{ A Biography of Prophet Muhammad )
Compiled by
Siidur-K^ timan Mubarak purl
Edited and T^nsl^td by
IsbaHum Siraj
\JtetiiU-] Richardson
Hadr AsimahJidi
WHEN THE
MOON SPLIT
( A Biography of prophet Muhammad
Compiled by
Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri
Edited and Translated by
Tabassum Siraj
Michael Richardson
Badr Azimabadi
Kalamullah.Com
DARUSSALAM
Publishers & Distributors
Riyadh, Houston, Lahore
In the Name of Allah
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
And We have sent you (O Muhammad^)
not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamin
(mankind, jinn and all that exists).
CONTENTS
Publishers Note 13
From the Author 15
Preface 16
The Prophet Muhammad’s Ancestors 17
The Prophet’s tribe 17
Lineage 18
Muhammad M is bom 21
Foster Brothers 21
In the care of Haleemah Sa‘diya 22
Haleemah’s house is unexpectedly blessed 22
Haleemah asks to keep Muhammad longer 23
Muhammad’s chest is opened 24
Muhammad’s time with his mother 24
A grandfather’s affection 25
Under his uncle’s care 25
Bahira’s warning 25
The Battle of Fijar 26
Hilf Al-Fudool 27
Choosing a profession 28
Journey to Syria on business for Khadeejah 28
Marriage to Khadeejah if* 28
Dispute over the Black Stone 29
Muhammad’s character before Prophethood 31
Portents of Prophethood 31
The first revelation 32
A hiatus 34
The mission begins 36
The first believers 36
Worship and training of the believers 39
Open propagation of Islam 40
A warning from atop Mount Safa 41
The Quraysh warn pilgrims 44
Various strategies against Islam 46
5
Ridicule, contempt and mockery 46
Diversions 47
Propaganda 49
Argument and quibbling 50
Persecution begins 62
Polytheists avoid openly abusing the Prophet 67
Talks between Abu Talib and the Quraysh 67
The Quraysh challenge Abu Talib 68
The Quraysh make Abu Talib a strange proposal 68
Persecution of the Prophet $£ 69
Dar Al-Arqam 75
Migration to Abyssinia 75
Polytheists prostrate along with Muslims 76
Return of the immigrants 77
Second migration to Abyssinia 77
Quraysh attempt to extradite Muslims 78
Polytheists are outraged 80
More persecution of the Prophet M 81
Hamzah bin Abdul Mutallib embraces Islam 85
Umar bin Al-Khattab accepts Islam 86
The polytheists react to Umar’s conversion 89
Umar’s conversion strengthens Islam 90
An offer no ordinary man could refuse 91
Bargaining and renunciation 94
Hastening on the punishment 97
Total boycott 99
Boycott ends 100
The Quraysh petition Abu Talib 102
The year of sorrow 102
Khadeejah 4>i dies 104
Sorrow after sorrow 104
The Prophet fg marries Saudah and then ‘Aishah 4ii ^>j 105
The Prophet $g journeys to Ta’if. 105
6
The polytheists demand a sign 109
The moon splits in half 112
The Night Journey and Ascension 113
Various tribes are invited to Islam 1 17
Seeds of faith sprout outside Makkah 118
Suwayd bin Samit 118
Ayas bin Mu‘adh 118
Abu Dhar Ghifari 118
Tufayl bin Amr Dausi 119
Dhimad Azdi 120
Six pilgrims from Yathrib 121
First pledge of Aqabah 122
Islam spreads in Yathrib 122
The second pledge of Aqabah 123
Twelve chiefs 125
The Muslims migrate to Madinah 127
The council of Dar Al-Nadwah 128
Jibreel $3 brings the Prophet M happy news 129
The Prophet M leaves home 130
Three nights in the cave 131
On the way to Madinah 1 32
Arrival in Qubaa 135
The Prophet % enters Madinah 136
Ali migrates 137
The Prophet’s Family migrates 137
Suhayb migrates 137
Muslims in Makkah 137
Difficulties in Madinah 138
The Prophet’s Mosque 138
The call to prayer 139
Brotherhood between the Muhajireen and the Ansar 140
Islamic community 141
The Quraysh test the Muslim’s resolve 144
7
Permission to fight 145
Military expeditions ( Saraya and Ghazawat ) 146
A new Qiblah 148
The Battle of Badr 149
Challenge to single combat 153
The Battle of Badr begins 153
Abu Jahl killed 154
Day of Distinction 155
News of Badr reaches Makkah and Madinah 156
Return to Madinah 157
The captives 158
Ruqayyah dies and Uthman marries Umm Kulthoom 1 58
Events after Badr 1 59
Expedition against Banu Qaynuqa 159
Expedition of Saweeq 160
Ka‘b bin Ashraf is killed 160
The Sariyya of Qardah 162
The Battle of Uhud 163
Fighting begins 166
The Prophet % is rumored dead 167
Plight of the encircled Muslims 169
In the ravine 170
Dialogue and resolution 172
The Muslims tend to their own 173
Back to Madinah 174
The expedition of Hamra Al-Asad 175
Incidents and expeditions 176
The incident of Raj ’i 177
The tragedy at Bir Ma‘una 1 78
Expedition against Banu Nadir 1 80
An ap p ointment at Badr 1 82
The B a itle of the Trench 183
Digging the trench 184
8
Across the trench 186
Banu Quraydha’s treachery 1 88
The coalition splits and the battle ends 190
Battle of Banu Quraydha 192
Abu Rafi Sallam bin Abul Huqayq is killed 195
The chief of Yamamah is captured 197
Expedition of Banu Lihyan 198
Abul Aas accepts Islam 198
The expedition of Banu Al-Mustaliq or Muraysi’ 199
The slander against ‘ Aishah, Mother of the believers 202
Departure for Umrah and arrival at Hudaybia 206
Negotiations between the Prophet H and the Quraysh 208
Uthman’s mission and the pledge of Ridwan 210
A treaty is concluded 211
The Muslims’ dejection over the truce 213
The issue of Muhajir Women 215
The Muslims in Makkah are freed 217
Effects of the truce 217
The Prophet’s letters to monarchs and potentates 218
Letter to the king of Abyssinia 218
Letter to Muqauqis, king of Alexandria and Egypt 219
Letter to Chosroes (Khusro Pervez), the king of Persia 220
Letter to the Roman Emperor 221
Letter to Harith bin Abu Shammar Ghassani 225
Letter to the Amir of Basra is intercepted 225
Letter to Haudha Bin Ali, chief of Yamamah 226
Letter to the ruler of Bahrain 226
Letter to the rulers of Oman 227
Expedition of Ghaba or Dhu Qarad 228
Conquest of Khaybar 230
The emigrants of Abyssinia return 235
Division of Khaybar 235
The Prophet M is poisoned 236
9
Surrender of the people of Fadak 237
Wadi Al-Qura 237
Reconciliation with the people of Taymaa 237
The Prophet M marries Safiyah 238
The expedition ofDhat Al-Riqa‘ 238
Who will save you now? 239
Umrah is finally performed 240
The expedition to Muta 242
The mission to Dhat Al-Salasil 245
The battle for Makkah 245
On the way to Makkah 248
Abu Sufyan appears before the Prophet 249
The Prophet M enters Makkah 25 1
The Ka ' bah is purified 254
Have no fear this day 254
The Quraysh pledge Allegiance 255
Death for criminals 256
Prayer of victory 257
Bilal calls the Adhan from the Ka ‘bah 257
The Prophet H in Makkah 257
Uzza, Suwa and Manat are destroyed 258
Khalid is sent to Banu Judhayma 258
Battle ofHunayn 259
The polytheists take flight 262
The battle ofTa’if 263
The spoils of war 264
The Ansar ’s complaint 266
Banu Hawazen petition the Prophet 267
The Umrah of Je‘rana 268
Banu Tameem enter Islam 268
Mission against Banu Tai 269
The Muslims prepare to meet the Romans 270
The expedition to Tabuk 272
10
Twenty days in Tabuk 274
Ukaydir is captured 274
Return to Madinah 275
Demolition of the Hypocrites’ Mosque 275
The Prophet is welcomed back 276
The case of those who stayed behind 276
The Prophet mourns three deaths 277
Ghazawat 278
Abu Bakr performs Hajj 279
The year of delegations 280
The delegation of Banu Abdul Qays 281
Daman bin ThaTaba interrogates the Prophet M 282
The delegations of Adhra and Bala 284
The delegation of Banu Asad bin Khuzaymah 285
The delegation of Tujib 286
The delegation of Banu Fazara 287
The delegation from Najraan 287
The delegation from Ta’if 289
The delegation of Banu Amir bin Sa‘sa‘a 291
The delegation of Banu Haneefa 292
The kings of Hamir send an envoy 294
The delegation of Hamdaan 294
The delegation of Banu Abdul Madan 295
Banu Mazhaj accept Islam 296
The delegation of Azd Shanwah 296
Dhul Khalasa is destroyed 296
The rise and fall of Aswad Ansi 297
Hajjatul-Wada the Farewell pilgrimage 298
Expedition to Palestine 303
Signs of the Prophet’s imminent death 303
The Prophet falls ill 305
Covenant and counseling 305
Abu Bakr leads prayer 307
11
All for charity 307
The Prophet’s death draws near 308
The Prophet ^ dies 309
Abu Bakr 4*> unites the mourners 309
Abu Bakr chosen as Khalifah 311
Funeral rites and burial 312
Mothers of the believers 312
The Prophet’s children 31 5
The Prophet’s features and character 3 1 7
The Prophet’s face 317
Head, neck and hair, limbs, build and stature, fragrance .. 318
The Prophet’s gait, voice and speech 319
Character 319
Conclusion 320
12
Publishers Note
The biography of the Prophet Muhammad $g is a very noble and
exalted subject. The heart of every Muslim is filled with the love
of the Prophet Muhammad M- Love and respect of a person
depends on the benefits he gets from him. As the Prophet is the
greatest benefactor of humanity, every Muslim has deepest love
for him. Allah the All-Mighty has described and explained the
status of Muhammad M in the Qur’an:
[n -.oi^ JT] ojj* ^
“Say (O Muhammad M to mankind): ‘If you (really) love
Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow
the Qur’an and the Sunnah ), Allah will love you. . . ’ ” (3:3 1)
To highlight the exalted status of the Prophet M and to bring in
light the efforts made by him in the propagation of the Divine
Message — the religion in truth, and the hardships he endured in
the preaching of this religion, especially at that time which was
perhaps most unsuitable socially and intellectually for the
acceptance of the message of Truth, Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
has presented this book.
The facts about the life of the Prophet $£ have been collected
from the Qur’an, authentic Ahadith and other authoritative and
reliable sources so as to compile the book on factual basis
without any distortions. The translation and its editing has been
done by professional people having an experience of presenting
many books on the religious topics.
The name of the book has been chosen from the great miracle of
the splitting of the moon into half. Allah has described this
miracle in the Qur’an saying:
“The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft as
under.” (54:1)
13
The following Hadith is also about the same miracle:
“Narrated Anas 4k: The people of Makkah asked the Prophet
M to show them a sign (miracle). So he showed them (the
miracle) of the cleaving of the moon.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
We hope that all the Muslims who read this book will find in
them a new zeal towards their religion and towards the
performance of those religious, moral and social duties which the
religion of truth Islam demands from them. The demand of Islam
is totally for the benefit of the mankind, individually as well as
collectively, not only for this world but also to be beneficial in
the life of the Hereafter.
The non-Muslim readers are expected to acquire a true
understanding of the religion of Islam and the last Prophet
Muhammad M, as they have been often misguided by the false
pretensions supplied to them by the foreign sources opposing
Islam.
I pray to Allah that this book may prove beneficial to all the
readers, and they get full benefits so as to achieve the successes
of this world and the world Hereafter.
Abdul-Malik Mujahid
General Manager
Darussalam
14
From the Author
The biography of the Prophet is a very noble and exalted subject. It
teaches Muslims about the rise of Islam, and how the Prophet
Muhammad M was chosen by Allah to receive divine revelation.
Muslims also learn of the hardships the Prophet and his Companions
faced, and how they eventually succeeded with Allah’s help.
Muslims who study the Prophet’s life, learn much more from it
than the story of one man’s life. They discover how Allah prepared
the Prophet for his mission; how Allah revealed the Qur’an to the
Prophet; how the teachings of Islam fortified the hearts of early
Muslims; how a small band of faithful Muslims defeated Arabia’s
fiercest warriors; and how the truth of Islam triumphed over
falsehood and its many devotees.
The Prophet’s biography thus helps Muslims better understand their
religion. For this reason, scholars from the time of the Prophet to the
present have been very careful about determining the authenticity of
the sources of the Prophet’s biography. However, not all biographers
have made use of the available research. Many have written
distorted accounts of the Prophet’s life, adding whatever appealed to
them regardless of its accuracy or authenticity. Consequently, there
are many written accounts of the Prophet’s life that contain
information contrary to the teachings of Islam.
In the light of these problems, many people asked me to compile
an authentic biography of the Prophet based on authentic sources. I
accepted this challenging task and began piecing together this
biography from the following sources: the Qur’an, authoritative
explications of the Qur’an, authentic sayings of the Prophet and
authoritative biographies.
I pray to Allah that Muslims will benefit from this work, and that it
will be a source of blessings in both worlds.
Safiiir Rahman Mubarakpuri
Shawwal 12, 1415 A.H.
15
Preface
‘When the Moon split,’’ is based on Arabic sources and was
originally written in Urdu. The translators were thus confronted
with the arduous task of working with three different languages
involving different narrative techniques.
Rendering ‘ When the Moon Split ’ into English entailed more than a
simple translation of the text. It required the adaptation of a text with
its unique cultural framework to the standard narrative conventions
of another culture. At the same time, the translators were required to
adhere to the outline of standard Arabic biographies of the Prophet.
Limited by the narrative boundaries that define such biographies, our
modest goal was to produce a text accessible to those who are
somewhat familiar with the life of the Prophet. Nevertheless, many
readers may still find certain concepts, terms or even certain events
difficult to comprehend. We recommend using a good reference book
on Islam or Islamic history to clarify passages that appear obscure.
Those who have read other biographies of the Prophet, may find
‘ When the Moon split’’ unique in that it is a straightforward account
of the Prophet’s life, based on what Muslim scholars and
historians regard as the most accurate and reliable sources. No
attempt has been made to “modernize” the Prophet by
emphasizing certain of his qualities that are currently fashionable,
nor by omitting or justifying anything that would be considered
“politically incorrect” by some contemporary readers.
Unfortunately, many Muslims have written about the Prophet’s
life in English as apologists, hoping to appeal to a somewhat
skeptical audience. Professor Mubarakpuri wisely resists offering
such justifications and explanations. The Prophet, after all,
transcends time and culture. It is not necessary to recreate him
again and again for different audiences and different times because
his greatness is apparent in any context. The truth of his message
and mission will endure, and the following pages are a testimony
to this fact.
Michael Richardson & Tabassum Siraj
Jeddah 1998
16
The Prophet Muhammad’s Ancestors
Lineage being an important consideration in Arab society, the
Prophet’s family tree was well-documented. He was bom into a
family that traced its ancestry back to the Prophet Ibraheem
(Abraham) through Isma‘eel (Ishmael).
The Prophet’s lineage is as follows: Muhammad bin Abdullah bin
Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abdu Munaf bin Qusayy bin Kilab
bin Murrah bin Ka‘b bin Luayy bin Ghalib bin Fihr bin Malik bin
Nadir bin Kinana bin Khuzaymah bin Mudrika bin Ilyas bin
Mudhr bin Nizar bin Ma‘d bin Adnan.
While all scholars agree that Adnan was the descendant of
Isma’eel t&Si, there is much dispute about the number of
generations between the two and the names of each descendant.
The Prophet’s mother was Amina, the daughter of Wahb bin Abdu
Munaf bin Zuhra bin Kilab. Kilab also appears as a paternal
ancestor of the Prophet. It is said that his real name was Urwa or
Hakim, but he was known as Kilab because of his passion for
hunting with dogs (called “KUob” in Arabic).
The Prophet’s tribe
The Prophet M belonged to the tribe known as Quraysh, the most
respected tribe in Arabia. “Quraysh” was, in fact, the surname of
Fihr bin Malik or Nadir bin Kinana. Later, his progeny came to be
known by the name Quraysh.
The Quraysh enjoyed a position of honor in the peninsula. One
member of this tribe, Qusayy, played an especially vital role in
establishing the greatness of this tribe. His real name was Zayd,
and upon his father’s death, his mother settled among the Azra
tribe near Syria. It was there that Qusayy was brought up. He
returned to Makkah during his youth, and assumed the trusteeship
of the Ka'bah '. Because of his prestigious position, he was at
'The Ka'bah was the first house of worship built for mankind. It was built by
Adam, and later rebuilt by the Prophets Ibraheem and Isma‘eel.
17
liberty to open the door of the Ka'bah whenever and for
whomsoever he liked. He established the system of playing host to
the pilgrims who journeyed to Makkah, preparing large quantities
of food for them, and serving beverages made from honey, dates or
raisins.
Qusayy also built a house north of the Ka'bah, which he named
Dar Al-Nadwah, and in it were held many of the tribe’s official
activities. Dar Al-Nadwah housed the tribal parliament, and
marriages were also performed on its premises.
Qusayy was entrusted with the standard and bow of the Quraysh.
No one but he had the right to fasten on the battle standard.
Gracious and wise, he was obeyed unhesitatingly by his tribesmen
who, under his leadership, settled in Makkah, and grew from a
scattered band of people into a homogeneous community.
Lineage
The Prophet’s lineage is called Hashmi after his great grandfather,
Hashim. Hashim assumed the position of host to the pilgrims, a
privilege which, after him, was transferred to his brother, Muttalib.
After Muttalib’s death, the progeny of Hashim reclaimed this
privilege and retained it until the advent of Islam.
Hashim was very well -respected and earned the title Sayyed
Bathaa (chief of Bathaa). He was called Hashim (one who mashes
something) because he used to mash pieces of bread in meat and
soup and distribute it for others to eat.
The Quraysh were merchants by profession, and Hashim arranged
trade journeys for them to Yemen each winter and to Syria each
summer. He obtained security for them from the authorities in both
these countries. In Surah Quraysh (a “chapter” of the Qur’an is
called a “ Surah ' ’), Allah reminds the Quraysh of their debt to Him
for these important trade expeditions.
Hashim once passed by Yathrib (later known as Madinah) en route
to Syria, and there he married Salma bint Amr, a lady from the
18
tribe Banu Adiy bin Najjar. He halted there for a few days and then
left for Syria. He passed away in Gaza, a famous city in Palestine.
At the time of his departure, Salma was pregnant. She gave birth to
a son whose hair had white streaks. She therefore named him
Shayba, which means “one with gray hair.” None ofHashim’s
relatives in Makkah knew about the birth of Shayba. Eight years
later, however, Muttalib found out about his dead brother’s son
and decided to bring Shayba to Makkah. When he entered Makkah
with Shayba, the people thought the young boy was Muttalib's
slave and referred to Shayba as Abdul Muttalib, which means
‘Muttalib’s slave”. Thus, Shayba became known as Abdul
Muttalib.
Abdul Muttalib grew up to be a very handsome man and became a
leading figure of the Quraysh tribe. He was the chieftain of the
Quraysh and oversaw the tribe’s trade caravans. Famous for his
generosity, he was called "the Generous.” He gave his leftovers to
the needy, and even to animals and birds. For this reason, he was
described as the "feeder of men on earth and of beasts and birds on
the mountaintops.”
Abdul Muttalib also had the honor of rediscovering the sacred well
of Zamzam. This well had gushed forth when the infant Isma'eel
kicked at the dry sand while his mother, Hajar (Hagar), searched
for water. The location of the well had been forgotten ever since
the tribe of Jurhum covered it when they were being exiled from
Makkah. One night Abdul Muttalib had a dream in which he was
shown where to dig the well. When he started digging next to the
Ka'bah , the water of Zamzam began to flow again.
It was also during Abdul Muttalib’s time that the Ka'bah was
attacked by the Abyssinian conqueror Abraha and his men, whom
the Qur’an refers to as the “Companions of the Elephant.” Abraha
advanced with an army of sixty thousand men, intent on destroying
the Ka'bah. By destroying the Ka'bah , he hoped to divert Arab
pilgrims to his church in Yemen.
19
Abraha reached the valley of Muhassir, between Muzdalifah and
Mina, ready to invade Makkah. As he advanced with his elephant,
the beast that had terrified all of Makkah suddenly refused to
move. As for the sixty thousand soldiers, Allah, in defense of His
Sacred House of worship, sent flocks of birds to pelt the invaders
with stones. The soldiers were repulsed, and they lay felled by the
stones, their bodies resembling “mashed com.” Apart from the
miraculous intervention of Allah in defense of the Ka ‘bah, this
episode in Makkan history showed the strength of Abdul
Muttalib’s character. He stood up to Abraha’s might in defense of
his own property, unshakable in his faith that Allah would protect
His sacred house, the Ka ‘bah.
Abdul Muttalib’s son, Abdullah, the father of the Prophet M, was a
handsome youth. He was called “ Dhabih ” (the sacrificed) in
reference to the rediscovery of Zamzam. When Abdul Muttalib was
digging beside the Ka‘bah in search of the old well, the Quraysh
watched him idly. Once he began to reach wet soil, they insisted on
sharing in his discovery, and they raised a great clamor. Abdul
Muttalib vowed to Allah that he would sacrifice one of his ten sons
if he were allowed to uncover the well. In the end, Abdul Muttalib
continued excavating and discovered the old well.
Afterwards,, he drew lots to determine which son he would
sacrifice, and Abdullah was chosen. Abdul Muttalib took Abdullah
to the Ka'bah and was prepared to sacrifice him, but the Quraysh,
particularly Abdullah’s brothers and maternal uncles, were
opposed to the sacrifice. Finally, it was decided that one hundred
camels should be sacrificed in his place. Hence the Prophet M is
called the descendant of the “two sacrificed ones” (Isma’eel 80B
and his own father, Abdullah). Similarly, he is referred to as the
descendant of the “two elders held for ransom,” for Isma‘eel
was ransomed for a ram and his father for a hundred camels.
Abdullah was married to Amina, the daughter of Wahb. Wahb was
a chieftain of Banu Zahra. Shortly after the marriage, Amina
20
became pregnant, but before she could give birth to their child,
Abdullah was sent by his father to Yathrib or Syria on business.
Tragically, he passed away in Yathrib on the retiyn journey and
was buried in the house of Nabgha Dhabyani.
Muhammad (jj£) is born
Muhammad (M) was bom in She‘eb Banu Hashim in Makkah. It
was a Monday morning in spring, the ninth day of Rabi‘ Al-
Awwal (according to some sources it was the twelfth of Rabi‘
Al-Awwal), fifty to fifty-five days after Abraha’s failed attack on
the Ka'bah. In Arabic, the word for elephant is “ Feel ,” and hence
the year came to be known as ‘ Amm Al-Feel (the Year of the
Elephant). In the Gregorian calendar, the date corresponds to April
22, 571 C.E.
While Amina was pregnant, she had a dream that a light was emitted
from her lower body that illuminated the palaces of Syria. When she
went into labor, Shifa bint Amr, the mother of Abdul Rahman bin
Auf, served as midwife. Abdul Muttalib received the news of his
grandson’s birth with joy. He took the newborn to the Ka'bah and
invoked Allah’s blessings and gave thanks.
Believing his grandson would grow up to be highly praised, Abdul
Muttalib named him Muhammad, which means “he who is
praised.” In keeping with Arab tradition, he then shaved the baby’s
head and circumcised him on the seventh day. Afterwards, he
invited his fellow-Makkans to a feast.
Muhammad si was first nursed by his mother, and then by Umm
Ayman, his father’s slave. An Abyssinian whose real name was
Barakah, she embraced Islam and migrated to Madinah, where she
died six months after the Prophet’s death.
Foster Brothers
Thuwaybah, the slave of Muhammad’s uncle Abu Lahab, also
nursed the infant. At that time, Thuwaybah was also nursing her
own child, Masrooh, as well as Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib and
21
Abu Salamah bin Abdul Asad Makhzoomi. Hence, these three men
became foster brothers because they were nursed at the same breast.
In the care of Haleemah Sa‘diya
It was customary among the citizens of Makkah to put their
newborns in the care of Bedouin women who would raise them for
a couple of years in the desert. The Makkans believed that the
unspoiled, rugged desert environment would make their children
strong and hardy. Furthermore, an upbringing among the Bedouins
ensured that the children would learn the purest form of the Arabic
language spoken throughout Arabia.
Abdul Muttalib was looking for one such Bedouin woman who
would serve as a wet nurse and take his grandson to the desert.
Some women from Banu Sa‘d bin Bakr bin Hawazen came to
Makkah to offer their services to local families. Abdul Muttalib
asked each of them to take his grandson Muhammad |g, but all of
them declined the offer when they were told the child’s father was
dead. They felt the family of a fatherless child would not be able to
reward them handsomely.
Haleemah bint Abu Dhuwayb had also came to Makkah that day.
While all the other Bedouin women had found children to nurse,
she was not so fortunate. She saw Abdul Muttalib with an infant in
his arms and took pity on the child who had been rejected by the
other women. She and her husband took the infant Muhammad
back to the desert. Haleemah was happy she was not returning
empty-handed.
Haleemah and her husband, Harith bin Abdul Uzzah, both
belonged to the tribe of Sa‘d bin Bakr bin Hawazen. Their children
became the Prophet's foster brothers and sisters. Their names were
Abdullah, Anisa, and Judhama, who was better known as Shayma.
Judhama also nursed the Prophet
Haleemah’s house is unexpectedly blessed
Haleemah and her husband found their lives changed the moment
22
they took Muhammad home. They had traveled to Makkah on a
frail she-ass that could barely keep up with their caravan. On the
return journey, however, as Haleemah rode with the infant in her
arms, the same animal moved so swiftly that it left the caravan
behind.
While Muhammad H stayed with Haleemah’s family, the house
overflowed with blessings. Haleemah herself narrated that she
brought Muhammad M to her home during a drought. Her
she-camel would not give a drop of milk. Haleemah's child would
cry the whole night out of hunger. With the child so distraught,
Haleemah and Harith found it hard to sleep at night.
Things changed, however, when Haleemah brought Muhammad H
home and placed him on her lap. Her breasts overflowed with milk
so that both Muhammad and her own child drank their fill of milk
and fell fast asleep.
When Harith went to the she-camel, he was amazed at what he
saw. The she-camel’s udders were full of milk and ready to
overflow. It gave so much milk that Haleemah’s family was able to
sleep that night on full stomachs.
Haleemah’s household suddenly appeared to be untouched by the
drought, although they lived in Dayar Banu Sa‘d, the most
drought-stricken spot in the region. The family’s goats would
return from grazing with their stomachs full of grass and their
udders bursting with milk. Husband and wife would milk their
goats often while others failed to get even a drop of milk.
Haleemah’s household continued to be blessed for the next two
years, after which she weaned Muhammad Although he grew up
during a great drought, he had developed into a strong, healthy child.
Haleemah asks to keep Muhammad % longer
Every six months Haleemah would take Muhammad to Makkah
to be with his mother and other family members. She would then
return with him to Dayar Banu Sa‘d. After Muhammad^ was
23
weaned, it was time for him to go back to his family for good.
When Haleemah took him back to his mother, she begged Amina
to let her keep the boy longer because he had brought her good
fortune. She pleaded he would grow stronger and healthier in the
desert, far away from the frequent epidemics that raged in Makkah.
Amina consented, and Haleemah returned home with Muhammad
3jg, happy at her extended good fortune.
Two years later, however, a strange event occurred that frightened
Haleemah and her husband, prompting them to return Muhammad
gg to his family in Makkah.
Muhammad’s chest is opened
Anas bin Malik ^ relates that one day as Muhammad % was
playing with some children near Haleemah’s house, Jibreel
(the angel Gabriel) appeared and made Muhammad M lie down.
He then opened up the boy’s chest, took out his heart, and
extracted a lump of flesh from it, saying: "This is the portion of
Satan in you.” Then he put Muhammad’s heart in a golden tray
filled with Zamzam water, washed it and replaced it in his chest.
The other children ran to Haleemah in terror crying that
Muhammad had been killed. When they reached Muhammad
they found him alive, his face pale from shock. Anas later said
that he saw the scar on the Prophet’s chest where it had been sewn
back together.
Muhammad’s time with his mother
In the wake of this supernatural event, Muhammad M was carried
back to Makkah, where for the next two years he grew up under
his mother’s care. When Muhammad M was six, he accompanied
his grandfather, mother, and Umm Ayman on a journey to Yathrib,
where his mother’s family lived. It was also where his father lay
buried. After a month in Yathrib, they began the long journey back
to Makkah, but Amina fell ill on the way. She died at Abwa and
was buried there. Muhammad M was left orphaned.
24
A grandfather's affection
Abdul Muttalib, himself growing old, carried Muhammad % back
to Makkah. His heart was heavy, and he could not bear to see his
young grandson suffer. He suddenly felt tenderness in his heart
that he had never even felt for his own sons. When Abdul Muttalib
sat with his friends, Muhammad % sat on a carpet next to him, a
position no one else was allowed to occupy. He used to stroke his
back and observe his every movement.
Abdul Muttalib was sure the future would bring Muhammad %
rare greatness. Tragically, Abdul Muttalib’s time with his grandson
was short, for he died when Muhammad M was only eight years,
two months and ten days old.
Under his uncle’s care
After the death of Abdul Muttalib, his son Abu Talib took
Muhammad under his care. Abu Talib and Abdullah, the
Prophet’s father, were brothers, both bom of the same mother. Abu
Talib was not a wealthy man, but Muhammad brought Allah’s
blessings with him, and suddenly Abu Talib found that he could
support his family easily with a small sum of money.
Bahira’s warning
When Muhammad M was twelve years old (some sources specify
that he was twelve years, two months and ten days old), Abu Talib
planned to accompany a trade caravan to Syria. Both Muhammad
M and Abu Talib dreaded the long separation, so Abu Talib
decided to take Muhammad $£ with him.
Once the caravan reached Basra on the border of Syria, the
travelers broke journey for a short stay. A Christian monk by the
name of Bahira lived in this city, and he came to welcome the
caravan. He walked past all the travelers approached the young
Muhammad M- Holding Muhammad’s hand, he said:
“This is the chief of the world and the Messenger of the
25
Lord. God has sent him as a mercy for all mankind.”
“Why do you say this?" the people inquired of him.
Bahira explained:
“When he came this side of the pass, stones and trees bowed
in prostration. They do not prostrate for anyone other than a
Prophet. Moreover, I recognized him from the Seal of
Prophethood, which lies like an apple on the soft bone below
his shoulders. It is mentioned in our Scriptures.”
Bahira then held a feast in honor of the caravan. Later he took Abu
Talib aside and pleaded with him not to take Muhammad M any
further. He urged him to send the boy back. He feared that the
Jews and Romans might recognize him as the Promised
Messenger, in which case, he felt, Muhammad’s life would be
endangered. Abu Talib heeded the monk’s warnings and,
concerned for his nephew’s safety, sent Muhammad M back to
Makkah.
Coming of age in Makkah, Muhammad H played an active role in
his society and participated in some significant events in the
community, two of which are recounted below.
The battle of Fijar
When Muhammad ^ was twenty years old, a battle broke out at
the Fair of ‘Okaz in the month of Dhul Qa‘dah. The warring tribes
were the Quraysh and Kinana on one side and the Qays Ghilan on
the other. The fighting was fierce, and several people on both sides
were killed.
At last they made peace on condition that whichever side had
suffered the most casualties would get blood money (recompense
for unlawful killing). This battle was the fourth and most deadly in
a series of skirmishes that had erupted each of the previous three
years. It would, however, be the last. It came to be known as the
Battle of Fijar (Arabic for immorality) as it took place in a sacred
26
month when fighting was prohibited and violated the sanctity of a
sacred month with bloodshed.
As a member of the Quraysh, Muhammad % was also present in
the battle. His role was to collect the enemy’s arrows and hand
them over to his uncles.
Hilf Al-Fudool
In the wake of the Battle of Fijar, later that month a covenant was
agreed upon among the five tribes of the Quraysh. It was known as
Hilf Al-Fudool and its signatories were Banu Hashim, Banu Abdul
Muttalib, Banu Asad, Banu Zahra and Banu Taym.
This covenant was bom in response to a shameful denial of justice
to a stranger. A man came from Zabid to sell his merchandise in
Makkah. A local resident by the name of Aas bin Wayel took all of
the stranger’s goods, but refused to pay for them. The helpless
stranger approached the people of Banu Abdul Dar, Banu
Makhzoom, Banu Jamah, Banu Sahm and Banu Adiy, all of whom
ignored his cry for redress. In desperation, he climbed atop a hill
called Jabal Abu Qays and informed everyone of how all his goods
had been stolen. Then he implored his listeners to come forward to
help him. His plea was answered by Zubayr bin Abdul Muttalib,
who volunteered to help the unfortunate stranger.
Zubayr called on representatives of all the clans to assemble in the
house of Abdullah bin Jad‘an of Banu Taym. At this assembly, the
tribal leaders agreed that henceforth they would stand up for
anyone who had suffered injustice, regardless of his tribal
affiliation. They then forced Aas bin Wayel to return the
merchandise he had taken.
Muhammad was also present with his uncles during the institution
of the covenant, which he regarded as an honorable pact. Long
after Allah had made him a prophet, he was to declare:
jl 1 - *>- i b lib- jb ^3
' s - ' ' ' x ^ ^ V
27
“I was present when a covenant was agreed upon in the
house of Abdullah bin Jad‘an, and I would not accept even a
red camel in lieu of it. Had I been asked to uphold it even in
the days of Islam, I would have agreed.”
Choosing a profession
Having lost his parents and his grandfather, Muhammad M, who
was in the care of his uncle Abu Talib, came of age with
practically no inheritance. At first, he tried to make a living
tending goats -for Banu Sa‘d, but then upon his return to Makkah,
he tended goats for the Quraysh for a small sum.
The choice of occupation was significant. Later, after becoming a
prophet, Muhammad |§ remarked, “There has been no prophet
who has not tended sheep.” Noted for his trustworthiness, honesty
and piety, he came to be called “ Al-Ameen ” (the Trustworthy).
Journey to Syria on business for Khadeejah
Muhammad’s reputation led Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid to entrust
him with her merchandise to sell in Syria. As a wealthy
businesswoman from a noble family of the Quraysh, she would
hire men to conduct business on her behalf. And so it happened
that the young Muhammad M journeyed to Syria with her slave,
Maysarah. The trip was extremely successful and profitable, and
upon his return to Makkah, Muhammad gave Khadeejah her profit.
Marriage to Khadeejah
Khadeejah was twice-widowed, having been married to Ateeq bin
Ayed and then to Abu Hala. While married to Abu Hala, she bore
a son. Following her second husband’s death, she received several
proposals from various chiefs of the Quraysh, all of which she
refused. Now, however, impressed by Maysarah ’s description of
Muhammad’s character, she broached the topic of marriage to
Muhammad % through her friend, Nafeesah.
Being open to the idea, he consulted his uncles, who sent his
28
proposal to Amr bin Asad, Khadeejah’s uncle. Amr accepted on
his niece’s behalf, and Muhammad gave twenty camels as dowry
(some sources mention that he gave her six camels). They were
married in the presence of the Banu Hashim and the chiefs of the
Quraysh. Praising and glorifying Allah, Abu Talib recited the
wedding sermon and formalized the union. Thus within two
months and some days within Muhammad’s return from Syria, he
and Khadeejah were married. He was twenty-five years old, while
she was either twenty-eight or forty.
Khadeejah was Muhammad’s first wife. He married none other
during her lifetime. She bore all his children except for Ibraheem,
who was bom to Mariya Qibtiya (Mary the Copt). They were
named (in order of birth) Qasim, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm
Kulthoom, Fatimah, Abdullah, and Ibraheem (scholars, however,
disagree about the exact number and order of births). All the sons
passed away during childhood, but all the daughters lived to see
their father become a prophet. Each daughter embraced Islam and
migrated to Madinah, and all but Fatimah died during the lifetime
of the Prophet %. Fatimah died six months after her father’s death.
Dispute over the Black Stone
When Muhammad was thirty-five years old, a devastating flood
damaged the Ka'bah. The walls of the Kabah had been weakened
by a fire earlier, and the flood caused additional cracks to form. The
structure revered by the Quraysh was in danger of collapse.
Seeing their house of worship under threat of ruin, the Quraysh
decided to rebuild the Ka ‘bah. They resolved not to taint the project
with resources gained through usury, prostitution, or larceny.
As the walls of the Ka‘bah had to be tom down before they could
be rebuilt, the Quraysh feared Allah would punish anyone who
raised his hand against the Sacred House. Waleed bin Mugheera
was the first to approach the Ka ‘bah. Declaring, “Allah will not
destroy reformers,” he began to dismantle the walls of the Ka‘bah.
When others saw that he had done so untouched by divine wrath,
29
they joined in the work. They demolished the Ka'bah down to the
original foundation laid by Ibraheem (Abraham).
Then the construction started with each tribe being allotted specific
duties. The nobles among them carried pieces of stone and piled
them up in one place. Muhammad 3S and his uncle Abbas were
among those carrying stones.
A Roman mason named Baqoom reconstructed the walls.
However, the tribes were unable to collect enough money to
rebuild the Ka'bah completely, so a small wall was built showing
the boundaries of the original foundation laid by Ibraheem $0.
This small wall enclosed an area of about six cubits on the
northern side of the Ka'bah and is called Hijr Isma‘eel.
When the wall was completed up to the spot where the Black
Stone ( Al-Hajr Al-Aswad) was located, a dispute arose. Each
chieftain claimed the honor of putting the Black Stone in place.
The crisis continued for four or five days, and bloodshed was
imminent. At that time Abu Umayya — the oldest among them —
found a solution to the problem. He suggested that the next man
who entered the gate of the Ka'bah should be given the authority
to settle the dispute. Everyone agreed to this suggestion, and it was
the will of Allah that the next man to enter the gate was
Muhammad §&■
"It’s Muhammad,” they said as soon as they saw him coming.
"Since he is trustworthy, we all agree to abide by his decision.”
When Muhammad M learned the details of the dispute, he asked
them to bring a sheet. He then took the Black Stone, and placing it
on the sheet, asked each clan to take hold of an edge of the sheet
and lift it in unison. When the Black Stone was lifted up by the
tribal chieftains, Muhammad H pushed it into place with his own
hands. Everyone was satisfied with Muhammad’s decision, and a
great conflict was averted.
The Black Stone rests about one and a half meters above the
ground, with the Ka'bah door about half a meter above the Black
30
Stone. The Quraysh did not lower the position of the door because
they did not want anyone to enter the Ka'bah without their
permission. They also doubled the height of the walls from nine to
eighteen cubits, added a roof (fifteen cubits in height), and six
pillars in two rows inside the Ka‘bah to support it.
Muhammad’s character before prophethood
From childhood, Muhammad % was exceptionally intelligent and
chaste and was highly regarded for his honesty, valor, justice,
piety, patience, modesty, loyalty and hospitality. Abu Talib
described his beloved nephew in the following words:
He is fair and handsome. From his visage, mercy falls like
rain. He is a shelter for the orphan and a protector of widows.
Muhammad maintained good relations with his family, bore
others’ burdens, and guided the destitute towards self-sufficiency.
In keeping with his future role as Allah’s Messenger, one who was
to outlaw all aspects of idolatry and polytheism, Muhammad M
had an inherent hatred for the prevailing paganism of his time.
Thus, although he was an integral part of his society, Muhammad
al never attended any of the important local festivals and fairs that
revolved around idol worship and drinking. He was also careful
not to eat the flesh of any animal slaughtered in the name of
someone other than Allah, and avoided touching or even coming
close to idols. He especially detested hearing oaths sworn upon the
pagans’ two most famous idols, Lat and Uzza.
Portents of Prophethood
With his aversion to some of the most cohesive social ties in
Makkan society, it was inevitable that Muhammad $g would grow
apart from his fellow Makkans and their depraved way of life that
included public drunkenness and female infanticide. He began to
long for solitude, and preferred to spend his time alone, away from
the noisy festivals and crowded markets. At the same time, he felt
the need to save his people from the destruction he felt was
31
imminent.
His discontent grew, and he began to seek refuge in the cave of
Hira 2 . Here he would spend long periods alone, and it was here
that he worshipped not idols or imagined gods, but the one true
God— Allah.
Following the monotheistic practice of his forefather, Ibraheem,
every year, for three consecutive years, he spent the month of
Ramadan in the cave. He would then return to Makkah,
circumambulate the Ka'bah, and then go back home.
When Muhammad 3S reached forty years of age, he began to
experience what could be called portents of prophethood. He
would have visions, and whatever appeared to him in these visions
and dreams would come true.
The first revelation
Late one Monday night, just before sunrise on the twenty-first of
Ramadan (August 10, 610 C.E.), an event transformed the life of
the man chosen to deliver Allah’s message, just as it would
change the lives of countless beings, most of whom were yet to
be bom. According to the lunar calendar, Muhammad M was
forty years, six months and twelve days old, and according to the
solar calendar, he was thirty-nine years, three months and
twenty-two days old.
He was alone in the cave of Hira, engaged in worshipping Allah
just like he had done the previous two Ramadans. Aishah, who has
narrated so many of the Prophet’s words and deeds, relates
Muhammad’s transition from an ordinary man to someone who
would forever be known simply as “the Prophet”:
2 Mount Hira is now known as Jabal Al-Noor (Mountain of Light). It is located
is a little less than four meters in length and a little more than one and a half
about two miles from Makkah, and its peak is visible from a distance. The cave
meters in width.
32
The Prophet M first began to have revelations in the form of good
dreams which came true. Then he began to like solitude. He would
go to the cave of Hira and meditate there in solitude for a number
of days and nights. He would take provisions with him to stay for
an extended period, and when he returned to Khadeejah, he would
stock up again and go back to the cave. This was his practice until
Truth was revealed to him by an angel while he was in the cave of
Hira. The angel said to him, “Read!”
“I cannot read,” Muhammad M replied. The angel then took hold
of him and pressed him until he could not endure it any longer.
The angel let him go and said once again, “Read!”
“I cannot read,” Muhammad # replied. The angel took hold of him
a second time and pressed him until he could not endure it any
longer. After letting him go, the angel said, “Read!”
“I cannot read,” Muhammad M repeated. For a third time, the angel
took hold of him and pressed him until he could not endure it any
longer. The angel released him and said, “Read in the name of
your Lord, the Creator. He Who created man from a clot. Read!
And your Lord is the Most Bounteous.”
The Prophet M was terrified and his heart was pounding hard. He
returned home to Khadeejah and said, “Cover me! Cover me!”
Khadeejah covered him and helped him calm down. He related
what had happened in the cave, and said, “I fear that something has
happened to me.”
“Never,” Khadeejah replied. “I swear by Allah, Allah would never
disgrace you. You keep good relations with your family, help the
feeble and destitute, serve your guests generously, and assist those
who deserve help.”
Khadeejah then took the Prophet M to her cousin, the old and
'venerable Waraqa bin Naufal. He knew Hebrew and was familiar
with the Gospels, having left paganism for Christianity.
“O my cousin,” Khadeejah began. “Listen to your nephew.”
33
“What have you seen, my nephew?” asked the blind old man. The
Prophet M told Waraqa what had happened in the cave. 'The angel
that was sent to you is the same angel that Allah sent to Musa. I
wish I were young and could live to see the day your own people
drive you out of this city.”
“Will they drive me out?” the Prophet M asked.
“Yes,” replied Naufal. “Never has a man brought something such
as what you have without meeting hostility. If I live to see the day
you are expelled, I will support you with all my might.” A few
days later, however, Waraqa died, and a long time passed before
the Prophet received a second revelation.
The Qur’an tells us that the first revelation descended in Ramadan
on the “Night of Power.”
‘The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an
was revealed.” (2:185)
And:
“We have indeed revealed this Message during the Night of
Power.” (97:1)
A hiatus
After Jibreel S&3 first appeared before Muhammad gj| at the cave of
Hira, a long time passed without any further revelation. A
distressed Muhammad |g feared Allah had abandoned him. Why
had his Lord deserted him? In moments of despair, he would want
to throw himself off a mountain, but then he would sense Jibreel’s
presence and become calm again. This interim period was a time
of contemplation, a time for Muhammad M to prepare himself for
what lay ahead.
One day Muhammad M returned to the cave of Hira to worship in
34
solitude. As he left the cave and began to descend the mountain,
another strange event took place. The Prophet described the
event as follows:
When I descended the mountain and came to the valley, I
heard a voice saying, “Muhammad! You are the Prophet of
Allah, and I am Jibreel !” Then I raised my head and on the
horizon, I saw the angel who had come to me in the cave of
Hira. I was filled with awe and bowed towards the earth. I
hurried home to Khadeejah and asked her to wrap me up.
She put a blanket around me and sprinkled water on me.
It was at this time that the Prophet % received the second
revelation. It comprised the first five verses of Surah Al-
Muddaththir.
Sfj o j=r^b O O jj O 'j O
[v-\ : yjdl]
“O you wrapped in garments! Arise and warn! Magnify your
Lord, and your clothing purify! Shun idols and false
worship! And give not a thing in order to have more (or
consider not your deeds of obedience to Allah as a favour to
Him). And be patient for the sake of your Lord (i.e. perform
your duty to Allah).” (74: 1-7)
This revelation with its instructions regarding worship came before
Muhammad M was instructed to perform regular prayers ( Saldh ). It
marked the resumption of visitations by Jibreel, and subsequent
revelations came in quick succession.
Muhammad |g had been appointed as a prophet with the first
revelation. With the second revelation, he was made Allah’s
Messenger, entrusted with two tasks. The first task was to “arise
• and warn.” He was ordered to teach his people about Allah and to
warn them about the consequences of their sins.
The Prophet’s second task was to obey the commands of Allah and
35
act as a model for others. The Surah contains a series of
instructions to the Prophet, and a line by line examination reveals
the basic religious practices ordered in Islam. In the original
Arabic, the phrase fakabbir in the first verse means: Worship
Allah alone without associating any partners with Him. In the
second verse, the expression thiyaabaka fatahhir literally means:
Purify your clothing; but according to Muslim scholars, it also
means: Purify your conduct. The next verse, warrujza fahjur
enjoins the Prophet H to: Abstain from the pagan customs of the
Arabs. The verse la tamnun tastakthir means: Do not expect to be
rewarded in this world for your efforts. Finally, wa lirabbika fasbir
means: Be patient for your Lord’s sake.
The mission begins
Muhammad M accepted his duties as prophet and messenger with
resolute obedience. He answered his Lord’s call by inviting
members of his household to worship Allah in keeping with His
commandments. They were to be Muslims, those who had
surrendered to Allah, and their religion was Islam, the religion of
peace. However, the Prophet’s compatriots were a rough people
accustomed to settling their disputes with swords. They clung to
idol worship because it had been the practice of their ancestors
who had strayed far from the pure monotheism of Ibraheem and
Isma’eel. Sensing their antagonism, the Prophet began to quietly
teach those closest to him, those whose hearts he felt would be
open to the truth.
The first believers
Khadeejah was the first person to believe her husband had been
chosen as Allah’s Messenger and Prophet. As his wife, she knew
more than anyone else did that Muhammad was no ordinary
man: his sublime character and innate morality set him apart from
those he lived among. She had heard talk about Allah’s final
prophet who was yet to appear. She had also heard about some of
the strange and miraculous events that others had witnessed
36
concerning Muhammad Furthermore, she had heard Waraqa
say that the angel who had come to the cave of Hira was none
other than Jibreel *KSi, and that this angel had brought Muhammad
# a revelation from Allah. Lastly, she was present at the moment
Surah Al-Muddaththir was revealed. It was therefore only natural
that she was the first to believe in Muhammad and his appointment
as Allah’s final messenger.
Abu Bakr 4* was also among the first people to become Muslim.
When the verses of Al-Muddaththir were revealed, the Prophet
went to Abu Baler, who was a leading Makkan trader and a
prominent figure in his own right, and told him what had
happened. Two years younger than the Prophet, he was thoroughly
familiar with his friend’s character and the reputation he enjoyed
in the community for truthfulness. Abu Bakr did not doubt
Muhammad’s declaration of his prophethood, just as he did not
refuse his invitation to Islam. With his declaration of faith, he
became one of the first Muslims.
Ali bin Abu Talib 4® was only a child when the Prophet’s
mission began, and some sources indicate that he was ten years
old when he became Muslim. He was living under the Prophet’s
guardianship since his father, Abu Talib, was unable to provide
for all his children. Muhammad M was like a second father to the
boy, who believed without a doubt that his guardian was indeed a
prophet, and that he had brought the truth.
Among the first to accept the faith was also the Prophet's
freedman, Zayd bin Harith bin Sharahbeel Kalbi. Sold into slavery
in the pre-Islamic era, Zayd had refused to leave the Prophet M
when his relatives tried to buy his freedom. For a while he was
known as Zayd bin Muhammad, but following the prohibition of
giving adopted children the names of their foster parents, he was
referred to by his actual name as mentioned above.
Notwithstanding the change of name, Zayd’s love for the Prophet
was deep and the bond between the two was enduring.
37
These four (Khadeejah, Abu Bakr, Ali, and Zayd ^ j)
accepted Islam the same day the opening verses of Surah
Al-Muddaththir were revealed. Some sources hold that they
accepted Islam in the same order as given above.
Life changed for the new Muslims who desired to reform the
religious practice of their families and friends. After his conversion,
Abu Bakr began to encourage others to abandon idol worship and
follow Allah’s Messenger. A well-respected merchant, known for
his generosity and intelligence, Abu Bakr was the foremost authority
on Arab genealogy. His reputation and his character ensured that
people gravitated to him, and if he deemed a person was sincere in
finding the truth, he would talk to him about his new faith. Many
people were interested in what he told them about Islam, and they
went with him to the Prophet $£. Among those who became Muslim
in this way were Uthman bin Affan Umwi, Zubayr bin Awwam
Asadi, Abdul Rahman bin Auf Zuhri, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas Zuhri,
and Talha bin Ubaydullah Taymi.
Many others from the Quraysh later became Muslims: Abu
Ubaydah Amir bin Jarrah; Abu Salamah bin Abdul Asad and his
wife, Umm Salamah; Arqam bin Abil-Arqam; Uthman bin
Madh’un and his brothers Qadam bin Madh‘un and Abdullah bin
Madh’un; Ubaydah bin Harith bin Muttalib bin Abdu Munaf;
Sa‘eed bin Zayd bin Amr bin Nafil and his wife (the sister of
Umar), Fatimah bint Khattab; Khabbab bin Aratt, Ja‘far bin Abi
Talib and his wife, Asmaa bint Umays; Khalid bin Sa‘eed bin As
and his wife, Amina bint Khalaf, his brother, Amr bin Sa‘eed bin
As; Hatib bin Harith and his wife, Fatimah bint Mujalil, his
brother, Khattab bin Harith, his wife, Fakiha bint Yasir, and his
other brother, Muammar bin Harith; Muttalib bin Azhar and his
wife, Ramla bint Abi Auf; and Na‘im bin Abdullah bin Naham.
More believers came from other tribes to embrace Islam: Abdullah
bin Mas‘ood Hadhli; Mas’ood bin Rabi‘a Qari; Abdullah bin
Jahsh and his brother, Abu Ahad bin Jahsh; Suhayb bin Sinan
Rumi; Ammar bin Yasir Ansi and his parents, Yasir and Sumayya;
38
and Amir bin Fuhayrah.
Umm Ayman Barakah, the Prophet’s father’s Abyssinian slave
who had looked after the Prophet during his childhood, also
became Muslim, as did Ummul Fadal Lababatul Kubra bint Harith
Hilalya, and Asmaa bint Abu Bakr Siddeeq.
These and others who embraced Islam in the early days of Islam
are called the “Earliest Believers.” Scholars put their number at
130, but the exact time of their declaration of faith cannot be
determined. Such a list includes those Companions also who
embraced Islam after the Prophet |g began preaching his message
openly.
Worship and training of the believers
Despite the long gap between the first and second revelations,
subsequent revelations came in quick succession after Surah
Al-Muddaththir. The next Surah to be revealed was Surah Al-
Fatihah.
Surah Al-Muddaththir was not a set of instructions for the Prophet
H alone. Its message was explicit for the believers as well. In its
verses they were given a set of rules to live by, rules that still bind
Muslims to the laws of Allah. The Surah teaches the believers how
to praise and invoke Allah, some of whose principal attributes are
also mentioned in the verses. We learn through it that each person
will reap what good or bad he sows in this world, and that he will
receive the recompense for it in the next world. It guides one to the
way of true success.
Other duties and acts of worship were instituted with subsequent
revelations. Once the bedrock of faith in Allah and His Messenger
had been firmly established, the believers were instructed to build
on their faith with acts of worship. The first duty ordained at the
beginning of the Prophet’s mission was Salah (prayer). Jibreel
taught the Prophet H how to perform prayers and Wudu (ablution),
and asked him to offer two Rak ‘ah (units of prayer) morning and
39
evening.
Since Wudu was made a prerequisite of prayer, perfect purity
became the sign of a believer. Salah was based on Surah Al-
Fatihah, the opening Surah of the Qur’an, and praise and
glorification of Allah punctuated each movement made during
prayer. Salah was now established as the mainstay of the believer’s
faith, an act of worship to be offered twice a day. Trying to keep
their worship pristine, far from the idolatrous practices of Makkah,
the believers would perform Salah in secluded places like vales
and passes.
At this stage, the Prophet’s revelations focused mainly on the
articles of faith and the different aspects of Tawheed (Oneness of
Allah). These early revelations exhorted the Prophet’s
Companions to purify their souls, aroused in them a sense of
morality, and vividly described Paradise and Hell. With their
themes of the transience of life, the permanence of the hereafter,
eternal joy and everlasting punishment, the verses of the Qur’an
offered much in the way of inspiration and admonition.
The Prophet % taught his followers the meanings of the verses
revealed to him, and he offered them a perfect model of how to
live by the teachings of the Qur’an. He led them from the darkness
of unbelief to the light of faith by showing them the Straight Path
and counseling them to hold fast to the Religion of Allah.
Although the Prophet had not yet preached his message in
public, the Quraysh came to know of his activities. Some of the
believers openly practised their new faith, but the Quraysh in
general paid no attention to it. Similarly, the Prophet did not
oppose them or their gods.
Open propagation of Islam
The first three years of the Prophet’s mission had focused on
bringing the message of Islam to individuals. A discerning few
among the Quraysh and other tribes had embraced Islam, but their
numbers were hardly overwhelming. Now Allah ordered his
40
Messenger to warn his kinsmen about idolatry. He was also
asked to keep in his fold those who believed in the Message and to
renounce ties with those who rejected his mission.
After receiving this order, the Prophet M assembled his nearest
kindred, the tribe of Banu Hashim, including a few people from
Banu Muttalib. Addressing the gathering, he first praised and
glorified Allah and bore witness to His Oneness. Then he told
them:
“I am the Messenger of Allah, and have been sent to you in
particular, and to all mankind in general. I swear by Allah
that you will die in the same way you sleep every night,
and you will be resurrected similar to how you rise from
sleep in the morning. Following this, your account will be
taken from you and then your good will be paid with good,
and bad with bad.”
The Prophet’s audience let him have his say. His uncle Abu
Lahab was alone in saying, “Stop him before all Arabia unites
against him. If you hand him over to them then, you will be put
to disgrace. And if you try to save him, you will be killed.”
The Prophet’s other uncle, Abu Talib, said, “I swear by Allah
that we will protect him as long as we live.” Abu Talib then told
his nephew, “You try to fulfill what you have been ordered to do.
By Allah, I shall always defend you, even though I prefer not to
abandon the religion of Abdul Muttalib.”
A warning from atop Mount Safa
During the same period Allah told the Prophet M'- “Announce
openly what you are commanded, and withdraw from the
idolaters.” In compliance with Allah’s order, he ascended the
heights of Mount Safa, a small rocky hill near the Ka‘bah, and
cried out from the highest point: “Ya Sabahah\"
The cry “Ya SabahaK ’ was normally used to warn citizens of
impending doom, surprise attacks or other great calamities. Once
41
he had alerted his fellow Makkans that something terrible was
upon them, the Prophet $£ then called every family and every
household by name: “O sons of Fiher! O sons of Adiy! O sons of
Abdu Munaf! O sons of Abdul Muttalib! O sons of....”
The people heard their names being called, and they rushed to
Mount Safa. Those who were unable to go themselves sent
someone on their behalf to see what had happened.
When they were all assembled, the Prophet M said: “If I told you
that horsemen were advancing to attack you from the valley on
the other side of this hill, would you believe me?”
“Yes,” they replied, bewildered at his question. “We have always
found you honest.”
Then he said to them:
“I am here to warn you before a severe chastisement reaches
you. I see the enemy charging toward you, and I want to
protect you from his sword, but I fear he will strike you
before I can give you warning. This is why I have cried out
to you from atop this hill.”
After this vivid analogy the Prophet % asked them to save
themselves by declaring that Allah was one, and that he,
Muhammad, was his Messenger: La ilaaha illallah, Muhammad
Rasoolullah. He also explained to them that this testimony
( Shahadah ) was the only source of salvation in this world and in
the hereafter. He tried to make them understand that if they clung
to polytheism and rejected the message he had brought to them,
they would face Allah’s punishment, and that he (the Prophet)
would not be able to save them despite his status as Allah’s
Messenger.
Addressing all segments of Makkan society, he further said:
“O people of Quraysh, ransom yourselves from Allah and
save yourselves from the Fire of Hell, for I am not the master
42
of your gain and loss, nor can I be of any help in saving you
from Allah. O Banu Ka‘b bin Lu'ayy, save yourselves from
Hell, for I am not the master of your gain and loss.
“O Banu Qusayy! Save yourselves from Hell. O Banu Abdu
Munaf ! Save yourselves from Hell, for I am not the master
of your gain and loss. O Banu Hashim! Save yourselves
from Hell. O Banu Abdul Muttalib! Save yourselves from
Hell, for I am not the master of your gain and loss, and
cannot save you from Allah. Take from my property as much
as you desire, but I have no power to save you from Allah.
“O Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib! I can be of no help to you in
saving you from Allah. O Aunt of the Messenger, Safiyah
bint Abdul Muttalib! I can be of no help to you in saving you
from Allah. O Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger! Ask for
whatever you want from my property, but save yourself from
Hell. I cannot be of any help to you either from Allah.
However, I am related to you, and I will fulfill my
obligations accordingly.”
After listening to this warning from the Prophet $g, the assembly
dispersed. There is no record of their immediate support or
opposition. However, Abu Lahab is reported to have said,
enraged, “May you be cursed! Is it for this you have brought us
here?”
Generally, the Prophet’s audience seems to have been somewhat
amazed at the Prophet’s outpourings and could not decide just
then as to what they should do. Once they returned to their
homes, however, their arrogance reasserted itself, and they
disdained the Prophet’s warning and exhortation. Thus when the
Prophet % passed by their elders, they would jeer, “Is this the one
who has been appointed a Messenger by Allah? Is this the boy of
Abu Kabshah who is addressed from the sky?”
Abu Kabshah was an ancestor of the Prophet M on his mother’s
side. He had abandoned the paganism of the Quraysh and
43
embraced Christianity. Hence, when the Prophet $g began
proclaiming the monotheistic message of Islam, the Quraysh
were quick to link him with another so-called renegade of their
society.
Despite the taunts of his tribesmen and their increasing hostility,
the Prophet M remained firm in his mission and began to invite
people to Islam. He would recite verses from the Book of Allah,
giving his people the same message that previous prophets had
given to their people. He would say, “O my people! Worship
Allah without any partners or intermediaries, for none is your
god except Allah.”
He also began to pray to Allah in public, offering prayers in the
courtyard surrounding the Kabah. The Prophet’s preaching
gradually gained ground. As more people, one by one, came into
the fold of Islam, a gap started widening between the believers
and non-believers even in the same house. Of course, this only
increased the resentment and hostility of the Quraysh who found
it unforgivable that the new Muslims would choose Islam over
family, tribe, and culture - ties they deemed sacrosanct.
The Quraysh warn pilgrims
With the Muslims growing in number, the Quraysh became
increasingly perturbed. It was close to the time of the annual
pilgrimage ( Hajj ) to the Kabah, and people from all over the
peninsula were expected in Makkah before long. The Quraysh
feared the Muslims would attract and influence the visitors. They
also worried about the loss of face that would ensue if a rival
religion flourished in the stronghold of their gods. A delegation
of the Quraysh called on Waleed bin Mugheera, who was old and
a man of standing.
He said, “O people of Quraysh, the time of Hajj has come, and
people from all sides will come to you. They have all heard about
Muhammad, so agree upon what to say about him lest you
contradict one another.”
44
The people said, “You say something and decide on a course for us.”
He said, “No, you speak and I shall listen to you.”
The people said, “Well, we will say that he is a soothsayer.”
“He is not a soothsayer,” said Waleed. “He neither speaks nor
versifies like them.”
“Then we will say he is mad,” someone suggested.
“He is not mad,” Waleed said. “We all know the signs of
madness. He does not behave erratically, nor is his speech
confused.”
“Then we shall say that he is a poet.”
“But he is not a poet,” Waleed pointed out. “We know the
different kinds of poetry, and his words can’t be compared to any
of them. He is, therefore, not a poet.”
“Well, we will say he is a sorcerer, ’’another suggested haplessly.
“He is not a sorcerer either. We have seen sorcery and sorcerers.
He practices neither the art of exorcism nor the tying of knots,”
Waleed explained.
The people said: “What shall we say then?”
Waleed thought for a moment and said, “By God, his words are
sweet, fresh and attractive. His root is firm and his branches are
fruitful. Hence, whatever you claim about him will not be
believed. However, it is more convincing, in my opinion, if you
were to present him as a sorcerer. You should say that he has
brought a message by which he creates a rift between father and
son, brother and brother, husband and wife. Under his influence
family ties have been rent asunder, and every day families break
up because of him.”
Having agreed upon this line of defense, the Quraysh formed
small groups to spread the propaganda. They waited along the
different paths leading the pilgrims to their destination and
45
would caution every passer-by about the Prophet, with the result
that almost everyone formed an impression of the Prophet M
without having seen or heard him.
When the days of Hajj came, the Prophet rose to meet the
pilgrims in gatherings. He also called on them at their camps to
invite them to Islam. He would say: “O people! Say La ilaaha
illallah and you will attain success.” Abu Lahab, meanwhile,
would walk behind the Prophet M, belittling him. Thus, by the
time the pilgrims returned from Hajj that year, all of Arabia
knew of Muhammad H and his mission, either through his own
efforts or those of his detractors.
Various strategies against Islam
After performing Hajj, the pilgrims returned home to face the
disquieting issue of a new, rival religion. Having lapsed into
polytheism for so long, the Arabs saw Islam as a new religion,
one they had to stamp out. They refused to acknowledge that it
was simply a return to the pristine monotheism preached by their
forefathers, Ibraheem and Isma‘eel.
The outraged pagans devised various ways to deal with the
current situation, confident that these plans, when put into action,
would vanquish the threat of Islam. Their tactics included
ridicule, abuse, slander, debate, and open harassment of the
Prophet H and his followers.
Ridicule, contempt and mockery
To demoralize and demean the Messenger of Allah, the pagan
Arabs began to vilify him: “This is a poet, a madman, a
soothsayer ... Satan comes to him and teaches him ... He is a
sorcerer, a liar.”
When they encountered the Prophet H, they would glare at him
and say scornfully: “This is the man who decries our gods!” The
idolaters would taunt the Muslims as they passed by them:
“Look! The rulers of the earth come to you. Has Allah entrusted
46
us to them?” This was a contemptuous reference to the weak
social stature of the Muslim minority who had dared to confront
the powerful majority.
The unjust ridicule and condemnation deeply hurt even the
Prophet Allah says:
“We know that your breast is distressed by what they say.”
(15:97)
Allah then revealed verses of inspiration and comfort to help the
Prophet M remain steadfast:
‘Therefore, magnify the praises of your Lord, and be among
those who prostrate themselves before Him.” (15:98)
In other verses, the Prophet % was told that Allah alone would
judge the evildoers and polytheists, and that they would soon
reap the fruit of their evil deeds. Consoling himself and his
followers, the Prophet M said, "The messengers who came
before me have also been laughed at and condemned, but the
mockers found themselves surrounded on all sides by their
own disdain.”
Diversions
Not content with slandering and humiliating the Prophet $g, the
pagans also attempted to keep others from hearing the Prophet’s
message. Whenever he tried to preach to a group of people, the
pagans would disperse the crowd before he had a chance to
convey his message. The first opportunity to preach in public
came in Ramadan of the fifth year of the Prophet’s mission. It
.was then that he recited Surah Al-Najm before a large gathering.
Whenever the Prophet M recited the Qur’an (which was usually
during the latter part of the night in voluntary prayer), the
47
polytheists would make profane remarks about the Qur’an, the
One Who had revealed it and the one who brought it to the
people. Hence, Allah ordered the Prophet H to lower his voice
when reciting:
[ ' • *1 _r"^d
“Recite your prayers neither in a very loud voice nor silently:
follow a middle course.” (17:110)
To divert people’s attention away from the stories of the Qur’an,
Nadir bin Harith went to Hira and Syria and came back with the
legends of Dara (Darius), Sikandar, (Alexander) and Isfandyar (a
Persian king). Whenever he learned that the Prophet was
addressing an assembly, he would rush there and begin narrating
these tales. He would then ask listeners how the orations of
Muhammad could possibly be superior to his.
Nadir then went a step further and purchased singing girls. If he
heard that a certain person was considering becoming Muslim,
he would carry the person to a courtesan and ask her to entertain
him and to serve him food and drink. Then he would tell the
would-be Muslim that the company of the courtesan was far
better than what Muhammad had to say.
Allah then revealed the following verse:
[V. jloi]
‘There are, among men, those who ignorantly purchase
meaningless tales to mislead men from the path of Allah,
and they take the Words of Allah as a mockery. They will
certainly endure a humiliating punishment.” (31:6)
48
Propaganda
When the pagans did not succeed in stamping out Islam by
mocking the Prophet or by diverting people’s attention from
his teachings, they then attempted to discredit him.
First, they claimed that the Qur’an was nothing but a bundle of
confused dreams which Muhammad had at night and then recited
during the day. Next, they claimed that he had concocted the
Qur’an line for line all by himself, while at other times they said
that a certain man composed the Qur’an for him, and Muhammad
then simply memorized and recited the verses.
On other occasions the pagans said that the Qur’an was all lies he
had fabricated with the help of others. They also asserted that the
Qur’an was a collection of folk tales and ancient stories which
Muhammad recited morning and evening. They even went so far
as to say that an evil jinn or demon taught the verses of the
Qur’an to Muhammad. Thereupon Allah said:
4 V
“Shall I inform you about those upon whom demons descend?
They descend upon every sinful liar!” (26:221-222)
The pagans also spread the rumor that the Prophet % suffered
from fits and seizures. These frenzied fits, the pagans claimed,
were the source of Muhammad’s poetic inspiration! In reply to
this claim, Allah said:
[rn-rrt:»iy^ji]
“As for poets, only those who are astray follow them. They
ramble aimlessly about every subject, claiming to have
done things that they have not done.” (26: 224-226)
In this verse, Allah challenges the pagans’ claim that Muhammad
was a poet. Three characteristics of poets are mentioned: their
followers are deviants; they expound about subjects without
49
discretion; and they boast about deeds they did not perform.
When we scrutinize th^ Prophet’s character and those of his
followers, however, we find that they were upright;
Muhammad’s teachings focused on calling people to worship
Allah, the one God; and that Muhammad M put his teachings into
action and lived by the precepts he taught his followers.
Argument and quibbling
There were three tenets of the Prophet’s teachings that the pagans
found unacceptable. In fact, these three concepts were the source
of much of the discord between them and the Muslims. The
notion of resurrection on the Day of Judgment, the idea of a
mortal prophet and the concept of the unity of Allah (Tawheed)
were, in their eyes, incredible and absurd.
The concept of resurrection, they believed, was no more than a
fanciful idea. They would say, "How can we be raised again after
being reduced to dust and bone? How can our ancestors be
brought back to life?” Talking among themselves, they would
mock the Prophet’s teaching regarding the resurrection and the
hereafter. "Come. I will show you someone who claims that you
will be raised anew after being tom into pieces. Who knows
whether he is inventing stories about God or has gone mad?”
Allah Himself explains the notion of resurrection in several
verses of the Qur’an. Whereas the pagans found it illogical, the
Qur’an appeals to our sense of justice and presents resurrection
as an essential, natural component of the life cycle.
The Qur’an asks us to imagine the case of an oppressor who dies
without having been punished for the suffering he inflicted. In
addition, what about the case of someone who dies having
suffered unjustly at the hands of an oppressor? Alternatively, we
may even consider the case of a virtuous person who dies
without having been rewarded for his virtue, or an evil person
who was never punished for his unjust deeds. If nothing happens
to a person after death, and if death is indeed the final chapter of
50
our lives, then each person mentioned above would merely lie in
a grave for eternity.
In this case, the oppressors and wrong-doers, in fact, would
emerge victorious because death would protect them from being
held accountable for their actions, while those who suffered
unjustly in this life would never be rewarded. However, our
sense of justice rejects the idea that such an unfair system could
have been created by Allah, Who is more just than any of His
creations. Such a corrupt system would encourage people to do
as they pleased without fear of retribution. Allah says in the
Qur’an:
[rn-rorjjuJi]
“Shall We treat those who believe the same as those who
are corrupt? What has happened to you? How can you
believe such a thing?” (68:35-36)
O'-a- ib^n" C-J Lag J »t ££jjt <2 , ^ ^
“Or do those who spread evil think that We shall consider
them equal to the virtuous believers, both in this world and
in the next? How corrupt is their judgment!” (45:21)
Is it rational to believe that Allah can give life to that which is
dead? Allah says:
“What is more difficult to create: you, or the heavens that
He placed above your heads?” (79:27)
“Do they not understand that Allah, He Who created the
heavens and earth effortlessly, is able to resurrect the dead?
Indeed, Allah has power over all things.” (46:33)
51
He also says:
[ w : .uVi] fyt&ll lj
“Just as We began creation, We shall repeat it once again.
This is a promise that We have made, and We shall
certainly carry it out.” (21 : 104)
Others argued that although Allah is the creator of the universe,
it is impossible to reconstruct something once it has been
destroyed. Allah refutes this argument, pointing out that it is
easier to reconstruct and revive something than to create it from
nothing.
“Have We become exhausted after creating the universe
once? Verily, they are confused about the next act of
creation.” (50:15)
j? JjVl i3^'% ^
Although the Quraysh considered Muhammad M to be a truthful
man, they had difficulty accepting him as a prophet and
messenger of Allah. They believed that a mere man could not be
entrusted with such a lofty office. When Muhammad M
proclaimed his prophethood and messengership, the Quraysh
responded by saying:
; j £J\ ueiji; ijig >
“What kind of Messenger is this that eats food and walks
through the markets?” (25:7)
Allah describes the confusion of the Quraysh in the next verse:
[T:j]
“They marvel that a wamer has arisen from among them.”
(50:2)
The Quraysh also rejected the idea that mortals could be inspired
by Allah. Allah contradicted this assumption in the following
verse:
52
[<U : r U:Sfl] Jjjt^ jj^>
“Ask them: Who then revealed the Book that Moses
brought, a source of light and guidance for mankind?”
(6:91)
Numerous parallels are mentioned in the Qur’an in which a
nation refused to follow a prophet because he was of flesh and
blood:
“You are no more than a man like us.” (14:10)
The Qur’an depicts the prophets as replying to their detractors:
‘True, we are men like you, but Allah gives His blessings
to whomever He pleases.” (14: 1 1)
All of Allah’s prophets and messengers, then, were mere mortals,
and Muhammad $£ was no exception. Allah did not send angels
as messengers because mortals would not be able to follow in the
footsteps of a supernatural being. The role of Allah’s messengers
was not only to communicate Allah’s message to mankind, but
also to show mortals how to apply this divine message in an
earthly, human setting. Who could perform such a task better
than a mortal messenger could? If Allah had sent angels as
messengers, the polytheists would have been justified in asking,
‘How can we imitate supernatural beings?” This divine wisdom
is expressed in the following verse as well:
IA: fUSli]
“And had We sent him an angel, We would have given him
the form of a man. This would have confused them even
more.” (6:9)
Now, since the polytheists admitted that Ibraheem, Isma ‘eel and
Musa were all prophets as well as men, they could no longer
53
challenge Muhammad’s prophethood arguing that he was human.
Therefore, they then ridiculed the idea that Allah would appoint a
once-destitute orphan as His prophet. Why would Allah pass
over more dignified men of the Quraysh or Thaqif tribes?
“Why was not this Qur’an revealed to someone of great
importance from either (Makkah or Ta’if)?” (43:31)
Allah’s reply to their question was succinct:
“Will they determine how to distribute the Mercy of your
Lord?” (43:32)
The Qur’an, prophethood, inspiration — all are part of Allah’s
Mercy, and He alone decides how it should be distributed:
“Allah knows best who should receive His Message.”
(6:124)
Unable to question Allah’s right to bless whomever He wished
with prophethood, the polytheists now developed a different
argument to discredit Muhammad Kings, they pointed out, are
surrounded by splendor and vast wealth, and only the most
honorable dignitaries are allowed in their presence. Such kings
are aided by the wisest advisors, and have hundreds of servants,
bodyguards, and wives. How was it, they asked, that Muhammad
the emissary of Allah, was forced to wander about in the
market place in order to earn his bread?
41!^ Jj.1 . . . i
[A4V ! oUjaJI]
“They say: ‘ ...Why doesn’t an angel descend from the
54
heavens to accompany him while he admonishes us? Or,
why hasn’t a great treasure been bestowed upon him, or a
garden that he can eat from?’ The unjust among them say,
‘You follow none but a man who is possessed!’ ” (25:7,8)
The polytheists argued that Muhammad, if he were indeed a
prophet sent by Allah, should resemble a royal dignitary. Where
were his palaces? His wealth? His royal entourage? He did not
have even the companionship of a single angel to help him with
his preaching!
The Prophet H, however, saw his mission in quite different
terms. He was sent to deliver Allah’s message to all people — rich
and poor, strong and weak, free and enslaved. If he put on the
airs of a king, he would not be able to reach the majority of his
audience. The objectives of his mission required him to live as an
ordinary human being, to show people that Islam was compatible
with everyday life, and that it was not merely a tool to entertain
kings, theologians and philosophers. The Qur’an refuted the
expectations of the polytheists by using one word to describe his
status that Muhammad was a Messenger.
It might seem a little strange to us that the Quraysh would turn so
viciously on one of their own. What was so unacceptable about what
Muhammad M preached? At the root of all the conflicts between
Muhammad ^ and the polytheists was the concept of monotheism
( Tawheed ), which the polytheists had corrupted into its antithesis,
idolatry. At the same time, they accepted some of the components of
monotheism. For example, they accepted the fact that Allah is one in
His personal self, attributes and actions. The polytheists also agreed
with the Prophet $£ on the following points: Allah is the sole Creator
of the universe, He is the Lord and Provider of all living beings, He
alone gives and takes life, and it is He Who makes independent
decisions which no one can challenge.
However, hand in hand with their belief in Allah’s supremacy
was their belief that certain individuals held special powers
55
granted by Allah. These individuals, the polytheists claimed,
could perform many miraculous feats, such as healing the sick
and causing barren women to conceive. Some were believed to
act as intermediaries — when people prayed to them, these beings
supposedly relayed the prayers to Allah!
The polytheists, then, strove to please such people who supposedly
held high-ranking stations close to Allah. By pleasing these
demigods, they reasoned, one could please Allah. The people
conceived many ways to please these “friends of Allah.” For
example, it was a common practice to build shrines over the graves
of “saints” and “holy men.” People would visit these monuments
with the belief that by rubbing the walls of the shrine, or by
walking around it several times, they would earn the favor of the
person in whose honor it had been built. Some even made
offerings of produce, goods, gold, and animal sacrifice. These
offerings would be given to the shrine attendants, who would then
place the objects before the graves or idols. Generally, nothing
could be offered directly without the aid of the attendants.
However, animals were presented as offerings in a number of
ways. Sometimes worshipers would leave the animals free in the
name of some “holy man” in order to seek his pleasure. These
animals would graze and roam about at will, revered by the
people. Sometimes they carried the animal to the home of the
“holy man” and had it slaughtered there. This, however, was
done in the name of the “holy man.”
The polytheists would also organize a fair once or twice a year at
shrines dedicated to certain individuals at which people gathered
and performed the acts of worship and adoration mentioned
above. Such fairs were often scheduled around the death
anniversaries of these saints, and people would journey long
distances to attend these gatherings.
All these acts of worship and adoration were performed in hopes
of pleasing the dead “holy men,” and winning their intercession.
56
The pagans would address certain saints saying, “O father! Answer
my request, and remove such and such hardship.” The polytheists
believed that the dead people that they prayed to could not only
hear them, but could also answer their prayers with powers given
to them by Allah, or by interceding with Allah.
Such were the practices of the pagans — associating partners
with Allah by deifying human beings and inanimate objects even
as they denied His power to resurrect His creation. It was in this
citadel of polytheism that the Prophet M was sent to preach the
message of the One God, and to teach people of His Oneness.
Many of the polytheists, however, viewed the message as
unreasonable and untrue, and they clung to their own flawed
beliefs about the nature of God.
“Has he made all of the gods into one god? This is
something strange! ... We have not heard of any religion
that has only one god. Surely, this is nothing but an
innovation!” (38:5-7)
Allah engages in debate with the pagans through the verses of the
Qur’an. The pagans were asked how they could tell whether or
not a person had been chosen by Allah and actually possessed the
power of intercession. For example, how could one be sure that a
person who claimed to be “close” to Allah was telling the truth?
Essentially, there are only two ways to determine whether or not
such an individual was telling the truth: by possessing knowledge
of the unseen, or by having access to a divine book.
Allah addresses this point in the Qur’an when He asks:
“Does the unseen appear before them so that they can
record it in their own books?” (68:47)
57
^ i IK £ £
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“If you speak the truth, bring me a book revealed before
this one, or some traces of knowledge to support your
claim.” (46:4)
And:
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“Say: Do you have any proof that you can bring before us?
No, because you follow nothing but conjecture and your
words are only lies.” (6:148)
The polytheists admitted that they did not have knowledge of the
unseen, nor could they produce a divinely inspired book.
Tradition and the wisdom of their ancestors were their sources of
truth.
The Qur’an quotes them as saying:
T'-" r, V
“We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we
are following in their footsteps.” (43:23)
These verses highlight the ignorance and helplessness of the
polytheists, and Allah makes the matter clear when He says in
the Qur’an:
‘Truly, Allah knows, but you know not.” (16:74)
Referring to saints and intercessors, Allah leaves no doubt about
their status:
^ $ OJ* Jt o[ ^
58
“Verily, those whom you pray to besides Allah are servants
like you. So call upon them and let them answer, if you
speak the truth.” (7:194)
Allah challenges those who still insist there are individuals with
special powers who can answer prayers. In verse after verse, Allah
emphasizes the futility of praying to any one other than Him:
“Those whom you pray to other than Allah do not even
possess a Qitmeer [the thin membrane that covers a date
stone].” (35: 13)
“If you pray to them, they will not hear you. Moreover, even
if they did hear you, they could not answer your prayers.
Then, on the Day of Judgment, they will deny that they
asked you to worship them. Who can inform you of these
things better than Allah. He Who knows all things?” (35: 14)
“Those whom they pray to other than Allah have not
created a single thing. In fact, they themselves were
created. Dead, utterly lifeless, they know not when they
will be raised up.” (16:20-21)
And:
:,_i1 jpMi] 4'
“Do they associate partners with Allah that cannot create
anything, partners that were created themselves? These
partners cannot help those who pray to them, nor can they
even help themselves!” (7:191-192)
59
The polytheists who lived during the time of the Prophet
Muhammad M agreed with him that Allah created everything,
and that the gods they worshiped created nothing. How was it
then, Allah asks them in the Qur’an, that they worshiped
something that had been created instead of worshiping the One
who created everything?
The polytheists answered this by claiming that their ancestors
had all prayed to other gods besides Allah. These ancestors, and
the Prophet Muhammad’s ancestors were among them, who had
believed in the power of such gods. In addition, was it not true,
they asked, that their ancestors were known for their wisdom and
intelligence? How, then, could one question their religion?
Allah answers their argument in the Qur’an by challenging their
ancestors’ wisdom in matters of religion. He characterizes them
as misguided and incapable of understanding, as seen in the
following verses.
[v<
“They found their fathers on the wrong path, so they
hastily followed their footsteps.” (37:69-70)
Besides insisting on the wisdom of their polytheistic forefathers,
the polytheists accused the Prophet M and the Muslims of
disrespect to their gods and threatened them with the wrath of
these false deities.
“We say that some of our gods have inflicted you with
madness!” (1 1:54)
In answer to these weak threats, Allah reminds the idolaters of
the absolute powerlessness of their gods. Motionless, mute and
defenseless, how could these effigies harm the Muslims or
destroy them?
60
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“Have they feet to walk with? Hands to grasp with? Eyes
to see with? Ears to hear with? Say: Call upon those you
claim to be Allah’s partners and then plot against me, and
give me no respite!” (7:195)
Allah sets forth a parable, saying:
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“O people! A parable will be set before you, so listen to it
carefully. Those whom you call upon and pray to besides
Allah cannot create even a fly, even if they all gathered for
this purpose. And if a fly should snatch anything from
them, they would not be able to recover what the fly had
taken from them. How feeble is the petitioner! How feeble
the petitioned!” (22:73)
Some of the Muslims, tired of the insults to their faith, derided
the helplessness of the pagan gods, as in this taunt about an idol
that could not defend itself against animal excrement: “A god
that lets foxes urinate over his head is certainly weak and base.”
Incensed, the polytheists heaped abuse on the Muslims as well as
their Lord. The degeneration of a profound spiritual conflict into
puerile name-calling was stopped when Allah forbade the
Muslims to indulge in petty slurs, saying:
[Wrsjbill] > - > ~
X9 4jLil s
“Do not insult those who worship false gods lest they
ignorantly insult Allah in return.” (6:108)
As we have seen, every argument forwarded by the polytheists
was refuted by Allah himself, while His Prophet si went about
preaching his message undeterred by their ridicule and abuse.
61
Realizing the futility of verbal debates and disputes, the
polytheists considered using force against Islam to deter people
from the path of Allah. The notables and chieftains of each tribe
began to ill-treat the Muslims among them, and a delegation of
theirs approached Abu Talib. They demanded that he stop the
Prophet M from preaching.
Persecution had begun in earnest, and several Muslim lives
would be lost to the wrath of the Quraysh. Torture, exile and
poverty were what the Quraysh promised, while Paradise and
Allah’s Grace were the rewards promised by Allah and His
Prophet M- Was it surprising that despite physical limitations, the
early Muslims chose to trade their earthly lots for the Hereafter?
Persecution begins
The persecution of the Muslims was a terrible phase in early
Islam. There were numerous heart-rending incidents in which
Muslims were tortured and often killed by the Quraysh. The
collective memories of the early Muslim community catalogued
the injuries and casualties suffered by its members, and in this
biography of the Prophet of Islam it is fitting that we mention the
lives and deaths of his most ardent followers, those who
recognized the truth of his message and died believing in AlHih
and His Messenger.
Bilal bin Rabah 4® was the slave of Umayya bin Khalaf. Incensed at
his slave’s assertion of spiritual independence, Umayya would hand
him over to the street urchins after tying a rope around his neck. As
they would drag him, Bilal would reiterate “One! One!” in reference
to the Oneness of God. Umayya would also bring Bilal out at noon
and throw him on his back on the burning sand or stone with a heavy
rock on his chest. Then he would say to Bilal, “Now, by God, you
will lie here till you either die or deny Muhammad and worship Lat
and Uzza.” Bilal endured the affliction, reaffirming his faith in Allah
by calling out, “One! One!”
Finally, the torture ended when Abu Bakr M saw Bilal as he was
62
passing by. His wealth was now a tool with which to earn Allah’s
pleasure, and he purchased Bilal and freed him.
Amir bin Fuhayrah <&> was another early believer who endured
beatings so merciless that he lost his senses and did not know
what he was saying.
Aflah also known as Abu Facjih, was the slave of Banu Abdul
Dar. He was usually taken out in the scorching heat at noon in
fetters and forced to lie naked, with a heavy stone on his chest.
Often the agony rendered him insensible. On one occasion, the
pagans tied a rope around his feet and neck and dragged him
about until he nearly died. He was finally rescued by Abu Bakr
&>, who, unable to see a fellow Muslim suffer so, bought him out
of bondage. Aflah was among the early Muslims who later
migrated to Abyssinia.
Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt <&>, a well-known Companion of the
Prophet was bought by a woman of Banu Khuzaa named
Umm Anmar bint Sabaa’. He was a blacksmith, and to make
Khabbab renounce his belief in the Prophet M, Umm Anmar
would brand him on the back with his own tools. Others would
also join in the torture. They would twist his neck, pull out his
hair, and even throw him on burning coals. A rock would be
placed on him so that he could not move. Miraculously,
Khabbab’s faith grew stronger with each attempt to drive him
back to disbelief.
Zinira ^ j was a Roman slave girl who embraced Islam.
When the pagans found out that she had become Muslim, they
tortured her until she went blind, and gloated that the wrath of
their gods Lat and Uzza had caused her to go blind. It was Allah
Who had blinded her, she told them, and if He so willed, He
could restore her eyesight. The next morning she awoke to find
her vision completely restored. Her tormentors, however, were
not convinced of the miracle and claimed this was nothing more
than Muhammad’s sorcery.
63
Umm Abis <5n was a slave of Banu Zahra. She suffered at
the hands of her master, Malik Aswad bin Abd Yaghuth, who
began to torture her when she accepted Islam. Malik was a sworn
enemy of the Prophet and used to ridicule him relentlessly.
A slave of Amr bin Mu’mil from Banu Adiy embraced Islam. Her
torturer was none other than Umar bin Khattab, who at that point
was still an unbeliever. Umar, famous for his strength, would beat
her until he was exhausted. He would then stop, informing her that
he was stopping not out of mercy, but out of fatigue. “Your Lord
will also treat you accordingly,” retorted the slave girl.
Among the slaves who embraced Islam were also Nahdiya and
her daughter These two were the slaves of a woman of Banu
Abdul Dar. Mother and daughter suffered punishment on account
of their faith until Abu Bakr bought them from their mistress
and set them free, just as he had done with Bilal, Amir bin
Fuhayrah and Abu Faqih ^ > His use of his wealth in this
manner earned him reproof from his father, Abu Quhafa, who
told him, “I notice that you are freeing weak heads. Had you
freed strong men, they would stand you in good stead.” In reply,
Abu Bakr said, “I seek but the pleasure of Allah.” Through the
following verses that were revealed, Allah indicated that Abu
Bakr had succeeded in his undertaking:
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ip iffj O Jsjaf iJu if. lyj o j*1L O
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“I warn you all of a fire blazing fiercely. None shall enter it
except the most wretched, those who deny and turn away.
However, the God-fearing will be saved from the fire,
those who spend their wealth in order to purify themselves,
who spend without seeking a reward in return. They seek
only the countenance of their Lord, the Most High. Verily,
soon they will be pleased.” (92:14-21)
64
Not all the slaves who became Muslim were ransomed. Some
succumbed to their injuries, while others were forced to recant in
public although they remained believers at heart. Ammar bin
Yasir and his parents belonged to the Banu Makhzoom tribe, of
which Abu Jahl was a chieftain. Led by Abu Jahl, various people
from the tribe would take Ammar and his family to Abtah and
leave them in the scorching sun. The Prophet is saw their plight
and exhorted them to stand fast in faith, saying “Patience, O
family of Yasir, patience. Your destination is Paradise. O Allah!
Forgive the family of Yasir.” And stand fast they did. Yasir,
Ammar’s father, bore the torture until his death.
Sumayyah bint Khayyat, 4-^ ^ j the mother of Ammar, was a
slave of Abu Hudhayfah Makhzoomi. This frail old woman died
and attained the honor of being the first martyr in Islam when
Abu Jahl struck a lance at her genitals.
As for Ammar, the torture became unbearable for him. The
polytheists would make him wear a coat of mail and put a heavy
red stone on his chest. Overpowered by distress, he uttered
whatever the polytheists bade him say. However, at heart he
remained full of faith. Ammar was remorseful at his body’s
betrayal of his heart and soul. With the revelation of the
following verse, however, Ammar and all the believers were
heartened, for Allah assured them that He looked at believing
hearts, not at tongues weakened by torture:
“Those who renounce faith in Allah and open their hearts
to disbelief — except for those believers who are forced to
recant outwardly — will earn Allah’s wrath and a great
punishment.” (16:106)
While some form of hostility from the community at large was
65
only to be expected, it was strange that even the immediate
families of the new Muslims joined in the persecution. Love
vanished in the face of allegiance to their idols. When Mus‘ab
bin Umayr accepted Islam, his privileged lifestyle ended. His
mother refused to give him food and drink and turned him out of
her house. Defenseless and shunned by the one who had given
birth to him, he was brutally tortured, and his skin was peeled off
like the slough of a snake by his tormentors.
Suhayb bin Sinan Rumi 4* was another Muslim who was
tortured to the extent that he lost control over what he said, and
babbled anything his tormentors had him utter.
In the eyes of the Quraysh, slaves who became Muslim were
rebels to be tortured to death. Their low social status left them
vulnerable to all kinds of abuse. Nevertheless, not even wealth
and social standing guaranteed complete immunity to anyone
who became Muslim. Uthman bin Affan 4 * was a well-to-do
person in the community, but he too was tortured in various
ways. Once his uncle wrapped him up tightly in a mat and
burned incense from below.
Abu Bakr and Talha bin Ubaydullah were also harassed.
Naufal bin Khuwaylid, and, it is said, Uthman bin Ubaydullah,
trussed both of them with the same rope so that they could not pray
and practice their new faith. However, both Abu Bakr and Talha
were found praying, the rope having been mysteriously untied. Since
both of them had been fastened with the same rope, they came to be
called Qarayn, which means “joined together.”
Abu Jahl, who is referred to several times in the Qur’an for his
implacable hatred of Islam and his arrogance, was one of the
prominent Makkans who had made it his mission to fight Islam
and its followers. His hate and ire grew every time he heard of
someone becoming Muslim. If the new Muslim held a high
position in society, Abu Jahl would rebuke him and threaten him
with the loss of property and honor. If someone from a lower
66
station accepted Islam, Abu Jahl would beat him severely and
incite others to do the same. As a general policy, the polytheists
persecuted any new Muslim, often to the point of death,
especially if the convert belonged to a weaker section of tribal
society. If, however, they saw a prominent person accept Islam,
they proceeded more cautiously, as only polytheists of the same
social status could challenge the convert.
Polytheists avoid openly abusing the Prophet
Because the Prophet % had enjoyed great prestige and belonged
to a highly respected tribe, his opponents did not dare mistreat
him the way they did the slave converts to Islam. In addition to
being from a noble tribe, he also enjoyed the protection of his
uncle, Abu Talib, who was venerated as a great chieftain. Abu
Talib was a towering personality from Banu Abdu Munaf, a
family that had gained the respect of not only the Quraysh, but
also the whole of Arabia. The people of Makkah held him in high
esteem and no one would even think of dishonoring him by
harming his nephew. For these reasons, the pagans had to be
quite careful in how they opposed the Prophet M-
They decided to hold talks with Abu Talib — talks in which they
would hint at what might befall Muhammad if he continued
opposing their religion.
Talks between Abu Talib and the Quraysh
After considerable thought as to strategy, some nobles of the
Quraysh came to Abu Talib and said to him, “Your nephew
speaks ill of our gods, casts blame on our religion, calls us
ignorant and frivolous, and denounces our fathers as depraved
and misguided. Either you stop him, or cut him off so that we can
deal with him.”
Abu Talib answered them mildly and let them leave without an
altercation. Muhammad 36, however, continued to proclaim himself
Allah’s Prophet, and continued to call on all to embrace Islam.
67
The Quraysh challenge Abu Talib
Soon the Quraysh realized that Abu Talib was not going to ask
his nephew to stop his rebellious preaching. They could no
longer keep silent, and eventually they all came together to plan
their response to the situation.
Afterwards, they again met with Abu Talib, and this time their
words were not so honeyed. They warned him sternly, “O Abu
Talib, you are old and we hold you in high esteem. We asked you
to restrain your nephew, but you did nothing. By God, we cannot
tolerate this any longer — our fathers are denounced, we are
called ignorant, and our gods are insulted. Either you stop him, or
we will fight you both until one side perishes.”
Abu Talib felt the sting of these belligerent words. The
polytheists of Makkah had challenged him, and he took the threat
seriously. He sent for the Prophet $s and told him of what the
men of the Quraysh had said. “Have mercy on me and yourself,”
he told his nephew, “and do not impose on me a burden greater
than I can bear.”
When the Prophet M heard what Abu Talib had to say, he replied:
“O my uncle, I swear by Allah, if they were to place the sun in
my right hand and the moon in my left and ask me to abandon
this mission, I would not turn from it until Allah made me
victorious or I perished therein.”
Witnessing Muhammad’s resolve, Abu Talib unhesitatingly
offered his nephew his full support. “Come back, my nephew!
Go where you please and say what you will. By God, I will never
turn away from you, come what may.”
The Quraysh make Abu Talib a strange proposal
The Quraysh saw that their threats and challenges had been
ignored. Muhammad M was still preaching a doctrine that
defamed their gods and the customs of their ancestors. They also
found that Abu Talib was not about to abandon his nephew in the
68
face of threats. Instead, he seemed to be prepared to fight the
entire tribe in order to protect him.
The Quraysh considered the immense potential danger of the
situation. Muhammad M was popular among the people of
Makkah, although he represented a threat to their way of life.
They held more meetings to try to come up with ways to deal
with him. At last, they decided to make Abu Talib a proposal.
The idea revolved around Ammarah bin Waleed, a handsome
young boy from the Quraysh tribe. They took him to Abu Talib
and said, “O, Abu Talib! Take this youth from us and treat him
as your own son. Give him your complete support. In exchange
for him, give us your nephew — a young man who has challenged
the ways of your forefathers and caused disputes among the
Makkans, denouncing them as ignorant men who have deviated
from the straight path. We shall then put him to death. After all,
we are giving you one man in exchange of another.”
Abu Talib could only respond to such a ridiculous idea with
sarcasm. “By God, you are offering me a very bad bargain. You are
giving me your son so that I can feed him lavishly, and asking for
my son so that you may kill him! By God, it will never happen.”
Persecution of the Prophet
When neither threats nor bargains proved successful in swaying
Abu Talib, the Quraysh decided to persecute the Prophet $£.
Simultaneously, they intensified their campaign against the
believers.
Because of the Prophet’s high position in Makkan society, only
those of like standing dared mistreat him. Those who harassed the
Prophet M in his own house were Abu Lahab, Hakam bin Abi Al-
As bin Umayya, Uqba bin Abi Mu‘ayt, Adiy bin Hamra Thaqafi,
Ibn Al-Asda Hadhab — all of whom were his neighbors. When the
Prophet % bowed down in prayer, someone threw the fetus of a
camel on his back. Others would throw similar filth at his door.
69
The Prophet M would remove it with a piece of wood and say, “O
Banu Abdu Munaf! What kind of neighborhood is this?”
Whenever Umayya bin Khalaf saw the Prophet M, he would taunt
him before the people of Makkah. Similarly, his brother, Abi bin
Khalaf, crumbled a rotten bone and threw it in the face of the
Prophet He would also say to the Prophet M- “ O Muhammad,
I have a horse named Ud, and I feed it three heaps of food so that
I can kill you while upon its back!” One day the Prophet M
answered his challenge by saying, “No, it is I who will kill you.”
The Prophet’s words came true when he killed Abi during the
Battle of Uhud.
On another occasion, Uqba bin Abi Mu'ayt sat beside the
Prophet listening to him. When Abi bin Khalaf found out that
his friend Uqba had been with the Prophet #, he chided him for
that and then said to Uqba, “Go and spit in the face of
Muhammad.” Ever mindful that allegiance to the tribe came
before even honor and decency, Uqba rose from his seat,
approached the Prophet M, and spat in his face.
Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s uncle, who had freed a slave to
celebrate his nephew’s birth, became his sworn enemy from the
day he heard his nephew call the people to Islam from atop
Mount Safa. The two sons of Abu Lahab, Utbah and Atiba, had
married the Prophet’s daughters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthoom,
respectively. Abu Lahab ordered both his sons to divorce their
wives, threatening never to see them again if they refused. His
wife, Umm Jameel Ardi bint Harb, also asked them to divorce
their wives for they had become “disbelievers.” Utbah and Atiba
obeyed their parents and divorced the Prophet’s daughters.
Umm Jameel was no less vicious in her enmity. Her nephew by
marriage was posturing as a messenger, daring to oppose the
gods she held dear. She resolved to punish him. She used to
scatter prickly bits of wood over the path that the Prophet $$ and
his Companions would pass.
70
When Umm Jameel heard that a short chapter of the Qur’an
{Surah Abu Lahab ) had been revealed to the Prophet $£ which
condemned her to Hell for this very act, she began searching for
him, armed with a rock. He was sitting near the Ka'bah along with
Abu Bakr She strode up to Abu Bakr and asked him,
“Where has your companion gone? I have come to know that he
speaks ill of me. By God, if I find him I shall hurl this stone at his
face. Look, I am also a poet.” She then uttered the following verses
and went away:
We disobeyed the blameworthy, rejected his call, and
renounced his religion with disdain.
Abu Bakr was amazed that Umm Jameel had not seen the
Prophet sitting right beside him. “O Prophet! Did she fail to see
you?”
He said, “Yes, she could not see me because Allah seized her
sight.”
Meanwhile, the Quraysh invented a new way of abusing the
Prophet they began calling him Mudhammam instead of
Muhammad, the meaning of which is the opposite of his real
name. “Muhammad” is one who is highly praised, while
Mudhammam is one who is vehemently condemned. Allah,
however, protected the Prophet’s honor by revealing that the
Quraysh abused one known as Mudhammam, while the Prophet
was “Muhammad” by name.
As has been mentioned earlier, one of the most adamant enemies
of the Prophet and his followers was Abu Jahl. His actual name
was Abu Hakam, which literally means Father of Wisdom, but his
behavior toward the Prophet M and the early Muslims earned him
the title Abu Jahl, Father of Ignorance. Anyone who abandoned the
local pagan religion for Islam was a renegade and Abu Jahl would
take him to task for his treachery. He abused the Prophet % openly,
and would attempt to obstruct the Prophet $g from performing his
prayers.
71
One day Abu Jahl saw the Prophet $$ performing his prayers and
began harassing and threatening him as he prayed. At last the
Prophet caught hold of a piece of cloth around Abu Jahl’s neck
and, shaking him strongly, quoted these two verses from the
Qur’an:
[ro-n :i.uJi]
“Woe to you! Woe to you! Again, woe to you! Woe to
you!” (75:34-35)
Abu Jahl shot back, “Muhammad! You are challenging me! By
God, you and your Lord cannot do me any harm. I am the
strongest man in this valley.”
Eager for revenge, Abu Jahl asked his comrades, “Does
Muhammad put his face on the earth in your presence?”
“Yes,” they replied.
“By Lat and Uzza,” Abu Jahl swore, “if I ever see him do so, I
shall trample his face and neck into the dust.” The day came
when Abu Jahl saw the Prophet M performing his prayers, so he
marched toward him with the intention of carrying out his threat.
Suddenly, onlookers saw him retreat before reaching the
defenseless Muhammad M, his arms clawing at the air.
“What happened, Abu Hakam?” the people asked.
“A trench of fire and a screen of devastation stood between him
and me,” the dazed Abu Jahl replied.
The Prophet remarked to his followers, “Had he come near
me, the angels would have swooped down upon every limb of
his.”
Uqba bin Abi Mu‘ayt was another who earned eternal disgrace
for his despicable treatment of the Prophet Once the Prophet
was praying near the Ka'bah while Abu Jahl and his comrades
72
were sitting nearby. Meanwhile, Abu Jahl asked the others, “Is
there one who will bring the innards of a camel of Banu so-and-
so and place it on Muhammad’s back while he is prostrating in
prayer?” Uqba, anxious to prove his daring, got up and returned
with the intestines of a slaughtered camel. He stayed to the side
until he saw the opportunity to catch the Prophet $§ in
prostration. When the Prophet H bowed his head to the earth,
Uqba laid the camel intestines on the Prophet’s neck and
shoulders.
Abu Jahl and his followers burst into laughter, but the Prophet M
remained in prostration and did not raise his head. Someone
informed the Prophet’s daughter, Fatimah, who then came
running to the Ka'bah. She removed the foul-smelling intestines
from her father’s back, and he raised his head and prayed to
Allah: “O Allah! Seize the Quraysh!” When Abu Jahl and his
comrades heard Muhammad’s prayer, they felt a very heavy
weight on their hearts because they believed that in Makkah, all
prayers were granted.
The Prophet % continued to pray aloud in front of his enemies,
mentioning each one by name and asking Allah to avenge him.
The Quraysh were right about their misgivings regarding the
Prophet’s prayer for retribution, for Allah soon answered it. In
the Battle of Badr, which was the first battle the Muslims fought
against the Makkan pagans, each person the Prophet %
mentioned in his prayer fell on the battlefield.
It seemed as if the enemies of Islam far outnumbered the
followers of the Prophet All the notables, with the exception
of a discerning, fortunate few like Abu Bakr and Uthman
Uj — used their wealth and power to persecute the Prophet M-
Besides Abu Jahl, the five prominent persons who used to
ridicule the Prophet were Waleed bin Mugheera Makhzoomi,
Aswad bin Abd Yaghuth Zuhri, Abu Zam‘a Aswad bin Abdul
Muttalib Asadi, Harith bin Qays Khuzai, and As bin Wa’il
73
Sahmi. The Prophet did not take revenge even once during the
many years he lived in Makkah after he began his mission. He
was content with Allah’s promise that He Himself would deal
with his opponents and detractors. In the end, Muhammad’s
harshest enemies met with agonizing deaths.
Waleed bin Mugheera was merely scratched by an arrow, and he
thought nothing of it. The angel Jibreel, however, pointed
towards the scratch and it became inflamed. The wound plagued
Waleed for many years until he finally died.
Likewise, Jibreel pointed towards the head of Aswad bin Abd
Yaghuth and he developed boils that caused his death. Another
source states that these boils resulted from sunstroke that Jibreel
had inflicted on him. According to yet another narration, Jibreel
pointed towards Aswad’s belly and he developed dropsy that
caused his belly to swell so much that he died.
When Aswad bin Abdul Muttalib became excessive in his
persecution of the Prophet the Prophet asked Allah to
“snatch” his eyesight and to deprive him of fatherhood. In
response to his supplication, Jibreel was sent to strike his face
with a thorny branch so that Aswad lost his eyesight. He then
struck his son dead.
Harith bin Qays, the last of these five previously named
opponents of the Prophet met a horrible death. As he lay
dying, his stomach filled with yellow fluid, and the contents of
his intestines began to flow from his nose.
Divine intervention and retribution came to those most active
and vocal in their hatred of Islam, but for the most part, the
Prophet quietly endured all the hardships, just as prophets before
him had done. Looking at his patience and unshakable faith, the
believers were heartened during their sufferings in the cause of
Allah. Verbal abuse and physical threats continued, so the
Prophet devised ways of defense. He took two steps to help
secure the fledgling Muslims.
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Dar Al-Arqam
First, the Prophet M began using the house of Arqam bin Abi Al-
Arqam as a secret center for prayer, preaching, education and
training. Arqam’s house was ideally located at the foot of Mount
Safa, only a short walk from the Kabah and its bustling crowds.
The pagans who lived in the area, therefore, did not take notice
of the many people who gathered in Arqam’s house.
The Prophet $j§ would meet his Companions there and recite
verses of the Qur’an to them which they would then memorize.
These arrangements allowed the early Muslims to learn the
essential tenets of Islam and perform prayers in secret without
incurring the wrath of their neighbors or other family members
who had not converted.
As for the Prophet M, he continued to perform his prayers in the
open for all to see. In the face of persecution, insults, and
harassment, he kept preaching the message of Islam to everyone
he met. It was the wisdom and mercy of Allah that the Prophet
never refrained from carrying on with his mission, even under
extremely adverse conditions. Because of his efforts, no soul will
be able to argue on the Day of Judgment that Allah did not send a
messenger to warn those who were astray and to show them the
straight path.
Migration to Abyssinia
The next step the Prophet jg took was aimed at preserving the
Muslim community from increasing belligerence. He had heard
much about the King of Abyssinia, who was known to be a just
Christian ruler, one who would allow no persecution in his land.
The Prophet M directed the Muslim community to migrate to
Abyssinia and to take shelter there.
The first batch of Muslims migrated in the month of Rajab, five
years after Muhammad ^ had become a Prophet. Twelve men
and four women made the journey across the Red Sea. Uthman
75
bin Affan was the leader of the group, accompanied by his
wife, Ruqayyah, one of the Prophet’s daughters. Their voluntary
exile marked the first instance of a family migrating for religious
reasons since the time of Ibraheem and Lut (Lot).
Late one night the small group of immigrants slipped out of
Makkah and made their way to Sha’iba, a port south of Jeddah.
Fortunately, two cargo ships were present there. The group
boarded a ship and sailed to Abyssinia. There they found the
refuge they needed until Allah made it safe for them to return to
Makkah.
When the Quraysh found out that a group of Muslims had fled,
they erupted in anger. They swiftly sent some men to bring them
back to teach them such a lesson that they would recant their
faith. However, the Quraysh reached the coast too late — the
Muslims had already made their way out to sea. Tired and
disappointed, the Quraysh returned to Makkah to begin plotting
their next move.
Polytheists prostrate along with Muslims
About two months after the migration to Abyssinia, the Prophet
came to the Ka'bah. A large number of the Quraysh were
present, and their chieftains and noblemen were sitting among
them. The chapter (Surah) of the Qur’an called Al-Najm had only
recently been revealed to the Prophet
Suddenly the Prophet rose before the Quraysh and began reciting
the verses of Surah Al-Najm. The Quraysh kept silent. No one
there had ever heard such powerful words. They were
bewildered: Muhammad, their swom enemy, was standing before
them reciting, and they were left powerless. No one could stand
to make him stop, and none could even ridicule him. The Prophet
3S reached the closing verse and prostrated, putting his head to
the ground in worship of Allah, Lord of the universe:
[IV: \j ^
76
“Prostrate before Allah and worship Him.” (53:62)
Miraculously, all of the Quraysh were so overcome by the
recitation that they prostrated along with him. Ibn Mas‘ud a
Companion of the Prophet *g, reported that one of the Quraysh
present that day, Umayya bin Khalaf, “took a handful of dust and
rubbed it on his forehead saying, ‘This is enough for me.’” Ibn
Mas'ud would later see Umayya killed during the Battle of Badr.
Return of the immigrants
News of how the Quraysh had prostrated after hearing the
Prophet recite verses from the Qur’an reached the Muslims in
Abyssinia. It was rumored that the Quraysh had accepted Islam.
Joyfully they left Abyssinia and set sail for Arabia. Once they
were just outside Makkah, however, they discovered that nothing
had changed. The Quraysh were still opposed to Islam, and
Makkah was still a hostile territory. Disappointed, some decided
to return to Abyssinia, while others entered Makkah and found
shelter with some sympathetic non-Muslims.
Second migration to Abyssinia
Their prostration at the close of Surah Al-Najm had left the
Quraysh looking weak. This loss of strength had to be countered
with increased hostility, or people would think they had become
convinced of the truth of Muhammad’s message. Therefore, they
began to intensify their persecution of the Muslims. Furthermore,
the Quraysh were growing jealous of the hospitality the King of
Abyssinia had extended to the Muslim immigrants in his country.
They resolved to match his kindness to the Muslims with
hostility.
For reasons of safety, the Prophet a| decided to again have a
group of Muslims migrate to Abyssinia. Eighty-two or eighty-
three men and eighteen women got themselves ready for the
journey. This time, of course, it would not be easy for them to
slip past the Quraysh, but they managed to flee Makkah without
77
their enemies noticing.
Quraysh attempt to extradite Muslims
The Quraysh found it difficult to accept the fact that a large
group of Muslims had managed to escape their campaign of
terror. Safe in Abyssinia, the Muslims now enjoyed the
experience of not facing any opposition to their faith and way of
life. The Quraysh, nonetheless, had a plan. They sent two of their
very shrewd envoys, Amr bin Al-Aas and Abdullah bin Rabi’a,
to Abyssinia to have the Muslims extradited back to Arabia.
According to the plan, the two representatives of the Quraysh
first met the Abyssinian bishops and bribed them in order to gain
access to the King. When they succeeded in getting an audience
with him, they presented him with gifts from Arabia. Then they
stated their case:
“O King! Some foolish men from our city have taken
refuge in your majesty’s country. They have abandoned our
religion, but rather than accepting your religion, they have
invented one of their own. Their families, knowing of their
delusions, have sent us to Your Majesty to bring them back
home.”
When they had made their plea to the King, the Abyssinian
bishops stood and urged him to grant their request. The King,
however, was a very fair judge. He said that he would allow both
parties to make their statements before making a decision. The
Muslim refugees were summoned to the King’s court. Then the
King questioned them why they had entered an unknown religion
that had caused them to abandon their families and tribes.
Ja‘far bin Abu Talib, the Prophet’s cousin, rose on behalf of the
Muslims and said:
“O King! We were a nation steeped in ignorance. We
worshipped idols, ate carrion and committed many
abominations. We neglected our kin and mistreated our
78
neighbors. The strong among us devoured the weak. We
lived thus until Allah raised among us a messenger, of
whose noble lineage, truthfulness, honesty and purity we
were all aware.
“He invited us to acknowledge the Oneness of God, to
worship Allah, and to renounce the stones and idols our
forefathers we used to venerate. He enjoined upon us to
speak the truth, to keep our word, and to be kind and
considerate to our relatives and neighbors. He forbade us to
shed blood, to act wantonly, to lie and to deceive others.
He forbade us to encroach upon the property of orphans or
to vilify chaste women.
“He commanded us to worship Allah alone without
associating anything with Him. He ordered us to pray, to
fast, and to pay the poor their due. We acknowledged he
was Allah’s messenger and believed in him. We followed
him in whatever he brought from Allah, and we
worshipped only one God without associating anything
with Him. We treated as unlawful what he forbade and
embraced what he made lawful for us. At this, our people
were estranged. They persecuted us, tried to seduce us from
our faith and force us to return to idolatry, pressing us to
return to the abominations we used to commit earlier.
When they tortured us, ground us under their tyranny and
stood between us and our religion, we fled to your country,
choosing you above others for refuge. We have come here,
O King, to your country seeking your protection. We hope
that we shall not be dealt with unjustly.”
The King listened patiently to Ja’far. Then he asked Ja'far if he
could recite something that had been revealed to Muhammad
• Ja'far then recited the opening verses of Surah Maryam, named
after Mary, the mother of Jesus. The King wept until tears flowed
to his beard, and the bishops were also overcome. “Truthfully,
this and what Jesus brought are from the same divine light.”
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Then turning to the envoys of the Quraysh, the King said, “You
may go. By God, I shall never give them to you, nor will they be
ill-treated.”
The two envoys from the Quraysh now changed their tactics. The
next day they returned to the King’s court and made another
attempt to convince the King to expel the Muslims from his
country. Amr tried to incite the King against the Muslims. “O
King! They assert a dreadful thing about Jesus which is too
shameful to be repeated before you.”
The King again summoned the Muslims to his court and
questioned them about their belief regarding Jesus.
Ja'far bin Abi Talib replied:
“We say about him that which our Prophet % has taught us.
Jesus was a human being and Allah’s Prophet. He was a
spirit and a word cast unto the blessed virgin Maryam.”
The King took a straw from the ground and said:
“By God, Jesus, the son of Mary, does not exceed what
you have said by the length of this straw. Go and live in my
territory in peace and security. Those who ill-treat you will
be punished. I shall not give you any trouble even if I were
offered a mountain of gold in exchange.”
The King then ordered that all the gifts brought by the envoys
from the Quraysh be returned. Having failed miserably, the two
envoys left for Arabia in great shame.
Polytheists are outraged
The Quraysh were very angry about what had happened in
Abyssinia. They had been mocked in the King’s court, and the
name of their tribe had been tarnished — all because of a small
band of refugees. The Muslims, they determined, would pay for
this with their blood.
Yet, how were they to be avenged for this humiliation? Abu
80
Talib was steadfast in his support for his nephew, no matter how
hard the Quraysh tried to manipulate him. With his uncle’s
protection, the Prophet $£ continued with his mission. The
Quraysh tried everything to destroy Islam: persecution,
assassination, bribery, debate, and even compromise. Nothing
worked.
More persecution of the Prophet
The defeat the pagans suffered at the Abyssinian court gave them
further cause to hate Islam. Naturally, they took out their
frustrations on the Muslims who still lived in Makkah.
Once Atiba bin Abi Lahab, who at this point was divorced from
the Prophet’s daughter, Umm Kulthoom, came to the Prophet M
and quoted a verse from Surah Al-Najm Only to say, “I disbelieve
in the one who revealed this verse.” He reiterated that although the
Quraysh had prostrated along with the Prophet M after a recitation
of this Surah , they clung to their disbelief in the divine source of
Muhammad’s prophethood and of the revelations he received.
From this point onward, Atiba became a source of constant
irritation for the Prophet He once tore the Prophet’s clothes
and spat in his face. “O Allah,” the Prophet H said in response,
“set one of your dogs on him.” Soon after that, Atiba went to
Syria along with a caravan. When the caravan halted at Zarqaa, a
lion began to circle them. Atiba panicked and cried, “By God, it
will devour me, just as Muhammad prayed. I am in Syria and he
is in Makkah, but he will still kill me.”
When they went to sleep that night, the other members of the
caravan let Atiba sleep in the middle. Despite this arrangement,
the lion passed by the camels and other men and pounced on
Atiba. It took his head in its jaws and killed him on the spot.
One enemy vyas vanquished. Others remained to plague the
Prophet M. Uqba bin Abi Mu'ayt, who had placed the camel
intestines on the Prophet’s back, once saw the Prophet M praying
81
and waited for him to place his forehead on the ground. He then
placed his foot on the Prophet’s neck and pressed down with all
his weight until the Prophet’s eyes bulged.
Finally, when nothing seemed to deter the Prophet M from
accomplishing his mission, the pagans began to think seriously
about assassinating him. They were willing to do this although it
could lead to great bloodshed. Abu Jahl rose before the Quraysh
one day and proclaimed:
“You all see that Muhammad is forever devoted to
denouncing our forefathers, calling us ignorant and
backward, and insulting our gods. Therefore, I give my
word to Allah that one day I shall lie in wait for him with a
heavy stone. When he prostrates, I will crush his head.
Following this you may save me or leave me at the mercy
of Banu Abdu Munaf.”
The people then assured him, ”By God, we will never abandon
you. Do whatever you like.”
Abu Jahl was quick to take full advantage of his followers’
loyalty. The next morning he found a heavy stone and waited for
his victim to arrive. The Prophet came to the Kabah as usual
and began to perform his prayers.
Sitting in groups around the Ka'bali, the Quraysh eagerly waited
for Abu Jahl to carry out his plan. Abu Jahl edged forward to
where the Prophet $5 stood in prayer. However, just as he was
about to close in on his victim, he suddenly turned and fled from
the scene. The Quraysh grabbed Abu Jahl and found his face
flushed, his eyes vacant, and his hands still gripping the stone.
Eventually he calmed down and released the stone. The Quraysh
said, “Abu Hakam! What happened to you?”
“I was going to carry out my promise,” Abu Jahl explained, “but
a camel appeared before me. By God, I have never seen such a
skull, neck and teeth, and it was about to devour me.”
82
The Prophet M later said that the vision Abu Jahl saw was actually
Jibreel.
Others among the Quraysh, however, were undeterred by Abu
Jahl’s experience. When a group of Quraysh saw the Prophet M
circumambulating the Ka'bah in worship, they began to make loud
satirical remarks about him. Encouraged by the fact that he seemed
hurt by these remarks, they insulted him again a second and third
time. Finally the Prophet M stopped and, facing them, said: “O
people of Quraysh! Do you hear? I swear by the One in Whose
hands lies my life, I have come to you with a great slaughter.”
The Prophet’s words weighed very heavily on those who had been
taunting him. They fell silent for a while, and then tried to calm
him down by speaking kind words to him.
The next day the same group of people assembled at the Ka'bah
and began talking about the Prophet M- A few moments later the
Prophet $g appeared and they all rushed towards him in rabid
anger. Pulling on his clothes, they asked, “Are you the one who
orders us to stop worshipping the gods of our forefathers?”
The Prophet M was not intimidated. “Yes, I am.”
The mob surrounded him on all sides, and some began pushing
and shoving him from side to side while others shouted out insults.
Uqba bin Abi Mu'ayt caught hold of a cloth hanging from around
his neck and began choking the Prophet Abu Bakr heard the
commotion and ran to defend him. He seized Uqba by his
shoulders and pulled him off the Prophet Abu Bakr tore each
man away from the Prophet, crying: “Woe to you! Would you kill
a man simply because he says that Allah is his Lord?”
Now the mob turned on Abu Bakr and let the Prophet |g go.
Abu Bakr paid a great price for rescuing the Prophet. The mob
beat him violently, and his face was so battered that his nose was
indistinguishable from his face. The people from Banu Taym
wrapped him up and took him to his house. They were sure that he
would not live to see the next day.
83
Abu Bakr however, survived the assault. That evening he
asked about the Prophet ij§. The people of Banu Taym rebuked
him for his stubborn loyalty to the Prophet and went away.
Unconcerned about his own health, Abu Bakr refused food and
drink, insistent on seeing the Prophet to make sure he was alive
and well. Finally, in the still darkness he was taken to the
Prophet H in Dar Al-Arqam. There he saw the Prophet, and only
then did he eat and drink.
Abu Bakr suffered more and more at the hands of the Makkan
pagans until he decided to migrate to Abyssinia. With this
intention, he left Makkah and headed for what had become a
place of refuge for Muslims. When he reached Bark Ghimad, he
happened to meet Malik bin Dughunna, the leader of Qara 1 and
Ahabish 2 . Malik asked him why he had left Makkah. When Abu
Bakr told him he was migrating to Abyssinia, Malik voiced his
disapproval:
“A man like you cannot be expelled. You help the
destitute, you keep good relations with your family, you
bear the burden of the helpless, you are hospitable with
guests, and you comfort those who suffer for the sake of
truth. I pledge to protect you. Come along with me and
pray to your Lord in your city.”
Abu Bakr accepted Malik’s pledge of protection, and both men
journeyed together to Makkah. Malik bin Dughunna then
announced that Abu Bakr was under his protection. The Quraysh
accepted his pledge of safety for Abu Bakr on the condition that
Abu Bakr would pray only inside his house so that no one would
see him. The pagans feared that their women, children and more
impressionable members would be influenced by such an open
show of Islam.
1 The name of a well-known tribe
2 A collection of a number of Arabian tribes who were bound by an agreement
of mutual cooperation
84
Abu Bakr abided by this stipulation for a while. He later made
for himself a prayer area in his courtyard where he started praying
and reciting the Qur’an in the open. When Ibn Dughunna learned of
this, he reminded him of the condition under which he had pledged
his safety. Abu Bakr 4* then released him from his pledge saying, “I
am agreeable to the protection and guarantee of my Lord.”
Abu Bakr was not only devout, but also tender-hearted. The
Qur’an, with its promise of reward and punishment, its
descriptions of Allah’s creation, and its narratives about previous
prophets moved him to tears. As he recited its verses, Abu Bakr
would weep. Women and children would crowd around,
watching in amazement at this show of emotion over the Qur’an.
The men of Quraysh were not about to tolerate this display for
long and renewed their resolve to harass him.
Not all the Makkans, however, took such a harsh view of Islam.
Even the pillars of pagan society found their stony hearts
crumbling when in solitude they considered the Prophet’s
message. They were no less impressed by his courage in standing
up to the Quraysh and his enduring patience.
Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet and
Umar bin Khattab 4* were two such people, and their
conversions marked a turning point in the short history of Islam.
Hamzah bin Abdul Mutallib embraces Islam
Once Abu Jahl happened to pass by the Prophet M near Mount
Safa. He began insulting the Prophet % and, according to some
sources, hit him on the head with a stone causing him to bleed.
The Prophet $s, ever patient, did not respond to Abu Jahl's
harassment. A slave woman who belonged to Abdullah bin Jad’an
witnessed the scene. Satisfied with himself, Abu Jahl went to the
Ka‘bah and sat with a group of men from the Quraysh.
Shortly afterwards Hamzah returned from hunting with his bow.
When the slave woman told him what had happened to his
85
nephew, Hamzah turned on Abu Jahl, “You bag of wind, do you
dare abuse my nephew when I follow his religion?” Hamzah struck
Abu Jahl’s head with his bow and made a gash. Men from Banu
Makhzoom (Abu Jahl’s tribesmen) and Banu Hashim (Hamzah’ s
tribesmen) rose against each other until Abu Jahl ordered his
relatives to stay put, saying, “Let Abu Ammara [Hamzah] go. I
abused his nephew unjustly.”
Hamzah’s sudden conversion was obviously the result of a strong
sense of family honor. The Prophet M had been trying for six lonely,
difficult years to spread the message of Allah, and Hamzah had not
given it much thought until then. Soon, however, something began
to grow in Hamzah’s heart. He realized that faith was taking root,
and he began to see that his love for Islam went beyond any kinship
he had with Muhammad M- His faith in Allah would become so
powerful that he would later be called “ Asadullah " ’ (The Lion of
Allah).
Umar bin Al-Khattab accepts Islam
Only three days after Hamzah’s conversion to Islam, Umar became a
Muslim. Umar, a tall and powerful man, had been a staunch enemy
of the Muslims. He was known for his fierce temper and his love of
poetry and strong drink. The story of how Umar embraced Islam is
one of the most interesting episodes in the history of Islam.
Umar had heard the Prophet % reciting verses of the Qur’an at the
Ka'bah, and some of the verses he overheard moved him. However,
his heart remained firmly opposed to Islam and the Prophet His
opposition grew to the point that one day he picked up his sword and
decided to kill the Prophet %. Fortunately, Umar did not succeed in
carrying out his intention.
With his sword gripped in his hand and his mind made up, Umar
met Nu‘aym bin Abdullah who asked him, “Where are you going?”
“I am going to slay Muhammad,” he replied.
“How will you save yourself then from Banu Hashim and Banu
86
Zuhra?”
Angered at this question, which seemed like a challenge to him,
Umar replied, “It seems as if you have forsaken our faith.”
“Umar!” Nu‘aym countered. “The amazing thing is that your
sister and brother-in-law have also renounced your faith.”
Umar was furious, and his attention was diverted from the
Prophet % to his own family. In a rage, he headed straight for his
sister’s house. At that moment, Khabbab bin Aratt was at Umar’s
sister’s house teaching her and her husband Surah Ta Ha. When
they heard Umar outside the door, Khabbab hid himself, and
Fatimah, Umar’s sister, quickly hid the sheets of paper upon
which the Qur’anic verses were written.
“What was that babble I heard?”
They could see that Umar was enraged and armed with a sword.
“Nothing, we were just talking.”
“Maybe, both of you have renounced your faith,” Umar said.
Umar’s brother-in-law said, “Well, tell me, Umar. What if the
truth lies far from your religion?” Umar’s response to this
question was swift and violent. He pounced upon his brother-in-
law and beat him mercilessly. When his sister tried to disengage
the two in defense of her husband, Umar hit her hard on the face.
Blood ran down her cheek, but at this point Fatimah was not to
be deterred from speaking the truth. Echoing her husband’s
question, she challenged the wisdom of Umar’s faith. “Umar!
What if the truth lies far from your religion?”
Then in front of her brother, she declared her own faith, using the
same words every Muslim utters as solemn testimony about the
Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad M. She said,
“I bear witness that none is worthy of worship other than Allah,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.”
When Umar heard his sister’s proud affirmation of her faith, he
87
was overwhelmed with shame. “Show me what you were reading
from,” he said.
His sister retorted, “You are unclean, and only the pure and clean
can touch it. Go wash yourself.”
A chastened Umar bathed and then took the pages of Surah Ta
Ha in his hand and recited Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem (In the
name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful).
‘These are pure names,” Umar said. He continued reading:
[ \ i : 4a] jji \$ ^
“Verily, I am Allah — there is no god but I, so worship Me
and offer prayers in remembrance of Me.” (20:14)
Umar exclaimed in awe at the sublimity of the verses. “Where
can I find Muhammad?” he asked.
When Khabbab heard this, he came out of hiding and said, “O
Umar! Rejoice. I prayed that Allah would bless you. Thursday
night I heard the Prophet M praying to Allah, saying: O Allah,
strengthen Islam by Umar bin Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham!”
When Umar heard that the Prophet $£ was at Dar Al-Arqam, he
rushed there hoping to find him. He knocked on the door, and
one of the Prophet’s Companions peeped through a chink to see
Umar, sword in hand, looking very agitated. The Companion
rushed into the back of the house with the alarming news.
“What’s the matter?” Hamzah 4* asked.
“Umar is at the door,” the Companion reported.
“Is that all?” exclaimed Hamzah. “If he comes in peace, fine. If
not, we simply kill him with his own sword.”
Muhammad M, meanwhile, was in the midst of receiving a
revelation from Allah, and upon completion of the revelation he
came into the sitting room. There sat Umar. The Prophet M
caught him by his clothes and sword belt and said to him
88
urgently, “Umar! Will you not turn back from your path unless
Allah Almighty sends down on you such chastisement as He did
on Waleed bin Mugheera? O Allah! This is Umar bin Khattab. O
Allah! Bestow power and glory on Islam through this Umar bin
Khattab.”
After the Prophet M ended his supplication, Umar said, “I bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship other than Allah,
and that you are the Prophet of Allah.”
Those present in the house cried, “Allahu AkbarV ' ( God is the
Greatest!) so loudly that their cry resonated around the Ka‘bah.
The polytheists react to Umar’s conversion
Umar was reputed among his tribesmen for his size and
temperament. Now that he was Muslim, he was determined to
announce his faith to the Prophet’s foes. Who but Abu Jahl, the
Prophet’s fiercest enemy, deserved to hear the news first?
Umar knocked on Abu Jahl’s door. Abu Jahl came out and
greeted him, “Welcome! What brings you here?”
“I have come to tell you that I have embraced the religion of
Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad,” Umar calmly stated.
Abu Jahl heard this thunderclap and said, “May God ruin you
and what you have brought!”
Umar afterwards went to Asi bin Hashim, who hurried back into
his house once he heard the news. Umar’s next stop was at the
house of Jameel bin Mu‘ammar Jami, who was noted for
spreading sensational news. When Umar told him that he had
embraced Islam, Jameel screamed,” The son of Khattab has
turned faithless!”
• “You lie,” said Umar indignantly. “I have become Muslim.”
The people heard J.ameel’s cries, and they came running. They
turned on Umar 4® and began beating him, but he fought them
89
off and returned home. The pagans, however, were not prepared
to let Umar get away easily. They gathered and decided to put
him to death. A huge crowd of people moved toward his house to
carry out the verdict, but were met by Aas bin Wa’il Sahmi. He
belonged to the Banu Sahm, a clan that had close relations with
Umar’s clan, Banu Adiy.
Umar told Aas, “Your people wish to kill me.”
“Impossible,” said Aas. Just then he saw the crowd milling
outside and approached them.
“Where are you going?” Aas asked the people.
“The son of Khattab has turned faithless,” they explained.
“None of these paths leads to Umar’s house,” he replied.
The mob looked at Aas, who stood before them, an imposing
figure in his striped Yemeni robe with lace trim. They
understood his veiled threat and thought it prudent to leave Umar
alone and return home.
Umar’s conversion strengthens Islam
So far the Muslims had always prayed in secret. To pray in the
open was to risk being abused and beaten by the Makkans. Umar
M, however, felt that the time had come for Muslims to practise
their faith in full view of their enemies. “O Prophet!” Umar said
one day. “Don’t we have truth on our side whether we are alive
or dead? Why should we hide our faith? I swear by Allah who
has sent you to us with the Truth that we will no longer hide!”
Umar’s words rang true, so it was decided that from then on
there was no need to pray in secrecy. The Muslims formed two
rows behind the Prophet M and walked to the Ka ‘bah, one row
headed by Harrizah, the other by Umar. The Makkans could only
watch as the Muslims began to pray behind the Prophet From
that day onward Umar was known as “ Farooq ,” one who
distinguishes truth from falsehood.
90
Ibn Mas‘ud one of the Prophet’s Companions, said, “The day
Umar accepted Islam, we gained both strength and prestige.” He
also said, “We could not perform our prayers at the Ka'bah until
Umar embraced Islam.”
Suhayb 4*, another Companion of the Prophet, said, “Islam came
to light when Umar accepted light. We preached openly and
congregated at the Ka'bah, and we also took revenge on
everyone who had persecuted us.”
An offer no ordinary man could refuse
Once again the Makkan pagans decided it was time to hold talks
on the growing strength of Islam. The conversions of Hamzah
and Umar Jit had changed things considerably, and the
Makkans realized their power base was fast collapsing.
Utbah bin Rabi‘a, a member of Banu Abd Shams, was a chieftain
of his people and well -respected throughout Makkah. He
addressed the other notables of Makkah who had gathered to
discuss the problem of Muhammad and his followers: “O
people of Quraysh, shall I not talk to Muhammad and bargain
with him? Perhaps he will accept my offer, in which case we will
be rid of him.”
The council approved, and Utbah was charged with approaching
the Prophet M with an offer no ordinary man could refuse.
Utbah found Muhammad $$ sitting alone at the Kabah. He said:
“O my nephew! You know you enjoy a high position in
this city. You are the best among us in respect to lineage.
Now you have brought something very serious, and you
have created a rift among your people by ridiculing them,
insulting their gods as well as their religion, declaring their
forefathers to be heathens, and rejecting their customs.
Now, listen to me. I will make a few suggestions, and you
may find one agreeable.”
“O Abul Waleed,” replied the Prophet M, “go on. I am listening.”
91
Utbah continued:
“My nephew, if it is wealth you hope to obtain by your
preaching, we will collect enough for you so that you will
be the richest among us. If it is honor you desire, we will
make you our chief and leave every decision to you. If you
wish to be king, we will recognize you as our monarch. If
you desire beautiful women, choose any woman from the
Quraysh — we will give you ten such women in marriage.
And if you are possessed by a demon, we will find a skilled
physician for you and spend all that it takes to restore your
health.”
“Is that all you have to say?” the Prophet asked.
“Yes,” replied Utbah.
“Now listen to me,” said the Prophet gg.
“I am listening,” he said.
The Prophet M then recited the opening verses of the Surah
Fussilat:
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“ Haa-Meem . A revelation from Allah, the Most Gracious,
the Most Merciful. A book with verses that are explained
in detail. A Qur’an in Arabic for people who understand.
Giving glad tidings and admonition, yet most of them turn
away, and so do not hear. They say: Our hearts are veiled
from that which you invite us to accept, our ears are deaf,
and between you and us is a screen. So do your work, and
we will do ours.” (41:1-5)
The Prophet gg continued to recite, and Utbah listened carefully.
92
Then the Prophet $§ came to the following verse:
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“And if they turn away, then say: I have warned you of a
thunderbolt like the thunderbolt that struck Aad and
Thamood.” (41:13)
Utbah put his hand on Muhammad’s mouth and pleaded with
him not to bring about such a terrible punishment.
The Prophet H came to a verse that required him to prostrate, and
he did so. Having finished his recitation, he asked Utbah, “O
Abul Waleed, have you heard?”
“Yes,” he replied. “I have heard.”
“Then it is time for you to decide,” Muhammad M said.
Utbah then left and went directly to his comrades. As he
approached them, they noticed a strange expression on his face.
They asked him what had happened, and he related what had
passed between him and Muhammad
“I have heard a discourse the like of which I have never
heard. I swear to God, O Quraysh, that it is not poetry, nor
is it the result of spells or witchcraft. Take my advice and
leave this man alone. By God, something more astonishing
is bound to happen than what I have heard. Now, if the
Arabs kill this man, your task will be accomplished by
others, and if this man brings the Arabs under his control,
his kingdom will be your kingdom, his honor will be your
honor, and he will prove fortunate for you.”
Utbah’s audience grew suspicious. “You have been bewitched by
his tongue,” they said.
“This is my opinion,” replied Utbah. “Now you may do whatever
you think fit.”
93
Bargaining and Renunciation
If Muhammad could not be tempted to renounce his religion, the
Makkans thought, perhaps he would compromise.
They sent a group of men to Muhammad 3§ with a suggestion as
to how each side in the dispute could be made happy. “We wish
to place before you something which will set the matter right for
you,” they proudly announced to the Prophet M-
“What’s that?” The Prophet 38 asked.
“You worship our gods for one year,” they explained, “and we
worship your God for one year. That way, if our religion is true,
you will have a share of the reward, and if your religion is true,
we will have a share.”
In reply to this suggestion from the Quraysh, Surah Al-Kafiroon
(The Unbelievers) was revealed:
“Say: O you who reject faith. I do not worship that which
you worship. And you do not worship that which I
worship. And I will never worship that which you worship.
Nor will you ever worship that which I worship. To you be
your religion, and to me mine.” (109:1-6)
Allah also revealed two additional verses stressing the
monotheistic purity of Islam:
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“Say: Is it someone other than Allah that you order me to
worship, O ignorant ones?” (39:64)
The next verse was also revealed in connection with the
Quraysh’s suggestion, and it further drives home the point:
94
“Say: I have been forbidden to worship those whom you
pray to.” (6:56)
The Makkans, however, still believed that they could bargain
with the Prophet “Bring another Qur’an in place of this one,”
they haggled. “Or make some changes in the present one $g.”
In response to this request, Allah told the Prophet:
“And when My clear verses are recited to them, those who
do not look forward to meeting Me say, ‘Bring another
Qur’an or change this one.’ Say to them: It is not for me to
change it of my own accord. I only follow what is revealed
to me. And I fear that if I disobey my Lord, I will meet with
a terrible punishment on the Day of Judgment.” (10:15)
Other verses were also revealed which made it clear that the
Prophet’s role was not to bargain with the pagans, but to convey
the message just as it was revealed to him:
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“They were about to tempt you away from that which I
revealed to you, hoping to fabricate something in My
name. They would certainly have made you their friend.
And if I had not strengthened you, you would have inclined
to them a little. And if you had done so, I would have made
you taste a double portion of punishment in this life and a
double portion after death, and you would not have found
anyone to help you against Me.” (17:73-75)
95
Once the Makkans understood that the Prophet was sincere in
his beliefs and was not prepared to compromise, they were
determined to find out whether he was an actual prophet or just
imagined himself to be one.
In order to find out how to test Muhammad M, the Makkans
sought guidance from some Jewish rabbis. These learned men
told the Makkans to ask Muhammad M three questions, and if he
answered them correctly, then he was indeed a prophet. If,
however, he could not answer them, then he was certainly an
impostor.
First, the rabbis told the Makkans to ask Muhammad the
incredible story in their scriptures about some youths. The
second question concerned a person who had traveled throughout
both the East and the West. Thirdly, they instructed the Makkans
to ask Muhammad H about the soul.
The chieftains of the Quraysh put these questions to the Prophet
and Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) was revealed in response.
The Surah tells the story of a few young boys who, upon being
persecuted by polytheists, sought refuge in a cave. Allah caused
them to go into a deep sleep for hundreds of years, and then
raised them up again as a sign of the coming day of resurrection.
The chapter also tells the story of Dhul Qamain, the man who
roamed throughout the world. Finally, the last question was
answered in Surah Al-lsraa\
[Aoiyyi]
“They ask you about the spirit. Say: The spirit is My Lord’s
affair, and man has been given but little knowledge.”
( 17 : 85 )
Muhammad $g had correctly answered all three questions put to
him by the rabbis through the Quraysh. Now that the Quraysh
96
had evidence that Muhammad M was a true prophet, they were
faced with a difficult decision. They were still not prepared to
embrace Islam without reservations as Muhammad’s followers
had. The solution, they believed, was to ask the Prophet $£ to let
them enter Islam not as typical Muslims, but as Muslims with
special status. The majority of the Prophet’s followers being
from the lower strata of Makkan society, the elite of the Quraysh
could not consider interacting with their inferiors on equal terms.
They met with the Prophet to discuss this idea. The Prophet
was so eager to have the Makkan nobility embrace Islam that he
may have been on the verge of accepting their proposal. But
Allah ordered him to resist the temptation in the following verse:
4
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'“Send not away those who call on their Lord morning and
evening, seeking His Face. You are not accountable for
them, nor they for you. If you turn them away, you will be
among those who are unjust.” (6:52)
The Prophet $s was thus forbidden to give the nobility among the
Quraysh any special consideration within the fold of Islam, thus
effectively ensuring the complete absence of a class system. This
meant that no Muslim could be superior to his brother in Islam
except through faith and good deeds.
Hastening on the punishment
The Prophet M was also sent to his people to warn them that if
they continued rejecting the call to faith, Allah might at any time
punish them severely. He cautioned them but they waited and
watched. Nothing happened, so their inherent arrogance grew,
and they challenged the Prophet H to hasten Allah’s punishment.
Allah replied to their request in the following three verses:
97
m
“Yet, they ask you to hasten on the punishment! But Allah
will not fail in His Promise. Verily, a day with your Lord is
like a thousand years of your reckoning.” (22:47)
“They ask you to hasten on the punishment. Indeed, Hell
will encircle the unbelievers.” (29:54)
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“Are the plotters of wickedness not afraid that Allah will
cause the earth to swallow them up? Or that Allah’s
punishment will seize them unexpectedly, or that He may
call them to account in the midst of their daily affairs when
they have no chance to escape? Or that He may cause them
to waste away gradually? Truly, your Lord is kind and
merciful.” (16:45-47)
Again, the Makkans found a way to evade the truth. They
remained stubborn in their opposition, and made further demands
of the Prophet is, asking him to enact miracles even as they
hoped he would be unable to perform them. Thus, they wavered,
sometimes approaching the Prophet H with compromises, and at
other times challenging him to do the impossible. Many of the
Makkans felt that the only solution was the sword, while others
feared the consequences of killing their adversary.
The Makkans had already asked Abu Talib to hand over
Muhammad it so that they could kill him, a demand he had
refused. Despite his seeming unconcern at their threats, he was
secretly afraid, and with good reason, that the Quraysh were
98
plotting to assassinate the Prophet $5. Abu Talib acted fast and
called on the members of Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib to
meet at the Ka'bah. He convinced them to pledge that they
would protect their clansman, Muhammad, but Abu Lahab,
another of the Prophet’s uncles and self-proclaimed sworn
enemy, refused to take the pledge. He declared he was on the
side of the Quraysh.
Total boycott
The polytheists would not be outsmarted. They held a meeting at
Haneef Banu Kinana to decide how best to counter Abu Talib’s
successful maneuver. Eventually they came up with the idea of a
total social boycott. Thenceforth the members of Banu Hashim
and Banu Al-Muttalib were to be treated as outcasts. The other
clans from the Quraysh would not marry their daughters, transact
business with them, keep company with them, nor would they
accept any peace overtures from these two clans until they
handed over the Prophet
Once all the people present had agreed with the points mentioned
above, Baghid bin Amir bin Hashim put this pact in writing and
the parchment was hung in the Ka'bah. When the deed was done,
Baghid’s hand, or at least some of his fingers, were paralyzed.
The boycott proved devastating. The Muslims as well as all the
members of Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib (Muslims as
well as non-Muslims), with the exception of Abu Lahab, were
forced to withdraw from Makkah and live in She‘eb Abi Talib.
Unable to buy food from the Makkans, they found themselves
reduced to eating leaves and roots. The situation became so
horrific that the cries of starving women and children echoed
over the valley. Few sympathizers dared smuggle them any food
for fear of punishment. Hakim bin Hazam, however, managed
now and then to send some flour to his aunt, Khadeejah.
Many caravans carrying food and other goods passed by the
mountain pass where the Muslims and the exiled clans lived. The
99
refugees, however, could only come out to meet the caravans to
buy food during the forbidden months, those months when
fighting was prohibited. The Makkans, however, used to offer
much higher prices to the caravan merchants for their goods so
that the refugees could not compete with them.
Despite such grim circumstances, the Prophet M never ceased
inviting non-Muslims to Islam. He was particularly active during
the time of Hajj. It was at this time that he would speak to tribes
that had traveled to Makkah from all over the Arab world.
Boycott ends
Three years of near starvation and hardship took Banu Hashim
and Banu Al-Muttalib to the edge of despair. Meanwhile, Allah
was softening the hearts of the Quraysh, through the five
“ Ashraaf ’ (nobles) who were the only people to give a thought to
the refugees’ plight. The first of these five was Hisham bin Amr
bin Harith, a highly respected nobleman of the Quraysh. When
he reflected on the suffering of the exiles, he was deeply
saddened. They were kinsmen, and the Quraysh had done the
unthinkable by breaking off all ties with them. While the families
in Makkah thrived, the refugees were dying of starvation one by
one. In the three years since the enforcement of the boycott, no
one seemed interested in its withdrawal. Finally, Hisham decided
to talk to four other high-ranking members of the Quraysh and
convince them to end this injustice.
Hisham first spoke with Zuhayr bin Abd Abi Umayya
Makhzoomi (the Prophet’s cousin), Mut’im bin Adiy, Abul
Bukhtari bin Hisham, and finally to Zam‘a bin Aswad. He
appealed to their sense of kinship and reproached them for
allowing the tyranny to continue. When they heard his plea, they
all agreed with him that the parchment hanging in the Ka'bah
should be tom to pieces.
The next morning the four men waited for other members of the
Quraysh to assemble around the Ka'bah. Zuhayr finished
100
circumambulating the Ka'bah and then stood before the people.
“O people of Makkah,” he began. “Shall we eat and drink while
Banu Hashim die of hunger, unable even to buy or sell? By God I
will not rest until this cruel and unjust decree is tom to pieces.”
Abu Jahl was furious: “You are wrong! By God, it will not be tom.”
Zam‘a countered, “By God, it is you who are wrong. When it
was written we were not in agreement.”
“Zam‘a is right,” Abul Bukhtari said. “We do not agree to what
is written in that decree, nor do we lend our support to it.”
Now it was Mut‘im bin Adiy’s turn. “Both of you are right.
There is no sin in opposing the decree. We seek our acquittal
from God regarding the document and whatever it contains.”
Hisham bin Amr expressed his agreement with Mut‘im.
The sudden rebellion made Abu Jahl suspicious. ‘This looks
prearranged. Your sudden concern has its seeds somewhere
else,” he protested.
At this point, Abu Talib saw his opportunity to step in. He had
come into the precincts of the Ka'bah to tell the Quraysh that the
Prophet % had received a revelation about the fate of the
iniquitous parchment. He stood up, and facing the Quraysh, he
told them that Allah had revealed to the Prophet $$ that termites
had eaten the parchment inside the Ka'bah. The only thing that
remained of the document, Abu Talib said, were the words “In
Your Name, O Allah.” Abu Talib then challenged the Quraysh,
saying that if the Prophet’s claim turned out to be false, he would
no longer stand between them and the Prophet However, if the
Prophet had spoken the truth, the Quraysh should end the
boycott. The Quraysh accepted Abu Talib’s challenge.
When Mut‘im bin Adiy rose to retrieve the parchment, the assembly
•saw that it had been destroyed. Its only remaining words were
“BismikaAllahumma” (In Your Name, O Allah) and Allah’s name.
Allah had given the Quraysh yet another sign, but once again
101
they refused to admit their error and accept Islam. Their only
concession was to end the boycott. The Prophet M and his
Companions came out of the mountain pass and were allowed to
live in Makkah once again.
The Quraysh petition Abu Talib
A few months after the boycott ended, Abu Talib fell ill. He was
over eighty years old, and the Quraysh did not expect him to
recover. While this appeared to be good news for the Makkan
pagans, the Quraysh felt that it made the situation even more
complicated. How would it look to the other tribes in the
peninsula, they asked themselves, if we punished Muhammad after
his uncle died? It would be more prudent, they decided, if they
approached Abu Talib with a proposal: ask your nephew to keep
silent about our gods, and we’ll hold our peace about his religion.
Abu Talib, knowing that he would not live much longer, was
certainly interested in finding some way to ensure his nephew’s
safety after his death. He heard the proposal from the Quraysh
and called his beloved nephew to his bedside. The Prophet %
listened and then turned to Abu Talib. “Uncle!” He said. “I ask
them only one thing. And if they accept this thing, the whole of
Arabia will be under their control, and the non-Arabs will pay
them tribute.”
“Only one thing?” the Quraysh asked. “We are prepared to
accept ten such things. What is it?”
“La ilaaha illallah ,” said the Prophet “There is no deity
except the One God, Allah.”
“What!” The Quraysh exclaimed, marveling at this statement. “He
has fashioned only one god out of all of them. This is very strange.”
The year of sorrow
Abu Talib’s illness worsened, and as the hour of his death drew
near, the Prophet H went to his side. He found Abu Jahl and
102
Abdullah bin Abi Umayya sitting beside his dying uncle.
Undeterred by their presence, the Prophet % urged Abu Talib to
make the declaration of faith, “La ilaaha illallah. ”
“My uncle, say La ilaaha illallah. This is a simple phrase, and if
you say it, I’ll plead with Allah for your salvation.”
The two pagans, however, refused to sit in silence. “Abu Talib,”
they cried. “Will you shun the religion of Abdul Muttalib?”
They continued talking to the dying man until the last words that were
heard from Abu Talib were: “. . .on the religion of Abdul Muttalib.”
Still, the Prophet H refused to give up on his uncle. ”1 will ask
Allah to forgive you until I am forbidden to do so.” Soon after
that, however, the following verse was revealed:
“It is not fitting for the Prophet and the believers that they
should pray for forgiveness for pagans, even if they are kin,
after it is clear to them that they are companions of the
Fire.” (9:113)
Another verse was also revealed:
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“It is not for you to guide whomever you like, but it is
Allah who guides whom He wishes, and Allah knows those
who are guided.” (28:56)
Abu Talib died in the month of either Raj ab or Ramadan, ten
years after the Prophet began his mission. Although he had
supported the Prophet M and protected him from his enemies, he
died clinging to the faith of his forefathers.
Abbas 4 &>, one of the Prophet’s uncles, once asked the Prophet M,
103
“How could you be of any service to Abu Talib, the one who
supported you and rebuked others for your sake?”
The Prophet M said, “He is lying in a shallow part of Hell. Had I
not been there, he would have been sent to a deep ditch in Hell.”
Khadeejah if* 4 >i dies
Two months and three days after the death of Abu Talib, the
Prophet’s wife, Khadeejah, passed away. She was the Prophet’s
trusted advisor and loyal companion, and was known by the title
“Mother of the believers.”
The Prophet M once said of Khadeejah:
“When no one believed me, she believed in me, when
people accused me of lying, she affirmed my truthfulness,
and when people tried to impoverish me, she made me a
partner in her wealth. Allah gave me children through her,
and none through my other wives.”
Once Khadeejah came bearing food for the Prophet who was
in the midst of receiving a revelation from Jibreel >£0. The angel
said: “O Prophet! Here is Khadeejah coming to you with a
vessel. Give her greetings from your Lord, and give her glad
tidings of a palace of pearls in Paradise in which there are only
peace and repose.”
Long after her death, and despite his subsequent remarriages, the
Prophet M would often mention Khadeejah and pray for Allah’s
mercy on her soul. Thinking of her, he would begin to weep.
Whenever he slaughtered a lamb, he would send her friends a
portion of the meat.
Sorrow after sorrow
After the deaths of Abu Talib and Khadeejah, the Makkan
pagans became bold and would often insult and ridicule the
Prophet M in public. Now that the Prophet had lost his two
greatest supporters, small acts of unkindness stung him more
104
than ever as he grieved over his bereavement.
Once a man from the Quraysh threw dust on the Prophet’s head.
One of the Prophet’s daughters washed away the dirt, weeping
bitterly at her father’s suffering. Trying to console her, the
Prophet M said, “Dear daughter! Do not cry, for Allah will
protect your father.” Later he admitted that it was only after Abu
Talib’s death that the insults of the Quraysh began to prick him.
The Prophet % marries Saudah and then Aishah <2 ii
About one month after the death of Khadeejah the
Prophet M married Saudah bint Zam‘a in the month of Shawwal.
Saudah had previously been married to her cousin, Sakran bin
Amr 4*. The couple had been among the early Muslims who had
migrated to Abyssinia. After returning to Makkah, Sauda’s
husband died. At the end of her period of mourning, the Prophet
M married her.
A year later the Prophet married Aishah iti ^ in the month
of Shawwal. This marriage was also solemnized in Makkah. At
the time, Aishah tui ^ was only six years old; however, she
was sent as a bride to the Prophet M, when she was nine. She was
the most beloved wife of the Prophet and the greatest female
scholar of Islam. The relationship between the Prophet ai and her
has given Muslims an insight into the Prophet’s role as a
husband and the deep love he inspired in her. The camaraderie
between them, the painful episode of the slander against Aishah
— - aj> and the confidences he divulged to her all give us
insights into their rich, complex and profound relationship.
The Prophet % journeys to Ta’if
Soon the Prophet M felt that it was time to take the message of
Islam to neighboring tribes. He made his way on foot to Ta’if,
about thirty miles east of Makkah, traveling with his former
slave, Zayd bin Haritha <5>i .
Along the way to Ta’if, the Prophet ^ invited each tribe he
105
encountered to embrace Islam. Finally, he reached Taif and met
three brothers, all chieftains of the Thaqif tribe. He invited them
to Islam and asked them to help him spread his message, but they
responded with hostility.
The Prophet M left the chieftains and looked for others to talk
with about Islam. For the next few days he continued his search
to find anyone who would open his heart to Allah’s word, but no
one was interested. Each chieftain he met proved arrogant and
unfriendly when he explained his mission and requested help.
Instead of accepting his call to Islam, they asked him to leave
Ta’if and return from whence he came. They even stirred up
children, slaves and the rabble against him. As the Prophet ^
made his way out of the township, a rag tag band ran after him,
abusing him and throwing stones at him until even his feet
dripped blood.
Zayd tried to protect the Prophet M from their blows, and in
doing so suffered several cuts on his head. The Prophet and Zayd
escaped and sought refuge three miles away in an orchard
belonging to Utbah and Sheba, the sons of Rabi‘a.
There the Prophet H sat down in the shade of a wall covered with
grapevines and prayed aloud to Allah in a supplication known as
Du‘aa Al-Mustad‘ afeert (the Prayer of the Oppressed):
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“O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness and
106
humiliation before the people. You are the Most Merciful,
the Lord of the weak and my Lord too. To whom have you
entrusted me? To one who does not care for me? Or have
you appointed my enemy as master of my affairs? So long as
You are not angry with me, I care not. Your favor is
abundant for me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face, by
which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world
and the next is set right, lest Your anger or Your displeasure
descend upon me. I desire Your pleasure and satisfaction.
There is no power and no might except in You.”
The sons of Rabi‘a, who saw the Prophet % taking refuge in their
orchard, were moved by the sight of a weary traveler with a long
road ahead of him, and sent their slave Addas to him with a
bunch of grapes. The Prophet took the grapes, and only after
saying Bismillah (in the name of Allah) did he begin to eat.
Addas was surprised to hear the Prophet M invoke Allah’s name
before eating.
“The people around this area never utter such phrases,” he told
the Prophet M-
The Prophet asked Addas, “Where are you from, and what is
your religion?”
“I am a Christian and belong to Ninevah,” replied Addas.
“Are you from the village of the pious man, Yunus bin Mati?”
the Prophet asked.
“How do you know of him?” Addas asked.
“He is my brother,” the Prophet |g responded. “He was a prophet
and so am I.”
The Prophet % then recited some verses from the Qur’an
referring to the Prophet Yunus (Jonah). Addas was so impressed
that he accepted the Prophet’s call to Islam.
The Prophet M resumed his journey back to Makkah, and dejection
107
set in. At Qam Al-Manazil, a cloud bearing the angel Jibreel sjs®
appeared before the Prophet With him was another angel.
“Allah has sent to you the angel of the mountains,” Jibreel said.
“He is at your command.”
The angel of the mountains said, “O Muhammad, I am here to do
as you say. The choice is yours: I can crush the people of Ta’if
between two hills, if that is your wish.”
The Prophet M, however, was not looking for revenge. “No. I
hope Allah will bring forth from their loins people who will
worship Allah alone without associating any partners with Him.”
Jibreel’s visit lifted the Prophet’s spirits. He no longer felt
forsaken, and a heavy weight was removed from his heart. He
continued his journey, and after some time, he halted at Nakhlah,
where he stayed a couple of days. It was at Nakhlah that a strange
event occurred. Even the Prophet M did not know of it until it
was revealed in the Qur’an.
The Prophet M was praying the Fajr prayer when a band of jinn
(spirits, from which the English word “genie” is derived) heard
him reciting the Qur’an. They listened with great interest, and
when the Prophet M finished, they returned to their companions
and warned them of a great chastisement for those who
disbelieved in the Prophet’s message. Although they did not
come in contact with the Prophet ^ directly, the jinn who had
listened to the Prophet H that morning embraced Islam. The
Prophet only became aware of what had happened when Allah
revealed the story in the Qur’an in two different chapters, Surah
Al-Ahqaf and Surah Al-Jinn.
A few days later, the Prophet M left Nakhlah and headed toward
Makkah. As he drew near Makkah, he began to make
preparations, for he did not want to enter Makkah defenseless as
he had done in Ta’if. He paused at Hira and sent a man to Akhtas
bin Shariq to ask for protection. Akhtas, however, apologized
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and pointed out that since he was an ally of the Quraysh, he
could not protect the Prophet. The Prophet M then sent the same
message to Suhayl bin Amr.
Even Suhayl refused to extend protection to the Prophet gg
because he belonged to Banu Amir bin Luayy, which had also
declared the Prophet an enemy. The Prophet then sent his
message to Mut’im bin Adiy. Mut‘im’s grandfather, Naufal, was
the brother of Hashim bin Abdu Munaf, one of the Prophet’s
ancestors, and the clan of Abdu Manaf was one of the most
revered branches of the Quraysh.
Mut‘im, respecting the ties that bound him to the Prophet 31 ,
agreed to protect his kinsman. He and his sons armed themselves
and then sent for the Prophet M- The Prophet $5 went directly to
the Kabah and circumambulated it, performed a short prayer,
and then went home. During the entire time Mut‘im bin Adiy and
his sons kept watch. Mut‘im then announced that he had
extended protection to Muhammad M-
The polytheists demand a sign
The Makkan pagans had been shown many signs that confirmed
the truthfulness of Muhammad’s claim to be a prophet, but they
ignored them all. Although they were not prepared to accept any
further signs, they demanded that Muhammad M show them clear
proof from Allah that he was indeed a messenger. Their intention
of course was simply to humiliate him before the people.
One day the pagans were assembled at the Ka'bah and sent for
the Prophet. The Prophet M hurried to meet them, thinking that
they wished to discuss the possibility of entering Islam. He sat
down with them to hear the same demands they had made before:
“Muhammad, you tell us that the prophets had signs: Musa
[Moses] had a miraculous staff, Saleh had a camel, and Isa
[Jesus] resurrected the dead. The prophets of yore came with
clear signs. We want you to also show us something to confirm
that you are like them.”
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Prophets, the Quraysh thought, should have the power to perform
miracles at will. They did not understand that Allah performed
these miracles through His prophets.
Deaf, dumb, and blind, as Allah characterizes them in the
Qur’an, the disbelievers refused to see the numerous signs of
Allah manifest in His creation and in the Qur’an. Instead, they
wanted to see flamboyant acts of sorcery. Accordingly, they
asked the Prophet to do any of the following: turn Mount Safa
into a mountain of gold, carry the mountains somewhere else and
change the surrounding area into a wide valley, cause a spring to
gush forth, or bring back to life their ancestors so that they could
testify that Muhammad M was truly a prophet.
Allah mentions their demands for signs in the Qur’an:
^ o ^3 jloit jfjSi ' i) ^
“We shall not believe in you until you cause a spring to
gush forth for us from the earth; or you have a garden of
date trees and grapevines, and you cause rivers to gush
forth in their midst; or you cause the sky to fall in pieces as
you have claimed will happen; or you bring Allah and the
angels before us face to face; or you have a house
decorated lavishly; or you ascend into the heavens. No, we
shall not even believe in your ascension until you bring us
a book that we can read!” (17:90-93)
The pagans claimed that if the Prophet M performed any of these
miracles, they would embrace Islam. This promise is also
mentioned in the Qur’an:
UNl]
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“They swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if they were
given a sign, they would believe.” (6:109)
The Prophet 38 prayed to Allah asking Him to show the pagans
one of the signs they asked for. Jibreel then came to the Prophet
with Allah’s answer: the Prophet could choose between two
options. The first choice was that the pagans would be given one
of the signs they asked for on one condition: if they remained
unbelievers after seeing the sign, they would be punished more
severely than anyone else in the world. The second choice was
that they would not be shown the signs they requested, but the
door of repentance and mercy would remain open for them. The
Prophet wisely told Jibreel: “The door of repentance and mercy
should remain open.”
The Qur’an records Allah’s answer to the pagans who demanded
that Muhammad 38 perform a spectacular miracle:
IAY' : "il (Ji ^
“Say: Glory to my Lord! Am I not but a man sent as a
messenger?” (17:93)
This verse makes it clear that Muhammad 38, like all prophets,
had no power of his own to perform such miracles, but that Allah
determines when, where, and how His signs will be revealed.
The prophets were given such signs to prove that they were
messengers. Allah says:
[\ 4 O it. ^ L j JCC f U>^ ji ^
“Say: Certainly all signs are in the power of Allah. But
what will make you realize that even if they received a
sign, they would not believe?” (6:109)
As for the pagans who demanded to see a clear sign, Allah told
the prophet in the Qur’an:
[ \ \ \ : pliuS/l] i J
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“Even if I send angels to them, and the dead speak to them
face to face, and I gather together all things before their
very eyes, they would not believe unless it be My wish. But
most of them ignore the truth.” (6: 1 11)
And Allah said:
[Vt : ju> jJl] jUil Ia-£-
“If there were a Qur’an with which mountains could be
moved, or the earth rent asunder and the dead made to
speak, it would be this one. Truly, the command rests with
Allah. Do the believers not know that had Allah willed, He
could have guided all mankind.” (13:31)
In this way, Allah instructed the Prophet M and the believers to
stop trying to justify their faith. The onus was on the unbelievers
to come to Islam. And how could they believe if Allah, to whom
guidance belonged, had not willed it?
The moon splits in half
The absence of any spectacular miracle such as they had
demanded convinced the Quraysh that they had found
Muhammad’s weakness. Now they asked him to show them any
sign. If Muhammad couldn’t produce even a small sign, the
Quraysh believed that it would show everyone that he was a false
prophet. Muhammad would be silenced at last.
The Prophet yg prayed to Allah and asked Him to show the
Quraysh a sign. Finally, Allah gave the Quraysh clear evidence:
the moon split in half so that each half appeared on either side of
Mount Hira. “Be you all witnesses,” the Prophet M said.
At first, the pagans could not believe what they saw. The moon
had been split in two before their eyes. After the initial shock,
however, they determined that it was nothing but the sorcery of
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the son of Abu Kabsha. “Maybe he has put a spell on us, so let’s
wait until some travelers arrive in Makkah and ask them if they
also saw it.” As soon as some travelers arrived in Makkah, the
Makkans asked them if they had seen the strange sight. The
travelers confirmed they too had seen the wondrous sight of the
cleft moon. Now there was no doubt about what they had
witnessed, but the Quraysh stubbornly clutched their disbelief.
The Night Journey and Ascension
Perhaps two of the most significant and remarkable events in the
Prophet’s life were his “ lsraa' ’ (Night Journey) and “MVraaf
(Ascension), “lsraa” refers to how one night Allah took
Muhammad M from the Ka‘bah to Bait Al-Maqdis (the “Sacred
Mosque of Worship,” i.e., Solomon’s Temple) in Jerusalem, and
“ MVraaf ’ refers to the Prophet’s actual ascension to heaven from
Jerusalem.
The Prophet’s “lsraa” is mentioned in the Qur’an in the
following verse:
“Glory to Allah who took His slave on a journey by night
from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose
precincts I did bless, in order that I might show him some
of My signs. Verily, Allah hears and sees all things.” (17:1)
Some sources indicate that the “MVraaf (Ascension) is also
described in Surah Al-Najm from the seventh to the eighteenth
verse. There is a difference of opinion concerning when the
“lsraa” and “MVraaf occurred. Some sources place the event in
the first year of prophethood, while others place it in the fifth
year. Other sources indicate that it took place on Rajab 27,
during the tenth year of prophethood, or Ramadan 17, during the
twelfth year of prophethood, or in Muharram or Rabi ‘ Al-Awwal
in the thirteenth year of prophethood.
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The story of the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascension is both
beautiful and instructive. It began when the angel Jibreel S&i
descended on the Ka'bah with a “ Buraq ” — an animal bigger than
an ass and smaller than a donkey, that could travel to the farthest
horizon with one stride. The Prophet M and Jibreel rode the
Buraq to the Sacred Mosque of Worship in Jerusalem. Once
there, the Prophet tethered the animal outside the mosque where
former prophets had tied their mounts.
The Prophet $$ entered the mosque to find assembled there all the
previous prophets, whom he then led in prayer. Jibreel brought
two vessels to the Prophet, one filled with wine, the other with
milk. The Prophet chose the second vessel. Jibreel commented
on the Prophet’s choice:
“You chose milk in accordance with the purity of your
nature. Hence you have received guidance and your
followers have too. Had you chosen wine, your followers
would have been astray.”
The Prophet M was then taken to the first level of heaven, which
was the first stage of his Ascension. Jibreel asked for the door to
be opened for the Prophet, and there stood Adam the first
man and prophet. Adam said, “Peace be upon you,” to which the
Prophet responded, “And upon you be peace.” Adam then
testified that Muhammad was the Prophet of Allah. Adam
looked to his right and smiled, and then looked to his left and
wept. The Prophet saw two groups of people on either side of
Adam, and the ones he smiled at were the believers, while the
ones that caused him to weep were unbelievers.
The Prophet was then escorted to the second level of heaven.
Jibreel asked for the door to be opened, and there the Prophet $£
saw two cousins, the prophets Yahya bin Zakariya (John, son of
Zechariah) and Isa bin Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary). The
Prophet greeted them and they returned the greeting, and then
they testified that Muhammad was Allah’s Prophet.
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On the third level of heaven, the Prophet met Yusuf (Joseph)
^1. After an exchange of greetings, Yusuf also testified that
Muhammad was Allah’s Prophet.
The Prophet 0& met Idrees 3S9 on the fourth level of heaven. Both
prophets exchanged greetings, and Idrees testified that
Muhammad was the Prophet of Allah.
The fifth level of heaven was where the Prophet M met Haroon
(Aaron), who, like all the previous prophets, exchanged greetings
and testified that Muhammad was Allah’s Prophet.
Musa (Moses) %£& awaited the Prophet on the sixth level of
heaven. After greeting the Prophet and testifying that
Muhammad was indeed a Prophet, Musa began to weep. When
he was asked why he was weeping, he said: “The reason for my
tears is that a youth was commissioned as prophet after me, but
his followers will enter heaven in greater numbers than mine.”
When the Prophet M reached the seventh level of heaven, he met
Ibraheem (Abraham) ^ resting against Bait Al-Ma’mur, a
celestial house of worship which seventy thousand different
angels circumambulate every day. The Prophet Ibraheem
returned the greeting of his descendant and testified that
Muhammad was the Prophet of Allah.
At this point, the Prophet was then led up to Sidrat Al-
Muntaha, a tree of Paradise. Its leaves were the size of an
elephant’s ears, and its fruits the size of small pitchers. It was
covered by golden moths, and no words can describe its beauty.
The Prophet M was then brought before Allah the Almighty.
Since no human eyes could take in the majesty of Allah, the
Prophet M could not actually look upon Allah, but he stood in
close proximity to Him. Allah informed the Prophet that it was
now obligatory for his followers to perform prayers fifty times a
day. The Prophet M was then led away by Jibreel. Musa,
however, halted the Prophet and asked him what Allah had
115
commanded. “Fifty prayers a day,” the Prophet said.
“Your followers are not strong enough. Go back to your Lord
and ask Him to make it lighter,” Musa advised. The Prophet
looked at Jibreel who said, “You may do so if you so desire.”
The Prophet H returned to Allah and did as he had been advised.
Allah reduced the obligatory number of prayers from fifty to ten.
Again the Prophet was led away and once again Musa stopped
him. Upon hearing that the number had been reduced to ten, he
advised the Prophet to ask for another reduction. Allah reduced the
number to five. When Musa learned of this, he again advised the
Prophet to ask Allah to reduce the number. The Children of Israel,
Musa said, were asked to do less, but still they were unable to
carry out their duties. The Prophet ^ did not intend to return
another time. “I feel ashamed before my Lord,” he said. A voice
then announced: “I have enforced My obligation and made it light
for My servants. He who prays these five prayers will be rewarded
as if he had prayed fifty. What I decree cannot be changed.”
The Prophet returned to Makkah before dawn, and the next
morning he told the people about his miraculous journey and
ascension to heaven. The Makkan pagans, of course, scoffed at
his claim. Some ran to Abu Bakr and told him the story, thinking
that it would shake his faith in the Prophet. “If he said so,” Abu
Bakr 4i> said, “it must be true.” Abu Bakr’s answer as to why he
believed is inspiring to all generations of Muslims. Since he had
believed the Prophet was indeed a prophet, one to whom an
angel brought revelations from Allah, Lord of the worlds, why
should he not also believe the Prophet’s account of his travel
through space and time? From that day onward, Abu Bakr was
called “ Siddeeq ,” one who believes.
In an attempt to prove that Muhammad was lying, those
Makkans who were familiar with Jerusalem and the Sacred
Mosque of Worship there quizzed him about his journey. The
Prophet described everything in detail, and no one could fault his
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description. Additionally, the Prophet told the Makkans about a
caravan traveling from Jerusalem to Makkah, mentioning the
number of camels, their condition, and the time that they would
arrive in Makkah. The caravan from Jerusalem appeared exactly
when the Prophet said it would, and everyone saw that his
description was accurate. But the pagans remained fettered to
their disbelief.
That same morning Jibreel descended and taught the Prophet %
how to perform the five daily prayers. Following Jibreel’s visit,
the Muslims began praying five times each day instead of
praying morning and evening.
Various tribes are invited to Islam
Once again it was time for the Prophet to take Allah’s message
to the people outside Makkah. Tribes from all over Arabia would
journey to Ukaz, Mujanna and Dhul Majaz where three huge
fairs were held each year. The fair at Ukaz, a village between
Nakhlah and Ta’if, lasted the first twenty days of (he month of
Dhul Qa‘dah. Then the tribes would move to Mujanna and set up
markets there. Finally, during the first eight days of Dhul Hijjah,
markets were set up in Dhul Majaz, behind Jabal Rahmah on the
plain of Arafah. The people would perform the Hajj, or
pilgrimage, rites following the last fair.
Taking the opportunity of finding a large audience, the Prophet
approached various tribes with his message of Allah’s Oneness
and his own prophethood. Those invited to Islam were Banu
Amir bin Sasa‘a, Banu Fazara, Ghassan, Murra, Banu Hanifa,
Banu Sulaym, Banu Abs, Banu Nasar, Banu Al-Baka’a, Kinda,
Kalb, Banu Al-Harith bin Ka‘b, Udhrah and Hadharma. None of
these tribes accepted the Prophet’s invitation, but they responded
in different ways. Some of them declined politely, some asked
him to appoint them as his successors after his death, some
pointed out that most of the Prophet’s kinsmen and tribesmen
had refused to follow him, and some resorted to insults. Banu
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Haneefa, the tribe of Musaylimah Al-Kaddhab, or Musaylimah
the Liar (who was later to pose as a prophet himself), was
especially disrespectful to the Prophet M-
Seeds of faith sprout outside Makkah
Although the vast majority of Makkan pagans rejected the
Prophet M, a few people outside Makkah embraced Islam. Some
of them are mentioned below:
Suwayd bin Samit: A poet from Yathrib (the modem day
Madinah), Suwayd came to Makkah to perform pilgrimage.
When the Prophet M invited him to Islam, Suwayd recited some
of his own verses to the Prophet. In response, the Prophet M
recited some verses of the Qur’an. Declaring, “I have never heard
such sublime words,” Suwayd embraced Islam. He was killed in
the fighting between the Aus and the Khazraj.
Ayas bin Mu‘adh: He was also from Yathrib, and came to
Makkah in the eleventh year of the Prophet’s mission. He was a
deputy from the tribe of Aus and came to Makkah seeking
assistance against the rival Khazraj tribe. The Prophet M invited
Ayas to Islam and recited some Qur’anic verses for him. When
Ayas heard the Prophet M recite, he told the other delegation
members, “By God, this is better than what we have come here
for.” His fellow tribesman Abul Husayr threw pebbles in Ayas’s
face and snapped: “Leave it! We have come here with a different
purpose.” The chastened Ayas fell silent. Upon his return to
Yathrib, Ayas fell seriously ill. His praise and glorification of
Allah just before he died left little doubt about his conversion to
Islam.
Abu Dhar Ghifari: He had heard about the Prophet Muhammad
H through Suwayd bin Samit and Ayas bin Mu'adhandwas
interested in knowing more. He sent his brother to Makkah to
find out more about the Prophet’s character, but upon his
brother’s return from Makkah, Abu Dhar was not satisfied with
his brother’s account of the Prophet’s message. Accordingly, he
118
decided to go to Makkah himself. Abu Dhar reached Makkah, but
fearing for his life, he did not ask about the Prophet. At last, Ali
took him to the Prophet $jg who then described the tenets of Islam
to him. Convinced at what he heard, Abu Dhar became Muslim.
His heart now full of courage and faith, Abu Dhar went to the
Ka ‘bah to announce that he had embraced Islam. The Quraysh
responded by beating him, and only the intervention of Abbas
the Prophet’s uncle, saved him from being killed. The next day
Abu Dhar repeated his announcement at the Ka ‘bah, and once
again Abbas had to rescue him from the Quraysh. Abu Dhar then
returned to his tribe, Banu Ghifar, and left them only when he
migrated to Madinah with other Muslims.
Tufayl bin Amr Dausi: He was a prominent poet and a chieftain
of the Daus tribe that lived on the outskirts of Yemen. Eleven
years after the Prophet M began his mission, Tufayl visited
Makkah only to be warned by the Quraysh about the danger of
Muhammad’s bewitching words. Tufayl went to the Ka‘bah with
cotton stuffed in his ears as a precaution against the Prophet’s
preaching. He arrived at the Ka‘bah to find the Prophet M
performing his prayers nearby. Overcome by curiosity, Tufayl
decided to listen to Muhammad’s recitation. “I am a poet with a
trained ear. I can determine if what Muhammad says is true or
false. Only if his words are good shall I accept what he says.” He
was amazed by the Prophet’s recitation.
Tufayl then followed the Prophet M home and asked him to
explain Islam to him. After the Prophet did so, Tufayl embraced
Islam. He then told the Prophet that his people trusted him and
would listen to what he had to say, and that he would invite them
to Islam. He asked the Prophet M to give him a sign by which the
people would recognize the truth of his words. The Prophet
prayed to Allah to give him such a sign, and when Tufayl went
back to his people his face was radiant. His people were reluctant
to accept Islam, but his father and wife readily became Muslim.
By the time he migrated to Madinah, however, seventy or eighty
119
families from his tribe had accepted Islam, and they accompanied
him on the journey to Madinah.
Dhimad Azdi: A skilled exorcist, he hailed from the Azd
Shanwah tribe of Yemen. When he came to Makkah, he heard a
rumor that Muhammad # was insane. He then approached the
Prophet M and offered to cure him. The Prophet responded by
saying: “All praise be to Allah. We glorify Him and seek His
help. He whom Allah has guided cannot be misled, and he whom
Allah has led astray cannot be guided. I bear witness that there is
no god except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His
servant and Messenger.”
Dhimad was so impressed with the Prophet’s speech that he
repeated it thrice and said, “I have heard the speeches of
sorcerers, soothsayers and poets, but never before have I heard
anything like this.” He then asked the Prophet M to extend his
hand so that he could pledge his allegiance to him.
Six pilgrims from Yathrib: These six men from the Khazraj
tribe of Yathrib were Asad bin Zurara, Auf bin Harith bin Rifaa
(Auf bin Ifra’a), Rafi bin Malik bin Ailan, Qatba bin Amir
Hud<da, Uqba bin Amir bin Nabi, and Jabir bin Abdullah bin
Riqab. They had come along with other pilgrims from Yathrib to
Makkah in the eleventh year of the Prophet’s mission. Yathrib
was also home to some Jewish tribes, and occasionally disputes
would flare up between the Arabs and Jews. The Jewish minority
v ould intimidate the Arabs by saying that soon a prophet would
be sent to lead the Jews in battle. The Arabs, they claimed, would
be slaughtered like the people of Aad and Iram.
These six pilgrims were sitting together in Mina (just outside
Makkah) one night when the Prophet M passed by. He
approached them and asked, “Who are you?”
“We belong to the Khazraj,” they answered.
“Allies of the Jews,” the Prophet commented. They replied in the
120
affirmative. “Let us sit together and talk,” the Prophet M suggested.
He spoke to them about Islam, recited some verses of the Qur’an,
and invited them to believe in Allah, the One, the Exalted.
The men sitting with the Prophet recognized who he was. “This
is the same prophet the Jews constantly threaten us with. Let us
pledge allegiance to him before they do.” All six men accepted
Islam. “We left our people in such a plight,” they said. “If Allah
unites us through you, you would be honored more than anyone
else among us.” The six new Muslims promised that they would
invite their people to Islam upon returning to Yathrib, and that
they would meet the Prophet again during the next pilgrimage.
First pledge of Aqabah
The next year five of the six men from Yathrib returned to meet
the Prophet M during Hajj. They brought with them five converts
from their own tribe and two from the tribe of Aus. The names of
the five converts of the Khazraj tribe were Mu ‘adh bin Harith
(Mu‘adh bin Ifra’a), Zakwan bin Abdul Qays, Ubada bin Samit,
Yazeed bin Thulba, and Abbas bin Ubada bin Fadhla. The two
men from the Aus tribe were Abul Haytham bin Al-Tayhan and
Uwaym bin Sa‘eda.
Again, they met the Prophet sg in Mina, where he taught them
more about Islam and asked them to take an oath of allegiance.
This was known as the First Pledge of Aqabah. Specifically, it
was a pact between the men and Allah that they would not
associate any partners with Allah, commit theft, fornicate, kill
their children, vilify others, nor disobey the Prophet M when he
instructed them to do good. Whoever fulfilled this pledge would
receive his reward from Allah, and whoever violated any part of
it and was proven guilty would be punished in this world as an
atonement. If, however, someone broke the pledge and Allah hid
his sin from people, that person would be dealt with by Allah,
Who would either forgive or punish him.
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Islam spreads in Yathrib
When the men who took the pledge at Aqabah finished performing
Hajj, the Prophet sent Mus'ab bin Umayr along with them to teach
them the Qur’an. In Yathrib, Mus’ab stayed with Abu Umama
Asad bin Zurara. The two directed their efforts towards teaching
non-Muslims about Islam. One day as Umayr and Abu Umama sat
in an orchard, Sa‘d bin Mu'adh, the chieftain of the Aus tribe,
spotted them. He said to his cousin, Usayd bin Hudhayr, “Go and
rebuke those two who have come to deceive our weak.” Weapon
in hand, Usayd approached the two Muslims. Asad saw him and
warned Mus‘ab, “Here comes a chieftain.”
“Why are you here?” Usayd thundered. “Do you intend to
deceive our weak? Keep away if you value your life!”
Mus‘ab was not intimidated. “Why don’t you sit and listen? If
you like what we say, accept it; if you dislike it, don’t.”
“That sounds fair,” said Usayd cautiously. He put away his
weapon and sat down. Mus‘ab explained the basic principles of
Islam and then recited some verses of the Qur’an. Usayd found
himself agreeing with everything Mus‘ab said, so he embraced
Islam. He then returned to Sa‘d bin Mu ‘adh, who now had to be
convinced. “I talked to them,” Usayd said to Sa‘d carefully, “and
found nothing objectionable in what they say. Still, I forbade
them to talk to anyone else. By the way, I managed to find out
that the Banu Haritha are planning to kill Asad bin Zurara
because he is your cousin. They want to break the covenant.”
Usayd’s ploy worked. Sa‘d became angry and made his way to
Mus’ab and Asad. Mus’ab told him the same thing he had told
Usayd, and Sa‘d agreed to listen. When Mus‘ab finished
explaining the principles of Islam, Sa‘d too became Muslim. His
love for the Prophet and his faith made him one of the more
distinguished Companions of the Prophet M-
His new faith surging in his heart, Sa‘d returned to his people
122
and said, “O Banu Abdul Ash‘hal! What do you know about me
as a man among you?”
They answered in one voice: “You are our chief and the wisest
man among us!”
Sa‘d said, “Well, I wijl not talk to the families of those who do not
believe in Allah and his Prophet.” As a result of this, every man
and women in the tribe became Muslim except for Usayram, who
became Muslim during the Battle of Uhud. He was martyred in the
battle before he had even performed one prostration as a Muslim.
Mus‘ab bin Umayr returned to Makkah before the next Hajj. His
account of how Allah had guided the people of Yathrib to Islam
delighted the Prophet M immensely.
The second pledge of Aqabah
In the thirteenth year of the Prophet’s mission, many pilgrims
from Yathrib made their way to Makkah, Muslims and pagans
alike. The Muslims wanted to meet with the Prophet and
invite him to move to Yathrib. The harassment, abuse and fear
that overshadowed the Prophet and his followers in Makkah had
dismayed the Muslims of Yathrib, who resolved to offer the
Prophet their loyal protection if he moved there. They arranged a
secret meeting with him late one night at Aqabah after the Hajj.
To keep their meeting a secret from the Makkan pagans, the
seventy-three Muslims from Yathrib sneaked out to Aqabah, some
in pairs, some alone, to make what was to be known as the Second
Pledge of Aqabah. All but eleven were from the Khazraj tribe.
Two women were present as well — Nasiba bint Ka‘b from Banu
Najjar and Asmaa bint Amr from Banu Salamah. The Prophet M
was accompanied by his uncle, Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, who,
though not Muslim at the time, was concerned about his nephew’s
welfare. Abbas began by saying, ‘The Prophet M has both security
and honor in Makkah. If you cannot guarantee to protect him in
Yathrib, then let him remain in Makkah.”
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Baraa bin Marur 4&> spoke for the Muslims of Yathrib: “We are
determined to offer our loyalty to the Prophet M and sacrifice
ourselves for him, and we are willing to make a covenant to this
effect.”
The Prophet M recited some Verses of the Qur’an and had the
men from Yathrib take the following oath:
“We will worship none but Allah, and we will never
Associate any partner with Him.”
“We will obey the Prophet.”
“We will give of our wealth freely in prosperity and in
poverty.”
“We will counsel others to do good deeds and instruct
them to refrain from evil.”
“We will serve Allah, even when others show contempt.”
“We will protect the Prophet as we protect our women and
children.”
Additionally, according to Ubada, the Yathrib Muslims also
pledged not to disobey those in authority. Baraa bin Marur took
the Prophet’s hand and said, “I swear by the One Who has sent
you with the Truth, we shall certainly protect you as we do our
families. By Allah! We are sons of battle and weapons are our
toys. This is what we have inherited from our ancestors.”
Abul Haytham bin Al-Tayhan then said, “O Prophet! We are
bound to our people by a covenant, and by pledging loyalty to
you, we are about to cut off all our old ties. If success comes to
you and you should conquer Makkah, will you return to Makkah
then and leave us defenseless?”
The Prophet smiled and said, “No! Blood is blood, and
destruction is destruction. I am of you, and you are of me. I will
wage war against those who make war upon you, and be at peace
with those who are at peace with you.”
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“You all know what you are agreeing to,” Abbas warned. “All of
you are pledging to go to war. So, what will you do if you lose all
your wealth and property, and all your leaders are killed? Will
you abandon the Prophet? If so, let him stay here in Makkah,
because if you forsake him it will be a disgrace in this world and
the next. However, if you stand by him even in the face of
destruction, you will find a reward in this world and the next.”
The Yathrib Muslims listened to Abbas and then vowed that they
would support the Prophet no matter how great the risks
involved. Someone then asked the Prophet, ‘Tell me, O Prophet!
What will we get in exchange for all this?”
“Paradise,” the Prophet replied simply.
“Give us your hand,” the people said.
Asad bin Zurara then, took the Prophet’s hand in his and
addressed the gathering:
“O people of Yathrib, .after a long journey we have found the
Prophet of God. Taking his hand means incurring the enmity
of all the Arabs, the deaths of our chiefs in his defense, and the
clash of swords. If you are prepared for this, take the Prophet’s
hand, and with Allah lies the reward. If, however, you have
any reservations, forsake him now.”
Unswerving in their faith, the assembly cried out, “Remove your
hand, Asad. We are ready to clasp the Prophet’s hand.”
Some sources indicate that Asad bin Zurara was the first to take
the oath, while others name Abul Haytham bin Al-Tayhan and
Baraa bin Marur as the first. The two women present took the
oath without shaking hands.
Twelve chiefs
After everyone had taken the oath of allegiance, the Prophet
asked the people to select twelve men who would be responsible
for the affairs of the community. Nine members of the Khazraj
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tribe were chosen along with three from the Aus tribe.
The nine Khazraj chiefs were Sa‘d bin Ubada bin Daleem, Asad
bin Zurara bin Ads, Sa‘d bin Rabi‘a bin Amr, Abdullah bin
Rawaha bin Thulba, Rafi bin Malik bin Ajlan, Baraa bin Marur
bin Sakhar, Abdullah bin Amr bin Haram, Ubada bin Samit bin
Qays, and Mundhir bin Amr bin Khanis. The three chiefs from
the Aus tribe were Usayd bin Hudhayr bin Samak, Sa‘d bin
Khathima bin Harith, and Rifaah bin Abdul Mundhir bin Zubayr
(other sources mention Abul Haytham bin Al-Tayhan as well).
After these twelve were elected, the Prophet M said to them,
“You are like the apostles of Isa [Jesus] $£3,. You are responsible
for the community [in Yathrib] while I am the caretaker of the
entire body of Muslims.”
Just as the people were about to disperse, a strange voice was
heard calling out: “O men of the camp! Will you not deal with
Muhammad? Right now disbelief has prevailed and he and his
followers are preparing to fight you.” The Prophet M knew that it
was a demon speaking. He called back, “O enemy of Allah! Soon
I will deal with you.” The Prophet 31 then told the Muslims to
return quietly to their beds as day was about to break.
The next morning the Quraysh, having heard a rumor about the
pledge at Aqabah, went to the Yathrib camp to protest against
what had happened. They resented their visitors’ patronage of
someone they deemed to be an outcast, and voiced their
displeasure about any contact between the contingent from
Yathrib and the Prophet M- The polytheists of Yathrib, who knew
nothing about the event, insisted nothing had taken place, while
the Muslims kept silent. The Quraysh reluctantly accepted the
polytheists’ reassurances and returned home.
Later, however, the Quraysh found out that the rumor was in fact
true. Infuriated, they sent their horsemen to apprehend any who
took part in the pledge, and at Adhaker they captured Sa‘d bin
Ubada and Mundhir bin Amr. While Mundhir bin Amr managed
126
to escape, Sa‘d was bound and taken to Makkah. The Muslims
from Yathrib planned to raid Makkah in order to free their
brother Muslim. Before they could carry out their plans,
however, Sa‘d was freed by two Makkans, Mut‘im bin Adiy and
Harith bin Harb, whose caravans Sa‘d protected in Yathrib. Sa‘d
rejoined the others, and they all returned home safely.
The Muslims migrate to Madinah
The Second Pledge of Aqabah had changed the equation
considerably for the Muslims. They now had a new refuge in
Yathrib, and its people were ready to protect them. Soon the
Prophet ££ himself received revelation about migration to
Yathrib. He told his Companions, “I have been informed that we
will one day migrate from Makkah to a land of dates. I think that
it is either Yamama or Hijr.” On another occasion he said, “I
have been shown the place to which you will migrate. It lies
between two hills of lava. It is either Hijr or Yathrib.”
Taking advantage of this new haven that had been offered to
them, several Muslims migrated to Yathrib following the pledge.
The first emigrant was Abu Salamah Makhzoomi <&, the husband
of Umm Salamah q — *. i»ii He attempted to migrate with his
wife and children a year before the Second Pledge of Aqabah,
but his clan would not allow him to take his family, so he was
forced to migrate by himself to Yathrib. A year later Umm
Salamah was allowed to join her husband.
Amir bin Rabi‘a, his wife Layla bint Abi Hathma, and Abdullah
bin Umm Maktoom migrated after Abu Salamah. Getting away
proved difficult though, because they had to slip out of Makkah
past the watchful Quraysh. Umar bin Khattab, however, left
Makkah in full view of the Quraysh, and no one dared to try to
stop him. He also took twenty others with him.
Soon, nearly all the Muslims in Makkah had migrated to Yathrib.
Even the refugees in Abyssinia made their way there after
hearing about the pledge at Aqabah. However, Abu Bakr, Ali,
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Suhayb and Zayd bin Haritha ^ ^ <&' ^ stayed in Makkah
together with those Muslims who were unable to migrate. The
Prophet si stayed on in Makkah as well, awaiting Allah’s
permission to leave. He asked Abu Bakr to wait with him.
Abu Bakr had two very fast camels, and he would feed them
acacia leaves to make them even stronger and swifter. This way
he and the Prophet could make a speedy escape, once Allah’s
command to leave Makkah came.
The council of Dar al-Nadwah
The Quraysh were enraged that the Muslims had found a place in
the Arabian peninsula itself where they would be able to thrive.
They also feared that the Muslims would become strong enough
to control the northern trade routes and disrupt the pagans’ trade.
Since the Makkans depended on the goods carried by caravans to
and from northern Arabia and Syria, their fear was not
unfounded. There was also the growing worry that the Prophet M
himself might escape any day to Yathrib, where his followers
awaited him, and that he would set up a new power base, an
eventuality which had to be avoided.
To discuss their concerns, a special council was held at Dar Al-
Nadwah. Most of the prominent chieftains of the Quraysh were
present. Iblees (Satan) was also present disguised as Shaikh
Jaleel of Najd.
Abul Aswad opened the meeting by saying: “Let us drive
Muhammad out of our territory and be rid of him. That will set
the matter right.”
Shaikh Jaleel didn’t like this idea. “Do you not see how sweet his
words are, and how he wins the hearts of people? If we exile
him, he will simply find another tribe and make them his
followers. With their help, he will attack your city and deal with
you as he pleases. Think of another plan.”
“Let us imprison him until he dies. He will experience the same
kind of death poets of old did,” Abu Bukhtari suggested.
128
Shaikh Jaleel interjected again, “By God, if you make him a
captive, the news will surely reach his companions who love him
more than their fathers and sons. They might raid your territory
and free him. Once their numbers increase, they will return and
conquer you! Think of another plan.”
Finally, Abu Jahl, himself a rival of Satan, put forth his idea. “I
have my own opinion,” he began.
“I see that none of you has touched on it so far. We should
select a strong and smart youth of noble birth from each
tribe. Each youth will be given a sword, sharp and deadly.
These young men will move toward the Prophet as one man
and strike him as one man. Since all the clans will share his
blood, Banu Abdu Munaf, Muhammad’s protectors, cannot
take on all the Quraysh at one time. They will then have to
accept blood money that we can pay off easily.”
“This is the best plan of all,” Shaikh Jaleel declared approvingly.
The council disbanded, relieved at having a solution at hand.
Now it was time to make the necessary preparations.
Jibreel S&Sl brings the Prophet happy news
Meanwhile, Jibreel came to the Prophet M with the tidings that
Allah had ordered the Prophet to migrate. Jibreel told him the
exact time he should depart and informed the Prophet of the plot
to assassinate him. “Don’t sleep in the bed you usually sleep in,”
he advised the Prophet M-
At noon, when everyone was napping, the Prophet M went to the
house of Abu Bakr Siddeeq 4*> and told him the happy news.
Quickly, they began to prepare both camels for the long journey.
They also hired Abdullah bin Urayqat Laythi to lead them to
Yathrib. Abdullah knew the area between Makkah and Yathrib.
well, and although he was not Muslim, he agreed to escort the
Prophet M and Abu Bakr secretly. The Prophet told Abdullah
to meet them near Mount Thawr in three nights. Meanwhile, the
Prophet M began to engage himself in day to day activities so that
129
no one would suspect that he was about to leave Makkah.
The Prophet M used to go to sleep after the evening prayer, and
upon waking up around midnight he would go to the Ka ‘bah to
perform supplementary ( Tahajjud ) prayers. The night the Prophet
was to leave, he asked Ali to sleep in his bed after assuring
him that no harm would come to him. When everyone had gone
to bed, the assassins surrounded the Prophet’s house. They saw
Ali wrapped in the Prophet’s green mantle, lying in the Prophet’s
bed, and thought that he was Muhammad H. The plan was for
them to lie in wait for the Prophet $g and fall upon him when he
came out of his house. The Quraysh were unaware that just as
they were plotting, Allah too was plotting:
[r> : jujSii] iif.j-
31 %
“Remember how the unbelievers plotted against you to
imprison you, to kill you, or to exile you from Makkah.
They plot and plan, but Allah plans too, and the best of
planners is Allah.” (8:30)
The Prophet leaves home
Although Ali 4s> was in the Prophet’s bed, the Prophet himself
was still in the house surrounded by the assassins. The Prophet
came out of his house and took a handful of dust which he
sprinkled above the young boys’ heads while reciting the
following verse:
r^J
“I have placed a barrier in front of them and a barrier
behind them. I have covered them so that they cannot see.”
(36:9)
The youths outside did not see the Prophet leave. He went
swiftly to Abu Bakr and together they traveled, not toward
130
Yathrib, but in the opposite direction toward Yemen. Before
dawn, they had covered a distance of about five miles, and then
they took refuge in a cave on Mount Thawr.
Unaware of the Prophet’s escape, the would-be assassins
continued to wait for him to come out of his house. Only at dawn
when Ali awoke and came out did they realize that they had been
tricked. They interrogated Ali about the Prophet’s whereabouts,
but he pleaded ignorance. They then dragged him to the Ka'bah
and kept him captive there, but he divulged nothing. Then they
rushed to Abu Bakr’s house and found that he had also
disappeared. However, they did find his daughter, Asmaa, who
refused to tell them anything. Her calm defiance enraged them,
and a furious Abu Jahl slapped her so hard that her ear ring flew
from her ear.
The Quraysh began searching for the Prophet M and Abu Bakr
and announced that there was a reward of one hundred camels
for each fugitive brought back dead or alive.
Three nights in the cave
When the Prophet ^ and Abu Bakr arrived at the cave on Mount
Thawr, Abu Bakr entered first to clear away anything that might
injure the Prophet $g. He found a few holes and stuffed them with
pieces of cloth. The Prophet M then entered and went to sleep
with his head on Abu Bakr’s lap. Suddenly, something stung
Abu Bakr’s foot, but he did not even twitch, fearing he would
wake the Prophet. The pain was so intense that tears began to run
down his cheeks and onto the Prophet’s face. The Prophet woke
up and saw that Abu Bakr 4* was in pain. He then applied his
spittle on the injury and the pain disappeared.
For three consecutive nights the Prophet M and Abu Bakr
.remained hidden in the cave. During this period, Abu Bakr’s son,
Abdullah, would pass his nights nearby. The clever young man
would return to Makkah so early in the morning that the Quraysh
had no idea that he had slept elsewhere. Each day in Makkah he
131
collected information about the activities of the Quraysh, and
each night he updated the Prophet and Abu Bakr.
Abu Bakr’s slave, Amir bin Fuhayra «&, would graze Abu Bakr’s
goats near the cave so that both men could drink fresh milk.
Early the next morning Amir would drive the goats back to
Makkah along the same route that Abu Bakr’s son took, to
obscure his footprints.
Meanwhile the search party scoured the area south of Makkah
where the Prophet M and Abu Bakr were hiding. Once the
Quraysh even came upon the mouth of the cave, and had they
looked down while standing at the edge of the cave, they would
have surely found the men they were hunting. With the Quraysh
so close to discovering their hiding place, Abu Bakr 4» became
very tense about the Prophet’s safety. The Prophet reassured him,
“How can you be apprehensive about two with whom is a third,
especially when the third one is Allah?”
On the way to Madinah
On the first night of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, Abdullah bin Urayqat
Laythi, the guide hired by the Prophet M to take them to Yathrib,
arrived in the valley of Mount Thawr with Abu Bakr’s two camels.
Abu Bakr’s slave, Amir bin Fuhayra, accompanied them. The
guide first headed south toward Yemen, and then led the small
group westward toward the Red Sea. Before reaching the sea, he
veered north toward Yathrib, taking a seldom-traveled route.
They journeyed all night and half of the next day. Then they
stopped, and the Prophet ^ rested in the shade beneath a rock.
Meanwhile, Abu Bakr found a herdsman who let him milk one of
his goats. When the Prophet $1 awoke, Abu Bakr gave him fresh
milk. Then they pushed ahead.
Perhaps it was the next day that the Prophet and Abu Bakr
passed by the tent of Umm Ma‘bad on the outskirts of Qadid,
near Mashaal, about 130 km from Makkah. They asked her
132
whether she had anything for four weary travelers. She
apologized, saying her goats were grazing far away, and the only
one at hand was a small goat that was unable to stay with the
herd and didn’t have a drop of milk to give.
The Prophet gg asked for permission to milk it, and when he did,
milk flowed from its udders. He filled a large bowl with milk and
first let her drink. After that, each of the travelers drank their fill.
When they had all finished, he milked the goat again and left the
bowl full of milk for the woman.
After they resumed their journey, the woman’s husband returned.
Umm Ma‘bad told him what had happened, and she gave him
such a complete description of the travelers that her husband
exclaimed, “That was the man from the Quraysh that I’ve been
hearing about. If I ever have the opportunity, I will join his
followers.”
On the third morning after the Prophet’s departure, the Makkans
heard a voice echo through the streets. They were unable to find
where it was coming from because it was not the voice of a
human. It was a jinni (a spirit) saying:
“Allah, Lord of the people, bless those two companions
who reached the tent of Umm Ma‘bad. In safety, they
broke their journey, and in safety they resumed it. Anyone
who befriends Muhammad finds success. O Quraysh! By
driving Muhammad away, you have forfeited glory and
dominion! Blessed is the tribe Banu Ka‘b! Their lady’s tent
became a refuge for Muhammad. Ask your lady about the
weak goat and the milking bowl. The goat will also inform
you if you ask it.
When the Prophet and his Companions left Qadid, a man by the
•name of Sur^tqa bin Malik bin Ju‘shum Madlaji spotted them. He
thought he would capture the fugitives and take them back to
Makkah to collect the reward. As he charged'ahead on his horse,
it suddenly stumbled and he fell to the ground. Being
133
superstitious, he drew an arrow to see how favorable the situation
was. The arrow he drew was unfavorable, but, greedy for the
bounty, he ignored the omen and mounted the horse again. This
time his horse carried him close enough to the fugitives that he
could hear the Prophet |g reciting the Qur’an. Abu Bakr
nervously looked back, but the Prophet was unconcerned. This
time the forelegs of the horse sank into the sand, and again the
rider tumbled to the ground.
Suraqa cursed the horse, and with great difficulty he managed to
pull the horse’s legs out of the sand. But when he looked behind,
he saw dust rising from the horse’s hoof prints like smoke. He
quickly pulled out another arrow to find yet another bad omen.
Now he was convinced that he would not be able to capture the
Prophet M- He then called to the Prophet and surrendered. The
travelers stopped and waited for him to come forward. Suraqa
offered them food, but they refused his rations. The Prophet %
did, however, ask him not to tell the Quraysh of their
whereabouts. Suraqa agreed, and asked to be given a letter of
safe conduct for future security. The Prophet H asked Amir to
write the letter on a piece of tanned leather.
Suraqa then returned toward Makkah. He told all of the bounty
hunters he met to go back because he had already searched the
area and the fugitives were nowhere to be found.
The four travelers resumed their journey, and on the way, the
Prophet soon met Burida bin Husayb Aslami along with
seventy or eighty families of his followers. They all embraced
Islam and prayed the evening prayer with the Prophet. Burida
migrated to Madinah after the Battle of Uhud.
The Prophet % also met Abu Tamim Aus bin Hajr Aslami at Arj.
At the time the Prophet and Abu Bakr were riding the same
camel because one of their camels had become weak. Abu
Tamim offered them a camel and sent along a slave named
Mas‘ood bin Hanida who accompanied them all the way to
134
Yathrib. Although Abu Tamim became Muslim, he chose to
remain in Arj. He would later prove useful to the Muslims in the
Battle of Uhud by sending word through Mas‘ood, the slave,
about the Makkans’ advance toward Madinah.
When the Prophet reached the valley of Reem, he met Zubayr
bin Awwam 4®, who was accompanying a trade caravan of
Muslims returning from Syria. He presented the Prophet M and
Abu Bakr 4® with sheets of white cloth.
Arrival in Qubaa
Fourteen years after becoming a prophet, on a Monday, the
Prophet M arrived in Qubaa on the outskirts of Yathrib.
The people of Yathrib (which was later named Al-Madinah Al-
Munawwarah, the City of Light) had long awaited the Prophet
and each day they would go to Hira and wait for him until the
sun became unbearable. One day the people returned to their
homes after waiting a long time for the Prophet. A Jew happened
to catch a glimpse of a small group of white-robed travelers in
the distance. He called out: “O people of Arabia! What you have
been waiting for has arrived!”
The Muslims lifted their weapons and rushed to greet the Prophet
There was a great tumult as everyone ran to the edge of the
desert to catch a glimpse of the travelers. The Prophet M then
turned towards the right and came to Banu Amr bin Auf at Qubaa.
After reaching Qubaa, the Prophet M dismounted and sat in silence.
Now those of the Ansar (literally the supporters, the name given to
those in Al-Madinah who became Muslim) who had not seen the
Prophet H thought that Abu Bakr 4® was the prophet because his
hair had grown a little gray. But when they saw Abu Bakr shade the
Prophet with a sheet, they realized their mistake.
The Prophet $s stayed at Qubaa in the house of Kulthoom bin
Hadam. Other sources, however, say that he stayed in the house of
Sa‘d bin Khathima. He stayed there for four days, during which time
135
he laid the foundation of Qubaa Mosque. That Friday he left Qubaa
with Abu Bakr He sent a message to Banu Najjar, the house of
his maternal grandfather. His kinsmen came to Qubaa with their
swords hanging from their sides, and joined the Prophet^ on his
way to Madinah. When he arrived at the settlement of Banu Salim
bin Auf, it was time to perform the Friday congregational prayer.
The Prophet M led a hundred Muslims in prayer.
The Prophet gjjg enters Madinah
After performing the Friday prayer, the Prophet M and his
entourage left for Madinah. Jubilant crowds of men, women and
children greeted him, and the narrow lanes of Madinah
resounded with their happy voices. Women and children sang
their welcome in a song that even now is sung by Muslims in
memory of that happy day when, like the full moon, the Prophet
si appeared among his people:
“The full moon has appeared before us. We must give
thanks when called to Allah. You, who have been sent to
us, bring commands that will be obeyed.”
As the Prophet $§ rode through the streets of Madinah, people
would take hold of his camel’s halter and invite the Prophet to
stay with them. “Let the she-camel go her way,” the Prophet %
would say. “She is guided by Allah.” Finally, the she-camel
knelt, but the Prophet M did not dismount. The animal rose to its
feet again, ambled ahead for some distance, and then turned back
and knelt in the same place it had before. The Prophet’s Mosque
(Masjid Al-Nabawi) was erected on this very spot.
Many people vied with each other to give shelter to the Prophet
M, but it was Abu Ayyub Ansari 4* who hurried to lift the saddle
from the she-camel and took it to his home. The Prophet fg
remarked humorously, “A man must follow his saddle,” and
went along with Abu Ayyub. Asad bin Zurara took hold of the
halter, so he was allowed to take care of the animal.
136
The Ansar chiefs tried to outdo each other in welcoming the
Prophet H. Each night the Prophet H would receive at least three
or four trays of food. Everyone wanted the Prophet H to know
that he had found a new home among his followers.
Ali migrates
Back in Makkah, Ali stayed on for three days after the
Prophet M left. During this period, he settled all of the Prophet’s
affairs in Makkah. He then left on foot and met the Prophet % in
Qubaa, where he stayed in the house of Kulthoom bin Hadam.
The Prophet’s family migrates
Six months after the Prophet M had settled in Madinah, he sent
Zayd bin Haritha and Abu Raf i to Makkah. They came back with
the Prophet’s family: Fatimah, Umm Kulthoom, Sauda, Umm
Ayman, and Osama bin Zayd. Abdullah bin Abu Bakr also
accompanied them along with the rest of Abu Bakr’s family, Umm
Ruman, Aishah and Asmaa.
Suhayb migrates
The Prophet’s departure triggered off a new wave of migration to
Madinah. The wealthy Suhayb (also known as Abu Yahya, i.e., the
father of Yahya) who had long been planning to migrate, only to
be held back by the vigilant Quraysh, finally managed to leave
Makkah for Madinah. The Quraysh were obviously trying to stop
the flight of capital from their society, and Suhayb struck a bargain
with them. He would give them all his possessions and his wealth
if they would let him join the Muslims in Madinah. When a now
penniless Suhayb reached Madinah and told the Prophet M how he
had won his freedom, the Prophet M said: “Abu Yahya! This
bargain is crowned with success!”
Muslims in Makkah
Not all the Muslims were able to win their freedom and migrate.
The Makkans rejoiced in the poorer Muslims’ increased
vulnerability and tortured them even more to make them renounce
137
their faith. Waleed bin Waleed, Ayash bin Abi Rabi‘a and Hisham
bin Aas were among this group of unfortunate Muslims. In
Madinah, the Prophet M would pray for them and supplicate
against the unbelievers who had held them back. The Muslims
remained patient, however, and were finally rescued by their
brothers in faith and taken to Madinah.
Difficulties in Madinah
Although the immigrants rejoiced over their freedom from the
pagans, life in Madinah presented several difficulties. They had left
their homes and belongings and now had to start all over again.
Most of them had been traders, while the main occupation in
Madinah was date cultivation. Furthermore, the climate did not suit
the newcomers, many of whom were soon stricken with fever. The
Prophet f| was aware of the great sense of displacement among the
Muhajireen (the immigrants), and he made the following prayer:
iljLi j JLil a5C» oj^JI LJI > — 1 >-
“O Allah! Make Madinah as dear to us as Makkah was, or
even dearer! Make its climate salubrious and bless its fruits
and grains!”
Allah granted the Prophet’s prayer. The immigrants regained their
health and began to love Madinah. As they became engaged in
establishing social and emotional ties in Madinah, they found the
city becoming more and more of a home to them.
The Prophet’s Mosque
Soon after arriving in Madinah, the Prophet M began the process of
setting up the first Muslim state. First, he launched the
construction of a mosque. He bought the land where his she-camel
had knelt down, about one hundred cubits in length and breadth.
There were a few graves located on the land which had to be
moved, as well as some date trees that had to be replanted.
138
The mosque’s walls were made of earth and unbaked bricks, its
roof was made from branches of date-trees, and tree trunks served
as columns. Sand and pebbles were spread on the floor.
The mosque had three doors and the Qiblah (a niche in the wall
where the leader of the prayer stands) was made to face in the
direction of Bait Al-Maqdis (Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem).
The Prophet worked along with the Muhajireen (the Makkan
immigrants) and the Ansar (the Muslims of Madinah) building the
mosque. While they carried bricks, rocks, and tree trunks, they
chanted work songs to make their toil easier.
Two apartments were also built near the mosque for the Prophet’s
two wives, Saudah bint ZanTa and Aishah bint Abu Bakr, whom
the Prophet % married soon after he arrived in Madinah. These
apartments were built of stone, mud, and date palms.
The call to prayer
At last the Muslims had a house of worship all their own. They no
longer had to congregate surreptitiously as they had in Makkah at
Bait Al-Arqam. In Madinah, they began to perform all five prayers
in congregation in the Prophet’s Mosque. The only problem was
that the people were unsure of when each prayer would begin. The
Prophet asked his followers for suggestions on how to solve this
problem. Some suggested that a shell or conch should be blown.
Umar, ever direct, proposed that someone should be appointed to
call out loudly, “Prayer is about to begin!” The Prophet M liked
Umar’s idea and put it into practice.
Later, however, Abdullah bin Zayd bin Abdu Rabb Al-Ansari had
a dream in which he heard a beautiful prayer call. He related his
dream to the Prophet H, who realized that the dream was meant to
be fulfilled. He asked Abdullah to teach the words to Bilal bin
Rabah, who had a strong and beautiful voice. Bilal learned the
words and called out to the Muslims of Madinah:
Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great!
139
I testify that there is no deity except Allah!
I testify that there is no deity except Allah!
I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah!
I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah!
Come to the Prayer!
Come to the Prayer!
Come to the Success!
Come to the Success!
Allah is Most Great!
Allah is Most Great!
There is no deity except Allah!
When Umar heard the new prayer call, he hurried to the
mosque and said, “By Allah, I have heard this call in my dreams.”
From that day onward, Muslims gathered at the mosque whenever
they heard Bilal make the prayer call.
Brotherhood between the Muhajireen and the Ansar
The Ansar tried to outdo each other in making the Muhajireen
comfortable in Madinah and put themselves and their possessions
at the service of the newcomers. Their generosity is mentioned in
the following Verse of the Qur’an:
IA: ^ O ^
“The Ansar love the Muhajireen who sought refuge with
them, and there is no jealousy in their hearts for what the
Muhajireen have been given. The Ansar give the
Muhajireen preference over themselves, although they were
in need of what the Muhajireen received.” (59 :9)
The Prophet H helped create a strong bond between the forty-five
immigrants and their hosts by assigning each immigrant to a
particular family in Madinah. Each immigrant, therefore, was
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declared a member of the family he was assigned to. They were to
share each other’s grief and suffering, and they were even allowed
to inherit from each other. Later, however, the permission to
inherit from each other was abrogated by a verse in the Qur’an
limiting inheritance to blood kin.
The brotherhood that was bom between the Ansar and Muhajireen
was no superficial bond based on sufferance of the Prophet’s
instructions, but a deep sense of kinship that is difficult to imagine
today. The Ansar felt such a great responsibility for their Makkan
proteges that once they even went to the Prophet ‘M and offered to
give half of their precious date groves to the Muhajireen. When
the Prophet M would not allow them to do so, they made a second
suggestion: “The Muhajireen can do some work in the groves and
receive a share from the profits as compensation.” The Prophet
accepted this proposal.
Sa’d bin Rabi’a was a wealthy Ansari (singular form of Ansar).
He was paired with an immigrant, Abdul Rahman bin Auf. Sa’d
not only offered Abdul Rahman half his possessions, but also
offered him one of his wives. “I have two wives,” he said. “Tell
me who is more pleasing to you and I shall divorce her so that
you may marry her.”
Abdul Rahman did not take advantage of his host’s generosity.
“May Allah bless your family and your possessions! Just tell me
where the market is.” Like most Makkans, he was a skilled
merchant, and soon he was able to support himself with his
earnings from the market. Shortly thereafter, he married a woman
from the Ansar.
Islamic community
The brotherhood between individual immigrants and their host
.families created a strong sense of community that was further
consolidated when the Prophet fl instituted common rules of
conduct for all. However, Madinah was also home to two other
communities, the polytheists who had not accepted Islam, and the
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Jewish tribes. In order to avoid the kind of conflicts the Muslims
had experienced in Makkah, the Prophet M entered into a covenant
with these two communities. The following points were included
in the document:
“The Ansar and any other tribes who signed a treaty with
them were a distinct Ummah (nation).”
1 . The payment of blood money and the release of prisoners
between them and the Muslims would take place according to
past practice, and the two non-Muslim communities of
Madinah would help the Muslims in matters of ransom and
blood money.
2. All three communities of Madinah would unite against any
criminals, rebels or hostile armies, even if they should be their
own offspring.
3. No Muslim was allowed to kill another Muslim to aid a non-
Muslim, nor could he help a non-Muslim against a Muslim.
4. The obligations owed to Allah were common to all Muslims,
and the entire community was responsible for the discharge of
this duty if an individual failed to carry out his responsibility.
5. Jews who became Muslim would be treated as any other
Muslim.
6. Booty would be shared by all Muslims.
7. One who deliberately killed a Muslim would be killed, unless
the victim’s family forgave the killer. It was incumbent upon
Muslims to rise against the killer.
8. It was unlawful for a Muslim to support anyone who tried to
create dissension among Muslims, or anyone who attempted to
tamper with the tenets of Islam.
9. Allah and His Prophet M would settle all disputes arising
among any of the three communities.
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The covenant marked a turning point for Muslims. They were bound
to each other by a solemn undertaking and through the course of
later events, they would prove that the unity, brotherhood and
cooperation sown by the covenant had flowered and borne fruit.
As for the position of the Muslims vis-a-vis the non-Muslims, the
covenant signified that the Muslims were strong enough to set
their own terms. It was made apparent to the polytheists that they
would not be able to challenge the Muslims’ authority.
Most of the chieftains and notables of Madinah had become
Muslim, and there was no one capable of leading those opposed to
Islam in open rebellion. Realizing this, the Prophet wanted to
ensure that non-Muslims who were discontent with the new power
structure did not look to Makkah for help. He made the non-
Muslims agree to the following stipulation: “We will not shelter
the Quraysh, nor will we refuse to offer protection to Muslims.”
The Prophet % drew up a separate covenant between the Muslims
and the Jews:
1 . The Jews and Muslims would live together as two separate
nations, each with its own way of life, and each in charge of its
own financial affairs.
2. Both nations would jointly defend the city from attack, and
each would defend its own people.
3. Both nations would coexist peacefully, and neither was to
meddle in the affairs of the other or in any way attempt to
destabilize the other.
4. Neither nation was responsible for the misdeeds of the other.
5. The oppressed would be helped and supported.
6. Both nations would bear the expenses of war.
7. Subversion and unwarranted bloodshed were unlawful for both
nations.
143
8. All disputes would be referred to Allah and His Prophet
9. The Quraysh and their allies were not to be aided or given
refuge.
1 0. The covenant would not provide any safeguard to wrong-doers
or criminals.
This covenant united the three communities of Madinah and
defined the Prophet as the undisputed head of state. Once
everyone understood his rights and responsibilities, the Prophet
M began to actively call the other two communities to Islam.
Many embraced Islam, and those who preferred their own
religion lived in peace with the ruling Muslims. There were
others, however, who were interested neither in Islam nor
peaceful coexistence. A faction from them became Muslim so as
to weaken Islam from within. They were later known as the
Hypocrites. Their leader was Abdullah bin Ubayy, and together
with the group of hostile non-Muslims, they represented the
greatest threat to the security of Madinah.
The Quraysh test the Muslim’s resolve
In spite of all the precautions the Prophet M took to ensure that
Madinah remained safe and peaceful, the Quraysh were
determined to destabilize the city. The Quraysh sent word to the
polytheists of Madinah, ordering them to help drive out the
Muslims. If the polytheists refused to help, the Quraysh threatened
to kill their children and capture their women. The Prophet^
found out about the threats and convinced the polytheists not to
give in to the strong-arm tactics employed by the Quraysh.
The Quraysh seethed at the turn of events. Their frustration was
apparent when Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh <&> went to Makkah to perform
Umrah, the minor pilgrimage. As he circumambulated the Ka ‘bah
with Abu Safwan Umayya bin Khalaf, he met Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl
recognized him as one of the residents of Madinah who had become
Muslim and accosted Sa‘d. “So you find safety in Makkah while
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you have provided refuge to the faithless. By God, if you were not
with Abu Safwan, you would not return home safe and sound.”
Abu Jahl’s threat indicated that the Quraysh were intent on
keeping Muslims from visiting the Ka ‘bah and performing their
religious duties there. It also indicated that they were prepared to
kill unarmed Muslims.
The Jews of Madinah also represented another threat to the
Muslims. They played on the old rivalry between the two tribes of
Madinah, the Aus and Khazraj, hoping to rekindle the bitter feud
that had once rent them. The fledgling Muslim community faced
threats from both within and without. The danger of bloodshed
grew so serious that the Muslims began keeping their weapons
next to their beds at night. The Prophet |g was also protected by
armed bodyguards until Allah revealed the verse:
[1V:sju*11I]
“Allah will guard you from mankind.” (5:67)
Permission to fight
Up to this point, the Prophet # had counseled Muslims to endure
insults and abuses in silence. Now, however, the Muslims had the
upper hand. This new found supremacy triggered off even fiercer
opposition from their enemies. At last, Allah made it permissible
for Muslims to fight against their oppressors, and this permission
later became a duty. The permission to fight was given in stages.
At first the Muslims were allowed to fight only the Quraysh
because they were the first to oppress Muslims in Makkah.
Muslims were also allowed to seize their goods, but not those of
tribes at peace with them.
Then the Muslims were allowed to fight any pagan tribe that
allied itself with the Quraysh, or any other pagan tribe that
oppressed Muslims.
Later, the Muslims were permitted to fight any Jewish tribe that
145
broke its covenant with the Muslims. In such a case, the covenant
was automatically nullified.
Subsequently, the Muslims were allowed to fight “People of the
Book” (Christians and Jews) who harassed or persecuted them. If
the “People of the Book” surrendered to the Islamic state and
paid Jiziyah (a nominal tax), then the Muslims were forbidden to
fight them.
Finally, the Muslims were required to make peace with any
polytheists, Jews or Christians who embraced Islam, and to respect
their rights and property.
Military expeditions ( Saraya and Ghazawat)
Now that Allah had enjoined Muslims to fight in self defense, the
Prophet gs molded the formerly oppressed, meek community into a
military organization that would fight to survive and would no
longer tolerate the depredations of every tribe that decided to prey
on them. Archery and horsemanship were held out as activities to
excel in. The Prophet M organized the Muslims into cavalry units
called Saraya. Sometimes he would accompany these squadrons,
and the expeditions he took part in were called Ghazawat.
The cavalry units undertook four main tasks. Primarily they were
to protect the outskirts of Madinah and to gather intelligence about
any suspicious activities.
Secondly, they worked to intercept Makkan trade caravans passing
through the area. Many Muslims had been forced to leave their
wealth behind in Makkah when they migrated to Madinah;
therefore, Muslims were allowed to retaliate by raiding caravans
financed by the Quraysh.
Thirdly, it was the responsibility of these cavalry units to make
covenants with other tribes outside Madinah. The Prophet M saw
the need to develop good relationships with these tribes so that
they would not ally themselves with the Quraysh.
146
Lastly, the units were entrusted with the task of spreading the
message of Islam throughout Arabia.
The first Sariyya (singular form of Saraya ) that the Prophets
dispatched was called Sariyya Saif Al-Bahr. It took place in
Ramadan, 1 A.H. (the first year of the Prophet’s migration or
Hijrah: A.H. refers to After Hijrah). The Prophet’s uncle Hamzah
bin Abdul Muttalib led the squadron accompanied by thirty
Muhajireen. They headed for the coast of the Red Sea on the
outskirts of Ais and came across a caravan headed by Abu Jahl
that was returning from Syria. A battle almost erupted when the
two parties faced each other, but Majdi bin Amr Jahni intervened
and matters subsided.
This was the first Sariyya in the history of Islam. The Muslims
rode beneath a white standard (the first ever used by Muslims)
borne by Abu Marthad bin Haseen Ghanwi
In the following months, the Prophet M sent a number of Saraya
one after another. Abu Ubaydah bin Harith ^ led a party of sixty
Muhajireen to Batn Rabi. They came across Abu Sufyan and two
hundred Makkans. Arrows were shot from both sides but there was
no combat. Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas was dispatched along with
twenty Muhajirieen to Rabigh near Kharar, but the men returned
without having had to fight.
Then in Safar, 2 A.H., for the first time the Prophet |£ himself went
out to battle accompanied by seventy Muhajireen. They journeyed
to Abwa or Wad an, but once again they did not come across any
enemies. However, it was during this journey that the Prophet ^
finalized a treaty of peace and cooperation with Amr bin Makhshi
al Dhamri.
The following month (Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 2 A.H.), the Prophet M led a
group of men to Buwat on the outskirts of Radwi. During the same
month, Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri rustled some grazing cattle belonging
to the Muslims. The Prophet sg£ gathered seventy Muhajireen and
chased him to Safwan on the outskirts of Badr, but Kurz escaped.
147
This expedition is known as the First Battle of Badr.
The Prophet H also led a squadron of 1 50 to 200 Muhajireen in
either Jamad Al-Awwal or Jamad Al-Thani, 2 A.H. They went to
Dhul Ashira to intercept a caravan headed for Syria, but it had
passed a few days before they arrived. During this journey the
Prophet |§ finalized a non-aggression pact with Banu Madlaj.
To further steel his men in the art of warfare, the Prophet M sent
Abdullah bin Jahsh Asadi along with twelve Muhajireen to
Nakhlah (an area between Makkah and Ta’if) in Rajab, 2 A.H.
Their objective was to gather intelligence about a caravan financed
by the Quraysh. Abdullah’s men attacked the caravan and killed one
person. They also took two captives whom they brought back to
Madinah. When the Prophet M heard about what had happened, he
became very upset. He set the prisoners free and paid blood money
to the victim’s family. The Quraysh protested vehemently about the
attack because it took place in Rajab, one of the “prohibited
months,” the period during which fighting is unlawful.
Allah revealed the following verse in reference to the Muslim
attack on the caravan:
SjLJLiftj j Li* j y -* — ^
[rW:5^aJI]
“They ask you concerning fighting in the prohibited months.
Say: Fighting during these months is a grave offense, but
preventing people from following the path of Allah,
disbelieving in Him, preventing access to the Sacred Mosque,
and driving out its residents are greater offenses with Allah.
Unrest and oppression are worse than killing.” (2:217)
A new Qiblah
In Sha‘ban, 2 H, the Qiblah (direction Muslims pray toward) was
changed from Bait Al-Maqdis in Jerusalem to the Ka'bah in
148
Makkah. The change was announced by Allah in a verse in the
Qur’an. The Prophet M and the sincere Muslims rejoiced over this
change. The Hypocrites who had pretended to be Muslims,
however, protested the change, and many of them reverted to either
Judaism or paganism, thereby purifying the ranks of Muslims.
The Battle of Badr
The military raids undertaken by the Muslims were minor until
this point. They had been more exploratory than anything else, but
they had served to initiate Muslims into the conduct of warfare. It
was the Battle of Badr, however, that was a milestone for Islam as
the first decisive battle between the Muslims and the Quraysh.
The Prophet $s rode to Dhul Ashirah attempting to intercept a trade
caravan from Makkah to Syria. The caravan, however, managed to
flee to Syria. The Prophet then dispatched two men to Hawraa in
Syria to await the caravan’s return. When the scouts spotted the
caravan approaching, they hurried back to Madinah to inform the
Prophet 3t. Once the Prophet m heard that the caravan was
returning, he mustered between 313 and 317 men, two horses and
seventy camels. He then headed for Badr, about 155 km southwest
of Madinah.
The Prophet H awarded the white standard to Mus‘ab bin Umayr
4*- The Muhajireen were given a separate standard which was
carried by Ali bin Talib, while the standard of the Ansar was borne
by Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh
Badr, ringed by high mountains, was accessible through three
routes. One, called Al-Udwat Al-Qaswa, lay in the south; the
second, called Al-Udwat Al-Duniya, approached from the north,
and the third approached from the east and was used by the people
of Madinah as the main thoroughfare to the settlement of Badr.
There were some houses, wells and orchards in Badr, and for this
reason Makkan caravans heading for Syria traveled along it and
generally broke their journey there, staying anywhere from a few
hours to a few days.
149
It would have been simple for the Prophet M and his men to seize
the caravan by blockading all three escape routes. Success
depended on the element of surprise, however, and the Muslims
would have to appear only after the caravan pulled into Badr and
seal off all three routes before the Quraysh could react.
Accordingly, the Prophet and his men left Madinah heading in
the opposite direction from Badr. Once the Prophet M was at a safe
distance away from Madinah, he changed routes and headed
directly for Badr.
The caravan that the Muslims hoped to seize was headed by Abu
Sufyan bin Harb. It consisted of forty men, one thousand camels
and goods worth about fifty thousand dinars. Abu Sufyan was
highly cautious, and he asked every person he met about the
movements of the Muslims. He was at a great distance from Badr
when he found out that a large band of Muslims had left Madinah.
Acting quickly, he turned the caravan westward and headed for the
coast, bypassing Badr altogether. Moreover, he sent a messenger
to Makkah requesting reinforcements.
When the Quraysh received Abu Sufyan’s message, they quickly
rounded up a squadron of 1 ,300 men to confront the Muslims and
protect the caravan. All the notable chiefs of Makkah, except for
Abu Lahab, joined the force, as well as every available man from
each of the neighboring tribes. Of the Makkan clans, only Banu
Adiy refused to take part.
When the pagan army reached Juhfa they received a message
from Abu Sufyan informing them that the caravan was safe and
that the army should return to Makkah. The men were preparing to
return when Abu Jahl arrogantly refused to retreat. Only the men
from the Banu Zahra returned on the advice of their chief, Akhnas
bin Shariq Thaqafi. The rest of the troops, now numbering one
thousand, continued their journey. Upon reaching Udwa Qasmi,
the Quraysh set up their camp in a spacious field, just behind the
mountains that surrounded Badr.
150
The Prophet M learned that the Quraysh were approaching Badr,
and he met with his men to discuss their options. Abu Bakr and
Umar u* — both gave their opinions, and Miqdad bin Amr
voiced the prevailing sentiment:
“O Prophet, we will not say what the Children of Israel
said to Musa:
[Y i : sjjlil] ^ ' d' 8 * * * - i A-'J ‘ * ^ ‘
‘You and your Lord go and fight, and we will sit here.’(5:24)
“We will fight along with you on your left and on your right,
in front of you and behind you.”
Miqdad’ s words gladdened the Prophet % with their sincerity, for he
had worried the Ansar would fight in defense only if they were
attacked in Madinah. After all, the Second Pledge of Aqabah did not
call for the Ansar to fight alongside the Prophet H outside the city.
The Prophet % then asked the men if they all agreed. Sa‘d bin
Mu‘adh 4i>, the chieftain of the Ansar, said:
“0 Prophet, I swear by the One Who has sent you with the
Truth, that if you plunge into the sea, we will also plunge in
with you, and not a single man among us will lag behind.
We will not hesitate if you dash against the enemies, for we
are firm in war and bold in the fray. Lead us, and may Allah
bless us and our mission!”
At this, the Prophet $5 said:
^>1^1 4)1 j . 'j.- T .a. ' lhJl ^1 4)1 o\»
. ji) t jjii; hs 1
“I bring you glad tidings from Allah. He has promised me
either booty from the caravan or victory on the battlefield.
By Allah, there is a vision before me of a battlefield, and I
see the exact places where each man will fall.”
Resolutely the Prophet M led his men onward to Badr, and they
151
arrived there the same night as the Quraysh. The Muslims set up
camp at Al-Udwat Al-Duniya, but Al-Hubab ibn Al-Mundhir
advised the Prophet H that they should move ahead and encamp at
the well nearest the enemy so that they could store water in
reservoirs. He also suggested that the rest of the wells be filled up
so that the Quraysh would have no water. The Prophet took
Hubab’s brilliant advice and carried out his instructions. The
Muslims then made a small enclosure of palm branches in which
the Prophet would stay while directing his men during the battle.
A group of Ansar youths were put under the command of Sa‘d bin
Mu’adh to act as lookouts.
After this, the Prophet H walked around Badr with his men, saying
“This is the spot where so and so will fall in battle tomorrow, God-
willing.’'’ He passed the night in prayer at the foot of a tree while a
gentle rain fell and lulled the men into a refreshing sleep. Allah
recounts His favor to the believers in the following verse:
' A 0 : ' 'A
a\ l
“Remember how Allah enveloped you with drowsiness to
make you feel safe. He caused rain to descend upon you
from heaven so you could clean yourselves — rain that also
removed Satan’s influence, strengthened your hearts, and
made you stand firm in battle.” (8:1 1)
The next morning (Friday, Ramadan 17, 2 A.H. ) the two armies
came face to face. “O Allah! Here come the Quraysh in their
vanity and arrogance,” the Prophet M supplicated. “They deny
You and call Your Prophet a liar. 0 Allah! Fulfill Your promise
to me! Help us, Allah!”
The Prophet M assembled his men and told them not to begin
fighting until he ordered them to do so. “Use arrows only when
they come close, and don’t draw your swords unless they are very
near.” Abu Bakr 4® then escorted the Prophet to the small
enclosure where the Prophet began to pray to his Lord:
152
. ijb! Juki 'y piJi oii tiiifi oi ^4 Iji»
. «|jbt ^1 jlIJ jlk;
“O Allah! If this group is destroyed today. You will not be
worshipped for ever. O Allah! If it is Your consent that after
this day You will not be worshipped for ever.”
Abu Jahl also prayed: “O God, destroy today the party that seeks
to break filial ties and believes in wrong-doing. O Allah! Help the
party today which is much loved by you.”
Challenge to single combat
The Quraysh’s three best horsemen, Utbah bin Rabi‘a, Shayba bin
Rabi‘a, and Waleed bin Utbah, stepped forward and challenged the
Muslims to single combat. In response, three members of the
Ansar came forward, but the challengers were thirsty for the blood
of the Makkan exiles and said, “We want our cousins.” The Ansar
withdrew, and Ubaydah bin Harith, Hamzah and Ali came
forward. Hamzah faced Shayba, Ali stood before Waleed, and
Ubaydah accepted Utbah’s challenge. Hamzah and Ali both killed
their opponents with ease, but Ubaydah and Utbah had wounded
one another, and neither had the upper hand. Ali and Hamzah ran
to Ubaydah’s aid and killed his opponent, and then brought
Ubaydah, who had lost his leg, back to their ranks. Later he died of
this injury at Saffa’a on the way back to Madinah.
The Battle of Badr begins
The Quraysh smarted at having lost three men before the battle had
even begun. They charged at the Muslims, who, encouraged by
their early success, faced the onslaught without flinching.
Proclaiming Allah’s Oneness, the Muslims cried out: “Ahad\
Ahad\" [One! One!]
The Prophet M, who was given hn insight into the supernatural allies
sent to him, turned to Abu Bakr and said, “Rejoice, O Abu Bakr,
Allah’s help has come. This is Jibreel, moving ahead with his
horse’s bridle in his hand. His garments are besmeared with dirt and
dust.” Allah’s help came in the form of one thousand angels.
153
The Prophet M then marched forward toward the fray, and at that
moment the following verse was revealed:
“Soon will their multitude be put to flight, and they will
show their backs.” (54:45)
The Prophet M took a handful of dust and threw it at the Quraysh
saying, “Let their faces be disfigured.” The dust flew into the eyes
and noses of the Quraysh, as mentioned in the following verse:
[wiJiuMi] 4tlfj ^ 4
“It was not you who threw, but Allah.” (8:17)
The Prophet ordered his men to attack, crying out, “Rise!” The
Muslims, outnumbered three to one, were inspired when they saw
that the Prophet H himself was present among them and ready to
fight. Supported by the invisible army of angels, the Muslims
swarmed over the Quraysh. The Quraysh fell one after another,
and soon they retreated in disarray. The Muslims followed in
pursuit, slaying some and capturing others.
Satan, who was also present in the guise of Suraqa bin Malik bin
Ju‘shum, saw the army of angels, and escaped by plunging into the
Red Sea.
Abu Jahl killed
As befitting a general, Abu Jahl was well-protected during the
battle by men carrying swords and spears. He was so well guarded
no Muslim could even get near him.
A young boy told Abdul Rahman bin Auf, “Show me Abu Jahl.”
Abdul Rahman replied, “What have you to do with him?”
“I have been told that he vilifies the Prophet |g. By the One in
Whose hand my life lies, I shall kill him when I see him, or shall
be killed by him!”
154
Another young boy told Abdul Rahman the same thing. Suddenly,
Abdul Rahman spotted Abu Jahl on the battlefield and pointed him
out to the two young boys. They attacked him fiercely with their
swords, and Abu Jahl fell to the earth. After the battle, they both
presented themselves before the Prophet H, each claiming to have
killed Abu Jahl. He looked at their swords and proclaimed, “Both
of you have killed him.”
The young boys were Mu‘adh ibn Afra and Mu‘adh ibn Amr. The
first is said to have been martyred in the same battle, but Mu‘adh
ibn Amr remained alive till the Caliphate of Uthman 4». The
Prophet sS gave him Abu Jahl’s belongings.
Abdullah bin Mas‘ood, who found Abu Jahl dying on the battlefield,
placed his leg on his old enemy’s neck and caught hold of his beard
to behead him. “Hasn’t Allah disgraced you, O enemy of Allah?”
Even as he lay dying Abu Jahl was unrepentant. “For what have I
been disgraced? Is there anybody above the man you have killed? I
only wish someone other than a farmer had killed me. Tell me,
who was victorious today?”
“Allah and His Messenger,” Abdullah said.
“O herdsman! You have mounted a very difficult place,” Abu Jahl
responded. Abdullah 4& then cut his head off and placed it before
the Prophet &
“Allah is the Greatest! All praise is due to Allah,” the Prophet cried.
“He has proven His promise to be true, helped His servants, and
defeated the opposing army.” Gazing at Abu Jahl’s head before him,
the Prophet M said, “He was the Pharaoh of his nation.”
Day of Distinction
With Abu Jahl’s death the Quraysh were humbled. They scattered,
defeated by an army of men and angels, and thus ended the Battle
of Badr. It was fought not for territory, riches, or honor, but to
make belief in Allah victorious over unbelief. The Muslims fought
against their fathers, uncles, sons, brothers, cousins and friends.
155
Umar 4> killed his maternal uncle, Asi bin Hisham, while Abu
Bakr faced his son, Abdul Rahman, and the Prophet’s at uncle
Abbas was captured. Utbah bin Rabi‘a, who was one of the first
three to challenge the Muslims in a preliminary duel, fought
against his son, Abu Hudhayfah, one of the Prophet’s closest
Companions. Blood ties were severed so that belief would prevail
over unbelief. The day came to be called “ Yaum Al-FurqarT (the
day erf distinction), because on this day the battle lines were drawn
not according to tribe, but according to belief in Allah.
Fourteen Muslims were honored with martyrdom during the Battle
of Badr (six Muhajireen and eight Ansar). They were buried at
Badr, and their grave sites are still known today.
On the pagan side, seventy men were slain and an equal number
taken captive. Most of the dead were tribal notables and chieftains.
In fact, the bodies of twenty-four pagan chieftains were thrown
into a foul-smelling well.
The Prophet M and his men stayed in Badr for three days. When he
was about to begin the journey back to Madinah, he stood over the
well and called out to each chieftain by name: “O son of so and so!
Do you wish you had obeyed Allah and His Messenger? I have
found that what my Lord promised me is true. Did you find your
lord’s promise true?”
“O Prophet $£,” Umar ^ asked. How can you talk to bodies
which have no souls?”
“They hear me just as you do, but they cannot answer,” the
Prophet H explained.
News of Badr reaches Makkah and Madinah
The pagans who had escaped carried the news of their defeat back
to Makkah. The Makkans were crushed and disgraced. Unwilling
to give the Muslims still in Makkah a chance to see them grieve,
they prohibited mourning over their dead and captured.
Refraining from mourning, however, would not be easy. For
156
example, Aswad bin Muttalib lost three sons at Badr, and he
desperately wanted to lament for his dead sons. One night he heard
a woman weeping uncontrollably and he assumed that mourning
had been permitted. He immediately sent a slave to find out if it
was so. He found out that mourning was still banned — the woman
was crying for her lost camel. When he learned this, he raged:
“She cries because her camel is lost and restlessness has
disrupted her sleep? Cry not over the camel, but over Badr
where fortune fell on an evil day!”
The Prophet M sent two messengers to announce the victory to the
people of Madinah. Abdullah bin Rawaha went to northern
Madinah, while Zayd bin Haritha went to southern Madinah. The
people of Madinah had been worried, especially because the Jews
had spread rumors that the mighty Quraysh had overpowered the
Muslims. When the Prophet’s messengers arrived, the people
shouted “ Alla.hu Akbar\ Allah is Most Great!” The Muslims were
jubilant. Allah had given them victory, and they were serene in their
belief that Allah would reward those Muslims who fell in battle .
Return to Madinah
While the Muslims were heading back to Madinah, the Prophet fg
received a revelation from Allah concerning the distribution of the
spoils of war. One-fifth of the booty was set aside for the Prophet
% and the rest was to be distributed among those who fought in
the battle. He became the first prophet who was allowed to share in
the spoils of war. Allah also ordained that Nadir bin Harith be
executed, and Ali beheaded him. Later, the command to kill
Utbah bin Abu Mu‘ayt was given, and Asim bin Thabit Ansari
beheaded him (but some sources indicate that it was Ali bin Abi
Talib who slew him).
Upon hearing the news of the great victory, many of the citizens
from Madinah traveled toward Badr in hopes of being the first to
congratulate the Prophet $£. They met the victorious Muslims in
Ruha, and accompanied them back to Madinah. The sight of the
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triumphant Muslims entering Madinah with dozens of captives led
many people to become Muslim.
The captives
After reaching Madinah, the Prophet M held consultations
regarding the prisoners of war. Abu Bakx 4® said that they should
let the Quraysh buy their freedom, while Umar 4® was in favor of
executing all of them. The Prophet M decided to set them free in
return for a ransom, which ranged from one thousand to four
thousand dinars. Those who could not pay and were literate were
required to teach ten Muslim children each by way of ransom.
Those unable to do either were set free anyway.
A poignant sidelight of this battle was the capture and subsequent
ransom of Abul Aas, the Prophet’s son-in-law. Zaynab 4i
the Prophet’s daughter, who was the wife of Abul Aas, was still in
Makkah, and she sent a necklace to ransom her husband. The
Prophet recognized the necklace. He himself had given it to his
daughter as a wedding gift. His eyes filled with tears, and he sought
the consent of his Companions to free Abul Aas without ransom.
The Companions agreed, and Abul Aas was freed on the condition
that he would let Zaynab migrate to Madinah. After he returned to
Makkah, Zaynab was allowed to join her father in Madinah.
Ruqayyah dies and Uthman marries Umm Kulthoom
When the Prophet M left for the Battle of Badr, his daughter,
Ruqayyah was ill. The Prophet M asked Uthman 4®, her
husband, to stay in Madinah to attend to his sick wife. He would get
the same reward, the Prophet % promised him, and an equal share of
the booty as those who fought at Badr. Usama bin Zayd was asked
to stay in Madinah for the same reason. Unfortunately, Ruqayyah
died before the Prophet returned. Usama bin Zayd said, “The news
of the victory came to us after we had already buried Ruqayyah.”
Later, the Prophet M gave his daughter, Umm Kulthoom iti
in marriage to the bereaved Uthman 4®. Because he was married to
two of the Prophet’s daughters in succession, Uthman 4® came to
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be called “Dhul Noorayn ” (one who has two lights). Umm
Kulthoom i** iii died while married to Uthman 4« in the month
of Sha‘ban, 9 A.H. , and was buried next to the Prophet’s Mosque
in the cemetery known as Baqi.
Events after Badr
The victory Allah granted the Muslims at Badr deeply grieved the
pagans. Revenge was uppermost on their minds, and to this end they
devised plans to inflict heavy losses on the Muslims. As events
show us, Allah, however, turned the tables on the Quraysh and
blessed the Muslims with further triumphs and even more prestige.
Just one week after the return from Badr, or after two and a half
or three months according to some sources, Banu Sulaym began
conscripting an army to invade Madinah. In a preemptive strike,
the Muslims raided their base and came back with booty. Then
Umayr bin Wahab Jumahi and Safwan bin Umayya decided to
assassinate the Prophet ^ 5 .
Umayr stole into Madinah, hoping to carry out his mission, but
was apprehended as soon as he entered Madinah. Allah had
revealed Umayr’s motives to the Prophet $ 5 , who in turn
disclosed Umayr’s secret plan to him. Umayr repented and
embraced Islam.
Expedition against Banu Qaynuqa
Even though the victory at Badr was decisive, it did not spell a
reprieve for the Muslims. In fact, each tribe among the pagans and
the Jews took it upon itself to keep up the pressure by harassing
the Muslim state. The Jews of Banu Qaynuqa engaged in openly
hostile acts, and when the Prophet H called on them to refrain,
they retorted derisively, “Do not delude yourself, Muhammad, just
because some naive fools and simpletons have entered your fold.
Should you ever fight against us, you will test our mettle as men of
valor.” The Prophet M responded with his customary patience,
which brought forth even more provocation from Banu Qaynuqa.
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Banu Qaynuqa started a clash in the market place which resulted in
the death of a Muslim and a Jew. This time the Prophet $$ dealt
with them firmly. He ordered the Muslims to besiege the enemy. It
was Saturday, the middle of Shawwal, 2 A.H. After holding out a
fortnight, Banu Qaynuqa laid down their arms on the night of the
new moon of Dhul Qa‘dah. The Prophet expelled them, driving
them away towards Adhrat in Syria, where most of them died
shortly afterwards.
Expedition of Saweeq
Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan was still smarting over the defeat at Badr.
He thirsted for another military encounter, one which he felt sure
would go their way, and swore he would not bathe until he had
fought with Muhammad |g again. With an army of two hundred
men, he came to Madinah,' seeking to acquit himself of his oath.
Intent on spreading destruction, they raided a settlement named
Arid, hacked and burned a number of precious date trees, and got
away after killing two of the Ansar.
When the Prophet received news of the raiders, he and his
followers went out in pursuit. Abu Sufyan and his men succeeded
in eluding the Prophet $t, who pursued them until Karkarat Al-
Kadr. In trying to get away swiftly, the Quraysh were forced to get
rid of most of their valuable provisions, especially the com meal,
or saweeq, from which the expedition got its name.
Ka‘b bin Ashraf is killed
The next thorn in the Muslims’ side was Ka‘b bin Ashraf, an
extremely wealthy Jewish poet whose enmity for the Muslims and
their Prophet was unrelenting. Ka‘b would use his considerable
poetic talent to compose and recite derogatory verses against the
Prophet M, his Companions, and the honor of Muslim women,
while he eulogized their sworn enemies and incited them to fight
the Muslims. Immediately after the Battle of Badr, he traveled to
Makkah to stir up passions. To an already bloodthirsty and
enraged Quraysh, he orated at length, bidding them to extract
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vengeance for their defeat.
Ka‘b was a skilled demagogue, and given the high esteem poetry
and poets had in Arab society, his words worked a spell on the
Quraysh. His call for revenge was welcome as was his assurance
that the Quraysh were on a higher spiritual plane than the
Muslims. He exhorted them to learn a lesson from what had
happened with Banu Qaynuqa.
The Quraysh were a willing audience, and they swore to act on
Ka‘b’s advice. Having wound up his propaganda campaign against
the Muslims, Ka‘b returned tcf Madinah to continue his subversive
acts against the Muslim state. When the Prophet H heard about
Ka‘b’s return to Madinah, he said to his Companions, “Ka‘b bin
Ashraf has offended Allah and His Messenger. Who will rid me of
him?”
In response to the Prophet’s call, Muhammad bin Muslimah,
Ubbad bin Bishr, Abu Naailah, Harith bin Aws and Abu Abs bin
Jabr volunteered their services. Muhammad bin Muslimah was
appointed the head of the mission, and accordingly thought up a
plan, but since it involved subterfuge, he sought the Prophet’s
consent before putting his plan into action.
Having received the Prophet’s permission to entrap Ka‘b,
Muhammad bin Muslimah went to Ka‘b. After Ka’b’s initial
wariness had worn off, Muhammad confided, “This man
[indicating the Prophet M] came to us asking for charity, but he has
put us to great trouble.”
Muhammad bin Muslimah’s words had the desired effect. Ka‘b
exclaimed with joy, “By God, you people will tire of him even
more in the future!”
Now that Muhammad had gained Ka‘b’s confidence, he requested
a loan of wheat or dates, leaving his weapon as collateral. His
request was granted.
Next came Abu Naailah with a similar complaint. He confided that
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some of his companions held the same unfavorable opinion of
the Prophet M and that he would bring them to Ka‘b, as they
were also in need of Ka‘b’s help. Ka‘b graciously agreed to meet
them at a later date, delighted at finding more and more
disenchanted Muslims through whom he could hurt the Prophet.
It was the fourteenth of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 3 A.H., and the full
moon was shining down on Ka‘b as he lay with his new wife in
his fortress. When the five armed Muslims called out to him,
Ka‘b readily went down to see them, disregarding his wife’s
pleas to take care. He was so complacent about his success in
finding collaborators that even the sight of the Muslims’
weapons did not startle him. He certainly did not see himself as
their target.
They set out on a stroll. Abu Naailah complimented Ka‘b about
his perfume, and asked permission to smell his head. Flattered,
Ka‘b obliged. Abu Naailah sniffed Ka‘b’s head and then, holding
Ka‘b’s head in his hands, bade his companions smell the fragrance
as well. He asked to do so again and was allowed to smell the
fragrance once more. When Ka‘b’s head was securely in his grasp,
Abu Naailah urged his comrades, “ Seize this enemy of Allah!”
Instantly, the others struck with their swords, but with no success.
Finally, Muhammad bin Muslimah used his axe to strike Ka‘b’s
abdomen. As the axe cleaved his body, Ka‘b died screaming
horribly. The sound of the disturbance roused Ka‘b’s men, who lit
torches around the top of the fort, but they did not find the five men
who got away, having silenced their most vocal enemy at last.
Ka‘b’s death greatly demoralized the Jews. In their new found
sense of discretion they decided against open warfare upon the
Muslims and went underground, and the Muslims were safe for a
while from harassment.
The Sariyya of Qardah
In Jamad Al-Awwal, 3 A.H., the Quraysh sent a trade caravan to
Syria by way of Iraq. They entrusted the caravan to Safwan bin
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Umayya and were not overly concerned at the risks involved since
the route went through Najd, far from Madinah and the menace of
the Muslims.
When the Prophet gg came to know about the Qurayshi caravan
with its precious cargo, he dispatched a cavalry of two hundred
men under the command of Zayd bin Haritha At Najd, as the
caravan halted at a spring named Qardah, Zayd and his men
swooped down on the caravan and its travelers. Even though the
men managed to flee, their possessions fell into the hands of the
Muslims as did the caravan guide, Furat bin Hayyan. The humane
treatment Furat experienced at the hands of his captors so
impressed him that he became Muslim.
When the booty from the caravan was evaluated, its worth stood at
a hundred thousand dirhams. With this raid, the Muslims had
inflicted on the Quraysh an economic defeat as devastating as the
military one at Badr.
The Battle ofUhud
Now the Quraysh had two humiliating episodes to live down. Badr
and Qardah were bitter losses, and it was time to channel all their
anger and hatred into a military strike against the Muslims.
Preparations began at a furious pace as the Quraysh launched a
recruitment drive and admitted voluntary soldiers and anyone with
a personal grudge against the Muslims, especially those who had
lost fathers, sons or brothers at Badr.
Bards were brought in to incite the people with their songs of
vengeance. Subsidiary tribes who owed allegiance to the Quraysh
were also made to join the army. Women went with them to boost
their morale and prevent them from taking flight. The Quraysh
.ultimately mustered an army of 3000 soldiers with 300 camels,
200 horses and 700 coats of mail. Abu Sufyan was the
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commander-in-chief of the Makkan army, and the valiant fighters
of Banu Abdul Dar were appointed its standard bearers.
The proud and fearsome Makkan army advanced towards
Madinah. On Friday, the 6th of Shawwal, 3 A.H., they reached the
outskirts of the city and camped in an open field in the valley of
Qanah below Mounts Ainain and Uhud.
The Prophet M had been expecting the enemy for a week. He had
already set up a patrol system around Madinah to ensure the city’s
safety and had declared a state of emergency.
When the Makkan army arrived, the Prophet M sought the counsel
of his Companions regarding further defensive measures. His plan
was to remain in the city, with the men facing the enemy at the
entrance of lanes and alleys, and the women attacking from the
rooftops of their houses.
When the plan was outlined before the community, the Hypocrites
among them, those who had become Muslim as a matter of
convenience, were happy not to be out on the battlefield. Their
leader, Abdullah bin Ubayy, supported the plan, since he could
then sit safely at home without being accused of falling back from
the battle. Some of the young men, however, were eager to meet
the enemy in open combat, and pressed for a direct military
encounter. The Prophet H agreed to their demands, and
accordingly, he divided his army into three squads — one squad
consisted of the Muhajireen (migrants) with Mus’ab bin Umayr as
the standard bearer, another comprised the Aus tribe with Usayd
bin Hudair as the standard bearer, and the third unit consisted of
the Khazraj with Hubab bin Mundhir as the standard bearer.
After 'Asr prayer, the Prophet sH set out towards Mount Uhud and
inspected his troops at Shaykhayn. He decided to send back the
youths among them in his desire to keep them safe. However, he
later allowed Rafi bin Khadij to stay on, for he was a good archer
whose skills would prove useful. Up came Samura bin Jundab
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pleading to be retained also. After all, wasn’t he stronger than
Rafi? And hadn’t he thrown Raft in several wrestling bouts?
Samura begged for a trial bout and made good his claim, so the
Prophet allowed him to go into battle as well.
At Shaykhayn the Prophet M offered his Maghrib (sunset) and
‘Isha (evening) prayers. He spent the night there, and appointed
fifty watchmen to guard the troops. In the stillness of night, he
then departed, going on to Shaut, where he prayed Fajr at dawn.
Just as things seemed to be going reasonably smoothly, the
Hypocrites struck the first blow. Abdullah bin Ubayy chose to
rebel against the Prophet M at this point and withdrew with his 300
companions. His action sent Banu Salma and Banu Harith reeling.
Surprised and dismayed, they reacted to the news so badly that
they themselves considered retreating.
Ultimately the Prophet’s counsel and Allah’s grace renewed their
resolve, but the Muslim army of 1000 had shrunk by almost a third
to 700.
Heading this truncated army, the Prophet M marched towards
Uhud through a short route leaving the enemy forces in the
western part of the area. He descended into the valley of Mount
Uhud, all the while keeping his back to the mountain. Thus, the
enemies stood between the Muslims and Madinah.
Then the Prophet $1 drew up his troops for battle. On Mount
Ainain, which later came to be known as Mount Ramaah, he
formed a unit of fifty archers under Abdullah bin Jubayr Al-Ansari
and instructed them to hold back the enemy and guard the backs
of the Muslim troops. He stressed that under no circumstances
were they to withdraw. They were to await his instructions,
regardless of which way the battle went.
The pagans also drew up their troops towards the battlefield,
marching to the songs and cheers of their women who whipped up
their zeal. Moving through the rows and rattling their tambourines,
they sang:
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“If you go ahead, we shall embrace you, and spread carpets;
if you retreat, we shall take offense and be estranged.”
They addressed the standard bearers reminding them of their duty:
“Look, Banu Abdul Dar! O defenders of your generation,
strike violently with swords.”
Fighting begins
When both armies drew near, the standard bearer of the pagans,
the most valiant man of the Quraysh, Talha bin Abi Talha Abdari,
came forward on his camel and issued a challenge. He was
answered by Zubayr bin Awwam 4®. Zubayr jumped on to Talha’ s
camel, threw him down to the ground and slew him. “Allahu
AkbarV' cried the Prophet $£, and all his men echoed the cry.
After the first ritual encounter, the two armies set upon each other.
Khalid bin Waleed, who was then head of the pagan cavalry,
attempted three times to reach the rear. Each time he was pushed
back by the shower of arrows launched by the Muslim rearguards.
The Muslim soldiers concentrated their attack on the eleven
standard bearers of the pagans until they were all wiped out. As the
enemy standard sank to the ground, the Muslim soldiers hurled
themselves against the enemy. They charged into the ranks of the
enemy forces and slew them in large numbers. Two Muslims, Abu
Dujana and Hamzah, fought with great prowess, and their heroic
feats on the battlefield were to become legendary in Muslim
military history.
Tragically, Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib 4®, the Lion of Allah,
was martyred in the same battle he had dominated. He was killed
by the javelin of Wahshi bin Harb, an Abyssinian slave, who
with that successful throw earned his freedom from his master,
Jubayr bin Mutim.
Hamzah had killed Jubayr’s uncle, Tu'aymabin Adiy, in the Battle
of Badr, and the grieving Jubayr promised Wahshi his freedom in
return for Hamzah’s head. With his freedom in sight, Wahshi sat
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behind a rock awaiting his chance to strike. As Hamzah stood
deftly beheading Saba bin Arfat, Wahshi launched his javelin. It
pierced Hamzah’ s abdomen and came out from between his legs.
The Lion of Allah had fallen.
Despite the loss of Hamzah, the Muslims managed to overcome
the unbelievers who, faced with yet another defeat, began to flee.
The pagan women also scattered as some of the Muslim soldiers
gave chase. Some of the Muslim troops set about putting the fallen
enemy to the sword and looting the enemy camp.
It was at this point of perceived victory that events began
unraveling. The archers who had been entrusted with the safety of
their brothers in faith disobeyed the Prophet’s explicit orders and
deserted their stations to join in the looting. Forty of the rearguards
descended the mountain and left the Muslims vulnerable to a
comeback attack by the enemy.
When Khalid bin Waleed saw the sudden vacuum created by the
disappearance of the Muslim rearguards, he decided it was time to
strike again. He and his men wiped out the ten archers guarding
the rear. They then went around the mountain and surprised the
Muslims from behind. Now that the Muslims were surrounded,
Khalid’s cavalrymen raised a war cry and rushed back to retrieve
their lost honor.
The Prophet is rumored dead
Standing at the rear along with seven of the Ansar and two men
from the Muhajireen, the Prophet M clearly saw Khalid’s
cavalrymen appear from behind the mountain, and he called out at
the top of his voice, “O servants of Allah, come to me!” The
pagans, who were positioned closer to him, heard him call out.
One of their squadrons followed his voice and charged his way in
a bid to finish him off before help could arrive. As the enemy
approached, the Prophet said: “Whoever protects me from them
deserves Paradise and will be my Companion in Paradise.” A man
from the Ansar heard the Prophet’s call for help and rushed to
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shield him at the expense of his own life. The enemy surged
toward the Prophet H and drew even closer. The Prophet repeated
his call, and another of his Companions advanced on the enemies
and made them retreat at the cost of his life. One by one, all seven
Ansar fell trying to save the Prophet.
When the seventh Ansari was slain, only two of the Muhajireen,
Talha bin Ubaydullah and Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas remained with the
Prophet Now the pagans directed their main attack at the
Prophet M- A rock flew at him, and he fell on his side. One of his
lower right teeth was broken, his lower lip was cut, and his helmet
was broken, exposing his head and forehead. As an enemy soldier
thrust his sword at the Prophet $*, he caught his bone below the
eye, and two rings from the Prophet’s helmet pierced his face.
Someone else struck the Prophet’s shoulder with a blow so
powerful that it left him in severe pain for about a month. Luckily,
he escaped severe injury because of his double coat of mail.
Even as the Ansar and Muhajireen were risking their own lives to
keep the Prophet |§ safe, he had incurred injury. Sa‘dbinAbi
Waqqas unleashed a volley of arrows at the pagans, and the
Prophet M kept supplying him with more arrows from his own
quiver, saying encouragingly, “Keep shooting. May my mother
and father be sacrificed for you.” There was Talha bin Ubaydullah
fighting against the whole band of enemies, as if he were the only
one on the field. By the end of the battle, he had 35 or 39 injuries.
Talha shielded the Prophet M from the enemies’ arrows and
swords with his hands until his fingers bled profusely and were
palsied. As the arrows pierced his fingers, he gasped involuntarily.
The Prophet comforted him: “If you had said Bismillah, you would
have been lifted by the angels before the very eyes of the people.”
With human efforts faltering, Allah sent down supernatural allies
to the rescue of His Prophet. Jibreel (Gabriel) and Mikaeel
(Michael) descended and fought on his behalf. More Muslims
rushed to the Prophet H, and they too defended him fiercely. The
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first to come to his side was Abu Bakr 4 *> along with Abu Ubaydah
bin Jarrah. Abu Bakr saw the helmet rings embedded in the
Prophet’s face and tried to extract them, but it was Abu Ubaydah
who succeeded in pulling out the metal rings with his teeth, losing
two of them in the process. Then they advanced together to sustain
the severely wounded Talha bin Ubaydullah.
Friend and foe alike gravitated toward the Prophet % who quite
naturally was the focal point of the whole scene. Among the
Muslims Abu Dujana, Mus'ab bin Umayr, Umar bin Khattab and
Ali bin Abi Talib flanked the Prophet even as the pagan soldiers
continued to swarm around him, their attacks penetrating deeper
and deeper. The Muslims took all possible measures to beat them
back. Some of them were shooting arrows, others putting up
defenses, some fighting on fiercely while others resorted to
deflecting arrows with their hands.
The enemy targeted the Muslims’ standard bearer Mus‘ab bin
Umayr. Countless swords hacked at his right hand severing it.
Mus‘ab transferred the standard to his left hand, and he upheld the
standard on his knee supported by his breast and neck until his last
breath. Since Mus'ab resembled the Prophet to a great extent, his
killer, Abdullah bin Qam‘a, thought he had slain the Prophet $|
and jubilantly shouted out that he had killed Muhammad. The
news flew around the pagans who, in a surge of complacence,
immediately eased the pressure on the Muslims.
Plight of the encircled Muslims
When the Muslims saw themselves surrounded, they were
overtaken by panic and disorder and failed to chalk out a cohesive
plan. Some of them escaped to the south and reached Madinah,
while others fled towards the mountain pass and took refuge in a
camp. Some of them ran towards the Prophet H to protect him
from the onslaught of the enemies, as has already been mentioned.
Even as the majority of the Muslims stood their ground, their
efforts were ineffectual simply because they were disorganized.
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Disorder prevailed in the Muslim ranks so much so that the first
row collided with the rear row. The result was that Yaman, the
father of Hudhayfah, was killed at the hands of the Muslims
themselves. Once the rumor of the Prophet’s death filtered in, their
morale plummeted even lower. Grief stricken and lost, some of
them simply abandoned the field, while others were infused with
resolve and rallied saying, “Come, let us die for what the Prophet
gave his life.”
The crisis receded only when Ka‘b bin Malik caught a glimpse of
the Prophet making his way to join the besieged Muslims. Ka‘b
recognized the Prophet’s eyes although his face was covered with
the helmet. He cried loudly: “O Muslims, rejoice! Here is the
Prophet.”
Ka‘b’s words galvanized the remaining Muslims, and they
streamed to the Prophet’s side. Within a short time thirty
companies assembled around him. The Prophet decided against
further combat, prudently choosing to retreat. He made his way
through the rows and successfully led his troops towards the
mountain pass. The pagans lost two of their soldiers in a fruitless
effort to stop them.
By retreating, the Prophet % managed to save his army from
further losses, losses that had come about from simple
disobedience of his orders. Disobedience had changed the Muslim
victory into catastrophe, but with Allah’s help the Muslims were
pulled back from the precipice.
In the ravine
When the Muslims came out of the siege and holed themselves up
in the ravine, some individual skirmishes continued between the
Muslims and pagan soldiers. The pagans chose to engage in small
strikes rather than start another large-scale battle. They would
remain in the battlefield for short periods, men and women alike
hunting for their fallen Muslim enemies and mutilating them. Abu
Sufyan’s wife, Hind bint Utbah, had thirsted for Hamzah’s blood
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since she had lost her kinsmen to Hamzah’s sword. When she saw
Hamzah’s body, in a gruesome act of vendetta she cut out his
belly, extracted his liver and chewed it, but as she could not
swallow it, she spat it out.
Ubayy bin Khalaf made another effort to kill the Prophet $§, but was
himself struck down. The Prophet gi used his lance to unhorse
Ubayy, who bellowed like a wounded ox as he rolled down from his
mount. He died at Sarf near Makkah trying to go back to his lines.
A few more men of the Quraysh came headed by Abu Sufyan and
Khalid bin Waleed. They scaled the mountain at different points to
overtake the Muslims at several places. Umar, along with a band
of Muhajireen, fought them back and forced them to descend.
According to some sources Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas shot three of
their men dead with his arrows.
Abu Sufyan and Khalid bin Waleed decided after the last abortive
attempt to defeat the Muslims that it was time to return to Makkah.
They were satisfied at the damage they had wrought. Even though
they had lost twenty-two of their own, they had killed a great
number of Muslims. The Muslim body count stood at seventy.
Forty-one of the martyrs were from the Khazraj tribe, twenty-four
from the Aus, and four from the Muhajireen. A Jew was also killed.
At the Muslim camp, it was time to rest and take stock. When the
Prophet M finally sat down to rest, Ali fetched water for him to
drink from Mehra, a stream in Uhud. The water smelled so
unpleasant that the Prophet couldn’t drink it. However, he
washed his face with it and the rest he poured over his head. His
wound started bleeding again, and Fatimah burnt a piece of
matting and dressed her father’s wounds with the ashes to stop the
bleeding. Muhammad bin Muslimah fetched fresh water that the
Prophet M drank gratefully. Because of his wounds, he prayed
Zuhr sitting, and his Companions adopted the same posture.
The Muslim men were joined by their women who tended to the
injured. Among them were Aishah, Umm Ay man, Umm Sulaym
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and Umm Sulayt who fetched drinking water in leather flasks, and
served it to the wounded.
Dialogue and resolution
Both sides were in a mode of retreat. When the pagans were poised
to return to Makkah, Abu Sufyan appeared on Mount Uhud and
shouted: “Is Muhammad among you?” Nobody responded from
the Muslim side. Abu Sufyan then shouted: “Is Abu Bakr, the son
of Abu Qahafa among you?” Once more he was met with silence.
He shouted a third time: “Is Umar bin Khattab among you?” This
call also went unanswered because the Prophet had forbidden
the Muslims to make any reply.
The silence satisfied Abu Sufyan, who called out jubilantly, “We
have finally been relieved of those three”. Hearing these words,
Umar impetuously roared: “O enemy of Allah, all whom you
named are alive, and Allah Almighty has more disgrace in store
for you.”
Abu Sufyan said, “Your slain have been mutilated. I neither
ordered nor disliked it.” After that he cried, “Glory to Hubal.” The
Prophet instructed his Companions to counter, “Allah is the
Highest and Most Majestic.”
Abu Sufyan then shouted, “We have Uzza while you have none”.
The Prophet $s bade his followers answer, “Allah is our Lord but
you have none.”
Abu Sufyan reminded the Muslims of their loss, saying, “What a
glorious deed we have wrought. This is our revenge for Badr.
Victory in war goes by turns; one wins today and the other
tomorrow.”
Umar retorted, “The scores are certainly not even, for our dead
have gone to Paradise and yours to Hell.” Taken aback at Umar’s
conviction, Abu Sufyan conceded, “You people consider it so, and
if it is true we are losers.”
172
Then Abu Sufyan called Umar closer and said, “Umar, I ask you in
the name of Allah if we have killed Muhammad.”
Umar swore, “By Allah, this is not true, and he is listening to what
you say.”
Abu Sufyan was convinced about the truth of Umar’s words and
complimented his enemy, “To me you are more truthful and
upright than Ibn Qam‘a.” With his parting words, he issued a
challenge, “We shall meet again at Badr next year.” At this, the
Prophet % had a Companion affirm, “Yes, it is an appointment
between us.”
The Muslims tend to their own
After this exchange, Abu Sufyan went back, and the pagan troops
began leaving the area. They rode their camels and kept their
horses by their side to indicate the end of the battle and that they
were headed for Makkah. Their inexplicable decision to head back
was nothing but a sign of Allah’s grace upon the Muslims, for
nothing stood between the pagans and Madinah. Had they pressed
on they would have found no opposition in the defenseless city,
and the course of history would have been entirely different.
After the departure of the enemy, the Muslims came to the
battlefield to take care of the wounded and the martyred. Some of
the dead were transported to Madinah, but the Prophet H ordained
that the martyrs be brought back to the site of their deaths and that
they be buried in battle dress without a bath and funeral prayer. He
also buried two to three martyrs in a single grave. In some cases,
he directed his Companions to shroud the martyrs in pairs. The
martyr who had learned more of the Qur’an was lowered in the
grave first. Paying tribute to their sacrifice in the cause of Allah,
the Prophet M said, “I shall be a witness unto them on the Day of
Resurrection.”
As they retrieved the bodies of their martyred brothers, the people
came upon the body of Handhla bin Abu Amer above the earth
173
with water dripping from it. The Prophet $g explained to his men,
“The angels are bathing him.” Apparently, the newly married
Handhla had just consummated his marriage when the call for
Jihad was made. Without even stopping to bathe, he left his bride
and rushed into the battlefield. Handhla fought heroically and was
martyred, so the Prophet $t explained that the angels were bathing
him to purify his body. Handhla was forever remembered as
“Ghaseel Al-Malaaika ” (one bathed by the angels).
It was time to bury Hamzah as well. The dead hero had earned
Allah’s pleasure, and that was more rewarding than the ostentation
of a grand burial. In fact, he was shrouded in a sheet so small that
when his head was covered, his feet were bared and when his feet
were covered, his head was exposed. Some rushes were then put
over his feet.
Back to Madinah
The martyrs had been buried and Allah’s blessings invoked upon
them. Now it was time for the Prophet $£ to return to Madinah. On
the way, he stopped to give solace to some women whose relatives
had fallen in the field. His invocation of Allah’s blessings upon
them comforted them immensely.
Many of the bereaved Muslims bore their losses with patience and
took comfort in knowing that their Prophet $$ was safe, although
they had lost their own loved ones in the bargain. The following
incident illustrates the priority the Muslims placed on the
Prophet’s safety. A group of Muslims returning from the battle
encountered a woman from the tribe of Banu Dinar. Her husband,
brother and father had all been killed at Uhud. When she was told
of each of their deaths, she responded each time, “First tell me
about the Prophet.” The people replied, “Thanks to Allah he is
safe.” But the woman was not satisfied with the men’s assurances
and asked to see for herself how the Prophet % was. When the
people brought her to him, she said simply, “Now that you are
safe, every grief has vanished.”
174
Back in Madinah the Muslims spent the night on high alert. After
all, they were still in a state of emergency. Exhausted and
wounded, they were also overcome by deep sorrow and remorse at
the actions of a few who had risked the life of the Prophet^
himself. They all insisted on guarding the Prophet. The Prophet,
on the other hand, felt that it was far more important to monitor the
retreating enemy’s movements carefully. He wanted to be
prepared in case of a surprise attack on Madinah.
The expedition of Hamra Al-Asad
The very next morning, the Prophet M sent a crier to announce that
all those who had fought in the Battle ofUhud should prepare to
pursue the enemy. Every Muslim who had fought at Uhud the day
before followed the Prophet M out of Madinah regardless of
fatigue and injury. Thus they set out from Madinah and camped at
Hamra Al-Asad, eight miles away.
The pagans were camped at Rawha, thirty-six miles from
Madinah, holding a war council. Much recrimination was traded as
the troops berated their leaders. Why had they squandered the
advantage by not entering Madinah?
At this moment, the Muslim camp was also pondering strategy.
Ma‘bad bin Abi Sa‘eed Khaza‘i, who was a well-wisher of the
Prophet M, came to him at Hamra Al-Asad and commiserated
about the events at Uhud. The Prophet asked him to approach Abu
Sufyan and use scare tactics to head the pagans off Ma’bad
accordingly reached Rawha, where the mood was in favor of
returning to attack Madinah.
Ma'bad dismayed the pagans with his description of the ferocity of
the Muslims and their extensive preparations for a new encounter.
“Muhammad has come out with a horde the like of which I have
never seen. They are intent on revenge, and their mood is
terrifyingly bloodthirsty. I think you will soon spot their vanguard
appearing from behind this hill.”
175
The ruse worked. The Makkan troops lost their bravado, and Abu
Sufyan confined his response to a similar scare campaign. He
decided to do some saber rattling of his own. He instructed a
caravan to scare the Muslims by saying that the Makkans were
ready for another round. Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan and his soldiers
hurried back to Makkah.
Having come so close to defeat, the subdued Muslims who heard
this warning were prepared to fight on. The threat of a renewed
attack only stiffened their resolve. They responded by quoting the
following verse:
[Wt: JT]
“The Hypocrites said, “Verily, the pagans have gathered
against you, so fear them!” But this increased the Muslims in
faith, and they replied, “Allah is sufficient for us, and He is
the best to determine our affairs.” (3:173)
There was no further volley of threats, and the resulting calm is
best described in the next verse:
2V X m .
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“Thus they returned with the blessings and favor of Allah.
No evil touched them, and they sought nothing but Allah’s
pleasure, and Allah is munificent beyond measure.” (3: 174)
Incidents and expeditions
The Battle of Uhud had proved the Muslims’ vulnerability. The
pagans smelled blood and did not miss a single chance to gore
their wounded enemy. In subsequent events, the Muslims
experienced several painful losses, some of which are outlined
below.
176
The incident of Raj’i
In Safar, 4 A.H., a delegation of the Adal and Qara tribes came to
the Prophet They mentioned a surge of interest in Islam among
their people, who wanted to know more about the faith. The
Prophet M sent ten of his Companions headed by Asim bin Thabit.
The Muslims, who had set out to teach the tribes the basic tenets of
faith and the Qur’an, learned a bitter lesson about the treachery of
the polytheists. At Raj’i, the Adal and Qara set a branch of the
Hudhayl tribe upon the Muslims. Nearly one hundred of their
archers besieged the ten Muslims on a hill. They assured the
Muslims on oath that they would not kill them, but Asim refused
to descend, preferring instead to take on the enemy. Seven of the
Muslims were killed in the encounter. Again, the attackers pledged
that they would not kill the three remaining Muslims, who then
surrendered and descended the hill. As they were being bound one
of the three commented, “This is the first act of treachery.” He then
resisted his captors’ attempts to tie him and was killed. The
remaining two, Khubayb bin Adiy and Zayd bin Dathinna, were
carried to Makkah and sold as slaves to their old tormentors, the
Quraysh. Their lives were now no longer their own.
Khubayb had killed Harith bin Amir bin Naufal in the battle of
Badr, and now Harith’s son laid claim to Khubayb’s life. Khubayb
suffered in prison for some time and then he was carried to
Tanyeem to be slain. Before his execution he prayed two Rak'ahs.
He prayed for Allah’s wrath to overtake his killers, and as he faced
his death he recited two couplets:
“I care not if I am slain a Muslim, and I care not which side
of mine is brutalized. This is for Allah, and if He so wills,
He will bless the flesh of every joint.”
Abu Sufyan asked Khubayb: “Don’t you wish Muhammad were
in your place and we had killed him, while you were safe with
your family?”
Khubayb countered, “By Allah, I would not wish to be with my
family, if in return Muhammad were to be even pricked by a thorn.”
177
Khubayb was dead, and now Zayd bin Dathinna awaited death at
the hands of Safwan bin Umayya. Safwan was given the right to
slay Zayd in retribution for the death of his father, Umayya bin
Mahrath, at Badr. Some Muslim sources have attributed the
above quoted verbal encounter between Abu Sufyan and
Khubayb to Zayd bin Dathinna.
The dead Muslims on the mountain at Raj’i were also regarded as
trophies by the Quraysh, who sent their men to retrieve Asim’s body.
But they drew back because of a swarm of hornets buzzing over the
body. In this way, Allah protected Asim’s body from desecration at
the hands of the polytheists. Asim had sworn never to touch a
polytheist nor be touched by one, and his Lord had upheld his vow.
The tragedy at Bir Maxima
About the same period, the Muslims suffered another setback more
tragic than that at Raj’i. Abu Baraa Amir bin Malik, who was known
as “ Mal'ab Al-InscT (one who plays with lances), sought an audience
with the Prophet M, who then invited him to Islam. Abu Baraa neither
accepted nor rejected the Prophet’s counsel. He chose instead to
volunteer his own opinion about the inclination of the people of Najd
toward Islam. He suggested that if the Prophet sent some of his
Companions to Najd the people there would enter Islam. He also
assured the Prophet that the Muslims would be under his protection.
The Prophet M sent off a contingent of seventy Muslims who were
well-versed in the Qur’an. They camped at Bir Ma'una, and
Haram bin Malhan went to Aamir bin Tufayl, a bitter enemy of
Allah, with a letter from the Prophet. Aamir’s response was not to
read the letter himself but to order his servant to do so. He took
Haram unawares and pierced the latter’s body with his lance. With
his last breath Haram sighed, “ Allahu Akbar\ By the Lord of the
Ka 'bah, I have succeeded in my mission.”
Aamir then called out to the tribe of Banu Amir to attack the rest
of the Muslims, but they refused to break the pledge of protection
made by Abu Bara. Aamir then called upon Banu Sulaym and
178
some of its sub-tribes such as Ral, Dhakwan, Lehyan and Usayya,
who readily came to besiege the Companions and put all of them
to death save Ka‘b bin Zayd and Amr bin Umayya. Ka‘b bin Zayd
was wounded, and left for dead. Later he was rescued from the
scene of the carnage, and he recovered only to be martyred in the
Battle of the Trench.
Amr bin Umayya Damri had been grazing his camels along with
Mundhir bin Uqba when he saw the vultures hovering at Bir
Ma'una. Instantly he guessed the outcome of the Muslims’ visit to
Aamir bin Tufayl. Mundhir rushed to the spot to rescue his brother
Muslims. He took on the enemy and fought until he was
overcome. As for Amr bin Umayya, he was taken captive but
proved to be more fortunate than the rest of his Muslim brothers.
When Aamir bin Tufayl was told that the prisoner belonged to the
Mudir tribe, he simply took off a lock of Amr’s hair as a trophy
and freed him in fulfillment of a vow made by his mother.
Thus it was that Amr bin Umayya escaped death, and he
immediately headed toward Madinah. On the way, he came across
two men from Banu Kilab at Qarqarah. Taking them to be enemies,
Amr killed them both although they had with them a covenant of
peace from the Prophet M- Back at last in Madinah, he informed the
Prophet M of what he had done. The Prophet’s only words were:
“You have killed two such men whose blood I must redeem.”
Both the incidents at Bir Ma'una and Raj’i deeply anguished the
Prophet M- He had sent two missions of peace, and both had ended
tragically in the same month. It is said that he received the news of
both the tragedies the same night. He found solace in prayer
(• Qunoot ), supplicating for the martyred Muslims and calling down
Allah’s punishment on their killers. For thirty days, each morning
after Fajr the Prophet M prayed against the murderers until at last
he received a revelation. Allah informed him that He had indeed
met His martyred slaves. He was pleased with them, and they had
been no less pleased with their Lord’s treatment of them.
179
Expedition against Banu Nadir
Other matters demanded the Prophet’s attention. Amr bin
Umayya’s killing of the two men from Banu Kilab had to be
redressed. If no blood money was forthcoming, the Muslims
would be deemed guilty of violating a pact, and more bloodshed
could be expected. Consequently, the Prophet M went to Banu
Nadir along with a few of his Companions to ask them to
contribute towards the blood money.
They said to him, “Abul Qasim, we shall do accordingly. Take
your seat here. We will fulfill your need.” The Prophet |g waited
while the Jews consulted privately with one another.
Unfortunately, Shaytaan prevailed over their honor, and they
decided to murder the Prophet They said to each other, “Who
will carry this millstone and drop it on him?” Up rose Amr bin
Jahsh to carry out the deed. In the meantime, as the Prophet sat
waiting for his hosts to come back with their decision, Jibreel
descended and revealed the plot to him. The Prophet $5 hurried
away and set out for the road to Madinah, where he was joined by
his Companions.
Treachery by allies who are bound by a treaty is never a light
matter. By plotting against the Prophet M, Banu Nadir had
demonstrated that they could not coexist with the Muslims.
Naturally, the Prophet wished to end the alliance and, based on the
action of the Jews, assumed that they were at war with one
another. He therefore sent Muhammad bin Muslimah to issue an
ultimatum to the Jews — since they had forfeited their right to live
with the Muslims, they were to leave Madinah within ten days.
Any Jew found after the lapse of the deadline would be put to
death. After receiving this notice, the Jews began preparing to
leave. At that point, Abdullah bin Ubayy, the head of the
Hypocrites, sent them a message urging them to stay on, for he had
two thousand warriors ready to enter their fortress and defend
them. The Hypocrites had once more struck to undermine the
180
Prophet’s position. Surah Al-Hashr refers to the tenuous alliance
and how it was patched together with lies:
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“Did you not observe the Hypocrites tell their faithless
friends from among the People of the Book, “If you are
driven out, we will accompany you. We will never obey your
enemies, and if you are attacked, we will defend you.” But
Allah is a witness that they are liars.” (59:1 1)
The Jews felt emboldened at such shows of support from their
purported friends. They sent a message to the Prophet M that they
were not about to leave Madinah regardless of the consequences.
The Prophet responded, “ Allahu Akbar \ ” and his Companions
echoed the cry. It was a call to arms. Entrusting the safety of
Madinah to Ibn Umm Maktoom -i* and the Muslim standard to
Ali, the Prophet and his troops advanced towards the territory of
Banu Nadir and laid siege to them. The Jews took refuge in their
fortresses and castles and showered arrows and stones at the
Muslim army. Since their date groves and gardens stood as a
buffer zone, the Prophet % ordered his men to cut down the trees
and set the gardens ablaze. This act sank the spirits of Banu Nadir.
After six days of holding out — some say a fortnight — they agreed
to lay down arms on condition that they would be allowed to go
safely into exile. Their friends among Banu Quraydha had failed to
support them, as had the head of the Hypocrites and his allies.
[U: ji±\]
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‘Their allies deceived them the way Satan does when he
says to a man, “Disbelieve in Allah.” When the man listens
to him and commits disbelief, Satan suddenly says, “I am not
181
responsible for your decision. I fear Allah, the Lord of the
universe!” (59:16)
The Prophet allowed the Jews to take all their belongings except
their arms. They carried with them whatever they could — even the
doors, windows, and beams of their houses.
The Qur’an refers to this event in the following verse:
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“All&h drove out the faithless tribe of Jews from their homes
at the first gathering. You did not think that they would
leave, and they thought their fortresses would protect them
from Allah! But Allah approached them in a way they did
not expect and cast terror in their hearts. Their homes were
destroyed by their own hands as well as by the believers.
Reflect on this event, those of you who have eyes!” (59:2)
Thus the Jews left Madinah, most of them settling in Khaybar
while a small group migrated to Syria. The land confiscated from
the Jews was divided among the first Makkan emigrants, while
Abu Dujana and Sahl bin Haneef, two members of the Ansar, were
given plots because of their financial situation. The Prophet $g used
part of the revenue from the land to maintain his wives for the
whole year. The rest he spent on defense and for providing horses
and arms for the Muslim warriors. Fifty coats of mail, fifty helmets
and three hundred swords that had been seized were also
distributed among the Muslim troops.
An appointment at Badr
Abu Sufyan had left Uhud with the promise of another military
encounter the following year, and with the arrival of Sha’ban, 4
A.H., the Prophet M preempted his adversary in a march towards
182
the battlefield. He camped at Badr, where he waited eight days for
Abu Sufyan. He had with him a force consisting of 1500 soldiers
and 10 horses. Ali bin Abu Talib was the standard bearer, while
the administration of Madinah was handed over to Abdullah bin
Rawaha
Abu Sufyan also set out with an army of 2000 soldiers, including
50 cavalrymen, but from the start he appeared to be lacking fire.
Upon arriving at the venue he remarked to his men, “Battle is
suitable when there is freshness and greenery throughout so that
the animals can graze and we can also drink milk. But now as
there is drought everywhere, I am going back. You people should
follow me.” Abu Sufyan ’s entire army seemed to share his
sentiments and tamely marched back without meeting the enemy.
The Muslims, meanwhile, stayed on in Badr and carried out a
number of business transactions. They sold their goods and made
handsome profits. The Quraysh had retreated without drawing a
single sword, so the Muslims returned with their military
reputation in high standing. In Rabi'Al Awwal that same year the
Prophet M launched a punitive attack on a group of bandits at
Dumat A1 Jandal. At last all the enemies were subdued, and there
was peace for an entire year, a year that the Prophet ^ was able to
spend consolidating the faith and teaching his followers.
The Battle of the Trench
After the expedition against Banu Nadir and the meek departure of
the Quraysh from Badr, a year and a half went by without any
disturbances. It seemed that the Muslims were finally free to
spread their religion and bring about changes in their environment
and daily lives, but the idyll was soon to be disrupted.
The exiled Jewish tribes had consolidated their base at Khaybar,
and having done so they began to dream of vengeance. Realizing
the need to rally as much manpower as possible, they went about
seeking allies against the Muslims. Some biographers say that
twenty chieftains and leaders of the Khaybar Jews went to the
183
Quraysh pledging support for a renewed military campaign. When
the Quraysh agreed, the Jewish delegation contacted Banu
Ghatfan, and they also gave their consent. More and more clans
were roped in, and the plan was that each of them should move
towards Madinah simultaneously.
Digging the trench
When the news of the coalition reached Madinah, the Prophet H
conferred with his Companions as to strategy. The Muslims being
so heavily outnumbered, it was imperative that they come up with
an impenetrable defense. Salman Al-Farsi advised that the
Muslims should dig a trench to keep the enemy away, and
everyone approved of the suggestion.
Madinah was naturally fortified on three fronts. With volcanic
plains and granite hills to the east, west and south, the city was
exposed only on the north, from where the enemy forces could
launch an assault. Therefore, the Prophet chose to fortify that
front. He marked the narrowest spot stretching between the east
and west and covering a distance of about one mile. Both belts
were connected at this spot by the trench. In the west, the trench
began from the north of the Sal ‘a hills and joined the end of the
easterly belt at Shaykhayn.
The Prophet divided his men into units of ten with each unit
responsible for digging forty cubits. He himself participated in the
task of digging the trench and carrying loads of earth. It was a
massive undertaking, and the Muslims worked steadily. Their
morale soared as they relied on their faith in Allah and their
devotion to His Prophet M for moral sustenance. The Companions
sang praises of Allah and the Prophet joined in. When the Prophet
sang the Companions responded. They bore with quiet heroism the
rigorous hardships before them, particularly the biting cold and
gnawing hunger. A handful of barley was procured and cooked in
rancid, foul smelling fat. Swallowing the food was a challenge in
itself.
184
Once the men went to the Prophet complaining of debilitating
hunger. As proof, each showed him a slab of stone tied to his belly
to stave off the hunger pangs. The Prophet lifted his shirt. Tied to
his abdomen were two slabs of stone.
The pagans had clamored for miracles to confirm the divine nature
of the Prophet’s message. Allah had sent them signs that they
ignored. During the excavation of the trench, Allah sent the
Muslims several signs of His grace, signs that increased their faith
and sustained them through adversity.
On one occasion, Jabir bin Abdullah could not bear to see the
Prophet assailed by severe hunger. He slaughtered an ewe, and his
wife ground about 2 1/2 kilograms of barley. He then went to the
Prophet % and discreetly invited him and a few of the Prophet’s
Companions. The Prophet % accepted the invitation, but brought
everyone along — all one thousand of them. Everyone ate until he
was full, but the pot remained replete and the bread continued to
bake unchecked.
Similarly, once the sister of Nu‘man bin Bashir took a handful of
dates for her father and maternal uncle. The Prophet M took the
dates and scattered them on a cloth. He then called all the men as
they worked away at the trench. Each of them ate to his fill and
left, but the dates kept multiplying and could barely be contained
within the cloth.
The soil the men encountered was rocky and obdurate. Jabir and
his group struck a particularly rocky patch that failed all their
efforts. The problem was brought to the notice of the Prophet $£,
and as he struck it with his pick, it crumbled into a mound of pliant
sand.
Other obstacles became oracles with Allah’s grace. Baraa and his
unit came across a large rock. The Prophet M knelt and said
Bismillah before he used his pick. A piece of the rock came loose
with a light emerging from it. The Prophet M said, “ Allahu Akbar\
The keys of Syria have been given to me, and right now I see its
185
red castle.”
The Prophet then struck a second blow with his pick and
received tidings of the imminent victory over Persia; the last blow
signified the conquest of Yemen. In this way the entire rock was
demolished, with each blow bringing the Muslims hope.
Across the trench
While the Muslims concentrated on defense, the Quraysh and their
followers arrived with an army of 4000 men, 300 horses and 1000
camels. Abu Sufyan rode proudly as the commander-in-chief of the
allied forces and their standard bearer was Uthman bin Talha
Abdari. They camped at a spot between Jarf and Zaghaba. Opening
another front, Banu Ghatfan and their 6000 followers, the men of
Najd, pitched camp at the end of the Naqmi valley in the foothills of
Mount Uhud. The arrival of two large armies so close to the walls of
Madinah posed an enormous threat to the Muslims. Allah mentions
the mammoth military coalition in Surah Al-Ahzaab :
“Behold! They marched upon you from above and below,
and then your eyes spun around and your hearts leapt to your
throats. You began to doubt Allah’s plan, yet in this was a
trial for the believers and an immense jolt.” (33:10-1 1)
But Allah Almighty kept the believers firm on that occasion. He says:
“When the believers saw the confederate forces, they said:
“This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and
Allah and His Messenger have told us the truth.” And it only
increased their faith and their submission to Allah.” (33:22)
186
However, the Hypocrites among the Muslims were fearful and
querulous. They said:
“Allah and His Messenger have promised us nothing but
delusions.” (33:12)
Once again the Prophet M appointed Ibn Umm Maktoom caretaker
of Madinah and sent the women and children to take shelter in
forts. He then set out with 3000 men and fortified his troops,
keeping their backs to Mount SaTa. In front was the trench that
stood between the Muslims and unbelievers.
The pagans arrogantly advanced towards Madinah and the
Muslims. As they approached, they caught sight of the trench and
stopped in confusion.
“A novel device, a wily ruse!” Abu Sufyan exclaimed in
amazement. ‘This trick is totally unknown to the Arabs.”
Overwhelmed with fury, the pagans set about trying to find a point
where they could cross the trench, but the Muslim archers kept
them at bay. A hail of arrows showered the pagans so that they
could neither leap across the trench nor fill it with earth.
The Quraysh had no alternative way to lay siege to Madinah.
Every morning they came out and attempted to cross the trench
while the Muslims guarded every inch of the border and greeted
them with arrows and stones. The polytheists made several
fruitless attempts to cross the trench and spent days huddled
together trying to devise ways to launch their assault. The Muslims
for their part were equally determined to make them give up. So
intent were they in protecting their lines that the Prophet M and his
Companions missed several prayers, and offered them late around
or after sunset, for at that point the “prayer in times of fear”
(Salaah Al-Khauf) had not yet been ordained upon the Muslims.
Finally, one day a party of the pagan cavalry comprising Amr bin
Abdu Wudd, Ikrama bin Abi Jahl, Dharar bin Khattab and a few
187
others managed to vault over the trench at a narrow spot, while
their horses pranced around between the trench and Mount SaTa.
From another side Ali sprang forward along with a few Muslims,
and by capturing the point of entry they cut off the pagans’ route
of escape. Amr bin Abdu Wudd, a ruthless and fearsome warrior,
challenged Ali to combat. Ali provoked Amr’s anger with his
taunts, and he alighted from his horse. The two adversaries fought
and jostled, thrust and parried, but ultimately Ali put Amr to the
sword.
The rest of the polytheists darted back to their horses. They were
so disconcerted that Ikrama left his lance trying to flee, and Naufal
bin Abdullah fell into the trench and was put to death by the
Muslims. At the end of the skirmish, ten pagans and six Muslims
lay dead.
An arrow hit Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh and his jugular vein was severed,
but miraculously he survived his injury. He had prayed to Allah to
preserve his life only if the decisive battle against the Quraysh was
yet to be fought. His other supplication had been to stay alive to
see the destruction of Banu Quraydha, and as we shall see, his
prayer was answered.
Banu Quraydha’s treachery
After the Battle of Uhud, the Jewish tribe of Banu Quraydha had
entered into a pact with the Prophet H. But in the midst of the battle
of the trench, Huyay bin Akhtab, the chieftain of Banu Nadir, met
Ka‘b bin Asad, the chieftain of Banu Quraydha, and got him to
renege on the agreement. After some initial hesitation, Ka‘b broke
the covenant and sided with the Quraysh and the pagans.
The stronghold of Banu Quraydha lay to the south ofMadinah,
which was where the Muslims had their fortifications and where
they had left their women and children, while the men were
massed along the north. With the breach of faith by Banu
Quraydha, the Muslim women and children were imperiled. The
Prophet rushed Muslima bin Aslam at the head of 200 men and
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Zayd bin Haritha with another 300 men to protect the Muslim
women and children. Moreover, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh and Sa‘d bin
Ubada were sent behind them to investigate the matter.
The Prophet’s envoys found the Jews openly antagonistic. Banu
Quraydha disparaged the Prophet M, saying, “Who is the Prophet
of God? We have not entered any pact with Muhammad.” The two
emissaries reported the situation to the Prophet in just three words,
“Ada! and Qara,” indicating that the treachery of the Adal and
Qara tribes at Raj’i was being repeated by Banu Quraydha.
The Muslims were distressed about their new found vulnerability.
On this occasion, too, the Hypocrites bared their fangs. Some of
them bemoaned, “Muhammad gave us his word that we would
possess the treasure of Caesar and Chosroes, and here we are in
such a plight that we feel unsafe even to answer the call of nature.”
Others among them fumed, ‘The promise made to us by Allah and
His Messenger was nothing but delusion.” Some jeered at the
Muslims, “O men of Yathrib, you cannot stand the onslaught. Go
back!”
Another group of Hypocrites, after deciding to flee the spot, came
to the Prophet M seeking permission to go back, pleading that their
houses were unprotected. When the news of Banu Quraydha’ s
treachery reached the Prophet he covered his face and head with
a piece of cloth and lay flat on his back for a while, quietly
introspective. When he arose, however, it was to give the Muslims
good tidings.
Although he had taken the step of sending the two companies
under Zayd and Muslima to protect the women and children, the
Prophet M contemplated sending a message to Uyaina bin Hisn to
renew their old agreement. He was willing to cede one-third of the
fruits of Madinah if Uyaina would retreat with Banu Ghatfan. Sa‘d
bin Mu‘adh and Sa‘d bin Ubadah, the two chieftains of the Ansar,
voiced their opposition to any negotiations with their ally turned
enemy, saying, “When both they and we were polytheists, they
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dared not expect even a grain. Today, when Allah has given us
Islam and conferred honor upon us through you, are we expected
to give them our goods? By Allah, we shall offer them our swords
alone.” The Prophet % found their argument reasonable and
dropped the idea of sending the offer.
The coalition splits and the battle ends
At this point, when war seemed imminent, Nu‘aym bin Mas'ood
Ashaja‘i came to the Prophet He belonged to the Ghatfan tribe
and had strong ties with both the Quraysh and the Jews. He
confided, “O Messenger of Allah, I have embraced Islam and my
people are still unaware of my faith. What is your command?” The
Prophet M said, “You are alone. What can you do? However, try to
split them if you can, for war is nothing but strategy.”
Nu‘aym accordingly went off to Banu Quraydha, who received
him with honor. He said to them, “You know very well my regard
for you. Now I am about to tell you something which you must
keep secret.” Intrigued, they agreed. Nu‘aym then said:
“You all know very well what happened to Banu Qaynuqa
and Banu Nadir. Now you have lent your support to the
Quraysh and Ghatfan. But their situation is quite different
from yours. This is your territory wherein are your women,
children, wealth and property. You cannot go anywhere
else, while your allies’ territory, wealth and property and
households lie far off. Only if they find an opportunity will
they act. Otherwise, they will leave for their own havens
leaving you at the mercy of Muhammad, and he will take
revenge at will.”
After having sown the seeds of disquiet, Nu‘aym left to meet with
the Quraysh. Then addressing all the chieftains collectively, he
began: “You know I am a great well-wisher of you all.” They all
chorused their assent. Nu‘aym continued: “Now I shall tell you
something, but you must keep it a secret.”
“We will do as you say,” they replied in one voice.
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Nu‘aym said, ‘The Jews regret the breach of trust they have
committed. They fear that you will go back, leaving them at
Muhammad’s mercy. To appease Muhammad, they have offered
to hand you over to him as hostages. Stay alert and do not yield
anyone hostage if they should ask you to do so.”
Then Nu‘aym called on the Ghatfan with the same ploy. His
stratagem succeeded in creating mutual suspicion among the allies.
When Abu Sufyan sent a message to Banu Quraydha to launch a
joint attack the following day, he got a cold response. The
Quraydha answered, “It is Saturday, and we cannot fight.
Calamities have befallen us only because we broke the rules of the
Sabbath. Secondly, we refuse to fight along with you unless you
send us hostages. You might leave for your destinations and leave
us defenseless.”
At this the Quraysh and the Ghatfan said, “By God, Nu‘aym was
right.” The Quraysh then sent a message to the Quraydha
informing them that they would not send any hostages and insisted
on them setting out for battle. At this rejoinder Banu Quraydha
said, “Nu‘aym spoke the truth.” The alliance was thus shattered.
Meanwhile, the Muslims spent this period of impending danger in
supplication. “O Allah, shelter us and preserve us from all
dangers,” the Prophet $g invoked his Lord. “O Allah, Sender of the
Book and Speediest in taking Account, vanquish the enemy. O
Allah, give them a tremendous jolt.”
In answer to the Muslims’ prayer, Allah sent down a violent storm
and an army of angels against the enemy forces. Their utensils
were overturned and their tents uprooted. All their belongings were
strewn across the camp. The freezing cold also shook their resolve.
Disheartened and dejected, they prepared to withdraw.
That night the Prophet M sent Hudhayfah to gather information.
Hudhayfah went deep into the enemy front and came back
unaffected by the storm or the cold. His news about the retreating
enemy relieved the Muslims, and they all went to sleep. The next
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morning they found the battlefield deserted.
The enemy forces had assembled in Shawwal, 5 A.H., and for one
long month the Muslims had lived under the threat of a massive
attack on all fronts. It was in Dhul Qa‘dah that the enemy coalition
finally dispersed. It had been their biggest ever attempt to capture
Madinah and annihilate the Muslims, but Allah had confounded
their machinations. With the failure of such hardy warriors as the
Quraysh and Banu Ghatfan, quite naturally the smaller enemy
tribes took heed. They did not dare take on the Muslims, and
Madinah was safe at last. The Prophet M declared to his men:
“Now we shall attack them and they will not attack us. Our army
will march upon them from now on.”
Battle of Banu Quraydha
On his return from the Battle of the Trench, as the Prophet
prepared to take a bath in the apartment of Umm Salamah, Jibreel
came to him. He informed the Prophet M that he and other angels
were being sent to terrify Banu Quraydha and inflict havoc on their
fortresses.
Following Jibreel’s news, the Prophet sent out an announcement
that every one who followed him was to perform the ‘Asr prayer at
Banu Quraydha. It was time for the Muslims to witness an act of
divine intervention and draw comfort from it. The Prophet
entrusted the affairs of the state to Ibn Umm Maktoom and sent
out an advance party under Ali. Banu Quraydha spotted the
approaching Muslims and began hurling abuses at the Prophet %
The rest of the Muslims also made quick preparations to join the
vanguard, but were delayed by the advent of ‘Asr. They halted for
prayer and were late in reaching Banu Quraydha. The Prophet %
set out accompanied by the Muhajireen and the Ansar and halted
at Ana, a famous well of Banu Quraydha.
As it happened, even before the Muslim forces got there, Allah
cast terror into the hearts of Banu Quraydha. They shut themselves
in their castles, too terrified to confront the Muslim warriors who
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arrived to lay siege. The Jews sent word to the Prophet $g that they
wished to consult with Abu Lababa, who was then sent there as
chief negotiator. Seeing him approach, the men rushed towards
him while their women and children began to weep bitterly. Their
tears and lamentations moved Abu Lubaba deeply. They said to
him, “Do you think it desirable that we submit to Muhammad?”
“Yes,” replied Abu Lubaba, and then he pointed to his throat,
indicating that all of them would be put to death. Instantly it
occurred to him that he had betrayed Allah and His Messenger by
giving the enemy information through his gesture. He hastened
back, went straight to the Prophet’s mosque and tied himself to
one of the pillars, vowing that the Prophet M alone would unfasten
him. When the Prophet heard what Abu Lababa had done, he
remarked, “Had he come to me I would have invoked Allah’s
forgiveness upon him. Since he has imprisoned himself of his own
volition, I will leave him in the same state until Allah Almighty
decides his fate.”
The long siege disheartened Banu Quraydha. Twenty-five days
passed, and they finally surrendered to the Prophet <i. He
imprisoned the men and kept the women separate. The people of
Aus asked him to show mercy to their old allies just as he had
done with Banu Qaynuqa.
Wisely, the Prophet avoided putting himself in the position of
sole arbiter of the captives’ fates. He asked the people of Aus,
“Would you let an arbitrator from amongst you decide?” They
nodded, and to their pleasure the Prophet appointed their chief,
Sa‘d bin Mu'adh, judge.
The wound Sa‘d had received in the Battle of the Trench had left
him confined to Madinah. He was summoned to the Muslim camp,
and as he rode up, the Prophet M said to the people, “Rise up to
help him.” Obediently the people rose and advanced to help Sa‘d.
They milled around him clamoring, “Sa‘d, treat your allies kindly.”
Sa‘d did not reply. When the people grew insistent with their
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pleas, he said, ‘This is the time when Sa‘d cares least about the
reproaches of those who reproach Allah Almighty.”
Sa'd’s words were an emphatic rejection of the people’s requests.
They knew then that no leniency was to be expected, and some
people returned to Madinah and announced the demise of the
captives.
When Sa‘d dismounted, and he was told that Banu Quraydha had
declared their willingness to accept his verdict, he pronounced his
judgment — the men were to be killed, the women and children to
be taken captive, and the property to be divided among the Muslim
community.
The Prophet remarked, ‘The judgment you have passed on them
was passed by Allah Almighty in the seven heavens. This
judgment is also in accordance with the law of the Jews; in fact, it
shows more compassion than is found in Jewish law.”
Following Sa‘d’s decision, Banu Quraydha were brought to
Madinah. They were confined in the house of a woman of Banu
Najjar — the daughter of Harith. Pits were dug in the marketplace
of Madinah, and the prisoners were brought in groups and
beheaded in these pits. Some sources put their number at 400,
while others place it between 600 and 700. Only one woman was
put to death. She had thrown a hand mill at Khalaad bin Suwayd
and killed him.
Along with them, Huyayy bin Akhtab, the chieftain of Banu Nadir
was also killed. He was one of those twenty chieftains of the Jews
who had orchestrated the alliance between the Quraysh and Banu
Ghatfan. He it was who had swayed Banu Quraydha to break their
pact with the Muslims, pledging them his support and saying he was
ready to share their fate. He remained with them during the siege and
their subsequent surrender, and was finally put to death with them.
Some individuals of Banu Quraydha had embraced Islam before
the surrender and escaped punishment. The booty amounted to
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1 500 swords, 300 coats of mail, 2000 lances, 500 shields, and a
large number of goods, vessels, and livestock. The Prophet H then
kept one-fifth of the date palms and the captives, and he divided
the rest of the booty among the soldiers — the foot soldiers got one
part and the cavaliers received three parts of the whole — one
portion for the soldier and two for his horse.
The prisoners were sent to Najd and arms bought in lieu of them.
However, the Prophet M chose Rayhana bint Zayd bin Amr bin
Khanafah for himself. It is said that he married her after setting her
free. She died after the Prophet’s Farewell Hajj.
When the Muslims did away with Banu Quraydha, the prayer of
Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, the righteous servant of Allah, was answered. He
lay in a tent by the Prophet’s mosque so that the Prophet could
visit him and inquire after his health. One day a she-goat leaped on
him and caused his wound to bleed again. Sa‘d succumbed to his
injury. It is said that angels lifted his coffin.
Abu Lubaba, who had imprisoned himself in the Prophet’s mosque
for his hint to Banu Quraydha about their fate, had spent six nights
tied to a pillar. His wife would unfasten him at prayer time, and
afterwards he would again tie himself to the pillar. Then a verse
regarding Abu Lubaba was revealed to the Prophet M while he was
at Umm Salamah’s house. Allah revealed He had forgiven Abu
Lubaba. People rushed to Abu Lababa with the good news and
tried to untie him, but he refused to be unbound saying that none
but the Prophet would do it. The Prophet unfastened him when he
came out to offer Fajr prayer and events came to a close.
After the Battle of Banu Quraydha, the Prophet led a number of
expeditions to consolidate the peace he had won. Some of his
important military excursions are described in the following section.
Abu Rafi Sal lam Bin Abul Huqayq is killed
Abu Rafi was a wealthy Jewish merchant from Hijaz who had
settled in Khaybar. He was instrumental in organizing the coalition
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against the Muslims. Once the threat of the coalition receded and
the Banu Quraydha were put to the sword, it was decided that Abu
Rafi was too dangerous to be left unchecked. Muslims from the
Aus tribe had killed Ka‘b bin Ashraf and eliminated a major threat
against the Muslims. Their success had brought them acclaim from
the community. Now the Khazraj tribe wanted the assignment to
silence Abu Rafi, and five men from among them rose to carry out
the mission in Dhul Hijjah, 5 A.H.
Abu Rafi’s fortress lay on the outskirts of Khaybar. The Khazraj
men under Abdullah bin Atik reached there at sunset. Abdullah
asked his men to wait nearby and went off by himself to the
fortress gate. He squatted there casually as if he were one of the
inhabitants. The watchman saw him and said, “O servant of God,
come back in. I need to close the gate.”
Abdullah needed no second invitation. He complied and as soon as
he entered, he hid himself. Late that night he stole the keys and
opened the gate to facilitate his escape. Then he headed for Abu
Rafi’s rooms. He took the precaution of locking from inside every
door that he opened. The darkness of the chamber and the slumber
of its inhabitants gave no clue as to Abu Rafi’s whereabouts. “Abu
Rafi,” Abdullah called out softly.
“Who is out there?” Abu Rafi asked. Abdullah followed the voice
and struck Abu Rafi with his sword, managing to injure but not
kill him. Abu Rafi screamed in pain. Unfazed, Abdullah left the
room only to reenter pretending to be one of the household.
Disguising his voice, he came up and inquired, “Abu Rafi, what
was that noise?”
“May your mother be destroyed! Someone just struck me with a
sword,” Abu Rafi shouted in pain and fury. Abdullah approached
him and struck once more, but the blow was not fatal. He then
plunged the sword into Abu Rafi’s belly and left him bleeding. He
opened the doors one by one and came out. The moon was out, but
because of his bad vision, Abdullah missed his step and hurt his
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leg. His turban wound around his leg, he sat down in the shadows
by the gate waiting until cockcrow when a man intoned from atop
the wall of the fortress, “I announce the death of Abu Rafi, the
merchant of Hijaz.”
The mission was over, and, satisfied, Abdullah returned to his
companions. Safe in Madinah again, they reported to the Prophet
% who saw Abdullah’s bandaged leg and ran a hand over it and
healed it. It was a symbol that one more source of hurt had
disappeared, and one more enemy had been vanquished.
The chief of Yamamah is captured
Thumama bin Uthal was the chieftain of Yamamah. His hatred of
Islam and the Prophet $£ impelled him to make an attack on the
Prophet’s life. Egged on by Musaylimah the Liar, who pretended
to be a prophet and had his own reasons for wanting the Prophet
dead, Thumama set out in disguise in Muharram, 6 A.H. His
objective was to assassinate the Prophet |g, but he was captured by
a party of Muslim horsemen returning from a punitive expedition
against Banu Bakr bin Kilab.
The Muslims under Muhammad bin Muslimah took Thumama
back with them to Madinah, where they left him bound to a pillar
in the Prophet’s mosque. The Prophet M saw the captive and asked
him, “What do you expect, Thumama?”
“I expect good, for if you kill me, you will kill one whose blood
will be avenged. If you show me favor, you will show it to one
who is gracious; if you want property, you will be given as much
as you wish.”
The Prophet M left him there. The following day the same question
was asked with the same answer being given. The third day at the
end of the same conversation the Prophet M ordered Thumama
•released. Thumama, it seems, had spent the three days in
contemplation of issues more profound than the matter of his
release, for upon being freed he bathed and asked to be admitted
into Islam. Later, he said to the Prophet “I swear to Allah, O
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Muhammad, no face on the face of the earth was more abhorrent to
me than yours, but now your face is the dearest of all to me. I also
swear to Allah that no religion was more hateful to me than yours
in the entire world, but now it is the dearest of all to me.”
Thumama left Madinah to perform Umrah in Makkah, where the
Quraysh heaped vituperation on him for his change of heart.
Thumama’s answer was swift. “By Allah, not a grain of wheat will
reach you from Yamamah until the Prophet fg permits.” Thumama
spoke in earnest, and the Quraysh were left in despair, for not a
single caravan was allowed to carry wheat to the Quraysh. A letter
was sent to the Prophet H asking for the embargo to be lifted, and
only when he recommended selling grain to the Makkans did
Thumama resume trade with them.
Expedition of Banu Lihyan
In Usfan, in the heart of the Hijaz, lived Banu Lihyan, the tribe that
had ambushed the seventy Muslims at Raj’i. The memory of that
tragic incident filled the Prophet $£ with the desire to punish Banu
Lihyan, but he was forced to deal with several emergencies that
demanded his attention, the Battle of the Trench was one among
them. Soon, however, the calm following the failed coalition gave
him the opportunity to claim retribution. With an army of two
hundred men and twenty cavaliers, he marched upon the
murderous Banu Lihyan in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 6 A.H.
The party reached Batn Gharan, a valley between Amj and Usfan,
site of the massacre. There the Prophet Jg prayed for the martyrs
and halted for two days. When Banu Lihyan heard of the march
against them, they took refuge in the hills and eluded capture, so
the Prophet M went on to Usfan with a squad of ten cavaliers in the
vanguard. They moved up to Karaa’ Al-Ghamaim. After fourteen
days, the Muslim forces returned to Madinah.
Abul Aas accepts Islam
In Jamadi Al-Awwal, 6 A.H., the Prophet % received news of a
Qurayshi caravan returning from Syria, and dispatched 170
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cavaliers headed by Zayd bin Haritha to ‘Is. The caravan was led
by Abul Aas, the husband of Zaynab, one of the Prophet’s four
daughters. Husband and wife had been estranged for three years,
since Zaynab had migrated to Madinah with her father after her
husband refused to accept Islam. The Muslims rounded up the
entire caravan except for Abul Aas, who fled to Madinah and took
shelter with Zaynab. He asked her to intervene and to request her
father for the return of the caravan’s cargo. The Prophet granted
Zaynab’s request.
Abul Aas, known for his trading skills and his integrity, went back
to Makkah, returned the goods to their rightful owners, and then
embraced Islam. He then migrated to Madinah, where he was
reunited with Zaynab. Since the verse forbidding marriage
between unbelievers and Muslim women had not yet been
revealed, the marriage was kept intact.
The Prophet M sent a number of cavalry units (Saraya) during this
period. They were significant in that they quelled enemy uprisings
and established peace and order in far off areas.
The expedition of Banu Al-Mustaliq or Muraysi’
Among the expeditions sent by the Prophet, the one against Banu
Al-Mustaliq in Sha‘ban, 5 or 6 A.H., was a prominent event in
Islamic history. A branch of the Banu Khuzaa clan, which was on
friendly terms with the Muslims, Banu Al-Mustaliq had sided with
the Quraysh and were preparing for an attack on the Prophet $ 5 .
Baridah bin Khusayb was sent to gather intelligence and came
back to Madinah and confirmed the report. Once more it was time
for the Prophet % to leave Madinah in the hands of another, some
say it was Zayd bin Haritha and march out against the enemy.
With an army of seven hundred men, the Prophet % surprised
• Banu Al-Mustaliq who were encamped at a spring named
Muraysi’ on the outskirts of Qudayd. Some of them were killed,
their women and children were rounded up, and their property and
livestock seized. The operation lasted two nights.
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Among the prisoners was Juwayriyah, the daughter of the wealthy
Harith bin Darar. She accepted Islam in Madinah, and the Prophet
set her free and then married her. In deference to Juwayriyah, who
gained the status of “Mother of the believers” with her marriage to
the Prophet one hundred families from Banu Al-Mustaliq were
set free. They had entered Islam, and the Prophet’s Companions
released them saying they were the Prophet’s relatives by
marriage. Juwayriyah had thus brought her people good fortune.
As expeditions go, the campaign against Banu Al-Mustaliq was
noteworthy not because of its military importance but because it
gave rise to two extremely distressing and painful events which
rent the Muslim community and the Prophet’s heart.
While the Muslims were at the spring in Muraysi, a man from the
Ansar clashed with a Muhajir. The Ansari was beaten and called
the other Ansar to his rescue, while the Muhajir called out to the
Muhajireen. The people who came up polarized themselves
according to their place of origin — Makkah and Madinah. As the
calls “O AnsarV' “O Muhajireen ” rang out, the Prophet si
recognized the ugly spirit of factionalism threatening the
brotherhood of the Muslims, and he intervened immediately.
“I am still among you,” he said. “I hear calls from the Days of
Ignorance. Ignore them, for they are foul.” Contritely, the two
groups dispersed and returned to the path of brotherhood and
unity.
Meanwhile, a large number of men from the faction of the
Hypocrites were present on this expedition, as was their leader,
Abdullah bin Ubayy. The incident at the spring was fodder for
making mischief and nurturing resentment. He addressed the Ansar:
“How dare they [the Muhajireen ] rise up against us? Here
we are in our own country and they have come in and tried
to outnumber us. By God, it is just as the ancients said: Feed
the dog, and it will bite you. I swear by God that when we
return to Madinah, the worthy and noble ones will drive out
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the unworthy wretches.”
By the worthy, he was referring to himself, of course, while the
unworthy one in his eyes who deserved to be driven out was the
Prophet M-
Admonishing his men, he continued:
“You yourselves have wrought this. You allowed them to
settle in your country and shared your property with them.
By God, had you held back and not been so generous, they
would have surely gone elsewhere.”
Listening to Abdullah spew out his venom was a young
Companion of the Prophet, Zayd bin Arqam j&>, who immediately
brought the matter to the Prophet’s attention. Abdullah bin Ubayy
was sent for and asked about his diatribe, which he denied upon
oath, swearing the Prophet had been misinformed. His glib
words saved him on that occasion, but the revelation of Surah Al-
Munaafiqoon published the truth, and the name of Abdullah bin
Ubayy stands disgraced until the Day of Judgment.
Ironically, Abdullah’s son, who bore the same name as his father,
was a true believer who was incensed at his father’s machinations.
He rushed to Madinah ahead of the returning troops and stood
there barring his father’s way. As he faced his father, he said:
“By Allah, until the Prophet M permits, you will not be
allowed to advance an inch, for it is he who he is honorable
and you who are dishonorable.”
The Prophet told Abdullah to allow his father back into Madinah,
and a mortified Abdullah bin Ubayy brooded over how to destroy
the peace. What had begun as a simple disagreement between two
men at a spring had escalated into a rift dividing an entire
community and a father and his son, but this episode also showed
that the only kinship of consequence is through righteousness and
faith.
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The slander against Aishah, Mother of the believers
The journey back to Madinah was long, and after a halt, late one
night, the Prophet M decided to break camp. ‘Aishah i**
who realized she had lost her necklace, had gone off to look for it
and returned to find the camp had moved on without her. Although
her empty howdah (riding enclosure) seemed very light, the men
who saddled it ascribed it to ‘Aishah’s diminutive frame. She, on
the other hand, fell asleep unafraid. Surely they would discover her
absence and would return for her, she thought.
She lay sleeping until she was discovered by Safwan bin Mu’attal
Salami a Companion of the Prophet. Safwan, who was a heavy
sleeper and a late riser, had been assigned to retrieve anything
inadvertently left behind by the troops. His job was to follow the
trail left by the marching troops. When he drew near, he
recognized Aishah, whom he had seen in the days before veiling
was enjoined upon Muslim women.
He exclaimed, “To Allah we belong and to Him we return!” in
greeting, and these were the only words he spoke to her. Aishah
covered her face instantly. Silently, out of reverence for the
Prophet’s wife, Safwan brought his camel for her to mount. He
held the camel’s reins and walked ahead, and they traveled in this
manner. It was noon by the time they caught up with the rest of the
people, who had encamped shortly before.
The sight of Aishah’s camel being led by Safwan gladdened the
malevolent heart of Abdullah bin Ubayy. Here at last was the
perfect way to pierce the heart of the Prophet M and tarnish the
reputation of his favorite wife. He would begin a lie about how
Aishah and Safwan had deliberately stayed behind together.
Insinuations and malicious lies were woven and embroidered until
they began to look like the fabric of truth. Abdullah’s friends and
allies gleefully repeated the lies not just among themselves but to
the general body of credulous Muslims, who were blinded by the
sandstorm of lies swirling around them.
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‘Aishah, on the other hand, fell ill after her return to Madinah and
remained confined to bed for a month. Although Madinah was
buzzing with the scurrilous and false rumors of her clandestine
meeting with Safwan, she was unaware of what was being said. The
only hurt she felt was through an awareness that her husband was
uncharacteristically cold and distant with her. Where was the
tenderness he reserved for her? Why did he leave immediately after
inquiring about her health without even sitting by her side?
Moreover, he had nothing to say to her after exchanging greetings.
The Prophet M himself was considerably hurt that the community
was giving credence to what could only be a lie. His wives had to
be beyond reproach, but since ‘Aishah had unwittingly become a
target of slander, he himself had to act to control the damage
done to his household and the community at large. His anguish
grew with the fact that he had not had a single revelation during
this period. He consulted his Companions about how he should
deal with the situation affecting his household and all of
Madinah. Ali subtly advocated separation, but Usama and the
others counseled otherwise.
Following this consultation, the Prophet $£ ascended the pulpit and
declared that it was up to the people to seek redress from the one
whose evil had touched even their Prophet’s household. His words
were taken to heart by the chieftain of the Aus tribe, who
pronounced the death sentence on Abdullah bin Ubayy for
beginning the scandal. Since Abdullah bin Ubayy belonged to the
Khazraj tribe, their chieftain took the sentence as an affront to the
entire tribe. More disunity and ill will were bred until the Prophet
al intervened to heal the breach.
By then ‘Aishah herself had recovered from her illness, and one
night she went to relieve herself accompanied by Umm Mistah. In
the darkness, Umm Mistah tripped over her sheet and then
proceeded to curse her son. ‘Aishah rebuked her for her
imprecation, but the lady told ‘Aishah she was justified in cursing
him. After all, wasn’t he also parroting the same lies about
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‘Aishah?
“What lies,” asked ‘Aishah? The whole story came rushing out,
and Aishah listened silently. When she returned it was to ask the
Prophet’s permission to go to her parents’ house. Once she got
there her parents sorrowfully confirmed that all of Madinah was
whispering about ‘Aishah and Safwan. The tears would not stop.
Two nights and a day went by, and Aishah cried while her parents
watched and wept too.
After the second night had passed, the Prophet came to see
‘Aishah. Struggling with his own emotions, he said, as befitting
the spiritual head of the community and her husband, “‘Aishah! I
have come to know of this and that about you. If you are innocent,
Allah will bring your innocence to light. If you have sinned, then
repent and seek Allah’s forgiveness, for He forgives those who
repent.”
‘Aishah listened without tears. She asked her parents to reply on
her behalf, but they sat mute with grief and reverence for the
Prophet Then ‘Aishah spoke in ringing tones:
“By Allah, I know that the lie has been repeated so much so
that it has stuck to your hearts and you people have taken it
as true. Now if I say I am innocent — and Allah knows well
that I am innocent — you will not accept it as true. In case I
confess anything — and Allah knows very well that I am
quite innocent — you will take it as true. Thus, I, for myself
and for you, say what the father of Yusuf said:
[\a:
“...Patience is beautiful. I seek the help of Allah against
what you assert.” (12:18)
With these words she turned her back on the Prophet and lay
down. At that moment, Allah sent the Prophet M a revelation.
When the state of inspiration ended, the Prophet M was smiling.
He said, ”0 Aishah! Allah has declared you innocent!”
204
“Get up and face the Prophet,” said Aishah’s mother to her
daughter.
Aishah’s reply was, “By Allah! I shall not get up to face him. I
shall praise Allah alone.”
The verses that were revealed on this occasion pertained to the
exoneration of Aishah and are to be found in Surah Al-Noor,
verses eleven through twenty. They state clearly that the people
who invented the lie about a chaste woman (whose only sin was
negligence) had sinned and so had those who repeated it and
believed it.
The verses specifically ordain punishment for slanderers and
stipulate a code of conduct for Muslims to safeguard the chastity
of their women. It is made a part of one’s faith to avoid suspicion,
and to refuse to believe in and or circulate slander. To repeat
unfounded gossip is to defile oneself and society, to bring in
discord, and to harm believing women, and in the following
verses, Allah lays down strict punishment for slanderers:
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^ pZ o' B U^ii
[U-U :jyJl]
“Those who brought forward the lie are a body among
yourselves. Do not consider it bad for you. On the contrary,
it is good for you. Every man will be given the sin he earned,
and those who were primarily responsible will receive a
great punishment. When the believers heard the rumor, why
205
did they not assume the best about their own people and say,
‘This allegation is an obvious lie?’ Why did they not bring
four witnesses to prove the accusation was true? Since they
did not produce any witnesses, they stand as liars before
Allah. And were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on
you in this world and in the Hereafter, you would have been
seized by a tremendous punishment for what you uttered.
You said something that you had no knowledge of and
considered it but a small thing, but to Allah it was a very
great matter. And when you heard the slanderous lie, why
did you not say, ‘We should not talk about this. Glory be to
Allah! This is a most serious allegation!’ Allah admonishes
you to never behave in such a way again if you are indeed
believers. And Allah makes His signs, lessons and
revelations clear for you, for He is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”
( 24 : 11 - 18 )
His heart thus unburdened of grief, the Prophet M went to his
Companions and recited before them the verses revealed
concerning Aishah’s acquittal. In compliance with the divine
injunction in the verses, he ordered punishment for the slanderers,
eighty lashes to each of the two males and one female from among
the Muslims who had repeated the lies.
Hassan bin Thabit, Mistah bin Athatha and Hamnah bint Jahsh, in
bearing the punishment, escaped punishment in the Hereafter and
were forgiven. However, Abdullah bin Ubayy, the leader of the
liars and his accomplices, got off unscathed, unrepentant. They
face a far more terrible punishment in the Hereafter.
Departure for Umrah and arrival at Hudaybia
Shortly after the resolution of the slanderous campaign against
Aishah, the Prophet M had a vision. He saw himself and his
Companions, entering the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, praying
there and then shaving their heads. The Companions were
informed forthwith that they were to perform Umrah shortly, and
206
the Arabs living around Madinah were also invited to join them on
the journey. They, however, were skeptical about going into the
stronghold of the Quraysh. They also doubted the Prophet and
his followers would ever return to Madinah if they did make it to
Makkah. They begged off saying the affairs of their property were
pressing, and asked the Prophet M to pray for them.
The Prophet set out from Madinah along with 1,400 Muhajireen
and Ansar on Monday, Dhul Qa‘dah 1, 6 A.H. He took along
sacrificial animals. At Dhul Halifah, the animals were made to put
on collars and their humps were slit, a clear indication that they
were meant for sacrifice after performing Umrah. The Muslims
then donned Ihraam and entered the state of consecration.
The Prophet then resumed his journey and reached Usfan. At this
stage, the scout sent ahead by the Prophet gjg came back with the
news that the Quraysh were encamped at Dhul Tawa, determined
to prevent the Muslims from performing Umrah , even if it meant
another war. They had dispatched Khalid bin Waleed to Qura Al-
Ghamim near Usfan to block off the route to Makkah, and had
called on the neighboring tribes for support.
The Prophet conferred with his Companions about the situation,
their choices being either to attack the allied tribes or to march ahead
to the Ka'bah and fight those obstructing their worship of Allah.
Abu Bakr Siddeeq opined, “We have come to perform Umrah,
not to fight; hence we will fight only against those who stand in
our way.” The Prophet M agreed with Abu Bakr, and it was
decided to go on to Makkah.
At midday, the Muslims prayed. Khalid bin Waleed, who was
watching their movements closely, decided that the Muslims were
vulnerable to attack during prayer, especially while bowing and
prostrating, and he decided to fall upon them at the next prayer.
But Khalid was foiled, for between Zuhr and ‘Asr, the Prophet
received a revelation that the Muslims were not to pray in a single
congregation. One group of Muslims was to pray while others
207
stood guard, and then those who had stood guard would pray while
the others kept watch. This special form of prayer was termed
“ Salaah Al-Khauf ’ (The Prayer in Times of Fear), for it was meant
to be performed in times of danger.
The Prophet M then decided to take another route to Makkah, and
they arrived at Thaniyat AI-Murar to descend at Hudaybia. At this
point the Prophet’s camel, Qaswa, knelt down, ignoring the
repeated commands of the people around the Prophet 31 - They
shrilled, ’’Qaswa won’t get up, Qaswa won’t get up!”
The Prophet $g said calmly:
“Qaswa has not refused, for such is not her nature. He Who
restrained the Elephant is keeping her back. I swear by the
One Who holds my life, that if the Quraysh propose
anything to me which is in keeping with the regard due to
Allah, and ask me to show kindness, I will certainly accede
to their request.”
The Prophet 3§ then chided the camel and she sprang up. He drove
ahead and then halted at Hudaybia.
At Hudaybia, Budayl bin Waraqa Khuzai appeared with a band of
his clansmen. They were well-wishers of the Prophet and
brought news of the Makkans’ determination to fight the Muslims
and to prevent them from entering the Sacred Mosque.
The Prophet’s answer was that he had come to perform
pilgrimage and not to fight. However, he continued, if the
Quraysh insisted on fighting, he would fight back until Allah
granted him victory or death.
Negotiations between the Prophet $s and the Quraysh
Budayl bin Warqa went back and relayed the Prophet’s message to
the Quraysh, who then sent Mikraz bin Hafs to parley with the
Prophet He too was told the same thing. Then came Halees bin
Ikrama of Banu Kinana. When he appeared, the Prophet |§ said to
his Companions, ‘This man belongs to a tribe that holds sacrificial
208
animals in high esteem, so make the animals stand up.”
The Companions made the animals rise, and they themselves rose to
greet Halees, chanting “ Labbayk .” Hearing the call to Allah
signifying that the Muslims were there to obey, praise and worship
Him alone, Halees was deeply moved. He remarked, “Praise be to
God! It is certainly wrong to stop these people from going to the
House of God. Shall the people of Lakhm, Juzam and Hamir
perform Hajj while the son of Abdul Muttalib is barred from the
House of God? By the Lord of the Kabah, the Quraysh will meet
their doom. These people have come to perform Umrah.”
The Quraysh rebuked him for his outburst in defense of the
Muslims. “Sit down! You are a simple nomad! You don’t know
their tricks.”
They then sent Urwa bin Mas‘ood Thaqafi to talk to the Prophet M-
The Prophet # repeated what he had told Budayl. Urwa tried
another way to dissuade the Prophet from entering Makkah,
pointing out the precarious situation of the Prophet “Have you
heard of any Arab who has harmed his own people? And if the
opposite comes to pass and you are defeated, I see sitting about
you scoundrels who will leave you in the lurch.”
Abu Bakr burst out furiously, “Go suck the genitals of your
idol, Lat! Shall we desert our Prophet?”
Urwah remained silent since this was the same Abu Bakr who had
done him numerous favors in the past. In the course of the talks
Urwah would gesticulate frequently and touch the Prophet’s beard,
at which Mugheera bin Shu‘ba would indignantly throw off
Urwah’s hand with the hilt of his sword: “Keep your hand away
from the sacred beard of the Prophet $g.”
Urwah countered, “O you ingrate! Isn’t it for you that I am making
efforts?”
Mugheera bin Shu‘ba was Urwah’s nephew and had killed some
people, seized their property, and then converted to Islam.
209
Although the Prophet M had approved of Mugheera’s accepting
Islam, he avoided taking anything from his property. Urwah, as
Mugheera’s elder, was negotiating a settlement with the relatives
of the victims, and it was to these efforts that he referred.
As Urwah watched the Prophet M and his Companions interact, he
was struck by the Companions’ love, loyalty, and respect for the
Prophet 31, and he reported to the Quraysh:
“O people! By God, I have been to the courts of kings and
seen the splendor of Caesar, Chosroes and Najaashi, but by
God, never have I seen any king so revered as Muhammad. I
noticed that if he spat, his Companions ran to get the spittle
on their hands and rubbed it on their hands and faces. If he
asked for anything, they vied to comply with his order; if he
performed ablution, they struggled to get the water he had
used, and if he spoke, everybody listened rapt. Nobody dared
even to look straight into his eyes. Their [the Muslims’]
terms are reasonable. Accept them.”
Even as negotiations continued, seventy or eighty boisterous
youths of the Quraysh came down from Mount Tanyeem late one
night and sneaked into the Muslim camp with the intention of
subverting the peace talks. Every one of them was rounded up, but
the Prophet forgave their misconduct and set them free. The
incident chastened the Quraysh and impelled them to seek peace.
In this connection the following verse descended:
[ T t : ^uJI]
“And it is Allah Who restrained their hands from you and
your hands from them in the midst of Makkah, and after that
He gave you victory over them.” (48:24)
Uthman’s mission and the pledge of Ridwan
Three emissaries had come and gone, questioning the Muslims’
motives. How was the Prophet to convince the Quraysh that his
210
only reason for wanting to enter Makkah was spiritual? He decided
to send his own emissary, Uthman bin Affan, to state that he had
come only to perform Umrah. Uthman was to invite the Quraysh
to Islam and to cheer the believing men and women still in
Makkah with the tidings that Allah was about to make their
religion victorious. The time was at hand when they would no
longer be required to conceal their faith.
Uthman entered Makkah under the protection of Abban bin
Sayeed Umwi and conveyed the message. The Quraysh offered
him the opportunity to circumambulate the Ka'bah, but he refused
to do so while the Prophet M himself was prevented from
performing this act of worship.
The Quraysh decided to keep Uthman & with them for a while,
perhaps to send him back after they had something concrete to
offer the Muslims. But with the delay rumors spread that he had
been slain. Since the assassination of a messenger is a declaration
of war, the Prophet M had to prepare for war.
Standing under a tree, the Prophet % exhorted his followers to take
an oath. They came up swearing to remain on the battlefield and to
fight unto death. Placing one hand on the other, the Prophet ^ said,
’’This is the pledge on behalf of Uthman.” Just then, Uthman 4®
himself came up, and the believers were spared from going into
battle, but they had proved their sincerity with their pledge. Allah
revealed a verse referring to the sanctity of the covenant:
[u:
“Allah was pleased with the believers when they swore
allegiance unto you beneath the tree.” (48:18)
And from that day on, the pledge under the tree came to be called
“Bay ‘a Al-Ridwan,” or the pledge of those who had earned
Allah’s pleasure.
A treaty is concluded
When the Quraysh came to know of this oath of allegiance, they
211
decided not to court war and sent Suhayl bin Amr to make peace.
At the end of the prolonged talks, the following conditions were
agreed upon:
Firstly, the Prophet M would go back that year with the Muslims
without making Umrah. He was to come to Makkah the next year,
stay for three days, and he and his followers were not to carry any
weapons except swords in their sheaths.
Secondly, a truce was to be in effect for ten years. Also, whoever
wished to enter a bond with the Prophet gg would be permitted to
do so and, likewise, anybody could come to a similar agreement
with the Quraysh.
Lastly, anyone from the Quraysh who escaped to Madinah had to
be returned to Makkah, but the Quraysh were not required to
extradite any of the Prophet’s followers who returned to Makkah.
The Prophet M then sent for Ali and bade him write: In the
name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Suhayl protested, “I do not recognize the Most Gracious you name.”
The Prophet % then asked Ali to write: In Your name, O Allah.
He then dictated to Ali, “This is what the Prophet Muhammad
has decided.”
Once again Suhayl objected, “If we believed that you were God’s
messenger, we would not have turned you away from the House of
God, nor fought with you.”
“I am Allah’s Messenger even if you disbelieve me,” replied the
Prophet %. He asked Ali to erase what he had written earlier and
write “Muhammad bin Abdullah” in place of “the Prophet
Muhammad.”
“By Allah, I cannot do it,” replied Ali The Prophet
however, asked Ali to point out the words to be rubbed out. Ali
pointed them out and the Prophet M expunged them. Thereafter
two copies of the document were written — one for the Quraysh
212
and another for the Muslims.
The peace treaty was still in the process of being drafted when Abu
Jandal, the Muslim son of Suhayl bin Amr, came on the scene,
struggling in fetters, for his father had demanded he be returned to
Makkah. The Prophet $$ protested, “But the treaty is still being
drafted. It has not been finalized.”
Suhayl said, “If it is so, then I am not prepared to make any
agreement with you.”
The Prophet said again, “Leave him for my sake.” But Suhayl
arrogantly said, “I will not leave him even for your sake,” and beat
his son mercilessly. Abu Jandal cried out, ’’Muslims! Shall I be
sent back to the pagans so that I am put to trial regarding my faith
once again?”
The Prophet % said to him, “Be patient and take your extradition
as a source of immense reward. Allah will bestow His blessings on
you and on other oppressed Muslims.”
Umar bin Khattab was so incensed at the proceedings that he urged
Abu Jandal to kill his father, but Abu Jandal held himself back and
submitted to the terms of the treaty.
The Muslims’ dejection over the truce
After the peace treaty was finalized, the Prophet said to his
Companions, “Get up and slaughter your animals.” None of them
got up. The Prophet % repeated his call thrice, but his words went
unheeded. He then went to Umm Salamah i* — ^ ^ ^ j and
described to her the state of affairs. She advised the Prophet to
sacrifice his animal and get his head shaved without talking to
anybody. The Prophet % did so. Moreover, in order to enrage the
polytheists, the Prophet $$ also slaughtered a camel of Abu Jahl
that had a silver ring in its nostril. This made the Companions take
note, and they sacrificed their animals and shaved their heads.
Cows and camels were also sacrificed on behalf of seven people.
The Muslims were apathetic and depressed about the treaty, which
213
to them was weighted heavily in favor of the Quraysh. However,
their reyerence for the Prophet kept them silent.
Their depression stemmed from two main reasons. They had
marched out of Madinah with the intention of performing Umrah,
and here they were returning without even having entered Makkah.
Then there was the matter of the clause which compelled them to
return anyone coming over to them from the Quraysh, while the
Quraysh were not bound to return any Muslim who had crossed
over to their side. Poor Abu Jandal was being dragged back to
Makkah against his will simply because his polytheistic father
wanted him back.
The Prophet M tried to console them saying that they would
perform Umrah the next year in fulfillment of his dream.
As for the second clause, he satisfied his men by saying that any
Muslim who went to the Quraysh was being sent by Allah to live
and preach there, while anyone from the Quraysh who came to
them had come for shelter and would find it. He was right on this
point since several Muslims were still in Abyssinia, outside the
jurisdiction of the treaty, and any Muslim from Makkah could
simply flee there.
Despite the Prophet’s efforts to cast a favorable light on the
situation, the treaty still seemed in favor of the Quraysh. Umar bin
Khattab ^0 asked, O ess enger of ^^.llah, are we not on the path
of truth and they on that of untruth?”
The Prophet H assented.
Umar then asked, “Are our slain not in Paradise and theirs in Hell?”
The Prophet affirmed it was so.
“Why then should we accept unjust terms and leave when the issue
has not been decided?” Umar asked, voicing what everyone
wanted to say.
The Prophet replied, “O son of Khattab! As Allah’s Prophet, I
214
cannot disobey Him. He will help us and will not allow us to be
ruined.”
Still seething with resentment, Umar went to Abu Bakr 4&- He
recounted his conversation with the Prophet and got the same
answer from Abu Bakr, who added, “Hold on to the stirrup of the
Prophet until death, for, by Allah, he is right.”
Allah revealed the following verse concerning the treaty to
strengthen the Prophet’s resolve and comfort the Muslims:
U:^jL)l] Uci till 13^ ^
“Verily, I have granted you a manifest victory.” (48:1)
Following this, the Prophet M sent for Umar and recited the verse
before him. Umar remarked skeptically, “Is this a victory, O
Messenger of Allah?”
The Prophet replied, “Yes.” This firm assertion of the Prophet M
satisfied Umar, who went back silenced at last. Later, Umar was
engulfed with guilt at having challenged the Prophet’s judgment,
and he tried to atone for his lapse by giving charity, fasting,
praying, and freeing slaves in hopes of gaining Allah’s
forgiveness.
The issue of Muhajir women
Shortly after the Treaty of Hudaybia, some Muslim women came
to the Prophet M seeking asylum, while the pagans demanded their
return. The Prophet M rejected the pagans’ demand, saying that the
treaty had nothing to do with the women. Allah, on the other hand,
sent down His command:
215
“O you who believe! When believing women come to you as
refugees, determine if they are actually believers, and Allah
knows best as to their faith. And if you are satisfied that they
are Believers, do not return them to the unbelievers, for they
are no longer lawful wives for unbelievers, and unbelievers
are not lawful husbands for them. But reimburse their former
husbands the dowry they gave to them, and there will be no
sin on you if you marry these women after giving them a
dowry. Likewise, do not remain married to women who do
not believe, and ask them to return the dowry you gave them.
Let them also ask for what they spent while married to you.
This is Allah’s decision: He judges between you, and Allah
is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (60:10)
Thus, believing women were declared unlawful for unbelievers
and unbelieving women unlawful for believing men. From then
on, the Prophet % put the emigrant women to the test in the light of
the following verse:
“O Prophet, when believing women come to you to pledge
their allegiance to you, swearing that they will not worship
anything other than Allah, steal, commit adultery or
fornication, kill their children, intentionally slander anyone
or lie, nor disobey you in any just matter, then accept their
pledge, and pray to Allah to forgive them. Allah is Oft
Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (60:12)
Once the women agreed on oath to live by these divine
injunctions, the Prophet si would accept their pledge of allegiance.
He solemnized the pledges verbally without shaking hands with
them. Such women were then not returned to the unbelievers.
Moreover, the Muslims divorced their unbelieving wives, and
216
Muslim women were separated from their non-Muslim husbands.
The Muslims in Makkah are freed
The clan of Banu Khuzaa sided with the Prophet $§ in the wake of
the recent treaty and ultimately joined hands with the Muslims.
They had been allies of the Banu Hashim (the Prophet’s clan) even
during the Age of Ignorance, while the Banu Bakr, their rivals,
went to the side of the Quraysh and ultimately became the cause of
the conquest of Makkah.
The Muslims who had been unable to leave Makkah continued to
face persecution. One of them, Abu Baseer, escaped and headed
straight for Madinah. The Quraysh sent two of their men to the
Prophet M to demand his return, and the Prophet handed him
over. At Dhul Hulayfa, Abu Baseer killed one of his captors,
while the other, who escaped, reappeared before the Prophet Is
saying, “My companion was killed, and I too am about to be
killed.” Just then Abu Baseer arrived on the scene, and when the
Prophet rebuked him, in fear of being sent back to the pagans,
he fled and settled on the coast. Abu Jandal also escaped and
joined Abu Baseer. Henceforth everyone who fled Makkah after
embracing Islam joined Abu Baseer.
Eventually these Muslims formed a colony. With their new found
strength, they began intercepting each and every trade caravan of
the Quraysh en route to Syria, falling on them and seizing their
goods and men.
The Quraysh were so unnerved by this new stronghold of Muslims
on their doorstep that they pleaded with the Prophet M to call the
band of Muslims to Madinah. The Quraysh, for their part,
guaranteed that anybody going to the Muslim side would be left in
peace. The Prophet M asked the Muslims to come to Madinah,
which they were happy to do.
Effects of the truce
The truce that ensued with the Treaty of Hudaybia profoundly
217
affected the spread of Islam. Muslims were able to mix with
other Arabs and invite them to Islam with such success that more
people became Muslim in the following two years than had done
in the previous nineteen. Even the elite among the Quraysh, Amr
bin As, Khalid bin Waleed and Uthman bin Talha appeared
before the Prophet % with the confession of faith on their lips,
willing to give their lives, property, and power for Allah. As they
came up to the Prophet |g, he remarked, “Makkah has entrusted
the lobes of its heart to us.”
The Prophet’s letters to Monarchs and Potentates
Once he had finalized the Treaty of Hudaybia, the Prophet M was
free to spread the word of Allah farther. He sent letters to
monarchs and nobles of several lands inviting them to Islam and
reminding them of their responsibility to Allah. These letters are
given below in condensed form.
Letter to the king of Abyssinia
To As-huma bin Abjar, the Abyssinian king, the Prophet wrote:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful.”
“This letter is addressed to As-huma, the Monarch of
Abyssinia, from Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah.”
“Peace of Allah be upon those who follow Guidance and
have faith in Allah and His Messenger. I bear witness that
there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One
without partners. He neither took a wife nor adopted a son,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and
Messenger. I call you to Islam, for I am His Messenger.
Embrace Islam that you may find peace.”
“[Allah says in the Qur’an:] O people of the Book: Come
to that which is common between you and us, that we may
serve none but Allah, nor associate anything with Him, nor
218
take others for lords besides Allah. But if they turn away,
then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.”
“If you reject this, then on you shall rest the sin of your
people.”
This letter was sent through Amr bin Umayya Damri. As-huma
received the letter and kissed it with his eyes. He then rose frorfi
his throne to embrace Islam under the tutelage of Ja‘ far bin Abi
Talib. In his reply to the Prophet H, As-huma pledged allegiance
and confessed his faith. Later he finalized the marriage of Umm
Habeebah bint Abi Sufyan it to the Prophet $g, and paid
four hundred dinars in dower on the Prophet’s behalf. He then
sent Umm Habeebah back along with the emigrants of Abyssinia
in two boats under the escort of Amr bin Umayya Damri. The
Muslims from Abyssinia arrived in Madinah while the Prophet M
was away in Khaybar.
King As-huma passed away in Rajab, 9 A.H. The Prophets
announced the news of his death the same day, and performed
his funeral prayer in absentia. The Prophet wrote to his
successor calling him to Islam, but it was not known whether he
accepted Islam.
Letter to Muqauqis, king of Alexandria and Egypt
The Prophet’s letter to Muqauqis went thus:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful.
“From Muhammad, the servant and Messenger of Allah, to
Muqauqis, the ruler of the Copts.”
“Blessed are those who follow Guidance. I call you to Islam.
Embrace Islam that you may find peace. Accept Islam, and
Allah will reward you twofold. If you reject Allah’s word,
then on you shall rest the sin of the Copts as well.”
“[Allah says in the Qur’an:] O people of the Book! Come
219
to that which is common between you and us, that we may
serve none but Allah, nor associate anything with Him, nor
take others for lords besides Allah. But if they turn away,
then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.”
The Prophet H sent this letter through Hateeb bin Abi Baltah,
who held a discussion with Muqauqis, and won his esteem.
Muqauqis then put the letter in an ivory case, placed his seal on it
and preserved it. He wrote back to the Prophet M saying he
believed a prophet was to appear, but he thought that he would
come from Syria. Although he did not embrace Islam, he
presented to the Prophet M two maidens named Maria and
Sireen, who were of high status among the Copts. He also sent
some cloth and a donkey. The Prophet chose Mariya (who was
later to become the mother of his son, Ibraheem) and Duldul the
donkey for himself. He gave Sireen to Hassan bin Thabit 4*-
Letter to Chosroes (Khusro Pervez), the king of Persia
The Prophet M addressed this letter to the king of Persia:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful.
“From the Prophet Muhammad, to Chosroes, ruler of
Persia.”
“Blessed are those who follow Guidance and put faith in
Allah and His Messenger. I bear witness that none is
worthy of worship except Allah. He is One and has no
partner, and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I
call you to Allah, as I am a Prophet sent to all mankind to
warn those alive and to establish the truth in the eyes of the
unbelievers. Accept Islam and you will be secure. In case
you reject it, you shall bear the sin of all the Magi.”
This letter was sent through Abdullah bin Hudhayfah Sahmi to
the ruler of Bahrain, who was to deliver it to Chosroes. When the
letter was read out to Chosroes, he ripped it up saying, “A
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wretched slave among my subjects dares write his name before
mine!”
When the Prophet M heard how Chosroes had tom up his epistle,
he said, “Even so shall Allah destroy his kingdom.” His words
rang true, for shortly thereafter the Persian forces tasted
ignominious defeat at the hands of the Romans. Following this,
Chosroes’ son, Shervah, rose up in revolt, assassinated him and
seized the throne. Persia was racked by dissension and conflict
until the Muslim conquest during the Caliphate of Umar bin
Khattab
Letter to the Roman Emperor
The Prophet M wrote to him:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful.”
“From Muhammad, the servant and Messenger of Allah, to
Heraclius, the great king of Rome.”
“Blessed are those who follow Guidance. Embrace Islam
that you may find peace. Allah will reward you twofold. If
you reject His message, then on you shall rest the sin of
your subjects and followers.”
“[Allah says in the Qur’an:] O people of the Book: Come
to that which is common between you and us, that we may
serve none but Allah, nor associate anything with Him, nor
take others for lords besides Allah. But if they turn away,
then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.”
Dihya bin Khalifa Kalbi, who was assigned to deliver the letter,
gave it to the ruler of Basra, who forwarded it to the Roman
emperor. Heraclius had come walking to Jerusalem from Hims in
Syria. His pilgrimage was an offering of thanks to God for the
Roman victory over the Persians. Upon receipt of the Prophet’s
letter, he rushed a courier to bring forward any man familiar with
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the Prophet 3£. A caravan of the Quraysh headed by Abu Sufyan
was in the area and was summoned before Heraclius and his
courtiers. Heraclius inquired, “Who is closest to Muhammad in
terms of lineage?”
“Abu Sufyan,” the people revealed.
Heraclius called Abu Sufyan closer and seated the others behind
him. He then announced to the Quraysh, “I shall ask him [Abu
Sufyan] about him [the Prophet]. If he tells a lie, you should
refute it.” Abu Sufyan thus felt obliged to tell the truth. The
conversation between Heraclius and Abu Sufyan ran thus:
Heraclius: Tell me about his lineage.
Abu Sufyan: He comes of the best lineage.
Heraclius: Did anybody before him make the claim he does?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Have there been any kings in his family?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Who are his followers? Are they the poor and the
weak, or are they nobles?
Abu Sufyan: They are all poor and weak.
Heraclius: Are his followers increasing or dwindling?
Abu Sufyan: Their numbers are growing.
Heraclius: Do those who enter his religion despise and leave
him?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Did you catch him lying before he claimed to be a
prophet?
Abu Sufyan: No.
Heraclius: Has he ever broken his word?
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Abu Sufyan: Not yet. We are at present at peace with him. We
don’t know what he will do in the future.
Heraclius: Have you ever fought against him?
Abu Sufyan: Yes
Heraclius: What was the result?
Abu Sufyan: Fortunes have varied, sometimes in our favor,
sometimes in his.
Heraclius: What is it that he teaches?
Abu Sufyan: He asks us to worship one God, and not to associate
anything with Him, and to renounce whatever our ancestors
worshipped. He asks us to offer prayers, to be truthful and pious,
and to be kind to kinsmen.
Heraclius then summarized all he had heard:
You said that he is of noble lineage. Prophets always come
from the best lineage. You said that none of you made such
a claim before him. If it were so, I would say that he was
imitating a claim already made by someone.
You said that none among his ancestors happened to be a
king. Had anyone among his ancestors been a king, I would
have surmised that he was trying to recover his lost
kingdom. I asked if you knew him to be untruthful before
he claimed to be a prophet, and you said, “No.” I know that
it is not possible for a man to be truthful to people but to
mince the truth in regard to God. You told me that the poor
and the weak followed him. It is true that prophets are
always followed by the humble and the poor in the
beginning. You said that they were gaining in numbers.
Faith is always like that, for it goes on increasing until it
triumphs. You told me that none- had ever turned away
from him and rejected his faith. It is a fact that faith once
settled in the heart never leaves it.
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You told me that he never broke his word. Prophets never
break their promises. You said that he asked you to
worship one God, not to associate anything with Him, bade
you to turn away from the idols and to offer prayer,
practice truth, piety and chastity.
If what you have said is true, very soon he will conquer the
ground that is beneath my feet. I knew that a prophet was
about to appear, but I never thought that he would come
from you. If it had been possible, I would have called upon
him, and if I had been with him, I would have washed his
feet.
Heraclius asked for the letter again and he read it out. The
assembly erupted in surprise and alarm at the Prophet’s message.
Heraclius dismissed Abu Sufyan and his men to bring the
situation under control. Outside, Abu Sufyan said to his men
with foreboding, “The affair of Abu Kabsha has grown so
powerful that even the king of Banu Asfar [the Romans] fears
him.” Each day Abu Sufyan grew convinced that Islam would
prevail, until Allah favored him with Islam.
Heraclius was so impressed with what he had heard that he
presented Dihya bin Khalifah (the bearer of the letter) with
money and expensive robes. Heraclius then went back to Hims,
where he summoned his chiefs and courtiers in a closed assembly
and addressed them, “O Romans, if you desire safety and
guidance so that your kingdom shall be firmly established, follow
this prophet.” The gathering took flight like wild asses but found
the doors closed.
When Heraclius saw his nobles’ opposition to the message of
Islam, he called them back and added, “What I just said was to
test your constancy and faith. I am now satisfied of your firmness
and devotion.” The courtiers lowered their heads, pleased at his
words.
These details make it clear that by then Heraclius had seen the
224
truth of the Prophet’s message, but his love for his throne
overpowered him, and he failed to embrace Islam. In Allah’s
sight, Heraclius stands guilty on his own account and because of
his people who remained misguided.
At the end of his mission, Dihya bin Khalifa returned to Madinah
via Husma, where Banu Jazam ambushed him, seizing all his
possessions. He escaped to Madinah and reported the incident to
the Prophet M-
The Prophet M dispatched Zayd bin Haritha at the head of five
hundred men. Zayd launched a sniper attack on the bandits,
killing them in large numbers and capturing a hundred women
and children. A thousand camels and five hundred goats were
seized as booty. Zayd bin Rifa‘a Zajami, a chieftain of the Jazam
tribe, hurried to Madinah. Since he and some people of his tribe
had already embraced Islam, and he had helped Dihya when he
was under attack by the bandits, the Prophet returned the booty
and the prisoners.
Letter to Harith bin Abu Shammar Ghassani
The Prophet M next sent a missive with Shuja* bin Wahb Asadi
to Damascus, where Heraclius’ viceroy, Harith bin Abu
Shammar Ghassani, was ruler. Harith responded to the letter with
wrath. He flung it saying, “Who has the temerity to conquer my
land?” He prepared to wage war on the Muslims and told Shuja*
to notify the Prophet of an impending war. When Harith asked
his overlord, Heraclius, for permission to fight the Prophet
permission was denied. Retreating from his belligerent position,
Harith presented clothes and riches to Shuja* bin Wahb and saw
him off graciously.
Letter to the Amir of Basra is intercepted
'Next, the Prophet H wrote to the ruler of Basra and invited him
to Islam. When his envoy, Harith bin Umayr Azdi 4a, arrived at
Muta in southern Jordan, he was beheaded by Sharahbeel bin
225
Amr Ghassani. Harith was the only emissary of the Prophet to
lose his life in carrying out his mission. The Prophet $£ was grief
stricken at Harith ’s execution and found the act so reprehensible
that he later waged war against Sharahbeel. That expedition was
to be known as the Battle of Muta.
Letter to Haudha Bin Ali, chief of Yamamah
The Prophet addressed him the following letter:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful.
From the Prophet Muhammad, to Haudha bin Ali.
“Blessed are they who follow Guidance. Be it known to
you that my religion will hold sway over whatever area
camels and horses can ever cover. Embrace Islam that you
may find peace. I shall keep intact what lies in your
possession.”
This letter was sent through Sulayt bin Amr Aamiri. Haudha
received him with respect and gave him gifts. He also wrote in reply:
What shall I say in praise of that to which you call me? I
am the poet and orator of my people, and my prestige
encompasses the whole of Arabia. Entrust to me a part of
your dominion and I shall serve you.
When the Prophet $§ received the letter, he remarked, “I shall not
give him even a piece of land if he asks for it. He will himself
meet his doom along with his possessions.” Haudha died shortly
afterwards while the Prophet was still engaged in the conquest
of Makkah.
Letter to the ruler of Bahrain
The Prophet sent Alaa’ bin Al-Hadrami with a letter inviting
Mundhir to Islam. Mundhir accepted the call to Islam, and so did
some of his subjects. Others, however, continued to follow
Judaism, while some practiced Zoroastrianism. Conscious of the
226
Prophet’s status as spiritual and temporal head of the Muslim
world, Mundhir asked the Prophet M how to deal with the non-
Muslims in his realm. The Prophet M wrote back instructing him
to leave the Muslims as they were and to collect the Jiziyah tax
from the Jews and the Zoroastrians. He allowed Mundhir to
continue ruling as long as he stayed on the path of righteousness.
Letter to the rulers of Oman
It was only after the conquest of Makkah that the Prophet sent
Amr bin Aas to the joint rulers of Oman, the two brothers,
Abd and Jayfar. All his previous letters to rulers, near and far,
had been sent immediately after the Treaty of Hudaybia. In this
letter, the Prophet M informed the two brothers of his mission to
acquaint men with the truth of Islam and the dangers of disbelief.
He warned them that if they rejected Islam, they would pay in
this world and the next, for Islam would prevail.
Abd was the first one to meet with Amr, and they talked at great
length.
“What is your message?” Abd asked.
“We call people to Allah, Who is One, Peerless, and we ask them
to abandon all other deities and to bear witness that Muhammad
is the servant and Messenger of Allah,” Amr explained.
Abd posed another question, “What does your prophet enjoin?”
Amr replied, “He commands us to obey Allah and forbids us to
disobey Him. He ordains good deeds, kindness to kith and kin,
and prohibits excesses, adultery, liquor and the worship of
stones, idols and the crucifix.”
Abd confided, “What a good thing he calls us towards! Had my
brother also supported me, we would have set out to pledge
fealty to Muhammad and to testify as to his prophethood.
Unfortunately, my brother is fond of his kingship than of obeying
another.”
227
Amr said: “If your brother accepts Islam, then the Prophet M will
keep his kingdom intact. However, he will take some wealth by
way of collecting charity from the rich and distribute it to the
poor and needy.”
Abd commented, “That is very nice.” Then he asked, “What is
charity?”
Amr explained the concept to him in detail. However, when Amr
referred to the possession of livestock being subject to Zakaah,
or wealth tax, Amr said doubtfully, “I don’t know whether my
people will accept that.”
Abd then took Amr bin As to his brother, Jayfar, who was also
given the letter. Jayfar asked Amr as to what the Quraysh had
done.
“They all accepted Islam, and if you embrace Islam, you will be
safe, or else our cavalry will trample your land and wipe out its
greenery.”
Jayfar asked for a day’s reprieve, and on the following day he
made a show of his military power. Nevertheless, he consulted
with his brother in private, and the next day both the brothers
accepted Islam, and left Amr free to collect charity. They helped
him against those who opposed the collection.
Expedition of Ghaba or Dhu Qarad
During the ten years of peace that ensued with the Treaty of
Hudaybia, the Prophet % was freed of the constant hostility of the
Quraysh. However, his other source of worry, the Jewish tribes,
continued to plague him and the Muslims. They had reneged on
agreements and incited other tribes to form a confederacy against
the Muslims. All of Khaybar and the area north of it formed their
territory from where they launched campaigns against the
Muslims. Three days before the Prophet $| was about to lead an
expedition to Khaybar, a small clash called the Battle of Ghaba
took place. It was in the month of Muharram, 7 A.H.
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The Prophet M had sent his camels to graze in Ghaba, near Uhud.
With the herd were the Prophet’s slave, Rabah, a herdsman, and
Salamah bin Akwa, who was riding Abu Talha’s horse.
Suddenly, Abdul Rahman bin Uyaynah Fazari and his men
swooped down, and after killing the herdsman, they rode away
with all the camels. Salamah left his horse with Rabah and
climbed a hill. Facing Madinah, he sounded the alarm. Three
times he called, “Ya SabahaV' Then he went after the thieves
launching arrows at them. Undaunted at being alone, he sang a
martial song:
‘Take this. I am the son of Akwa, and today is the day of a
suckling.”
Salamah was very effective in harassing the thieves and he killed
several of them. If a horseman turned back to give chase,
Salamah would shoot at him from a tree. If they entered a hilly
pass, he would scale the hill and set off a rock slide. In
desperation, the thieves set all the camels free, but Salamah
continued to shoot at them. Then the thieves tried to lighten their
mounts by throwing away thirty sheets and thirty lances. Salamah
would cover them with a pile of stones so that they might be
easily located, and he would go on after the horsemen.
After one such incident, the thieves sat down at a narrow turning
of a mountain pass while Salamah sat on the peak. Four of them
spotted him and moved towards him. Salamah said to them, “Do
you know who I am? I am Salamah bin Akwa. I can easily catch
anybody running among you, but none of you can catch me.” The
men went back.
Shortly afterwards, Salamah noticed the cavalrymen of the
Prophet M riding out from between the trees. The first to come in
sight was Akhram, followed by Qatadah and Miqdad. Akhram
and Abdul Rahman met in combat. Although Akhram managed
to wound Abdul Rahman’s horse, he himself was killed by Abdul
Rahman, who then took his horse. Qatadah rode up and killed
229
Abdul Rahman with his lance. Seeing their leader fall, the rest of
the bandits took off with the Muslim cavalrymen in pursuit and
Salamah still chasing them on foot.
Shortly before sunset, the thieves reached the mountain pass of
Dhu Qarad. They were thirsty and exhausted, but Salamah’s
arrows would not let them get near the water. The Prophet $g and
his Companions on horseback met up with Salamah after sunset.
Salamah submitted, “O Messenger of Allah! They are all thirsty,
and if you give me a hundred men I will catch them by the scruff
of their necks and bring them to you.”
The Prophet said, “O son of Akwa, now that you have the upper
hand, show your enemies a little politeness. After all, now they
are in the territory of their hosts, Banu Ghatfan.”
For his extraordinary feats that day, Salamah received two
portions of the booty from the Prophet H — one as a foot soldier
and another as a cavalryman. He had the honor of sitting behind
the Prophet himself on the camel Azba’a, and of hearing the
Prophet declare, ‘The best cavalry man among us today is Abu
Qatadah, and the best foot soldier is Salamah.”
Conquest of Khaybar
In Muharram of 7 A.H., the Prophet ^ announced the march to
Khaybar. Those who had failed to join the expedition to
Hudaybia asked to go along, but the Prophet % announced that
only those who had already proved their resolve for Jihad were
to go. The laggards were to be left out of the expedition and the
spoils. And so it was that the fourteen hundred Companions who
had taken the pledge under the tree near Hudaybia marched out.
Leaving Madinah in the care of Saba bin Arfatah Ghafari, the
Prophet M set out along a well-known caravan route. Halfway
down, he diverted his troops to another route that led to Khaybar
so as to block the Jews’ escape to Syria.
The last night of the march saw the Prophet and his troops
230
camp close to Khaybar while the Jews remained oblivious of
their presence. The Prophet led the Fajr prayer in darkness, and
then he mounted his animal to resume the journey to Khaybar.
The Jews, meanwhile, carrying spades and baskets, began setting
out for their fields. When they saw the Muslims, they rushed
back shouting, “By God, Muhammad has appeared with his
troops.” The Prophet remarked to his men, “Allahu Akbar\
Khaybar has met its doom. When we appear on the plains of a
people, the morning turns gloomy for them.”
The population of Khaybar, which lay 171 km north of Madinah,
was spread along three main settlements, Nataah, Katibah and
Shaq. Nataah had three citadels, Hisn Na‘am, Hisn Sa’b bin
Mu‘adh, and Hisn Qal‘a Al-Zubayr.
The two citadels in Shaq were Hisn Abi and Hisn Nizar, while
Katibah had three castles, namely Hisn Qamus, Hisn Wateeh and
Hisn Salalam. There were a number of other citadels and castles
in Khaybar, but they were smaller and not as well-fortified as
those mentioned above.
The Prophet pitched his tents east of the citadels of Nataah,
out of shooting range. He then charged at Hisn Na‘am. This
stronghold of the Jews was well -protected, high and virtually
impregnable. It was their first line of defense and the home of
their legendary champion, Marhab, who was reputed to have the
strength of a thousand men. A few days went by with both sides
trading arrows. Then the Prophet gave his men news of
victory. He announced, “Tomorrow I will give the standard to a
man who loves Allah and His Prophet, and who is in turn loved
by Allah and His Prophet.”
The Muslims spent the night in anticipation, each man yearning
to be chosen as standard bearer. At daybreak the Prophet M
inquired, “Where is Ali?” The Companions replied, “He has an
eye infection.” Ali 4® was brought before the Prophet M, who
applied his spittle to Ali ’s eyes and prayed for his recovery. Ali
231
found his eyes were cured instantly, and he was then given the
Muslim standard. The Prophet instructed him to invite the enemy
to Islam. Only if they rejected the call to faith was Ali to fight.
In preparation for war, the Jews sent their women and children
off to the citadel of Shaq. They had decided on open combat the
same morning. Consequently, when Ali got there, he found them
ready for battle. Nevertheless in compliance with the Prophet’s
instructions, he called on them to accept Islam. In response,
Marhab came out brandishing his sword, bragging about his
strength:
“All Khaybar knows I am Marhab, armed to the teeth, valiant and
experienced when war is aflame.”
Amir bin Akwa countered: “All Khaybar knows I am Amir, a
gallant warrior, up in arms.”
Following this exchange, they charged at one another. Marhab’ s
scimitar was lodged in Amir’s shield, and Amir made to strike at
Marhab’s calf. Since his sword was small it fell short, and hit his
knee, an injury that proved fatal. The Prophet said in tribute to
Amir, “He enjoys a twofold reward. He was a brave warrior, and
very few like him will ever tread the soil of Arabia.”
When Amir fell at the lance of Marhab, Ali sprang up to face
Marhab with the following couplet on his lips:
I am he whose mother named him Hayder [the lion], fierce
like the lions of the forest. With my lance, I will repay in
full measure every ounce of insult.
With one blow of his sword, Ali slew Marhab. Marhab’s brother
issued a challenge that was met by Zubayr, who swiftly sent his
opponent to the same fate as Marhab. Genera] combat ensued,
and in the course of heavy fighting, several Jewish chieftains fell,
dismaying their men who then fled in consternation. The Muslim
soldiers gave chase and stormed the citadel. The Jews then fled
to an adjacent citadel called Hisn Sa‘b, and set up fortifications.
232
From Hisn Na’am, the Muslim troops captured weapons, dates,
and grain.
Following the capture of Hisn Na‘am, the Muslim forces under
Hubab bin Mundhir laid a three day siege to Hisn Sa‘b. On the
third day, the Prophet % prayed for victory and a substantial
booty. He then ordered the Muslims to attack, and before sunset,
the citadel fell. Since it had served as the Jews’ single most
important granary, the citadel yielded the virtually starving
Muslims enormous quantities of food and fat. To satisfy their
hunger, they slaughtered several donkeys, but the Prophet M
forbade his men to eat the meat. At his orders, all the pots
containing the meat were overturned.
Now the Jews, having lost two of their forts, took shelter in the
third citadel at Nataah called Al-Zubayr and fortified it. The
Muslim forces besieged that too. On the fourth day of the siege, a
Jew constructed a number of drains to get drinking water through
them.
The Muslims lost no time in cutting off the water supply. Finding
no alternative but to fight, the Jews rushed out of the citadel and
fell upon the waiting Muslims. They fought fiercely, but lost the
day and were driven towards Hisn Abi.
With one settlement vanquished, the Muslims moved on to Shaq
to besiege the fortress of Hisn Abi. Two of the Jews came out
consecutively to engage in single combat. When the second one
fell at the sword of Abu Dujana, the others rushed back into their
citadel followed by the Muslim troops, who drove them out and
captured a large amount of grain and several heads of livestock.
The Muslim soldiers continued their march on and laid siege to
Hisn Nizar, where the Jews had fled. High on a mountain peak,
virtually inaccessible, it seemed the safest of all hideouts. The
Jewish men had therefore left their women and children there
while they kept up a shower of stones and arrows to repel any
Muslim who attempted to scale the mountain. The Muslims
233
responded with the use of catapults, and their strategy proved so
effective that the fortress fell into their hands, and the Jews made
for Katibah. When the Muslims entered the fallen fortress, they
found it full of valuable copper and clay utensils, which they
washed and subsequently used.
Relentlessly, the Muslims marched on to Katibah, the last
remaining Jewish stronghold. Its three citadels were their target.
After a two to three-week siege, the first one, at Qamus, fell, and
when it seemed that the two remaining citadels at Wateeh and
Salalam were about to be attacked by the Muslims, the Jews
negotiated for peace. They agreed to go into exile with their
families if they were guaranteed safe conduct. The Prophet H
acceded to their request. He also allowed them to carry whatever
they could along with loads of gold, silver, horses and weaponry.
However, if they hid anything, the agreement would be nullified.
The Jews handed over two or three citadels to the Muslims, who
also got a hundred coats of mail, four hundred swords, a thousand
lances and five hundred Arabian bows. Moreover, they found some
Hebrew scriptures that they returned at the request of the Jews.
The surrender was not completely unanimous. Some of the
Jewish chiefs such as Kinana bin Abul-Huqayq and his brother
contravened the terms that had been agreed upon and attempted
to slip past with a huge hoard of gold, silver and other jewelry.
They thus lost the guarantee of safe passage and were killed for
breach of promise. Among the prisoners was Kinana’s widow,
Safiyah bint Huayy bin Akhtab, who was to later become one of
the Mothers of the Faithful with her marriage to the Prophet M.
Thus ended a long campaign. As we have seen, there was a series
of battles for Khaybar, instead of a single event. At the close of
hostilities, between fifteen and eighteen Muslims were martyred,
while the number of Jews killed stood at ninety-three.
234
The emigrants of Abyssinia return
At the end of the Battle of Khaybar, Amr bin Umayya Damri, the
envoy of the Prophet M to the king of Abyssinia, returned with
the Muslim emigrants. A band of them marched towards
Khaybar, hoping to join in the war, while the rest of the returning
exiles went to Madinah. Among those who headed for the
battlefield were Ja‘far bin Abi Talib and Abu Musa Ash‘ari
— iP By the time they got to Khaybar, it had already been
conquered, but the spoils of war were yet to be distributed. The
Prophet M kissed Ja‘far’s forehead in welcome and said, “By
Allah, I do not know which pleases me more — the conquest of
Khaybar or the arrival of Ja‘far.” Along with those who had
actually fought in the battles, Ja‘far received a share of the booty
for attempting to participate in Jihad.
Abu Hurayrah, who along with ‘Aishah is one of the main
narrators of Hadeeth, was also among those who presented
himself to the Prophet M after the conquest. He had accepted the
faith when he arrived in Madinah, while the Prophet was away
leading the campaign at Khaybar. After obtaining permission
from the authorities in Madinah, he left for Khaybar to enlist in
the Muslim army, but arrived after the war.
Abban bin Sa‘eed also came to the Prophet M following the
conquest of Khaybar. He had been away leading a
reconnaissance mission to Najd. The Prophet however, did
not give him and his men a share of the booty from Khaybar.
Division of Khaybar
Although the terms of the surrender called for exile, which had been
conceded in place of death, many of the Jews were reluctant to leave
Khaybar. After obtaining immunity, they submitted a new proposal
before the Prophet M- They implored, “O Muhammad, let us stay to
till this land, for we know more about it than you do. We will farm
the land for payment of half of its Suit and grain.”
The Prophet H granted their request, and subsequently the Jews
235
lived in peace and security as wards of the Muslim state.
However, during the caliphate of Umar they resumed their
subversive acts and were eventually exiled.
As for the territory of Khaybar, the Prophet divided it into
thirty-six parts, each part consisting of a hundred shares. Half of
it was allocated to meet the needs of the entire community, and
the other half, comprising eighteen parts, was divided among the
troops so that every foot soldier received one share for every
three a cavalry soldier got. The 200 cavalry men thus shared in
six parts, while the 1200 foot soldiers divided twelve parts
among themselves.
Khaybar was a fertile area, replete with dates and grain, and its
conquest brought prosperity for the Muslims. Aishah *&> relates
that when Khaybar was conquered she rejoiced, “Now we shall
get dates to the fill.” Upon returning from Khaybar, the poor
Muhajireen, who had finally attained economic self-sufficiency,
returned the date trees given to them by'the^nsarto eke out
their living.
The Prophet % is poisoned
Now that peace prevailed and the threats of death and exile had
receded, the Jews launched a different kind of warfare. They
conspired to kill the Prophet Through the wife of Sallam bin
Mishkam, they presented a roasted goat to the Prophet M-
Knowing that the Prophet $£ relished the shoulder, she peppered
that portion liberally with poison. One morsel was enough to
warn the Prophet M, who quickly spat it out saying, “This is
poisoned.”
Upon being summoned by the Prophet who wished to
ascertain the facts, the Jews and the woman confessed their crime
and said, “We thought that if you were a pretender, we would get
rid of you, but if you were truly a prophet, the poison would be
ineffective.” At that the Prophet M forgave them, but when Bishr
bin Bara bin Marur died from eating the meat, the woman was
236
killed as retribution.
Surrender of the people of Fadak
Once the Prophet M arrived at Khaybar, he sent Mahisa bin
Mas‘ood eastward to the township of Fadak. It was about a two-
day journey from Khaybar and is now known as Hayet in the
Hail region of modem Saudi Arabia. The Jews there were also
called on to accept Islam, but they deferred their reply, waiting to
see which way the battle for Khaybar went. The conquest of
Khaybar propelled them into starting negotiations, and they
petitioned the Prophet H to grant them the same terms as the
people of Khaybar. The Prophet H accepted. The land of Fadak
was allotted to the Prophet H. From its income, he would spend
on himself and Banu Hashim, his clansmen. He also used the
money for charitable purposes, such as financing the marriages
of needy young men.
Wadi Al-Qura
After Khaybar had been subjugated, the Prophet M went to Wadi
Al-Qura and invited the Jews there to accept Islam. Rather than
accept or enter a pact, they took the military option. The first of
their champions came out and was slain by Zubayr. The second
one who came out met the same fate. Ali slew the third. In this
way, the Jews lost eleven men. At the death of each, the Prophet
It would repeat his call to Islam, and at every prayer he would do
the same. The day ended thus. The following morning he
appeared again, but before the sun climbed any higher the Jews
were routed, with a sizable amount of land falling into Muslim
hands.
It was time to sue for peace, and the Jews asked to be given the
same status as the people of Khaybar. Their request was granted,
and yet another area came under Muslim protection.
Reconciliation with the people of Taymaa
The Jews of Taymaa, keeping in mind the defeat of their co-
237
religionists at Khaybar, Fadak and Wadi Al-Qura, also agreed to
cease hostilities and pay Jiziyah in return for protection by the
Muslim army.
The Prophet gg marries Safiyah tf* iu'
Once Khaybar and Wadi Al-Qura were conquered and the
inhabitants of Fadak and Taima had surrendered, the Prophet gg
began the journey back to Madinah. It was during this journey,
passing through the valley of Sahba, that he consummated his
marriage to Safiyah bint Huayy bin Akhtab. When she was taken
prisoner after her husband’s death, the Prophet M gave her to
Dihya bin Khalifa Kalbi, but the other Companions suggested
that as widow of a chieftain Safiyah was more suitable for the
Prophet M- She accepted Islam at the Prophet’s invitation and
thus won her freedom. Soon after she became the Prophet’s wife.
The morning after the marriage was consummated, the Prophet
hosted a “ Waleemah ,” the feast every Muslim bridegroom hosts
even now in keeping with the Prophet’s practice. The meal
consisted of dates, cheese and ‘‘‘‘Samna." The Prophet |£ spent
three nights with his new wife and then resumed his journey,
finally arriving in Madinah around the end of Safar or the
beginning of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal. The year was 7 A.H.
The expedition of Dhat Al-Riqa‘
The Prophet £g had barely subdued one set of enemies when the
news came that another conglomeration was massing arms
against him. The Bedouins of Banu Anmar, Tha‘laba and
Maharib were preparing to strike and had to be quelled.
Uthman bin Affan was given the responsibility of Madinah, and
seven hundred men set out with the Prophet M- Their destination
was Nakhlah, a two day journey from Madinah. There they
encountered warriors from Banu Ghatfan. Both groups tried to
scare off each other without actual physical combat. When the
time came to pray, the Muslims prayed the special prayer termed
238
“ Salaah Al-Khauf." The Prophet H led first one group of his
Companions in two Rak ‘ah of prayer and then a second group
followed him for the remaining two rak' ah. In this way, the two
groups of soldiers prayed two Rak' ah each while the Prophet M
as Imam (leader of the prayer) prayed four Rak' ah in all.
The face off with Banu Ghatfan ended abruptly when the enemy
suddenly took fright and scattered. The Prophet ^ then returned
to Madinah after this expedition ended satisfactorily without loss
of life. It came to be known as Dhat Al-Riqa ', in reference to the
rags (Riqa ', in Arabic) the Muslims tied around their sore and
bloody feet in the course of the long march. However, another
source states that the march got its name from the terrain, which
had the appearance of a patchwork of rags.
Who will save you now?
On the way back to Madinah, the Prophet M lay down to rest
under a tree, his sword hanging from a branch. The rest of the
people also fell asleep under the trees. Suddenly the idyll was
disrupted with the arrival of a polytheist. He crept up and
grabbed the Prophet’s sword and asked the Prophet M
menacingly, “Do you fear me?”
“Not at all,” the Prophet replied, barely awake, but not at all
perturbed. The polytheist asked, “Who will save you from me
now?”
“Allah,” the Prophet ^ replied calmly. The sword fell from the
stranger’s hand, and the Prophet M seized it and posed the same
question to him, “Who will save you from me now?”
“You have me now,” the failed executioner said, pleading for
mercy, and mercy was shown. Then the Prophet H asked the man
to place his faith in the oneness of Allah, but he demurred,
pledging instead never to fight the Muslims nor to support others
against Islam. He walked away as a free man, and to his people
he said, “I come to you after meeting the best of mankind.”
239
Umrah is Anally performed
A year had gone by since the Treaty of Hudaybia, and in
accordance with the pact, the Muslims were now free to set out
for Umrah. After handing over the affairs of Madinah to Abu
Rahm Ghifari, the Prophet M started out for Makkah with sixty
sacrificial camels under the care ofNaj‘ah bin Jundub Aslami.
Fearful of fresh treachery by the Quraysh, they carried weapons
and one hundred horses under the care of Basheer bin Sa‘d.
At Dhul Hulayfah, the party entered the state of consecration and
put on Ihraam. The Prophet began chanting the Talbiyah
aloud. “ Labbayk ,” he called to his Lord. “Here I am at your
service, O Allah!” he cried out, and his followers echoed his cry.
The journey to the House of God was formally begun. When the
pilgrims got to Hajoon, they disarmed themselves and handed
their weapons to Aus bin Khuli A\-Ansan who, along with two
hundred men, was in charge of the weaponry. These people
would stay behind to form the defense while the others
performed their religious duties.
As they neared Makkah, the pilgrims took with them only
sheathed swords, adhering to the agreement at Hudaybia. They
entered the city at Kada’a which opened at Hajun. Mounted on
his camel, Qaswa, flanked by his armed Companions, and
chanting “ Labbayk ,” the Prophet M rode into the city. Thus they
all moved toward the Ka ‘bah. The Prophet 3S touched the Black
Stone with a stick. Still seated on Qaswa, he circumambulated
the Ka ‘bah, and the Muslims followed suit. They circled round
the Ka ‘bah with their right shoulders uncovered in a display of
their valor. After all, they had won the right to worship Allah in
His Sacred Mosque in full view of the pagans.
Abdullah bin Rawaha M moved ahead of the Prophet % his
sword across his shoulder as he recited the following couplets:
Progeny of the unbelievers, step aside and make room.
Make room, for all virtues lie in our Prophet %. Today we
240
shall smite you at His command upon whose revelation we
smote you before. We will smite you to dislodge your
skulls and make friend oblivious of friend.
The polytheists sat on mount Qayiqa’ north of the Ka ‘bah,
observing the newcomers in amazement and reluctant
admiration. They had heard that the pilgrims were a sickly lot,
reeling under the fevers rampant in Yathrib, as they still referred
to Madinah, but what they saw was different. These were not
feverish, emaciated men, but proud sturdy warriors who
compared with the best of their own. Thus, the Prophet’s strategy
succeeded. Well aware of the mentality of the Quraysh, the
Prophet had instructed his Companions to run while performing
circumambulation in order to show off their strength to the
pagans. However, they were not to run between the Yemeni
pillar and the Black Stone, for this portion lay south, out of the
polytheists’ range of vision.
Circumambulation being over, the Prophet M performed Sa‘i
(endeavor) between the two hillocks of Safa and Marwa. After
completing seven circuits, he arrived at Marwa, slaughtered his
sacrificial animal and shaved his head. The Muslims followed
him. After that, the Prophet M sent some people to Yaajaj to take
charge of the weaponry so that those who had been left there
could now perform their Umrah.
For three days the Prophet H stayed in Makkah. During this
period, he married Maymoona bint Al-Harith Hilalya, widow of
Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib and the aunt of Ibn Abbas. When
she received the Prophet’s proposal, she entrusted it to Abbas,
who then gave her in marriage to the Prophet it. The Prophet of
course was out of Ihraam at the time, for his first act had been to
complete Umrah and come out of the state of consecration.
On the morning of the fourth day, the Prophet it began the journey
back to Madinah. His first halting place was Sarf, nine miles from
Makkah. It was there that Maymoona 4^ ii was sent out to
241
him as his bride. Allah had also decreed that Maymoona it
would later die at Sarf and be buried there, at the same place where
she had become the bride of the Prophet M-
Back in Madinah, the Prophet gjg was again swamped by the
affairs of state. He sent several armed missions, the most
important among them being the expedition to Muta and to Dhat
Al-Salasil.
The expedition to Muta
In the section on the Prophet’s letters to various kings and
potentates, we have mentioned that Harith bin Umayr Azdi, the
Prophet’s envoy to the ruler of Basra, was slain en route by
Sharahbeel bin Amr Ghassani. The Prophet M took the killing as
an act of war and readied a force of three thousand men under
Zayd bin Haritha. He nominated Ja‘far bin Abi Talib and Abdullah
bin Rawaha to take charge in consecutive order in case Zayd fell in
battle. The Prophet % prepared a white standard and handed it to
Zayd bin Haritha. He instructed Zayd to go to the area where
Harith had been martyred, and to invite the populace to Islam. The
Muslims were to fight only if the people rejected the call.
As he saw the troops off, the Prophet #£ uttered these memorable
words:
' ' ' ' s' ' ' ' > ^
Jj cOi I 'jJ Sj iii'yi ">} J ril ij IjLi' Sj tlj&
. dp-lL I ySajC
“In the name of Allah and in the way of Allah — fight
against those who blaspheme Him. Behold! Commit no
breach of promise, nor of trust, nor kill their children,
women, old men on the verge of death, nor the recluse in
the hermitage, and do not cut down date trees, nor
demolish any building.” ( Al-Bukhari )
The Prophet M escorted the troops up to Thaniyat Al-Wada and
242
then bade them farewell. The army pitched its tents at Ma‘an in
southern Jordan. There they found out that Heraclius was
stationed close by at Ma’ab with a hundred thousand forces, and
another hundred thousand Christians had joined his forces. The
news disconcerted the Muslims who were unsure of what to do.
For two nights, they sat conferring about the situation,
wondering whether to wade into the battlefield outnumbered or
to send for reinforcements. Then Abdullah bin Rawaha made this
impassioned speech to his brother Muslims.
Men, you evade that, by Allah, for which you came out —
martyrdom. We do not fight the enemy on the strength of
our power. We fight them with the religion we have been
granted by Allah. Come, we shall profit both ways. Either
we win or we court martyrdom.
The men pondered over this speech and said, “Ibn Rawaha
speaks the truth.” Thus, they forged ahead and pitched their tents
at Muta, where they took up their positions and prepared to meet
the enemy.
Fierce fighting broke out in one of the most striking yet little
mentioned engagements in human history, when 3,000 soldiers
from the nascent Muslim state challenged the might of 200,000
heavyweights of the Roman empire. The Roman army lumbered
on, fighting the whole day but utterly failing to break a small but
formidable side. Their array of weaponry failed to give them the
edge because they lost their best fighters.
The standard of the Muslim detachment was held by Zayd bin
Haritha. He kept fighting ferociously until he was pierced by the
enemy lances. The standard was then taken up by Ja‘far. As the
battle surged to its bloodiest and fiercest point, he jumped off his
charger and pounced on his enemies. When his right hand was
hacked off, Ja‘far took the standard in his left hand. When it too
was cut off, he took the standard in his lap to keep it aloft.
Ja‘far remained on the battlefield until more than ninety wounds
243
were inflicted on his chest, and he succumbed to them to join the
rest of the Muslim martyrs. The Prophet’s standard was then
taken up by Abdullah bin Rawaha. He moved ahead and then
dismounted from his horse and pressed onwards until he too
attained martyrdom.
Thabit bin Arqam, who was nearby, flew to the side of the
sinking Abdullah bin Rawaha to save the Prophet’s standard
from fluttering down to the ground, and it was he who asked the
Muslims to nominate by consensus Rawaha’ s successor. Their
choice was Khalid bin Waleed, who had so often proved his
strength against them as a general for the Quraysh. Thus, the
standard was transferred to Khalid, who came to be known as
one of the Swords of Allah. Khalid advanced towards the
Romans and fought against them with such fierceness that nine
swords were broken at his hands.
Sitting in Madinah that same day, the Prophet M was inspired by
Allah with the knowledge of the events on the battlefield far
away in Muta. He gave the people the news of the martyrdom of
the three Muslim co m manders and informed them that the
command had been handed over to Khalid bin Waleed, whom he
then referred to as one of Allah’s Swords.
As the sun set, both armies went back to their respective camps.
The following morning Khalid bin Waleed 4® changed the order
of his troops. He put the front-line soldiers behind while the rear
guard was brought forward. The soldiers on the left flank were
put to the right and those on the right were moved to the left. The
Romans were misled into thinking that fresh reinforcements had
arrived, and they were completely dismayed at this development.
After a mild skirmish, Khalid ordered his troops to retreat, but
the enemy dared not advance for they thought the Muslim retreat
was a ruse. Thus, the Muslims drew closer to Muta and the
skirmishes continued for seven days until both sides retreated
and the battle ended, in part, because the Romans thought that
244
the Muslim troops were receiving continual reinforcements.
They feared that the Muslims planned to lure them into the desert
from where it was almost impossible to come out safe.
The Mission to Dhat Al-Salasil
This expedition was named after the stream and the tract of land
where the Muslim troops camped, and took place in Jamadi Al-
Akhir, 8 A.H.
The pro-Roman stand of the Syrian Arabs during the engagement
of Muta had proved to be nearly disastrous for the Muslims, and
the Prophet H decided that they had to be neutralized. To this
end, one month after the encounter at Muta, he dispatched a
delegation of three hundred men under Amr bin Aas 4®. Thirty
horses were also sent with the men, whose mission was to win
over the Bala clan, to which Amr’s paternal grandmother
belonged. If they failed to secure a guarantee of neutrality in
future conflicts, the Muslims were to launch a punitive strike
against the Bala for siding with the Romans.
As Amr and his men drew near Syria, they learned that the
Syrians were already massing a sizable army of their own. Amr
sent for reinforcements, and the Prophet H accordingly sent two
hundred prominent fighters headed by Ubaydah bin Jarrah, but
Amr bin Aas remained Commander-in-Chief and Imam.
After the arrival of the reinforcements, the Muslim troops
overran a large area of Qadaa. When they came across an enemy
detachment, they attacked, and the enemy scattered.
The battle for Makkah
In Ramadan, 8 A.H., Allah honored His Messenger M with the
conquest of Makkah. The event was the greatest victory in the
history of the faith. Through it, Allah elevated and exalted His
religion and His Prophet and liberated His Sacred Mosque
and His City from the infidels. The conquest of Makkah led to
people entering Islam in multitudes.
245
The seeds of the battle lay in the Treaty of Hudaybia. According
to its terms, all parties were free to enter alliances with either the
Quraysh or the Prophet H. Accordingly, Banu Khuzaa, as
previously mentioned, sided with the Muslims, while their rivals,
Banu Bakr, entered a pact with the Quraysh.
The Banu Bakr and Banu Khuzaa had been feuding long before
the advent of Islam and were in the midst of a rare peaceful
interlude during the campaign of Hudaybia. With the mighty
Quraysh on their side, the Banu Bakr decided to capitalize on
their strength, and in Sha‘ban, 8 A.H., they made a night raid on
Banu Khuzaa as they camped at a spring called Wateer. Banu
Bakr killed more than twenty men of Banu Khuzaa and drove the
rest into Makkah. Contravening all rules, they fought them even
inside the sacrosanct city with the support of the Quraysh, who
clandestinely helped them with men and materials.
Since Banu Khuzaa were bound in an alliance with the Muslims
and some of their men had embraced Islam, they reported the
clash to the Prophet $g, who assured them, “By Allah, we shall
protect you with what we protect ourselves.”
The Quraysh, on the other hand, knew they had transgressed
greatly and grew worried about the possible consequences of
violating the treaty. They therefore sent Abu Sufyan bin Harb to
Madinah to ratify the treaty and seek its extension. Abu Sufyan
came to Madinah on his mission, and while he was there he
visited his daughter, Umm Habeebah i $ — *■ 4>i ^ who was
married to the Prophet $ 5 . When Abu Sufyan made to sit on the
Prophet’s bed, she rolled it up. His pride hurt, Abu Sufyan said,
“Daughter, I cannot understand whether you think the bed is too
good for me or that I am too good for the bed.”
She replied, “The fact is that it is the Prophet’s bed, and you are
an unclean polytheist.”
“By God,” said Abu Sufyan, stung at his daughter’s succinct and
unflattering description of him, “Evil has come over you since
246
you left me.”
Abu Sufyan then went to the Prophet M and talked to him about
ratifying the treaty but did not receive a reply. Then he went to
Abu Bakr and asked him to speak on his behalf to the Prophet,
but Abu Bakr refused. He then approached Umar $&>, who not
only rejected his offer, but also spoke to him rudely. Ali when
approached, pleaded his inability to intervene. He suggested that
Abu Sufyan simply announce a general cessation of hostilities
and leave. Abu Sufyan proceeded accordingly and returned to
Makkah.
The Prophet $s, on the other hand, had started preparations for
war. He issued orders to his Companions and had the news
announced among the Bedouins on the outskirts ofMadinah,
even as he enjoined secrecy. He prayed, “O Allah, confound the
spies and the informers of the Quraysh so that we may take them
by surprise in their own land.”
In order to mislead the enemy, the Prophet M sent Abu Qatadah
4i> towards Batn Adam so that everyone would assume he had
that territory in mind. Hatib bin Abu Balta‘a, however, wrote a
letter to the Quraysh informing them that the Prophet H intended
to attack Makkah. He handed the letter to a woman, promising to
pay her for delivering it to the Quraysh.
The Prophet M, who had received divine revelation about Hatib ’s
treachery, sent off Ali, Miqdad, Zubayr and Abu Marthad Ghanwi
in pursuit of the woman. He said to them, “Ride until you come to
the meadow of Khakh. There you will find a woman traveling on a
camel. She has a letter which you must take from her.”
They went & off to find the woman, who denied having any such
letter with her. Only after the men threatened to search her
person did she draw the letter out from her tresses and hand it
over to them. The company took the letter and returned to the
Prophet M who summoned Hatib. The Prophet said, “What’s this,
Hatib”?
247
Hatib offered him this explanation, “I have my family in
Makkah, but no kinsmen among the Quraysh to protect them. I
wanted to oblige the Quraysh so that they would protect my
family. I have not done this to renounce Islam or to commit
unbelief.”
Umar said furiously, “O Messenger of Allah, give me leave to
cut off his head. He has committed breach of trust with Allah and
His Prophet, and has turned Hypocrite.”
The Prophet gg replied, “He was present at Badr. Do you know,
Umar, perhaps Allah has looked favorably on those who were
present at Badr and has said to them, ‘Do as you wish for I have
forgiven you’”?
At these words, Umar dissolved into tears saying, “Allah and His
Messenger know better.”
On the way to Makkah
On Ramadan 10, 8 A.H., the Prophet $g left Madinah for
Makkah. Ten thousand Companions accompanied him. At Jahfa,
the Prophet came across his uncle Abbas, who was en route
with his family to Madinah after converting to Islam. The
Prophet’s cousins, Abu Sufyan bin Harith and Abdullah bin Abu
Umayya, also crossed his path, but the Prophet % averted his
gaze. Both men used to lampoon him viciously and their words
had wounded the Prophet. At this, Umm Salamah commented to
the Prophet “It is not fitting that your cousins should be the
only unfortunates.” Ali meanwhile instructed Abu Sufyan (not to
be confused with Abu Sufyan bin Harb, the commander-in-chief
of the pagan forces) to appear before the Prophet gg and say to
him what the prophet Yusufs brothers had said to him when
they finally met in Egypt:
IW :^1 Olj 1L-& ^ fj IJ >
“They said: We swear by Allah that Allah has preferred
you to us, and we certainly have been guilty of sin.”
248
(12:91)
A shamefaced Abu Sufyan came to the Prophet H and
apologized, using the words of Yusuf s brothers. The Prophet ^
himself echoed what Yusuf had said to his brothers:
[ I * ]
“This day let no reproach be cast upon you: Allah will
forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who
show mercy.” (12:92)
Thus forgiven, Abu Sufyan bin Harith recited a few couplets
praising the Prophet and apologizing for his past behavior.
On reaching Kadeed, the Prophet H found fasting unbearable
while traveling. He broke his fast and told his Companions to do
the same. He then resumed his journey until he arrived at Marra
Al-Dhahran around the time of Isha prayer. Each soldier was
instructed to light a fire for himself, and in this way ten thousand
fires burned in the night, with Umar bin Khattab 4> supervising
the whole exercise.
The spectacle of ten thousand campfires startled Abu Sufyan bin
Harb, commander of the pagans. He brought along Hakim bin
Hazam and Budayl bin Waraqa to observe the sight and said in
amazement, “Never have I seen a fire and troops such as I find
today.”
Budayl commented, “It is probably Khuzaa.”
Abu Sufyan dismissed his remark saying, “Banu Khuzaa are too
inferior to have such a fire and force.”
Abu Sufyan appears before the Prophet M
As Abbas 4^ was making rounds on the back of the Prophet’s
mule, he heard a voice and he called out in instant recognition,
“Abu Handhla?”
249
Abu Sufyan responded, asking “Abul Fadl?”
“Yes,” said Abbas.
Abu Sufyan then asked Abbas, “May my parents be ransomed
for you, what is the matter?”
Abbas said, “Look! The Prophet ££ is here with his army. What
destruction awaits the Quraysh!”
Abu Sufyan asked, “May my mother and father ransom you,
what do you suggest we do?”
Abbas said, “If any Muslim learns of your presence, you will
surely be killed. Here, ride on the back of my mule and I will
take you to the Prophet.”
Thus Abu Sufyan sat behind Abbas and set out to see the Prophet
It. Umar bin Khattab *&> saw him and said, “Is that you, Abu
Sufyan, enemy of Allah? Praise be to Allah that He gave you to
us without any agreement.”
Umar rushed towards the Prophet to inform him of the
unwelcome visitor. Abbas, on the other hand, spurred his mule
ahead and reached the Prophet H before Umar did. Umar,
undaunted, followed them in and asked the Prophet for
permission to kill Abu Sufyan.
Abbas interjected, “I have given him shelter.” He then caught the
Prophet’s head and said, “None will whisper with the Prophet
tonight other than myself.” Umar repeatedly asked for the
Prophet’s consent to kill Abu Sufyan, but the Prophet H was silent.
Turning to Abbas the Prophet It said, “Take him [Abu Sufyan] to
your house and come to me tomorrow morning.”
Morning arrived and so did Abu Sufyan. The Prophet said to
him, “Woe to you Abu Sufyan, is it not time you acknowledge
that there is no god except Allah?”
Abu Sufyan said, “May my mother and father be your ransom,
250
how kind and gentle and noble you are. I think that if there had
been another god besides Allah, he would have been of help to
me this day.”
The Prophet |§ said again, “Woe to you Abu Sufyan! Is it not
time that you acknowledge me as Allah’s Prophet and
Messenger?”
Abu Sufyan said, “I still have some doubt as to that.”
Abbas intervened saying, “Embrace Islam before you lose your
head.” Abu Sufyan then recited the confession of faith and thus
he entered Islam.
Abbas said, “O Messenger of Allah! Abu Sufyan loves honor.
Bestow on him some honor.”
The Prophet M said, “Very well then, anyone who enters Abu
Sufyan’s house is safe, he who shuts his door upon himself is
safe, and he who enters the Sacred Mosque is safe.”
The Prophet $1 enters Makkah
That same morning the Prophet M left his camp for Makkah. He
instructed Abbas to take Abu Sufyan to a hill at the end of the
valley, where he could review the Muslim troops on the march.
Abbas obeyed the Prophet’s instructions and took Abu Sufyan to
observe the Muslim army that surged like an ocean in front of him.
Different tribes marched by Abu Sufyan with their tribal colors,
and as each marched ahead, he asked Abbas the name of the
tribe. When he was told the name of the tribe, he mumbled
gloomily, “What have I to do with them?”
Then came the detachment of the Ansar with Sa‘d bin Ubadah
holding the standard. Sa‘d passed by Abu Sufyan and called out,
“Abu Sufyan, today is a day of conflict and bloodshed. Today
the Ka ‘bah will be made lawful for us.”
Abu Sufyan said, “O Abbas! Congratulations on the day of
destruction and plunder.”
251
Finally, the Prophet |g himself passed by, flanked by the
Muhajireen and Ansar who were completely covered in armor
save for their eyes. Abu Sufyan sighed and said, “Abbas, who are
these?” When Abbas told him that it was the Prophet
approaching, accompanied by the Ansar and the Muhajireen ,
Abu Sufyan said, “Who has the power to resist them? The
empire of your nephew has assumed splendid proportions.”
Abbas said, “Such is prophethood.”
Abu Sufyan said in resignation, “Yes, of course.”
Abu Sufyan took Sa‘d’s challenge very seriously, and he went to
the Prophet M and repeated what Sa‘d had said. The Prophet M
was displeased with Sa‘d’s bragging and replied:
“Nay, the Ka'bah will be raised in honor today; the
Ka ‘bah will be clothed today.”
Saying this, the Prophet took the standard from Sa’d and gave it
to his son, Qays, for he was worried that in the euphoria of
victory Sa’d might unleash terror on the citizens of Makkah.
As the Prophet ^ passed by, Abu Sufyan hurried back to Makkah
and announced loudly:
“O people of the Quraysh, this is Muhammad who has
come to you with an army you cannot resist. Now he who
enters Abu Sufyan’s house will be safe.”
“Allah destroy you,” cried some of the Quraysh in dismay. “How
can your house accommodate us all?”
Abu Sufyan then added, “He who shuts his door upon himself
will also be safe, just as he who enters the Sacred Mosque will be
safe.” At that, the people dispersed to take shelter in their houses
and in the Ka ‘bah.
When the Prophet M arrived at Dhu Tuwa, he ordered Khalid bin
Waleed and the left flank of the army to enter the lower part of
252
Makkah via Kada Anyone among the Quraysh who resisted was
to be killed. The army was to proceed and meet up with the
Prophet at Mount Safa.
The Prophet’s standard bearer and commander of the right wing,
Zubayr, was commanded to make his entry into Makkah through
the upper part of Kada and to pitch his standard at Hajoon. He
and the troops were to stay there until the arrival of the Prophet
a§. Abu Ubaydah, the commander of the infantry and the
unarmed soldiers, was to go along the route leading from inside
the valley and to descend into Makkah ahead of the Prophet $|.
At this stage, the Quraysh assembled some of their men under
Safwan Ibn Umayyah, Ikramah Abi Jahl and Sahl ibn Amr at
Khandama and entrusted them with the last vestige of resistance
against the Muslim army. If they too fell, there was no choice but
to accept the Muslim supremacy over Makkah. And indeed that
day there was no choice before the Quraysh but to accept Allah’s
decree. After nearly twenty-one years of patience and endurance
of persecution, Allah’s Messenger would finally enter His Sacred
Mosque, victorious and unchallenged.
Khalid and his men passed the company and made short work of
the Makkan resistance. Twelve of the pagans were killed and the
rest took to their heels. Once he had dismissed this contingent,
no barriers remained in Khalid’s way. He and his men charged
into Makkah, marching through the streets and by lanes without
any opposition. Two men who got separated from them were
killed. Finally, at Safa, Khalid and his men met up with the
Prophet M-
Zubayr, on the other hand, arrived at Hajoon and planted his
standard near Fath mosque. He put up a tent there for Umm
Salamah and Maymoona, and in compliance with the Prophet’s
instructions, he waited for the Prophet H to arrive there. When
the Prophet got there, he rested briefly and then moved forward
accompanied by Abu Bakr.
253
At last, the moment ordained by Allah arrived, and His servant
was finally free to worship Him without impediment. Humble in
victory, flanked by his followers, the Prophet M entered the
Sacred Mosque reciting Surah Fath. He then kissed the Black
Stone and circumambulated the Ka'bah. Around it were 360
idols that the pagans had placed over the years. He prodded each
with a stick in his hand reciting the following two verses:
“Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Truly,
falsehood is ever bound to vanish.” (17:81)
[H:l— ] £■ ji
“The Truth has arrived, and falsehood can neither prove
nor disprove anything.” (34:49)
The Ka‘bah is purified
After the Prophet had circled the House of Allah, he sent for
Uthman bin Talha who held the keys of the Ka ‘bah. He took the
keys from Uthman and had the doors opened. The idols inside
were removed and destroyed, and all the pictures rubbed out.
Following this the Prophet M entered the structure with Usama
bin Zayd and Bilal and shut the door. He then faced the front
wall and stood at a distance of three cubits thereof, and keeping
one pillar on his left, two on the right, and three at the rear,
offered two Rak ‘ah in prayer. He then went around the Sacred
Mosque praising and glorifying Allah.
Have no fear this day
The Prophet H then opened the door of the Ka 'bah. By then the
area around the Ka'bah was packed with the Quraysh, who
apprehensively awaited his next step. The Prophet stood at the
door of the Ka ‘bah, holding its frame, while the Quraysh arrayed
themselves in front of him. To his old persecutors, humbled thus
before him, he spoke at length, as he explained several
injunctions of Islam and annulled all pagan practices. He then
254
asked the Quraysh, “O Quraysh, what do you think I am about to
do with you?”
“We hope for the best,” they replied. “You are a noble brother,
and son of a noble brother.”
The Prophet said simply:
“Have no fear this day: go your way for you are all free.”
The Prophet M descended and sat in the Sacred Mosque. He then
returned the keys to Uthman bin Talha and said, “The key shall
remain with you and none but a tyrant would take it from you.”
The Quraysh pledge allegiance
The Prophet ££ then climbed Mount Safa until he could seethe
Ka ‘bah. He then raised his hands in prayer. When he had finished,
the people came up to confess their faith and pledge their allegiance.
Among those who became Muslim that day was Abu Qahafa, the
father of his dear Companion, Abu Bakr, and the Prophet
expressed great joy at his conversion. Women also came up and
asked to be admitted into Islam, and the Prophet |g administered the
following oath to them without shaking their hands:
“Pledge that you will not associate anything with Allah,
steal, commit adultery, kill your children, slander anyone,
nor disobey me.”
Among the women who took the oath of allegiance that day was
Hind bin Utbah, wife of Abu Sufyan. She came veiled and in
disguise, as she feared for her life. What she had done to the dead
body of Hamzah had been unforgivable, and the fear of
retribution gnawed at her. After taking the oath, she said:
“O Messenger of Allah, there was no tent on the face of the
earth more detested by me than yours, but now your tent is
the dearest of all to me. ”
Thereupon the Prophet remarked, “By the One in Whose hand
lies the life of Muhammad, it is so.”
255
Umar bin Khattab sat below the Prophet’s seat, relaying the
Prophet’s words to the people, and administering the oath of
allegiance on behalf of the Prophet.
Some people came up to pledge their willingness to migrate for .
the sake of Islam, but the Prophet M said:
“The Muhajireen have garnered all the reward of Hijrah
[migration for the sake of Allah], Now that Makkah has
been conquered, there can be no more migration. However,
Jihad remains open to you and so does the intention to
make Jihad. When you are called upon to fight in Allah’s
way, go forth.”
Death for criminals
The general amnesty notwithstanding, the Prophet M sentenced
the worst criminals to death that day, and issued orders to kill
them even if they were found clinging to the covering of the
Ka ‘bah. Allah’s wrath had finally descended upon them and the
vast earth appeared constricted as they faced retribution.
However, it is also illuminating to reflect that of all the
population of Makkah who had waged war against Islam, only
four people were killed that day. They were Ibn Khatal, Muqis
bin Sababa, Harith bin Nufayl, and one of the maids of Ibn
Khatal. Some sources say that Harith bin Talat A1 Khuza’i and
Umm Sa‘d were also slain, but it is thought that Umm Sa‘d was
none other than the maid of Ibn Khatal. Thus, no more than six
were punished by death.
Four others escaped death. They fled or hid and returned to
embrace Islam once they were guaranteed a pardon. They were
Abdullah bin Sa‘d bin Abi Sarh, Ikrama bin Abu Jahl, Habbar
bin Aswad, and another maid of Ibn Khatal. Some sources add
the names of Ka‘b bin Zuhayr, Wahshi bin Harb, and Hind bint
Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, bringing the number to seven
persons in all.
256
Some others from the Quraysh, such as Safwan bin Umayya,
Zuhayr bin Abu Umayya, and Suhayl bin Amr hid themselves,
even though they were not condemned to death. Subsequently,
they all embraced Islam.
Prayer of victory
At midmoming, the Prophet M entered the house of his cousin,
Umm Hani bint Abi Talib, where he bathed and prayed eight
Rak'ah, in units of two each. In the same house cowered the two
pagan brothers-in-law of Umm Hani. When Ali found out that
his sister was shielding them, he immediately wanted to kill
them, but Umm Hani went to the Prophet $ 5 , who said to her, “I
grant refuge to whomever you have given refuge.”
Bilal calls the Adhan from the Ka‘bah
When it was time for Zuhr prayer, the Prophet M asked Bilal 4®
to call the Adhan from the roof of the Ka ‘hah as a proclamation
of the dominance of Islam. How pleasing to Muslim ears and
how loathsome to the polytheists it was to hear the declaration of
Allah’s supremacy in His Sacred House.
The Prophet $s in Makkah
When the conquest of Makkah was complete, the Ansar grew
worried that the Prophet M would stay on in Makkah, home of
his ancestors and his tribe. They expressed their concern to the
Prophet M as he stood with his hands raised in prayer on Mount
Safa. After his prayer was over, he allayed their fears. “Allah
forbid that I should do so. I will live and die with you.”
The Prophet H stayed for nineteen days in Makkah, during which
period he obliterated every vestige of the Jahiliyah, the Age of
Ignorance that preceded Islam. Makkah became an Islamic city.
The Prophet $s erected pillars to demarcate the boundaries of the
Sacred Mosque. Following this, a crier announced that whoever
believed in Allah and the Hereafter was to destroy any idols that
remained in his house.
257
Uzza, Suwa and Manab are destroyed
On the 25th of Ramadan, the Prophet ££ dispatched Khalid bin
Waleed to Nakhlah at the head of thirty cavalrymen to demolish
the temple of Uzza. The idol of Uzza was the biggest, and Khalid
smashed it to pieces. In the same month, Amr bin Aas was
sent to demolish the idol of Suwa, the chief deity of Banu
Hudhayl. Amr arrived at the shrine in Rabat, 1 50 km north east
of Makkah, and razed it to the ground. Its priest saw the
inanimate object submit itself to destruction, and he was
overcome with the realization that no creator could be destroyed
thus.
One more false god remained, and the Prophet sent Sa‘d bin
Zayd Ash’hali at the head of twenty cavaliers to destroy Manah,
the deity of the Kalb, Khuzaa, Ghassan, Aus and Khazraj tribes.
Sa‘d broke the idol and demolished its temple, removing one
more loathed rival of Allah, the One the Eternal, of whom no
likeness can ever be made.
Khalid is sent to Banu Judhayma
Realizing the need to instill Islam in the hearts of as many people
as possible, the Prophet $£ sent Khalid bin Waleed to Banu
Judhayma in the month of Shawwal to preach Islam. He was
accompanied by three hundred men of the Muhajireen, Ansar
and Banu Sulaym. When Banu Judhayma were invited to accept
Islam, they cried, “ Sabana\ Sabana\ We have left our religion!
We have left our religion!” Their answer reeked of deceit to
Khalid, who rounded them up and killed some of them. Later he
ordered every Muslim soldier to kill his captive, but Ibn Umar
and his comrades refused to carry out such an unjust order.
On their return, the dissenters placed the matter before the
Prophet M- The Prophet, horrified at what Khalid had done,
prayed with his hands raised, “O Allah, do not hold me to
account for Khalid’s act.” He then sent Ali to Banu Judhayma to
pay blood money to the relatives of those slain and to
258
compensate those whose property had been destroyed. The
money that was left over after payment of compensation was also
left with the tribe.
Khalid’s actions during the expedition earned him criticism from
several of the Prophet’s Companions, and there were angry
exchanges between him and Abdul Rahman bin Auf When
this altercation was reported to the Prophet M, he said:
“Khalid, refrain from saying anything harsh to my
Companions. By Allah, if Mount Uhud turned into gold
and you were to spend it all in the way of Allah, even then
you would not equal the morning or evening prayer of any
one of my Companions.”
Battle of Hunayn
The conquest of Makkah had silenced its citizens, but
neighboring tribes clamored for a confrontation. Qays Milan
assembled for consultation, with Banu Thaqif and Banu
Hawazen in the forefront. They said among themselves, “As
Muhammad has already won the war against his people, none
remains to prevent him from fighting against us. Why should we
not take the initiative?”
Accordingly, they decided to fight and mustered a large army
under Malik bin Auf Nasari. They came down to Autas, their
women, children and livestock with them. An old veteran,
Durayd bin Simma, who was highly reputed in the art of warfare,
accompanied the Hawazen army. When Durayd heard the
groaning camels, the braying asses, the bleating sheep and goats
and the crying children, he asked Malik to explain their presence
in the army. Malik replied that each member of the army was to
be followed by his family and material possessions so that each
man would fight fiercely to defend them.
Durayd said, “By God, you are a shepherd! Who can block the
way of the deserter? Behold! If you win the battle, it is you alone
259
who will be the winners with your swords and spears; if you are
defeated, you will be disgraced in front of your families.” Then
he advised Malik to send the non-combatants back home, but the
latter refused. He assembled the women, children and livestock
in Autas while he himself proceeded to the neighboring valley of
Hunayn with the troops, and lay in ambush.
When informed of the developments, the Prophet i§ marched on
at the head of twelve thousand soldiers from Makkah on
Saturday, Shawwal 6, 8 A.H. He took one thousand coats of mail
and other weaponry from Safwan bin Umayya on credit, and the
administration of Makkah was entrusted to Uqab bin Usayd.
On the way, the troops came across a big tree named DhatAl-
Anwat. It was a shrine to the pagan deity of war. From its branches,
the pagan Arabs suspended their weapons, offered sacrifices beneath
it and performed some rites of propitiation. Some people who had
not quite grasped the essence of Islam beseeched the Prophet $£,
“Make us a Dhat Al-Anwat similar to theirs.”
At this the Prophet it replied, “Allah is Most Great! You have
said what the people of Musa said to him:
nrA:^i]
‘“Fashion for us a god similar to their gods.’ Musa replied:
‘You are an ignorant people!’” (7:138)
The Prophet ft then added, “Verily, you will follow every
custom of the people before you.”
The Muslims exuded overconfidence because of their great
strength. Some even exulted that they could not be defeated now
for want of numbers, and the Prophet it grew displeased at their
arrogance.
When evening set in, a cavalier brought the news that Banu
Hawazen had come out along with their women, children,
camels, and goats. The Prophet M smiled and remarked, “ Inshaa
260
Allah, all these will become the spoils of war for the Muslims.”
On the tenth of Shawwal, the Prophet M reached Hunayn. Before
descending the valley at dawn, the Prophet arrayed the troops.
He gave the standard of the Muhajireen to Ali bin Abi Talib, the
standard of the Aus to Usayd bin Hudhayr, and that of the
Khazraj to Hubab bin Mundhir. Each clan had its standard
bearer. The Prophet himself wore a double coat of arms and a
helmet covering his head and face. The vanguard then began to
descend the valley, unaware of the enemy troops lying in wait.
The Muslim soldiers were still in the process of descending when
the enemy troops sprang on them like a swarm of locusts. The
onslaught forced the Muslim flanks to fall back and they fled in
terror, each unheeding of the other. Those in the rear followed
suit, and a complete rout of the Muslims was in sight.
This turn of events gladdened the hearts of the polytheists and
the token converts to Islam. Abu Sufyan remarked, “Their [the
Muslims’] flight will not stop until they reach the sea.”
Kildah, one of Safwan’s brothers, rejoiced, “The spell of their
sorcery has ended today!”
Another brother said, “Receive the glad tidings of the defeat of
Muhammad and his followers! He will never be able to unite
them.”
Safwan, although a polytheist, chided those who mocked the
Muslims and said, “By God, I would rather be defeated by a man
from the Quraysh than a man from the Hawazen.”
While his troops scattered in confusion, the Prophet $g remained
steadfast on the battlefield. He pressed ahead, spurring his mule
and declared:
“Verily, I am the true Prophet. I am the son of Abdul
Muttalib ”
Abu Sufyan bin Harith was holding the bridle of his mule, while
261
Abbas was holding the stirrup, trying to keep the Prophet from
advancing toward the enemy too swiftly.
The Prophet M then dismounted and prayed to Allah, seeking His
help. Then he instructed Abbas, who had a booming voice, to
call his Companions.
Abbas called out, “O comrades of the tree! [i.e. those who took
the pledge of Ridwan] Where are you?”
All those who heard the cry were compelled to turn, and they
called back: “Here we are!” Numbering about one hundred, they
rushed purposefully toward the resounding voice. Reinforced
thus, the Prophet bore down upon the enemy, and a new battle
between the two parties started.
A call was then given to the Ansar and then to Banu Al-Harith
bin Khazraj, and the Muslim squadrons returned to the valley
one after another. -Peace descended upon the Prophet and the
believers, and an unseen army fought side by side with the
Muslims who began to fight with fresh resolve. The Prophet M
took a handful of dust and threw it at his enemies saying, “May
their faces be disfigured.” At this the enemies’ eyes were stung
by the dust, and from that moment on they became confused and
helpless. In disarray, they fled the battleground.
The Muslim army pursued their terrified enemies, killing some
and capturing others with ease. Along with the captured soldiers,
the Muslims also rounded up the women and children of their
enemies. Only moments before the Muslims had appeared to be
on the verge of defeat, but Allah reunited them and endowed
them with victory. Witnessing the Prophet’s miraculous triumph,
many pagans embraced Islam.
The polytheists take flight
Three groups of pagan soldiers managed to escape, the largest
group fleeing to Ta’if, another group to Nakhlah, and a third
group barricaded themselves in Autas. The Prophet M sent Abu
262
Amir Ash‘ari the uncle of Abu Musa Ash‘ari 4 ®, to Autas at
the head of a squadron. He successfully dispersed the enemy
before being martyred. Abu Musa Ash‘ari 4& then took over and
led the squadron back with the spoils they had won.
Another squadron went on to Nakhlah in pursuit of the second
group of pagans, and there they captured Durayd bin Simma and
killed him.
At the end of the fight, the Prophet M asked his men to pile all
the spoils of the battle in one spot. When everything was
gathered, the spoils amounted to 24,000 camels, 40,000 or more
goats, 160,000 dirhams worth of silver, and 6,000 women and
children. The Prophet ordered everything to be taken to Jerana,
and he appointed Ma‘ud bin Amr Ghifari 4® to oversee the
process.
The battle of Ta’if
In Shawwal of the same year (8 A.H.), the Prophet M marched
toward Ta’if with a large Muslim army. As he passed by the
citadel of Malik bin Auf Nasari, he ordered its demolition. By
the time he reached Ta’if, the citizens had already closed the city
gates and had stocked enough provisions to last them a year. The
Prophet then began his siege of the city that had once expelled
him when, unarmed and sincere, he had taken his message to its
people.
The Muslims tried several devices to force the army of Ta’if to
lay down arms, but nothing proved successful. Khalid bin
Waleed would go stand before the gate and challenge the people
to come out and fight, but no one dared accept the challenge.
Then catapults were brought into use, but they also proved
ineffectual. A group of Muslims attempted to drill a hole in the
wall; however, before they could finish they were repulsed by the
defenders of Ta’if, who dropped molten metal bits on them.
Finally, the Prophet M ordered that the city’s renowned vineyards
263
and date palms be cut down. Vulnerable at last, the people of
Ta’if begged the Prophet H in the name of God to spare their
orchards, at which he immediately took pity on the enemy and
had his men stop.
The Prophet then had someone announce that any slave who
escaped from the city would be set free, a strategy designed to
weaken the enemy numbers. Twenty-three slaves responded to
this offer and fled. One of them scaled the wall and slid down the
wheel used for drawing water, so the Prophet M dubbed him
“Abu Bakrah,” which means “Father of the wheel” in Arabic.
The siege was long, continuing for twenty days, while others
estimate it lasted a month. Finally, the Prophet M consulted with
Naufal bin Muawiyah Deli. “The fox has rushed into its hole,”
Naufal said. “If you remain firm, you will capture it; but if you
leave it be, no harm will come to you.” Heeding this bit of
practical wisdom, the Prophet M ordered his men to break camp.
Before they began the long journey back, some Muslims
beseeched the Prophet to curse the enemy.
As he looked back at the walled city, the Prophet |g was faced
with the same choice Allah had given him years before when the
people of Ta’if had run him out of the city as if he were a
criminal. “O Allah,” he said. “Guide the people of Ta’if and
rescue them from disbelief.”
The spoils of war
The Muslims stayed in Je‘rana for more than ten days on their way
back from Ta’if. The Prophet M waited for the Hawazen to repent
and reclaim their property and families. Not one of them, however,
showed up. At last the Prophet $§ took one-fifth of the booty and
distributed it among the Muslims of weaker faith in order to win
their hearts. He also gave large shares to those who had not
embraced Islam, hoping that Islam would become dear to them.
Abu Sufyan, for example, received 1,600 dirhams worth of silver
264
and one hundred camels. His two sons, Yazeed and Muawiya,
received the same amount. Safwan bin Umayya was given three
hundred camels. Hakim bin Hazaam, Harith bin Harith bin
Kaldah, Uyaynah bin Hisn, Aqra bin Habis, Abbas bin Mardas,
Alqama bin Alatha, Malik bin Auf, Ala bin Haritha, Harith bin
Hisham, Jubayr bin Mut‘im, Suhayl bin Amr, Huyaitib bin
Abdul Uzza and others received one hundred camels each, while
many others were given forty or fifty camels each.
The news of the Prophet’s lavish distribution of the booty to so
many people spread far and wide. Here was a man who gave and
gave without stint. The Bedouins grew greedy and began to demand
gifts from the Prophet M- Some even chased him and pinned him
against a tree. A Bedouin in a mad frenzy pulled the cloak off the
Prophet’s back. “Return my cloak,” the Prophet M said:
(lulls' M $ LjL^- M « ‘ASxJ , j La
“I swear by Allah, He who holds my life in His hands, if I
had as many cattle as Tihama has trees, I would have
distributed them all to the people. You will find me neither
a miser, nor a coward, nor a liar.”
He (M) then cut a lock of hair from the hump of a camel and said:
4JL*1 p O j 3 JaLiJI \J& ijij*
“By Allah, I have kept nothing from the spoils for myself,
not even this hair. Deposit everything you took from the
enemy so that it can be divided, even a needle and thread.
Stealing will result in disgrace, infamy and fire for the
guilty on the Day of Resurrection.”
The people, overcome with shame and fear at the Prophet’s
265
words, deposited everything they had collected from the enemy.
After this, the Prophet asked Zayd bin Thabit to distribute the
spoils.
The Ansar’s Complaint
Some of the Ansar were aghast that the Prophet was giving away
such a large portion of the spoils to the Quraysh while the Ansar
received nothing. The last in faith, the most reluctant in battle
had become the first in line for the fruits of victory. Someone
among the Ansar said in outrage, “How can the Quraysh get
everything when blood is still trickling from our swords?” The
chieftain of the Ansar, Sa‘d bin Ubada 4®, told the Prophet $$ of
their sense of hurt and resentment.
“Tell them to assemble so that I can speak with them,” the
Prophet M said. After praising Allah and mentioning the
obligations that the Ansar had taken upon themselves, the
Prophet $§ said:
c~aJtj LjjJI ^ y*.. ■' cj \ ^ .,^1^1 y L
jL^JjVI j Nl ^1 ,ZI [aj»
tjJdU-j Jl #| -Oil J jLy StljL; J.&I vlii; jl
iy«i sy^^ii n y ^jji y
ijliftl cLi iiOU l^ul yiljj llLi J-&I iib
. ((jLs^lS/l pllil *lLlj *LLl_$
“O Ansar , you have shown displeasure because I gave
some goods to such and such people so that they may
embrace Islam. You, however, I entrusted with Islam. O
Ansar , are you not satisfied that these men should take
away sheep and goats while you go back with the Prophet
of Allah? I swear by the One Who holds the life of
Muhammad in His hand, if there had been no migration, I
266
would have been one of the Ansar myself. If everyone took
one path, and the Ansar took another, I would follow the
Ansar. O Allah, have mercy on the Ansar , their sons and
their sons’ sons.”
After hearing the Prophet’s words, the Ansar began to see things
in perspective. They wept until their beards were drenched. “We
are satisfied that the Prophet M is with us,” they said.
Banu Hawazen petition the Prophet H
Just as the spoils were about to be distributed, a delegation of
Banu Hawazen, led by Zuhayr bin Sarad, called upon the Prophet
and embraced Islam. Once they had taken the oath of
allegiance, they brought up the subject of their families and
property taken in battle:
“Those who you have brought as captives are our mothers,
sisters and aunts, and they alone bring disgrace to peoples.
0 Prophet, we ask for your kindness and generosity. Free
our women, for they come from the same tribe as she who
suckled you when you were a baby.”
The Prophet % asked Banu Hawazen to choose between
reclaiming their families and their property. “We treasure
nothing more than our children and women,” they said. “We will
not ask for the camels and goats.”
“Tomorrow,” the Prophet M said, “when I have finished leading the
noon prayer, stand before the people and announce that you have
embraced Islam. Then ask for your families to be returned to you.”
The next day the Hawazen followed the Prophet’s instructions, and
the Prophet $$ announced to the new Muslims, “Whatever was
apportioned to me and Banu Abdul Muttalib is yours. I also
recommend that others relinquish their captives to you.”
The Muhajireen and Ansar said, “Whatever share has been given
to us we now give to the Prophet Three Bedouins, however,
refused to part with their shares. Their names were Aqra bin
267
Habis, Uyayna bin Hisn and Abbas bin Mardas. Seeing their
reluctance to return their captives, the Prophet M urged them,
“The best thing to do is to return your captives, because whoever
does so will receive six times the number he relinquishes from
the very next booty Allah grants us.”
Uyayna bin Hisn was the only one of the three to refuse the
Prophet’s request. Even after returning the captives each person
was still left with either two camels or twenty goats. To each of
the released captives, the Prophet M gifted a Coptic sheet.
The Umrah of Je‘rana
Once the Prophet % had distributed the spoils, he put on his
Ihraam and performed Umrah. This is known as the Umrah of
Je‘rana. After completing Umrah , the Prophet returned to
Madinah, reaching home in the last week of Dhul Qa‘dah, 8 A.H.
Banu Tameem enter Islam
In Muharram, 9 A.H., the news reached Madinah that Banu
Tameem were inciting various tribes to refuse to pay Jiziyah (a
tax levied on non-Muslims living under Muslim rule), so the
Prophet M sent a squadron of fifty men under Uyayna bin Hisn
Fazari to their stronghold. There in the desert, Uyayna captured
eleven men from Banu Tameem and twenty-one of their women
and children and brought them to Madinah.
A delegation of ten chieftains from Banu Tameem came hastily
to Madinah. Conscious of their inability to match the Muslims
militarily, the chieftains asked for a poetry contest to determine
whose poets had the most eloquent speech. The challenge was
accepted. Atarad bin Hajib of the Banu Tameem delivered a
speech. He was answered by Thabit bin Qays from the Muslim
side. Then Banu Tameem sent their poet Zabargan bin Badr to
recite some verses. The Muslim poet Hassan bin Thabit
countered with a recitation of his own poetry until Banu Tameem
finally conceded defeat. So moved were they by what they had
268
heard from Hassan bin Thabit that they embraced Islam. The
Prophet M then returned their captives and sent them home with
gifts for their people. In this way, one more obdurate enemy
melted before the sublime truth of Islam.
Mission against Banu Tai
The Prophet’s work continued. He tried to make as many people
accept Islam as he could. Using his words, his generosity, and
last of all, physical strength, he tried to convince them of the
truth. His mission was to destroy all false gods bom out of
ignorance and polytheism and to establish worship of Allah
alone. Accordingly, in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 9 A.H., the Prophet %
sent Ali bin Abi Talib at the head of a squadron of one hundred
and fifty men riding camels and horses to demolish Fils, the idol
of the Banu Tai. The squadron carried a black standard and a
small white flag into the town of the legendary Hatim Tai. They
rounded up camels and goats and captured the women and
children. Safana, the daughter of Hatim Tai, was among those
captured.
The squadron then returned to Madinah with the captives. The
Prophet M, out of respect for Safana’s status as the great Hatim’s
daughter, released her without ransom and even provided her
with conveyance. Safana went directly to Syria, where her
brother, Adi bin Hatim, had taken refuge. There she related to
him the benevolence and virtues of the Prophet M, remarking that
even their father could not have acted in a like manner. She then
advised Adi to present himself before the Prophet and ask for
mercy.
So eloquent was Safana about the Prophet’s magnanimity that
Adi took his sister’s advice and appeared before the Prophet M
without even applying for safe conduct. After listening to the
Prophet explain the tenets of Islam, Adi became Muslim.
While Adi was still with the Prophet M, a man called on the
Prophet M complaining about a lack of food. Then another man
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came up to complain about highway robbery. After they left, the
Prophet % turned to Adi and said:
“If you live long enough, you will see a woman come from
Hirah by camel. She will go around the Ka ‘ bah without
fear for her safety. She will not fear anyone except Allah.
In addition, you will conquer the Persian Emperor and take
his treasure. Furthermore, if you live long enough, you will
see a person come out with a handful of gold and silver
searching for a needy person to give it to, but he will find
none.”
Adi did live long enough to see each of the Prophet’s prophecies
fulfilled as Islam took root in the peninsula and beyond, and the
Muslims grew in number and wealth.
With the conquest of Makkah, the Muslims’ long struggle with
the pagans of Arabia had all but ended. Despite several minor
skirmishes here and there, Islam was destined to spread over the
entire peninsula. It was then that a foreign power took notice of
the political ascendancy of the Muslims.
The Romans, having grown confident after their success against
the Persians, began to look toward Madinah and plan an assault
against the Muslims, whom they viewed as a threat to their
authority.
The Muslims’ successful face off with the Roman forces at Muta
had inspired many of the local tribes to seek independence. Their
temerity was borne out of the fact that 3,000 Muslims had chased
away a 200,000 strong Roman army. On the other hand, the
Romans reasoned that if the Muslims were defeated, the
rebellious tribes would be subdued permanently, and Arabia
would disintegrate into an insignificant collection of bickering
tribes that it had always been.
The Muslims prepare to meet the Romans
Hearing of the imminent Roman expedition against the Muslims,
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the Prophet $g asked the Muslims to prepare for what seemed an.
impossible task in the midd le of the hot summer. At the time, the
dates had just ripened, and people rested beneath the shady trees,
seeking respite from the sun and exertion. The journey to Tabuk
promised to be grueling.
As preparations got underway, the Prophet M urged the wealthy
to donate handsomely to the battle fund and spend in the way of
Allah, and many of his more fortunate Companions complied,
contributing generously. Abu Bakr 4* donated four thousand
dirhams, which was his entire fortune. The Prophet % asked him,
“What have you left for your family?”
“For them I have left only Allah and His Messenger,” he replied.
Umar gave half of his wealth, and Uthman bin Affan
donated ten thousand dinars, three hundred camels with saddles,
and Fifty horses. (Other sources mention that he donated nine
hundred camels and one hundred horses.) The Prophet
remarked: “Whatever Uthman does from this day onward, he
will suffer no harm.”
Abdul Rahman bin Auf gave eight thousand dirhams worth of
silver. Abbas, Talha, Sa‘d bin Ubada and Muhammad bin
Maslama also contributed much. Asim bin Adi gave thirteen
thousand and five hundred kilograms of dates. Those with less
wealth gave according to their abilities, and some could only
donate a kilogram or so of food. The Muslim women gave their
ornaments towards the cause.
The poorer Muslims also wanted to take part in the march to
Tabuk , and they came to the Prophet H to ask for camels or
horses to ride. “I have nothing for you to ride,” the Prophet M
told them. They could not hide their disappointment, and tears
rolled down their cheeks. However, Uthman, Abbas, and some
other Companions were able to find mounts for those who
needed them.
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As the Muslims prepared for the difficult mission, the Hypocrites
set about the task of ruining the project before it even began. They
taunted those who donated much of their wealth to the project and
ridiculed those who contributed little. They also mocked the
Prophet’s H determination to face the formidable Romans. When
asked to explain their remarks, they said they were merely jesting.
As the time for departure drew near, the Hypocrites and the
Bedouins offered trite excuses for not joining the expedition and
sought permission to stay in Madinah. The Prophet M wisely
allowed them to stay behind. Some Muslims also stayed behind,
unable to make up their minds whether or not to go.
The expedition to Tabuk
Finally, the Muslims were ready to make the long journey across
the desert to Tabuk. The Prophet put Muhammad bin Maslama
in charge of Madinah. Ali bin Abi Talib was left to look after the
women and children. Abu Bakr Siddeeq carried the biggest
standard of the army. Zubayr carried the flag of the Muhajireen,
Usayd bin Hudhayr carried the flag of the Aus, and Hubab bin
Mundhir carried the flag of the Khazraj.
With 30,000 men, the Prophet % set out for Tabuk on a
Thursday, in the month of Rajab, 9 A.H. There were so few
camels that eighteen men rode each one in turn. They also had so
little food that they had to eat leaves which made their lips swell.
In spite of the scarcity of camels, they were forced to slaughter
some of them so that they could drink water from their stomachs
and intestines.
Back in Madinah, Ali grew impatient with the taunts of the
Hypocrites, and he decided to leave Madinah and join the
Prophet M- When he finally caught up with the troops, the
Prophet M asked him to return to Madinah saying, “Are you not
content, Ali, that you are to me as Haroon [Aaron] was to Musa,
except that there will be no Prophet after me?”
The Muslim forces halted at Al-Hijr, the land of the Thamood.
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They were a nation to whom the Prophet Saleh was sent.
Reckless in disbelief, they hamstrung a she-camel that Saleh had
declared to be one of Allah’s signs, thereby bringing down
Allah’s wrath upon themselves. A mighty earthquake wiped
them out, and only their deserted dwellings testified that they had
once walked the earth. When the Prophet saw his men draw
water from the wells in the area and prepare dough for bread, he
asked them to pour out the water taken from the wells and to feed
the dough to the animals. Then he showed them the water
Saleh’s camel used to drink from and told them to draw water
from there.
As the Muslims traveled through the bleak land of the rebellious
Thamood, the Prophet H bade his men heed the consequences of
disobedience of Allah:
“As you enter the houses of those who wronged
themselves, fear that you may also meet the same fate that
befell them.”
The chastened Muslims covered their heads and walked swiftly
across the valley.
The Prophet’s army reached Tabuk after a journey of about four
hundred kilometers. There they met Abu Khaythama, one of the
Muslims who had stayed behind in Madinah without a valid
excuse. He explained that after the Prophet % left Madinah, he
entered his garden on a very hot day. Both his wives had
sprinkled water around and brought him cold water and food. He
then told his wives:
“When the Prophet is subjected to scorching heat, should I
enjoy cool shade, water and the sweet company of
beautiful women? This is not just! By Allah, I shall not
enter my house until I meet the Prophet. Both of you
prepare provisions for me.”
His wives complied. Then Abu Khaythama mounted his camel.
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took a sword and spear, and set out in search of the Prophet
Twenty days in Tabuk
When the Romans learned that the Muslims had crossed four
hundred kilometers of desert to challenge them, they lost courage
and elected not to face them in combat. Nevertheless, the Prophet
M camped in Tabuk for twenty days in order to intimidate the
Romans and their Christian Arab mercenaries by his sheer
presence.
The Prophet M also received several delegations from the
neighboring Arab tribes who were interested in making peace
with Arabia’s new rulers. Yuhanna bin Ru’ba, the governor of
Aylah, called upon the Prophet M at this time. The parties of
Jarba, Adhruh and Mina accompanied him. They agreed to pay
Jiziyah, but remained undecided about embracing Islam. The
Prophet M gave them in writing a guarantee of peace and safety
for their territory, ships and caravans, by both land and sea.
Similarly, the Prophet M signed treaties with Jarba and Adhruh
guaranteeing them peace and safety in return for one hundred
dinars every year in Rajab. The people of Mina agreed to give
one-fourth of all the fruits produced in their territory in return for
peace and security.
Ukaydir is captured
The Prophet |g sent Khalid bin Waleed with 420 cavalrymen
to capture Ukaydir of Dumat Al-Jandal. The Prophet H told
Khalid that he would find him hunting white antelopes. Khalid
set out on his mission, and when he came close enough to see
Ukaydir’ s citadel, a white antelope suddenly appeared and began
to rub its horns against the citadel’s gate. The animal caught
Ukaydir’s attention, and he came out to hunt it, not knowing that
he would also be hunted. Khalid, who was lying in wait, captured
Ukaydir and brought him to the Prophet ^s, who spared his life in
return for two' thousand camels, eight hundred slaves, four
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hundred coats of mail, and four hundred spears. Ukaydir also
promised to pay Jiziyah with the same conditions accepted by
Aylah and Mina.
Return to Madinah
After spending twenty days in Tabuk, the Prophet |g and his men
began their journey back to Madinah. Up to now, the Prophet’s
expedition against the Romans had proceeded without a hitch.
The Romans had represented a great threat to the Muslim
dominance of Arabia, but the Muslims had camped in their
dominion of Tabuk for twenty days in complete safety. They had
even made pacts with local tribes that helped consolidate their
hold on the peninsula. Things, however, were about to take an
unexpected turn.
While returning to Madinah, the Prophet M and his men passed
through a mountain pass. Most of the men took a route through
the valley, while the Prophet M took another pass accompanied
by only two of his Companions, Ammar and Hudhayfah bin
Yaman.
Twelve Hypocrites from among the Muslims saw the Prophet’s
virtually solitary state as a great opportunity to assassinate him.
After masking themselves, they followed him, waiting for the
right moment.
Suddenly, they rushed toward him on their mounts, but the
Prophet M told Hudhayfah to strike the faces of their horses with
his shield. With this action, Allah sent terror into the hearts of the
Hypocrites, and they fled. They rode back to mingle with the rest
of the squadron, but the Prophet M told Hudhayfah each of their
names and their intention. From that day on, Hudhayfah was
called the trusted confidant of the Prophet M-
Demolition of the Hypocrites’ Mosque
The Prophet M had promised to perform the inaugural prayers in
a newly built mosque in Qubaa, just outside Madinah, on his
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return from Tabuk. He had been asked to do so when he was in
the midst of planning the Tabuk expedition.
When the Prophet |g reached Dhu Awan, just a day’s journey
from Qubaa, Jibreel visited him and revealed that the mosque
had been built by the Hypocrites. The mosque was to serve as a
meeting place for the Hypocrites where they could plot their
various subversive activities to weaken Islam. By having the
Prophet $ pray there, they hoped to legitimize their gatherings.
Thus forewarned of the threat to the Muslim nation from a
mosque built on subversion rather than on piety, the Prophet
immediately sent men to Qubaa to demolish it.
The Prophet is welcomed back
Weary but high spirited, the Muslim army approached Madinah
at last. The Prophet fg, upon seeing the city in the distance,
pointed to the familiar landmarks and said: “This is Taba, and
that is Uhud, the mountain that loves me and that I in turn love.”
When the people of Madinah heard that the Prophet was
approaching, the women and children rushed out of their homes
in welcome, singing what they had sung nearly ten years ago
when he came to them seeking a new home:
“The full moon has risen upon us from Thaniyat Al-Wada.
We owe thanks as long as the caller continues to call us.”
The Prophet M then went to the mosque and prayed two Rak'ah,
after which he sat in the mosque and received people. He had
been away from Madinah for fifty days, and everyone wanted to
welcome him home.
The case of those who stayed behind
The Hypocrites who had stayed behind came to the Prophet $£ to
repeat their excuses. He did not criticize them, confident that
Allah would deal with them. Three Muslims had also failed to
join the Tabuk expedition. They were Ka‘b bin Malik, Murra bin
Rabi‘and Hilaal bin Umayya. Since they were able-bodied men,
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their decision not to participate in Jihad was a serious matter.
The Prophet % asked them to await Allah’s decision on the
matter. In the meantime, the Prophet % forbade other Muslims
from speaking to them.
As they awaited Allah’s verdict in the solitude of their homes,
these three men suffered tremendously. They felt engulfed by
darkness, and their souls were in deep distress. After forty days
had passed, the Prophet ordered the three men not to sleep
with their wives. Finally, after fifty days, Allah accepted their
repentance, and the following verse was revealed:
C &sff (t# j* >
^ ^ ^ to 'i oi
“And (Allah has forgiven) those three who did not join (the
Tabuk expedition. While they waited for Allah’s decision),
the world closed in on them and they became dejected.
They then realized that refuge lies only with Allah, and
then He forgave them so that they would repent. Indeed,
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’’ (9:1 18)
This verse was received with great celebration. The world
opened up again for the three men who had been shunned by
their fellow Muslims. Everyone congratulated the men, and they
gave charity to show their thankfulness.
Other verses were revealed concerning the Hypocrites and their
show of faith. The verses described them and others like them as
being diseased in their hearts, and although they were shown
signs once or twice yearly, they did not repent, nor did they even
contemplate the meaning of the signs.
The Prophet fg mourns three Deaths
In Rajab, 9 A.H., the month of the Prophet’s return from Tabuk,
As-huma bin Abjar, the king of Abyssinia, passed away. He had
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given the Muslims refuge when they were weak and oppressed
by the Makkan pagans. Later, when he recognized that Islam was
a continuation of the teachings of Ibraheem, Musa and Isa, he
embraced Islam. Although he was not buried in Madinah, the
Prophet M offered funeral prayers for him when he received the
news.
Then in Sha‘ban of the same year, the Prophet’s daughter, Umm
Kulthoom 1$— w — ->j, also died. The Prophet $£ led her funeral
prayer and buried her in the graveyard at Madinah, Baqi. Deeply
saddened at her death, the Prophet recognized the grief of her
bereaved husband, Uthman 4*>, and said to him, “If I had a third
daughter, I would have given her to you in marriage.”
A couple of months later in Dhul Qa‘dah, Abdullah bin Ubayy
died. Ever merciful, the Prophet % prayed for his forgiveness and
even led the funeral prayer. Umar asked the Prophet gg not to
lead the prayer for the dead leader of the Hypocrites, but the
Prophet ^ would not be dissuaded. Later, however, Allah
revealed verses instructing the Prophet M not to offer funeral
prayers for the Hypocrites.
Ghazawat
During the Age of Ignorance, the Arabs regarded war as a chance
to massacre the weak, plunder their goods, destroy their villages
and cattle, and rape their women. Islam, however, changed the
concept of war. War became a way to rescue the oppressed and
punish the oppressors. The ultimate aim of fighting battles
( Ghazawat ) was to save people from the worship of idols and
false gods and to bring them to Islam, the worship of Allah.
Furthermore, before the advent of Islam, war was a way of life
for the desert Arabs. The war between the tribes of Bakr and
Taghlab lasted over forty years and resulted in the deaths of
seventy thousand men. Similarly, the war between the Aus and
Khazraj tribes lasted more than one hundred years, with neither
side willing to surrender. It was the nature of the Arabs to
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prolong wars rather than to bow to their enemies, even when the
wars were fought over trifles.
When the Prophet % brought Islam to the Arabs, they responded
in the way instinctive to them: they fought him. Nevertheless, the
Prophet M first set out to conquer their hearts before resorting to
the sword. In all the battles that the Prophet fought, the total
number of people who died, Muslims, pagans, Jews and
Christians combined, was about one thousand. Moreover, these
battles spanned no more than eight years. In this short span, with
so little bloodshed, the Prophet M brought almost the entire
Arabian Peninsula under his sway.
Many historians inaccurately attribute the Prophet’s success to
mere military prowess. When we consider how fond the Arabs
were of fighting, and how willing they were to sacrifice
thousands of their men no matter how insignificant the cause, we
realize that the Prophet M had weapons greater than the sword.
Abu Bakr 4&> performs Hajj
The pagan Arabs considered themselves followers of the religion
of Ibraheem ?&£». Indeed, they had inherited Hajj (pilgrimage to
the Ka'bah ) from Ibraheem, although they had added many
innovations to the rites.
When the Prophet $5 conquered Makkah, he put Atab bin Usayd
in charge. Everyone, Muslims and polytheists included,
performed Hajj under his authority, but they performed it in the
same manner as during the days before Islam. In the year
following the conquest of Makkah (9 A.H.), the Prophet H sent
Abu Bakr to lead the pilgrims in performing Hajj.
Abu Bakr 4&> set out for Makkah with three hundred Muslims
from Madinah at the end of Dhul Qa‘dah. He took twenty of the
Prophet’s camels and five of his own for sacrifice. After Abu
Bakr left, the opening verses of Surah Al-Taubah were revealed.
These verses contained an important announcement for tribes
279
that had covenants with the Muslims. Any covenant that had not
been honored would be broken, and any tribe that did not have a
covenant with the Muslims would have a grace period of four
months. Covenants that had been honored would remain valid.
The Prophet H sent Ali to Makkah to inform everyone of the new
verses. On the day of the sacrifice, Ali recited the new verses
to the pilgrims. Abu Bakr 4k then sent a band of people to
announce that from the next year, polytheists would not be
allowed to perform Hajj, nor would anyone be allowed to
practice the perverted tradition of circumambulating the Ka ‘ bah
in the nude.
The year of delegations
Most of the Arab tribes had watched the struggle between the
Quraysh and the Prophet $5 with great interest, believing as they
did that Allah would protect the Ka ‘bah, and that the forces of
Evil would not be able to conquer those of Truth. The Arabs had
seen Allah repulse Abraha’s army and his great elephant when
they tried to destroy the Ka ‘bah. Now they witnessed Allah grant
victory to Muhammad, and they saw it as a sign that Islam was
the true religion.
Convinced that Muhammad M was the Prophet and Messenger of
Allah, the various Arab tribes began sending delegations to
Madinah. Between seventy to one hundred delegations came to
meet the Prophet $ 5 . Some came to ransom captives or to pay
Jiziyah, while many others came to embrace Islam. Most of these
delegations visited Madinah following the conquest of Makkah
in the year 9 A.H., which became known as the year of
delegations.
It is important to note, however, that even in Makkah, at the
height of persecution by the Quraysh, the Prophet % had become
famous, and several tribes, including the Aus and the Khazraj,
had visited him in secret. After the Prophet’s migration to
Madinah, delegations continued to arrive until the ninth year
280
when their numbers swelled close to a hundred.
With tribe after tribe embracing Islam, the Islamic state grew
until it stretched from the Red Sea to the Arabian Gulf, and from
southern Jordan to Yemen and Oman. The Prophet appointed
governors and judges in each area to ensure that Islamic law was
administered properly. He also sent knowledgeable teachers to
the far reaches of the Islamic state so that everyone learned how
to practice his religion correctly.
The delegations that visited the Prophet were, in fact,
instrumental in spreading Islam among the desert-dwelling
Bedouins. Although each delegation came with different aims
and objectives, the Prophet M made the same profound
impression upon those he dealt with, and his fame spread
throughout Arabia. Here was a man who had defeated the
greatest tribe in Arabia, and yet he chose faith over wealth,
mercy over revenge, and work over luxury. Many delegations
accepted Islam after simply meeting with the Prophet M, and
they would in turn encourage their tribes to discard paganism and
become Muslim. Some of the more notable delegations are
mentioned below.
The delegation of Banu Abdul Qays
The people of Abdul Qays, who lived in eastern Arabia, were the
first to embrace Islam outside Madinah. Thus, the first Friday
prayers offered outside the Prophet’s Mosque were in the
mosque of Abdul Qays, in the village of Jawathi, Bahrain.
The delegation of Banu Abdul Qays came twice, in 5 A.H. and in
9 A.H. The first delegation, comprising thirteen or fourteen
people, saw the Prophet M at the mosque, and jumping down
from their mounts right at the entrance of the mosque, they
rushed to greet him.
However, one member of the delegation, Abdullah bin Auf Al-
Ashj, who was the youngest of them all, did not rush toward the
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Prophet M- He first made the camels kneel down and collected all
of the goods from the saddlebags. He then took out clean clothes
and put them on. Only then did he approach the Prophet M and
greet him. The Prophet M praised Abdullah’s behavior and
remarked: “You have two characteristics beloved by Allah and
His Messenger. You are both far-sighted and patient.”
Even before the arrival of this delegation, the Prophet had told
his Companions: “A caravan will appear before you. Its members
are the best among the people of the east, and they willingly
accepted Islam. They have exhausted their camels and their
provisions. O Allah, forgive Abdul Qays.”
The Prophet H said to the delegation upon its arrival, “Welcome!
You will neither be disgraced nor ashamed.” They asked the
Prophet to teach them something that they and their people could
live by. The Prophet % asked them to perform four duties :
They were to bear witness (Shahaadah) that there was no deity
except Allah, and that Muhammad was His Prophet and
Messenger. They were also to establish prayer ( Salaah ), pay the
obligatory yearly charity (Zakaah) and fast Ramadan (Sawm).
Since Hajj had not yet been made obligatory, the Prophet M did
not order the people of Banu Abdul Qays to perform it. They were
also commanded to give one-fifth of any spoils obtained from war.
They were forbidden to drink intoxicating beverages and were
ordered to destroy the jars used for brewing such drinks.
A second delegation of forty men from Abdul Qays came four
years later. Accompanying the delegation was Jarud bin Ala Abdi,
a Christian, who embraced Islam after meeting the Prophet M-
Daman bin Tha‘laba Interrogates the Prophet $£
The Prophet’s message had spread so far that even the unlettered,
uncouth dwellers in the wilderness, such as the tribe Sa‘d Bin
Bakr, had heard of the man called Muhammad and his message
from Allah, Lord of the worlds. Accordingly, their chief, Damam
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bin Tha‘laba, journeyed to Madinah to interrogate the Prophet
Muhammad
Damam arrived in Madinah, his long hair in two braids, and after
making his camel kneel, he tethered it right at the mosque. Then
he turned to the people and asked, “Who among you is the son of
Abdul Muttalib?” When the people pointed out the Prophet f| to
him, he approached and said, “O Muhammad, I shall ask you
something bluntly and you are not to be offended.”
“Ask whatever you want,“ the Prophet M said.
“Your envoy came to me and told me that you claim to be a
prophet,” he said.
“He spoke the truth,” the Prophet M said emphatically.
“Well, who created the sky?”
“Allah,” the Prophet replied.
“Well, who created this earth?” He asked.
“Allah,” the Prophet M replied once more.
“And who made this mountain and what it contains?”
“Allah,” the Prophet replied.
“I ask you in the name of the One Who created the sky, the earth
and these mountains, has He commissioned you as His
Messenger?”
“Yes,” the Prophet % affirmed.
“Your envoy also tells us that it is obligatory to perform five
prayers each day.”
“Yes, he spoke the truth,” the Prophet M said.
“I ask you in the name of the One Who commissioned you as His
Messenger, has Allah commanded this?”
“Yes,” the Prophet replied.
283
“Your envoy also says that we owe a charity tax on our
property.”
“He spoke the truth,” the Prophet replied.
“I ask you in the name of the One Who commissioned you as His
Messenger, has Allah commanded this?”
“Yes,” the Prophet % said.
“Your envoy also says that fasting the month of Ramadan every
year is obligatory.”
“He spoke the truth,” the Prophet M responded.
“I ask you in the name of the One Who commissioned you as His
Messenger, has Allah commanded this?”
“Yes,” the Prophet M said.
“Your envoy says that Hajj is obligatory for everyone who can
afford it.”
“He spoke the truth,” the Prophet M said.
“I ask you in the name of the One Who commissioned you as His
Messenger, has Allah commanded this?”
“Yes,” the Prophet M said.
Said Damam, “I swear by the One Who sent you with
righteousness, that I shall neither add to nor subtract from what
you have told me!”
The Prophet $g remarked to his Companions about Damam, “If
he has spoken the truth, he will certainly go to Paradise.”
After Damam bin ThaTaba embraced Islam in Madinah, he
returned to his people and told them about his meeting with the
Prophet M- All of his people became Muslim that very day, and
they built mosques and began praying five times a day.
The delegations of Adhra and Bala
In Safar, 9 A.H., twelve men of the tribe Banu Adhra came to the
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Prophet ig£. They mentioned their tribe’s affiliation with Qusayy,
the founder of the Prophet’s clan, and how they had helped him
oust Banu Bakr and Banu Khuzaa from Makkah.
They embraced Islam, and the Prophet M forbade them from
preserving any of their polytheistic traditions, such as
approaching soothsayers and slaughtering animals at pagan
temples.
A delegation from Bala also came to the Prophet M in the same year.
They also embraced Islam and returned home after three days.
The delegation of Banu Asad bin Khuzaymah
In the beginning of 9 A.H., a delegation of three people from the
Banu Asad bin Khuzaymah visited the Prophet When they
arrived, they found the Prophet sitting in the mosque along
with some of his Companions. After they had all greeted the
Prophet M, their spokesman said:
“O Prophet: we bear witness that Allah is One and that He
has no associates or equals, and that you are His slave and
Messenger. O Prophet, we embraced Islam without your
having to send an envoy to us. We did not fight against you
like so many other tribes. We are messengers of peace for
the people following us.”
In reply to the claims made by Banu Asad bin Khuzaymah, Allah
revealed the following verse to His Prophet:
“They believe that they have done you a great favor, O
Muhammad, because they have embraced Islam. Say to
them: You have done me no favor by becoming Muslim.
Indeed, Allah has conferred upon you a great blessing by
guiding you and giving you faith.” (49:17)
Later, the delegation asked about fortune-telling, soothsaying,
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and divining omens from birds — all of which the Prophet M
informed them were forbidden. When asked about interpreting
omens, the Prophet said, “There was a prophet who could do
this. If anyone has knowledge equal to that prophet M, then he
may do it.” In other words, any attempt to predict the future was
forbidden in Islam. The delegation stayed in Madinah for a short
time and continued to learn the fundamentals of Islam.
The delegation of Tujib
Among the delegations that came was one from Tujib, a branch
of the Kinda tribe. They were Muslims, and brought with them
money left over from paying Zakaah so that it could be
distributed to other needy Muslims. The Prophet M expressed
happiness at seeing them and held them in high esteem.
Abu Bakr looked at the delegation admiringly and said, “No
such Arab delegation has ever come to us.”
The Prophet M remarked:
. o dr 4 "* ^ ^
“Guidance lies in Allah’s hands. When He ordains good for
someone, He simply opens that person’s heart and fills it
with faith.”
The people from Tujib showed great eagerness to learn more
about Islam. They applied themselves to memorizing the Qur’an
and the Sunnah (the Prophet’s sayings, teachings and practices).
Eventually, the time of their departure approached, and the
Prophet |g gave them many farewell gifts. Then he asked if
anyone among them had been overlooked. They replied that they
had left a boy in the camp, and he was the youngest amongst
them. “Send him too,” the Prophet said.
When the boy came to the Prophet, he said: “O Prophet, I belong
to the same tribe which visited you a short while ago, and you
gave them all they needed. Now I ask you to give me what I
need.”
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“What is it that you need?” the Prophet $£ asked.
“Pray that Allah forgives me, shows me mercy, and puts riches
in my heart.“ The Prophet M prayed to Allah for the young boy,
who thus left Madinah more contented than all his tribesmen.
Later, during the period of apostasy when many Muslims
reverted to paganism, the boy not only remained firm in his faith,
but exhorted his people to remain good Muslims.
The delegation of Banu Fazara
A delegation of more than twenty people from Banu Fazara
visited the Prophet M after his return from Tabuk. They were
Muslims, desperate for the Prophet’s help against the terrible
drought that was afflicting their region.
“Pray to Allah to send rain to our villages,” they said to the
Prophet M- “You intercede with your Lord for us, and may your
Lord intercede with you for us.“
“Praise be to Allah!” the Prophet M said. “Woe to you! What are
you saying? Yes, I shall intercede with Allah, but who is there
with whom our Lord should intercede? There is no god other
than Allah: He is Great and Exalted. His footstool encompasses
the heavens and the earth, and they squeak under His Glory and
Grandeur just as new sadd les do.”
Having delivered this admonition, the Prophet M ascended the
pulpit andvjprayed to His Lord to end the suffering of the Banu
Fazara, and Allah answered the Prophet’s prayer by sending
heavy rains to their land.
The delegation from Najraan
In Southern Arabia lay the territory of Najraan, a large tract,
which a speedy horse could traverse from one end to the other in
a day. Its seventy-three settlements were protected by 120,000
Christian soldiers, and when the Prophet H wrote to the Bishop
of Najraan inviting him to accept Islam, the Bishop asked his
advisors what he should do. He then informed the people of
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Najraan about the letter from a man claiming to be a prophet.
After consultations, it was decided that a delegation of sixty men
would be sent to meet the Prophet When the delegation members
arrived in Madinah, they donned ornate clothes that were so long
that they trailed the ground. Their cloaks were silken and their
fingers bedecked with gold rings.
The Prophet % saw the envoys were dressed so ostentatiously and
refused to speak to them. Some of his Companions intervened and
advised the Najranites to dress more humbly and to refrain from
wearing gold in the Prophet’s presence. They followed the advice,
and the Prophet M agreed to talk with them. He invited them to
embrace Islam, but they refused, saying that they were “Muslim”
long before the Prophet M had begun his mission.
“There are three things,” the Prophet told the delegation from
Najraan, “that keep you from finding your way to Islam —
worshipping the crucifix, eating pork, and claiming that Allah has a
son.”
“Who then,” the delegation challenged the Prophet, “is like Jesus, a
man bom without a father?”
Allah replied to their question by revealing the following verses to
the Prophet
[1 JT]
“The similitude of Jesus in Allah’s sight is as that of Adam:
Allah created Adam from dust, and then He said to him, “Be,”
and Adam came to life. This is the truth from your Lord, so do
not be among those who doubt. If anyone argues with you
about Jesus now that you know the truth, tell him: Come, let
us gather our sons, women, and ourselves, and we will pray to
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Allah and ask Him to curse those who lie.” (3:59-61)
The Prophet $g recited these verses to the delegation and asked
them to accept Allah’s challenge and invoke a curse upon those
who were wrong about Jesus. The delegation asked for some
time to consider the matter and discussed it among themselves.
“If he is actually a prophet,” they concluded, “and we ask Allah
to curse those who are wrong, then we will all be destroyed.”
Therefore, they prudently agreed to pay Jiziyah.
They were to pay one thousand sets of clothing in Safar and
another one thousand sets in Rajab.
In return for these payments, the Prophet guaranteed peace,
security and freedom of religion in Najraan. They then requested
that the Prophet send a trustworthy Muslim with them to make
sure these conditions were met. The Prophet M sent Abu
Ubaydah bin Jarrah with them. In the course of the journey back
to Najraan, two members of the delegation accepted Islam under
the influence of Abu Ubaydah.
The delegation from Ta’if
As mentioned earlier, the Prophet laid siege to Ta’if after the
battle of Hunayn, but he was unable to break through the gate of
the city and decided to return to Madinah. Following on their
heels was Urwa bin Mas‘ood Thaqafi, one of the chieftains of
Ta’if. He caught up with the troops just before they reached
Madinah, and after meeting with the Prophet, he entered Islam.
Then he returned to Ta’if, confident that his people would
embrace Islam once he explained its message to them. After all,
his people had often declared he was dearer to them than their
own families. Sadly, his people turned against him at his
declaration of faith and rained arrows upon him until he lay dead.
Zeal for their pagan faith had its place, but soon the people of
Ta’if realized the practical implications of holding out against
the rising tide of Islam. They began to consider the problems
they would face from the surrounding tribes that had embraced
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Islam and decided to negotiate with the Prophet. A delegation of
six men headed by Abd Ya-Lail went to Madinah. It was
Ramadan, 9 A.H., and when they reached Madinah, the Prophet
H pitched a tent for them in a comer of the mosque so that they
could hear people reciting the Qur’an and witness how Muslims
prayed.
Over several sessions of talks, the Prophet H invited the visitors
to accept Islam, but it was completely alien to their way of life.
Finally, they said they would become Muslim if they did not
have to perform the five daily prayers. They also asked the
Prophet % not to outlaw adultery, wine, and usury for them.
Lastly, they insisted on keeping their chief idol, “Lat.” Naturally,
the Prophet rejected these conditions outright. Eventually, the
delegation accepted Islam. Their only stipulation was that they
would not have to destroy “Lat” with their own hands, and the
Prophet agreed to this one request.
Uthman bin Abi Al-As Thaqafi was the youngest member of the
delegation. He was usually left in the camp and spent this time
learning Qur’an from the Prophet and Abu Bakr. In his way he
memorized a large part of the Qur’an without informing the other
members of the delegation. To the surprise of the others, the
young Uthman was appointed chief of the group. The Prophet M
nominated him to lead the others in prayer because of his
knowledge and love of the faith and the Qur’an.
The delegation returned to Ta’if, but the members concealed
their faith from their fellow tribesmen. They attempted to
frighten the people by painting a terrifying portrait of the
Prophet: “We met a wrathful warrior who has come to power by
the sword, and the people have accepted his supremacy. He
treated us very brutally and threatened to destroy us in battle if
we do not ban adultery, drinking and usury.”
At first, the people refused to be intimidated at the threat. Their
pride bristled, and they declared their readiness to meet the
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Muslims in battle to defend their false sense of honor. Later,
however, the thought of being overpowered by an invading army
filled them with terror, and they told their delegates to return to
Madinah and accede to the Prophet’s demands. The delegates
then disclosed that they had already agreed to all of the Prophet’s
demands and had embraced Islam. The people of Banu Thaqif
were relieved at the news, and they all became Muslim.
The Prophet sent Khalid bin Waleed, Mugheera bin Shu‘ba
Thaqafi, and some other people from Ta’if to demolish the idol
of “Lat.” With this literal and symbolic destruction of idolatry,
Ta’if finally became part of the Islamic state.
The delegation of Banu Amir bin Sa‘sa‘a
The delegation of Banu Amir bin Sa’sa’a included Arbad bin
Qays, Jabbar bin Aslam, and Amir bin Tufayl. Amir, it must be
remembered, was the leader of the massacre of some of the
Prophet’s Companions at Bir Ma‘una. He and Arbad came with
the intention to assassinate the Prophet $s if the opportunity
arose.
When the group came to Madinah, the Prophet M invited them to
accept Islam. Amir, as leader of the delegation, said, “I give you
the power to choose one of three options. First, you can choose
to rule the people of the valley, while I rule the desert-dwellers.
Second, you can name me as your successor. Third, you can
refuse the first two, in which case I will march on you with one
thousand horses and one thousand mares of Ghatfan.”
The Prophet $§ declined each of the choices given him, saying
Allah alone was sufficient to guide Amir and his people.
Proceeding according to their plans to kill the Prophet, Arbad
moved behind the Prophet while Amir engaged him in talk.
Arbad tried to draw his dagger only to find his hand suddenly
paralyzed, unable to grip the weapon. The two plotters returned
unsuccessful.
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On the way back from Madinah, Amir broke journey at the home
of a woman belonging to his clan, the Banu Salul. There as he
lay sleeping, Allah caused him to become very ill. “I have a
tumor in my throat just like camels have,” he said. “Am I to die
from a camel lump and that too in the house of a woman? Bring
me my horse!” His steed was brought to him, and he died even as
he sat on horseback.
Amir’s co-conspirator, Arbad, was struck by lightning and both
he and his camel were reduced to ashes. Allah revealed two
verses referring to Arbad’s punishment:
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“And He hurls thunderbolts and strikes whomever He
wishes. Still, they dispute about Allah, though He is severe
in punishment.” (13:13)
The deaths of both Amir and Arbad were reported to the Prophet
H by their fellow tribesman, Moila bin Jabal of Banu Amr . He
had accompanied the two to Madinah, but unlike them he had
accepted Islam at the hands of the Prophet H and presented him
with his camel. At the time, Moila was twenty years old, and he
lived to be one hundred years, his eloquence earning him the
title, “the one with two tongues.”
The delegation of Banu Haneefa
The Banu Haneefa also visited the Prophet M in 9. A.H.
Seventeen of their people, including the infamous Musaylima the
Liar, came to Madinah and embraced Islam in the presence of the
Prophet M- Some sources indicate that Musaylima accepted
Islam along with the other members of the delegation. Other
sources, however, assert that he stayed behind at the camp and
did not become Muslim. He is also reported to have said that he
would embrace Islam only if the Prophet M made him his
successor.
292
Before the arrival of this delegation, the Prophet fi had a vision
that a treasure had been brought to him. From this treasure, two
gold bangles were placed on his wrists, and they proved to be
very painful for him. He was told to blow on the two bangles,
and when he did so, the bangles fell off. The Prophet
interpreted the dream for his Companions: the bangles
represented two false prophets that would appear after him.
The Prophet M was walking with his Companion, Thabitbin
Qays, when he met the first false prophet, Musaylima the Liar.
Musaylima was with his comrades, and he said to the Prophet M
insolently, “If you like, I will let you remain the head of state;
however, I will be your successor.”
The Prophet M showed him the small date branch he had in his
hand and said, “I shall not give you even this date. You cannot
escape Allah’s decree, and if you turn your back, Allah will
destroy you. By Allah, you are the one whom I saw in a vision.
This is Thabit bin Qays, and he will reply to you on my behalf.”
Upon the return of the delegation, Musaylima kept a low profile.
After some time, however, he began claiming that the Prophet M
had agreed to share his mission with him. Claiming to be a
prophet who also received revelations, he made wine and
adultery lawful for his people. His people went through a great
trial of faith, and several of them succumbed to his false
doctrines, although the Prophet was still alive. In the midst of
Musaylima’s so-called mission, the Prophet % died, and it was
left to his successor, Abu Bakr to punish Musaylima. Abu
Bakr sent a detachment under Khalid bin Waleed to kill
Musaylima and his men. After a fierce battle, the impostor was
killed by Wahshi bin Harb, who in his pagan days had earned
infamy by killing Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib. By Allah’s grace,
the same Wahshi earned the honor of eliminating Musaylima, the
false prophet.
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The kings of Hamir send an envoy
After the Prophet $5 returned from Tabuk, Malik bin Murrah called
upon him carrying letters from the kings of Hamir: Harith bin Abd
Kalal, Naeem bin Abd Kalal and Nu‘man. He also bore letters from
the heads of Hamdaan. The rulers wrote to the Prophet M to inform
him that they all had embraced Islam. In reply, the Prophet M sent a
letter to them explaining their rights and duties, and defined their
responsibilities under the covenants they had entered.
Then the Prophet M sent Mu‘adh bin Jabal 4® and others back
with the delegation to act as judges and military commanders in
upper Yemen. They were also responsible for overseeing the
collection of charity and Zakaah, as well as leading prayers.
Abu Musa Ash’ari was sent to the Yemeni coast, while Ma’ab
Zama was sent inland. The Prophet M instructed both of them to
make things easy for the people and not to create unnecessary
hardship. He also advised them to spread the good news of Islam
and to help everyone live in harmony. Mu‘adh remained in
Yemen till the death of the Prophet % while Abu Musa returned
to visit the Prophet during the Farewell Hajj.
The delegation of Hamdaan
Among the delegation from Hamdaan that visited the Prophet
was the great poet, Malik bin Namt, who extolled the Prophet
in verses such as the following:
I swear by the Lord of the ladies circling Mina and those
returning with the caravans from the heights of Qardad,
that we have accepted the truthfulness of the Prophet. He is
a Messenger guided by the Lord of the Throne above. No
camel ever had in her saddle a man as strong as
Muhammad against his enemy.
Initially, Malik bin Namt was sent back to his homeland to help
those of his clan who embraced Islam, but later the Prophet M
sent Khalid bin Waleed to invite all the people of Hamdaan to
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embrace Islam. Six months went by as Khalid tried in vain to
spread Islam. Then the Prophet M sent Ali bin Abi Talib and
recalled Khalid. Ali read out the letter from the Prophet
inviting the people of Hamdaan to accept Islam, and they all
complied. On receiving the good news, the Prophet M prostrated
in praise of Allah, and then raising his head, he said: “Peace be
upon Hamdaan! Peace be upon Hamdaan!”
The delegation of Banu Abdul Madan
In Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 10 A.H., the Prophet M sent Khalid bin
Waleed to Banu Abdul Madan. They lived in Najraan in Yemen.
Khalid was instructed to invite them to accept Islam for three
days, and if they refused, he was allowed to use force to make
them subjects of the Islamic state. When Khalid arrived, he sent
his men in all directions to invite the people of the region to
accept Islam. “O people!” the Muslims cried. “Accept Islam and
you will have peace.”
The people readily accepted Islam, and Khalid and his men set
about teaching the people of Banu Abdul Madan the basics of the
faith. Khalid then sent a message to the Prophet M informing him
of his success, and the Prophet $5 responded by asking Khalid to
escort a delegation from the region to Madinah. The delegation
arrived in Madinah and met the Prophet M, who asked them
several questions.
“During the Days of Ignorance, how did you subdue those who
fought against you?”
“We remained united,” the delegation replied, “and we never
oppressed anyone.”
“You speak the truth,” the Prophet said.
Then the Prophet H appointed Qays bin Hisn as the governor of
Banu Abdul Madan. The delegation left Madinah in the last of
Shawwal or in the beginning of Dhul Qa‘dah. Ever concerned
that Muslims living far from Madinah would revert to the
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ignorance of paganism, the Prophet $£ also sent Amr bin Hazm to
teach them more about Islam.
Banu Mazhaj accept Islam
In Ramadan, 10 A. H., the Prophet sent Ali bin Abi Talib 4s> to
the Banu Mazhaj in Yemen to call them to Islam. Ali was not to
fight them unless they attacked first.
Ali’s call to the people of Banu Mazhaj toward Islam was
received with hostility. They shot arrows at Ali and his men, but
the Muslims were undeterred and counter attacked. After Ali had
shown the Banu Mazhaj that they were no match for the Muslim
warriors, he called off the attack and once again extended an
invitation to embrace Islam. This time the Banu Mazhaj accepted
the offer and became Muslim.
After the chieftains and notables of the tribes came forward and
took the oath of allegiance, they gave Ali a charity offering for
the poor and weak, saying, “Take from this the right of Allah.”
Ali and his men returned north and met the Prophet $£ in Makkah
during the Farewell Hajj.
The delegation of Azd Shanwah
The Azd Shanwah, a famous tribe of southern Arabia, sent a
delegation headed by Sard bin Abdullah Azdi, and they all embraced
Islam. The Prophet % appointed Sard as their chief and ordered the
Muslims among them to fight the polytheists in southern Arabia.
Dhul Khalasa is destroyed
The Prophet H continued to receive delegations and individuals.
Jareer bin Abdullah Bajli was one such individual who called
upon the Prophet H and later became one of his most renowned
Companions. His tribe, the Bajela and Khash'am, had a large
temple called Dhul Khalasa, which its pagan devotees put on par
with the Ka'bah. They called Dhul Khalasa the “ Ka'bah
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Yamaniya and referred to the Ka ‘bah as the “Ka ‘bah Shamiya.”
One day the Prophet $5 said to Jareer, “Will you not give me
peace from Dhul Khalasa?” Understanding that the Prophet H
wanted him to destroy the pagan temple, Jareer told the Prophet
H that he was not a good horseman. At this the Prophet struck
Jareer’s chest and said, “O Allah, keep Jareer firm on his horse.
Guide him and let him guide others.”
Accompanied by 1 50 horsemen from his clan, the Ahmas, Jareer
attacked the temple and burned it down. When the Prophet M
heard the news, he invoked Allah’s blessings five times for the
people and horses of the Ahmas.
The rise and fall of Aswad Ansi
Islam continued to spread throughout Yemen in southern Arabia,
and soon the Prophet’s administrators controlled the entire
region. Suddenly, the second false prophet whom the Prophet ^
had seen in his vision arose from the city of Kahf Hannan. His
name was Aswad Ansi, and backed by seven hundred warriors,
he claimed to be a prophet and ruler.
Aswad captured the city of San‘a, and he quickly gained power
and territory. The situation became so difficult for the Muslim
administrators that they found themselves confined to the
territory of Ash‘arain.
For three or four months these distressing circumstances persisted
until Firoz Delmi, a Muslim from Persia, and his men moved against
Aswad and his army. Firoz killed the false prophet, cut off his head
and threw it outside the citadel. The sight of their leader’s severed
head shattered the resistance of Aswad’s soldiers, and they fled.
When peace was restored, the Muslim administrators wrote to the
Prophet ^ and resumed their duties.
Aswad Ansi was killed exactly one day before the Prophet M
himself died. The Prophet, however, had already been informed
by revelation that Aswad would be killed, and he announced the
297
news accordingly. The letter bearing the good news was later
received by Abu Bakr Siddeeq
Hajjatul-Wada‘: The Farewell Pilgrimage
By the year 10 A.H., Islam had spread over the entire Arabian
peninsula. A great number of people capable of carrying the
message of Islam worldwide arose in the coming years. It was at
this point that Allah chose to show His Prophet the fruits of his
mission by calling him to make a farewell pilgrimage to Makkah.
The Prophet ft announced that he would perform Hajj, and a
large number of people flocked to Madinah to accompany him.
On Saturday, Dhul Qa‘dah 26, the Prophet ft left Madinah after
praying the noon prayer and a few hours later he reached Dhul
Hulayfah, where he prayed the afternoon prayer and spent the
night. The next morning, the Prophet ft said, “Last night a
messenger from my Lord came to me and said, ‘Perform prayer
in this blessed valley and tell the people that Umrah can be
performed during Hajj.’’" This was in reference to the common
belief that Umrah could not be performed during the time of
Hajj.
Then the Prophet ft bathed before the noon prayer, and applied
musk on his head and body. After the prayer, he put on his
Ihraam and then raised his voice and began the pilgrim’s chant:
“I answer Your call, 0 Allah, I answer Your call. I answer
Your call. You Who have no partner, I answer Your call.
Verily, all praise, grace, and dominion belong to You, You
Who have no partner.”
A week later the Prophet reached Makkah. After praying the
dawn prayer, he entered the Sacred Mosque. It was Sunday
morning, Dhul Hijjah 4.
The Prophet ft then circumambulated the Ka ‘bah, and performed
seven circuits between Mount Safa and Marwa. When he
finished, he remained in Ihraam, which meant he was still in the
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consecrated state of pilgrimage. He asked all the pilgrims who
had brought sacrificial animals along with them to remain in
ihraam also. Others were allowed to shave their heads.
Then on Dhul Hijjah 8, the Prophet % went to Mina, where those
who had shaved their heads assumed Ihraam again. In Mina the
Prophet performed the noon, afternoon, sunset, evening, and
dawn prayers. He left Mina after sunrise for Arafat. A tent was
set up for him in the valley of Namirah. As the sun was setting,
he mounted his camel and rode into the valley of Arafat. Pilgrims
began gathering around him and waited to hear what was to be
one of his most important speeches. He began by glorifying
Allah, testifying that Allah was the One God, and that he,
Muhammad, was His Prophet and Messenger.
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“O people listen: I know not whether I shall meet you here
again after this year. Your blood, your property and your
honor are as sacred as this day, this month and this city.
Behold! I declare that all pagan customs and everything
299
from the Days of Ignorance are beneath my feet. Abolished
also is the practice of spilling blood for revenge. The first
case of blood revenge that I abolish is that of the son of
Rabi‘a bin Al-Harith, who was nursed by the Banu Sa‘d
and killed by Banu Hudhayl. Moreover, the usury of the
Days of Ignorance is abolished, and the first practice of
usury I abolish is that of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib. Now
all usury is abolished. Fear Allah regarding women! You
have taken them as a trust from Allah, and intercourse with
them has been made permissible by the words of Allah.
You have rights over them — one of which is that they must
not allow someone you dislike into your home. If they do
so, you are within your rights to chastise them, but not
severely. It is their right over you that you should feed and
clothe them in a fitting manner. I leave behind something.
If you hold fast to it, you will never go astray — and that is
the Book of Allah. Now, if you are asked about me on the
Day of Judgment, how will you respond? ”
The Prophet’s Companions replied, “We will testify that
you have conveyed the message and fulfilled your
mission.”
The Prophet M raised his index finger towards the sky and then
pointed toward the people, “O Allah, be witness! O Allah, be
witness! O Allah, be witness!”
After the Prophet had finished addressing the people, he
received a revelation from Allah:
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“Today I have perfected your religion for you and
completed My favor upon you, and I have chosen Islam as
your religion.” (5:3)
After the Prophet M ended his address, Bilal made the prayer call
( Adhan ) and the final prayer call ( Iqamah ), and the Prophet M led
300
the people in the shortened noon prayer. Following that, Bilal
called another Iqamah, and the Prophet M led the people in the
shortened afternoon prayer. Thus, the Prophet M demonstrated
how travelers should combine and shorten prayers.
After sunset, the Prophet ^ left for Muzdalifa and combined the
sunset and evening prayers. He did not shorten the sunset prayer,
but he did shorten the evening prayer. Furthermore, when the
Prophet $$ combined the noon and afternoon prayers as well as
the sunset and evening prayers, he did not perform any additional
voluntary prayers (Sunnah prayers) between them. Then he
rested until dawn. Once he had performed the dawn prayer, he
returned to Makkah to the Sacred Mosque. He faced the Qiblah
and repeated the Takbeer ( Allahu Akbar / Allah is Most Great),
the Tahleel ( La ilaaha illallah / There is no deity except Allah)
and Tawheed (the testimony of the Oneness of Allah) until light
began to appear in the horizon.
Before sunrise, the Prophet left for Mina again. He threw
seven stones at the largest Jamrah, saying Allahu Akbar with
every throw. When the Prophet finished stoning the Jamrah, he
ceased reciting the Talbiyah (Labbayk Allah humma, labbayk...).
He also told his Companions: “Learn the rites of Hajj from me,
for perhaps I shall not be able to perform Hajj after this year.”
The stoning being completed, the Prophet went to his camp in
Mina and slaughtered sixty-three camels. Ali slaughtered the
remaining thirty-seven camels, and the Prophet H instructed that
a part of each camel be cooked and served to him and his
Companions.
After performing the sacrifice, the Prophet M had his head
shaved, beginning with the right side of his head, and some of
the hair was distributed among his Companions. Abu Talha was
given the Prophet’s hair from the left side of his head.
The Prophet ^ put on his ordinary clothes now that he was out of
Ihraam , applied musk, and then rode his camel to the Sacred
301
Mosque. There he circled the Ka ‘bah seven times. After the noon
prayer, he went to the people of Banu Abdul Muttalib, who were
serving Zamzam water to the pilgrims. He said, “Banu Abdul
Muttalib, continue drawing water from the well. I would join you
in this task, but I fear people would try to take over your rightful
duty.” They gave the Prophet some Zamzam water which he
proceeded to drink.
The Prophet $g returned to Mina and stayed there for the days of
Tashreeq (Dhul Hijjah 11, 12 and 13). Each day he stoned all
three Jamarahs after sunset, starting with the smallest one,
Jamrah Al-Sughrah, and then proceeding to the middle and large
ones.
The Prophet delivered two more addresses, on the 10 th and 12 ,h of
Dhul Hijjah, stressing the same points he had made in his sermon
on the plain of Arafat. It was during the days of Tashreeq before
his last address that he received Surah Al-Nasr.
On Tuesday, Dhul Hijjah 13, the Prophet M left Mina after
stoning all three Jamrahs. He performed the noon, afternoon,
sunset, and evening prayers at Abtah. He also sent Aishah along
with her brother, Abdul Rahman bin Abi Bakr, to perform
Umrah. When Aishah returned, the Prophet went to the
Ka'bah and performed the farewell circumambulation. After
performing the dawn prayer, he left Makkah to begin the journey
back to Madinah.
As he approached the city of Madinah, and its landmarks grew
visible, the Prophet H called out “ Allahu Akbar ” thrice and said:
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“Nothing is to be worshipped except Allah. He is the One.
He has no associate. Dominion and all praise are His, and
302
He has power over all things. We are returning, repenting,
worshipping, praising and bowing before our Lord. Allah
has proved that His promise is true, and He has helped His
slaves. Victory is His alone.”
Expedition to Palestine
The Prophet H returned to Madinah, aware that he was near the
end of his mission, and he spent most of his time praising and
glorifying Allah who had given him success after success during
his twenty-three years of prophethood. People were entering
Islam in multitudes, and delegations continued to arrive before
him.
In Rabi‘ Al-Awwal of 1 1 A.H., the Prophet |g sent Usama bin
Zayd with seven hundred soldiers to the territory of Balqa and
Darum in Palestine. They were to stage a show of might against
the Romans, who had resumed their hostile acts. The army set
out and at Jarf, only three miles outside of Madinah, they
received news that the Prophet M was very ill. They encamped
there awaiting further news of the Prophet’s health. With the
Prophet’s subsequent death, Usama and his men went on with
their expedition and became the first people to lead a military
expedition during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr Siddeeq 4*>.
Signs of the Prophet’s imminent death
The episode of the poisoned meat served to the Prophet had
almost receded in the memories of people when he began
showing signs of poisoning. The poison gradually took root in
his system and the Prophet’s health deteriorated. Since the tenth
year of the Hijrah he began to express through his words and his
actions that he expected to pass away soon.
Each Ramadan the Prophet # would perform I‘tikaf (continuous
prayer and worship in a mosque) during the last ten days of the
month. In Ramadan of 10 A.H., however, he performed 1‘tikaf for
the last twenty days of the month, saying that during this time,
303
Jibreel asked him to recite the Qur’an twice rather than once.
The Prophet % told his daughter, Fatimah — *■ that he
thought his time was at hand. Also, while bidding farewell to
Mu‘adh, who was traveling to Yemen, he said, “O Mu‘adh, after
this you may not see me again, and you will soon pass by this
mosque of mine and my grave.” Mu ‘adh began to weep at these
words.
Even during the Farewell pilgrimage, the Prophet M said more
than once: “I shall not be able to meet you after this year. Perhaps I
will not be able to perform Hajj again.” Similarly, the revelation
that the Prophet M received during the Farewell pilgrimage also
indicated that the Prophet’s mission was complete:
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[r:sjulll]
“Today I have perfected your religion for you and
completed My favor upon you, and I have chosen Islam as
your religion.” (5:3)
Furthermore, he termed the pilgrimage Hajjatul-Wada (the
Farewell pilgrimage), to indicate that he was bidding farewell to
his followers before he passed away.
In the beginning of Safar, 1 1 A.H., the Prophet $j$ went to Mount
Uhud and prayed for the martyrs buried there as if he were
bidding farewell to them. On his return he mounted the pulpit
and said:
“I will precede you, and I shall bear witness for you also.
By Allah, I see before me now Haudh Al-Kauthar [the well
of Kauthar in heaven]. I have been given the keys to the
treasures of the earth. I do not fear that you will revert to
polytheism after I am gone, but I fear you will be
consumed by the love of the world and vie against each
other for worldly things.”
304
Late one night before the end of Safar, the Prophet M went to
the cemetery in Madinah, known as Baqi Gharqad, and prayed
for the dead there. “I shall meet you soon, God-willing,” he
said.
The Prophet M falls ill
On the last Monday of Safar, the Prophet % attended a funeral at
Baqi. When he returned, ‘Aishah told him that she had a
headache. “Nay, it is I who have a headache,” the Prophet M said,
“O, ‘Aishah, my head.”
Although the Prophet’s illness worsened, he still gave each
of his wives his time by staying with a different wife each
day. When he was with his wife Maymoona, he asked her
whom he was to stay with the next day. Knowing that he
wanted to be with ‘Aishah, his other wives waived their
rights in favor of ‘Aishah. Supported on both sides by Fadl
bin Abbas and Ali bin Abi Talib <3si ? j, the Prop! et
went to ‘Aishah ^ j .
Covenant and counseling
‘Aishah relates that the Prophet’s illness increased at her house.
He said, “Pour seven unopened small water-skins on me so that I
can make a bequest to the people.” The Prophet sat in a tub
belonging to Hafsah i**- ^ ^j, and ‘Aishah poured water over
his head until he motioned for her to stop. Then he went out and
led the people in prayer. He addressed them, saying:
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“Your predecessors made the graves of their Prophets and
ancestors into places of worship. I forbid you to do this.
305
May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for turning their
prophets’ graves into places of worship. You must not turn
my grave into an idol to be worshipped.”
The Prophet M asked that anyone whom he owed anything
should come forward, for he did not want to meet his Lord
without first being forgiven by those he had wronged, or without
having repaid his debts.
The Prophet fg then turned toward his followers and related:
“Allah gave one of His slaves a choice between the
treasures of this world and that which lies with Allah. The
slave chose that which is with Allah.”
Abu Saeed Khudri *&> reports:
When Abu Bakr heard this, he burst into tears and said,
“May I be sacrificed for your sake along with my mother
and father.” We were amazed by his behavior. “Look at
Abu Bakr,” we said to each other. “The Prophet M told us
about a slave of Allah who chose the next world when
given a choice between this world and the hereafter. Now
why is Abu Bakr reacting like this?” After a few days,
however, we understood that the slave the Prophet had
referred to was himself. We then realized that Abu Bakr 4®
was superior to us in knowledge.
The Prophet’s regard for Abu Bakr increased with this incident.
He then asked for all doors opening into the Mosque to be closed,
except for the door of Abu Bakr’s house.
The next day, Thursday, the Prophet’s illness intensified and he said,
“Let me write something for you so that you will never go astray.”
Umar 4s>, however, protested, “The Prophet M is in great pain.
We have the Qur’an, and this is enough for us.” This led to a
dispute among the Companions at the Prophet’s bedside, and he
said to them: “Sit down.”
306
That same day, the Prophet ordered that all Jews, Christians and
polytheists be turned out from the Arabian peninsula. He also
stressed that delegations to Madinah were to be received with
honor exactly as he used to receive them. He stressed the
importance of prayer and the just treatment of slaves and
servants. In closing he said:
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“I leave with you two things. As long as you hold them
tightly, you will never go astray: they are the Book of
Allah and my Sunnah."
Abu Bakr leads Prayer
In spite of the severity of the Prophet’s illness, he continued to
lead prayers. However, that Thursday, when it was time for the
evening prayer, the Prophet M took a bath to assuage his pain.
When he tried to get up, though, he lost consciousness. When he
came to, he bathed again, but fell unconscious when he was
about to get up. He bathed a third time, and a third time he
blacked out when he tried to get up. He then sent word to Abu
Bakr 4® to lead the prayer. Abu Bakr 4»led seventeen prayers
because of the Prophet’s deteriorating health.
Between Saturday and Sunday, the Prophet M felt a little relief.
Two people supported him and took him to the Mosque to
perform the noon prayer. At that time, Abu Bakr was leading
the prayer. The Prophet sat on his left, and Abu Bakr 4i> followed
the Prophet in prayer while the others followed him
All for charity
On Sunday, the Prophet M set his slaves free, gave away his last
seven dinars in charity, and bequeathed his weapons to the
Muslim army. When night drew near, Aishah iui sent her
lamp to a woman in the neighborhood to drop a little tallow in it.
The Prophet’s $5 coat of mail had been pawned with a Jew for
about seventy-five kilograms of barley.
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The Prophet’s death draws near
On Monday morning, Abu Bakr was leading prayer when the
Prophet $!£ lifted the curtain of Aishah’s i** ^ house, which
adjoined the Mosque, and looked at the people in prayer. He
smiled, and Abu Bakr 4i> moved backwards a little thinking that
the Prophet M wanted to come and lead the prayer.
The people, when they saw the radiance of the Prophet’s face,
were overtaken by such happiness that they almost interrupted
their prayers. The Prophet M, however, motioned with his hand
indicating that they should complete the prayer. He disappeared
behind the curtain.
Later that day (other sources indicate it was later that week), the
Prophet H called his daughter, Fatimah ^ <3>i He whispered
something to her, and she burst into tears. He then whispered to
her again, at which she smiled. Aishah asked Fatimah
what the Prophet $£ had told her, but she said he had asked her to
keep it a secret. After the Prophet’s death, Fatimah revealed that
her father had first told her he would not recover from his illness,
and this had made her cry. Then he told her that of his children,
she would be the next to join him, which had made her smile. He
also informed her that she would be made the Sayyidah (leader)
of the women of Paradise.
Fatimah was so distressed at her father’s agony, she cried: “O the
pains of my dear father!” The Prophet H replied, “After this day,
your father will suffer no pain.”
The Prophet then called Fatimah’s sons, Hasan and Husayn
;p ^ — ij, and kissed them. His wives were nearby, and he
counseled them. His pain was gradually increasing, and he put a
sheet over his face and would uncover it only when he was out of
breath. He would say, “May the curse of Allah be upon the Jews
and Christians!” He repeated his earlier instruction that no two
religions were to flourish in Arabia. Finally, he repeated over and
over again: “Prayer, prayer . . . your slaves and subordinates.”
308
The Prophet M dies
The Prophet’s strength began to ebb, and Aishah if* held
the Prophet against her between her breast and throat. Just at that
moment, her brother Abdul Rahman bin Abi Bakr entered the
room, holding a root ( Miswaak ) used to clean teeth. Aishah saw
the Prophet M looking at the Miswaak, so she asked him if he
wanted it, and he nodded. She took it, and after chewing the end
a little to soften it, she gave it to him.
A bowl of water was kept near the Prophet $s, and he dipped both
his hands into it and wiped his face, saying, “There is no god but
Allah. Verily, these are the pangs of death.”
He either lifted up his hands or pointed his forefinger toward
heaven. His voice was weak, but ‘Aishah could hear him speak
as he raised his eyes and repeated three times:
HADEETH
“With the blessed from among the prophets, the ever-
truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous! O Allah, forgive
me and have mercy on me. I choose to be with the exalted
companions! O Allah, the exalted companions!”
Abu Bakr unites the Mourners
As the news of the Prophet’s failing health spread among the
Prophet’s Companions, their world darkened, and they were on
the verge of losing their senses. No day had been brighter than
the day the Prophet came to Madinah, and no day was darker
than the twelfth of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 1 1 A.H., the day he died.
Meanwhile, Umar was in the Prophet’s Mosque telling the
people that the Prophet M would not leave this world until Allah
had destroyed the Hypocrites. He threatened to kill anyone who
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claimed the Prophet M was dead.
That Monday morning, Abu Bakr 4® noticed that the Prophet’s M
health seemed to be improving, and he returned home, optimistic
that the Prophet would soon recover. When he reached home,
however, he heard that the Prophet had passed away. He
mounted his horse and galloped back to the Prophet’s Mosque.
He entered without saying a word to anyone and walked into the
Prophet’s house, where the Prophet M lay, a Yemenite sheet
covering his body. Abu Bakr uncovered the Prophet’s face,
kissed him and wept. “May my mother and father be your
ransom,” Abu Bakr said. “You have tasted the death that Allah
has decreed for you. There is no death after this one.”
Conscious that the people needed to be addressed, Abu Bakr
went into the Prophet’s Mosque where Umar stood fiercely
denying the news of the Prophet’s death. Abu Bakr asked Umar
to sit down, but he refused. Abu Bakr then went to the
Prophet’s pulpit and praised Allah. He looked at the anxious
faces before him and addressed them thus:
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“O men, if anyone worships Muhammad, let him know that
Muhammad is dead. But if anyone worships Allah, then know
that Allah is alive and will never die. Allah says in the Qur’an:
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‘Muhammad is but a messenger, and many other messengers
have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you
return to disbelief? Truly, those who abandon belief do not hurt
Allah. Indeed, Allah rewards those who are grateful.’” (3:144)
No one had ever reflected on the significance of the verse Abu
Bakr recited during his address. It was inconceivable to most of
the Companions that the Prophet gg would pass away before they
310
did. Abbas relates; when Abu Bakr read this verse to us, it
was as if Allah had never revealed it until that moment.
Umar was especially devastated by the news. Later, he was to
describe his reaction in the following words:
“By Allah, when I heard Abu Bakr reciting the verse, I was
taken aback and fell down as if I did not have any legs. It was at
that moment that I comprehended that the Prophet had died.”
Abu Bakr <&> chosen as Khalifah
The most significant dispute that arose immediately after the death
of the Prophet M was that of choosing the Prophet’s successor. Ali
bin Abi Talib thought that he was within his rights to succeed the
Prophet because he had been close to the Prophet from the
beginning of his mission. Therefore, Ali, Zubayr and some people of
Banu Hashim assembled in Fatimah’s house, while the Ansar met
elsewhere to choose an Amir (leader) from among themselves. The
rest of the Muhajireen, including Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu
Ubayda also joined the Ansar. They discussed and debated the
matter, unsure who would be chosen or how it should be done. The
Ansar wanted the Prophet’s successor to come from among them,
but Abu Bakr made a significant observation:
“Yes, the Ansar deserve this honor, but the Arabs believe
the Quraysh to be unrivaled in the art of administration,
and no Arab will accept a ruler who is not from the
Quraysh. The Quraysh are superior to others in respect to
lineage and family.”
Abu Bakr then caught the hands of Umar and Abu Ubayda and
said, “I choose either of these two to be our Amir.”
“One Amir from among us, and one from among you,” someone
from among the Ansar suggested. People began to raise their voices.
Suddenly, Umar asked Abu Bakr to extend his hand. When he did
so, Umar pledged his allegiance to him. One by one, everyone else
present followed Umar’s lead and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr,
311
who thus became the Prophet’s successor.
Funeral rites and burial
On Tuesday, the Prophet’s body was washed by Abbas, Ali, Abbas’
two sons, Fadl and Qatham, and the freed slaves of the Prophet H,
Shaqran, Usamah bin Zayd and Aus bin Khaula <5ii
Abbas and his two sons moved the Prophet’s body from side to
side, Usama and Shaqran poured water, Ali washed the body,
and Aus helped prop the body up.
The Prophet’s body was washed three times with water and berry
leaves. The water came from Ghars, Sa‘d bin Khaythama’s well
in Qubaa, which the Prophet $g used to drink from. His body was
then shrouded in three white cotton Yemenite sheets.
Abu Talha dug the Prophet’s grave on the spot where he had
died in Aishah’s house. It was a Lahd type of grave with a niche
in the side. The Prophet’s body lay on his cot beside the grave,
and his Companions came in groups of ten to pray the funeral
prayer individually, without an Imam to lead the prayer. First,
members of the Prophet’s family prayed, followed by the
Muhajireen , the Ansar , and then the women and children.
The funeral prayers for the Prophet H lasted all day Tuesday and most
of Wednesday. Late Wednesday night the Prophet M was buried.
Mothers of the believers
The Prophet M had either eleven or twelve wives, of whom nine
were alive when he passed away. A short account of each of the
Mothers of the believers is given below:
1) Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid -Sn
The Prophet % married her when he was twenty-five years old.
She bore all the Prophet’s children except Ibraheem, and was the
Prophet’s only wife while she lived. She died at the age of 65, in
the month of Ramadan, ten years after the Prophet M began his
mission, and was buried in Hajoon.
312
2) Saudah bint Zam‘a if* in
She was previously married to her cousin Sakran bin Amr. The
couple embraced Islam and migrated to Abyssinia. On their return to
Makkah, Sakran died. The Prophet % married Saudah in Shawwal,
one month after Khadeejah died. She died in Shawwal, 54 A.H.
3) Aishah Siddeeqah bint Abu Bakr Siddeeq if* in
The Prophet M married her in Shawwal, a year after marrying
Saudah. Aishah was the only virgin the Prophet M married and
was regarded as the best loved of all the Prophet’s wives. She
was the most learned female Muslim jurist in history. She passed
away on Ramadan 17, 57 A.H., and was buried in Baqi.
4) Hafsah bint Umar bin Khattab if* in
She was married to Khunays bin Hadhafah, who died from a wound
incurred at the Battle of Badr. The Prophet M married her in Sha‘ban,
3 A.H., after she came out of mourning. She died in Madinah in
Sha‘ban, 45 A.H., at the age of 60, and was buried in Baqi.
5) Zaynab bint Khuzaymah if* in
She was the widow of Ubaydah bin Harith who was martyred in
the Battle of Badr. According to some others she was married to
Abdullah bin Jahsh who was martyred in the battle of Uhud. The
Prophet M married her in 4 A.H. In the Days of Ignorance, she was
known as “ Umm Al-Masaakeen ” (Mother of the destitute) for her
compassion toward the poor. She died in Rabi‘ Al-Akhir, 4 A.H. ,
eight months after her marriage to the Prophet yg. The Prophet yg led
her funeral prayer and buried her in Baqi.
6) Umm Salamah, or Hind bint Abu Umayyah if* in
She was married to Abu Salamah <&>. She bore several children
while married to him, but he died in Jamad Al-Akhir, 4 A.H. The
Prophet M married her at the end of Shawwal, 4 A.H. She was a
great jurist and one of the wisest women of her time. She died in
59 A.H. at the age of 84 (other sources date her death in 62
A.H.). She was buried in Baqi.
313
7) Zaynab bint Jahsh bin Riqab if*
She was the daughter of the Prophet’s M aunt Umaymabint
Abdul Muttalib. She was initially married to Zayd bin Haritha,
but the couple had problems, and Zayd divorced her. Zayd had
been adopted by the Prophet and according to ancient Arab
customs, it was unlawful for a man to marry the former wife of
an adopted son. Allah ordered the Prophet M to marry Zaynab to
show that this ancient Arab custom had been abolished. The
marriage took place in Dhul Qa‘dah, 5 A.H. (other sources date
the marriage in 4 A. H.). She died in 20 A.H. at the age of 53 and
was the first to die among the Prophet’s surviving wives. Umar
40> led the funeral prayer, and she was buried in Baqi.
8) Juwayriyah bint Al-Harith if*
She was brought as a prisoner from the battle of Banu Al-Mustaliq
in Sha‘ban, in the year 5 or 6 A.H. and was given to Thabit bin
Qays. He decided to set her free in return for a certain amount. The
Prophet H paid Thabit the amount he requested, freed her and
married her. Having seen this, the Muslims set free one hundred
families of the Banu Al-Mustaliq saying that they were in-laws of
the Prophet Thus, she proved herself a blessing for her people.
She died in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 56 A.H., at the age of 65.
9) Umm Habeebah, or Ramla bint Abi Sufyan if* in
She came to be known as “Umm Habeebah” (the mother of
Habeebah) because of her daughter, Habeebah. As the daughter
of the Prophet’s fierce enemy, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, she made
many sacrifices for her faith and migrated to Abyssinia along
with her husband, Ubaydullah bin Jahsh. Ubaydullah later
converted to Christianity and died, but Umm Habeebah remained
steadfast in faith. When the Prophet M sent his envoy, Amrbin
Umayya Damri, to the king of Abyssinia, he also sent a proposal to
the widowed Umm Habeebah. The king married her to the Prophet
|g, paying her 400 dinars in dowry, and sent her to the Prophet %
under the escort of Shurahbeel bin Hasnah. After the Prophet fg
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returned from Khaybar, he married Umm Habeebah in Safar or
Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 7 A.H. She died either in 42 or 44 A.H.
10) Safiyah bint Huyayy bin Akhtab
She was the daughter of the chieftain of the Jewish tribe of Banu
Nadir and a descendant of the Prophet Haroon (Aaron). She was
taken captive in Khaybar and given to the Prophet ft because of
her status. The Prophet ft asked her to accept Islam and she did
so. He then set her free and married her in 7 A.H. on the eve of
the conquest of Khaybar. Her death is variously dated around 36,
50 and 52 A.H. She too was buried in Baqi.
11) Maymoona bint Harith Hilaliya ^ k
She was the sister of Abbas’ wife, Umm Al-Fadl Lababa Al-
Kubra bint Harith Hilaliya. The Prophet ft married her in Dhul
Qa‘dah, 7 A H. She came to the Prophet ft as his bride at Sarf,
nine miles outside Makkah. She also died at Sarf in 38, 61 or 62
A.H. and was buried there. Her grave site is known even today.
There is no question that these eleven women were married to
the Prophet ft. However, some scholars have disagreed over the
status of Rayhana bint Zayd, some saying she became the
Prophet’s wife in Muharram, 6 A.H. She belonged to the Banu
Nadir and was the wife of a man from the Banu Quraydha. She
was captured in the battle against Banu Quraydha, and the
Prophet M chose her for himself. It is also said that the Prophet
did not set her free and kept her as a maid. She passed away upon
the Prophet’s return from his Farewell pilgrimage, and the
Prophet buried her in Baqi.
The Prophet ft also had a maid named Mariya Qibtiya (Mary the
Copt), who was presented to him by Muqauqis. She bore the
Prophet M a son named Ibraheem. She died in 15 or 16 A.H. and
was buried in Baqi
The Prophet’s children
All the Prophet’s offspring, with the exception of Ibraheem, were
315
born to Khadeejah w — 4 Below is a brief account of the
Prophet’s children.
1) Qasim
He was the eldest son of the Prophet and thus the Prophet was
called “Abul Qasim” (the father of Qasim). He died when he was
about two years old.
2) Zaynab
She was the eldest daughter of the Prophet She was bom after
Qasim, and was married to Abul Aas bin Rabi‘a, the son of her aunt
Hala bint Khuwaylid. Zaynab had a son named Ali and a daughter,
Umama, whom the Prophet $$ would place in his lap during prayer.
Zaynab died in the earlier part of 8 A.H., in Madinah.
3) Ruqayyah
She was married to Uthman bin Affan 4> and gave birth to a son,
Abdullah, who died at the age of six when a rooster gouged his
eye. The Prophet M was at the Battle of Badr when Ruqayyah
passed away. She had already been buried when Zayd bin
Haritha reached Madinah with the news of victory at Badr.
4) UmmKulthoom
After the death of Ruqayyah, the Prophet 4 returned from Badr
and gave Umm Kulthoom to Uthman bin Affan 4 in marriage.
She had no children, and died in 9 A.H. and was buried in Baqi.
5) Fatimah
The youngest daughter of the Prophet she was married to Ali
bin Abi Talib 4> after the Battle of Badr. She gave birth to two
sons, Hasan and Husayn, and two daughters, Zaynab and Umm
Kulthoom. Fatimah 4*4^ died six months after the death of
the Prophet H.
All five of the children mentioned above were bom before the
Prophet $£ was appointed Allah’s messenger.
316
6) Abdullah
There is some difference of opinion about whether Abdullah was
bom before or after the advent of Islam. He was the last of the
Prophet’s sons bom to Khadeejah ^ it ^ j and died during
childhood.
7) Ibraheem
Ibraheem was bom in Madinah in Jamad Al-Awwal or Jamad
Al-Akhir, 9 A.H. His mother was the Prophet’s maid, Mariya
Qibtiya. On the day of his death, Shawwal 29, 10 A.H., a solar
eclipse occurred in Madinah. The people believed that the eclipse
was to commemorate Ibraheem ’s death, but the Prophet %
informed them that astronomical events were not affected by
human affairs. Ibraheem was sixteen or eighteen months old
when he died, and was buried in Baqi, and the Prophet M said,
“He will be nursed by one of the maids in Paradise.”
The Prophet’s features and character
The Prophet’s physical appearance was described in detail by
his Companions.
The Prophet’s face
The Prophet’s face was fair, attractive and round. Whenever he
was pleased, his face shone bright like the full moon, but it
would turn crimson when he was angry.
If sweat appeared on his face, the beads glistened like pearls, and
the fragrance of his perspiration excelled the smell of musk.
The Prophet’s cheeks were soft, his forehead wide, and his
eyebrows thin and arched. His eyes were wide, with black pupils,
while the whites were mixed with crimson. He had long thick
eyelashes.
The bridge of the Prophet’s nose was high and shiny. His mouth
was wide, and there were spaces between each of his teeth. His
teeth were bright, appearing like tiny hailstones when he smiled,
317
and they sparkled as he talked.
The Prophet’s beard was black, thick and full, covering most of
his chest. A few gray hairs showed on his ear lobes and chin.
Head, neck and hair
The Prophet had a large head on a long neck. His hair was
slightly curly, and he wore it parted in the middle. Sometimes he
kept his hair so long it touched both shoulders, while at other
times it fell just above or below his ear lobes. He had a few gray
hair above his forehead, but there were no more than twenty gray
hairs on his head and beard together.
Limbs
The Prophet was big boned with large elbows, shoulders,
knees, and wrists. His palms and feet were wide. His arms were
heavy and hairy, and his heels and calves were light. He had
broad hirsute shoulders, but his chest was broad and hairless,
with only a line of hair running from his chest to his navel.
Build and stature
The Prophet was of a medium build, being neither fat nor thin.
He had a straight body. Although he was not particularly tall, he
rose above most men in height.
Fragrance
Several of the Prophet’s Companions have mentioned a
fragrance, sweeter than any perfume, emanating from the
Prophet’s body. Anas says: “I never smelt any musk or any
other such perfume that was as sweet as the fragrance of the
Prophet.” Jabir 4* says: “The Prophet’s fragrance lingered after
he left, and we could tell which path he had taken by sniffing the
air.” If the Prophet M happened to shake hands with anyone, the
fragrance would remain with that person for the whole day.
When he spread his hand over a child’s head, others would
discern his fragrance on the child. Umm Sulaym iui used
318
to collect some of the Prophet’s sweat in a small bottle and
would mix it with perfume.
The Prophet’s gait
The Prophet M was swift-footed and had a firm step. He would
rise with a jerk and walk swiftly but smoothly, as if going down
a slope. He would turn swiftly and gracefully.
The Prophet never seemed to tire when he walked, and nobody
could keep pace with him. Abu Hurayrah says, “I have never
seen anyone who walked as quickly as the Prophet $t. It looked
as if the earth rolled itself up for him when he walked. We would
tire ourselves out walking with him, while he would move on
with ease.”
Voice and speech
The Prophet’s voice was slightly loud, his speech eloquent. He
looked dignified in silence and attractive while speaking. He
always spoke to the point, and his words were explicit and
distinct. Quite naturally, he was a powerful orator.
Character
The Prophet M usually seemed cheerful, and he liked to smile.
Even when others were rude to him, he was never harsh and
rude. He never raised his voice in the market place.
If faced with a choice between two options, the Prophet H would
always choose the easier one, provided that it did not lead to sin.
Above everything else, he avoided sinning or anything leading to
disobedience of Allah. He never sought revenge for any offense
committed against himself, but when the honor of Allah was at
stake, he would certainly punish the offender.
As we have seen over the course of the events in his life, the
Prophet was generous, brave, strong, and extraordinarily
patient. Never vulgar or obscene, his dislike of something was
apparent in his face. He never stared directly at anyone, nor did
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he ever glare at anyone in displeasure. He never rebuked his
servant, nor was he ever heard saying something unkind about
anyone.
Even before his appointment as Allah’s Messenger, the Prophet
was known as “ Al-Ameen ” (the Trustworthy). He always kept
his promises, and remained humble even in victory. He respected
the ties of kinship, attending the funerals of his relatives and
Companions. He sat with the poor and needy, and accepted
invitations extended to him from slaves. At the height of his
power as head of the Islamic state, he lived modestly. He never
attempted to outdo others in serving rich food or wearing
expensive clothing.
CONCLUSION
It is impossible to adequately describe the Prophet’s life and its
significance for all humanity. This book is merely a brief account
of the most important and influential person in history.
I pray that Allah blesses this small work, and forgives me for
falling short of my lofty goal. And I pray that Allah blesses the
Prophet, his family, and his righteous Companions. May Allah
grant us a place under the Prophet’s standard on the Day of
Judgment. Ameen\
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