AR-RaheeQ Al-Makhtum (THE SEALED NECTAR)- Memoirs of the Noble Prophet -3
AR-RaheeQ Al-Makhtum (THE
SEALED NECTAR)- Memoirs of the Noble Prophet 
Author: Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri - Jamia Salafia - India-
Translated by : Issam Diab
| <<Previous ---- Next >> | Page 3 Of 17 |
Pages : 1. 2. 3.4.5 .6 .7 .8 .9.10 .11 .12 .13 .14 .15.16 .17
The Second
Phase
Open Preaching
First Revelation regarding the Preaching:
)
of near kindred." [26:214]. This was the first verse to be revealed in this concern. It is included in Sûrah Ash-Shu‘arâ (Chapter 26 – The Poets) which relates the story of Moses - Peace be upon him - 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 - Peace be upon him - passed through in his struggle with Pharaoh and the mission of calling his people unto Allâh. 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 Allâh’s
Commands, Muhammad
rallied 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 : "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 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 Allâh 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 Allâh’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 Allâh with no associate. A guide can never lie to his people. I swear by Allâh, 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 Allâh 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 believe 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 Allâh that this is a bad thing. You must stop him before the others do." Abu Talib, however, answered: "I swear by Allâh to protect him as long as I am alive."<
On Mount As-Safa:
After the Messenger of Allâh became sure of Abu Talib’s
commitment to his protection while he called the people unto Allâh,
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 Allâh and believe in
his Messengership and the Day of Resurrection. Al-Bukhari
reported part of this story on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas -
may Allah be pleased with him -. He said: "When the
following verses were revealed:
)
of near kindred." [26:214]The Messenger of Allâh 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 said:
"You see, if I were to tell you that there were some
horsemen in the 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 warner 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:
Muslim reported another part of this story on the authority of Abu Hurairah - May Allah be pleased with him - — He said: "When the following verses were revealed:
)
of near kindred." [26:214]The Messenger of Allâh 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 Fatimah, daughter of
Muhammad , rescue
yourself from the Fire, for I have no power to protect you from
Allâh in anything except that I would sustain relationship with
you."
It was verily a loud suggestive Call stating unequivocally to the closest people that belief in his Message constituted the corner-stone of any future 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:
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 Allâh, is manifest falsehood.
The Makkans, on their part,
burst into outrage and disapproval. Muhammad’s 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 Allâh
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 Allâh 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 to accept this ‘disgraceful’
position not out of motives based on dignity and honour but
rather because:
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 Allâh’s religion and calling men hitherto,
heedless of all their desperate attempts and malicious intentions.<
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 within 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 . They went to see Al-Waleed
bin Al-Mugheerah to deliberate on this issue. Al-Waleed invited
them to 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 ware 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
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 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 Allâh revealed sixteen verses as regards Al-Waleed and the cunning method he contemplated to manipulate the people expected to arrive in Makkah for pilgrimage. Allâh says:
The most wicked of them was the
sworn enemy of Islam and Muhammad , 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."
Nevertheless, Muhammad managed to create a stir
in the whole area, and even to convince a few people to accept
his Call.
Attempts made to check the Onward March of Islam:
Having fully perceived that
Muhammad 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:
- Scoffing, degrading,
ridiculing, belying and laughter-instigating cheap
manners, all of which levelled at the new converts in
general, and the person of Muhammad 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 as a man
possessed by a jinn, or an insane person:
- "And they say: O you (Muhammad
) to whom
the Dhikr (the Qur’ân) has been sent down!
Verily, you are a mad man." [15:6]
or a liar practising witchcraft,
- "And they (Arab pagans)
wonder that a warner (Prophet Muhammad ) has come to
them from among themselves! And the disbelievers say:
"This (Prophet Muhammad ) is a sorcerer,
a liar." [38:4].
Their 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:
"And verily, those who
disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes through
hatreds when they hear the Reminder (the Qur’ân), and they say:
Verily, he (Muhammad
) 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 , with jest and scorn:
And Allâh said:
The wicked used to laugh at the righteous in many ways:
- They would inwardly laugh at their Faith, because they felt themselves so superior.
- In public places, when the righteous passed, they used to insult and wink at them,
- In their own houses, they would run them down.
- 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. Allâh had said:
- "Verily! (During the worldly life) those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed; and whenever they passed 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 Muhammad’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’ân, they used to allege that it was:
) 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’ân was not a true Revelation:
) has invented,
and others have helped him at it." [25:4] The wicked would also attribute
to men of Allâh 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 Allâh and Islam, could not understand
how such wonderful verses could flow from the tongue of
the Prophet
without having someone to teach, and claimed:
They also raised another baseless and superficial objection:
- "Why does this
Messenger (Muhammad ) 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’ân 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’ân
with the mythology of the ancients in order to distract people’s
interests from Allâh’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 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 Allâh 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 people against
Allâh’s wrath. An-Nadr would directly follow the Prophet 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 .. Ibn ‘Abbas
- may Allah be pleased with him - 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 ; in this regard, Allâh
says:
4. In a fresh attempt to
dissuade Muhammad
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. Allâh, the All-High says:
On the authority of Ibn Jareer
and At-Tabarani, the idolaters offered that Muhammad 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, but if our gods proved to
be better than yours, then you would have benefit from it."
Allâh, the Exalted, was decisive on the spot and
revealed the following Chapter:
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
for a 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 Allâh 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 , 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 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 . Starting
with flinging stones at him, forcing his two sons to divorce
their wives Ruqaiya and Umm Kulthum, the Prophet’s daughters<,
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. 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 . She used
to tie bundles of thorns with ropes of twisted palm-leaf fibre
and strew them about in the paths which the Prophet 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’ân. On receiving this news, she directly
proceeded to the Mosque with a handful of pebbles to hurl at the
Prophet . Allâh,
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 and
inquired about the matter. The Prophet assured him that she did
not see him because Allâh had taken away her sight.<
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, 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 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 invoked the wrath of Allâh
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.
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, Allâh says:
‘Uqbah bin Al-Mu‘ait once
attended an audience of the Prophet 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 ; 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’ân, in direct reference to
this man’s ignominious deeds, attached to him nine abominable
traits:
Abu Jahl’s arrogance and haughtiness blocked all avenues that could produce the least light of belief in his heart:
) nor prayed!"
[75:31]He, moreover, wanted to debar
the Prophet from
the Noble Sanctuary. It happened once that the Prophet 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; Allâh then revealed:
In another version of the same
incident, the Prophet took Abu Jahl by his
neck, rocked him severely saying:
Notwithstanding this reproach, Abu Jahl would never wake up to himself nor did he realize his foolish practices. On the contrary, he was determined to go to extremes, and swore he would dust the Messenger’s face and tread 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."
Such was the disgraceful
treatment meted out to the Prophet , 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.
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.
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 Oneness of Allâh. On one such occasion, Abu Bakr was passing by; moved by pity, he purchased and emancipated him from slavery.
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 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 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 ,
who consoled him for his pain and confirmed his faith.
Immediately afterwards the following verse was revealed:
Abu Fakeeh, Aflah, a freed slave of Bani ‘Abd Ad-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.
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 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.
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.
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 , 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.
The Prophet , 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 to meet his followers
secretly and instruct them in the Qur’ân and in the Islamic
wisdom.
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 Sûrah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18 — The Cave) was
revealed comprising definite answers to the questions with which
the polytheists of Makkah constantly pestered the Prophet . 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:
Next, there is the story of Al-Khidr (The Teacher of Arabia) and Moses - Peace be upon him - 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-Qarnain (The Two Horned One), the powerful ruler of west and east. This story says explicitly that Allâh takes His righteous servants to inherit the earth and whatever in it. It also speaks that Allâh raises a righteous man every now and then to protect the weak against the strong.
Sûrah 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 tyranny and evil:
The Prophet 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 ). With respect to these
two emigrants, the Prophet said:
."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 went into
the Holy Sanctuary where there was a large host of Quraish
polytheists, including some notables and celebrities. Suddenly he
began reciting Sûrah An-Najm (Chapter 41 — The Star).
The awe-inspiring Words of Allâh descended 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 Allâh; in fact,
they were piling up misery for themselves, for Allâh’s Voice
can never be silenced, "And those who disbelieve say:
When the unspeakably fascinating
Words of Allâh 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 reached the stormy heart-beating
ending:
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 Allâh’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 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 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.
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 Allâh 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.
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 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 Allâh raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allâh, and taught us not to associate anything 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 Allâh, 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 Allâh 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 king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite some of Allâh’s Revelation. Ja‘far recited the opening verses of Sûrah 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 rolled 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 Muslims 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 by our
Prophet , that is,
he is the servant of Allâh, His 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 frowning 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 Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
unmolested for a number of years till they returned to Madinah.<
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 pagans
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 thought that his uncle
would let him down and would no longer support him, so he replied:
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 Allâh I will
never forsake you."He then recited two lines of
verse pregnant with meanings of full support to the Prophet 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 Allâh
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 Allâh, 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.<
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 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- may
Allah be pleased with him - .
‘Utaibah bin Abi Lahab once
approached the Prophet 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’ân." He then started to
deal highhandedly with Muhammad and laid violent hand on
him, tore his shirt and spat into his face but his saliva missed
the Holy face of the Prophet . Thereupon, the Prophet
invoked Allâh’s
wrath on ‘Utaibah and supplicated:
Allâh 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.
More details reported by Ibn
Ishaq testify to the tyrants’ deeply-established intentions of
killing the Prophet
. Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam, once addressed some of his
accomplices: "O people of Quraish! It seems that Muhammad 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 Allâh
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 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 , in the
context of his comment on the incident, said "It was Gabriel-
Peace be upon him - , if Abu Jahl had approached closer, he would
have killed him." Even so the tyrants of Quraish
would not be admonished, contrariwise, the idea of killing the
Prophet 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 , 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:
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."‘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 . He said: "While
the Prophet 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 and said: "Do you
want to kill a man just because he says, My Lord is Allâh?"<
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 was one day seated on
the hillock of Safa when Abu Jahl happened to pass by and accused
the religion preached by him. Muhammad , 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 hanging 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 the 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 ;
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 them away saying: "Let
Abu ‘Ummarah alone, by Allâh 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, Allâh
purified his nature and he managed to grasp the most trustworthy
hand-hold (Faith in Allâh). He proved to be a source of great
strength to the Islamic Faith and its followers.<
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 of Prophethood, three days
following the conversion of Hamzah. 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 once raised his hands in
prayer and said:
‘Umar, obviously, was the one who merited that privilege.
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 outrage directly followed by unexpected enervation<. 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
offering prayer and overheard him reciting the Sûrah Al-Hâqqah
(Chapter 69 — The Reality) of the Noble Qur’ân. The Words of
Allâh 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’ân. The Prophet went on to recite:
which he has brought from Allâh). 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. 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
led him one day to leave his house, sword in hand, with the
intention of killing the Prophet . 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 () this 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 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 ) 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’ânic Chapter Tâ-Hâ
(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 Allâh and
His Messenger Muhammad 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 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 Tâ-Hâ
until he reached:
‘Umar read the verses with
great interest and was much entranced with them. "How
excellent it is, and how graceful! Please guide me to Muhammad ." said he. And when
he heard that, Khabbab came out of concealment and said, "O
‘Umar, I hope that Allâh has answered the prayer of the
Prophet , for I
heard him say: ‘O Allâh! Strengthen Islam through either ‘Umar
bin Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham.’" ‘Umar then left
for a house in Safa where Muhammad 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 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 asked his Companions to
open the door. In came the son of Khattab. The Prophet 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 Allâh , I come to you in order
to believe in Allâh and his Messenger and that which he has
brought from his Lord." Filled with delight, Muhammad together with his
Companions, cried aloud: ‘Allâhu Akbar’ (Allâh is
Great).
The conversion of ‘Umar was a real 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 Allâh 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 - may Allah be pleased with him - , "When
I embraced Islam, I remembered the archenemy of Muhammad , 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 - may Allah be
pleased with him - narrated: While ‘Umar was at 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.
With respect to the Muslims in
Makkah, ‘Umar’s conversion had a different tremendous impact.
Mujahid, on the authority of Ibn Al-‘Abbas - may Allah be
pleased with him - , 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 : ‘Aren’t we on the
right path here and Hereafter?’ The Prophet answered: ‘Of course
you are! I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand my soul is, that you are
right in this world and in the hereafter.’ I, therefore, asked
the Prophet ‘Why
we then had to conduct clandestine activism. I swear by Allâh
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 attached to me the
epithet of Al-Farouque. Ibn Mas‘ud - may Allah be pleased with
him - related that they (the Muslims) had never been able to
observe their religious rites inside the Holy Sanctuary except
when ‘Umar embraced Islam.
Suhaib bin Sinan - may Allah be pleased with him -, in the same context, said that it was only after ‘Umar’s conversion, that we started to proclaim our Call, assemble around and circumambulate the Sacred House freely. We even dared retaliate against some of the injustices done to harm us. In the same context, Ibn Mas‘ud said: We have been strengthened a lot since ‘Umar embraced Islam.
Quraish’s Representative
negotiates with the Messenger of Allâh :
Shortly after the conversion of
these two powerful heroes, Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib and ‘Umar
bin Al-Khattab- may Allah be pleased with him -, 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 show that it had
occurred to the Makkan leaders to credit Muhammad 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
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 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 ; and
then hearing that all had been said, he spoke forth, and said:
The Messenger of Allâh 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 . 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 had bewitched him.<
In another version of the same
event, it is related that ‘Utbah went on attentively listening
to the Prophet
until the latter began to recite Allâh’s Words:
): "I have
warned you of a Sa‘iqa (a destructive awful cry,
torment, hit, a thunder-bolt) like the Sa‘iqa
which overtook ‘Ad and Thamûd (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 Allâh 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 Muhammad . 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 , 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.
Abu Talib was right. The
polytheists had laid a carefully-studied plan to kill the Prophet
, 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 immunize and defend his nephew. All of
them, whether believers or disbelievers, responded positively
except his brother Abu Lahab, who sided with the idolaters.
General Social Boycott
Four events of special
significance occurred within less than four weeks — the
conversion of Hamzah, the conversion of ‘Umar, Muhammad’s 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 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 and his supporters would
discontinue until the Prophet 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 invoked Allâh’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 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 ?- may Allah be
pleased with her - 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 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 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 torn to piece and the pact broken at once. Abu Jahl, standing nearby, retorted that it would never be torn. 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 corner of the Mosque. He came to communicate to them that a
Revelation had been sent to his nephew, the Prophet 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 Allâh.
He contended that he would be ready to give Muhammad up to them if his words
proved untrue, 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 Allâh).
The proclamation was thus
abrogated, and Muhammad 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:
The Final Phase of the Diplomacy of Negotiation
The Messenger of Allâh 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 after he had lost his
main support, Abu Talib, took a decision to negotiate with the
Prophet 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 before 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 the 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 concessions and peaceful coexistence." The Messenger
of Allâh turned to
them saying:
In another version, the Prophet 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 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 Allâh, and then divest yourselves of any
sort of worship you harbour for any deities other than Allâh."
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 ) will never relent, nor
will he offer any concessions. Let us hold fast to the religion
of our forefathers, and Allâ h will in due course adjudicate and
settle the dispute between us and him." As regards this
incident, Allâh revealed the following verses:
) 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 (Allâh).
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]The Year of Grief
Abu Talib’s Death:
In Rajab, 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 - may Allah be pleased with her - . On
the authority of Al-Musaiyab, when Abu Talib was on the death
bed, the Prophet
entered the room where he saw Abu Jahl and ‘Abdullah bin Abi
Omaiyah. He requested his uncle:
Abu Jahl and ‘Abdullah bin Abi
Omaiyah addressing him said: "Abu Talib, would you abandon
the religion of ‘Abdul-Muttalib?" The Messenger of Allâh 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 Allâh. Upon this the Messenger of Allâh remarked:
It was then that Allâh, the Magnificent and Glorious revealed this verse:
And it was said to the Messenger
of Allâh :
)
guide not whom you like." [28:56]It goes without saying that Abu
Talib was very much attached to Muhammad . 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 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. Al-‘Abbas
bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib narrated that he said to the Prophet "You have not been
of any avail to your uncle (Abu Talib) (though) by Allâh, he
used to protect you and get angry on your behalf." The
Prophet 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."<
Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri narrated
that he heard the Prophet 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."
Khadijah passes away to the Mercy of Allâh:
Only two months after the death
of his uncle, did the Messenger of Allâh experience another great
personal loss viz., the Mother of believers, his wife Khadijah
passed away in Ramadan of the tenth year of his Prophethood, when
she was sixty-five years old, and he was fifty<.
Khadijah was in fact a blessing of Allâh for the Prophet . 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:
Abu Hurairah reported that
Gabriel came to Allâh’s Messenger and said: "Allâh’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."<
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 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 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
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. Allâh will verily
protect your father." The Prophet said<.
Rapid succession of misfortunes,
led the Prophet to
call that period, ‘the year of grief and mourning’.
Thenceforth, that year bore that appellation.
His Marriage to Sawdah - May Allah be pleased with her - 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 to marry after the death
of Khadijah. Some years later she granted her turn with the
Prophet to her co-wife,
‘Aishah.
| <<Previous ---- Next >> | Page 3 Of 17 |
Pages : 1. 2. 3.4.5 .6 .7 .8 .9.10 .11 .12 .13 .14 .15.16 .17
Go back to the Main Page