MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 36/41)
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-Siddiq told the Holy Prophet about this, and the King of Prophets said, “Oh Abu Bakr! If you have offended Bilal by your manner, know that you have offended Allah Almighty as well. Therefore, go quickly and make it up with him!”
I leave it for everyone to glean the subtle meaning of this matter.
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After the Holy Prophet had finished his prayer at the Kaba, he gave a Khutba (sermon) in which he addressed not only the gathering of the Arabs present, but the dwellers of the whole world. This is the meaning of what he said:
“La ilaha illAllah, there is no God other than Allah, no one is worthy of worship other than He who is without partners. Idolatry is now abolished, no one is to worship any other man, or what is made of stone, wood or clay. Allah has made true His promise, He has given support to His servant and has routed those who gathered against Him, wishing to extinguish the light of Islam. All the blood feuds and litigations of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya) are now superseded and abolished. The only appointment to be upheld is the custodianship of the holy Kaba and the distribution of water to the Hujjaj (pilgrims).”
“Oh people of Quraysh! Allah has lifted from you all the self-conceit of the Age of Ignorance, the vainglory of your predecessors and your pride in the rotting bones of your ancestors. All of mankind is descended from Adam, and Adam was created from clay. The Lord Almighty has made you male and female, and divided you up into many peoples and tribes so that you might understand each other and live together as one spirit in a multitude of bodies.”
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! This is the moment to pause in reverence before the Holy Prophet‘s enlightened speech. Notably, he begins his sermon with the affirmation of the Unity of Allah, which is the foundation of all religions.
The aim of creation is to regain connection with one’s origins. The purpose of life is to find one’s way back to the Lord of all being, driven by the urge of love. Attachment, ardent desire, realization, i.e., knowing, finding, being. This was the first point the Holy Prophet made in his sermon.
Secondly, he spoke on the issue of blood feuds. This was one of the customs of the Arabs of old. If a man was killed, his family and clan would exact revenge on the murderer. If they failed to seize him, or if they could not kill him, revenge would be carried out on another member of his family, thus setting in motion a chain reaction. In his sermon, the Holy Prophet who was sent with mercy for all the worlds, addressed himself to this dreadful custom and announced its abolition.
As anywhere else in the world, so also the society of Arabia was divided up into classes. A person’s status was determined by his wealth, rank and descent. One class was wont to dominate, and was given preference and privilege over another class. This is a breach of the principle of spiritual equality of mankind.
Among the Hindus of India there are four castes. The lowest of these castes, the Shudra, are regarded as hardly distinct from the animals. The Brahmins, the highest caste, regard them as polluted and are vehemently opposed to their advancement. The principle foundation of Islam however is to assure all men of their equality before God.
To further illustrate this point: There happened to be a slight cooling of relations between Salman al-Farsi and a certain Sahaba, such as it occasionally happens among men. Once, at a gathering of Sahaba, this man, in order to shame Salman, broached the subject of descent. He began asking all those present about their ancestry and lineage, with the aim of boosting his pride and abasing Salman. ‘Umar was also among those assembled there. At last the turn came to Salman, and when asked about his parentage, he replied, “You ask me who was my father? Let me say that I am the child of Islam.”
This reply was related to the Holy Prophet who immediately said, “Because Salman regards himself as descended only from Islam itself, I hereby declare that Salman shall belong to my own household; Salman is one of the Ahl al- Bayt. In this way, Salman was granted the highest rank and standing, and it signaled that those in a like situation should be treated with the same respect as Salman and honored likewise.
The Hadith, “Verily your Lord is one and your father is also one,” indicates how the order of preference in society should be established. The Hadith continues:
“Therefore, neither does the Arab have preference over the non-Arab, nor the non-Arab over the Arab; nor does the black have preference over the white, nor the white over the black, or the black over the red-skinned nor the red over the black-skinned. The right of preference belongs to him whose heart beats with the most compassion for Allah’s creation. Whoever is most zealous in fulfilling Allah’s commands, his is the right of preference.”
After ending his sermon, the Holy Prophet gazed at the crowd listening to him. The gathering consisted of the heads of the proud Quraysh who had been at the forefront of every attempt to destroy the noble religion by all the means at their disposal. They had insulted the Holy Prophet in the worst way with their words. They had taken up arms against him. They had strewn thorns in his path, pelted him with stones, bloodied his blessed feet. They had left nothing undone to make miserable the life of this special guest from the Divine Abode of Unity. They had tortured the Muslims by burying them in the burning hot sands of the desert. They had intended to smother Islam at Madinah. Had their siege of Madinah met with success, they would no doubt have burned all the Muslims alive.
Now they stood in the presence of the Prophet , listening to the rivers of Divine Wisdom pouring from his blessed lips. When the Prophet had finished speaking, all were plunged into profound thoughts. The Prophet then said, “You are now wondering how I will deal with you.” Everyone waited tensely for him to pronounce judgment. “There will be no censure, you are all free.” Thereupon those whose fate it was to gain eternal bliss began to weep, while the hardened rebels saw their swords drop from their grip and stood completely bewildered.
The idolaters had confiscated the houses belonging to the Muslims. The time for this injustice to be punished had now come, but the Holy Prophet said to his friends and to the Muhajirin, “Whoso loves me will forego his claims (on property and possession).” Without blinking, the friends and fellow-fighters accepted this order of the Holy Prophet and did not object. Thus the incomparable civilization of Islam began to show itself to the world.
The time for prayer had passed. Bilal was ordered to climb to the roof of the Kaba and to call the Adhan. Yet there had been a time not long ago when he had been forced to lie on a bed of burning hot bricks for calling out the attestation of Muslim faith. Even then he had continued to cry out, “Ahad, Ahmad”, thus giving an example of what religious fervor really means. Now his voice rose above the rooftops of Mecca, ringing out with the Muhammadan Adhan. It sets
forth the conditions for the elevation of man: to recognize the Eternal Oneness of Allah and to verify that Ahmad (i.e. Muhammad) is His Prophet . When he turned to the right he remembered the world of the souls, and he called the blessed souls to prayer; when he turned to the left, he called to the multitude of the rebellious to come to success and to make their declaration of unity. The idolaters stood rigidly frozen to their places. When they heard the sound of the Adhan, those whose lives and possessions had just been spared, could not stand the attack of rebellion from within. ‘Utba bin Usayd cried out, “Thank God that my father has died and is spared from listening to this voice!” Some others took to muttering, “What pleasure is now left for us in life?“
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq took his own aged parent by the hand and brought him into the presence of the Prophet . Although his mother Salma had been one of the first to embrace Islam, his father still had not done so. When the Prophet saw his Friend of the Cave leading the old man by the hand, he said to him kindly, “Why do you thus accommodate the old man? We would have gone to him to visit him.” Abu Bakr replied, “Oh my Prophet , it is needful that he come to you, may your favors be abundant.” Thereupon the Prophet said, “His son has a great claim on me, so great that I cannot ever repay him,” thus expressing his very particular favor.
The heads of the Arab clans who had been most opposed to Islam and done it the most harm had fled during the conquest of Mecca. One of these was Safwan bin Umayya who fled to Jeddah. The Holy Prophet extended his pardon to them all, even sending to Jeddah his turban as a token of his pardon. Safwan came into the blessed presence of the Holy Prophet , and asked the Prophet to give him a period of two months’ time to deliberate whether he could accept Islam or not. But this gifted tutor of minds said to him, “Safwan, I grant you four months for this. Look around, examine it closely, think on it, ponder over it, and if you should meet with guidance, what a great good thing!”
That is the high road of Islam; those who say that Islam was spread by fire and sword ought to reconsider and judge more fairly.
Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl fled to Yemen. His wife, Umm Hakim, pleaded with the Holy Prophet for him also to be pardoned. She then wrote her husband a letter, saying, “Come quickly, for Muhammad has granted everyone his pardon, so don’t prolong this life in misery unnecessarily.”
Ikrima thereupon came home to his wife, and wanted to approach her in the marital manner. But Umm Hakim said to him, “You may not now approach me,
as you are an unbeliever, and I have become Muslim.” She refused him, and took him to see the Prophet first. Seeing them coming, the Holy Prophet said to his companions, “Let no one who has any love for me say a word to Ikrima about his father’s misdeeds, for the mention of this might vex him.” Again Muhammad demonstrated the delicacy and finesse so characteristic in that he forbade all mention of Abu Jahl’s injurious actions, even though he had been one of the worst offenders.
In the face of this fact, let all those hang their heads who would write in their books that the Holy Prophet’s mother, father and beloved uncle, Abu Talib left this world in a state of unbelief. The parents of the Prophet were the channel through which he passed into this world. How can they imagine that the Light of Prophethood passes through a channel containing disbelief? What a horrific error that is! It is conclusive proof that they who claim these things have not yet smelt the sweet perfume of Muhammad’s blessed scent!
Ikrima came up to the Prophet’s tent accompanied by his wife Umm Hakim. Although she was wearing a veil, she asked for permission before entering, saying, “Oh Rasulullah! I have brought Ikrima with me!” The Holy Prophet called to her, “That is good, let him enter.” Ikrima entered the presence of the Prophet who said to him, “Welcome to you!” Ikrima replied in a very modest fashion, saying, “My wife has told me that you have granted me pardon and safe treatment.” The Holy Prophet answered, “Yes Ikrima, I have assured you of safety, I am your guarantor.”
Praised be Allah, who causes the entire created universe to revolve between the two fingers of His Mercy and His Majesty! Abu Jahl’s son had been as hard- hearted as his father, and now he had somehow changed! He was too shy to look up and face the Prophet’s gaze, but he did deliver the words of the Shahada in a lively tone. After he had voiced this attestation of his faith, he made this supplication, “I hereby seek refuge with you, oh my Prophet ! Whatever I have done in the past, whatever enmity I have perpetrated against you, whatever my words and deeds, it was from my ignorance and lowliness of spirit. For the love of the God whom you have taught me, forgive me. I vow to spend in the cause of Allah many times the sums of money, which I spent in the time of my ignorance on the exploits of disbelief. I will fight for Islam as long as I live, until I fall slain as a martyr, inshaAllah.”
The Prophet , the Mercy of the Worlds, then prayed for Ikrima’s supplication to be accepted, and it was.
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! Lest this point be misunderstood: after the Holy Prophet had delivered his khutba at the conquest of Mecca, he said, “Go now, all of you, you are free!” However, the declaration of a general amnesty entailed no compulsion to accept the new religion in exchange for freedom.
The Prophet Forgave the Crimes of Jahiliyya
Muhammad’s erstwhile enemies came up to him one by one and expressed their remorse. Even Wahshi, who had murdered the Holy Prophet’s beloved uncle Hamza whom once he had referred to as his right hand, stepped forth. Wahshi was no ordinary killer. His murderous deed would have put even the wild beasts to shame. Hind, the mother of the famous Mu’awiya had commissioned him with the promise of reward. “If you kill Hamza,” she had said, “and bring to me his liver, his ears and his nose, I will give to you not only a handsome sum of money, but this precious necklace as well.”
He had promised not to disappoint her, being keen on the reward. So he had hidden himself behind a boulder, slain Hamza in a cowardly and treacherous ambush and mutilated his corpse. He had slashed him up so savagely that the Muslims looking for the dead and wounded on the battlefield failed to recognize him. They reported to the Holy Prophet , “We could not find his blessed remains.” The Prophet answered, “I will know my uncle by his scent,” and he began searching for him until he found him, albeit in an unrecognizable state. He embraced him tearfully and, although loud wailing and keening is forbidden in Islam, he asked the women of Madinah to weep for his beloved uncle and to sing eulogies, as no other family members were left to do so. According to one tradition, the Holy Prophet prayed the funeral prayer over him seven times, according to another narration seventy times.
Oh Seeker of the Truth! Wahshi was a hired killer. He killed for Hind’s money and to win favor with Abu Sufyan. Now the same man presented himself before the Holy Prophet and pleaded, “Accept my declaration of faith.” The Holy Prophet accepted his faith and Wahshi became a Muslim. He came again the next day and sat among the Sahaba. The Prophet’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of him and he said to him, “When I see you, I see before me the terrible state of my uncle when last I set eyes upon him, and it affects me strongly. But you, too, are now a believer and are implied by the verse,
Say: ‘Oh my people who have been prodigal against yourselves, do not despair of God’s mercy.’ (The Companies, 53)
The Holy Prophet had seated himself on a high place upon the rocks of Safa. There he accepted the pledge of those who now entered Islam. First the men came to him, then the women. As he would not take the hand of any woman he was not lawfully entitled to touch, the Prophet had a bowl of water set before him. Into this he dipped his hand, then the women dipped their hands into it after him, taking the pledge in this manner. The women were bound by an oath, in which they pledged to abide by the rules of good conduct and decency as defined by the religion of Islam. Some of the most highborn women of Arabia were among those who took this pledge, for instance Hind, ‘Utba’s daughter, wife of Abu Sufyan and mother of Mu’awiya, and Arwa, the daughter of ‘As bin Umayya and ‘Atiqa.
Hind came to the Prophet wearing a veil, for this was the custom among the Arabian noblewomen. Hind’s motive, however, was not her hauteur, but rather that for the moment she preferred to conceal herself from the Holy Prophet . When she made her pledge, she asked, “What do you wish us to pledge ourselves to?” The Glory of all the World, Muhammad replied, “You shall swear to worship no deity but Allah.” “But,” she said, “Is that not the pledge you already took of our men? We accepted this alongside them.” “You are not to steal,” continued the Prophet . “From time to time I take a few coins out of Abu Sufyan’s pocket; is that going to be forbidden as well?” Abu Sufyan was present at this occasion, and he said, “As for what is past, may it be lawful; we will now consider what lies ahead of us.”
“You shall not slay your own children,” continued the Holy Prophet . She replied, “When our children were young, we cared for them well; when they were grown, it was you who slew them.”
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The Holy Prophet spent about two weeks in Mecca then prepared for the return journey to Madinah. He left Mu’adh bin Jabal behind in Mecca to teach the Quraysh the ways of Islam.
Oh Seeker of the Truth! Mu’adh bin Jabal came to greet the Prophet at the Battle of Tabuk. When he shook his hand, the Holy Prophet remarked, “Kabadat yadaka, ya Mu’adh? Your hands have become calloused, oh Mu’adh!” Mu’adh replied, “Yes, my Prophet, for I try to follow the way you have shown, and in order to gain a living for my wife and family, I hire myself out for daily wages. Therefore my hands have grown rough and calloused.” The Holy Prophet then lovingly kissed his hands and turning to the Companions said, “Here you
have a pair of hands that Allah Almighty is loath to burn in the fires of Hell,” thereby making known to all his Companions the rank conferred upon Mu’adh.
Mu’adh stayed in Mecca in obedience to the Holy Prophet’s command and endeavored to teach Islam to the Meccans. He had also ordered him to guard a few of the precious objects housed in the Kaba, for in bygone days, the followers of the religion of Ibrahim had brought many rare and costly gifts to the Holy House of God, which had been salvaged while the idols were being destroyed.
Among the heathen idols were the graven images of the Shaykh of Prophets, Ibrahim and his son Isma’il, all of them most sumptuously adorned. There was also a portrait of the prophet ‘Isa. This signifies that Christianity had indeed made its way to Mecca and was represented in the Holy House.
The Incident of the Bani Jadhima
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! Nothing distressed the Prophet so much as this incident. He had sent envoys to all the tribes in order to call them to Islam. Khalid ibn al-Walid had come from Nakhla and he sent him to the Bani Jadhima who lived about one way-station’s distance from Mecca. They chose to come out and meet him as an armed force. Some of them were then taken prisoner and forced to disarm. The prisoners were divided up among the Ansar and the Muhajirin and those of the Bani Sulaym who had gone out with them. “We have become Muslims,” they said, but Khalid ibn al-Walid was suspicious of them and accused them of just playing with empty words while concealing their hypocrisy, and he feared they would commit treachery against Islam. He therefore ordered the prisoners to be executed. The Muhajirin and Ansar, however, did not accept this order and set the prisoners belonging to them free.
Khalid then said, “I am the Amir here, I am in command! You are required to obey me!” But the Muhajirin and Ansar answered, “We have heard from Muhammad : La ta’ata li-makhluqin ‘inda ma’siyatil-khaliq; that is to say, there is no obedience due to the creature when he disobeys his Creator. In plain speech: if you obliged to obedience, and it turns out that you are ordered to do what is in contradiction to the Divine Law, then you ought to refuse compliance with that order. Therefore, whoever you may be, we refuse to obey you.”
The Bani Sulaym, however, executed some of the prisoners they had taken. When the Holy Prophet heard of this event, he was very much aggrieved. Nothing had ever affected him so much before. His eyes were filled with tears of compassion and pity and he exclaimed, “Oh my Lord, I am innocent before Thee
of what Khalid has done!” He kept repeating these words over and over, then he called for Ali and said to him, “Go and represent me in this case. Take with you enough money and merchandise to pay the blood wit of those killed and to pay indemnity for the damage that was done.”
Ali set out and spoke to the tribesmen in such a way that their hearts were satisfied. He paid the blood wit of those murdered and even gave them somewhat more than was due to them, saying, “Perhaps there has been some damage that we have not taken into account; let this be in ransom for it.” The Holy Prophet began to interrogate Khalid, saying, “Does this noble religion not forbid us to strike after a man has surrendered? Is a Muslim not such a person from whose hand and tongue everyone is secure? We are not ordered to annihilate humanity but to give it new life! We are here to replace oppression and injustice with justice, and to bring faith wherever we encounter unbelief! Khalid, oh Khalid! For this you will be brought to account before the Lord Almighty! Oh my Lord, I am innocent before Thee of the deed that Khalid has done!”
Khalid was greatly surprised when he encountered such anger from his Prophet
, and he said, “Oh my Prophet , their words came not from their hearts!” The Qibla of all Prophets again replied sternly in a harsh manner, “Did you cut open their hearts and look inside?” Thus he reprimanded him most severely and remained angry with him for several days, for in Islam it is considered wrong to shame a person by exposing him to disgrace.
The Battle of Hunayn
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! Following the conquest of Mecca, the tribes of Arabia entered Islam in great numbers.
When comes the help of God and victory, and thou seest men entering God’s religion in throngs. (Help: 1, 2)
The Companions of the Prophet were overjoyed at the rapid development of Islam, as described in the above-mentioned holy verse. Only Abu Bakr was beset by sadness and took to weeping. When asked the reason for his grief, he answered, “A time will come when the very opposite of this verse will be manifested. Just as people are now streaming into the fold of Islam, a day will come that will see men running away from the religion of Islam in masses.”
The Holy Prophet himself said in a Hadith: “A time will come when a man will live as a Muslim from morning to evening, and from evening to morning he will
live as an infidel.”
Oh Lord! As You have brought us into this world as Muslims, grant us to leave this world again as Muslims.
After the conquest of Mecca, the clans and tribes that had sided with the Quraysh now inclined towards Islam and the number of Muslims greatly increased. Only the tribe of the Hawazin persisted in enmity and decided to make war against the Prophet . They allied themselves in this endeavor with the Bani Thaqif. It was very disagreeable for these two warlike tribes to witness the daily increase of the Muslim numbers, and their jealousy robbed them of rest. For over a year the Hawazin had been trying to incite the Arabs to rise up and fight against the Muslims. In the end, all the tribes allied with the Hawazin and the Bani Thaqif agreed to unite in the valley of Hunayn, which lies between Ta’if and Mecca. The only tribesmen not to participate in this alliance were the clans of the Bani Ka’b and the Bani Kilab.
Malik bin ‘Awf was appointed as the supreme commander of the Hawazin. He took all the women and children of the tribe along to the army’s encampment. They also took along a very old man named Durayd bin al-Simma, who was experienced in all aspects of warfare and exceedingly clever. Some say he was over one hundred and twenty years old, while others claim that he was as old as one hundred and sixty years of age. Allah knows best. In order to profit from his skill and wisdom, they carried him along to the battlefield in a sort of howdah.
When they came to the spot, which is named Awtas, Durayd said, “This is a very suitable place for a battle, as the ground is neither too hard nor too soft.” When he heard the sounds of women and children, he asked, “What have you brought them along for?” Malik, the chief commander, answered, “We brought them along so that the soldiers would have no reason to look back, nothing to distract them, and that under no circumstances would they think of running back home.” To this Durayd replied, “Take heed! If a soldier is driven to flight, there is absolutely nothing that will stop him. Should retreat indeed become expedient, their dishonor will be even greater because of the presence of their women. Apart from that, have the clans of the Bani Ka’b and the Bani Kilab joined in the alliance?” Hearing that they had not, he continued, “Had this day been a day of honor, they would have participated in this battle.”
These words displeased the commander-in-chief, Malik, so that he said to the ancient sage, “Your words are the result of your great age and infirmity.” “Mark my words all the same, for I speak from my vast stores of experience. If all goes well, nothing will help you but men who are able to use the lance and the sword.
But if defeat and misfortune are to be your lot, you would only be further disgraced and publicly scorned with your wives and families at your side.”
The army of the Hawazin comprised twenty thousand fighters. Hearing of such a great force assembled against him, the Holy Prophet instantly made preparations for war. He sent out Abdullah al-Aslami in disguise as a spy to the enemy camp in order to achieve full reconnaissance of the situation and the strength of the enemy. He scouted out what was needful to know and the Prophet ordered preparations to proceed accordingly.
A defensive strategy against the enemy needed to be devised, and money had to be borrowed. Thirty thousand dirhams were borrowed from Abu Jahl’s foster- brother Abdullah bin Rabi’. Arms were to be procured, and Safwan bin Umayya was asked to supply them from his armory. However, he had still not become a Muslim, so he asked, “Do you wish to take them from me by force?” “No,” replied the Holy Prophet , “I ask them from you on loan and they shall be returned. In case of damage they shall be replaced.” Safwan then agreed to the deal and loaned the Holy Prophet three hundred suits of armor and sufficient arms to go with them. Nawfal bin Harith bin Abd ul-Muttalib donated three hundred lances and spears. So the Prophet completed his preparations. He left ‘Attab bin Asid and Mu’adh bin Jabal in charge of Mecca; Mu’adh was responsible for religious affairs, whereas ‘Attab took over the governing of the town, although he was only twenty years old at the time.
On the seventh day of the month of Shawwal in the eighth year of the Hijra, the Holy Prophet set out from Mecca towards Hunayn with an army of over twelve thousand soldiers, astride his mule Duldul. The army consisted of one thousand men of the Muhajirin, four thousand of the Ansar, five thousand of the tribes of Juhayna, Muzayna, the Bani Sabur, Aslam, Ghifar and Ashja’, and two thousand men from the people of Mecca. Among these there were some non-Muslim idolaters, such as Safwan bin Umayya.
On the eleventh of Shawwal, the Prophet and his resplendent army reached the valley of Hunayn. So great and magnificent seemed their force that the commanders began to boast that surely such an army would never see defeat. But the Holy Prophet warned them and said, “These words smack of unbelief.” As events were to show, the Muslims were at first faced with defeat, in spite of their sure expectations of victory. This is referred to in the Sura named ‘Repentance’:
God has already helped you on many fields, and on the day of Hunayn,
when your multitude was pleasing to you, but it availed you naught, and the land for all its breadth was strait for you, and you turned about, retreating. Then God sent His Sakina down upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and He sent down legions you did not see, and He chastised the unbelievers and that is the recompense of the unbelievers.
(Repentance: 25)
The Muslims were overly sure of their victory and fell into the error of over- reliance on their own devices. Therefore the Holy Prophet warned them that all power and might to change things lies in the hands of Allah Almighty alone.
The front lines of the Muslim army were made up of young men from Mecca under the command of Khalid ibn al-Walid. Trusting in the pride and strength of their youth, they had declined to gird themselves with the armor provided for them. This was one of the reasons for the rout, the other being the two thousand non-Muslims who marched with the Muslim army.
The enemy army had availed themselves of the stronger positions, and the Muslim army could not advance for the hail of arrows. It was the hour before the break of dawn. The Imam of Prophets , set forth the battle strategy to the Muslim soldiers and distributed the banners. One was given to Ali ibn Abi Talib, one to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and one to Hubab ibn al-Mundhir. The fighting began and Hawazin lay in wait. The company of Khalid ibn al-Walid encountered a rain of arrows and fell into disarray. L
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-Siddiq told the Holy Prophet about this, and the King of Prophets said, “Oh Abu Bakr! If you have offended Bilal by your manner, know that you have offended Allah Almighty as well. Therefore, go quickly and make it up with him!”
I leave it for everyone to glean the subtle meaning of this matter.
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After the Holy Prophet had finished his prayer at the Kaba, he gave a Khutba (sermon) in which he addressed not only the gathering of the Arabs present, but the dwellers of the whole world. This is the meaning of what he said:
“La ilaha illAllah, there is no God other than Allah, no one is worthy of worship other than He who is without partners. Idolatry is now abolished, no one is to worship any other man, or what is made of stone, wood or clay. Allah has made true His promise, He has given support to His servant and has routed those who gathered against Him, wishing to extinguish the light of Islam. All the blood feuds and litigations of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya) are now superseded and abolished. The only appointment to be upheld is the custodianship of the holy Kaba and the distribution of water to the Hujjaj (pilgrims).”
“Oh people of Quraysh! Allah has lifted from you all the self-conceit of the Age of Ignorance, the vainglory of your predecessors and your pride in the rotting bones of your ancestors. All of mankind is descended from Adam, and Adam was created from clay. The Lord Almighty has made you male and female, and divided you up into many peoples and tribes so that you might understand each other and live together as one spirit in a multitude of bodies.”
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! This is the moment to pause in reverence before the Holy Prophet‘s enlightened speech. Notably, he begins his sermon with the affirmation of the Unity of Allah, which is the foundation of all religions.
The aim of creation is to regain connection with one’s origins. The purpose of life is to find one’s way back to the Lord of all being, driven by the urge of love. Attachment, ardent desire, realization, i.e., knowing, finding, being. This was the first point the Holy Prophet made in his sermon.
Secondly, he spoke on the issue of blood feuds. This was one of the customs of the Arabs of old. If a man was killed, his family and clan would exact revenge on the murderer. If they failed to seize him, or if they could not kill him, revenge would be carried out on another member of his family, thus setting in motion a chain reaction. In his sermon, the Holy Prophet who was sent with mercy for all the worlds, addressed himself to this dreadful custom and announced its abolition.
As anywhere else in the world, so also the society of Arabia was divided up into classes. A person’s status was determined by his wealth, rank and descent. One class was wont to dominate, and was given preference and privilege over another class. This is a breach of the principle of spiritual equality of mankind.
Among the Hindus of India there are four castes. The lowest of these castes, the Shudra, are regarded as hardly distinct from the animals. The Brahmins, the highest caste, regard them as polluted and are vehemently opposed to their advancement. The principle foundation of Islam however is to assure all men of their equality before God.
To further illustrate this point: There happened to be a slight cooling of relations between Salman al-Farsi and a certain Sahaba, such as it occasionally happens among men. Once, at a gathering of Sahaba, this man, in order to shame Salman, broached the subject of descent. He began asking all those present about their ancestry and lineage, with the aim of boosting his pride and abasing Salman. ‘Umar was also among those assembled there. At last the turn came to Salman, and when asked about his parentage, he replied, “You ask me who was my father? Let me say that I am the child of Islam.”
This reply was related to the Holy Prophet who immediately said, “Because Salman regards himself as descended only from Islam itself, I hereby declare that Salman shall belong to my own household; Salman is one of the Ahl al- Bayt. In this way, Salman was granted the highest rank and standing, and it signaled that those in a like situation should be treated with the same respect as Salman and honored likewise.
The Hadith, “Verily your Lord is one and your father is also one,” indicates how the order of preference in society should be established. The Hadith continues:
“Therefore, neither does the Arab have preference over the non-Arab, nor the non-Arab over the Arab; nor does the black have preference over the white, nor the white over the black, or the black over the red-skinned nor the red over the black-skinned. The right of preference belongs to him whose heart beats with the most compassion for Allah’s creation. Whoever is most zealous in fulfilling Allah’s commands, his is the right of preference.”
After ending his sermon, the Holy Prophet gazed at the crowd listening to him. The gathering consisted of the heads of the proud Quraysh who had been at the forefront of every attempt to destroy the noble religion by all the means at their disposal. They had insulted the Holy Prophet in the worst way with their words. They had taken up arms against him. They had strewn thorns in his path, pelted him with stones, bloodied his blessed feet. They had left nothing undone to make miserable the life of this special guest from the Divine Abode of Unity. They had tortured the Muslims by burying them in the burning hot sands of the desert. They had intended to smother Islam at Madinah. Had their siege of Madinah met with success, they would no doubt have burned all the Muslims alive.
Now they stood in the presence of the Prophet , listening to the rivers of Divine Wisdom pouring from his blessed lips. When the Prophet had finished speaking, all were plunged into profound thoughts. The Prophet then said, “You are now wondering how I will deal with you.” Everyone waited tensely for him to pronounce judgment. “There will be no censure, you are all free.” Thereupon those whose fate it was to gain eternal bliss began to weep, while the hardened rebels saw their swords drop from their grip and stood completely bewildered.
The idolaters had confiscated the houses belonging to the Muslims. The time for this injustice to be punished had now come, but the Holy Prophet said to his friends and to the Muhajirin, “Whoso loves me will forego his claims (on property and possession).” Without blinking, the friends and fellow-fighters accepted this order of the Holy Prophet and did not object. Thus the incomparable civilization of Islam began to show itself to the world.
The time for prayer had passed. Bilal was ordered to climb to the roof of the Kaba and to call the Adhan. Yet there had been a time not long ago when he had been forced to lie on a bed of burning hot bricks for calling out the attestation of Muslim faith. Even then he had continued to cry out, “Ahad, Ahmad”, thus giving an example of what religious fervor really means. Now his voice rose above the rooftops of Mecca, ringing out with the Muhammadan Adhan. It sets
forth the conditions for the elevation of man: to recognize the Eternal Oneness of Allah and to verify that Ahmad (i.e. Muhammad) is His Prophet . When he turned to the right he remembered the world of the souls, and he called the blessed souls to prayer; when he turned to the left, he called to the multitude of the rebellious to come to success and to make their declaration of unity. The idolaters stood rigidly frozen to their places. When they heard the sound of the Adhan, those whose lives and possessions had just been spared, could not stand the attack of rebellion from within. ‘Utba bin Usayd cried out, “Thank God that my father has died and is spared from listening to this voice!” Some others took to muttering, “What pleasure is now left for us in life?“
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq took his own aged parent by the hand and brought him into the presence of the Prophet . Although his mother Salma had been one of the first to embrace Islam, his father still had not done so. When the Prophet saw his Friend of the Cave leading the old man by the hand, he said to him kindly, “Why do you thus accommodate the old man? We would have gone to him to visit him.” Abu Bakr replied, “Oh my Prophet , it is needful that he come to you, may your favors be abundant.” Thereupon the Prophet said, “His son has a great claim on me, so great that I cannot ever repay him,” thus expressing his very particular favor.
The heads of the Arab clans who had been most opposed to Islam and done it the most harm had fled during the conquest of Mecca. One of these was Safwan bin Umayya who fled to Jeddah. The Holy Prophet extended his pardon to them all, even sending to Jeddah his turban as a token of his pardon. Safwan came into the blessed presence of the Holy Prophet , and asked the Prophet to give him a period of two months’ time to deliberate whether he could accept Islam or not. But this gifted tutor of minds said to him, “Safwan, I grant you four months for this. Look around, examine it closely, think on it, ponder over it, and if you should meet with guidance, what a great good thing!”
That is the high road of Islam; those who say that Islam was spread by fire and sword ought to reconsider and judge more fairly.
Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl fled to Yemen. His wife, Umm Hakim, pleaded with the Holy Prophet for him also to be pardoned. She then wrote her husband a letter, saying, “Come quickly, for Muhammad has granted everyone his pardon, so don’t prolong this life in misery unnecessarily.”
Ikrima thereupon came home to his wife, and wanted to approach her in the marital manner. But Umm Hakim said to him, “You may not now approach me,
as you are an unbeliever, and I have become Muslim.” She refused him, and took him to see the Prophet first. Seeing them coming, the Holy Prophet said to his companions, “Let no one who has any love for me say a word to Ikrima about his father’s misdeeds, for the mention of this might vex him.” Again Muhammad demonstrated the delicacy and finesse so characteristic in that he forbade all mention of Abu Jahl’s injurious actions, even though he had been one of the worst offenders.
In the face of this fact, let all those hang their heads who would write in their books that the Holy Prophet’s mother, father and beloved uncle, Abu Talib left this world in a state of unbelief. The parents of the Prophet were the channel through which he passed into this world. How can they imagine that the Light of Prophethood passes through a channel containing disbelief? What a horrific error that is! It is conclusive proof that they who claim these things have not yet smelt the sweet perfume of Muhammad’s blessed scent!
Ikrima came up to the Prophet’s tent accompanied by his wife Umm Hakim. Although she was wearing a veil, she asked for permission before entering, saying, “Oh Rasulullah! I have brought Ikrima with me!” The Holy Prophet called to her, “That is good, let him enter.” Ikrima entered the presence of the Prophet who said to him, “Welcome to you!” Ikrima replied in a very modest fashion, saying, “My wife has told me that you have granted me pardon and safe treatment.” The Holy Prophet answered, “Yes Ikrima, I have assured you of safety, I am your guarantor.”
Praised be Allah, who causes the entire created universe to revolve between the two fingers of His Mercy and His Majesty! Abu Jahl’s son had been as hard- hearted as his father, and now he had somehow changed! He was too shy to look up and face the Prophet’s gaze, but he did deliver the words of the Shahada in a lively tone. After he had voiced this attestation of his faith, he made this supplication, “I hereby seek refuge with you, oh my Prophet ! Whatever I have done in the past, whatever enmity I have perpetrated against you, whatever my words and deeds, it was from my ignorance and lowliness of spirit. For the love of the God whom you have taught me, forgive me. I vow to spend in the cause of Allah many times the sums of money, which I spent in the time of my ignorance on the exploits of disbelief. I will fight for Islam as long as I live, until I fall slain as a martyr, inshaAllah.”
The Prophet , the Mercy of the Worlds, then prayed for Ikrima’s supplication to be accepted, and it was.
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! Lest this point be misunderstood: after the Holy Prophet had delivered his khutba at the conquest of Mecca, he said, “Go now, all of you, you are free!” However, the declaration of a general amnesty entailed no compulsion to accept the new religion in exchange for freedom.
The Prophet Forgave the Crimes of Jahiliyya
Muhammad’s erstwhile enemies came up to him one by one and expressed their remorse. Even Wahshi, who had murdered the Holy Prophet’s beloved uncle Hamza whom once he had referred to as his right hand, stepped forth. Wahshi was no ordinary killer. His murderous deed would have put even the wild beasts to shame. Hind, the mother of the famous Mu’awiya had commissioned him with the promise of reward. “If you kill Hamza,” she had said, “and bring to me his liver, his ears and his nose, I will give to you not only a handsome sum of money, but this precious necklace as well.”
He had promised not to disappoint her, being keen on the reward. So he had hidden himself behind a boulder, slain Hamza in a cowardly and treacherous ambush and mutilated his corpse. He had slashed him up so savagely that the Muslims looking for the dead and wounded on the battlefield failed to recognize him. They reported to the Holy Prophet , “We could not find his blessed remains.” The Prophet answered, “I will know my uncle by his scent,” and he began searching for him until he found him, albeit in an unrecognizable state. He embraced him tearfully and, although loud wailing and keening is forbidden in Islam, he asked the women of Madinah to weep for his beloved uncle and to sing eulogies, as no other family members were left to do so. According to one tradition, the Holy Prophet prayed the funeral prayer over him seven times, according to another narration seventy times.
Oh Seeker of the Truth! Wahshi was a hired killer. He killed for Hind’s money and to win favor with Abu Sufyan. Now the same man presented himself before the Holy Prophet and pleaded, “Accept my declaration of faith.” The Holy Prophet accepted his faith and Wahshi became a Muslim. He came again the next day and sat among the Sahaba. The Prophet’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of him and he said to him, “When I see you, I see before me the terrible state of my uncle when last I set eyes upon him, and it affects me strongly. But you, too, are now a believer and are implied by the verse,
Say: ‘Oh my people who have been prodigal against yourselves, do not despair of God’s mercy.’ (The Companies, 53)
The Holy Prophet had seated himself on a high place upon the rocks of Safa. There he accepted the pledge of those who now entered Islam. First the men came to him, then the women. As he would not take the hand of any woman he was not lawfully entitled to touch, the Prophet had a bowl of water set before him. Into this he dipped his hand, then the women dipped their hands into it after him, taking the pledge in this manner. The women were bound by an oath, in which they pledged to abide by the rules of good conduct and decency as defined by the religion of Islam. Some of the most highborn women of Arabia were among those who took this pledge, for instance Hind, ‘Utba’s daughter, wife of Abu Sufyan and mother of Mu’awiya, and Arwa, the daughter of ‘As bin Umayya and ‘Atiqa.
Hind came to the Prophet wearing a veil, for this was the custom among the Arabian noblewomen. Hind’s motive, however, was not her hauteur, but rather that for the moment she preferred to conceal herself from the Holy Prophet . When she made her pledge, she asked, “What do you wish us to pledge ourselves to?” The Glory of all the World, Muhammad replied, “You shall swear to worship no deity but Allah.” “But,” she said, “Is that not the pledge you already took of our men? We accepted this alongside them.” “You are not to steal,” continued the Prophet . “From time to time I take a few coins out of Abu Sufyan’s pocket; is that going to be forbidden as well?” Abu Sufyan was present at this occasion, and he said, “As for what is past, may it be lawful; we will now consider what lies ahead of us.”
“You shall not slay your own children,” continued the Holy Prophet . She replied, “When our children were young, we cared for them well; when they were grown, it was you who slew them.”
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The Holy Prophet spent about two weeks in Mecca then prepared for the return journey to Madinah. He left Mu’adh bin Jabal behind in Mecca to teach the Quraysh the ways of Islam.
Oh Seeker of the Truth! Mu’adh bin Jabal came to greet the Prophet at the Battle of Tabuk. When he shook his hand, the Holy Prophet remarked, “Kabadat yadaka, ya Mu’adh? Your hands have become calloused, oh Mu’adh!” Mu’adh replied, “Yes, my Prophet, for I try to follow the way you have shown, and in order to gain a living for my wife and family, I hire myself out for daily wages. Therefore my hands have grown rough and calloused.” The Holy Prophet then lovingly kissed his hands and turning to the Companions said, “Here you
have a pair of hands that Allah Almighty is loath to burn in the fires of Hell,” thereby making known to all his Companions the rank conferred upon Mu’adh.
Mu’adh stayed in Mecca in obedience to the Holy Prophet’s command and endeavored to teach Islam to the Meccans. He had also ordered him to guard a few of the precious objects housed in the Kaba, for in bygone days, the followers of the religion of Ibrahim had brought many rare and costly gifts to the Holy House of God, which had been salvaged while the idols were being destroyed.
Among the heathen idols were the graven images of the Shaykh of Prophets, Ibrahim and his son Isma’il, all of them most sumptuously adorned. There was also a portrait of the prophet ‘Isa. This signifies that Christianity had indeed made its way to Mecca and was represented in the Holy House.
The Incident of the Bani Jadhima
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! Nothing distressed the Prophet so much as this incident. He had sent envoys to all the tribes in order to call them to Islam. Khalid ibn al-Walid had come from Nakhla and he sent him to the Bani Jadhima who lived about one way-station’s distance from Mecca. They chose to come out and meet him as an armed force. Some of them were then taken prisoner and forced to disarm. The prisoners were divided up among the Ansar and the Muhajirin and those of the Bani Sulaym who had gone out with them. “We have become Muslims,” they said, but Khalid ibn al-Walid was suspicious of them and accused them of just playing with empty words while concealing their hypocrisy, and he feared they would commit treachery against Islam. He therefore ordered the prisoners to be executed. The Muhajirin and Ansar, however, did not accept this order and set the prisoners belonging to them free.
Khalid then said, “I am the Amir here, I am in command! You are required to obey me!” But the Muhajirin and Ansar answered, “We have heard from Muhammad : La ta’ata li-makhluqin ‘inda ma’siyatil-khaliq; that is to say, there is no obedience due to the creature when he disobeys his Creator. In plain speech: if you obliged to obedience, and it turns out that you are ordered to do what is in contradiction to the Divine Law, then you ought to refuse compliance with that order. Therefore, whoever you may be, we refuse to obey you.”
The Bani Sulaym, however, executed some of the prisoners they had taken. When the Holy Prophet heard of this event, he was very much aggrieved. Nothing had ever affected him so much before. His eyes were filled with tears of compassion and pity and he exclaimed, “Oh my Lord, I am innocent before Thee
of what Khalid has done!” He kept repeating these words over and over, then he called for Ali and said to him, “Go and represent me in this case. Take with you enough money and merchandise to pay the blood wit of those killed and to pay indemnity for the damage that was done.”
Ali set out and spoke to the tribesmen in such a way that their hearts were satisfied. He paid the blood wit of those murdered and even gave them somewhat more than was due to them, saying, “Perhaps there has been some damage that we have not taken into account; let this be in ransom for it.” The Holy Prophet began to interrogate Khalid, saying, “Does this noble religion not forbid us to strike after a man has surrendered? Is a Muslim not such a person from whose hand and tongue everyone is secure? We are not ordered to annihilate humanity but to give it new life! We are here to replace oppression and injustice with justice, and to bring faith wherever we encounter unbelief! Khalid, oh Khalid! For this you will be brought to account before the Lord Almighty! Oh my Lord, I am innocent before Thee of the deed that Khalid has done!”
Khalid was greatly surprised when he encountered such anger from his Prophet
, and he said, “Oh my Prophet , their words came not from their hearts!” The Qibla of all Prophets again replied sternly in a harsh manner, “Did you cut open their hearts and look inside?” Thus he reprimanded him most severely and remained angry with him for several days, for in Islam it is considered wrong to shame a person by exposing him to disgrace.
The Battle of Hunayn
Oh Traveler on the Road to Truth! Following the conquest of Mecca, the tribes of Arabia entered Islam in great numbers.
When comes the help of God and victory, and thou seest men entering God’s religion in throngs. (Help: 1, 2)
The Companions of the Prophet were overjoyed at the rapid development of Islam, as described in the above-mentioned holy verse. Only Abu Bakr was beset by sadness and took to weeping. When asked the reason for his grief, he answered, “A time will come when the very opposite of this verse will be manifested. Just as people are now streaming into the fold of Islam, a day will come that will see men running away from the religion of Islam in masses.”
The Holy Prophet himself said in a Hadith: “A time will come when a man will live as a Muslim from morning to evening, and from evening to morning he will
live as an infidel.”
Oh Lord! As You have brought us into this world as Muslims, grant us to leave this world again as Muslims.
After the conquest of Mecca, the clans and tribes that had sided with the Quraysh now inclined towards Islam and the number of Muslims greatly increased. Only the tribe of the Hawazin persisted in enmity and decided to make war against the Prophet . They allied themselves in this endeavor with the Bani Thaqif. It was very disagreeable for these two warlike tribes to witness the daily increase of the Muslim numbers, and their jealousy robbed them of rest. For over a year the Hawazin had been trying to incite the Arabs to rise up and fight against the Muslims. In the end, all the tribes allied with the Hawazin and the Bani Thaqif agreed to unite in the valley of Hunayn, which lies between Ta’if and Mecca. The only tribesmen not to participate in this alliance were the clans of the Bani Ka’b and the Bani Kilab.
Malik bin ‘Awf was appointed as the supreme commander of the Hawazin. He took all the women and children of the tribe along to the army’s encampment. They also took along a very old man named Durayd bin al-Simma, who was experienced in all aspects of warfare and exceedingly clever. Some say he was over one hundred and twenty years old, while others claim that he was as old as one hundred and sixty years of age. Allah knows best. In order to profit from his skill and wisdom, they carried him along to the battlefield in a sort of howdah.
When they came to the spot, which is named Awtas, Durayd said, “This is a very suitable place for a battle, as the ground is neither too hard nor too soft.” When he heard the sounds of women and children, he asked, “What have you brought them along for?” Malik, the chief commander, answered, “We brought them along so that the soldiers would have no reason to look back, nothing to distract them, and that under no circumstances would they think of running back home.” To this Durayd replied, “Take heed! If a soldier is driven to flight, there is absolutely nothing that will stop him. Should retreat indeed become expedient, their dishonor will be even greater because of the presence of their women. Apart from that, have the clans of the Bani Ka’b and the Bani Kilab joined in the alliance?” Hearing that they had not, he continued, “Had this day been a day of honor, they would have participated in this battle.”
These words displeased the commander-in-chief, Malik, so that he said to the ancient sage, “Your words are the result of your great age and infirmity.” “Mark my words all the same, for I speak from my vast stores of experience. If all goes well, nothing will help you but men who are able to use the lance and the sword.
But if defeat and misfortune are to be your lot, you would only be further disgraced and publicly scorned with your wives and families at your side.”
The army of the Hawazin comprised twenty thousand fighters. Hearing of such a great force assembled against him, the Holy Prophet instantly made preparations for war. He sent out Abdullah al-Aslami in disguise as a spy to the enemy camp in order to achieve full reconnaissance of the situation and the strength of the enemy. He scouted out what was needful to know and the Prophet ordered preparations to proceed accordingly.
A defensive strategy against the enemy needed to be devised, and money had to be borrowed. Thirty thousand dirhams were borrowed from Abu Jahl’s foster- brother Abdullah bin Rabi’. Arms were to be procured, and Safwan bin Umayya was asked to supply them from his armory. However, he had still not become a Muslim, so he asked, “Do you wish to take them from me by force?” “No,” replied the Holy Prophet , “I ask them from you on loan and they shall be returned. In case of damage they shall be replaced.” Safwan then agreed to the deal and loaned the Holy Prophet three hundred suits of armor and sufficient arms to go with them. Nawfal bin Harith bin Abd ul-Muttalib donated three hundred lances and spears. So the Prophet completed his preparations. He left ‘Attab bin Asid and Mu’adh bin Jabal in charge of Mecca; Mu’adh was responsible for religious affairs, whereas ‘Attab took over the governing of the town, although he was only twenty years old at the time.
On the seventh day of the month of Shawwal in the eighth year of the Hijra, the Holy Prophet set out from Mecca towards Hunayn with an army of over twelve thousand soldiers, astride his mule Duldul. The army consisted of one thousand men of the Muhajirin, four thousand of the Ansar, five thousand of the tribes of Juhayna, Muzayna, the Bani Sabur, Aslam, Ghifar and Ashja’, and two thousand men from the people of Mecca. Among these there were some non-Muslim idolaters, such as Safwan bin Umayya.
On the eleventh of Shawwal, the Prophet and his resplendent army reached the valley of Hunayn. So great and magnificent seemed their force that the commanders began to boast that surely such an army would never see defeat. But the Holy Prophet warned them and said, “These words smack of unbelief.” As events were to show, the Muslims were at first faced with defeat, in spite of their sure expectations of victory. This is referred to in the Sura named ‘Repentance’:
God has already helped you on many fields, and on the day of Hunayn,
when your multitude was pleasing to you, but it availed you naught, and the land for all its breadth was strait for you, and you turned about, retreating. Then God sent His Sakina down upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and He sent down legions you did not see, and He chastised the unbelievers and that is the recompense of the unbelievers.
(Repentance: 25)
The Muslims were overly sure of their victory and fell into the error of over- reliance on their own devices. Therefore the Holy Prophet warned them that all power and might to change things lies in the hands of Allah Almighty alone.
The front lines of the Muslim army were made up of young men from Mecca under the command of Khalid ibn al-Walid. Trusting in the pride and strength of their youth, they had declined to gird themselves with the armor provided for them. This was one of the reasons for the rout, the other being the two thousand non-Muslims who marched with the Muslim army.
The enemy army had availed themselves of the stronger positions, and the Muslim army could not advance for the hail of arrows. It was the hour before the break of dawn. The Imam of Prophets , set forth the battle strategy to the Muslim soldiers and distributed the banners. One was given to Ali ibn Abi Talib, one to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and one to Hubab ibn al-Mundhir. The fighting began and Hawazin lay in wait. The company of Khalid ibn al-Walid encountered a rain of arrows and fell into disarray. L
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