^ replied: “If you asked me to 
give you this (i.e. a piece of a palm leaf), I would not grant it to you. You 
are doomed. Even if you repented and stopped what you were doing, 
Allah appointed that you would be slain. By Allah, I swear, that I see you 
now in the very state that has been revealed to me. Here is Thabit! You 
will hear my answer (from him).” Then he went away.t‘1 

Finally, the Prophet’s predictions of Musailima came true; for when 
Musailima returned to Yamama, he kept on thinking about the Prophet 
fL -, 4*i» uii ^ and how he would be his partner. His dreams and thoughts 
went so far as to claim that he himself was a prophet. To confirm his 
prophecy he started uttering rhymed statements. He said that it was 
lawful to drink wine and commit adultery. He, however, bore witness 
that the Messenger of Allah fi - } ml. an ^ was a real Prophet. His people, 
who were fascinated by what he allowed them to do, followed him and 
made bargains with him. He grew so prominent among them that they 
called him the beneficent of Al-Yamama. He wrote to the Messenger of 
Allah fi-, 4 *i» uii saying: “I have been appointed an associate with you, 
so I will have a half and Quraish will have the other half of the people’s 
affairs.” The Messenger of Allah’s reply was a letter saying that: 



“Verily, the earth is Allah’s. He gives it as a heritage to whom 
He will of His slaves, and the (blessed) end is for the Muttaqun 
(pious).” [7:128]P1 


[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/627,628; Fatfa Al-Bari, 8/87-93. 
PI Zfid Al-Ma'ad, 3/31,32. 


- 453 - 



On the authority of Ibn Mas‘ud, he says: When the two messengers of 
Musailima — Ibn An-Nawaha and Ibn Athal — came to the Messenger 
of AllSh ,JL. j ^ 4 tii he asked them: “Do you bear witness that I am the 
Messenger of Allah?” Their reply was “We testify that Musailima is the 
Messenger of Allah.” “I believe in Allah and in His Messenger,” said the 
Prophet ft- j «*!* <ui ju, “If I had ever thought of killing a messenger I would 
have killed you both.”! 1 ) 

Musailima’s pretence to prophethood was in the tenth year of 
Al-Hijra. But he was killed in Al-Yamama war during Abu Bakr 
As-Siddeeq era, in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, in the twelfth year of Al-Hijra. He 
was killed by Wahshi, the killer of Hamzah. The second person who 
claimed to be a prophet was Al-Aswad Al-‘Ansi who was in Yemen. He 
was killed by Fairuz. His head was cut off a day and a night before the 
Prophet’s death. So when the delegates came he told them the news that 
reached him through Divine Revelation. News about his death reached 
Abu Bakr «i. <ui ^ from Yemen.! 2 ) 

14.The Delegation of Bani ‘Amir bin Sa‘sa‘a: Among the group of 
delegates were ‘Amir bin At-Tufail — the enemy of AMh, Arbad bin 
Qais — Labid’s maternal brother, Khalid bin Ja'far, and Jabbar bin 
Aslam. All of them were the leaders and satans of their people. ‘Amir 
was the one who double-crossed the group of Ma‘una well. When this 
delegation made their mind to come to Madinah, ‘Amir and Arbad 
conspired to kill the Prophet 3 <ui ju. So when the group of delegates 
arrived, ‘Amir kept on talking to the Prophet whereas Arbad 

turned aside trying to draw his sword. He managed to draw a span of 
hand long but Allah stilled his hand so that he was unable to proceed 
with its withdrawal. Allah protected the Prophet ^ } <*u «ui j*.. The Prophet 

j uji ^ invoked Allah against them. So when they returned, Allah 
sent down a thunderbolt unto Arbad and his camel and he was burnt. As 
for ‘Amir he called at a house of a woman who was from Bani Salul and 
had a gland sore. He eventually died while he was saying: “What am I 
like? I have a gland similar to a camel’s. And here I am dying in the 
house of the woman from Bani Salul.” 


PI Mishkat Al-Masabeeh, 2/347. 

P) Fath Al-Bari, 8/93. 

- 454 - 



In Sahih Al-Bukhari it is narrated that ‘Amir came to the Prophet 
fj- j uii j-u and said: “I grant you an opportunity to choose one of two: 
you will have the flat land people and I will have townspeople; or I will 
succeed you. Otherwise, I will invade your people with a thousand he- 
camels and a thousand she-camels.” But, later on he got plague-stricken 
in a woman’s house. So he said: “What! I have a gland similar to a 
camel’s, and here I am in a woman’s house ofBani so and so people. 
Fetch me my mare!” He mounted it but died on its back. 

15. Tujeeb Delegation: They came to Madinah carrying the surplus of 

charities ( Sadaqat) of their people. That is to say the extra charities they 
had after they had distributed the poor-due. They were thirteen men. 
They asked about the Qur’an and Sunnah (the Prophet’s saying, deeds 
and sanctions) so that they might learn them. They demanded things from 
the Messenger of Allah (Jl, «*!* «w ^ to which he gave them pledges. They 
did not stay long; so when the Messenger of AMh ^ uji^ 
acknowledged their demands and allowed them to depart, they sent him a 
boy whom they had already left at their property. The young man said to 
the Prophet “By Allah, I swear, I have left my home (for 

Madinah) with a purpose that you invoke Allah, the Great and All- 
Mighty for me to forgive me and have mercy on me and to make my 
heart a source of content and sufficiency.” The Messenger of Allah ^ 
supplicated Allah to grant him what he demanded. 

From that time on, he was the most contented person. In Ar-Riddah 
(i.e. the Apostasy Times), he stoodfast as a Muslim and warned his 
people and reminded them of Allah and went on preaching them till they 
stoodfast and did not apostatize. The group of delegates met the Prophet 
(L. } ^ <111 again in the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year of Al-Hijra. 

16. Tai’ Delegation: One of that group of delegates who came to meet the 

Prophet j «jji jL . was Zaid Al-Khail. They talked to the Prophet 
fL-, uii who urged them to embrace Islam. They agreed and grew 
good Muslims. About Zaid, the Messenger of Allah ,ju , «ui ^ said: 

“The Arabs are never exact at estimating people. They have never told 
me about the virtues of a man correctly; for when I see the man 
concerned I realize that they have overestimated him except Zaid 


- 455 - 



Al-Khail, when I met him I knew that they had underestimated him.” 

Then he named him ‘Zaid Al-Khair’ (i.e. Zaid, die bounteous). 

The delegations arrived successively in Madinah during the ninth and 
tenth of Al-Hijra. Biographers and invasion-writers have written down 
about some of Yemen delegations. They were Al-Azd; Bani Sa‘d Hadheem 
from Quda'ah, Bani ‘Amir bin Qais; Bani Asad, Bahra’, Khaulan, Muharib, 
Bani Al-Harith bin Ka‘b, Ghamid, Bani Al-Muntafiq, Salaman, Bani ‘Abs, 
Muzainah, Murad, Zabid, Kinda, Dhi Murrah, Ghassan, Bani ‘Aish, and 
Nakh‘ which were the last group of delegates. Nakh‘ Delegation comprised 
two hundred men and they arrived in the middle of Muharram in the 
eleventh year of Al-Hijra. The majority of these groups of delegates arrived 
during the ninth and tenth years of Al-Hijra. The arrival of some of them 
tarried till the eleventh year of Al-Hijra. 

The succession of these delegations indicated the great degree of the 
entire acceptance which the Islamic Call reached. It manifested its influence 
and domination on vast areas of Arabia. The Arabs observed Al-Madinah 
with such a great respect and estimation that they could do nothing but 
surrender and submit to it. Al-Madinah had become the headquarters of all 
Arabia; so it was impossible to avoid it. We dare not say that all the 
Arabians were possessed and enchanted by this religion. There were lots of 
hard-hearted bedouins — among the Arabs — who surrendered (i.e. became 
Muslims) only because their master did so. Their souls were not sanctified 
yet. Their tendency to raids had been deeply rooted in their souls. The 
teachings of Islam had not crystallized their souls well yet. Accounting 
some of them the Qur’an says: 


& ft $ t {££ $ 




iftj 




“The bedouins are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and 
more likely to be in ignorance of the limits (Allah’s 
Commandments and His legal laws, etc.) which Allah has 
revealed to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise. 
And of the bedouins there are some who look upon what they 


- 456 - 



spend (in Allah’s cause) as a fine and watch for calamities for 
you, on them be the calamity of evil. And Allah is All-Hearer, 
All-Knower[9:97,98] 


The Qur’an praised others saying: 






“And of the bedouins there are some who believe in Allah and 
the Last Day, and look upon what they spend in Allah’s cause as 
approaches to Allah, and a cause of receiving the Messenger’s 
invocations. Indeed these are an approach for them. Allah will 
admit them to His Mercy. Certainly AUSh is Oft-Forgiving, 

Most Merciful.” [9:99] 

Those of them who were present at Makkah, Madinah and Thaqif and in 
many other areas of Al-Yemen and Al-Bahrain were different because Islam 
had been firmly rooted in their souls. Some of them were great Companions 
and Masters of Muslims.!*! 


[•] Muhadarat Tareekh Al-Umam Al-Islamiya, 1/144; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/13,2/626-630; 
Ibn Hisham, 2/501-503,510-514,537-542,560-601; Zfid Al-Ma‘ad, 3/26-60; 

Fath Al-Bari, 8/83-103; Rahmat-ul-liralameen, 1/184-217. 


- 457 - 


The Success and Impact 
of the Call 


Before we move one more step and meditate on the last days of the 
Messenger of Allah’s life, we ought to cast a quick glance at the great work 
that was a peculiarity of his. That very peculiarity that made him excel all 
other Prophets and Messengers and made him so superb that Allih made 
him atop the formers and the latters. It was him that was addressed by: 




“O you wrapped in garments (i.e Prophet Muhammad 
Stand (to pray) all night, except a little.” [73:1,2] 

And said: 

“O you (Muha m mad fL ., <*u «ui j+) enveloped (in garments). Arise 
and warn!” [74:1,2] 

So he arose and kept on like that for over twenty years. During those 
years he undertook to carry the burdens of the great expectations on his 
shoulders for die sake of die whole mankind and humanity, the Faith and 
Jihad in various fields. 


The Messenger of Allah ^ undertook the burdens of struggle 

and Al-Jihad in die conscience of mankind which was then drowning in the 
illusions of Al-Jahiliyah and its images that were loaded with the ground 
weights and gravitations. He took upon his shoulder to free man’s 
conscience which was chained with desires and lusts. As soon as he had 
freed the conscience of his Companions from the burdens and heaps of 
Al-Jahiliyah and earthly life, he started another batde in another field or 
rather successive battles against the enemy of Allah’s Call, and against 
those who conspired against it. It was a batde against those who conspired 
against the believers and against those who were so careful to tend that pure 
plant in its implantation before it grew up and stretched its roots in soil and 
extended its branches up into die air and thus dawned upon other areas. No 
sooner had he finished die battles in die Arabian Peninsula than the 


- 458 - 



Byzantines began preparations to destroy this new nation on the northern 
borders. 

The first battle — i.e. the battle of conscience — was not over yet. It was 
in fact a perpetual one. Satan, who was its leader did not spare a moment 
without exercising his activity in the depth of human conscience. 
Muhammad jL., on the other hand was attending on calling to 

Allah’s religion there and he was keen on fighting that perpetual battle in all 
fields in spite of their hard circumstances and the world’s conspiracy against 
him. He went on calling effectively and actively surrounded by the believers 
who were seeking security through ceaseless toil and great patience. 

The Companions acted perpetually and patiently by day and they spent 
the night worshipping their Lord, reciting and memorizing the Qur’an 
glorifying and magnifying Allah and imploring Him by night; all that at the 
behest of their Lord, the All-Mighty.!*! 

For over twenty years the Messenger of Allah had been 

leading that progressive steady battle, disregarding any other affairs that 
kept him off that noble goal. He went on {hat way till the Islamic Call 
proved to be successful on a large scale that puzzled all men possessed of 
good reason. 

The Islamic Call eventually prevailed all over Arabia. It removed all 
traces of Al-Jahiliyah from the horizon of the peninsula. The sick minds of 
Al-Jahiliyah grew healthy in Islam. They did not only get rid of idol- 
worship, but they also knocked them down. The general atmosphere began 
to echo “there is no god but Allah.” The calls to prayers were heard five 
times a day penetrating space and breaking the silence of the dead desert 
and bringing back life through the new belief. Reciters and memorizers of 
the Qur’an set out northwards and southwards reciting verses of the Qur’an 
and carrying out Allah’s injunctions. 

Scattered people and tribes were united and man moved from man’s 
worship of man to man’s worship of Allah. There were no more oppressors 
nor oppressed; no masters nor slaves, nor people bound to other people, nor 
aggressors that would practise aggression. All people were slaves of Allah. 
They were beloved brothers obeying Allah’s rules. Thanks to Allah they 
disposed of arrogance and the boastful spirit: 


(>] Fi Zilal Al-Qur’fin, 29/168,169. 


- 459 - 



jfc i<p, aei ^ 

V'y ‘ cSjiSH- $| ijJ Ji i^VJ 


“An Arab is no better than a non-Arab. In return a non-Arab is 
no better than an Arab. A red raced man was not better than a 
black one except in piety. Mankind are all Adam’s children and 


Adam was created from dust.” 


Thanks to the Islamic Call, the Arab unity had become a reality, and so 
was the case with human unity and social justice as far as their earthly and 
heavenly affairs were concerned. The time course of events had changed, 
the features on die earth’s surface and the crooked line of history had grown 
straight and the mentality had beat rectified. 

The spirit and the corrupted conscience of people, the distorted values 
and measures of Al-Jahiliyah had overwhelmed the whole world during that 
period of Al-Jahiliyah. The prevalence of slavery, injustice, extravagant 
luxury, adultery, depression, deprivity, disbelief, stray from the straight path 
and darkness; all of those vrcrefait accomplis in spite of die existence of the 
heavenly religions. The teachings of those religions had grown weak and 
lost all influence on men’s souls and spirits and became mere lifeless ritual 
traditions. ! 


When this Call had accomplished its role in human life, it freed 
mankind’s spirit of superstitions, illusions, white slavery, corruption and 
man’s worship of man. Islam had freed the h uman society of filth, 
dissolution, injustice and tyranny. There were no more social distinctions, 
nor clergymen’s or governors’ dictatorship. Islam had set up a world built 
on solid virtuous and clean foundations, it was based on positivity, righteous 
construction, freedom and renewal. Truth, faith, di gnit y active steady deeds, 
the development and improvement of means of living and reclaim of ri ght s 
were all bases upon which die Islamic state was hnilt til 

Thanks to these evolutions, Arabia witnessed such an unprecedented 
blessed resurrection, since construction and es tablishment found its way to 
it. Never had its history been so religious, pious and brilliant as it had been 
during those peculiar days of its life. 


til Madha Khasira A1-* Alam bi-Inhitatil-Muslimeen, p. 14. 


- 460 - 


The Farewell Pilgrimage 

After the accomplishment of the Call, the proclamation of the Message 
and the establishment of a new society oa the basis of ‘There is no god but 
Allah,’ and on Mu h a mma d’s mission, a secret call uprose in the heart of the 
Messenger of Allah fi -, an jl. telling him that his stay in the Lower World 
was about to terminate. That was clear in his talk to Mu‘adh whom he had 
dispatched to Yemen in the tenth year of Al-Hijra: “O, Mu‘adh! You may 
not see me after this current year. You may even pass by this very Mosque 
of mine and my tomb.” Upon hearing that Mu‘adh cried for fear that he 
would part with the Messenger of Allah ^an 

Allah’s care was so bounteous as to let the Prophet ^<w j* see the 
fruits of his Call for the sake of which he suffered various sorts of trouble 
for over twenty years. Those twenty years had elapsed actively. He used to 
spend his last days meeting, at the outskirts of Makkah, members of tribes 
and their representatives who used to consult him and learn the laws and 
legislation of Islam from him, and in return he used to exact their testimony 
that he had delivered trust and communicated the Message and counselled 
die people. 

The Messenger of Alllh announced an intention to proceed 

with this blessed pilgrimage journey himself. Enormous crowds of people 
came to Madinah, all of whom seek the guidance and Imamate of the 
Messenger of Alldh } an jl. in the pilgrimage (Al-Hajj).W On a Saturday 
of die last four days of Dhul-Qa’dah, the Prophet started the 

departure preparations procedure.! 2 ) He combed his hair, applied some 
perfume, wore his garment, saddled his camel and set off in the afternoon. 
He arrived at Dhul-Hulaifa before the afternoon prayer. He performed two 
Rak'a and spent the night there. When it was morning he said to his 
Companions: 


j fa jr, j* J\ sHn 




I'l Sahih Muslim, 1/394. 
P) Fath Al-Bari, 8/104. 


- 461 - 



“A comer, sent by my Lord, has called on me tonight and said: 

‘Pray in this blessed valley and say: I intend ‘Umrah combined 
with pilgrimage (‘ Umrah into Al-Hajj ).P1 

Before performing the noon prayer, he bathed for Ihram (ritual 
consecration), and ‘Aishah perfumed him on both his body and 

head with her hand with a Dharira (a plant) and with a perfume containing 
musk. The thick sticky layer of perfume could be seen among his parts of 
hair and beard. He left it unwashed, wore his loincloth and garment He 
performed the noon prayer shortened, two Rak'a. He proclaimed pilgrimage 
procedure associated with ‘ Umrah at his prayer-place. He, then mounted his 
she-camel ‘Al-Qaswa’, and proclaimed: ‘There is no god but Allah’. When 
he moved into the desert, he acclaimed the Name of Allah. 

He proceeded with his journey till he approached Makkah. He spent the 
night at Dhi Tuwa and entered Makkah after performing the dawn prayer. 
He had a bath on Sunday morning, the fourth of Dhul-Hijjah the tenth year 
of Al-Hijra. He spent eight days on the way, which was an average period. 
As soon as he entered Al-Haram Mosque he circumambulated Al-Ka‘bah 
and walked to and fro (Sa 7) between As-Safa and Al-Marwah. He did not 
finish the Ihram (ritual consecration) because he was Qarin (i.e. intending 
‘ Umrah and Al-Hajj associated). He then took Al-Hadi (i.e. the sacrificial 
animals) in order to slaughter them. He camped on a high place of Makkah 
— Al-Hajun. As for circumambulation, he performed only that of Al-Hajj 
(pilgrimage circumambulation). 

Those of his Companions who had no Hadi with them to sacrifice, were 
ordered to observe Ihram (i.e. the state of ritual consecration) into * Umrah 
(i.e. lesser pilgrimage), and circumambulate Al-Ka‘bah and stride ritually to 
and fro between As-Safa and Al-Marwah. After that they could relieve 
themselves from Ihram. They, however, showed reluctance to do what they 
had been told. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah , 1 . ^ «di ^ said: ”Had I 
known beforehand what I knew afterward, I would not bring Hadi, and if I 
did not have Hadi , I would break Ihram. On hearing these words, his 
Companions obeyed the orders to the latter. 


(>] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/207. 


- 462 - 



On the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah — that is the Day of Tarwiyah, he left 
for Mina where he performed die noon, foe afternoon, foe sunset, foe 
evening and foe dawn prayers. — i.e. five prayers. Then he stayed for a 
while till foe sun rose up then he passed along till he reached ‘Arafah, where 
there was a tent built for him atNamirah. He sat inside till foe sun went 
down. He ordered that Al-Qaswa’, his she-camel, should be prepared for 
him. They saddled it and had it ready, so he went down foe valley where a 
hundred thousand and twenty-four or forty-four thousand people gathered 
round him. There he stood up and delivered foe following speech: 


lii fa jZ faft fa fa <fa vfaZ \fa\ l$» 

fay, fa^ fa fafa ’fa) Si fa Uafa\ fa 

«|jjb ^ iU* j £ Jt tli* 


“ O people! Listen to what I say. I do not know whether I will 
ever meet you at this place once again after this current year.t'l 
It is unlawful for you to shed foe blood of one another or take 
(unlawfully) foe fortunes of one another. They are as unlawful, 
{Haram) as shedding blood on such a day as today and in such a 
month as this Haram month and in such a sanctified city as this 
sacred city (i.e. Makkah and foe surrounding areas).” 


$uuil fa fa cJj £UUJl /! ^ fa $ % 



“Behold! all practices of paganism and ignorance are now under 
my feet The blood-revenge of foe Days of Ignorance (pre- 
Islamic time) are remitted. The first claim on blood I abolish is 
that of Ibn Rabi‘a bin Harith who was nursed in foe tribe of Sa‘d 
and whom Hudhail killed. Usury is forbidden, and I make a 
beginning by remitting the amount of interest which ‘Abbas bin 


‘Abdul Muttalib has to receive. Verily, it is remitted entirely.” 

4 4il fa fa ^ 4)1 vfa 


PI Ibn Hisham, 2/603. 


- 463 - 



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SSL Jfc ^>U iu) 5fc* 

•oj^iu Jfc* 




“0 people! Fear Allah concerning women. Verily you have 
taken them on die security of Allah and have made their persons 
lawful unto you by Words of AUSh! It is incumbent upon them 
to honour their conjugal rights and, not to commit acts of 
impropriety which, if they do, you have authority to chastise 
them, yet not severely. If your wives refrain from impropriety 
and are faithful to you, clothe and feed them suitably.” 


<d)l 


t *j 1Iwfiel 01 oJUj I jl .,<* » ,jJ U izS'f Jij* 


“Verily, I have left amongst you the Book of AUShandthe 
Sunnah (Traditions) of His Messenger which if you hold fast, 
you shall never go astray.”! 1 ) 



“O people, I am not succeeded by a Prophet and you are not 
succeeded by any nation. So I recommend you to worship your 
Lord, to pray the five prayers, to fast Ramadan and to offer the 
Zakat (poor-due) of your provision willingly. I recommend you 
to do the pilgrimage to die Sacred House of your Lord and to 
obey those who are in charge of you then you will be awarded to 
enter the Paradise of your Lord.”! 2 ) 




“And if you were asked about me, what wanted you to say?” 


P) Sahih Muslim, 1/397. 

(2) Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 1/263. 


- 464 - 



They replied: 


' ! V *,» ii^t V * 
(C^waj C. «b JLft sib I > 


“We bear witness that you have conveyed the message and 
discharged your ministry.” 


He then raised his forefinger skywards and then moved it down towards 
people while saying: 


“O Allah, Bear witness.” 


He said that phrase thrice.Cl 


The one who repeated the Prophet’s > statements loudly at 

‘Arafat was Rabi‘a bin Omaiyah bin Khalaf.Pl 


As soon as the Prophet ^ju had accomplished delivering the 

speech, the following Qur’&nic verse was reyealed to him: 





“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My 
Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your 
religion.” [5:3] 

Upon hearing this verse ‘Umar cried. “What makes you cry?” He was 
asked. His answer was: “Nothing succeeds perfection but imperfection ”P1 

Bilal called for prayer after the speech, and then made the second call. 
The Prophet ^ uh ^ performed both of the noon and the afternoon 
prayers separately, with no prayers in between. He then mounted his she- 
camel Al-Qaswa’, approached the location of the vigil, directed his face 
towards Al-Qiblah , kept on standing till sunset when the sky yellow colour 
vanished a bit and the disc of the sun disappeared. Osamah added that the 
Prophet fUjvii* on moved onward to Muzdalifa. where he observed the 


1*1 Sahih Muslim, 1/397. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 2/605. 

PI Rahmat-ul-lil ‘ alameen, 1/265. 


- 465 - 



sunset and the evening prayers with one ‘First call* and two ‘second calls’. 
He did not entertain the Glory of Allah between the two prayers. Then he 
lay down till it was dawn prayer time. He performed it with one first call 
and one second call at almost daybreak time. Mounting on his Al-Qaswa’, 
he moved towards Al-Mash'ar Al-Haram. He faced Al-Qiblah and started 
supplicating: “Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah.” He 
remained there till it was clear morning and before the sun rose high, he 
made his way to Mina. He walked a little and threaded the mid-road leading 
to the big Jamrah where he stopped and pelted seven pebbles at it saying 
“Allah is the Greatest” each time. They were like small pebbles hurled from 
the bottom of the valley. Then he set off to the sacrificial place, where he 
sacrificed sixty-three camels with his hands, and asked ‘Ali to slaughter the 
others, a hundred and thirty-seven altogether. He made ‘Ali share him in 
Al-Hadi. A piece of meat from each slaughtered animal was ordered to be 
cooked in a pot and from which both men ate, and drank the soup. 

Then the Messenger of Allah ^ 4_ui ^ju mounted his she-camel and 
returned to the House where he observed the noon prayer at Makkah and 
there he came upon the children of ‘Abdul Muttalib were supplying 
drinking water to people at Zamzam Well. “Draw up water, children of 
‘Abdul Muttalib, I would draw up with you if I were not afraid that people 
would appropriate this honour after me.” They handed him a pail of water 
and he drank to his fill.t'l 

At the daytime of the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah on the Slaughtering Day 
(Yaum An-Nahr) The Prophet ^ ^ delivered another speech. That was 

at high time morning, while he was mounting a grey mule. ‘Ali conveyed 
his statements to the people, who were standing or sitting.Pl He repeated 
some of the statements that he had previously said the day before. The two 
Sheikh (Bukhari and Muslim) reported a version narrated by Abi Bakrah 
who said: 

The Prophet fU , «<i» an ^l. made a speech on Yaum An-Nahr (day 
of slaughtering) and said: 


PI Sahih Muslim, 1/397-400. 
PI Abu Da’Ad, 1/270. 




‘Time has grown similar in form and state to the time when 
Allah created the heavens and the earth. A year is twelve 
months. Four of which are Sacred Months ( Hurum ). Three of 
the four months are successive. They are Dhul-Qa‘dah, Dhul- 
Hijjah, and Al-Muharram. The fourth Month is Rajab Mudar, 
which comes between Jumada and Sha‘ban.” 


“What month is this month?” He asked. We said: “Allah and 
His Messenger know best of all.” He kept silent for a while till 
we thought he would attach to it a different appellation. “Is it 
not Dhul-Hijjah?” He wondered. “Yes. It is.” We said. Then he 
asked, “What is this town called?” We said: “Allah and His 
Messenger know best of all.” He was silent for a while till we 
thought he would give it a different name. “Is it not Al-Baldah? 
(i.e. the town)” asked he. “Yes. It is.” We replied. Then he asked 
again, “What day is it today?” We replied: “Allah and His 
Messenger know best of all.” Then he kept silent for a while and 
said wondering: “Is it not ‘ Art-Nahr' (i.e. slaughtering) Day?” 
“Yes. It is.” Said we. Then he said: 


z-JJ \\'J~ f&to 


“(Shedding) the blood of one another and eating or taking one 
another’s provisions (unwillingly) and your honour are all 
inviolable (Haram). It is unlawful to violate their holiness. They 
must be as sacred to one another as this sacred day, in this 
sacred month, in this sacred town.” 




“You will go back to be resurrected (after death) to your Lord. 
There you will be accounted for your deeds. So do not turn into 
people who go astray and kill one another.” 



f#l» :DU :lj3U ?«cJ& > S/!» 
« e Li ^ J'j\ & 4>> *vSUj| 

“Have I not delivered the Message (of my Lord)?” “Yes you 
have.” Said they. “O Allah! Bear witness! Let him that is 
present convey it unto him who is absent For haply, many 
people to whom the Message is conveyed may be more mindful 
of it than the audience,.” said he.t'1 


jiaiAji iidi 




In another version it is said that the Prophet an had said in that 
very speech: 

t«jJ j jL>- u —a» oL>- ^ ‘ • •>> '9 Sit* 

IJl« ^ jl*j ot J~£ ji oUaLtll oj Sit 4 oj3Ij 

8<o 4 ^]Up! ‘S/yc>u Uli 5plt 5J 4 Lb! 


“He whoever plunges into misfortune will certainly aggrieve 
himself. So let no one of you inflict an evil upon his parents. 
Verily Satan has utterly despaired being worshipped in this 
country of yours; but he will be obeyed at your committing 
trivial things you disdain Satan will be contented with such 
things.”! 2 ! 


The Messenger ofAllSh^j^an^spent^r-TarAree^Daysfllth, 12th 
and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) in Mina performing the ritual teachings of Islam, 
remembering AllSh (praying), following the ways of guidance of Ibrahim, 
wiping out all traces and features or polytheism. On some days of 
At-Tashreeq he delivered some speeches as well. In a version to Abu Da’ud 
with good reference to Sira,’ the daughter of Nabhan; she said: “The 
Messenger of Allah fLj 4 j1p 4l)l ^l. made us a speech at the Ru’us (Heads) Day 
in which he said: “Is it not this the middle day of At-Tashreeq Days.”! 3 ! 


[i] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/234. 

PI At-Tinnidbi, 2/38,13S; Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1/234. 
I 3 ! Abu Da’fld, 1/269. 


- 468 - 




His speech that day was similar to that of Art-Nahr Day’s. It was made 
after the revelation of Surat An-Nasr. 

On the second day of An-Nafr (i.e. Departure) — on the thirteenth of 
Dhul-Hijjah, the Prophet <1)1 proceeded with An-Nafr to Mina and 

stayed at a high place of a mountain side at Bani Kinanah from Al-Abtah. 
He spent the rest of that day and night there — where he performed the 
noon, the afternoon, die sunset and the evening prayers. 

Then he slept for a short while and mounted leaving for the Ka‘bah. He 
performed the Farewell Ciicumambulation (Tawaf Al-Wada ),after ordering 
his Companions to do the same thing. 

Upon the accomplishment of his religious rituals he quickened his move 
to the purified Madinah. He went there not to seek rest but to resume the 
strife and struggle in the way of Allah.!'] 


(>] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/631,2/631; Ibn Hisham, 2/601-603; 
Zdd Al-Ma‘ad, 1/196,218-220. 


- 469 - 



The Last Expeditions 


The pride of the Byzantine State made it deny Muslims their right to live. 
The Byzantine arrogance made them even kill those agents of theirs, who 
embraced Islam. Killing Farwah bin ‘Amr Al-Judhami, who was their agent 
on Mu’an, was an evidence of their arrogance. Due to that arrogance and 
presumptuousness of the Byzantines, the Messenger of Allah j a jLc. 4UI {J L* 
started to mobilize a great army in Safar in the eleventh year of Al-Hijra and 
made it under the command of Osamah bin Zaid bin Haritha with orders to 
have the horses of Muslims tread on the lands bordering Al-Balqa’ and 
Ad-Darum of Palestine. His aim was to terrorize Byzantines and to implant 
confidence into the hearts of Arabs who were settled at the borders of the 
Byzantines. His other purpose was to deliver a message to everybody there, so 
that no one may dare say that the Church brutality can’t go with impunity; and 
that Islamization is not synonymous with fear and vulnerability. 


The leadership of Osamah was subject to criticism. Because he was still 
too young, people tarried at joining his expedition. The Messenger of Allah 
fi* j 4i» addressed people saying: 


‘cP ^ Xo3 t AjjU ^ jl* 

b\j itfi 1 * d\s i&j d\s 01 41 $J 


“No wonder now you contest his leadership, for you have already 
contested the ex-leadership of his father. Yes, by Allah, his father, 
who was one of the most beloved people to me, was quite 
efficient for leadership; and this son of his is one of the most 
beloved individuals to me after his father.”! 1 ) 


So people started tending towards Osamah and joined his army. The 
number of volunteers in his army was so enormous that they formed such a 
long queue that they had to descend the escarpment — which was a parasang 
off Madinah. The anxiety-provoking news about the Messenger of Allah’s 
sickness, however, made the expedition tarry again in order to know what 
Allah had willed as regards His Messenger ^ <w ju. 

It was Allah’s Will that Osamah’s expedition would be the first one 
dispatched during the caliphate of the veracious Abu Bakr.Pl 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/612. 

PI Ibn Hisham, 2/560,606; Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/612. 


- 470 - 



The Journey to Allah, the Sublime 


Symptoms of Farewell: 

When the Call to Islam grew complete and the new faith dominated the 
whole situation. The Messenger of Allah ^ <jji ^ started to develop 
certain symptoms that bespoke of leave-taking. They could be perceived 
through his statements and deeds: 

• In Ramadan in the tenth year of Al-Hijra he secluded himself for 
twenty days in contrast to ten, previously. 

• The archangel Gabriel reviewed the Qur’an twice with him. 

• His words in the Farewell Pilgrimage (i.e. Al-Waday. 


#ljbl cjOjXJIIJLjj (A* JLxj ^ 


“I do not know whether I will ever meet you at this place 
once again after this current year.” 


• The revelation of An-Nasr Chapter amid At-Tashreeq Days. So when 
it was sent down on him, he realized that it was the parting time and 
that Surah was an announcement of his approaching death. 




On the early days of Safar in the eleventh year of Al-Hijra, the 
Prophet fL-, ju went out to Uhud and observed a farewell prayer 
to the martyrs. It looked like saying goodbye to both the dead and the 
living alike. He then ascended the pulpit and addressed the people 
saying: 

4ii j ^j>vj i ‘yys 

t\Q b\ ou-t J&j d\ out 


“I am to precede you and I have been made witness upon you. 
By Allah, you will meet me at the ‘Fountain’ very soon. I have 
been given the keys of worldly treasures. By Allah, I do not fear 
for you that you will turn polytheists after me. But I do fear that 


- 471 - 



acquisition of worldly riches should entice you to strike one 
another’s neck.”!'! 

• One day, at midnight he went to Al-Baqee‘ cemetry, and implored 
Allah to forgive the martyrs of Islam. He said: “Peace be upon you 
tomb-dwellers! May that morning that dawns upon you be more 
relieving than that which dawn upon the living. Afflictions are 
approaching them like cloudy lumps of a dark night — the last of 
which follows the first. The last one is bearing more evil than the 
first.” He comforted them saying: “We will follow you.” 

The Start of the Disease: 

On Monday the twenty-ninth of Safar in the eleventh year of Al-Hijra, he 
participated in funeral rites in Al-Baqee*. On the way back he had a 
headache, his temperature rose so high that the heat effect could be felt over 
his headband. 

He led the Muslims in prayer for eleven days though he was sick. The 
total number of his sick days were either thirteen or fourteen. 

The Last Week: 

When his sickness grew severe he asked his wives: “Where shall I stay 
tomorrow?” “Where shall I stay?” They understood what he wanted. So 
they allowed him to stay wherever he wished. He moved to ‘Aishah’s room 
leaning — while he was walking — on Al-Fadl bin Al-‘Abbas and ‘ Ali bin 
Abi Talib. Head banded as he was, he dragged his feet till he came into her 
abode. It was there that he spent the last week of his life. 

During that period, ‘Aishah used to recite Al-Mu ‘awwidhat (Chapters 
113 and 114 of the Qur’an) and other supplications which he had already 
taught her. 

Five days before death: 

On Wednesday, five days before he died the Prophet’s temperature rose 
so high signalling the severeness of his disease. He fainted and suffered 
from pain. “Pour out on me seven Qirab (water skin pots) of various water 


PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/585. 



wells so that I may go out to meet people and talk to them.” So they seated 
him in a container (usually used for washing) and poured out water on him 
till he said: “That is enough. That is enough.” 


Then he felt well enough to enter the Mosque. He entered it band-headed, 
sat on the pulpit and made a speech to the people who were gathering 
together around him. He said: 




“The curse of Allah falls upon the Jews and Christians for they 
have made their Prophets’ tombs places of worship.”!'! 

Then he said: 




“Do not make my tomb a worshipped idol.”! 2 ! 


Then he offered himself and invited the people to repay any injuries he 
might have inflicted on them, saying: 




* ° ^ «r, x. 

CO y W** 1 J&P 4J OJUb- CO y* 

®o .iSillU yey iJlgi L J>y a] 


“He whom I have ever lashed his back, I offer him my back so 
that he may avenge himself on me. He whom I have ever 
blasphemed his honour, here I am offering my honour so that he 
may avenge himself.” 


Then he descended, and performed the noon prayer. Again he returned to 
the pulpit and sat on it. He resumed his first speech about enmity and some 
other things. 


A man then said: “You owe me three Dirhams.” The Prophet pL-j <*U <111 JL* 
said: “Fadl, pay him the money.” He went on saying: 

‘(Mel* Jij i'jCLej t jCjVU 

,* ,• f \ *f • i, 

o* ' j ‘(* 4 ^ 


W Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/62; Muatta* Imam Malik, p. 360. 
[2] Muata* Imam Malik, p. 65. 


- 473 - 



“I admonish you to be good to Al-Ansar (the Helpers). They are 
my family and with them I found shelter. They have acquitted 
themselves credibly of the responsibility that fell upon them and 
now there remains what you have to do. You should fully 
acknowledge and appreciate the favour that they have shown, 
and should overlook their faults.” 


In another version: 

tf . • ^ > > 

, ' t ti . ‘ 

l 


^ Ic jUajS/I idjs&i 01* 

j* JXli iiiij 'Ji Ali Jy»i 3 J+i 

a 0 *• ^ I ' C'' / 

dr* JJ‘***iJ 


“The number of believers would increase, but the number of 
Helpers would decrease to the extent that they would be among 
men as salt in the food. So he who from among you occupies a 
position of responsibility and is powerful enough to do harm or 
good to the people, he should fully acknowledge and appreciate 
the favour that these benefactors have shown and overlook their 
faults.”! 1 ) 


And said: 

1 oXjp li U» &3JI « ij* of 4&I ®js s " o^* 

( tX*t- \j> 


“Allah, the Great, has given a slave of His the opportunity to 
make a choice between, whatever he desires of Allah’s 
provisions in this world, and what He keeps for him in the 
world, but he has opted for the latter.” 

Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri said: “Upon hearing that, Abu Bakr cried and said: 
‘We sacrifice our fathers and mothers for your sake.’ We wondered why 
Abu Bakr said such a thing. People said: ‘Look at that old man! The 
Messenger of Allah ^ uii j-. says about a slave of Allah who was granted 
the right between the best fortunes of this world and the bounty of Allah in 
the Hereafter, but he says: We sacrifice our fathers and mothers for your 
sake! ’ It was later on that we realized what he had aimed at. The Messenger 


I 1 ) Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/536. 


- 474 - 



of Allih —.j *_> *_ui j_u was the slave informed to choose. We also 
acknowledged that Abu Bakr was the most learned among us.”!*) 


Then the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ *ui ^ said: 

lo^i cis - jJj 4 jz$ aJUj ^ Jst Si# 

f ^>i syt ^ *-$o^ >;d oiijv JS > 

«>s J\ 4»c i»c ^ 

“The fellow I feel most secure in his company is Abu Bakr. If I 
were to make friendship with any other one than Allah, I would 
have Abu Bakr a bosom friend of mine. For him I feel affection 
and brotherhood of Islam. No gate shall be kept open in the 
Mosque except that of Abu Bakr’s.”Pl 


Four days before his death: 

On Thursday, four days before the death of the Messenger of Allah 
(L., vl» *ui jU, he said to people — though he was suffering from a severe pain: 
“Come here. I will cause you to write something so that you will never fall 
into error.” Upon this ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab said: “The Prophet of Allah 
fL-, *> uii is suffering from acute pain and you have the Qur’an with you; 
the Book of AllSh is sufficient unto you.” Others however wanted the 
writing to be made. When Muhammad ^ *m ^ heard them debating over 
it, he ordered them to go away and leave him alone.! 3 ) 

That day he recommended three things: 

1. Jews, Christians and polytheists should be expelled out of Arabia. 

2. He recommended that delegations should be honoured and 
entertained, in a way similar to the one he used to do. 

3. As for the third — the narrator said that he had forgotten it. It could 
have been adherence to the Holy Book and the Sunnah. It was 
likely to be the accomplishment and the mobilization of Osamah’s 


(*) Mishkat Al-Masabih, 2/546. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/22,429,449,2/638; Mishkat Al-Masabih, 2/548. 
P) Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/637. 


- 475 - 



army, or it could have been performance of prayers and being 
attentive to slaves. 


In spite of the strain of disease and suffering from pain, the Prophet 
(JL, <ui jL, used to lead all the prayers till that Thursday — four days before 
he died. On that day he led the sunset prayer and recited: 


“By the winds (or angels or the Messengers of AMh) sent forth 
one after another.” [77:l]t'l 


In the evening he grew so sick that he could not overcome the strain of 
disease or go out to enter the Mosque. ‘Aishah said: The Prophet ^ an 
asked: “Have the people performed the prayer?” “No. They haven’t. They 
are waiting for you.” “Put some water in the washing pot.” Said he. We did 
what he ordered. So he washed and wanted to stand up, but he fainted. 
When he came round he asked again “Have the people prayed?” Then the 
same sequence of events took place again and again for the second and the 
third times from the time he washed to the time he fainted after his attempts 
to stand up. Therefore he sent to Abu Bakr to lead the prayer himself. Abu 
Bakr then led the prayer during those days.P) They were seventeen prayers 
in the lifetime of Muhammad ^ «ui 

Three or four times ‘Aishah talked to the Prophet ^ «ut j*. to exempt 
Abu Bakr from leadership in prayer lest people should despair of him, but 
he refused and said: 


fedi I 


JjA 



“You (women) are like the women who tried to entice Joseph 
(Yusuf) into immorality. Convey my request to Abu Bakr to 
lead the prayer.” 


A Day or Two prior to Death: 

On Saturday or on Sunday, the Prophet ^ <w ^ felt that he was well 
enough to perform the prayer; so he went out leaning on two men in order to 


HI Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1/102. 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/99. 


- 476 - 



perform the noon prayer. Abu Bakr, who was then about to lead the prayer 
withdrew when he saw him coming; but the Prophet made him a 

gesture to stay where he was and said: “Seat me next to him.” They seated 
him on the left hand side of Abu Bakr. The Prophet ^ 411 jl, led the 

prayer, and Abu Bakr followed him and raised his voice at every ‘Allahu 
Akbar’ (i.e. Allah is the Greatest) the Prophet ^ ^ said, so that the 

people may hear clearly.!'! 

A Day before his Death: 

On Sunday, a day before he died, the Prophet ^ <u, set his slaves 

free, paid as a charity the seven Dinars he owned and gave his weapons as a 
present to the Muslims. So when night fell ‘Aishah had to borrow some oil 
from her neighbour to light her oil-lantern. 

Even his armour was mortgaged as a security with a Jew for thirty Sa ‘ (a 
cubic measure) of barley. 

The Last Day Alive: 

In a narration by Anas bin Malik, he said: “While the Muslims were 
performing the dawn prayer on Monday — led by Abu Bakr, they were 
surprised to see the Messenger of Allah ^<^<111^ raising the curtain of 
‘Aishah’s room. He looked at them while they were praying aligned 
properly and smiled cheerfully. Seeing him, Abu Bakr withdrew to join the 
lines and give way to him to lead the prayer. For he thought that the Prophet 
r 1 —j -ssi* wanted to go out and pray.” Anas said: “The Muslims, who were 

praying, were so delighted that they were almost too enraptured at their 
prayers. The Messenger of Allah ^ made them a gesture to 

continue their prayer, v'ent into the room and drew down the curtain.”! 2 ! 

The Messenger of Allah jj l, «j* <di ^ did not live for the next prayer time. 

When it was daytime, the Prophet ^ ^ <ui called Fatimah and told her 
something in a secret voice that made her cry. Then he whispered to her 
something else which made her laugh. ‘Aishah enquired from her after the 
Prophet’s death, as to this weeping and laughing to which Fatimah replied: 


!'] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/98,99. 
PI ibid, 2/640. 


- 477 - 



’The first time he disclosed to me that he would not recover from his illness 
and I wept. Then he told me that I would be the first of his family to join 
him, so I laughed.”! 1 ! 

He gave Fatimah glad tidings that she would become the lady of all 
women of the world.Pl 

Fatimah witnessed the great pain that afflicted her father. So she said: 
“What great pain my father is in!”. To these words, the Prophet 
remarked: 

JLtu Jb dLl (j-J* 

“He will not suffer any more when today is over.”P! 

He asked that Al-Hasan and Al-Husain be brought to him. He kissed 
them and recommended that they be looked after. He asked to see his wives. 
They were brought to him. He preached them and told them to remember 
Allah. Pain grew so much severe that the trace of poison he had at Khaibar 
came to light. It was so sore that he said to ‘Aishah: “I still feel the painful 
effect of that food I tasted at Khaibar. I feel as if death is approaching.”! 4 ] 
He ordered die people to perform the prayers and be attentive to slaves. He 
repeated it several times.! 5 ! 

The Prophet ft-j ^ J* breathes his Last: 

When the pangs of death started, ‘Aishah leant him against her. She used 
to say: One of Allah’s bounties upon me is that the Messenger of Allah 
fL-j uii jj- died in my house, while I am still alive. He died between my 
chest and neck while he was leaning against me. Allah has mixed his saliva 
with mine at his death. For ‘ Abdur Rahman — the son of Abu Bakr — came 
in with a Siwak (i.e. the root of a desert plant used for brushing teeth) in his 
hand, while I was leaning the Messenger of Allah ^ ju against me. I 
noticed that he was looking at the Siwak, so I asked him — for I knew that 


!>] SahihAl-Bukhari, 2/638. 

PI Rahmat-ul-liTalameen, 1/282. 
PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/641. 

! 4 1 ibid, 2/637. 

PI ibid, 2/637. 


- 478 - 



he wanted it — “Would you like me to take it for you?” He nodded in 
agreement. I took it and gave it to him. As it was too hard for him, I asked 
him “Shall I soften it for you?” He nodded in agreement. So I softened it 
with my saliva and he passed it (on his teeth). 

In another version it is said: “So he brushed ( Istanna ) his teeth as nice as 
he could.” There was a water container (Rakwa) available at his hand with 
some water in. He put his hand in it and wiped his face with it and said: 

“There is no god but AllSh. Death is full of agonies.”!') 

As soon as he had finished his Shvok^brushing, he raised his hand or his 
finger up, looked upwards to the ceiling and moved his lips. So ‘Aishah 
listened to him. She heard him say: “With those on whom You have 
bestowed Your Grace with the Prophets and the Truthful ones 
( As-Siddeeqeen ), the martyrs and the good doers. O Allah, forgive me and 
have mercy upon me and join me to the Companionship on high.”! 2 ) Then at 
intervals he uttered these words: “The most exalted Companionship on high. 
To Allilh we turn and to Him we turn back for help and last abode.” This 
event took place at high morning time on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi‘ Al- 
Awwal, in the eleventh year of Al-Hijrah. He was sixty-three years and four 
days old when he died. 

The Companions’ concern over the Prophet’s Death: 

The great (loss) news was soon known by everybody in Madinah. Dark 
grief spread on all areas and horizons of Madinah. Anas said: 

Ja_> c—JjLJoft 

“I have never witnessed a day better or brighter than that day on 
which the Messenger of AIM ^ «> «w ^ came to us; and I have 


jJ-S VjJAYj dLS 

oU fjj c-jIj 


!'] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/640. 

P) ibid, 2/638-641. 

- 479 - 



never witnessed a more awful or darker day than that one on 
which the Messenger of Allah ^ an ^ died on.”t'l 

When he died, Fatimah said: “O Father, whom his Lord responded to his 
supplication! O Father, whose abode is Paradise. O Father, whom I 
announce his death to Gabriel.”! 2 ! 


‘Umar’s Attitude: 

‘Umar, who was so stunned that he almost lost consciousness and stood 
before people addressing them: “Some of the hypocrites claim that die 
Messenger of Allah ^ «*u an died. The Messenger of Allah ^l. did 

not die, but went to his Lord in the same way as Moses bin‘Imran did. He 
stayed away for forty nights, but finally came back though they said he had 
been dead. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ^^.<111^ will come back and 
he will cut off the hands and legs of those who claim his death.”! 3 ! 


Abu Bakr’s Attitude: 


Abu Bakr left his house at As-Sunh and came forth to the Mosque on a 
mare-back. At the Mosque, he dismounted and entered. He talked to nobody 
but went on till he entered ‘Aishah’s abode, and went directly to where the 
Messenger of Allah was. The Prophet ^ ^ was covered 

with a Yemeni mantle. He uncovered his face and tended down, kissed him 
and cried. Then he said: “I sacrifice my father and mother for your sake. 
Allah, verily, will not cause you to die twice. You have just experienced the 
death that Allah had ordained.” 


Then he went out and found ‘Umar talking to people. He said: “‘Umar, 
be seated.” ‘Umar refused to do so. People parted ‘Umar and came towards 
Abu Bakr, who started a speech saying: 


' 4 »i J £ 06 


[>! Mishkat-ul-Masabih, 2/547. 
! 2 ! Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/641. 

! 3 ! Ibn Hisham, 2/655. 


- 480 - 



“And now, he who worships M uhamma d pi— »J <— jU 4_JJt ^ L-» 
Muh amm ad is dead now. But he who worships Allah, He is 
Ever Living and He never dies. Allah says: 





‘Mu hamm ad (fi-^ <jx l/ x.)is no more than a Messenger, and 
indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he 
dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as 
disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least 
harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those 
who are grateful.’” [ 3 : 144 ] 


Ibn ‘Abbas said: “By Allah, it sounded as if people had never heard such 
a Qur’anic verse till Abu Bakr recited it as a reminder. So people started 
reciting it till there was no man who did not recite it.” 


Ibn Al-Musaiyab said that ‘Umar had said: “By Allah, as soon as I heard 
Abu Bakr say it, I fell down to the ground. I felt as if my legs had been 
unable to carry me so I collapsed when I heard him say it. Only then did I 
realize that Muhammad ^ ^ «ai had really died.”! 1 ! 


Burial and Farewell Preparations to his Honourable Body: 

Dispute about who would succeed him ^ an ^ broke out even before 
having the Messenger of Allih’s body prepared for burial. Lots of 
arguments, discussions, dialogues took place between the Helpers and 
Emigrants in the roofed passage (portico) of Bani Sa‘ida. Finally they 
acknowledged Abu Bakr «ni ^ as a caliph. They spent the whole Monday 
there till it was night People were so busy with their arguments that it was 
late night — just about dawn of Tuesday — yet his blessed body was still 
lying on his bed covered with an inked-garment. He was locked in the room. 

On Tuesday, his body was washed with his clothes on. He was washed 
by Al-‘Abbas, ‘Ali, Al-Fadl and Qathm — the two sons of Al-‘Abbas, as 
well as Shaqran — die Messenger’s freed slave, Osamah bin Zaid and Aws 
bin Khauli. Al-‘Abbas, Al-Fadl and Qathm turned his body round, whereas 


I'l Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/640,641. 


- 481 - 



Osamah and Shaqran poured out water. ‘Ali washed him and Aws leant him 
against his chest. 

They shrouded him in three white Sahooli cotton cloth which had neither 
a headclothl'l nor a casing and inserted him in. 

A sort of disagreement arose with regard to a burial place. Abu Bakr 
said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ^ an j*, say: ‘A dead Prophet is 
buried where he dies.’ So Abu Talhah lifted the bed on which he died, dug 
underneath and cut the ground to make the tomb. 

People entered the room ten by tea They prayed for the Prophet ^ 

The first to pray for him were people of his clan. Then the Emigrants, then 
the Helpers. Women prayed for him after men. The young were the last to 
pray. 

This process took Tuesday long and Wednesday night (i.e. the night 
which precedes Wednesday morning). ‘Aishah said: “We did not know that 
the Prophet ^ uji ^jl. was being buried till we heard the sound of tools 
digging the ground at the depth of Wednesday night ”P1 


I'l Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/169, Sahih Muslim, 1/306. 

t 2 l Mukhtasar Seerat Ar-Rasool, p. 471; Ibn Hisham, 2/649-665; 

Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl Al-Athar, p. 38,39; Rahmat-ul-lil‘alameen, 1/277-286. 


- 482 - 


The Prophetic Household 

1. Khadijah Bint Khuwailid: In Makkah — prior to Hijra — the Prophet’s 
household comprised him fi—, <_> un and his wife Khadijah bint 
Khuwailid. He was twenty-five and she was forty when they got married. 
She was the first woman he married. She was the only wife he had till 
she died. He had sons and daughters with her. None of their sons lived 
long. They all died. Their daughters were Zainab, Ruqaiya, Umm 
Kulthum and Fatimah. 

Z ainab was married to her maternal cousin Abu Al-‘As bin Al-Rabi‘ 
and that was before Al-Hijra. Ruqaiya and Umm Kulthum were both 
married to ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan c* <jji ^ successively (i.e. he married one 
after the death of her sister). Fatimah was married to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib; 
and that was in the period between Badr and Uhud battles. The sons and 
daughters that Fatimah and ‘Ali had were Al-Hasan, Al-Husain, Zainab 
and Umm Kulthum. 

It is well-known that the Prophet was exceptionally 

authorized to have more than four wives for various reasons. The wives 
he married were thirteen. Nine of them outlived him. Two died in his 
lifetime: Khadijah and the Mother of the poor (Umm Al-Masakeen) — 
Zainab bint Khuzaima, besides two others with whom he did not 
consummate his marriage. 

2. Sawdah bint Zam‘a: He married her in Shawwal, in the tenth year of 
Prophethood, a few days after the death of Khadijah. Prior to that, she 
was married to a paternal cousin of hers called As-Sakran bin ‘ Amr. 

3. ‘Aishah bint Abu Bakr: He married her in the eleventh year of 
Prophethood, a year after his marriage toSawdahjand two years and five 
months before Al-Hijra. She was six years old when he married her. 
However, he did not consummate the marriage with her till Shawwal 
seven months after Al-Hijra, and that was in Madinah. She was nine 
then. She was the only virgin he married, and the most beloved creature 
to him As a woman she was the most learned woman in jurisprudence. 

4. Hafsah bint ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab: She was Aiyim (i.e. husbandless). 
Her ex-husband was Khunais bin Hudhafa As-Sahmi in the period 


- 483 - 



between Badr and Uhud battles. The Messenger of Allah 
married her in the third year of Al-Hijra. 

5. Zainab bint Khuzaimah: She was from Bani Hilal bin ‘Amir bin 
Sa sa‘a. Was nicknamed Umm AI-Masakeen , because of her kindness and 
care towards them. She used to be the wife of 4 Abdullah bin Jahsh, who 
was martyred at Uhud, was married to the Prophet ^ <ui ^ in the 
fourth year of Al-Hijra, but she died two or three months after her 
marriage to the Messenger of Allah ^ 4 * <ui 

6 . Umm Salamah Hind bint Abi Omaiyah: She used to be the wife of 

Abu Salamah, who died in Jumada Al-Akhir, in the fourth year of 
Al-Hijra. The Messenger of Allah married her in Shawwal of 

the same year. 

7. Zainab bint Jahsh bin Riyab: She was from Bani Asad bin Khuzaimah 
and was the Messenger’s paternal cousin. She was married to Zaid bin 
Haritha — who was then considered son of the Prophet ^ & <ui . 
However, Zaid divorced her. Allah sent down some Qur’anic verses with 
this respect: 

“So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e., 
divorced her). We gave her to you in marriage.” [33:37] 

About her, Allah has sent down some verses of Al-Ahzab Chapter that 
discussed the adoption of children in detail — anyway we will discuss 
this later. The Messenger of Allah ^ <si\ ^ married her in Dhul- 
Qa‘dah, the fifth year of Al-Hijra. 

8 . Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith: Al-Harith was the head of Bani 

Al-Mustaliq of Khuza‘ah. Juwairiyah was among the booty that fell to 
the Muslims from Bani Al-Mustaliq. She was a portion of Thabit bin 
Qais bin Shammas’ share. He made her a covenant to set her free at a 
certain time. The Messenger of Allah ^ ^ accomplished the 

covenant and married her in Sha‘ban in the sixth year of Al-Hijra. 

9. Umm Habibah: Ramlah, the daughter of Abu Sufyan. She was married 
to ‘Ubaidullah bin Jahsh. She migrated with him to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). 
When ‘Ubaidullah apostatized and became a Christian, she stoodfast to 



- 484 - 



her religion and refused to convert. However ‘Ubaidullah died there in 
Abyssinia (Ethiopia). The Messenger of Allah , 1 -, «ui dispatched 
‘ Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damri with a letter to Negus, the king, asking him 
for Umm Habibah’s hand — that was in Muharram, in the seventh year 
of Al-Hijra. Negus agreed and sent her to the Prophet ^ «ui in the 
company of Sharhabeel bin Hasnah. 

lO.Safiyah bint Huyai bin Akhtab: From the Children of Israel, she was 
among the booty taken at Khaibar battle. The Messenger of Allah 
fj —i *jji jU took her for himself. He set her free and married her after that 

conquest in the seventh year of Al-Hijra. 

1 l.Maimunah bint Al-Haritb: The daughter of Al-Harith, and the sister of 
Umm Al-Fadl Lubabah bint Al-Harith. The Prophet ^ married 

her after the Compensatory ‘Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage). That was in 
Dhul-Qa‘dah in the seventh year of Al-Hijra. 

Those were the eleven women that the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ ^ 

had married and consummated marriage with them. He outlived two of them 
— Khadijah and Zainab, the Umm Al-Masakeen. Whereas the other nine 
wives outlived him. 

The two wives that he did not consummate marriage with were, one from 
Bani Kilab and the other from Kindah and this was the one called 
Al-Jauniyah. 

Besides these, he had two concubines. The first was Mariyah, the Coptic 
(an Egyptian Christian), a present gift from Al-Muqauqis, vicegerent erf 
Egypt — she gave birth to his son Ibrahim, who died in Madinah while still 
a little child, on the 28th or 29th of Shawwal in the year 10 A.H., i.e. 27th 
January, 632 A.D. The second one was Raihanah bint Zaid An-Nadriyah or 
Quraziyah, a captive from Bani Quraiza. Some people say she was one of his 
wives. However, Ibn Al-Qaiyim gives more weight to the first version. Abu 
‘Ubaidah spoke of two more concubines, Jameelah, a captive, and another 
one, a bondwoman granted to him by Zainab bint Jahsh.Pl 

Whosoever meditates on die life of the Messenger of Allah ^ «*i* <di 
will conceive that his marriage to this great number of women in the late 


PI Zfid Al-Ma'ad, 1/29. 


- 485 - 



years of his lifetime, after he had almost spent thirty years of his best days 
of youth sufficing himself to one old wife — Khadijah and later on to 
Sawdah, was in no way an overwhelming lustful desire to be satisfied 
through such a number of wives. These marriages were in fact motivated by 
aims and purposes much more glorious and greater than what nor mal 
marriages usually aim at. 

The tendency of the Messenger of Allah ^ 411 j* towards es tablishing 
a relationship by marriage with both Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and his marriage 
to ‘ Aishah and Hafsah — and getting his daughter Fatimah married to ‘ Ali 
bin Abi Talib, and the marriage of his two daughters, Ruqaiyah and Umm 
Kulthum to ‘Uthman — indicate clearly that he aimed at confirmin g the 
relationship among the four men — whose sacrifices and great 
achievements in the cause of Islam are well-known. 

Besides this, there was that tradition of the Arabs to honour the in-law 
relations. For them a son or a daughter-in-law was a means by which they 
sought the consolidation of relationship and affection with various phratries. 
Hostility and fights against alliances and affinities would bring an 
unforgettable shame, disgrace and degradation to them. 

By marrying the Mothers of believers, the Prophet fa wanted to 

demolish or break down the Arab tribes’ enmity to Islam and extinguish 
their intense hatred. Umm Salamah was from Bani Makhzum — the clan of 
Abu Jahl and Khalid bin Al-Waleed. Her marriage to the Messenger of 
Allah ft—j va* «jui produced good results. Khalid’s deliberately undecisive 
attitude at Uhud — for instance — was due to the Messenger’s marriage to 
Umm Salamah. Khalid went even further than that, in a short time he 
willingly became a keen obedient Muslim. 

After the Messenger of Allah’s marriage to Umm Habibah, Abu Sufyan, 
her father, did not encounter him with any sort of hostility. Similarly his 
marriage to Juwairiyah and Safiyah made the two tribes stop all sorts of 
provocation, aggression or hostility against Islam. Better still Juwairiyah, 
herself, was one of the greatest sources of blessing to her own people. On 
the occasion of her marriage to the Prophet ^<* 1 * 411 ^, his Companions set 
a hundred families of her people free. They said: “It is for their affinity with 
the Messenger of Allah No need to say what great good 

impression this gratitude had on everybody’s soul. One of the greatest 


- 486 - 



motives of all is Allah’s bidding his Prophet to educate and purify the souls 
of people who had known nothing whatsoever about courtesy, education and 
culture. He had to teach them to comply with the necessities of civilization 
and to contribute to the solidification and the establishment of a new Islamic 
society. 

An essential fundamental rule of the Muslim society is to prohibit mixing 
of men and women. Providing direct education for women, though highly 
compelling, is impossible in the light of this Islamic norm. Therefore, the 
Prophet ft-, «ui had to select some women of different ages and talents, 
and indoctrinate them systematically in order to educate she-bedouins and 
townswomen, old and young, and thus furnish them with the instruments of 
propagating the true faith. The Mothers of believers (i.e. wives of the 
Prophet ,ju, <jii jj-) were in such a convenient position that they could 
convey the state of the Prophet ^ «ui and his affairs to people (men and 
women). Being educated and taught the teachings and rules of Islam, his 
wives, especially those who outlived him, played a very important role in 
conveying Prophetic traditions Ahadith to the Muslims. ‘Aishah, for 
instance, related a large number of the Prophet’s deeds and statements. 

His marriage to his paternal cousin Zainab bint Jahsh was a peculiar case 
which aimed at eradicating a deeply rooted pre-Islamic tradition — i.e. the 
adoption of children. In Al-Jahiliyah the Arabs used to consider an adopted 
person exactly like a real son or daughter as far as rights and sanctities are 
concerned. That Jahiliyah tradition had been so deeply rooted in their hearts 
that it was not easy to remove or uproot it. This tradition in fact affronts the 
basic principles of Islam; especially those concerned with marriage, divorce 
and inheritance and some other cases, and brought about lots of corruptions 
and indecencies. Naturally Islam stands against such deeds, and attempts to 
remove them from the Islamic society. 

For the eradication of this tradition, Allah, die Exalted, bid His 
Messenger to marry his cousin Zainab bint Jahsh, who was an 

ex-wife to Zaid. She was at variance with Zaid to an extent that he intended 
to divorce her — that was at die time when the Confederates ( Al-Ahzab ) 
were making an evil alliance against the Messenger of Allah ^ v* «i» and 
against the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah «w ^ feared that the 
hypocrites, the idolaters, and the Jews would make a propaganda out of it 


- 487 - 



and try to influence some Muslims of weak hearts. That was why he urged 
Zaid not to divorce her, in order not to get involved into that trial. 


Undoubtedly this hesitation and partiality were alien to the character of 
the Prophet ^ *jii . They did not apply to the power of determination 
and will with which he had been sent. Allah, the Exalted, blamed him for 
that by saying: 






“And (remember) when you said to him (Zaid bin Haritha 
«jji — the freed slave of the Prophet , ju , ^ 411 jJ) on whom 
Allah has bestowed grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you (O 
Muhammad ^ an too) have done favour (by manumitting 
him), ‘Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah.’ But you did 
hide in yourself (i.e. what Allah has already made known to you 
that He will give her to you in marriage) that which Allah will 
make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e. Muhammad 
ji.., «*i» <jji jU married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) 
whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear him.” 
[33:37] 


Finally Zaid divorced Zainab and the Messenger of Allah ^ <*u «w ju 
married her at the time he laid siege to Bani Quraiza. That was after she had 
finished her Iddat (i.e. period during which a widow or a divorcee may not 
remarry). Allah Himself had already ordained it, and so gave him no other 
alternative. Allah had even started the marriage Himself by saying: 






“So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. 
divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that (in 
future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of 
(the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons when the latter 
have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them).” 
[33:37] 


- 488 - 



And that was in order to break down the tradition of child adoption in 
practice after He had done it in words: 

“Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is 
more just near Allah.” [33:5] 




“Muhammad (^*>. 011 ^) is not the father of any man among 
you, but he is the Messenger of Allah, and the last (end) of the 
Prophets.” [33:40] 


Lots of deeply-rooted traditions cannot be uprooted or demolished or 
even adjusted by mere words. They must be matched and associated with 
the action of the advocate of the Message himself. 

This could be perceived through the deeds practised by the Muslims at 
Al-Hudaibiyah ‘Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage) during which ‘Urwah bin 
Mas‘ud Al-Thaqafi saw certain Muslims tend to pick up any expectoration 
that fell down from the Prophet ^ an He also saw them race to the 
water of his ablution and they almost quarrelled for it. There were others 
who competed to pledge allegiance to death and some others pledged not to 
flee from (the battlefield). Among those people, were eminent Companions 
like ‘Umar and Abu Bakr, who although dedicated all their lives to the 
Prophet uji jj-. and to the cause of Islam, but refused to carry out the 
Messenger’s ordres with respect to slaughtering sacrificial animals after the 
ratification of Al-Hudaibiyah Peace Treaty, the filing that perturbed and 
caused the Prophet to feel anxious. However, when Umm 

Salamah 1** <jji advised that he take the initiative and sacrifice his animals, 
his followers raced to follow his example; a clear evidence in support of the 
saying: Actions speak louder than words, in the process of exterminating a 
deeply-established tradition. 


Hypocrites aroused a lot of suspicions and made a broad false 
propaganda against that marriage. Their acts and talks about that marriage 
had ill-effects on those Muslims whose Faith was still weak, particularly 
that Zainab was the fifth wife — and the Noble Qur’an limited the number 


- 489 - 



up to four only; Zaid was traditionally his son, and so a father marrying his 
son’s divorcee was a heinous sin in the eyes of the Arabians. 

Al-Ahzab Surah was revealed to shed full light on the two issues, i.e. 
Islam does not recognize adoption of children, and the Prophet ^ *ui j*. is 
given (by Allah) more freedom as regards the number of wives he can hold 
than other Muslims in order to achieve noble and honourable purposes. 

However, the treatment of the Messenger of Allah ^ ^ «w to his 
wives was of honourable, noble, and superb nature. His wives were on tops 
in respect of honour, satisfaction, patience, modesty, and service (that is to 
say the performance of housework and marriage duties). Although the 
Messenger’s house-life was hard and unbearable, none of his wives 
complained. Anas said about the Prophet’s life: “According to my 
knowledge, the Messenger of AMh ^ uji has never tasted a thin 
flattened loaf in all his lifetime, nor has he ever seen with his own eyes 
roasted mutton.”! 1 ] 

‘Aishah said: “Over two months have elapsed — during which we have 
seen three crescents — and yet no fire has been kindled in the houses of the 
Messenger of Allah ,j_, «di ^ (i.e. they did not cook food).” “What did you 
eat to sustain yourselves?” ‘Urwah asked. She said “The two blacks: dates 
and water”! 2 !. Lots of information about die hard life of the Prophet ^ ^ ^ 
were told. 

In spite of these hardships, straits and adversity of life in the house of the 
Prophet fi-j «*u <ui j*, none of his wives uttered a word of complaint worthy of 
reproach — but once. This exception was required by human instinctive 
inclinations. However, it was not so important and consequently it did not 
require the decree of a legislative rule. AMh has given them an opportunity 
to choose between two things, as clearly stated in die following verses: 



I*] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2/956. 
t 2 ! ibid, 2/956. 



“O Prophet (Muhammad ^ «<u <111 ,>)! Say to your wives: ‘If you 
desire the life of this world, and its glitter, — then come! I will 
make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner 
(divorce). But if you desire Allah and His Messenger, and the 
Home of the Hereafter, then verily, AllMi has prepared for Al- 
Muhsinat (good doers) amongst you an enormous reward.’” 
[33:28,29] 

They were so noble and honest that none of them preferred ‘the life of 
this world and its glitter’ to the abode in the Hereafter. 


Although they were many in number, nothing of the dispute occurrences 
that normally happen among co-wives, took place in their houses. Very few 
cases could be the only exception; but they were quite normal. Allah 
reproached them for that, so they ceased to do such a thing. This incident is 
mentioned in At-Tahreem Chapter: 




“O Prophet! Why do you ban (for yourself) that which Allah has 
made lawful to you ...” [66:1] (to the end of the fifth verse). 


Discussing polygamy — in my opinion — is not a necessity; since a 
person who is familiar with the Europeans, and indecent practices, 
sufferings, wickedness, their sorrows and distresses, the horrible crimes they 
commit in this respect as well as the trials, the disasters that they are 
involved in,and which emanate directly from their disregard of the principle 
of polygamy form a good reason (to justify the soundness of polygamy). 
The distorted picture of life in Europe with the ill-practices featuring it, 
could truthfully justify the existence and practice of polygamy. In this, there 
are Divine signs for all people possessed of lucid mind. 


- 491 - 



The Prophet fa ^ 

Attributes and Manners 

The Prophet ^ uji ^ combined both perfection of creation and 
perfection of manners. 

This impression on people can be deduced by the bliss that overwhelmed 
their hearts and filled them with dignity. Men’s dignity, devotion and 
estimation of the Messenger of Allah ^ «*i* were unique and matchless. 

No other man in the whole world has been so honoured and beloved. Those 
who knew him well, were fascinated and enchanted by him. They were 
ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of saving a nail of his from hurt or 
injury. Being privileged by lots of prerogatives of perfection that no one 
else had been endowed with, his Companions found that he was peerless 
and so they loved him. 

Here we list a brief summary of the versions about his beauty and 
perfection. To encompass all which is, addmittedly, beyond our power. 

Beauty of Creation: 

Describing the Messenger of Allah ^ <111 who passed by her tent on 

his journey of migration, Umm Ma‘bad Al-Khuza‘iyah said to her husband: 

“He was innocently bright and had broad countenance. His manners 
were fine. Neither was his belly bulging out nor was his head deprived of 
hair. He had black attractive eyes finely arched by continuous eyebrows. 
His hair glossy and black, inclined to curl, he wore long. His voice was 
extremely commanding. His head was large, well formed and set on a 
slender neck. His expression was pensive and contemplative, serene and 
sublime. The stranger was fascinated from the distance, but no sooner he 
became intimate with him than this fascination was changed into 
attachment and respect. His expression was very sweet and distinct. His 
speech was well set and free from the use of superfluous words, as if it 
were a rosary of beads. His stature was neither too high nor too small to 
look repulsive. He was a twig amongst the two, singularly bri gh t and 
fresh. He was always surrounded by his Companions. Whenever he 
uttered something, the listeners would hear him with rapt attention and 
whenever he issued any command, they vied with each other in carry ing 


- 492 - 



it out. He was a master and a commander. His utterances were marked by 

truth and sincerity, free from all kinds of falsehoods and lies.”! 1 ! 

‘Ah bin Abi Talib describing him said: “The Messenger of Allah ^ an 

was neither excessively tall nor extremely short. He was medium height 
among his friends. His hair was neither curly nor wavy. It was in between. It 
was not too curly nor was it plain straight. It was both curly and wavy 
combined. His face was not swollen or meaty-compact. It was fairly round. 
His mouth was white. He had black and large eyes with long haired eyelids. 
His joints (limbs) and shoulder joints were rather big. He had a rod-like 
little hair extending from his chest down to his navel, but the rest of his 
body was almost hairless. He had thick hand palms and thick fingers and 
toes. At walking, he lifted his feet off the ground as if he had been walking 
in a muddy remainder of water. When he turned, he turned all. The 
Prophethood Seal was between his shoulders. He is the Seal of Prophets, the 
most generous and the bravest of all. 

His speech was the most reliable. He was the keenest and the most 
attentive to people’s trust and was very careful to pay people’s due in full. 
The Prophet jju, <jji ^ was the most tractable and the most yielding 
companion, seeing him unexpectedly you fear him and venerate him. He 
who has acquaintance with him will like him. He who describes him says: 

iiL '.ju :Yj i pv 

‘I have never seen such a person neither before nor after seeing 
him.’ "PI 

Jabir bin Samurah reported that Allah’s Messenger ^ <ui had a 
broad free with reddish (wide) eyes and lean heels.Pl 

Abu At-Tufail said: “He was white, good-looking. He was neither fat nor 
thin; neither tall nor short.” 

Anas bin Malik said: “He had unfolded hands and was pink-coloured. He 
was neither white nor brown. He was rather whitish. In both his head and 


I 1 ) Zfid Al-Ma'ad, 2/45. 

P) Ibn His ham, 1/401; Jami‘ At-Tinnidhi, 4/303. 
PI Sahih Al-Muslim, 2/258. 


- 493 - 




beard there were as many as twenty grey hairs, besides some grey hairs at 
his temples.” In another version: “and some scattered white hairs in his 
head.”m 

Abu Juhaifa said: “I have seen some grey colour under his lower lip.” 
Al-Bara’ said: “He was of medium height, broad-shouldered, his hair went 
up to his earlobes. I saw him dressed in a red garment and I (assure you) I 
have never seen someone more handsome. At first he used to let his hair 
loose so as to be in compliance with the people of the Book; but later on he 
used to part it.”Pl 

Al-Bara’ also said: “He had the most handsome face and the best 
character.” When he was asked: “Was the Messenger’s face sword-like?” 
“No,” he said: “it was moon-like.” But in another version: he said, “His face 
was round.” Ar-Rabi‘ bint Muawwidh said: “Had you seen him, you would 
have felt that the sun was shining.” Jabir bin Samurah said, “I saw him at 
one full-moony night. I looked at him. He was dressed in a red garment. I 
compared him with the moon and found that— for me — he was better than 
the moon.”P) 


Abu Huraira said: “I have never seen a thing nicer than the Messenger of 
Allah (L. s 4jji jL. It seems as if the sunlight were moving within his face. I 
have never seen one who is faster in pace than the Messenger of AU&h 
pi—j <jji tfi*. It seemed as if the earth had folded itself up to shorten the 
distance for him. For we used to wear ourselves out while he was at full 
ease.’W 


Ka‘b bin Malik said: “When he was pleased, his face would shine with so 
bright light that you would believe that it was a moon-piece.”! 5 ) Once he 
sweated hot at ‘Aishah’s, and the features of his face twinkled; so I recited a 
poem by Abu Kabeer Al-Hudhali: 


jfejl &JS cSy. 


• - -« 


J 


[» Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/502. 

PI ibid, 1/503. 

P) Mishkat Al-Masabeeh, 2/518. 
M ibid, 2/518. 

PI Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/502 


- 494 - 



“If you watch his face-features, you will see them twinkling like 
die lightning of an approaching rain.”! 1 ] 


Whenever Abu Bakr saw him he would say: 

&»j jipl ty* >JL jLai y 


“He is faithful, chosen (by Allah), and calls for forgiveness. He 
shines like a full-moon light when it is far from dark 
(clouds).”Pl 


‘Umar used to recite verses by Zuhair describing Haram bin Sinan: 


“Were you other than a human being, you would be a lighted 
moon at a full-moon night.” 

Then he would add: “Thus was die Messenger of Allah ^ «w 

When he got angry his face would go so red that you would think it were 
“an inflected red skin-spot with pomegranate grains on both cheeks.”! 4 ! 

Jabir bin Samurah said: “His legs were gentle, delicate and in conformity. 
His laughter is no more than smiling. Looking at him will make you say ‘He 
is black-eyed though he is not so.’”! 5 ) 

Ibn Al-‘ Abbas said: “His two front teeth were splitted so whenever he 
speaks, light goes through them. His neck was as pure and silvery as a neck 
of doll. His eyelids were long haired but his beard was thick. His forehead 
was broad; but his eyebrows were like the metal piece attached to a lance, 
but they were unhomed. His nose was high-tipped, middle-cambered with 
narrow nostrils. His cheeks were plain, but he had (little hair) running down 
like a rod from his throat to his navel. He had hair neither on his abdomen 
nor on his chest except some on his arms and shoulders. His chest was broad 
and flatted. He had long forearms with expansive palms of the hand. His 

W Rahmat-ul-lil ‘ alameen, 2 / 72 . 

PI Khulasa As-Siyar, p. 20. 

PI ibid. 

M Mishkat Al-Masabeeh, 1/22. 

PI Jatni* At-Tinnidhi, 4/306. 


- 495 - 



legs were plain straight and stretching down. His other limbs were straight 
too. The two hollows of his soles hardly touch the ground. When he walks 
away he vanishes soon; but he walks at ease (when he is not in a hurry). The 
way he walks seems similar to one who is leaning forwards and is about to 
fall down.”!'] 

Anas said: “I have never touched silk or a silky garment softer than the 
palm of the Prophet’s ^ <ui ju; nor have I smelt a perfume or any scent 
nicer than his.” In another version, “I have never smelt ambergris nor musk 
nor any other thing sweeter than die scent and die smell of die Messenger of 
Allah ,jLj «ui 

Abu Juhaifa said: “I took his hand and put it on my head and I found that 
it was colder than ice and better scented than die musk perfume.”! 2 ) 

Jabir bin Samurah — who was a little child then—said: “When he wiped 
my cheek, I felt it was cold and scented as if it had been taken out of a shop 
of a perfume workshop.”! 3 ) 

Anas said, “His sweat was pearl-like.” Umm Sulaim said: “His sweat 
smelt nicer than the nicest perfume.” 

Jabir said: “Whoever pursues a road that has been trodden by the 
Messenger of Allah ,l-, ^ will certainly scent his smell and will be 

quite sure that the Messenger of Allah ^ 4« jl, has already passed it” 

The Seal of Prophethood, which was similar in size to a pigeon’s egg, was 
between his shoulders on the left side having spots on it like moles.! 4 ) 

The Perfection of Soul and Nobility: 

The Prophet ^ <jji ^jl, was noted for superb eloquence and fluency in 
Arabic. He was remarkable in position and rank. He was an accurate, 
unpretending straightforward speaker. He was well-versed in Arabic and 
quite familiar with the dialects and accents of every tribe. He spoke with his 
entertainers using their own accents and dialects. He mastered and was quite 


!*) Khulasa As-Siyar, p. 19,20. 
! 2 J Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/503. 

( 3 ) Sahih Muslim, 2/256. 

W ibid, 2/259. 


- 496 - 



eloquent at both bedouin and town speech. So he had the strength and 
eloquence of bedouin language as well as the clarity and the decorated 
splendid speech of town. Above all, there was the assistance of Allah 
embodied in the revealed verses of the Qur’an. 


His stamina, endurance and forgiveness — out of a commanding position 
— his patience and standing what he detested — these were all talents, 
attributes and qualities Allah Himself had brought him on. Even wise men 
have their flaws, but the Messenger of Allah ^ j*, unlike everybody, 

the more he was hurt or injured,the more clement and patient he became. 
The more insolence an ignorant anybody exercised against him the more 
enduring he became. 


‘Aishah said: 

iUij 'Jz fj u % 4>i 'j£ u» 

b‘J- ot p£i Uj & ^ j&t Sis' uij Sis' 

1* .Jti- jUu! o\Sj i 4) j 4)1 


“The Messenger of Allah ^ ««u «w j-., whenever he is given the 
opportunity to choose between two affairs, he always chooses 
the easiest and the most convenient. But if he is certain that it is 
sinful, he will be as far as he could from it. He has never 
avenged himself; but when the sanctity of Allah is violated he 
would. That would be for Allah’s not for himself. He is the last 
one to get angry and the first to be satisfied. His hospitality and 
generosity were matchless. His gifts and endowments manifest a 
man who does not fear poverty.”!') 

Ibn* Abbas said: “The Prophet ^ j* was the most generous. He is 
usually most generous of all times in Ramadan, the times at which the angel 
Gabriel r *_ji comes to see him. Gabriel used to visit him every night of 
Ramadan and review the Qur’an with him. Verily the Messenger of Allah 
r i~ J 4*ij>u)t (r u is more generous at giving bounty or charity than the blowing 
wind.” 

Jabir said: 


(U Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/503. 


- 497 - 



“The Prophet ^ an would never deny anything he was asked for ”['1 

His courage, his succour and his might are distinguishable. He was the 
most courageous. He witnessed awkward and difficult times and stoodfast at 
them. More than once brave men and daring ones fled away leaving him 
alone; yet he stood with full composure facing the enemy without turning 
his back. All brave men must have experienced fleeing once or have been 
driven off the battlefield at a round at a time except the Prophet ^ «i» «jn j-. 
*Ali said: “Whenever the fight grew fierce and the eyes of fighters went red, 
we used to resort to the Prophet <111 for succour. He was always the 
closest to the enemy.”! 2 ) 

Anas said: “One night the people of Madinah felt alarmed. People went 
out hurriedly towards die source of sound, but the Prophet had 

already gone ahead of them. He was on the horseback of Abu Talhah which 
had no saddle over it, and a sword was slung round his neck, and said to 
them: ‘There was nothing to be afraid for.’”P) 

He was the most modest and the first one to cast his eyes down. Abu 
Sa‘id Al-Khudri said: “He was shier than a virgin in her boudoir. When he 
hates a thing we read it on his face.! 4 ) He does not stare at anybody’s face. 
He always casts his eyes down. He looks at the ground more than he looks 
sky-wards. His utmost looks at people are glances. He is willingly and 
modestly obeyed by everybody. He would never name a person whom he 
had heard ill-news about—which he hated. Instead he would say: ‘Why do 
certain people do so....’” 


Al-Farazdaq verse of poem fits him very much and the best one to be 
said of: 



^ I,* 




I 1 ) Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/503. 

P) Ash-Shifa, 1/89. 

P) Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/407; Sahih Muslim, 2/252. 
I 4 ] Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/504. 


- 498 - 



“He casts his eyes modestly but the eyes of others are cast down 
due to his solemnity, and words issue out of his mouth only 
while he is smiling.” 

The Prophet ^ <jji ^ is the most just, the most decent, the most 
truthful at speech, and the honestest of all. Those who have exchanged 
speech with him, and even his enemies, acknowledge his noble qualities. 
Even before the Prophethood he was nicknamed Al-Ameen (i.e. the truthful, 
the truthworthy). Even then —in Al-Jahiliyah — they used to turn to him 
for judgement and consultation. In a version by At-Tirmidhi, he says that 
‘ Ali had said that he had been told by Abu Jahl that he (Abu Jahl) said to the 
Messenger of AllSh ^u 3 < 4 * «ui “We do not call you a liar; but we do not 
have faith in what you have brought.”! 1 ) In His Book, Allah, the Exalted, 
said about them: 



“It is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Qur’an) of 
Allah that the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) deny.” 

[6:33] 

Even when Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan: “Have you ever accused him of 
lying before the ministry of Prophethood?” Abu Sufyan said: “No.” 

He was most modest and far from being arrogant or proud. He forbade 
people to stand up at his presence as other people usually do for their kings. 

Visiting the poor, the needy and entertaining them are some of his habits. 
If a slave invited him, he would accept the invitation. He always sat among 
his friends as if he were an ordinary person of them. ‘Aishah said that he 
used to repair his shoes, sew or mend his dress and to do what ordinary men 
did in their houses. After all, he was a human being like others. He used to 
check his dress (lest it has some insects on). Milking the she-sheep and 
catering for himself were some of his normal jobs.! 2 ! The Prophet ^ <jii 

was the most truthful to his pledges, and it is one of his qualities to establish 
good and steady relationship with his relatives— ‘Silat-Ar-Rahim'. He is 
the most merciful, gentle and amiable to all people. His way of living is the 
simplest one. Ill-manners and indecency are two qualities completely alien 


t>] Mishkat Al-Masabeeh, 2/521. 
PI ibid, 2/520. 


- 499 - 



to him. He was decent, and did not call anybody names. He was not the sort 
of person who cursed or made noise in the streets. He did not exchange 
offences with others. He pushed back an offence or an error by forgiveness 
and overlooking. Nobody was allowed to walk behind him (i.e. as a 
bodyguard). He did not feel himself superior to others not even to his slaves 
(men or women) as far as food or clothes were concerned. 

Whoever served him should be served by him too. ‘Ugh’ (an utterance of 
complaint) is a word that had never been said by him to his servant; nor was 
his servant blamed for doing a thing or leaving it undone. Loving the poor 
and the needy and entertaining them or participating in their funerals were 
things the Prophet ^ ^ always observed. He never contempted or 

disgraced a poor man for his poverty. Once he was travelling with his 
Companions and when it was time to have food prepared, he asked them to 
slaughter a she-sheep. A man said: I will slaughter it, another one said: I 
will skin it out. A third said: I will cook it. So the Messenger of AllSh 
(Jl-, an jL. said: I will collect wood for fire. They said: “No. We will suffice 
you that work.” “I know that you can do it for me, but I hate to be 
privileged. Allah hates to see a slave of his privileged to others.” So he went 
and collected fire-wood.!'! 

Let us have some of the description of Hind bin Abi Halah: “The 
Messenger of AMh j* was continually sad, thinking perpetually. 

He had no rest (i.e. for long). He only spoke when it was necessary. He 
would remain silent for a long time and whenever he spoke, he would end 
his talk with his jawbone but not out of the comers of his mouth, i.e. 
(snobbishly). His speech was inclusive. He spoke inclusively and decisively. 
It was not excessive nor was it short of meaning. It was amiable. It was in 
no way hard discoroning. He glorified the bounty of Allah; even if it were 
little. If he had no liking for someone’s food, he would neither praise nor 
criticize. 

He was always in full control of his temper and he would never get 
seemed angry unless it was necessary. He never got angry for himself nor 
did he avenge himself. It was for Allah’s sanctity and religion that he 
always seemed angry. 


I'l Khulasa As-Siyar, p. 22. 


- 500 - 



When he pointed at a thing he would do so with his full hand-palm, and 
he would turn it round to show surprise. If he were angry he would turn both 
his body and face aside. When he was pleased, he cast his eyes down. His 
laughter was mostly smiling. It was then that his teeth which were like hail¬ 
stones were revealed. 

He never spoke unless it was something closely relevant to him. He 
confirmed the brotherhood relationship among his Companions; and thus he 
made them intimate and did not separate them or implant enmity among 
them. Those who were honourable with their peoples, were honoured and 
respected by him and were assigned rulers over their own peoples. His 
cheerfulness was never withdrawn at anyone’s face; even at those whom he 
warned his people from or those whom he himself was on the alert of. He 
visited friends and inquired about people’s affairs. He confirmed what was 
right and criticized the awful and tried to undermine it. He was moderate in 
all affairs. He was equal to others and was not privileged. He would never 
act heedlessly, lest the others should get heedless. Each situation was dealt 
with in its proper due. 

Righteousness was his target; so he was never short of it nor indifferent 
to it. People who sat next to him were the best of their people and the best of 
them all were — for him — those who provided common consultations. For 
him, the greatest ones and the highest in ranks were the best at providing 
comfort and co-ordination and succour. Remembrance (of Allah) was a 
thing he aimed at and established whenever he sat down or stands up. No 
certain position was assigned for him to sit on. He sits at the end of the 
group, seated next to the last sitter in the place. He ordered people to do the 
same. He entertained his participants in social gatherings alike so that the 
one addressed would think that there was no one honoured by the Prophet 

3 ^ ^ but himself. He whoever sat next to him or interrupted him in 

order to ask for his advice about an affair of his, would be the first to start 
the talk and the one to end it. The Prophet ^ ^ would listen to him 

patiently till he ended his speech. He never denied a request to anyone, if 
unapproachable, then few gratifying words would work, instead. 

His magnanimity, broad mindedness his tolerance could embrace all 
people and entitled him to be regarded as father for them all. Injustice, all 
of them were almost equal. Nobody was better than another except on the 
criterion of Allah fearing. A favoured one, to him, was the most Allah 


- 501 - 



> assembly was a meeting of clemency, timidness, patience and 
oices were not raised in rows or riots. Inviolable things were 
never viumble. Fearing Allah and worship were their means to sympathy 
and compassion. They used to esteem the old and have mercy on the young. 
They assisted the needy and entertained strangers. 


The Messenger of Allah ^ ^ <jji ju was always cheerful, easy, pleasant- 
tempered and lenient. He was never rude or rough nor clamorous or 
indecent. He was neither a reproacher nor a praiser. He overlooked what he 
did not desire, yet you would never despair of him. Three qualities he 
disposed of: hypocrisy, excessiveness, and what was none of his concern. 
People did not fear him in three areas: — for they were not qualities or 
habits of his —: He never disparaged, or reproached nor did he seek the 
defects or shortages of others. He only spoke things whose reward was 
Divinely desirable. When he spoke, his listeners would attentively listen 
casting down their heads. They only spoke when he was silent. They did not 
have disputes or arguments about who was to talk. He who talked in his 
presence would be listened to by everybody till he finished his talk. Their 
talk would be about the topic discussed or delivered by their first speaker. 
The Messenger of Allah ^ <ui ju used to laugh at what they laughed at 
and admired what they used to admire. He would always show patience with 
a stranger’s harshness at talk. He used to say: 


SM f-lilll ilJLlajSf j i ojjijti Lflilla; j ISI® 


“When you see a person seeking an object earnestly, assist him 
to get Iris need. And never ask for a reward except from the 
reward-Giver, i.e. Allah.”! 1 ] 


Kharijah bin Zaid said: “The Prophet ^ 4*u *ui was the most honoured 
among the people with whom he sat. His limbs could hardly be seen. He 
was often silent and rarely talked when speech was not a necessity. He 
turned away from those whose speech was rude or impolite. His laughter 
was no more than a smile. His speech, which was decisive, it was neither 
excessive nor incomplete. Out of reverence and esteem and following the 


01 Ash-Shifa, 1/126. 


- 502 - 



example of their Prophet ^ un ^u, the Companions’ laughter at his 
presence — was smiling, as well.”!'! 

On the whole the Prophet ^ uii was ornamented with peerless 
attributes of perfection. No wonder to be like that for he was brought up, 
educated and taught (the Qur’an) by Allah. He was even praised by Allah: 


“And verily, you (O Muhammad ^ «w are on an exalted 
standard of character.” [68:4] 

Those were the attributes and qualities that die Prophet ^ «jji 
enjoyed which made the hearts of souls of the people close to him, draw 
near to him and love him. Those traits made him so popular that the restraint 
and enmity of his people grew less and they started to embrace Islam in 
large crowds. 


This description is in fact no more than a rapid review or rather short 
brief lines of Muhammad’s aspects of full perfection. Trying to 

encompass the whole perfect picture of the Prophet ^ «ui No one can 
ever claim to be possessed of full knowledge or complete mastery of the 
great attributes of the greatest man in this universe. No one can ever give 
this man, the top of perfection, his due descrpition. He was a man who 
always sought Allah’s light, to such an extent that he was wholly imbued 
with the Qur’anic approach. 


US’ jl ji-jlll 


&\ tfcQ S) 


O Allah! send your blessings (and the Holy Words of Yours) 
upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You have 
send blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are 
worthy of all praise, All Glorious. 


c-SjC US Jl JjIj p ^ 1H» 

dd] Jl >3 


O Allah! bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as 
You have already blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. 
You are worthy of all praise, All Glorious. 


t'] Ash-Shifa, 1/107. 


- 503 - 

