MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 22/41)
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ight Muhammad. The Holy Prophet asked, “Do you know where Muhammad is?” “I heard on a certain day that the army was at a certain spot, and if this is true, then today they must be at such-and-such a place. Tomorrow they will be here.” Then the Prophet prayed and sent Ali, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and Zubayr bin Awwam to guard the outpost.
They brought news to the Holy Prophet that Quraysh were at a distance of one hour’s journey from the well at Badr. At nightfall they apprehended some of the watermen of the Quraysh who had come to fill their waterskins. They pressured them into telling them where Quraysh were camped, and how many of them there were. The water bearer said, “I can’t say how many there are, but every day they slaughter nine or ten beasts for food.” From this the Holy Prophet understood that there must be between nine hundred and a thousand men. Then he asked the man how many nobles of Quraysh were among them, and he enumerated their names: “`Utba, Shayba, Umayya, Abu Jahl, Nabih, Naufal, al- Harith bin `Amir, Munabbih, Suhayl...” and others he mentioned. Thereupon the Prophet turned to his companions and said, “Mecca has thrown to you choice pieces of its liver!”
The companions said, “Oh Prophet of Allah , they have not reached the wells of Badr yet, it is best we get there first.” The Prophet agreed and they stopped up the wells and built a cistern so that they would have plenty of water, and the enemy would have none. The next day the two armies came face to face. Abu Jahl saw that the Muslims were much fewer than they and he spoke derisively in their face: “If it is true what Muhammad says, then we are out to fight the God of the heavens. But only he who fights against me, is then fighting the God of the heavens!”
One man from the tribe of the Bani Makhzum who was allied with Abu Jahl stepped forth and said, “I swear to God that I will drink from their cistern or destroy it or die beside it!” With these words he made for the cistern. Hamza drew his sword to prevent him, and he cut off his foot and half his leg as he was near the cistern. The man fell onto the ground, but continued crawling towards the cistern and threw himself in it, with the purpose of fulfilling his oath. Hamza followed him and smote him in the cistern so that he died there. After this, the unbelievers asked for water to drink from the cistern, which was now contaminated with blood, and the Muslims were disinclined to give it to them. But the Holy Prophet said to them, “Let them drink, do not prevent them.”
They drank, and every man who drank of it on that day was killed in battle, but for one. The next day the troops were arrayed and stood facing each other. Abu Jahl prayed, “Oh Lord,” he said, “Thy help be with him whom You love best.” Immediately this verse was revealed:
If victory you are seeking, victory has already come upon you; and if you give over, it is better for you. But if you return, We shall return, and your host will avail you nothing though it be numerous; and that God is with the believers. (The Spoils, 19)
At that time the Muslim army had no tents. Sa’d bin Mu’adh made a shelter for the Holy Prophet from palm fronds, saying, “Oh Prophet of Allah , remain here in the shadow of these branches while we go out and meet the enemy.” The Holy Prophet entered the shelter they had made for him and prostrated himself in the dust, praying, “Oh Lord, grant us Thy Help which Thou hast promised to us!” Then he stepped outside the shelter and took a branch or an arrow and with it dressed the ranks of the Muslim soldiery.
From the pagan army `Utba bin Rabi’a, Shayba bin Rabi’a and his son Walid stood up and challenged the Muslims to battle. Abdullah bin Rawaha, ‘Auf bin Harith and Mu’adh of the Ansar went out to meet them. Seeing them, `Utba said to them, “We have no business with you. We wish for an encounter with our equals.” Thereupon the Prophet sent out Ali ibn Abi Talib, ‘Ubayda bin Harith and Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib to fight them. They attacked each other, and Hamza slew Shayba, while Ali slew Walid in the first onslaught. Only `Utba struck ‘Ubayda such a blow that his leg was cut off and the marrow was oozing out. Ali and Hamza came to his aid and struck `Utba to his death. Then they brought ‘Ubayda into the Presence of the Prophet . He looked at his leg, and said to him, “Good fortune to you, ‘Ubayda, for you are presently to enter Paradise. ‘Ubayda replied, “In me is realized the word of Abu Talib which he
spoke when he said, ‘We will not give him up till we lie dead around him, and be unmindful of our women and children.’”
Then the battle began in earnest with an arrow from Quraysh mortally wounding Mihja’, a freedman of ‘Umar. Harith bin Suraqa was pierced in the throat by another arrow while he was drinking and fell a martyr. The Holy Prophet entered the shelter of the hut they had built for him and placing his face in the dust prayed fervently to Allah, “Oh my Lord, we have relied on Thy promise, do send us Thy support!” The angel Jibra’il then descended with one thousand angels and announced to the Holy Prophet , “Oh Muhammad , Allah Almighty has sent you peace and victory,” and he recited to him the following verse:
When you were calling upon your Lord for succor, and He answered you, ‘I shall reinforce you with a thousand angels riding behind you.’ (The Spoils, 9)
The angels stood arranged in rows, and each one of them held in his hand a spear with which they smote the heads and necks of the unbelievers. The following verse tells of this:
When thy Lord was revealing to the angels, I am with you; so confirm the believers. I shall cast into the unbelievers’ hearts terror; so smite above the necks, and smite every finger of them!’ (The Spoils, 12)
Then the Holy Prophet took up a handful of dust and hurled it at the faces of the unbelievers. Allah made a wind spring up at that moment that carried the dust into the eyes of the idolaters, so that they were momentarily blinded and could not see. They perished instantly when struck by the angelic swords. When the Muslims saw the enemy fall under unseen blows, they realized that there was another force at work here besides their own efforts at war. As it is written in the Holy Quran:
You did not slay them, but God slew them; and when thou threwest, it was not thyself that threw, but God threw, and that He might confer on the believers a fair benefit; surely God is All-Hearing, All- Knowing. The Spoils, 17)
In this way the unbelievers were routed. Among them were some men of the Bani Hashim who had been forced to join in this campaign, such as ‘Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib, Abul-Bakhtari and others. The Holy Prophet had given orders not to kill them, but to give no quarter to Abu Jahl if they encountered him. The Prophet retreated into the shade of the shelter and
began to pray and give his thanks. The Muslims went after the fleeing enemy. A Muslim by the name of Abu Yasir recognized ‘Abbas and called out to him, “Muhammad told us not to kill you,” and tied his hands. ‘Abbas had twenty dinars in his belt, these he gave to Abu Yasir. Together they went to the presence of the Holy Prophet . Mujadhdhar bin Ziyad came across Abul-Bakhtari and called to him, “The Holy Prophet wishes for you not to be killed.” Abul- Bakhtari pointed to the friend at his side and said, “Then refrain also from killing my friend.” This Mujadhdhar could not accept, and so a fight between them began in which Mujadhdhar slew them both. The Holy Prophet was very grieved when he learned of the death of Abul-Bakhtari, and Mujadhdhar fell down and begged his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet.
Mu’adh bin ‘Amr of the Ansar had sworn he would kill Abu Jahl. He looked out for him and espied him astride his horse. With one sweep of his sword he cut off his leg so that he fell underneath his horse. Abu Jahl’s son Ikrima then came and wounded Mu’adh on his hand and arm, so that his arm was swinging loosely at his side, held only by a piece of skin. He continued to fight in this condition until the pain became intolerable, and he cut it off by standing on it with his foot. Then he continued to fight.
Searching among the dead, Abdullah bin Mas’ud saw Abu Jahl. He recognized him and went and sat upon his chest. Abu Jahl opened his eyes once more and recognized him, saying, “You have climbed high, you little shepherd.” Abdullah bin Mas’ud replied, “Praise be to that King who has put you to shame,” and with that he cut off his head and the Holy Prophet gave thanks to Allah Almighty. According to one narration, Abdullah bin Mas’ud invited him to Islam before he killed him. Abu Jahl’s answer was only, “Go and tell your prophet that as much rancor as I have held against him thus far, I shall hold against him even more from now on.” When these words were reported to the Holy Prophet he commented, “The Pharaoh I have had to deal with was much worse than the Pharaoh of Musa; for when Musa’s Pharoah was on the verge of drowning, he accepted the God of Musa and the Bani Isra’il, whereas this one increased a thousand fold in his disbelief.”
At nightfall all the soldiers returned to camp. There was a dried-up well at the entrance to Badr, and the Holy Prophet had the corpses of the unbelievers piled into this well. As they threw them into the pit, the Holy Prophet stood beside it and said, “Oh people of the pit! You were an evil kinsfolk to your Prophet. You called me a liar and expelled me from your city. Have you found that what Allah promised you is true? I have found that what my Lord promised me is true.” The
Muslims said, “Oh Prophet of Allah , are you calling to the dead bodies?” The Holy Prophet answered them, “They hear as well as you do, but they cannot answer me.”
There is a disagreement as to how many died at Badr. Some narrations say there were forty-five dead and some say there were seventy-two dead. There is no doubt about the number of dead among the Muslims: six of the Muhajirin and eight from among the Ansar: fourteen in all.
After the battle was over, disputes arose as to the division of the spoils. One group said, “Whatever we find is ours,” while another group was of the opinion that everything should be brought before the Holy Prophet and they would wait to see what was his command. Promptly a verse was revealed concerning this:
They will question you concerning the spoils. Say: ‘The spoils belong to God and the Messenger; so fear you God, and set things right between you, and obey you God and His Messenger, if you are believers. (The Spoils, 1)
The spoils were then all collected in one place and Abdullah bin Ka’b was set to guard over them.
The next day the Holy Prophet sent Zayd bin Harith back to Madinah to give the news of the victory and the slaying of Abu Jahl. He met ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan coming back from the cemetery. His wife, the Prophet’s own daughter Ruqiyya, had been very ill when they went out to Badr, and ‘Uthman had been ordered to stay at her side. She had died that day and they had buried her. Zayd gave him the news of Abu Jahl’s defeat, and ‘Uthman’s heart was gladdened in spite of his grief, as were the hearts of the townspeople of Madinah.
Some of the defeated Meccan soldiers made their way back to Mecca. The first to get there was al-Haysuman bin Abdullah. When he was asked for news, he told of all the nobles who had been killed in the battle. Safwan bin Umayya was sitting in a corner, and when he heard the names of the Qurayshi chiefs, he spoke up and said, “This fellow must be mad! Ask him about me!” They said to Haysuman: “What about Safwan bin Umayya?” “Are you jesting with me?” he said, “He is sitting here in the corner of the temple, but I saw his father and brother as they were being killed.” Speaking these words he began to weep, and they realized that he was indeed telling the truth. Abu Lahab was ill that day, and when he received this bad news, his state worsened and the next day he was dead. No one could approach his blackened and swollen corpse. When his son
`Utba came and saw his father’s condition, he pulled down the whole house and
buried his father within it.
The Holy Prophet gathered all the companions and asked them their opinions about the distribution of the spoils. ‘Umar said, “The prisoners should be killed and their possessions burnt, for they are filth and evil.” But the Holy Prophet was not pleased with these words. Abu Bakr said, “These prisoners are our relatives. Allah Almighty gave us victory over them. Let the prisoners pay ransom for themselves, and let their belongings be distributed among the companions.” The Holy Prophet agreed with this opinion, and said, “Be patient and let us see what Allah Almighty commands us to do.”
According to the law of previous nations, the spoils of war were not lawful and had to be burnt or buried. Before the time of our Prophet none of the spoils taken from an enemy were lawful to the victor. But in the time of our Prophet the spoils of war were made lawful to the Muslims.
Before long this holy verse of the Quran was revealed:
It is not fitting for any Prophet to take prisoners of war until he has subdued the (uprising in the) land. You desire the chance goods in the present world, and God desires the world to come; and God is All- Mighty, All-Wise. Had it not been for a prior prescription from God, there had afflicted you for what you took, a mighty chastisement. Eat of what you have taken as booty, such as is lawful and good, and fear you God; surely God is All-Forgiving and All-Compassionate.
(The Spoils, 67-69)
The next day the Prophet together with the bulk of soldiers departed for Madinah. The stopped and halted at a certain distance from the city. There the captives were presented to the Holy Prophet . ‘Uqba bin Abi Mu’ayt was among those Meccans who had spat in the Prophet’s face. The Prophet said to Asim ibn Thabit, “Go and make true my pledge.” ‘Uqba said, “Oh Muhammad, if I am to die, who will look after my children?” The Prophet answered, “Hell!” Then he was put to death.
After that he ordered Ali to strike the neck of al-Nadr bin Harith, for he was that person of whom Allah says in the Holy Book:
And when they say, “Oh God, if this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones out of Heaven, or bring us a painful chastisement.”
(The Spoils, 32)
When they came to Madinah the captives entered with their hands shackled. Sauda, the Prophet’s wife saw them and exclaimed, “Why did they not fight like their forebears and die a noble death?” The Holy Prophet happened to hear these words and was unsettled by them. He said by manner of reproof, “Oh Sauda, are you trying to raise trouble against Allah and His Messenger?” Sauda immediately repented of her words and quickly went over to Aisha, just as the Holy Prophet was entering her room. She said, “I am an old woman, but I do wish to remain in the Prophet’s wedlock until the Last Day. Please help me in this matter.” The Holy Prophet then forgave her.
The Holy Prophet did not ransom the captives but waited for their Meccan relatives to come and pay their ransom. Abu Sufyan meanwhile advised his fellow Meccans, “Wait before you ransom the prisoners, for Muhammad is asking a very high price. I had two sons, one of them, Hanzala, became Muslim and was slain; the other, ‘Amr, is their prisoner. Still I am waiting, and I counsel you to wait as well.” But nobody listened to him. The son of Abu Wada’ could not wait and he went to ransom his father and returned with him to Mecca. Then the other Meccans began to pay the ransom for their near and dear ones. The Holy Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbas was also taken prisoner in the battle.
‘Abbas Enters Islam
The Holy Prophet said to him, “Oh ‘Abbas, you are the richest of all the captives; three of them, ‘Aqil, Naufal and `Utba are the sons of your brother. But they are poor, so do you pay their ransom?” ‘Abbas answered, “Oh Messenger of Allah, I am inclined towards Islam, and they forced me to come along from Mecca against my will.” The Prophet replied, “But outwardly you resemble one of the unbelievers.” “The person who took me captive took from me my belt containing a certain sum of dinars, let that be my ransom,” replied ‘Abbas. “That money belongs to the Muslims, that cannot be your ransom,” answered the Prophet . ‘Abbas said, “There is nothing else I possess with which I might ransom myself.”
The Prophet then said, “If I tell you about what you are hiding, will you use it to pay your ransom?” “Yes, I will,” answered his uncle. Thereupon the Holy Prophet said, “Do you remember one night when you put a number of coins in a bag, placed them in the hand of your wife Umm al-Fadl, saying, ‘Go and bury this in such a place in the house, should anything happen to me, use this money and divide it among my four sons.’ This is what you said, isn’t it?” ‘Abbas was astonished, “Who told you about this?” he asked. The Prophet answered, “The
angel Jibra’il tells me these things.” Then ‘Abbas made his Shahada and said, “That night there was no one in the house but Umm al-Fadl and myself, therefore you must be telling the truth.”
That is how the Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbas came to accept Islam, and this verse was revealed on this occasion:
Oh Prophet, say to the prisoners in your hands: If God knows of any good in your hearts He will give you better than what has been taken from you, and He will forgive you; surely God is All-Forgiving, All- Compassionate. (The Spoils, 70)
The Holy Prophet said to ‘Abbas, “Oh uncle, Allah Almighty has sent down this verse on your account.”
‘Abbas grew very rich when he entered Islam and he used to say, “Allah Almighty has promised two things to me: one of them that I would become rich in this world, and the other that I would find forgiveness in the other world. Now He has fulfilled His promise to me in this world, and I am hopeful that He will fulfill His promise to me in the other world as well.”
The angel Jibra’il came and said, “’Abbas possesses four virtues,” whereupon the Holy Prophet said to him, “Oh uncle, Allah has praised you for the possession of four virtues: tell me which ones they may be.” ‘Abbas answered, “Even before I became a believer I never worshipped the idols; I never cast my eye on another man’s wife; I never told lies; and I never ate of what was haram (forbidden).”
When the Holy Prophet had migrated to Madinah, he left two of his daughters behind in Mecca, for they were married to unbelievers. The Prophet was worried about them. One of them was Ruqiyya who was married to `Utba bin Abi Lahab, the other was Zaynab, married to Abul-‘As. When the unbelievers forced the Prophet to leave Mecca, they said to his sons-in-law, “Leave Muhammad’s daughters, divorce yourselves from them and let him look after his own daughters.” But Abul-‘As loved his wife Zaynab and would not dismiss her. Now Abul-‘As had become the prisoner of the Holy Prophet , and he told him to send word to Mecca that they might ransom him.
He sent a message to Zaynab, but Zaynab possessed nothing but a necklace, which she had inherited from her mother Khadija. This she sent as ransom for her husband. When the Holy Prophet saw and recognized the necklace, he became sorrowful and wept. The Companions then said, “We ask for nothing, we
forego our part of his ransom.” The Holy Prophet handed the necklace to Abul-‘As and said to him, “Oh Abul-‘As, my daughter is not lawful to you, since you are yet an unbeliever. If you accept Islam, I will give her to you.” Abul-‘ As said, “No, I will not become Muslim.” The Holy Prophet then said, “In that case, when you have reached Mecca, send my daughter back to me.” Abul-‘As said, “So be it, I will send her.” The Holy Prophet then sent Zayd bin Harith to Mecca with Abul-‘ As, and he brought back Zaynab with him. Some time after this, Abul-‘As migrated to Madinah and became Muslim. The Holy Prophet then married him anew to his daughter Zaynab, and returned to him all the possessions which the companions had taken from him aforetime.
The Story of Wahab bin ‘Umayr
There lived a man in Mecca by name of Wahab bin ‘Umayr. He had one son who was captured in the Battle of Badr. He went to Safwan and said, “I want to retrieve my son, and at the same time I want to kill Muhammad. Meanwhile you take charge of my family and look after them.” Safwan accepted this, and said, “I will take care of them.”
Wahab prepared himself, girded his sword and set out for Madinah. In the mean time the angel Jibra’il came to the Holy Prophet and informed him of Wahab’s coming. When he arrived at Madinah, he went straight to the Holy Prophet . “Why have you come, oh Wahab?” the Holy Prophet asked him. Wahab was going to say, “I have come to ransom my son, but I have nothing with which to pay the ransom, so just give him to me!” But his tongue became tied and he could not utter a single word. The Prophet then said to him, “If I tell you what you came for, will you then accept Islam?” Wahab agreed to this. Then the Prophet explained to him the whole story and said, “You went to Safwan and told him that you were going to kill Muhammad, and you asked him to care for your family. Safwan accepted and told you to go ahead with your intention.”
When he heard these words, Wahab became convinced that Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah and he uttered the words of the Shahada and became Muslim. The Prophet then said, “Now that you have become Muslim, I will return to you your son. Go back to Mecca and hold on to your Islam. Explain your way to whomever asks about it, but take care, and call to Islam only in a concealed way.” Wahab returned to Mecca, and said to his people, “Oh people, Muhammad is a true Prophet of Allah! He told me every word of the private conversation I had with Safwan.” Then he stayed there summoning people to Islam. Through him many became Muslims.
In ten months the Holy Prophet had gone out on seven raids. He participated in four of these himself, while in three others he sent his companions and did not go himself.
The Raid on the Bani Sulaym in al-Kudr
After returning to Madinah and staying there for merely a week, the Holy Prophet himself set out on a raid against the Bani Sulaym.
The unbelievers of Madinah inhabited fortified strongholds which surrounded the city at a distance on all four sides, such as Khaybar, Bani Nadir and Fadak. When the Holy Prophet came to Madinah, he called them to Islam, but not one of them accepted his call, they ignored and disregarded him. When the Battle of Badr was successfully fought, these unbelievers began to worry and said, “Now that he’s dealt with the Quraysh, he’s going to turn against us.” From jealousy they sought to unite with Quraysh and turn against the Prophet with joint forces. They gathered their confederates from the Bani Sulaym and Bani Ghatafan to fight against Muhammad .
There was a watering place three days’ journey from Madinah, by the name of Qarqara-tul-Kudr. To this they now proceeded. The Holy Prophet received this information and he gave Ali ibn Abi Talib the banner of the Muslims. They reached the place in only two days. Hearing of this, the Arabs were frightened, and leaving everything behind, they fled. The Prophet’s men led away their herds and cattle and returned to Madinah where they rested for two days.
The Raid of Sawiq
In the month of Dhul-Qa'da the Raid of Sawiq occurred, and it came about in the following way:
Abu Sufyan had a son by the name of ‘Amr who had been taken prisoner. Abu Sufyan was constantly saying, “If only I had been along at the Battle of Badr, then I would have acted in such a way and dealt with them in such a way...” The people of Mecca grew tired of hearing this and said to him, “So, go now and do it!” One man called Hamid came to Abu Sufyan said, “By God, I will go and kill Muhammad and, if it is made easy, I will destroy his whole house and family.” So Abu Sufyan quickly made ready two-hundred riders and they set out for Madinah. When they approached the town, they stopped and stayed with the Bani Nadir who sent fifty more men with them.
They came to a field where there were two Muslims of the Ansar working, and
they killed them. Then they set fire to a place outside of the city. News of all this reached the Holy Prophet , and he speedily rose to pursue Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan fled at great speed, taking three stages in one day. The Holy Prophet could not catch up with him. Abu Sufyan’s flight was such that whoever had provisions in his traveling pack threw them all by the wayside in his haste. Therefore, this raid was called the Raid of Sawiq and it took place in the month of Dhul-Qa’da, because it was followed by the month of Dhul-Hijja. The Holy Prophet sacrificed two sheep and called the Muslims to the sacrifice, ordering them to sacrifice as well. This was the first ‘Id-al-Adha in Islam. The Prophet slaughtered the sheep by his own hand, one for himself, and one for those of his nation who were unable to slaughter.
In the month of Dhul-Hijja the Prophet accepted the ransom for those taken prisoner during the Battle of Badr. In the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal the Holy Prophet wed his daughter Umm Kulthum to ‘Uthman. ‘Uthman had formerly been married to the Prophet’s daughter Ruqiyya, but she, sadly, had died.
The Raid of Dhu Amarr
Again it was in the 25th month of the Hijra in the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal that the raid of Dhu Amarr took place. This raid is also called the Raid of Ghatafan. Dhu Amarr is the name of a place in the Najd. The tribes of the Bani Tha’laba and Bani Muharib were renowned as extremely fierce, war-like men, and they were now engaged in setting their forces on a war footing against the Muslims. No sooner had the Holy Prophet heard about this that he left ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan in charge of things in Madinah, and set out with an army of 450 men. When the pagan Arabs heard of the strength of the force the Prophet was leading against them, they all fled into the mountains. Only one person from the tribe of the Bani Tha’laba was taken prisoner, and when he was brought into the presence of the Holy Prophet , he met his fate ordained from pre-eternity, and beholding the Prophet’s pure and holy countenance, he begged for pardon and submitted to Islam. Rasulullah left this man in the care of Bilal, so that he might teach him what he needed to know.
The day of the battle had been a rainy one, and the Holy Prophet had been thoroughly drenched. He retreated to a quiet place, took off his clothes and hung them upon a tree to dry. Then he lay down to rest and fell asleep. The unbelievers watched every movement closely from their hiding places in the mountains. When they saw the Prophet lie down to sleep they immediately went to their chief to inform him of this. His name was Du’thur. They said to
him, “Their Prophet is lying all alone and is asleep; if you trust yourself at all, don’t let this opportunity slip by.” Indeed, the Prophet lay there all by himself, but Du’thur could not see the invisible armor that clothed him through Divine Providence, nor could he perceive the sudden inspirations he was equipped with, so he instantly grabbed the hilt of his sword, and ran to where the Prophet lay. He stopped by his blessed head, drew his sword, and cried, “Who will now rescue you from my might?”
Now this source of guidance, this example of living faith, the pride of all creation, without a trace of anxiety and from the full love of his heart answered: “Allah.” The power of the Divine Name spoken through the blessed mouth of the Holy Prophet made the sword tumble from the hand of the idolater, so that it landed in the hands of the Holy Prophet himself. He then turned the phrase around and said to the man, “And who will rescue you from me now?” At this very moment the pagan Arab grew aware of the power of Prophethood, and Du’thur melted before the mighty light of this holy person. He pleaded, “Is it at all possible for me to reach forgiveness?” he asked, “Not in order to save my skin, or to have it my way, but after all my insolence to become a slave at your doorstep and to attain to my eternal destination?” The source of mercy, Rasulullah answered him, “What are you waiting for, come out of the blackness of your ignorance and the obscurity of your unbelief; demolish it at once and gather around our holy scripture of the Quran, where everyone stands side by side and learns his lesson.” “Yes, but how can I cleanse myself of the filth of my idolatry, what do you recommend that I do?” “Speak the words of the Kalimatu-Shahada,” answered Rasulullah .
Meanwhile, Du’thur’s men were watching this scene from afar, wondering what was going on. They found it hard to understand how an unarmed man lying supine who found himself suddenly under attack, would utter nothing but the holy word ‘Allah’ with such perfect love and confidence that it knocked the sword out of the hand of the strongest man - what a strange thing it was that they were witnessing! And not only that: now they also heard Du’thur yelling at the top of his voice:
ASH-HADU AN LA ILAHA ILL’ALLAH, WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHA
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ight Muhammad. The Holy Prophet asked, “Do you know where Muhammad is?” “I heard on a certain day that the army was at a certain spot, and if this is true, then today they must be at such-and-such a place. Tomorrow they will be here.” Then the Prophet prayed and sent Ali, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and Zubayr bin Awwam to guard the outpost.
They brought news to the Holy Prophet that Quraysh were at a distance of one hour’s journey from the well at Badr. At nightfall they apprehended some of the watermen of the Quraysh who had come to fill their waterskins. They pressured them into telling them where Quraysh were camped, and how many of them there were. The water bearer said, “I can’t say how many there are, but every day they slaughter nine or ten beasts for food.” From this the Holy Prophet understood that there must be between nine hundred and a thousand men. Then he asked the man how many nobles of Quraysh were among them, and he enumerated their names: “`Utba, Shayba, Umayya, Abu Jahl, Nabih, Naufal, al- Harith bin `Amir, Munabbih, Suhayl...” and others he mentioned. Thereupon the Prophet turned to his companions and said, “Mecca has thrown to you choice pieces of its liver!”
The companions said, “Oh Prophet of Allah , they have not reached the wells of Badr yet, it is best we get there first.” The Prophet agreed and they stopped up the wells and built a cistern so that they would have plenty of water, and the enemy would have none. The next day the two armies came face to face. Abu Jahl saw that the Muslims were much fewer than they and he spoke derisively in their face: “If it is true what Muhammad says, then we are out to fight the God of the heavens. But only he who fights against me, is then fighting the God of the heavens!”
One man from the tribe of the Bani Makhzum who was allied with Abu Jahl stepped forth and said, “I swear to God that I will drink from their cistern or destroy it or die beside it!” With these words he made for the cistern. Hamza drew his sword to prevent him, and he cut off his foot and half his leg as he was near the cistern. The man fell onto the ground, but continued crawling towards the cistern and threw himself in it, with the purpose of fulfilling his oath. Hamza followed him and smote him in the cistern so that he died there. After this, the unbelievers asked for water to drink from the cistern, which was now contaminated with blood, and the Muslims were disinclined to give it to them. But the Holy Prophet said to them, “Let them drink, do not prevent them.”
They drank, and every man who drank of it on that day was killed in battle, but for one. The next day the troops were arrayed and stood facing each other. Abu Jahl prayed, “Oh Lord,” he said, “Thy help be with him whom You love best.” Immediately this verse was revealed:
If victory you are seeking, victory has already come upon you; and if you give over, it is better for you. But if you return, We shall return, and your host will avail you nothing though it be numerous; and that God is with the believers. (The Spoils, 19)
At that time the Muslim army had no tents. Sa’d bin Mu’adh made a shelter for the Holy Prophet from palm fronds, saying, “Oh Prophet of Allah , remain here in the shadow of these branches while we go out and meet the enemy.” The Holy Prophet entered the shelter they had made for him and prostrated himself in the dust, praying, “Oh Lord, grant us Thy Help which Thou hast promised to us!” Then he stepped outside the shelter and took a branch or an arrow and with it dressed the ranks of the Muslim soldiery.
From the pagan army `Utba bin Rabi’a, Shayba bin Rabi’a and his son Walid stood up and challenged the Muslims to battle. Abdullah bin Rawaha, ‘Auf bin Harith and Mu’adh of the Ansar went out to meet them. Seeing them, `Utba said to them, “We have no business with you. We wish for an encounter with our equals.” Thereupon the Prophet sent out Ali ibn Abi Talib, ‘Ubayda bin Harith and Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib to fight them. They attacked each other, and Hamza slew Shayba, while Ali slew Walid in the first onslaught. Only `Utba struck ‘Ubayda such a blow that his leg was cut off and the marrow was oozing out. Ali and Hamza came to his aid and struck `Utba to his death. Then they brought ‘Ubayda into the Presence of the Prophet . He looked at his leg, and said to him, “Good fortune to you, ‘Ubayda, for you are presently to enter Paradise. ‘Ubayda replied, “In me is realized the word of Abu Talib which he
spoke when he said, ‘We will not give him up till we lie dead around him, and be unmindful of our women and children.’”
Then the battle began in earnest with an arrow from Quraysh mortally wounding Mihja’, a freedman of ‘Umar. Harith bin Suraqa was pierced in the throat by another arrow while he was drinking and fell a martyr. The Holy Prophet entered the shelter of the hut they had built for him and placing his face in the dust prayed fervently to Allah, “Oh my Lord, we have relied on Thy promise, do send us Thy support!” The angel Jibra’il then descended with one thousand angels and announced to the Holy Prophet , “Oh Muhammad , Allah Almighty has sent you peace and victory,” and he recited to him the following verse:
When you were calling upon your Lord for succor, and He answered you, ‘I shall reinforce you with a thousand angels riding behind you.’ (The Spoils, 9)
The angels stood arranged in rows, and each one of them held in his hand a spear with which they smote the heads and necks of the unbelievers. The following verse tells of this:
When thy Lord was revealing to the angels, I am with you; so confirm the believers. I shall cast into the unbelievers’ hearts terror; so smite above the necks, and smite every finger of them!’ (The Spoils, 12)
Then the Holy Prophet took up a handful of dust and hurled it at the faces of the unbelievers. Allah made a wind spring up at that moment that carried the dust into the eyes of the idolaters, so that they were momentarily blinded and could not see. They perished instantly when struck by the angelic swords. When the Muslims saw the enemy fall under unseen blows, they realized that there was another force at work here besides their own efforts at war. As it is written in the Holy Quran:
You did not slay them, but God slew them; and when thou threwest, it was not thyself that threw, but God threw, and that He might confer on the believers a fair benefit; surely God is All-Hearing, All- Knowing. The Spoils, 17)
In this way the unbelievers were routed. Among them were some men of the Bani Hashim who had been forced to join in this campaign, such as ‘Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib, Abul-Bakhtari and others. The Holy Prophet had given orders not to kill them, but to give no quarter to Abu Jahl if they encountered him. The Prophet retreated into the shade of the shelter and
began to pray and give his thanks. The Muslims went after the fleeing enemy. A Muslim by the name of Abu Yasir recognized ‘Abbas and called out to him, “Muhammad told us not to kill you,” and tied his hands. ‘Abbas had twenty dinars in his belt, these he gave to Abu Yasir. Together they went to the presence of the Holy Prophet . Mujadhdhar bin Ziyad came across Abul-Bakhtari and called to him, “The Holy Prophet wishes for you not to be killed.” Abul- Bakhtari pointed to the friend at his side and said, “Then refrain also from killing my friend.” This Mujadhdhar could not accept, and so a fight between them began in which Mujadhdhar slew them both. The Holy Prophet was very grieved when he learned of the death of Abul-Bakhtari, and Mujadhdhar fell down and begged his forgiveness, kissing his hands and feet.
Mu’adh bin ‘Amr of the Ansar had sworn he would kill Abu Jahl. He looked out for him and espied him astride his horse. With one sweep of his sword he cut off his leg so that he fell underneath his horse. Abu Jahl’s son Ikrima then came and wounded Mu’adh on his hand and arm, so that his arm was swinging loosely at his side, held only by a piece of skin. He continued to fight in this condition until the pain became intolerable, and he cut it off by standing on it with his foot. Then he continued to fight.
Searching among the dead, Abdullah bin Mas’ud saw Abu Jahl. He recognized him and went and sat upon his chest. Abu Jahl opened his eyes once more and recognized him, saying, “You have climbed high, you little shepherd.” Abdullah bin Mas’ud replied, “Praise be to that King who has put you to shame,” and with that he cut off his head and the Holy Prophet gave thanks to Allah Almighty. According to one narration, Abdullah bin Mas’ud invited him to Islam before he killed him. Abu Jahl’s answer was only, “Go and tell your prophet that as much rancor as I have held against him thus far, I shall hold against him even more from now on.” When these words were reported to the Holy Prophet he commented, “The Pharaoh I have had to deal with was much worse than the Pharaoh of Musa; for when Musa’s Pharoah was on the verge of drowning, he accepted the God of Musa and the Bani Isra’il, whereas this one increased a thousand fold in his disbelief.”
At nightfall all the soldiers returned to camp. There was a dried-up well at the entrance to Badr, and the Holy Prophet had the corpses of the unbelievers piled into this well. As they threw them into the pit, the Holy Prophet stood beside it and said, “Oh people of the pit! You were an evil kinsfolk to your Prophet. You called me a liar and expelled me from your city. Have you found that what Allah promised you is true? I have found that what my Lord promised me is true.” The
Muslims said, “Oh Prophet of Allah , are you calling to the dead bodies?” The Holy Prophet answered them, “They hear as well as you do, but they cannot answer me.”
There is a disagreement as to how many died at Badr. Some narrations say there were forty-five dead and some say there were seventy-two dead. There is no doubt about the number of dead among the Muslims: six of the Muhajirin and eight from among the Ansar: fourteen in all.
After the battle was over, disputes arose as to the division of the spoils. One group said, “Whatever we find is ours,” while another group was of the opinion that everything should be brought before the Holy Prophet and they would wait to see what was his command. Promptly a verse was revealed concerning this:
They will question you concerning the spoils. Say: ‘The spoils belong to God and the Messenger; so fear you God, and set things right between you, and obey you God and His Messenger, if you are believers. (The Spoils, 1)
The spoils were then all collected in one place and Abdullah bin Ka’b was set to guard over them.
The next day the Holy Prophet sent Zayd bin Harith back to Madinah to give the news of the victory and the slaying of Abu Jahl. He met ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan coming back from the cemetery. His wife, the Prophet’s own daughter Ruqiyya, had been very ill when they went out to Badr, and ‘Uthman had been ordered to stay at her side. She had died that day and they had buried her. Zayd gave him the news of Abu Jahl’s defeat, and ‘Uthman’s heart was gladdened in spite of his grief, as were the hearts of the townspeople of Madinah.
Some of the defeated Meccan soldiers made their way back to Mecca. The first to get there was al-Haysuman bin Abdullah. When he was asked for news, he told of all the nobles who had been killed in the battle. Safwan bin Umayya was sitting in a corner, and when he heard the names of the Qurayshi chiefs, he spoke up and said, “This fellow must be mad! Ask him about me!” They said to Haysuman: “What about Safwan bin Umayya?” “Are you jesting with me?” he said, “He is sitting here in the corner of the temple, but I saw his father and brother as they were being killed.” Speaking these words he began to weep, and they realized that he was indeed telling the truth. Abu Lahab was ill that day, and when he received this bad news, his state worsened and the next day he was dead. No one could approach his blackened and swollen corpse. When his son
`Utba came and saw his father’s condition, he pulled down the whole house and
buried his father within it.
The Holy Prophet gathered all the companions and asked them their opinions about the distribution of the spoils. ‘Umar said, “The prisoners should be killed and their possessions burnt, for they are filth and evil.” But the Holy Prophet was not pleased with these words. Abu Bakr said, “These prisoners are our relatives. Allah Almighty gave us victory over them. Let the prisoners pay ransom for themselves, and let their belongings be distributed among the companions.” The Holy Prophet agreed with this opinion, and said, “Be patient and let us see what Allah Almighty commands us to do.”
According to the law of previous nations, the spoils of war were not lawful and had to be burnt or buried. Before the time of our Prophet none of the spoils taken from an enemy were lawful to the victor. But in the time of our Prophet the spoils of war were made lawful to the Muslims.
Before long this holy verse of the Quran was revealed:
It is not fitting for any Prophet to take prisoners of war until he has subdued the (uprising in the) land. You desire the chance goods in the present world, and God desires the world to come; and God is All- Mighty, All-Wise. Had it not been for a prior prescription from God, there had afflicted you for what you took, a mighty chastisement. Eat of what you have taken as booty, such as is lawful and good, and fear you God; surely God is All-Forgiving and All-Compassionate.
(The Spoils, 67-69)
The next day the Prophet together with the bulk of soldiers departed for Madinah. The stopped and halted at a certain distance from the city. There the captives were presented to the Holy Prophet . ‘Uqba bin Abi Mu’ayt was among those Meccans who had spat in the Prophet’s face. The Prophet said to Asim ibn Thabit, “Go and make true my pledge.” ‘Uqba said, “Oh Muhammad, if I am to die, who will look after my children?” The Prophet answered, “Hell!” Then he was put to death.
After that he ordered Ali to strike the neck of al-Nadr bin Harith, for he was that person of whom Allah says in the Holy Book:
And when they say, “Oh God, if this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones out of Heaven, or bring us a painful chastisement.”
(The Spoils, 32)
When they came to Madinah the captives entered with their hands shackled. Sauda, the Prophet’s wife saw them and exclaimed, “Why did they not fight like their forebears and die a noble death?” The Holy Prophet happened to hear these words and was unsettled by them. He said by manner of reproof, “Oh Sauda, are you trying to raise trouble against Allah and His Messenger?” Sauda immediately repented of her words and quickly went over to Aisha, just as the Holy Prophet was entering her room. She said, “I am an old woman, but I do wish to remain in the Prophet’s wedlock until the Last Day. Please help me in this matter.” The Holy Prophet then forgave her.
The Holy Prophet did not ransom the captives but waited for their Meccan relatives to come and pay their ransom. Abu Sufyan meanwhile advised his fellow Meccans, “Wait before you ransom the prisoners, for Muhammad is asking a very high price. I had two sons, one of them, Hanzala, became Muslim and was slain; the other, ‘Amr, is their prisoner. Still I am waiting, and I counsel you to wait as well.” But nobody listened to him. The son of Abu Wada’ could not wait and he went to ransom his father and returned with him to Mecca. Then the other Meccans began to pay the ransom for their near and dear ones. The Holy Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbas was also taken prisoner in the battle.
‘Abbas Enters Islam
The Holy Prophet said to him, “Oh ‘Abbas, you are the richest of all the captives; three of them, ‘Aqil, Naufal and `Utba are the sons of your brother. But they are poor, so do you pay their ransom?” ‘Abbas answered, “Oh Messenger of Allah, I am inclined towards Islam, and they forced me to come along from Mecca against my will.” The Prophet replied, “But outwardly you resemble one of the unbelievers.” “The person who took me captive took from me my belt containing a certain sum of dinars, let that be my ransom,” replied ‘Abbas. “That money belongs to the Muslims, that cannot be your ransom,” answered the Prophet . ‘Abbas said, “There is nothing else I possess with which I might ransom myself.”
The Prophet then said, “If I tell you about what you are hiding, will you use it to pay your ransom?” “Yes, I will,” answered his uncle. Thereupon the Holy Prophet said, “Do you remember one night when you put a number of coins in a bag, placed them in the hand of your wife Umm al-Fadl, saying, ‘Go and bury this in such a place in the house, should anything happen to me, use this money and divide it among my four sons.’ This is what you said, isn’t it?” ‘Abbas was astonished, “Who told you about this?” he asked. The Prophet answered, “The
angel Jibra’il tells me these things.” Then ‘Abbas made his Shahada and said, “That night there was no one in the house but Umm al-Fadl and myself, therefore you must be telling the truth.”
That is how the Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbas came to accept Islam, and this verse was revealed on this occasion:
Oh Prophet, say to the prisoners in your hands: If God knows of any good in your hearts He will give you better than what has been taken from you, and He will forgive you; surely God is All-Forgiving, All- Compassionate. (The Spoils, 70)
The Holy Prophet said to ‘Abbas, “Oh uncle, Allah Almighty has sent down this verse on your account.”
‘Abbas grew very rich when he entered Islam and he used to say, “Allah Almighty has promised two things to me: one of them that I would become rich in this world, and the other that I would find forgiveness in the other world. Now He has fulfilled His promise to me in this world, and I am hopeful that He will fulfill His promise to me in the other world as well.”
The angel Jibra’il came and said, “’Abbas possesses four virtues,” whereupon the Holy Prophet said to him, “Oh uncle, Allah has praised you for the possession of four virtues: tell me which ones they may be.” ‘Abbas answered, “Even before I became a believer I never worshipped the idols; I never cast my eye on another man’s wife; I never told lies; and I never ate of what was haram (forbidden).”
When the Holy Prophet had migrated to Madinah, he left two of his daughters behind in Mecca, for they were married to unbelievers. The Prophet was worried about them. One of them was Ruqiyya who was married to `Utba bin Abi Lahab, the other was Zaynab, married to Abul-‘As. When the unbelievers forced the Prophet to leave Mecca, they said to his sons-in-law, “Leave Muhammad’s daughters, divorce yourselves from them and let him look after his own daughters.” But Abul-‘As loved his wife Zaynab and would not dismiss her. Now Abul-‘As had become the prisoner of the Holy Prophet , and he told him to send word to Mecca that they might ransom him.
He sent a message to Zaynab, but Zaynab possessed nothing but a necklace, which she had inherited from her mother Khadija. This she sent as ransom for her husband. When the Holy Prophet saw and recognized the necklace, he became sorrowful and wept. The Companions then said, “We ask for nothing, we
forego our part of his ransom.” The Holy Prophet handed the necklace to Abul-‘As and said to him, “Oh Abul-‘As, my daughter is not lawful to you, since you are yet an unbeliever. If you accept Islam, I will give her to you.” Abul-‘ As said, “No, I will not become Muslim.” The Holy Prophet then said, “In that case, when you have reached Mecca, send my daughter back to me.” Abul-‘As said, “So be it, I will send her.” The Holy Prophet then sent Zayd bin Harith to Mecca with Abul-‘ As, and he brought back Zaynab with him. Some time after this, Abul-‘As migrated to Madinah and became Muslim. The Holy Prophet then married him anew to his daughter Zaynab, and returned to him all the possessions which the companions had taken from him aforetime.
The Story of Wahab bin ‘Umayr
There lived a man in Mecca by name of Wahab bin ‘Umayr. He had one son who was captured in the Battle of Badr. He went to Safwan and said, “I want to retrieve my son, and at the same time I want to kill Muhammad. Meanwhile you take charge of my family and look after them.” Safwan accepted this, and said, “I will take care of them.”
Wahab prepared himself, girded his sword and set out for Madinah. In the mean time the angel Jibra’il came to the Holy Prophet and informed him of Wahab’s coming. When he arrived at Madinah, he went straight to the Holy Prophet . “Why have you come, oh Wahab?” the Holy Prophet asked him. Wahab was going to say, “I have come to ransom my son, but I have nothing with which to pay the ransom, so just give him to me!” But his tongue became tied and he could not utter a single word. The Prophet then said to him, “If I tell you what you came for, will you then accept Islam?” Wahab agreed to this. Then the Prophet explained to him the whole story and said, “You went to Safwan and told him that you were going to kill Muhammad, and you asked him to care for your family. Safwan accepted and told you to go ahead with your intention.”
When he heard these words, Wahab became convinced that Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah and he uttered the words of the Shahada and became Muslim. The Prophet then said, “Now that you have become Muslim, I will return to you your son. Go back to Mecca and hold on to your Islam. Explain your way to whomever asks about it, but take care, and call to Islam only in a concealed way.” Wahab returned to Mecca, and said to his people, “Oh people, Muhammad is a true Prophet of Allah! He told me every word of the private conversation I had with Safwan.” Then he stayed there summoning people to Islam. Through him many became Muslims.
In ten months the Holy Prophet had gone out on seven raids. He participated in four of these himself, while in three others he sent his companions and did not go himself.
The Raid on the Bani Sulaym in al-Kudr
After returning to Madinah and staying there for merely a week, the Holy Prophet himself set out on a raid against the Bani Sulaym.
The unbelievers of Madinah inhabited fortified strongholds which surrounded the city at a distance on all four sides, such as Khaybar, Bani Nadir and Fadak. When the Holy Prophet came to Madinah, he called them to Islam, but not one of them accepted his call, they ignored and disregarded him. When the Battle of Badr was successfully fought, these unbelievers began to worry and said, “Now that he’s dealt with the Quraysh, he’s going to turn against us.” From jealousy they sought to unite with Quraysh and turn against the Prophet with joint forces. They gathered their confederates from the Bani Sulaym and Bani Ghatafan to fight against Muhammad .
There was a watering place three days’ journey from Madinah, by the name of Qarqara-tul-Kudr. To this they now proceeded. The Holy Prophet received this information and he gave Ali ibn Abi Talib the banner of the Muslims. They reached the place in only two days. Hearing of this, the Arabs were frightened, and leaving everything behind, they fled. The Prophet’s men led away their herds and cattle and returned to Madinah where they rested for two days.
The Raid of Sawiq
In the month of Dhul-Qa'da the Raid of Sawiq occurred, and it came about in the following way:
Abu Sufyan had a son by the name of ‘Amr who had been taken prisoner. Abu Sufyan was constantly saying, “If only I had been along at the Battle of Badr, then I would have acted in such a way and dealt with them in such a way...” The people of Mecca grew tired of hearing this and said to him, “So, go now and do it!” One man called Hamid came to Abu Sufyan said, “By God, I will go and kill Muhammad and, if it is made easy, I will destroy his whole house and family.” So Abu Sufyan quickly made ready two-hundred riders and they set out for Madinah. When they approached the town, they stopped and stayed with the Bani Nadir who sent fifty more men with them.
They came to a field where there were two Muslims of the Ansar working, and
they killed them. Then they set fire to a place outside of the city. News of all this reached the Holy Prophet , and he speedily rose to pursue Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan fled at great speed, taking three stages in one day. The Holy Prophet could not catch up with him. Abu Sufyan’s flight was such that whoever had provisions in his traveling pack threw them all by the wayside in his haste. Therefore, this raid was called the Raid of Sawiq and it took place in the month of Dhul-Qa’da, because it was followed by the month of Dhul-Hijja. The Holy Prophet sacrificed two sheep and called the Muslims to the sacrifice, ordering them to sacrifice as well. This was the first ‘Id-al-Adha in Islam. The Prophet slaughtered the sheep by his own hand, one for himself, and one for those of his nation who were unable to slaughter.
In the month of Dhul-Hijja the Prophet accepted the ransom for those taken prisoner during the Battle of Badr. In the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal the Holy Prophet wed his daughter Umm Kulthum to ‘Uthman. ‘Uthman had formerly been married to the Prophet’s daughter Ruqiyya, but she, sadly, had died.
The Raid of Dhu Amarr
Again it was in the 25th month of the Hijra in the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal that the raid of Dhu Amarr took place. This raid is also called the Raid of Ghatafan. Dhu Amarr is the name of a place in the Najd. The tribes of the Bani Tha’laba and Bani Muharib were renowned as extremely fierce, war-like men, and they were now engaged in setting their forces on a war footing against the Muslims. No sooner had the Holy Prophet heard about this that he left ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan in charge of things in Madinah, and set out with an army of 450 men. When the pagan Arabs heard of the strength of the force the Prophet was leading against them, they all fled into the mountains. Only one person from the tribe of the Bani Tha’laba was taken prisoner, and when he was brought into the presence of the Holy Prophet , he met his fate ordained from pre-eternity, and beholding the Prophet’s pure and holy countenance, he begged for pardon and submitted to Islam. Rasulullah left this man in the care of Bilal, so that he might teach him what he needed to know.
The day of the battle had been a rainy one, and the Holy Prophet had been thoroughly drenched. He retreated to a quiet place, took off his clothes and hung them upon a tree to dry. Then he lay down to rest and fell asleep. The unbelievers watched every movement closely from their hiding places in the mountains. When they saw the Prophet lie down to sleep they immediately went to their chief to inform him of this. His name was Du’thur. They said to
him, “Their Prophet is lying all alone and is asleep; if you trust yourself at all, don’t let this opportunity slip by.” Indeed, the Prophet lay there all by himself, but Du’thur could not see the invisible armor that clothed him through Divine Providence, nor could he perceive the sudden inspirations he was equipped with, so he instantly grabbed the hilt of his sword, and ran to where the Prophet lay. He stopped by his blessed head, drew his sword, and cried, “Who will now rescue you from my might?”
Now this source of guidance, this example of living faith, the pride of all creation, without a trace of anxiety and from the full love of his heart answered: “Allah.” The power of the Divine Name spoken through the blessed mouth of the Holy Prophet made the sword tumble from the hand of the idolater, so that it landed in the hands of the Holy Prophet himself. He then turned the phrase around and said to the man, “And who will rescue you from me now?” At this very moment the pagan Arab grew aware of the power of Prophethood, and Du’thur melted before the mighty light of this holy person. He pleaded, “Is it at all possible for me to reach forgiveness?” he asked, “Not in order to save my skin, or to have it my way, but after all my insolence to become a slave at your doorstep and to attain to my eternal destination?” The source of mercy, Rasulullah answered him, “What are you waiting for, come out of the blackness of your ignorance and the obscurity of your unbelief; demolish it at once and gather around our holy scripture of the Quran, where everyone stands side by side and learns his lesson.” “Yes, but how can I cleanse myself of the filth of my idolatry, what do you recommend that I do?” “Speak the words of the Kalimatu-Shahada,” answered Rasulullah .
Meanwhile, Du’thur’s men were watching this scene from afar, wondering what was going on. They found it hard to understand how an unarmed man lying supine who found himself suddenly under attack, would utter nothing but the holy word ‘Allah’ with such perfect love and confidence that it knocked the sword out of the hand of the strongest man - what a strange thing it was that they were witnessing! And not only that: now they also heard Du’thur yelling at the top of his voice:
ASH-HADU AN LA ILAHA ILL’ALLAH, WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHA
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