MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 35/41)
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his family and household with him, he proceeded towards Madinah, and met the army of the Prophet on the road. The Prophet was very happy to see him and embraced him, saying, “Oh my dear uncle, my heart is glad that you have completed your Hijra before the order to emigrate is revoked!“ Abbas sent his family and retainers ahead to Madinah and joined the Prophet’s army.
At a spot called Aywa the Prophet was met by his cousin Abu Sufyan bin Harith bin Abdul-Muttalib, his son Ja’far bin Sufyan and his aunt ’Atiqa bint Abdul-Muttalib and her son Abdullah who wished to excuse themselves and ask the Prophet’s pardon. But the Holy Prophet was not minded to accept their plea at this time, for they had been the cause of much harm.
The Mother of the Believers, Umm Salama then said, “Oh my Prophet ! You have been known to pardon even the most hardened of the disbelievers, showing them kindness and mercy. Here have come to you the sons of your aunt and your uncle, will you not extend your mercy and forgiveness to them as well, so that they may not be singled out as the worst offenders?” thus interceding for them. Abu Sufyan bin Harith himself turned to Ali and implored him, saying, “The Prophet refuses even to look at me! What will become of me now?” The soul- mate of the Holy Prophet , Ali then told Abu Sufyan bin Harith, “Go now to the presence of the Prophet and recite to him this verse, which is the speech of the brothers of Yusuf when they came before his throne:
“By God,” they said, “God has indeed preferred thee above us, and certainly we have been sinful.” (Joseph, 91)
This they did, following Ali’s advice. The Holy Prophet then replied,
No reproach this day shall be on you; God will forgive you; He is the most Merciful of the merciful. (Joseph, 92)
All of them then shed the bittersweet tears of sin forgiven. The blazing fire the Muslim army had lit at Marr al-Zahran struck great fear into the hearts of the Quraysh, for they believed it to be a huge force of invaders. The whole town of Mecca was in uproar and the leaders of the unbelievers collectively attacked Abu Sufyan, saying, “Now what is to become of us?“ Abu Sufyan bin Harb took with him two of his men, Hakim bin Hizam and Budayl bin Warqa and climbed to the top of the hillock overlooking Marr al-Zahran to reconnoiter the situation. There they were apprehended by the watch guarding the Prophet’s camp and taken
prisoner.
That night, the Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbas mounted the Holy Prophet’s mule and rode about the outskirts of the camp, thinking that much harm would befall the city of Mecca if the Muslim army were to invade it of a sudden and the Quraysh were to respond with all the force they were capable of. He wished he could find a person to talk to, to try to dissuade them from action of arms, and to convince them to seek quarter instead. All of a sudden, he recognized Abu Sufyan’s voice from afar. “Is it you, Abu Sufyan?” he called. “Yes, it is I, ‘Abbas! What will become of me now?” was his answer. ‘Abbas then said, “Follow me!” and taking Abu Sufyan from the hands of the guards, he led him to the Presence of the Holy Prophet . The resting soldiers looked up here and there to see who was moving about the camp by night, but recognizing Abbas riding the Holy Prophet’s mule, they called to each other, “It’s only Muhammad’s uncle ‘Abbas,” and they went back to sleep.
They had to pass by Sayyidina ‘Umar. He recognized Abu Sufyan the moment he set eyes on him, jumped up and grabbed him by the collar. “Here is the enemy of Allah, of the Prophet and of our religion. At last the time of your death has come, thank God that you have fallen into my hands!” When ‘Abbas pleaded for him, ‘Umar rejoined, “Pardon for this man?! He has no faith, he shall have no forgiveness! Leave him to me that I may punish him!“ At last ‘Umar went to the Prophet and said to him, “We have caught Abu Sufyan and he is brought here before you! With your leave, let him be punished, for Islam has had much harm from his hand and mouth. Let it be me who strikes his head off his neck!” ‘Abbas quickly entered the tent of the Prophet and pleaded for Abu Sufyan’s life. One of them grabbed the hilt of his sword, while the other pleaded for mercy. The Holy Prophet then turned to his uncle ‘Abbas and said to him, “You take charge of him and hold watch over him tonight.”
Early the next morning ‘Abbas took Abu Sufyan to the Prophet . The Prophet said to Abu Sufyan, “Oh Abu Sufyan! Has the time not come for you to confirm that there is no God but Allah? Do you not believe at last that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah?” Abu Sufyan thought about this. How could he forsake the idols? Or rather, he had made himself into an idol, so how could he smash it? Islam had forbidden the worship of a mere mortal, and the Quran was revealed to all men as equals. Before God, the master and his slave were on the same level. How could he abide by this? But he was now in a very delicate position, indeed. Finally, after much thought, he answered, “La ilaha illAllah.”
The Holy Prophet then continued his questioning. “Has the time not come for
you to confirm the prophethood and mission of Muhammad ?” he said. Abu Sufyan answered, “I still have some reservations as to that, give me a little more time.”
Now ‘Umar was pacing up and down outside the Prophet’s tent. Hearing Abu Sufyan speaking these words, he was unable to contain his feeling of outrage and began muttering aloud to himself, “Ah, if only you were now outside here with me, you would not be uttering such rot. You can be thankful that you are in the Prophet’s blessed presence, if not for that I would hack you in two.” ‘Abbas thereupon said to Abu Sufyan, “Oh Abu Sufyan, be reasonable! ‘Umar is waiting outside and you can hear for yourself what he thinks about you. He is reviewing in his mind all the heinous misdeeds you have visited on the Muslims. He says you have committed countless murders, you are the villain who incited all the Arab tribes to warfare against the Muslims; it is you who planned the attempts on the Holy Prophet’s life. You are the miscreant who repeatedly attacked the city of the Prophet , Madinah. Any single one of these crimes would justify the penalty of death, what of the sum total of these deeds? Were it not for the Holy Prophet’s mercy and forbearance. Yes, this is what ‘Umar is saying as he prowls outside this tent.” Taking ‘Abbas‘ advice, Abu Sufyan pronounced the words, ‘Muhammedun-Rasulullah ’ without further hesitation.
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! This was how Abu Sufyan declared his allegiance to Islam, at least in words. Abu Sufyan had worked great harm against Islam, that is true. He had equipped whole armies to fight the cause of Islam, he plotted to assassinate the Prophet , he tried to extinguish the light of Islam with might and with main. But to no avail, all his efforts failed and his undertakings floundered. Now, when he had fallen into evil straights and was left to face the enemy all on his own, without the backing of friends, arms or riches, yet the Holy Prophet showed him such nobility of character that Abu Sufyan was compelled to profoundly reconsider.
The Holy Prophet wished that Abu Sufyan might see for himself that when a thing has been decreed by Divine Providence, no power on earth is able to change it. The party of Allah is bound to win at all events. Therefore, he signaled to his uncle ‘Abbas to take Abu Sufyan to the pass by which the Muslim army was bound to traverse. Later, he countered all the evil Abu Sufyan had wrought against Islam with the loftiness of his spiritual station by decreeing that all those who sought refuge in the house of Abu Sufyan would be safe. He thus seemingly granted him a privilege that was to instill love and pride in him. In reality, however, the Prophet’s order contained a message that ought to have shamed
him utterly, for it meant to say, ‘Look here, this generous privilege is Islam’s answer to all your misdeeds.’
‘Abbas took Abu Sufyan to where he could watch the army pass and would be able to tell the commanders of the companies. The Prophet’s troops passed, one company following the other, leaving Abu Sufyan immensely impressed. He asked ‘Abbas to identify for him the formations as they passed by. First of all came the company of the Bani Sulaym, a thousand men under the valiant command of the hero Khalid ibn al-Walid who had gained the rank and title of ’Sayfullah‘, the Sword of Allah. When they had drawn up level with Abu Sufyan, they all called out with one single shout, “Allahu Akbar!“ and the heavens echoed with their call.
These words meant to say: the hapless idol man has made of himself shall be demolished, and this meaning had come to life in the Takbir Abu Sufyan witnessed, passing right in front of his eyes. He was dumbfounded and reeled from the impact of this momentous Takbir uttered in perfect faith and devotion by the Muslims passing before his eyes. He enquired of ‘Abbas who they were, and ‘Abbas‘ answers only increased his wonderment.
Next came the company of Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam who marched by with four hundred men, holding aloft the banner of the Muhajirin. When they had come abreast with Abu Sufyan, their cry of “Allahu Akbar“ rose and mingled with the angelic commotion in the heavens above. Abu Sufyan was completely stunned by these sounds. Again he asked ‘Abbas who these people were. When he told him that it was the company of Zubayr ibn al-‘ Awwam, he only managed to stammer, “What, your sister’s son?”
These troops were followed by the three hundred troops under the command of the great Abu Dharr al-Ghifari. They, too, called out “Allahu Akbar” in an ear- shattering wave of sound. Abu Sufyan asked who they were and was told that these were the Bani Ghifar. Thereupon he said, muttering to himself, “How amazing! In such a short time, such a short time!”
After these a battalion of the tribe of the Khuza’a came into view: five hundred riders of the Bani Ka’b, and eight hundred infantrymen, followed by the archers of the tribe of Muzayna, and four-hundred foot soldiers of the Bani Lab.
As the tribe of Ashja’ marched by, a joyous air of victory in their bearing, Abu Sufyan asked ‘Abbas, “Which tribe is this?” Being told that it was the tribe of Ashja’, he again muttered under his breath, “How strange! They were Muhammad’s most embittered enemies! Now they are so closely allied to him!
How perfect is their compliance!”
Next eight hundred men of the tribe of Juhayna and several other tribes marched by. Abu Sufyan’s mind boggled as he beheld these forces, and, he repeated to himself, askance, “Such an increase in so short a time!” While Abu Sufyan was yet lost in his thoughts, the Holy Prophet , girded with Divine Protection that was fitted on him by the Divine Agent, mounted his blessed red camel Qaswa, and rode out chanting Takbir, while lights sparkled all around him. Before him went Ibn ‘Ubada with the banner of the Ansar; to his right was Abu Bakr as- Siddiq, the Friend of the Cave, and to his left rode Usayd, with a company of five thousand men, all calling out loudly, “Allahu Akbar!” As the army of the Ansar with Sa’d bin ‘Ubada at its head, came up level with Abu Sufyan, Sa’d reminded everyone of the words Abu Sufyan had spoken at Uhud, when he had asked, “Is Muhammad dead?“ He cried out, “This is the day when all shall receive their just deserts, today we shall seize the Holy Kaba!”
Hearing these words, Abu Sufyan grew pale and ashen-faced, but there was nothing he could say to these Muslim warriors. The Holy Prophet himself rode by, and Abu Sufyan asked him, “Did you hear the threat uttered by Sa’d bin
`Ubada?“ The Holy Prophet replied, “Today the Kaba shall be dressed in glory!”
When Abu Sufyan observed this display of power, he turned to ‘Abbas and said, “The property and authority of your brother’s son has increased considerably!” These words indicate that although Abu Sufyan had declared his Islam when faced with the choice of death, he had not really come to terms with it. ‘Abbas answered him firmly, “Hold your tongue, Abu Sufyan! This is not a question of worldly power, but of prophethood!
“Had Muhammad been looking for power and worldly dominion, would he have taken upon himself so much suffering and mistreatment, utterly disregarding his own well-being? Would he have let them stone him at Ta’if, from where he left with bloodied feet, would he have had his blessed face wounded at Uhud where one of his teeth was martyred? Would he have migrated from his native land, if it was worldly dominion that he was seeking? You must remember very well when Muhammad began to preach Islam and you had all assembled at Dar un-Nadwa. It was decided then to go to Muhammad or to call him to come there and ask him what he was after.
“If he wished to found a state of his own and be the ruler of us all, you immediately would have pledged your allegiance to him, you would have
unconditionally given the entire Arabian Peninsula into his hands. Had it been beautiful women and girls that he sought, you would have found him the loveliest of all Arabia and presented them to him, on the one condition that he stop preaching ‘La ilaha illAllah’. And do you remember his reply to you at that time? Did he not say to you, ‘You misunderstand me. It is the Unity of the Divine that I preach, and the resurrection after death!’ Therefore, if it were as you seem to think, and Muhammad was only after wordly gain and power, he would have accepted what was offered to him at Dar un-Nadwa. What you see and witness here is not a display of worldly force, it is the power of prophethood, the strength of revelation!”
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! On the subject of the strength of revelation, let me add a few words to what already has been said. The power of revelation is a strange power, unlike anything else. Millions of people will follow that power, and millions of hearts beat for the recipient of revelation, millions of eyes shed tears for him, and give their hearts to the message he brings, even willingly lay down their lives when called upon to do so.
Truly, this must be the case. For nowadays, who has seen the Holy Prophet , who has heard the harmonious sound of his voice issuing from his blessed lips? And yet, there are untold millions of people following the way he has shown, and thousands of minarets intone his beloved name, as they resound with the words of the Shahada. Every year, millions of people travel to the holy place where he lies buried, to kiss the resting place of his relics.
Has Muhammad left any material benefits to make people perform all these acts of love? There is no need to go any further. If it could be ascertained beyond doubt that there existed a tiny bit of cloth which Muhammad used only once to wipe the sweat off his face, there are people living today who would be willing to give millions for the possession of this scrap of cloth. What is this power that instills such love in people’s hearts, although they never saw the man, and never heard his voice? It is the power of revelation.
Here is an example of what I mean. The famous Ibn Sina, whose blessed memory has for centuries been highly honored, had a very talented non-Muslim student whom he taught day and night for nine years. One day Ibn Sina fell ill and it was well after midnight when he woke up his student, saying, “I am burning. It would seem to me that were you to bring me water from the well across the way for me to drink, I would recover.” His student replied, “Oh my master, the weather is very bad, moreover I am covered in sweat. If I were to get up and go out just now, surely I would fall ill as well. Please be patient.”
There is a Hadith of the Prophet in which he says, “The cure to some illnesses is hidden in the strong desire for certain things.” The great physician Ibn Sina can be expected to have known and relied on this Hadith. However, the required precondition for being able to act on this Hadith is that a person be qualified to do so. It is not intended that any reckless individual may apply this to himself.
After a little while, people began to gather at this fountain to make their ablutions, despite the severe cold that made their breath steam. Ibn Sina called his apprentice and said to him, “Take a look at this!” The apprentice failed to understand and asked, “What is it about?” “Never mind, just get yourself up and observe this scene. Explanations will follow later,” said his teacher. The apprentice then rose, and after he had regarded the spectacle of the people making their ablutions, Ibn Sina began, “The issue at stake is this: many times in the course of our lessons you were amazed at my deliberations, and there were times when you told me, even if I were to claim to be a prophet, I would indeed be credible. I laughed at that, of course. Now pay attention and try to follow my reasoning.
“I have been teaching you now for years, throughout many days and nights, until you are now nearly my equal in knowledge. In this respect, you do owe me quite a bit. Yet, for all your indebtedness to me, I am unable to induce you to get up in the middle of the night to fetch me a glass of water from across the street, even though I am burning with feverish thirst. Your excuse may be acceptable, but there ought to have been enough love in you for you to have overcome your objection, and my word ought to have sufficed to move you into action. Now let us consider what we have seen here: these people have taken to heart the message delivered by one who lived many centuries ago, whose face they have never seen, whose voice has never spoken to them.
“They have risen from their soft, warm beds, have left the sweet embrace of their wives, in order to perform their ablutions with this ice-cold water. The power which causes them to do this willingly and gladly is called the power of revelation, none but the authority of a prophet can achieve such a thing.”
Oh Seeker of Truth! In the course of history, there has been many a tyrant desirous of such power over men. Many a dictator has envied the prophets of the desert this power, saying, “Ah, if only I had the power of ‘Isa or Musa!” Whatever systems of oppression they invented and applied, at their demise their systems perished along with them. Perhaps even during a tyrant’s lifetime, the sycophants who lived off him and obligingly stood before his throne in a show of false respect, would have turned against him and risen in rebellion, had he
suddenly chosen to dismiss them.
All this goes to show that the power of revelation is unlike any other power on earth. It does not compare with any power of the material dominion.
To return to our narrative: After the Holy Prophet’s entire army had marched by the pass where Abu Sufyan stood watching, ‘Abbas set him free and told him to go his way. Abu Sufyan immediately went down to Mecca along with Hakim bin Hizam. He proceeded to the Haram and addressed his people on these words: “There is nothing to be done, Muhammad is coming. He approaches with a mighty army, against which we have no means of resistance. Do not even toy with the idea of opposition for a single minute. There is nothing left to do but give in and say, ‘I have become a Muslim.’” The Quraysh then asked him, “What did Muhammad say?” “He has said, ‘Whoever enters the mosque will be safe; whoever lays down his arms will be safe; whoever remains in his house and shuts the door, and whoever is within the house of Abu Sufyan will be in safety.’”
Hearing these words, the infamous liver-eater Hind threw herself at her husband, grabbed him by his beard and yelled, “Oh ye men of victory! Slay this useless old man who has lost his mind! What a miserable protector for your people!” But Abu Sufyan just said to her, “Let go of my beard, for I tell you, if you do not do as I have done, you will not be able to save yourself. Go now go back to your house; there is no need to waste many words over this. Go into your house and shut the door.”
When this woman with a heart of stone who had eaten the liver of the Prophet’s cherished uncle Hamza, and who incited the pagan army to warfare, being herself the equivalent of hundreds of unbelievers, when Hind heard her husband’s conclusive and despairing words, she realized that the situation indeed was hopeless.
She fell silent and went into her house. The Meccans fell into confusion and there was great commotion. Some people sought refuge in the Haram, some betook themselves to the house of the leader of the clan, Abu Sufyan. Others locked themselves in their own houses, some took up arms, others laid them down. Of all the brave warriors of the Quraysh, only Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl, Suhayl, the son of ‘Amr, and Safwan, the son of Umayya gathered around themselves some fighting men and got ready for battle, determined to resist.
The Holy Prophet had given orders to his commanders to fight only if the Quraysh attacked them. They were divided up into different wings. He himself
entered Mecca by way of the pass of Adhakir.
The armed band of the Quraysh launched an attack on the wing commanded by Khalid ibn al-Walid at Khandama, in order to prevent their passage into the town. In the skirmish, Kurz bin Jabir and Khunays bin Khalid bin Asram were killed. Although Khalid admonished the attackers time and again, they would not listen, so that in the end Khalid “Sayfullah” was forced to inflict punishment on them. Those who insisted on resistance were punished, the remainder fled.
When the Holy Prophet beheld the Kaba, he began to recite Takbir, and of course all the Sahaba followed suit, so that the whole town reverberated with the calls of “Allahu Akbar”, and even the tiniest pebbles echoed the sound. The Holy Prophet had wound about his head his black turban, which symbolized the attribute of Majesty. It was a Friday. After he had ordered the banner of the Prophet to be placed at al-Hajun, he proceeded straight towards the Haram and stood before the doors of the Holy House. Everyone waited with great excitement for him to speak. At last he said, “Let everyone expect goodness from me, and know that I was sent as a mercy to the worlds. Islam covers up all the badness which went before, therefore you all are free.” Thus he pronounced his judgment and decree.
The Arabs of those times had set up three-hundred and sixty idols in the house erected by the noble ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad , Ibrahim Khalilullah. The Holy Prophet entered the Kaba together with his trusted general, Ali. As soon as they set foot in it, the Prophet recited this holy verse from the Quran:
“The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away; surely falsehood is ever certain to vanish.” (The Night Journey, 81)
They proceeded to topple the idols one by one, and they threw them down from their pedestals. A few idols were hung from a very high place. The Prophet said to Ali, “Come, Ali, step on my shoulder, and fetch down those on top.” But Ali replied, “Oh my Prophet , I would rather that you step upon my shoulders and bring them down.” At this, the Holy Prophet smiled and said, “The whole of creation rests upon my shoulders; how will you be able to withstand that weight? It is therefore better that you step upon my shoulder and climb up.” He repeated his command and Ali obeyed him. He stepped upon the Prophet’s shoulders in order to throw down the top row of idols. But when he lifted his head and looked about, he experienced a wondrous state and saw what he had never before beheld: he found himself to be gazing at the world of the Divine Throne. He saw that the head of the Prophet covered the Throne. As he bent
forward full of awe, he beheld the heavenly regions, which were covered by Muhammad’s chest. When he looked down at the regions below him, he beheld the Earth, which was covered by Muhammad’s blessed feet.
(This part of the story relates to those who have tasted of real faith; who remains trapped in the density of materialistic thought cannot know anything of that taste.)
The Prophet circled the Kaba seven times and the Sahaba and his friends followed in his footsteps. Abu Sufyan was standing by one side. As he watched the Tawaf of the Prophet and the Sahaba, he thought to himself, “Ah, if only I had an army and could fight against this man once more, if only I could destroy him with my newly gained knowledge, if only I had another chance to measure myself against him.” As he was thinking these thoughts, the Holy Prophet passed by close to him. He said, “This man will disgrace you again, he will bring you down low and then desert you.” Abu Sufyan stared straight ahead and in order to conceal the matter from the Sahaba who were near, while he said aloud, “Now my faith is stronger than before.”
The Holy Prophet continued his circumambulation of the Kaba. At a certain point Fudala approached him with the intention of slaying him. The Prophet observed Fudala as he slowly drew up to him, and finally addressed him, “Are you Fudala?” “Yes,” said the man, greatly surprised. “What were you thinking just now?” the Prophet continued to ask. The man replied, “I was not thinking of anything, I was busying myself with worship,” and he assumed a posture as of pious humility.
The Holy Prophet laughed at this and said, “Repent of what you had planned in your mind, for I am girded with the armor of Divine Protection. I will not leave this world before I have perfected the religion of Allah.”
Oh Traveler on the Way to Truth! The story of the conquest of Mecca and the Holy House contains some subtle points, which I will try to elucidate:
Firstly, it signaled the beginning of a period in which the heart of every God- seeking person would be turned towards Islam; and, secondly, it points to the fact that this noble religion brought by the Holy Prophet was never meant to remain the privilege of the Arab people alone, but was destined soon to spread all over the world. The Holy Prophet made these issues abundantly clear. For instance, Bilal was a black Abyssinian slave. He attained the status of a freedman, and in reality he was one of the great Friends of Allah about whom the Holy Prophet said, “Look here at the first fruit of Abyssinia.” Likewise he
said about Salman al-Farsi, “He is the first fruit of Iran.” And about Suhayb ar- Rumi he said, “He is the first fruit of Byzantium.” By his describing these companions by these names, he indicated in advance the extent of the conquests of Islam.
After he had recaptured his native city, the Prophet pronounced, “This was destined to be and it came to pass.”
The noble companions whose hearts beat with the love for their Prophet asked him where he intended to lodge. The Pride of All Prophets replied, “I will stay at just the place where the Quraysh assembled to pledge themselves to the destruction of Islam.“ This refers to the following events: When the Holy Prophet single-handedly began to preach the Unity of Allah on Mt. Hira, the leaders of the Quraysh had assembled at Mahsab, and sworn this solemn oath: “Until Muhammad foregoes his claims and surrenders himself, there will be no intermarriage between the clans of the Bani Hashim and the Bani Abdul- Muttalib, nor will there be any business dealings or other gainful transactions.” Regarding these events, this verse of the Holy Quran was revealed by Allah to His Prophet :
Those are they that say, “Do not expend on them that are with God’s Messenger until they scatter off.” (The Hypocrites, 7)
However, the devoted followers of the Holy Prophet had borne all the cruelty and mistreatment visited on them by the dark-spirited, evil-minded idolaters. They lived off the love they held for their Prophet , and their spiritual strength grew in the same proportion as their trials and tribulations increased.
Therefore, the place the Holy Prophet chose to make his headquarters in Mecca is highly significant. By doing so, he struck the unbelievers a very heavy blow, as is revealed in the Holy Quran:
Yet unto God belong the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand. (The Hypocrites, 7)
Now at last they understood, for Allah was very plainly saying to them:
“The Lord has willed to house His Beloved at the very place where previously you gathered and took an oath to extinguish the light of the religion I have sent to you.”
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The Haram ash-Sharif was cleansed of all the idols and their greatest one, the
famous Hubal, was smashed to pieces. As he was smashing the idol, Zubayr called out to Abu Sufyan, “Oh Abu Sufyan! Look at the state of your idol now, upon whom you placed so much hope in the Battle of Uhud!” Actually, whenever the Muslims remembered Abu Sufyan’s misdeeds and actions against Islam, their eyes filled with tears and their expressions darkened.
One day this incident occurred: Bilal, whose calling of the Adhan the Divine Throne listened for, was giving Abu Sufyan a piece of his mind when Abu Bakr as-Siddiq happened to pass by. He overheard Bilal’s words and admonished him not to speak to Abu Sufyan in such a manner. Later Abu Bakr as
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his family and household with him, he proceeded towards Madinah, and met the army of the Prophet on the road. The Prophet was very happy to see him and embraced him, saying, “Oh my dear uncle, my heart is glad that you have completed your Hijra before the order to emigrate is revoked!“ Abbas sent his family and retainers ahead to Madinah and joined the Prophet’s army.
At a spot called Aywa the Prophet was met by his cousin Abu Sufyan bin Harith bin Abdul-Muttalib, his son Ja’far bin Sufyan and his aunt ’Atiqa bint Abdul-Muttalib and her son Abdullah who wished to excuse themselves and ask the Prophet’s pardon. But the Holy Prophet was not minded to accept their plea at this time, for they had been the cause of much harm.
The Mother of the Believers, Umm Salama then said, “Oh my Prophet ! You have been known to pardon even the most hardened of the disbelievers, showing them kindness and mercy. Here have come to you the sons of your aunt and your uncle, will you not extend your mercy and forgiveness to them as well, so that they may not be singled out as the worst offenders?” thus interceding for them. Abu Sufyan bin Harith himself turned to Ali and implored him, saying, “The Prophet refuses even to look at me! What will become of me now?” The soul- mate of the Holy Prophet , Ali then told Abu Sufyan bin Harith, “Go now to the presence of the Prophet and recite to him this verse, which is the speech of the brothers of Yusuf when they came before his throne:
“By God,” they said, “God has indeed preferred thee above us, and certainly we have been sinful.” (Joseph, 91)
This they did, following Ali’s advice. The Holy Prophet then replied,
No reproach this day shall be on you; God will forgive you; He is the most Merciful of the merciful. (Joseph, 92)
All of them then shed the bittersweet tears of sin forgiven. The blazing fire the Muslim army had lit at Marr al-Zahran struck great fear into the hearts of the Quraysh, for they believed it to be a huge force of invaders. The whole town of Mecca was in uproar and the leaders of the unbelievers collectively attacked Abu Sufyan, saying, “Now what is to become of us?“ Abu Sufyan bin Harb took with him two of his men, Hakim bin Hizam and Budayl bin Warqa and climbed to the top of the hillock overlooking Marr al-Zahran to reconnoiter the situation. There they were apprehended by the watch guarding the Prophet’s camp and taken
prisoner.
That night, the Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbas mounted the Holy Prophet’s mule and rode about the outskirts of the camp, thinking that much harm would befall the city of Mecca if the Muslim army were to invade it of a sudden and the Quraysh were to respond with all the force they were capable of. He wished he could find a person to talk to, to try to dissuade them from action of arms, and to convince them to seek quarter instead. All of a sudden, he recognized Abu Sufyan’s voice from afar. “Is it you, Abu Sufyan?” he called. “Yes, it is I, ‘Abbas! What will become of me now?” was his answer. ‘Abbas then said, “Follow me!” and taking Abu Sufyan from the hands of the guards, he led him to the Presence of the Holy Prophet . The resting soldiers looked up here and there to see who was moving about the camp by night, but recognizing Abbas riding the Holy Prophet’s mule, they called to each other, “It’s only Muhammad’s uncle ‘Abbas,” and they went back to sleep.
They had to pass by Sayyidina ‘Umar. He recognized Abu Sufyan the moment he set eyes on him, jumped up and grabbed him by the collar. “Here is the enemy of Allah, of the Prophet and of our religion. At last the time of your death has come, thank God that you have fallen into my hands!” When ‘Abbas pleaded for him, ‘Umar rejoined, “Pardon for this man?! He has no faith, he shall have no forgiveness! Leave him to me that I may punish him!“ At last ‘Umar went to the Prophet and said to him, “We have caught Abu Sufyan and he is brought here before you! With your leave, let him be punished, for Islam has had much harm from his hand and mouth. Let it be me who strikes his head off his neck!” ‘Abbas quickly entered the tent of the Prophet and pleaded for Abu Sufyan’s life. One of them grabbed the hilt of his sword, while the other pleaded for mercy. The Holy Prophet then turned to his uncle ‘Abbas and said to him, “You take charge of him and hold watch over him tonight.”
Early the next morning ‘Abbas took Abu Sufyan to the Prophet . The Prophet said to Abu Sufyan, “Oh Abu Sufyan! Has the time not come for you to confirm that there is no God but Allah? Do you not believe at last that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah?” Abu Sufyan thought about this. How could he forsake the idols? Or rather, he had made himself into an idol, so how could he smash it? Islam had forbidden the worship of a mere mortal, and the Quran was revealed to all men as equals. Before God, the master and his slave were on the same level. How could he abide by this? But he was now in a very delicate position, indeed. Finally, after much thought, he answered, “La ilaha illAllah.”
The Holy Prophet then continued his questioning. “Has the time not come for
you to confirm the prophethood and mission of Muhammad ?” he said. Abu Sufyan answered, “I still have some reservations as to that, give me a little more time.”
Now ‘Umar was pacing up and down outside the Prophet’s tent. Hearing Abu Sufyan speaking these words, he was unable to contain his feeling of outrage and began muttering aloud to himself, “Ah, if only you were now outside here with me, you would not be uttering such rot. You can be thankful that you are in the Prophet’s blessed presence, if not for that I would hack you in two.” ‘Abbas thereupon said to Abu Sufyan, “Oh Abu Sufyan, be reasonable! ‘Umar is waiting outside and you can hear for yourself what he thinks about you. He is reviewing in his mind all the heinous misdeeds you have visited on the Muslims. He says you have committed countless murders, you are the villain who incited all the Arab tribes to warfare against the Muslims; it is you who planned the attempts on the Holy Prophet’s life. You are the miscreant who repeatedly attacked the city of the Prophet , Madinah. Any single one of these crimes would justify the penalty of death, what of the sum total of these deeds? Were it not for the Holy Prophet’s mercy and forbearance. Yes, this is what ‘Umar is saying as he prowls outside this tent.” Taking ‘Abbas‘ advice, Abu Sufyan pronounced the words, ‘Muhammedun-Rasulullah ’ without further hesitation.
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! This was how Abu Sufyan declared his allegiance to Islam, at least in words. Abu Sufyan had worked great harm against Islam, that is true. He had equipped whole armies to fight the cause of Islam, he plotted to assassinate the Prophet , he tried to extinguish the light of Islam with might and with main. But to no avail, all his efforts failed and his undertakings floundered. Now, when he had fallen into evil straights and was left to face the enemy all on his own, without the backing of friends, arms or riches, yet the Holy Prophet showed him such nobility of character that Abu Sufyan was compelled to profoundly reconsider.
The Holy Prophet wished that Abu Sufyan might see for himself that when a thing has been decreed by Divine Providence, no power on earth is able to change it. The party of Allah is bound to win at all events. Therefore, he signaled to his uncle ‘Abbas to take Abu Sufyan to the pass by which the Muslim army was bound to traverse. Later, he countered all the evil Abu Sufyan had wrought against Islam with the loftiness of his spiritual station by decreeing that all those who sought refuge in the house of Abu Sufyan would be safe. He thus seemingly granted him a privilege that was to instill love and pride in him. In reality, however, the Prophet’s order contained a message that ought to have shamed
him utterly, for it meant to say, ‘Look here, this generous privilege is Islam’s answer to all your misdeeds.’
‘Abbas took Abu Sufyan to where he could watch the army pass and would be able to tell the commanders of the companies. The Prophet’s troops passed, one company following the other, leaving Abu Sufyan immensely impressed. He asked ‘Abbas to identify for him the formations as they passed by. First of all came the company of the Bani Sulaym, a thousand men under the valiant command of the hero Khalid ibn al-Walid who had gained the rank and title of ’Sayfullah‘, the Sword of Allah. When they had drawn up level with Abu Sufyan, they all called out with one single shout, “Allahu Akbar!“ and the heavens echoed with their call.
These words meant to say: the hapless idol man has made of himself shall be demolished, and this meaning had come to life in the Takbir Abu Sufyan witnessed, passing right in front of his eyes. He was dumbfounded and reeled from the impact of this momentous Takbir uttered in perfect faith and devotion by the Muslims passing before his eyes. He enquired of ‘Abbas who they were, and ‘Abbas‘ answers only increased his wonderment.
Next came the company of Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam who marched by with four hundred men, holding aloft the banner of the Muhajirin. When they had come abreast with Abu Sufyan, their cry of “Allahu Akbar“ rose and mingled with the angelic commotion in the heavens above. Abu Sufyan was completely stunned by these sounds. Again he asked ‘Abbas who these people were. When he told him that it was the company of Zubayr ibn al-‘ Awwam, he only managed to stammer, “What, your sister’s son?”
These troops were followed by the three hundred troops under the command of the great Abu Dharr al-Ghifari. They, too, called out “Allahu Akbar” in an ear- shattering wave of sound. Abu Sufyan asked who they were and was told that these were the Bani Ghifar. Thereupon he said, muttering to himself, “How amazing! In such a short time, such a short time!”
After these a battalion of the tribe of the Khuza’a came into view: five hundred riders of the Bani Ka’b, and eight hundred infantrymen, followed by the archers of the tribe of Muzayna, and four-hundred foot soldiers of the Bani Lab.
As the tribe of Ashja’ marched by, a joyous air of victory in their bearing, Abu Sufyan asked ‘Abbas, “Which tribe is this?” Being told that it was the tribe of Ashja’, he again muttered under his breath, “How strange! They were Muhammad’s most embittered enemies! Now they are so closely allied to him!
How perfect is their compliance!”
Next eight hundred men of the tribe of Juhayna and several other tribes marched by. Abu Sufyan’s mind boggled as he beheld these forces, and, he repeated to himself, askance, “Such an increase in so short a time!” While Abu Sufyan was yet lost in his thoughts, the Holy Prophet , girded with Divine Protection that was fitted on him by the Divine Agent, mounted his blessed red camel Qaswa, and rode out chanting Takbir, while lights sparkled all around him. Before him went Ibn ‘Ubada with the banner of the Ansar; to his right was Abu Bakr as- Siddiq, the Friend of the Cave, and to his left rode Usayd, with a company of five thousand men, all calling out loudly, “Allahu Akbar!” As the army of the Ansar with Sa’d bin ‘Ubada at its head, came up level with Abu Sufyan, Sa’d reminded everyone of the words Abu Sufyan had spoken at Uhud, when he had asked, “Is Muhammad dead?“ He cried out, “This is the day when all shall receive their just deserts, today we shall seize the Holy Kaba!”
Hearing these words, Abu Sufyan grew pale and ashen-faced, but there was nothing he could say to these Muslim warriors. The Holy Prophet himself rode by, and Abu Sufyan asked him, “Did you hear the threat uttered by Sa’d bin
`Ubada?“ The Holy Prophet replied, “Today the Kaba shall be dressed in glory!”
When Abu Sufyan observed this display of power, he turned to ‘Abbas and said, “The property and authority of your brother’s son has increased considerably!” These words indicate that although Abu Sufyan had declared his Islam when faced with the choice of death, he had not really come to terms with it. ‘Abbas answered him firmly, “Hold your tongue, Abu Sufyan! This is not a question of worldly power, but of prophethood!
“Had Muhammad been looking for power and worldly dominion, would he have taken upon himself so much suffering and mistreatment, utterly disregarding his own well-being? Would he have let them stone him at Ta’if, from where he left with bloodied feet, would he have had his blessed face wounded at Uhud where one of his teeth was martyred? Would he have migrated from his native land, if it was worldly dominion that he was seeking? You must remember very well when Muhammad began to preach Islam and you had all assembled at Dar un-Nadwa. It was decided then to go to Muhammad or to call him to come there and ask him what he was after.
“If he wished to found a state of his own and be the ruler of us all, you immediately would have pledged your allegiance to him, you would have
unconditionally given the entire Arabian Peninsula into his hands. Had it been beautiful women and girls that he sought, you would have found him the loveliest of all Arabia and presented them to him, on the one condition that he stop preaching ‘La ilaha illAllah’. And do you remember his reply to you at that time? Did he not say to you, ‘You misunderstand me. It is the Unity of the Divine that I preach, and the resurrection after death!’ Therefore, if it were as you seem to think, and Muhammad was only after wordly gain and power, he would have accepted what was offered to him at Dar un-Nadwa. What you see and witness here is not a display of worldly force, it is the power of prophethood, the strength of revelation!”
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! On the subject of the strength of revelation, let me add a few words to what already has been said. The power of revelation is a strange power, unlike anything else. Millions of people will follow that power, and millions of hearts beat for the recipient of revelation, millions of eyes shed tears for him, and give their hearts to the message he brings, even willingly lay down their lives when called upon to do so.
Truly, this must be the case. For nowadays, who has seen the Holy Prophet , who has heard the harmonious sound of his voice issuing from his blessed lips? And yet, there are untold millions of people following the way he has shown, and thousands of minarets intone his beloved name, as they resound with the words of the Shahada. Every year, millions of people travel to the holy place where he lies buried, to kiss the resting place of his relics.
Has Muhammad left any material benefits to make people perform all these acts of love? There is no need to go any further. If it could be ascertained beyond doubt that there existed a tiny bit of cloth which Muhammad used only once to wipe the sweat off his face, there are people living today who would be willing to give millions for the possession of this scrap of cloth. What is this power that instills such love in people’s hearts, although they never saw the man, and never heard his voice? It is the power of revelation.
Here is an example of what I mean. The famous Ibn Sina, whose blessed memory has for centuries been highly honored, had a very talented non-Muslim student whom he taught day and night for nine years. One day Ibn Sina fell ill and it was well after midnight when he woke up his student, saying, “I am burning. It would seem to me that were you to bring me water from the well across the way for me to drink, I would recover.” His student replied, “Oh my master, the weather is very bad, moreover I am covered in sweat. If I were to get up and go out just now, surely I would fall ill as well. Please be patient.”
There is a Hadith of the Prophet in which he says, “The cure to some illnesses is hidden in the strong desire for certain things.” The great physician Ibn Sina can be expected to have known and relied on this Hadith. However, the required precondition for being able to act on this Hadith is that a person be qualified to do so. It is not intended that any reckless individual may apply this to himself.
After a little while, people began to gather at this fountain to make their ablutions, despite the severe cold that made their breath steam. Ibn Sina called his apprentice and said to him, “Take a look at this!” The apprentice failed to understand and asked, “What is it about?” “Never mind, just get yourself up and observe this scene. Explanations will follow later,” said his teacher. The apprentice then rose, and after he had regarded the spectacle of the people making their ablutions, Ibn Sina began, “The issue at stake is this: many times in the course of our lessons you were amazed at my deliberations, and there were times when you told me, even if I were to claim to be a prophet, I would indeed be credible. I laughed at that, of course. Now pay attention and try to follow my reasoning.
“I have been teaching you now for years, throughout many days and nights, until you are now nearly my equal in knowledge. In this respect, you do owe me quite a bit. Yet, for all your indebtedness to me, I am unable to induce you to get up in the middle of the night to fetch me a glass of water from across the street, even though I am burning with feverish thirst. Your excuse may be acceptable, but there ought to have been enough love in you for you to have overcome your objection, and my word ought to have sufficed to move you into action. Now let us consider what we have seen here: these people have taken to heart the message delivered by one who lived many centuries ago, whose face they have never seen, whose voice has never spoken to them.
“They have risen from their soft, warm beds, have left the sweet embrace of their wives, in order to perform their ablutions with this ice-cold water. The power which causes them to do this willingly and gladly is called the power of revelation, none but the authority of a prophet can achieve such a thing.”
Oh Seeker of Truth! In the course of history, there has been many a tyrant desirous of such power over men. Many a dictator has envied the prophets of the desert this power, saying, “Ah, if only I had the power of ‘Isa or Musa!” Whatever systems of oppression they invented and applied, at their demise their systems perished along with them. Perhaps even during a tyrant’s lifetime, the sycophants who lived off him and obligingly stood before his throne in a show of false respect, would have turned against him and risen in rebellion, had he
suddenly chosen to dismiss them.
All this goes to show that the power of revelation is unlike any other power on earth. It does not compare with any power of the material dominion.
To return to our narrative: After the Holy Prophet’s entire army had marched by the pass where Abu Sufyan stood watching, ‘Abbas set him free and told him to go his way. Abu Sufyan immediately went down to Mecca along with Hakim bin Hizam. He proceeded to the Haram and addressed his people on these words: “There is nothing to be done, Muhammad is coming. He approaches with a mighty army, against which we have no means of resistance. Do not even toy with the idea of opposition for a single minute. There is nothing left to do but give in and say, ‘I have become a Muslim.’” The Quraysh then asked him, “What did Muhammad say?” “He has said, ‘Whoever enters the mosque will be safe; whoever lays down his arms will be safe; whoever remains in his house and shuts the door, and whoever is within the house of Abu Sufyan will be in safety.’”
Hearing these words, the infamous liver-eater Hind threw herself at her husband, grabbed him by his beard and yelled, “Oh ye men of victory! Slay this useless old man who has lost his mind! What a miserable protector for your people!” But Abu Sufyan just said to her, “Let go of my beard, for I tell you, if you do not do as I have done, you will not be able to save yourself. Go now go back to your house; there is no need to waste many words over this. Go into your house and shut the door.”
When this woman with a heart of stone who had eaten the liver of the Prophet’s cherished uncle Hamza, and who incited the pagan army to warfare, being herself the equivalent of hundreds of unbelievers, when Hind heard her husband’s conclusive and despairing words, she realized that the situation indeed was hopeless.
She fell silent and went into her house. The Meccans fell into confusion and there was great commotion. Some people sought refuge in the Haram, some betook themselves to the house of the leader of the clan, Abu Sufyan. Others locked themselves in their own houses, some took up arms, others laid them down. Of all the brave warriors of the Quraysh, only Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl, Suhayl, the son of ‘Amr, and Safwan, the son of Umayya gathered around themselves some fighting men and got ready for battle, determined to resist.
The Holy Prophet had given orders to his commanders to fight only if the Quraysh attacked them. They were divided up into different wings. He himself
entered Mecca by way of the pass of Adhakir.
The armed band of the Quraysh launched an attack on the wing commanded by Khalid ibn al-Walid at Khandama, in order to prevent their passage into the town. In the skirmish, Kurz bin Jabir and Khunays bin Khalid bin Asram were killed. Although Khalid admonished the attackers time and again, they would not listen, so that in the end Khalid “Sayfullah” was forced to inflict punishment on them. Those who insisted on resistance were punished, the remainder fled.
When the Holy Prophet beheld the Kaba, he began to recite Takbir, and of course all the Sahaba followed suit, so that the whole town reverberated with the calls of “Allahu Akbar”, and even the tiniest pebbles echoed the sound. The Holy Prophet had wound about his head his black turban, which symbolized the attribute of Majesty. It was a Friday. After he had ordered the banner of the Prophet to be placed at al-Hajun, he proceeded straight towards the Haram and stood before the doors of the Holy House. Everyone waited with great excitement for him to speak. At last he said, “Let everyone expect goodness from me, and know that I was sent as a mercy to the worlds. Islam covers up all the badness which went before, therefore you all are free.” Thus he pronounced his judgment and decree.
The Arabs of those times had set up three-hundred and sixty idols in the house erected by the noble ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad , Ibrahim Khalilullah. The Holy Prophet entered the Kaba together with his trusted general, Ali. As soon as they set foot in it, the Prophet recited this holy verse from the Quran:
“The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away; surely falsehood is ever certain to vanish.” (The Night Journey, 81)
They proceeded to topple the idols one by one, and they threw them down from their pedestals. A few idols were hung from a very high place. The Prophet said to Ali, “Come, Ali, step on my shoulder, and fetch down those on top.” But Ali replied, “Oh my Prophet , I would rather that you step upon my shoulders and bring them down.” At this, the Holy Prophet smiled and said, “The whole of creation rests upon my shoulders; how will you be able to withstand that weight? It is therefore better that you step upon my shoulder and climb up.” He repeated his command and Ali obeyed him. He stepped upon the Prophet’s shoulders in order to throw down the top row of idols. But when he lifted his head and looked about, he experienced a wondrous state and saw what he had never before beheld: he found himself to be gazing at the world of the Divine Throne. He saw that the head of the Prophet covered the Throne. As he bent
forward full of awe, he beheld the heavenly regions, which were covered by Muhammad’s chest. When he looked down at the regions below him, he beheld the Earth, which was covered by Muhammad’s blessed feet.
(This part of the story relates to those who have tasted of real faith; who remains trapped in the density of materialistic thought cannot know anything of that taste.)
The Prophet circled the Kaba seven times and the Sahaba and his friends followed in his footsteps. Abu Sufyan was standing by one side. As he watched the Tawaf of the Prophet and the Sahaba, he thought to himself, “Ah, if only I had an army and could fight against this man once more, if only I could destroy him with my newly gained knowledge, if only I had another chance to measure myself against him.” As he was thinking these thoughts, the Holy Prophet passed by close to him. He said, “This man will disgrace you again, he will bring you down low and then desert you.” Abu Sufyan stared straight ahead and in order to conceal the matter from the Sahaba who were near, while he said aloud, “Now my faith is stronger than before.”
The Holy Prophet continued his circumambulation of the Kaba. At a certain point Fudala approached him with the intention of slaying him. The Prophet observed Fudala as he slowly drew up to him, and finally addressed him, “Are you Fudala?” “Yes,” said the man, greatly surprised. “What were you thinking just now?” the Prophet continued to ask. The man replied, “I was not thinking of anything, I was busying myself with worship,” and he assumed a posture as of pious humility.
The Holy Prophet laughed at this and said, “Repent of what you had planned in your mind, for I am girded with the armor of Divine Protection. I will not leave this world before I have perfected the religion of Allah.”
Oh Traveler on the Way to Truth! The story of the conquest of Mecca and the Holy House contains some subtle points, which I will try to elucidate:
Firstly, it signaled the beginning of a period in which the heart of every God- seeking person would be turned towards Islam; and, secondly, it points to the fact that this noble religion brought by the Holy Prophet was never meant to remain the privilege of the Arab people alone, but was destined soon to spread all over the world. The Holy Prophet made these issues abundantly clear. For instance, Bilal was a black Abyssinian slave. He attained the status of a freedman, and in reality he was one of the great Friends of Allah about whom the Holy Prophet said, “Look here at the first fruit of Abyssinia.” Likewise he
said about Salman al-Farsi, “He is the first fruit of Iran.” And about Suhayb ar- Rumi he said, “He is the first fruit of Byzantium.” By his describing these companions by these names, he indicated in advance the extent of the conquests of Islam.
After he had recaptured his native city, the Prophet pronounced, “This was destined to be and it came to pass.”
The noble companions whose hearts beat with the love for their Prophet asked him where he intended to lodge. The Pride of All Prophets replied, “I will stay at just the place where the Quraysh assembled to pledge themselves to the destruction of Islam.“ This refers to the following events: When the Holy Prophet single-handedly began to preach the Unity of Allah on Mt. Hira, the leaders of the Quraysh had assembled at Mahsab, and sworn this solemn oath: “Until Muhammad foregoes his claims and surrenders himself, there will be no intermarriage between the clans of the Bani Hashim and the Bani Abdul- Muttalib, nor will there be any business dealings or other gainful transactions.” Regarding these events, this verse of the Holy Quran was revealed by Allah to His Prophet :
Those are they that say, “Do not expend on them that are with God’s Messenger until they scatter off.” (The Hypocrites, 7)
However, the devoted followers of the Holy Prophet had borne all the cruelty and mistreatment visited on them by the dark-spirited, evil-minded idolaters. They lived off the love they held for their Prophet , and their spiritual strength grew in the same proportion as their trials and tribulations increased.
Therefore, the place the Holy Prophet chose to make his headquarters in Mecca is highly significant. By doing so, he struck the unbelievers a very heavy blow, as is revealed in the Holy Quran:
Yet unto God belong the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand. (The Hypocrites, 7)
Now at last they understood, for Allah was very plainly saying to them:
“The Lord has willed to house His Beloved at the very place where previously you gathered and took an oath to extinguish the light of the religion I have sent to you.”
*******
The Haram ash-Sharif was cleansed of all the idols and their greatest one, the
famous Hubal, was smashed to pieces. As he was smashing the idol, Zubayr called out to Abu Sufyan, “Oh Abu Sufyan! Look at the state of your idol now, upon whom you placed so much hope in the Battle of Uhud!” Actually, whenever the Muslims remembered Abu Sufyan’s misdeeds and actions against Islam, their eyes filled with tears and their expressions darkened.
One day this incident occurred: Bilal, whose calling of the Adhan the Divine Throne listened for, was giving Abu Sufyan a piece of his mind when Abu Bakr as-Siddiq happened to pass by. He overheard Bilal’s words and admonished him not to speak to Abu Sufyan in such a manner. Later Abu Bakr as
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