» Ar Raheeq Al Mukhtum
THE SECOND PHASE OPEN PREACHING
FIRST REVELATION REGARDING REVELATION THE PREACHING:
"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214].
This was the first verse to be revealed in this concern. It is included in Sûrah Ash-Shu'arâ (Chapter 26 The Poets)which relates the story of Moses (Peace be upon him) from his early days of Prophethood going
through his migration with the Children of Israel, their escape from the Pharaoh and his folk, and the drowning Pharaoh and his hosts. This Chapter in fact narrates the different stages
that Moses (Peace be upon him) passed through in his struggle with Pharaoh And the mission of calling his people unto Allâh.Moreover,it includes stories that speak about the terrible end in store for those who belied
the Messengers such as the people of Noah,'Ad,Thamud,Abraham,Lout and Ahlul-Aikah (Companions of
the Wood). (A group of people who used to worship tree called Aikah)
Chronologically, this Chapter belongs to the middle Makkan period, when the contact of the light of
Prophecy with the cultural milieu of pagan Makkah was testing the Makkans in their most arrogant
mood. The Message that this Chapter communicates is in brief: "The Truth is insurmountable. When the
spirit of Prophecy came to Makkah, it was resisted by the votaries of evil; but Truth, unlike falsehood, is
bound to stay, whereas falsehood is surely perishable."
CALLING THE CLOSET KINSPEOPLE:
In obedience to Allâh's Commands, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) rallied his kinsmen of Bani Hashim
with a group of Bani Al-Muttalib bin 'Abd Munaf. The audience counted forty-five men.
Abu Lahab immediately took the initiative and addressed the Prophet (Peace be upon him): "These are
your uncles and cousins, speak on to the point, but first of all you have got to know that your
kinspeople are not in a position to withstand all the Arabs. Another point you have got to bear in mind
is that your relatives are sufficient unto you. If you follow their tradition, it will be easier for them than
to face the other clans of Quraish supported by the other Arabs. Verily, I have never heard of anyone
who has incurred more harm on his kinspeople than you." The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him)
kept silent and said nothing 7in that meeting.
He invited them to another meeting and managed to secure audience. He then stood up and delivered a
short speech explaining quite cogently what was at stake. He said: "I celebrate Allâh's praise, I seek His
help, I believe in Him, I put my trust in Him, I bear witness that there is no god to be worshipped but
Allâh with no associate. A guide can never lie to his people. I swear by Allâh, there is no god but He,
that I have been sent as a Messenger to you, in particular and to all the people, in general. I swear by
Allâh you will die just as you sleep, you will be resurrected just as you wake up. You will be called to
account for your deeds. It is then either Hell forever or the Garden (Paradise) forever."
Abu Talib replied: "We love to help you, accept your advice and believe in your words. These are your
kinspeople whom you have collected and I am one of them but I am the fastest to do what you like. Do
what you have been ordered. I shall protect and defend you, but I can't quit the religion of 'Abdul Muttalib."
Abu Lahab then said to Abu Talib: " I swear by Allâh that this is a bad thing. You must stop him before
the others do." Abu Talib, however, answered: "I swear by Allâh to protect him as long as I am alive."
ON MOUNT AS-SAFA: After the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) became sure of Abu Talib's
commitment to his protection while he called the people unto Allâh, he stood up on Mount As-Safa one
day and called out loudly: "O Sabahah! * " Septs of Quraish came to him. He called them to testify to
the Oneness of Allâh and believe in his Messengership and the Day of Resurrection. Al-Bukhari reported
part of this story on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas 9May Allah be pleased with him). He said: "When the
following verses were revealed:
"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) ascended Mount AsSafa
and
started
to
call:
"O
Bani
Fahr!
O
Bani
'Adi
(two
septs
of
Quraish)."
Many
people
gathered
and
those
who
couldn't,
sent
somebody
to
report
to
them.
Abu
Lahab
was
also
present.
The
Prophet
(Peace
be
upon
him)
said:
"You
see,
if
I
were
to
tell
you
that
there
were
some
horsemen
in
the
valley
planning
to
raid
you,
will
you
believe
me?"
They
said:
"Yes,
we
have
never
experienced
any
lie
from
you."
He
said:
"I
am
a
warner
to
you
before
a
severe
torment."
Abu
Lahab
promptly
replied:
"Perish
you
all
the
day!
Have
you
summoned
us
for
such
a
thing?"
The
verses
were
immediately
revealed
on
that
occasion:
"Perish the two hands of Abi Lahab..." [111:1].
Muslim reported another part of this story on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Alah be pleased with
him) — He said: "When the following verses were revealed:
"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) called all the people of Quraish; so they gathered and he
gave them a general warning. Then he made a particular reference to certain tribes, and said: "O
Quraish, rescue yourselves from the Fire; O people of Bani Ka'b, rescue yourselves from Fire; O
Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) , rescue yourself from the Fire, for I have no
power to protect you from Allâh in anything except that I would sustain relationship with you."
It was verily a loud suggestive Call stating unequivocally to the closest people that belief in his Message
constituted the corner-stone of any future relation between him and them, and that the blood-relation
on which the whole Arabian life was based, had ceased to exist in the light of that Divine ultimatum.
SHOUTING THE TRUTH AND THE POLYTHEISTS' REACTION:
The Prophet's voice kept reverberating in Makkah until the following verse was revealed:
"Therefore proclaim openly (Allâh's Message — Islamic Monotheism), that which you are
commanded, and turn away from Al-Mushrikûn (polytheists)." [15:94]
He then commenced discrediting the superstitious practices of idolatry, revealing its worthless reality
and utter impotence, and giving concrete proofs that idolatry per se or taking it as the media through
which an idolater could come in contact with Allâh, is manifest falsehood.
The Makkans, on their part, burst into outrage and disapproval. Muhammad's (Peace be upon him)
words created a thunderbolt that turned the Makkan time-honoured ideological life upside down. They
could ill afford to hear someone attaching to polytheists and idolaters, the description of straying
people. They started to rally their resources to settle down the affair, quell the onward marching
revolution and deal a pre-emptive strike to its votaries before it devours and crushes down their
consecrated traditions and long standing heritage. The Makkans had the deep conviction that denying
godship to anyone save Allâh and that belief in the Divine Message and the Hereafter are interpreted in
terms of complete compliance and absolute commitment, and this in turn leaves no area at all for them
to claim authority over themselves and over their wealth, let alone their subordinates. In short, their
arrogated religiously-based supremacy and highhandedness would no longer be in effect; their
pleasures would be subordinated to the pleasures of Allâh and His Messenger and lastly they would
have to abstain from incurring injustices on those whom they falsely deemed to be weak, and
perpetrating dreadful sins in their everyday life. They had already been fully aware of these meanings,
that is why their souls would not condescend to accept this 'disgraceful' position not out of motives
based on dignity and honour but rather because:
"Nay! (Man denies Resurrection and Reckoning. So) he desires to continue committing
sins." [75:5]
They had been aware of all these consequences but they could afford to do nothing before an honest
truthful man who was the highest example of good manners and human values. They had never known
such an example in the history of theifolks or grandfathers. What would they do? They were baffled,
and they had the right to be so.
Following careful deliberations, they hit upon the only target available, i.e. to contact the Messenger's
uncle, Abu Talib and request him to intervene and advise his nephew to stop his activities. In order to
attach a serious and earnest stamp to their demand, they chose to touch the most sensitive area in
Arabian life, viz., ancestral pride. They addressed Abu Talib in the following manner: "O Abu Talib! Your
nephew curses our gods; finds faults with our way of life, mocks at our religion and degrades our
forefathers; either you must stop him, or you must let us get at him. For you are in the same
opposition as we are in opposition to him; and we will rid you of him." Abu Talib tried to appease their
wrath by giving them a polite reply. The Prophet (Peace be upon him), however, continued on his way
preaching Allâh's religion and calling men hitherto, heedless of all their desperate attempts and
malicious intentions
AN ADVISORY COUNCIL TO DEBAR
PILGRIMS FROM MUHAMMAD'S CALl: During those days,
Quraish had another serious concern; the proclamation of the Call had only been a few months old
when the season of pilgrimage was soon to come. Quraish knew that the Arab delegates were coming
within a short time. They agreed that it was necessary to contemplate a device that was bound to
alienate the Arab pilgrims from the new faith preached by Muhammad (Peace be upon him). They went
to see Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah to deliberate on this issue. Al-Waleed invited them to agree on a
unanimous resolution that could enjoy the approbation of them all. However, they were at variance.
Some suggested that they describe him as Kahin, i.e., soothsayer; but this suggestion was turned down
on grounds that his words were not so rhymed. Others proposed Majnun, i.e., possessed by jinn; this
was also rejected because no insinuations peculiar to that state of mind ware detected, they claimed.
"Why not say he is a poet?" Some said. Here again they could not reach a common consent, alleging
that his words were totally outside the lexicon of poetry. "OK then; let us accuse him of practising
witchcraft," was a fourth suggestion. Here also Al-Waleed showed some reluctance saying that the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) was known to have never involved himself in the practice of blowing on
the knots, and admitted that his speech was sweet tasting root and branch. He, however, found that
the most plausible charge to be levelled against Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was witchcraft. The
ungodly company adopted this opinion and agreed to propagate one uniform formula to the effect that
he was a magician so powerful and commanding in his art that he would successfully alienate son from
father, man from his brother, wife from her husband and man from his clan.
It is noteworthy in this regard to say that Allâh revealed sixteen verses as regards Al-Waleed and the
cunning method he contemplated to manipulate the people expected to arrive in Makkah for pilgrimage.
Allâh says:
"Verily, he thought and plotted; so let him be cursed! How he plotted! And once more let him be
cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought; then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered
way; then he turned back and was proud; then he said: 'This is nothing but magic from that of
old; this is nothing but the word of a human being!' " [74:18-25]
The most wicked of them was the sworn enemy of Islam and Muhammad (Peace be upon him), Abu
Lahab, who would shadow the Prophet's steps crying aloud, "O men, do not listen to him for he is a liar;
he is an apostate." Nevertheless, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) managed to create a stir in the
whole area, and even to convince a few people to accept his Call.
THE FIRST MIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA (ETHIOPIA):
The series of persecutions started late in the
fourth year of Prophethood, slowly at first, but steadily accelerated and worsened day by day and
month by month until the situation got so extremely grave and no longer tolerable in the middle of the
fifth year, that the Muslims began to seriously think of feasible ways liable to avert the painful tortures
meted out to them. It was at that gloomy and desperate time that Sûrah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18 — The
Cave) was revealed comprising definite answers to the questions with which the polytheists of Makkah
constantly pestered the Prophet (Peace be upon him). It comprises three stories that include highly
suggestive parables for the true believers to assimilate. The story of the Companions of the Cave
implies implicit guidance for the believers to evacuate the hot spots of disbelief and aggression
pregnant with the peril of enticement away from the true religion:
The young men said to one another): And when you withdraw from them, and that which they
worship, except Allâh, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His
Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision,
dwelling, etc.)18:16].
Next, there is the story of Al-Khidr (The Teacher of Arabia) and Moses (Peace be upon him) in a clear
and delicate reference to the vicissitudes of life. Future circumstances of life are not necessarily the
products of the prevalent conditions, they might be categorically the opposite. In other words, the war
waged against the Muslims would in the future assume a different turn, and the tyrannous oppressors
would one day come to suffer and be subjected to the same tortures to which the Muslims were then
put. Furthermore, there is the story of Dhul-Qarnain (The Two Horned One), the powerful ruler of west
and east. This story says explicitly that Allâh takes His righteous servants to inherit the earth and
whatever in it. It also speaks that Allâh raises a righteous man every now and then to protect the weak
against the strong.
Sûrah Az-Zumar (Chapter 39 —
The Crowds) was then revealed pointing directly to migration and
stating that the earth is spacious enough and the believers must not consider themselves constrained
by the forces of tyranny and evil:
"Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allâh's earth is spacious (so if you
cannot worship Allâh at a place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall receive
their rewards in full without reckoning." [39:10].
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) had already known that Ashamah Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia),
was a fair ruler who would not wrong any of his subordinates, so he permitted some of his followers to
seek asylum there in Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
In Rajab of the fifth year of Prophethood, a group of twelve men and four women left for Abyssinia
(Ethiopia). Among the emigrants were 'Uthman bin 'Affan and his wife Ruqaiyah [the daughter of the
Prophet (Peace be upon him)]. With respect to these two emigrants, the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
said:
"They are the first people to migrate in the cause of Allâh after Abraham and Lot (Peace be upon
them) ."
They sneaked out of Makkah under the heavy curtain of a dark night and headed for the sea where two
boats happened to be sailing for Abyssinia (Ethiopia), their destination. News of their intended
departure reached the ears of Quraish, so some men were despatched in their pursuit, but the believers
had already left Shuaibah Port towards their secure haven where they were received warmly and
accorded due hospitality.
In Ramadan of the same year, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) went into the Holy Sanctuary where
there was a large host of Quraish polytheists, including some notables and celebrities. Suddenly he
began reciting Sûrah An-Najm (Chapter 41 — The Star). The awe-inspiring Words of Allâh descended
unawares upon them and they immediately got stunned by them. It was the first time for them to be
shocked by the truthful Revelation. It had formerly been the favourite trick of those people who wished
to dishonour Revelation, not only not to listen to it themselves but also to talk loudly and insolently
when it was being read, so that even the true listeners may not be able to hear. They used to think that
they were drowning the Voice of Allâh; in fact, they were piling up misery for themselves, for Allâh's
Voice can never be silenced, "And those who disbelieve say:
"Listen not to this Qur'ân, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may
overcome." [41:26].
When the unspeakably fascinating Words of Allâh came into direct contact with their hearts, they were
entranced and got oblivious of the materialistic world around them and were caught in a state of full
attentiveness to the Divine Words to such an extent that when the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
reached the stormy heart-beating ending:
"So fall you down in prostration to Allâh and worship Him (Alone)." [53:62]
The idolaters, unconsciously and with full compliance, prostrated themselves in absolute god-fearing
and stainless devotion. It was in fact the wonderful moment of the Truth that cleaved through the
obdurate souls of the haughty and the attitude of the scoffers. They stood aghast when they perceived
that Allâh's Words had conquered their hearts and done the same thing that they had been trying hard
to annihilate and exterminate. Their co-polytheists who had not been present on the scene reproached
and blamed them severely; consequently they began to fabricate lies and calumniate the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) alleging that he had attached to their idols great veneration and ascribed to them
the power of desirable intercession. All of these were desperate attempts made to establish an
excusable justification for their prostrating themselves with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on that
day. Of course, this foolish and iniquitous slanderous behaviour was in line with their life-consecrated
practice of telling lies and plot hatching.
News of this incident was misreported to the Muslim emigrants in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). They were
informed that the whole of Quraish had embraced Islam so they made their way back home. They
arrived in Makkah in Shawwal of the same year. When they were only an hour's travel from Makkah,
the reality of the situation was discovered. Some of them returned to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), others
sneaked secretly into the city or went in publicly but under the tutelage of a local notable. However,
due to the news that transpired to the Makkans about the good hospitality and warm welcome that the
Muslims were accorded in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), the polytheists got terribly indignant and started to
mete out severer and more horrible maltreatment andtortures to the Muslims. Thereupon the
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) deemed it imperative to permit the helpless creatures to seek
asylum in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for the second time. Migration this time was not as easy as it was the
previous time, for Quraish was on the alert to the least suspicious moves of the Muslims. In due course,
however, the Muslims managed their affairs too fast for the Quraishites to thwart their attempt of
escape. The group of emigrants this time comprised eighty three men and nineteen or, in some
versions, eighteen women. Whether or not 'Ammar was included is still a matter of doubt.
QURAISH'S MACHINATION AGAINSTN THE EMIGRANTS:
Quraish could not tolerate the prospect
of a secure haven available for the Muslims in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), so they despatched two staunch
envoys to demand their extradition. They were 'Amr bin Al-'As and 'Abdullah bin Abi Rabi'a — before
embracing Islam. They had taken with them valuable gifts to the king and his clergy, and had been able
to win some of the courtiers over to their side. The pagan envoys claimed that the Muslim refugees
should be expelled from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and made over to them, on the ground that they had
abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their leader was preaching a religion different from
theirs and from that of the king.
The king summoned the Muslims to the court and asked them to explain the teachings of their religion.
The Muslim emigrants had decided to tell the whole truth whatever the consequences were. Ja'far bin
Abi Talib stood up and addressed the king in the following words: "O king! we were plunged in the
depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastity, we ate the dead bodies, and
we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and
neighbourhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong, when Allâh raised among us a
man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of
Allâh, and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He forbade us the worship of idols; and he
enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful and to regard the rights of the
neighbours and kith and kin; he forbade us to speak evil of women, or to eat the substance of orphans;
he ordered us to fly from the vices, and to abstain from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe fast. We have believed in him, we have accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship
Allâh, and not to associate anything with Him, and we have allowed what He has allowed, and
prohibited what He has prohibited. For this reason, our people have risen against us, have persecuted
us in order to make us forsake the worship of Allâh and return to the worship of idols and other
abominations. They have tortured and injured us, until finding no safety among them, we have come to
your country, and hope you will protect us from oppression."
The king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite some of Allâh's
Revelation. Ja'far recited the opening verses of Sûrah Maryam (Chapter 19 — Mary) wherein is told the
story of the birth of both John and Jesus Christ, down to the account of Mary having been fed with the
food miraculously. Thereupon the king, along with the bishops of his realm, was moved to tears that
rolled down his cheeks and even wet his beard. Here, the Negus exclaimed: "It seems as if these words
and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have radiated from the same
source." Turning to the crest-fallen envoys of Quraish, he said, "I am afraid, I cannot give you back
these refugees. They are free to live and worship in my realm as they please."
On the morrow, the two envoys again went to the king and said that Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
and his followers blasphemed Jesus Christ. Again the Muslims were summoned and asked what they
thought of Jesus. Ja'far again stood up and replied: "We speak about Jesus as we have been taught by
our Prophet (Peace be upon him) , that is, he is the servant of Allâh, His Messenger, His spirit and His
Word breathed into Virgin Mary." The king at once remarked, "Even so do we believe. Blessed be you,
and blessed be your master." Then turning to the frowning envoys and to his bishops who got angry, he
said: "You may fret and fume as you like but Jesus is nothing more than what Ja'far has said about
him." He then assured the Muslims of full protection. He returned to the envoys of Quraish, the gifts
they had brought with them and sent them away. The Muslims lived in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) unmolested
for a number of years till they returned to Madinah.
In this way Quraish's malicious intentions recoiled on them and their machination met with utter failure.
They came to fully realize that the grudge they nursed against he Muslims would not operate but within
their realm of Makkah. They consequently began to entertain a horrible idea of silencing the advocate of
the new Call once and for all, through various channels of brutality, or else killing him. An obstinate
difficulty, however, used to curtail any move in this direction embodied by the Prophet's uncle Abu Talib
and the powerful social standing he used to enjoy as well as the full protection and support he used to
lend to his nephew. The pagans of Makkah therefore decided to approach Abu Talib for the second time
and insisted that he put a stop to his nephew's activities, which if allowed unchecked, they said, would
involve him into severe hostility. Abu Talib was deeply distressed at this open threat and the breach
with his people and their enmity, but he could not afford to desert the Messenger too. He sent for his
nephew and told him what the people had said, "Spare me and yourself and put not burden on me that
I can't bear." Upon this the Prophet (Peace be upon him) thought that his uncle would let him down and
would no longer support him, so he replied:
"O my uncle! by Allâh if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition
that I abandon this course, until Allâh has made me victorious, or I perish therein, I would not
abandon it." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) got up, and as he turned away, his uncle called
him and said, "Come back, my nephew," and when he came back, he said, "Go and preach what
you please, for by Allâh I will never forsake you."
He then recited two lines of verse pregnant with meanings of full support to the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) and absolute gratification by the course that his nephew had chalked out in Arabia.
ONECE MORE QURAISH APPROACHES ABU TALIB: Quraish, seeing that the Messenger of Allâh
(Peace be upon him) was still intent on his Call, realized that Abu Talib would never forsake his nephew
even if this incurred their enmity. Some of them then went to see him once more taking with them a
youth called 'Amarah bin Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah, and said, "O Abu Talib! we have brought you a
smart boy still in the bloom of his youth, to make use of his mind and strength and take him as your
son in exchange for your nephew, who has run counter to your religion, brought about social discord,
found fault with your way of life, so that we kill him and rid you of his endless troubles; just man for man." Abu Talib's reply was, "It is really an unfair bargain. You give me your son to bring him up and I
give you my son to kill him! By Allâh, it is something incredible!!" Al-Mut'im bin 'Adi, a member of the
delegation, interrupted saying that Quraish had been fair in that bargain because "they meant only to
rid you of that source of hateful trouble, but as I see you are determined to refuse their favours." Abu
Talib, of course, turned down all their offers and challenged them to do whatever they pleased.
Historical resources do not give the exact date of these two meetings with Abu Talib. They, however,
seem more likely to have taken place in the sixth year of Prophethood with a brief lapse of time in
between.
THE TYRANTS' DECISION TO KILL THE PROPHET:
Now that all the schemes and conspiracof
Quraish had failed, they resorted to their old practices of persecution and inflicting tortures on the
Muslims in a more serious and brutal manner than ever before. They also began to nurse the idea of
killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him). In fact, contrary to their expectations, this new method and
this very idea served indirectly to consolidate the Call to Islam and support it with the conversion of two
staunch and mighty heroes of Makkah, i.e. Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May
Allah be pleased with him).
'Utaibah bin Abi Lahab once approached the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and most defiantly and
brazenly shouted at him, "I disbelieve in: "By the star when it goes down." [53:1] and in "Then he
(Gabriel) approached and came closer." [53:8] In other words: "I do not believe in any of the Qur'ân."
He then started to deal highhandedly with Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and laid violent hand on
him, tore his shirt and spat into his face but his saliva missed the Holy face of the Prophet (Peace be
upon him). Thereupon, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) invoked Allâh's wrath on 'Utaibah and
supplicated:
"O Allâh! Set one of Your dogs on him."
Allâh responded positively to Muhammad's supplication, and it happened in the following manner: Once
'Utaibah with some of his compatriots from Quraish set out for Syria and took accommodation in Az
Zarqa'.
There
a
lion
approached
the
group
to
the
great
fear
of
'Utbah,
who
at
once
recalled
Muhammad's
words
in
supplication,
and
said:
"Woe
to
my
brother!
This
lion
will
surely devour me just as Muhammad(Peace be upon him) supplicated.He has really killed me in Syria
while he is in Makkah."
The lion did really rush like lightning, snatched 'Utbah From amongst his people and crushed his head.
It is also reported that a wretched idolater from Quraish, named 'Uqbah bin 'Abi Mu'ait once trod on the
Prophet's neck while he was prostrating himself in prayer until his eyes protruded.
More details reported by Ibn Ishaq testify to the tyrants' deeply-established intentions of killing the
Prophet (Peace be upon him). Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam, once addressed some of his
accomplices: "O people of Quraish! It seems that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is determined to go
on finding fault with our religion, degrading our forefathers, discrediting our way of life and abusing our
gods. I bear witness to our god that I will carry a too heavy rock and drop it on Muhammad's head
while he is in prostration to rid you of him, once and for all. I am not afraid of whatever his sept, Banu
'Abd Munaf, might do." The terrible unfortunate audience endorsed his plan and encouraged him to
translate it into a decisive deed.
In the morning of the following day, Abu Jahl lay waiting for the arrival of the Messenger of Allâh
(Peace be upon him) to offer prayer. The people of Quraish were in their assembly rooms waiting for
news. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) prostrated himself, Abu Jahl proceeded carrying the big
rock to fulfill his wicked intention. No sooner had he approached closer to the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) than he withdraw pale-faced, shuddering with his hands strained the rock falling off. Thereupon,
the people watching hurried forward asking him what the matter was. He replied: "When I approached,
a male-camel unusual in figure with fearful canines intercepted and almost devoured me." Ibn Ishaq
reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him), in the context of his comment on the incident, said "It
was Gabriel (Peace be upon him) , if Abu Jahl had approached closer, he would have killed him. " Even
so the tyrants of Quraish would not be admonished, contrariwise, the idea of killing the Prophet (Peace
be upon him) was still being nourished in their iniquitous hearts. On the authority of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr
bin Al-'As, some people of Quraish were in a place called Al-Hijr complaining that they had been too
patient with the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who suddenly appeared and began his usual
circumambulation. They started to wink at him and utter sarcastic remarks but he remained silent for
two times, then on the third, he stopped and addressed the infidels saying:
"O people of Quraish! Hearken, I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand is my soul, that you will one day
be slaughtered to pieces." As soon as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) uttered his word of
slaughter, they all stood aghast and switched off to a new style of language smacking of fear and
even horror trying to soothe his anger and comfort him saying: "You can leave Abul Qasim, for
you have never been foolish."
'Urwa bin Az-Zubair narrated: I asked Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As to tell me of the worst thing that the
pagans did to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He said: "While the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was
praying in Al-Hijr of Al-Ka'bah, 'Uqbah bin Al-Mu'ait came and put his garment around the Prophet's
neck and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr came and caught him by his shoulder and pushed him away
from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said: "Do you want to kill a man just because he says, My
Lord is Allâh?"
THE CONVERSION OF HAMZAH BIN 'ABDUL
-MUTTALIB: In a gloomy atmosphere infested with
dark clouds of iniquity and tyranny, there shone on the horizon a promising light for the oppressed, i.e.
the conversion of Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib in Dhul Hijjah, the sixth year of Prophethood. It is
recorded that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was one day seated on the hillock of Safa when Abu
Jahl happened to pass by and accused the religion preached by him. Muhammad (Peace be upon him),
however, kept silent and did not utter a single word. Abu Jahl went on unchecked, took a stone and
cracked the Prophet's head which began to bleed. The aggressor then went to join the Quraishites in
their assembly place. It so happened that shortly after that, Hamzah, while returning from a hunting
expedition, passed by the same way, his bow hanging by his shoulder. A slave-girl belonging to
'Abdullah bin Jada'an, who had noted the impertinence of Abu Jahl, told him the whole story of the
attack on the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . On hearing that, Hamzah was deeply offended and hurried
to Al-Ka'bah and there, in the courtyard of the Holy Sanctuary, found Abu Jahl sitting with a company
of Quraishites. Hamzah rushed upon him and struck his bow upon his head violently and said: "Ah! You
have been abusing Muhammad (Peace be upon him); I too follow his religion and profess what he
preaches." The men of Bani Makhzum came to his help, and men of Bani Hashim wanted to render
help, but Abu Jahl sent them away saying: "Let Abu 'Ummarah alone, by Allâh I did revile his nephew
shamelessly." In fact, Hamzah's conversion derived initially from the pride of a man who would not
accept the notion of others humiliating his relative. Later on, however, Allâh purified his nature and he
managed to grasp the most trustworthy hand-hold (Faith in Allâh). He proved to be a source of great
strength to the Islamic Faith and its followers.
THE CONVERSION OF 'UMAR BIN AL
-KHATTAB: Another significant addition to the strength of
Islam was the conversion of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab in Dhul-Hijjah, the sixth year of Prophethood, three
days following the conversion of Hamzah. ] He was a man of dauntless courage and resolution, feared
and respected in Makkah, and hitherto a bitter opponent of the new religion. The traditional account
reveals that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once raised his hands in prayer and said:
"O Allâh! Give strength to Islam especially through either of two men you love more: 'Umar bin
Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham."
'Umar, obviously, was the one who merited that privilege.
When we scrutinize the several versions that speak of 'Umar's conversion, we can safely conclude that
various contradictory emotions used to conflict with one another within his soul. On the one hand, he
used to highly regard the traditions of his people, and was habituated to the practice of indulgence in
wine orgies; on the other hand, he greatly admired the stamina of the Muslims and their relentless
dedication to their faith. These two extreme views created a sort of skepticism in mind and made him
at times tend to believe that the doctrines of Islam could bear better and more sacred seeds of life, that
is why he would always experience fits of outrage directly followed by unexpected enervation. On the
whole, the account of his conversion is very interesting and requires us to go into some details.
One day, 'Umar bin Al Khattab set out from his house, and headed for the Holy Sanctuary where he saw
the Prophet (Peace be upon him) offering prayer and overheard him reciting the Sûrah Al-Hâqqah (Chapter
69—The Reality)of the Noble Qur'ân. The Words ofAllâh appealed to him and touched the innermost
cells of his heart. He felt that they derived from unusual composition, and he began to question his people's allegations as regards the man-composed poetry or words of a soothsayer that they used to attach to the
Noble Qur'ân.The Prophet (Peace be upon him) went on to recite:
"That this is verily the word of an honoured Messenger (i.e. Gabriel or Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) which he has brought from Allâh). It is not the word of a poet, little is that you
believe! Nor is it the word of a soothsayer (or a foreteller), little is that you remember! This is
the Revelation sent down from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that
exists)." [69:40-43]
At that very moment, Islam permeated his heart. However, the dark layer of pre-Islamic tendencies,
the deep-seated traditional bigotry as well as the blind pride in his forefathers overshadowed the
essence of the great Truth that began to feel its way reluctantly into his heart. He, therefore, persisted
in his atrocities against Islam and its adherents unmindful of the pure and true-to-man's nature feeling
that lay behind that fragile cover of pre Islamic ignorance and mentality.His sharp temper and excessive enmity towards the Prophet (Peace be upon him) led him one day to leave his house, sword in hand, with the
intention of killing the Prophet (Peace Be upon him) He was in a fit of anger and was fretting and fuming.
Nu'aim bin 'Abdullah, a friend of 'Umar's,met him accidentally half way.What had caused so much excitement in him and on whom was the fury to burst, he inquired casually. 'Umar said furiously:
"To destroy the man Muhammad (Peace be upon him) this apostate, who has shattered the unity of Quraish,
picked holes in their religion, found folly with their wise men and blasphemed their gods." "'Umar,I am sure,
your soul has deceived you, do you think that Banu 'Abd Munaf would let you walk on earth if you slain
Muhammad (Peace be upon him)? Why don't you take care of your own family first and set them right?"
"Which of the folk of my house?" asked 'Umar angrily. "Your brother-in-law and your sister have
apostatized [meaning to say: They have become followers of Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] and
abandoned your religion."
'Umar directed his footsteps to his sister's house. As he drew near, he heard the voice of Khabbab bin
Aratt, who was reading the Qur'ânic Chapter Tâ-Hâ (mystic letters, T. H.) to both of them. Khabbab,
perceiving the noise of his footsteps retired to a closet. Fatimah, 'Umar's sister, took hold of the leaf
and hid it. But 'Umar had already heard the voice. "What sound was that I have heard just now?"
shouted the son of Khattab, entering angrily. Both his sister and her husband replied, "You heard
nothing." "Nay," said he swearing fiercely, "I have heard that you have apostatized." He plunged
forward towards his brother-in-law and beat him severely, but Fatimah rushed to the rescue of her
husband. Thereupon, 'Umar fell upon his sister and struck upon her head. The husband and wife could
not contain themselves and cried aloud: "Yes, we are Muslims, we believe in Allâh and His Messenger
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) so do what you will." When 'Umar saw the face of his dear sister
besmeared with blood, he was softened and said: "Let me see what you were reading, so that I may
see what Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has brought." Fatimah was satisfied with the assurance, but
said: "O brother, you are unclean on account of your idolatry, none but the pure may touch it. So go
and wash first." He did so, and took the page and read the opening verses of the Chapter Tâ-Hâ until
he reached:
"Verily! I am Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me
and offer prayers perfectly (Iqâmat-as-Salât), for My Remembrance." [20:14].
'Umar read the verses with great interest and was much entranced with them. "How excellent it is, and
how graceful! Please guide me to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ." said he. And when he heard that,
Khabbab came out of concealment and said, "O 'Umar, I hope that Allâh has answered the prayer of the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) , for I heard him say: 'O Allâh! Strengthen Islam through either 'Umar bin
Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham.'" 'Umar then left for a house in Safa where Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) had been holding secret meetings along with his Companions. 'Umar reached that place with
the sword swinging by his arm. He knocked at the door. The Companions of the Prophet (Peace be
upon him) turned to see who the intruder was. One of them peeped through a chink in the door and
reeled back exclaiming: "It is 'Umar with his sword." Hamzah, dispelling the fears of his friends, said:
"Let him in. As a friend he is welcome. As a foe, he will have his head cut off with his own sword." The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) asked his Companions to open the door. In came the son of Khattab. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) advanced to receive the dreadful visitor, caught him by his garment and
scabbard, and asked him the reason of his visit. At that 'Umar replied: "O Messenger of Allâh (Peace be
upon him), I come to you in order to believe in Allâh and his Messenger and that which he has brought
from his Lord." Filled with delight, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) together with his Companions,
cried aloud: 'Allâhu Akbar' (Allâh is Great).
The conversion of 'Umar was a real triumph for the cause of Islam. So great and instant was the effect
of his conversion on the situation that the believers who had hitherto worshipped Allâh within their four
walls in secret now assembled and performed their rites of worship openly in the Holy Sanctuary itself.
This raised their spirits, and dread and uneasiness began to seize Quraish.
Ibn Ishaq narrated on the authority of 'Umar (May Allah be pleased), "When I embraced Islam, I
remembered the archenemy of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), i.e. Abu Jahl. I set out, and knocked
at his door. When he came out to see me, I told him directly that I had embraced Islam. He
immediately slammed the door repulsively denouncing my move as infamous and my face as ugly." In
fact, 'Umar's conversion created a great deal of stir in Makkah that some people denounced him as an
apostate, yet he would never waver in Faith, on the contrary, he persisted in his stance even at the
peril of his life. The polytheists of Quraish marched towards his house with the intention of killing him.
'Abdullah bin 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: While 'Umar was at home in a state of
fear, there came Al-'As bin Wa'il As-Sahmy Abu 'Amr, wearing an embroidered cloak and a shirt having
silk hems. He was from the tribe of Bani Sahm who were our allies during the pre-Islamic period of
ignorance. Al-'As said to 'Umar: What's wrong with you? He said: Your people claim that they will kill
me if I become a Muslim. Al-'As said: Nobody will harm you after I have given protection to you. So Al'As
went out and met the people streaming in the whole valley.He said: Where are you going? They replied:
We want son of Al-Khattab who has embraced Islam.Al-'As said: There is no way for anybody to touch
him. Sothe people retreated.
With respect to the Muslims in Makkah, 'Umar's conversion had a different tremendous impact. Mujahid,
on the authority of Ibn Al-'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) related that he had asked 'Umar bin
Al-Khattab why he had been given the epithet of Al-Farooq (he who distinguishes truth from
falsehood), he replied: After I had embraced Islam, I asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him): 'Aren't
we on the right path here and Hereafter?' The Prophet (Peace be upon him) answered: 'Of course you
are! I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand my soul is, that you are right in this world and in the hereafter.' I,
therefore, asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him) 'Why we then had to conduct clandestine activism. I
swear by Allâh Who has sent you with the Truth, that we will leave our concealment and proclaim our
noble cause publicly.' We then went out in two groups, Hamzah leading one and I the other. We headed
for the Mosque in broad daylight when the polytheists of Quraish saw us, their faces went pale and got
incredibly depressed and resentful. On that very occasion, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) attached to
me the epithet of Al-Farouque. Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) related that they (the
Muslims) had never been able to observe their religious rites inside the Holy Sanctuary except when
'Umar embraced Islam.
Suhaib bin Sinan (May Allah be pleased with him), in the same context, said that it was only after
'Umar's conversion, that we started to proclaim our Call, assemble around and circumambulate the
Sacred House freely. We even dared retaliate against some of the injustices done to harm us. In the
same context, Ibn Mas'ud said: We have been strengthened a lot since 'Umar embraced Islam.
QURAISH'S REPRESENTATIVE NEGOTIATES WITH THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH:
Shortly after the
conversion of these two powerful heroes, Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May
Allah be pleased with him), the clouds of tyranny and oppression started to clear away and the
polytheists realized that it was no use meting out torture to the Muslims. They consequently began to
direct their campaign to a different course. The authentic records of the biography of the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) show that it had occurred to the Makkan leaders to credit Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) with ambition. They, therefore, time and again plied him with temptation. One day some of
the important men of Makkah gathered in the enclosure of Al-Ka'bah, and 'Utbah bin Rabi'a, a chief
among them, offered to approach the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and contract a bargain with him
whereby they give him whatever worldly wealth he asks for, on condition that he keep silent and no
longer proclaim his new faith. The people of Quraish endorsed his proposal and requested him to
undertake that task. 'Utbah came closer to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and addressed him in the
following words:
We have seen no other man of Arabia, who has brought so great a calamity to a nation, as you have
done. You have outraged our gods and religion and taxed our forefathers and wise men with impiety
and error and created strife amongst us. You have left no stone unturned to estrange the relations with
us. If you are doing all this with a view to getting wealth, we will join together to give you greater
riches than any Quraishite has possessed. If ambition moves you, we will make you our chief. If you
desire kingship we will readily offer you that. If you are under the power of an evil spirit which seems to
haunt and dominate you so that you cannot shake off its yoke, then we shall call in skilful physicians to
cure you.
"Have you said all?" asked Muhammad (Peace be upon him); and then hearing that all had been said,
he spoke forth, and said:
"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Hâ-Mîm. [These letters are one of
the miracles of the Qur'ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. A revelation from
Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail;
—
a Qur'ân in Arabic for people who know. Giving glad tidings [of Paradise to the one who
believes in the Oneness of Allâh (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) and fears Allâh much (abstains from
all kinds of sins and evil deeds.) and loves Allâh much (performing all kinds of good deeds which
He has ordained)], and warning (of punishment in the Hell-fire to the one who disbelieves in the
Oneness of Allâh), but most of them turn away, so they listen not. And they say: Our hearts are
under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us …" [41: 1-5]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) went on reciting the Chapter while 'Utbah sitting and
listening attentively with his hand behind his back to support him. When the Messenger reached the
verse that required prostration, he immediately prostrated himself. After that, he turned to 'Utbah
saying: "Well Abu Al-Waleed! You have heard my reply, you are now free to do whatever you please."
'Utbah then retired to his company to apprise them of the Prophet's attitude. When his compatriots saw
him, they swore that he had returned to them with a countenance unlike the one he had before
meeting the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . He immediately communicated to them the details of the
talk he gave and the reply he received, and appended saying: "I have never heard words similar to
those ones he recited. They definitely relate neither to poetry nor to witchcraft nor do they derive from
soothsaying. O people of Quraish! I request you to heed my advice and grant the man full freedom to
pursue his goals, in which case you could safely detach yourselves from him. I swear that his words
bear a supreme Message. Should the other Arabs rid you of him, they will then spare you the trouble,
on the other hand if he accedes to power over the Arabs, then you will bask in his kingship and share
him his might." These words of course fell on deaf ears, and did not appeal to the infidels, who jeered
at 'Utbah and claimed that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had bewitched him.
In another version of the same event, it is related that 'Utbah went on attentively listening to the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) until the latter began to recite Allâh's Words:
"But if they turn away, they say [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ]: "I have warned you of a
Sa'iqa (a destructive awful cry, torment, hit, a thunder-bolt) like the Sa'iqa which overtook 'Ad
and Thamûd (people)." [41:13]
Here 'Utbah stood up panicked and stunned putting his hand on the Prophet's mouth beseeching him:
"I beg you in the Name of Allâh and uterine ties to stop lest the calamity should befall the people of
Quraish." He then hurriedly returned to his compatriots and informed them of what he had heard.
ABU TALIB ASSEMBLES BANI HASHIM ND BANI AL-MUTTALIB:
The new and welcome changes
notwithstanding, Abu Talib still had a deep sensation of fear over his nephew. He deliberated on the
previous series of incidents including the barter affair of 'Amarah bin Al-Waleed, Abu Jahl's rock,
'Uqbah's attempt to choke the Prophet (Peace be upon him) , and finally 'Umar's (before conversion)
intention to kill Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The wise man understood that all of these
unequivocally smacked of a serious plot being hatched to disregard his status as a custodian of the
Prophet (Peace be upon him), and kill the latter publicly. In the event of such a thing, Abu Talib deeply
believed, neither 'Umar nor Hamzah would be of any avail, socially powerful though they were.
Abu Talib was right. The polytheists had laid a carefully-studied plan to kill the Prophet (Peace be upon
him), and banded together to put their plan into effect. He, therefore, assembled his kinsfolk of Bani
Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib, sons of 'Abd Munaf and exhorted them to immunize and defend his
nephew. All of them, whether believers or disbelievers, responded positively except his brother Abu
Lahab, who sided with the idolaters.
THE SECOND PHASE OPEN PREACHING
FIRST REVELATION REGARDING REVELATION THE PREACHING:
"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214].
This was the first verse to be revealed in this concern. It is included in Sûrah Ash-Shu'arâ (Chapter 26 The Poets)which relates the story of Moses (Peace be upon him) from his early days of Prophethood going
through his migration with the Children of Israel, their escape from the Pharaoh and his folk, and the drowning Pharaoh and his hosts. This Chapter in fact narrates the different stages
that Moses (Peace be upon him) passed through in his struggle with Pharaoh And the mission of calling his people unto Allâh.Moreover,it includes stories that speak about the terrible end in store for those who belied
the Messengers such as the people of Noah,'Ad,Thamud,Abraham,Lout and Ahlul-Aikah (Companions of
the Wood). (A group of people who used to worship tree called Aikah)
Chronologically, this Chapter belongs to the middle Makkan period, when the contact of the light of
Prophecy with the cultural milieu of pagan Makkah was testing the Makkans in their most arrogant
mood. The Message that this Chapter communicates is in brief: "The Truth is insurmountable. When the
spirit of Prophecy came to Makkah, it was resisted by the votaries of evil; but Truth, unlike falsehood, is
bound to stay, whereas falsehood is surely perishable."
CALLING THE CLOSET KINSPEOPLE:
In obedience to Allâh's Commands, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) rallied his kinsmen of Bani Hashim
with a group of Bani Al-Muttalib bin 'Abd Munaf. The audience counted forty-five men.
Abu Lahab immediately took the initiative and addressed the Prophet (Peace be upon him): "These are
your uncles and cousins, speak on to the point, but first of all you have got to know that your
kinspeople are not in a position to withstand all the Arabs. Another point you have got to bear in mind
is that your relatives are sufficient unto you. If you follow their tradition, it will be easier for them than
to face the other clans of Quraish supported by the other Arabs. Verily, I have never heard of anyone
who has incurred more harm on his kinspeople than you." The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him)
kept silent and said nothing 7in that meeting.
He invited them to another meeting and managed to secure audience. He then stood up and delivered a
short speech explaining quite cogently what was at stake. He said: "I celebrate Allâh's praise, I seek His
help, I believe in Him, I put my trust in Him, I bear witness that there is no god to be worshipped but
Allâh with no associate. A guide can never lie to his people. I swear by Allâh, there is no god but He,
that I have been sent as a Messenger to you, in particular and to all the people, in general. I swear by
Allâh you will die just as you sleep, you will be resurrected just as you wake up. You will be called to
account for your deeds. It is then either Hell forever or the Garden (Paradise) forever."
Abu Talib replied: "We love to help you, accept your advice and believe in your words. These are your
kinspeople whom you have collected and I am one of them but I am the fastest to do what you like. Do
what you have been ordered. I shall protect and defend you, but I can't quit the religion of 'Abdul Muttalib."
Abu Lahab then said to Abu Talib: " I swear by Allâh that this is a bad thing. You must stop him before
the others do." Abu Talib, however, answered: "I swear by Allâh to protect him as long as I am alive."
ON MOUNT AS-SAFA: After the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) became sure of Abu Talib's
commitment to his protection while he called the people unto Allâh, he stood up on Mount As-Safa one
day and called out loudly: "O Sabahah! * " Septs of Quraish came to him. He called them to testify to
the Oneness of Allâh and believe in his Messengership and the Day of Resurrection. Al-Bukhari reported
part of this story on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas 9May Allah be pleased with him). He said: "When the
following verses were revealed:
"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) ascended Mount AsSafa
and
started
to
call:
"O
Bani
Fahr!
O
Bani
'Adi
(two
septs
of
Quraish)."
Many
people
gathered
and
those
who
couldn't,
sent
somebody
to
report
to
them.
Abu
Lahab
was
also
present.
The
Prophet
(Peace
be
upon
him)
said:
"You
see,
if
I
were
to
tell
you
that
there
were
some
horsemen
in
the
valley
planning
to
raid
you,
will
you
believe
me?"
They
said:
"Yes,
we
have
never
experienced
any
lie
from
you."
He
said:
"I
am
a
warner
to
you
before
a
severe
torment."
Abu
Lahab
promptly
replied:
"Perish
you
all
the
day!
Have
you
summoned
us
for
such
a
thing?"
The
verses
were
immediately
revealed
on
that
occasion:
"Perish the two hands of Abi Lahab..." [111:1].
Muslim reported another part of this story on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Alah be pleased with
him) — He said: "When the following verses were revealed:
"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) called all the people of Quraish; so they gathered and he
gave them a general warning. Then he made a particular reference to certain tribes, and said: "O
Quraish, rescue yourselves from the Fire; O people of Bani Ka'b, rescue yourselves from Fire; O
Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) , rescue yourself from the Fire, for I have no
power to protect you from Allâh in anything except that I would sustain relationship with you."
It was verily a loud suggestive Call stating unequivocally to the closest people that belief in his Message
constituted the corner-stone of any future relation between him and them, and that the blood-relation
on which the whole Arabian life was based, had ceased to exist in the light of that Divine ultimatum.
SHOUTING THE TRUTH AND THE POLYTHEISTS' REACTION:
The Prophet's voice kept reverberating in Makkah until the following verse was revealed:
"Therefore proclaim openly (Allâh's Message — Islamic Monotheism), that which you are
commanded, and turn away from Al-Mushrikûn (polytheists)." [15:94]
He then commenced discrediting the superstitious practices of idolatry, revealing its worthless reality
and utter impotence, and giving concrete proofs that idolatry per se or taking it as the media through
which an idolater could come in contact with Allâh, is manifest falsehood.
The Makkans, on their part, burst into outrage and disapproval. Muhammad's (Peace be upon him)
words created a thunderbolt that turned the Makkan time-honoured ideological life upside down. They
could ill afford to hear someone attaching to polytheists and idolaters, the description of straying
people. They started to rally their resources to settle down the affair, quell the onward marching
revolution and deal a pre-emptive strike to its votaries before it devours and crushes down their
consecrated traditions and long standing heritage. The Makkans had the deep conviction that denying
godship to anyone save Allâh and that belief in the Divine Message and the Hereafter are interpreted in
terms of complete compliance and absolute commitment, and this in turn leaves no area at all for them
to claim authority over themselves and over their wealth, let alone their subordinates. In short, their
arrogated religiously-based supremacy and highhandedness would no longer be in effect; their
pleasures would be subordinated to the pleasures of Allâh and His Messenger and lastly they would
have to abstain from incurring injustices on those whom they falsely deemed to be weak, and
perpetrating dreadful sins in their everyday life. They had already been fully aware of these meanings,
that is why their souls would not condescend to accept this 'disgraceful' position not out of motives
based on dignity and honour but rather because:
"Nay! (Man denies Resurrection and Reckoning. So) he desires to continue committing
sins." [75:5]
They had been aware of all these consequences but they could afford to do nothing before an honest
truthful man who was the highest example of good manners and human values. They had never known
such an example in the history of theifolks or grandfathers. What would they do? They were baffled,
and they had the right to be so.
Following careful deliberations, they hit upon the only target available, i.e. to contact the Messenger's
uncle, Abu Talib and request him to intervene and advise his nephew to stop his activities. In order to
attach a serious and earnest stamp to their demand, they chose to touch the most sensitive area in
Arabian life, viz., ancestral pride. They addressed Abu Talib in the following manner: "O Abu Talib! Your
nephew curses our gods; finds faults with our way of life, mocks at our religion and degrades our
forefathers; either you must stop him, or you must let us get at him. For you are in the same
opposition as we are in opposition to him; and we will rid you of him." Abu Talib tried to appease their
wrath by giving them a polite reply. The Prophet (Peace be upon him), however, continued on his way
preaching Allâh's religion and calling men hitherto, heedless of all their desperate attempts and
malicious intentions
AN ADVISORY COUNCIL TO DEBAR
PILGRIMS FROM MUHAMMAD'S CALl: During those days,
Quraish had another serious concern; the proclamation of the Call had only been a few months old
when the season of pilgrimage was soon to come. Quraish knew that the Arab delegates were coming
within a short time. They agreed that it was necessary to contemplate a device that was bound to
alienate the Arab pilgrims from the new faith preached by Muhammad (Peace be upon him). They went
to see Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah to deliberate on this issue. Al-Waleed invited them to agree on a
unanimous resolution that could enjoy the approbation of them all. However, they were at variance.
Some suggested that they describe him as Kahin, i.e., soothsayer; but this suggestion was turned down
on grounds that his words were not so rhymed. Others proposed Majnun, i.e., possessed by jinn; this
was also rejected because no insinuations peculiar to that state of mind ware detected, they claimed.
"Why not say he is a poet?" Some said. Here again they could not reach a common consent, alleging
that his words were totally outside the lexicon of poetry. "OK then; let us accuse him of practising
witchcraft," was a fourth suggestion. Here also Al-Waleed showed some reluctance saying that the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) was known to have never involved himself in the practice of blowing on
the knots, and admitted that his speech was sweet tasting root and branch. He, however, found that
the most plausible charge to be levelled against Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was witchcraft. The
ungodly company adopted this opinion and agreed to propagate one uniform formula to the effect that
he was a magician so powerful and commanding in his art that he would successfully alienate son from
father, man from his brother, wife from her husband and man from his clan.
It is noteworthy in this regard to say that Allâh revealed sixteen verses as regards Al-Waleed and the
cunning method he contemplated to manipulate the people expected to arrive in Makkah for pilgrimage.
Allâh says:
"Verily, he thought and plotted; so let him be cursed! How he plotted! And once more let him be
cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought; then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered
way; then he turned back and was proud; then he said: 'This is nothing but magic from that of
old; this is nothing but the word of a human being!' " [74:18-25]
The most wicked of them was the sworn enemy of Islam and Muhammad (Peace be upon him), Abu
Lahab, who would shadow the Prophet's steps crying aloud, "O men, do not listen to him for he is a liar;
he is an apostate." Nevertheless, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) managed to create a stir in the
whole area, and even to convince a few people to accept his Call.
THE FIRST MIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA (ETHIOPIA):
The series of persecutions started late in the
fourth year of Prophethood, slowly at first, but steadily accelerated and worsened day by day and
month by month until the situation got so extremely grave and no longer tolerable in the middle of the
fifth year, that the Muslims began to seriously think of feasible ways liable to avert the painful tortures
meted out to them. It was at that gloomy and desperate time that Sûrah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18 — The
Cave) was revealed comprising definite answers to the questions with which the polytheists of Makkah
constantly pestered the Prophet (Peace be upon him). It comprises three stories that include highly
suggestive parables for the true believers to assimilate. The story of the Companions of the Cave
implies implicit guidance for the believers to evacuate the hot spots of disbelief and aggression
pregnant with the peril of enticement away from the true religion:
The young men said to one another): And when you withdraw from them, and that which they
worship, except Allâh, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His
Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision,
dwelling, etc.)18:16].
Next, there is the story of Al-Khidr (The Teacher of Arabia) and Moses (Peace be upon him) in a clear
and delicate reference to the vicissitudes of life. Future circumstances of life are not necessarily the
products of the prevalent conditions, they might be categorically the opposite. In other words, the war
waged against the Muslims would in the future assume a different turn, and the tyrannous oppressors
would one day come to suffer and be subjected to the same tortures to which the Muslims were then
put. Furthermore, there is the story of Dhul-Qarnain (The Two Horned One), the powerful ruler of west
and east. This story says explicitly that Allâh takes His righteous servants to inherit the earth and
whatever in it. It also speaks that Allâh raises a righteous man every now and then to protect the weak
against the strong.
Sûrah Az-Zumar (Chapter 39 —
The Crowds) was then revealed pointing directly to migration and
stating that the earth is spacious enough and the believers must not consider themselves constrained
by the forces of tyranny and evil:
"Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allâh's earth is spacious (so if you
cannot worship Allâh at a place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall receive
their rewards in full without reckoning." [39:10].
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) had already known that Ashamah Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia),
was a fair ruler who would not wrong any of his subordinates, so he permitted some of his followers to
seek asylum there in Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
In Rajab of the fifth year of Prophethood, a group of twelve men and four women left for Abyssinia
(Ethiopia). Among the emigrants were 'Uthman bin 'Affan and his wife Ruqaiyah [the daughter of the
Prophet (Peace be upon him)]. With respect to these two emigrants, the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
said:
"They are the first people to migrate in the cause of Allâh after Abraham and Lot (Peace be upon
them) ."
They sneaked out of Makkah under the heavy curtain of a dark night and headed for the sea where two
boats happened to be sailing for Abyssinia (Ethiopia), their destination. News of their intended
departure reached the ears of Quraish, so some men were despatched in their pursuit, but the believers
had already left Shuaibah Port towards their secure haven where they were received warmly and
accorded due hospitality.
In Ramadan of the same year, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) went into the Holy Sanctuary where
there was a large host of Quraish polytheists, including some notables and celebrities. Suddenly he
began reciting Sûrah An-Najm (Chapter 41 — The Star). The awe-inspiring Words of Allâh descended
unawares upon them and they immediately got stunned by them. It was the first time for them to be
shocked by the truthful Revelation. It had formerly been the favourite trick of those people who wished
to dishonour Revelation, not only not to listen to it themselves but also to talk loudly and insolently
when it was being read, so that even the true listeners may not be able to hear. They used to think that
they were drowning the Voice of Allâh; in fact, they were piling up misery for themselves, for Allâh's
Voice can never be silenced, "And those who disbelieve say:
"Listen not to this Qur'ân, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may
overcome." [41:26].
When the unspeakably fascinating Words of Allâh came into direct contact with their hearts, they were
entranced and got oblivious of the materialistic world around them and were caught in a state of full
attentiveness to the Divine Words to such an extent that when the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
reached the stormy heart-beating ending:
"So fall you down in prostration to Allâh and worship Him (Alone)." [53:62]
The idolaters, unconsciously and with full compliance, prostrated themselves in absolute god-fearing
and stainless devotion. It was in fact the wonderful moment of the Truth that cleaved through the
obdurate souls of the haughty and the attitude of the scoffers. They stood aghast when they perceived
that Allâh's Words had conquered their hearts and done the same thing that they had been trying hard
to annihilate and exterminate. Their co-polytheists who had not been present on the scene reproached
and blamed them severely; consequently they began to fabricate lies and calumniate the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) alleging that he had attached to their idols great veneration and ascribed to them
the power of desirable intercession. All of these were desperate attempts made to establish an
excusable justification for their prostrating themselves with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on that
day. Of course, this foolish and iniquitous slanderous behaviour was in line with their life-consecrated
practice of telling lies and plot hatching.
News of this incident was misreported to the Muslim emigrants in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). They were
informed that the whole of Quraish had embraced Islam so they made their way back home. They
arrived in Makkah in Shawwal of the same year. When they were only an hour's travel from Makkah,
the reality of the situation was discovered. Some of them returned to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), others
sneaked secretly into the city or went in publicly but under the tutelage of a local notable. However,
due to the news that transpired to the Makkans about the good hospitality and warm welcome that the
Muslims were accorded in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), the polytheists got terribly indignant and started to
mete out severer and more horrible maltreatment andtortures to the Muslims. Thereupon the
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) deemed it imperative to permit the helpless creatures to seek
asylum in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for the second time. Migration this time was not as easy as it was the
previous time, for Quraish was on the alert to the least suspicious moves of the Muslims. In due course,
however, the Muslims managed their affairs too fast for the Quraishites to thwart their attempt of
escape. The group of emigrants this time comprised eighty three men and nineteen or, in some
versions, eighteen women. Whether or not 'Ammar was included is still a matter of doubt.
QURAISH'S MACHINATION AGAINSTN THE EMIGRANTS:
Quraish could not tolerate the prospect
of a secure haven available for the Muslims in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), so they despatched two staunch
envoys to demand their extradition. They were 'Amr bin Al-'As and 'Abdullah bin Abi Rabi'a — before
embracing Islam. They had taken with them valuable gifts to the king and his clergy, and had been able
to win some of the courtiers over to their side. The pagan envoys claimed that the Muslim refugees
should be expelled from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and made over to them, on the ground that they had
abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their leader was preaching a religion different from
theirs and from that of the king.
The king summoned the Muslims to the court and asked them to explain the teachings of their religion.
The Muslim emigrants had decided to tell the whole truth whatever the consequences were. Ja'far bin
Abi Talib stood up and addressed the king in the following words: "O king! we were plunged in the
depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastity, we ate the dead bodies, and
we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and
neighbourhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong, when Allâh raised among us a
man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of
Allâh, and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He forbade us the worship of idols; and he
enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful and to regard the rights of the
neighbours and kith and kin; he forbade us to speak evil of women, or to eat the substance of orphans;
he ordered us to fly from the vices, and to abstain from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe fast. We have believed in him, we have accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship
Allâh, and not to associate anything with Him, and we have allowed what He has allowed, and
prohibited what He has prohibited. For this reason, our people have risen against us, have persecuted
us in order to make us forsake the worship of Allâh and return to the worship of idols and other
abominations. They have tortured and injured us, until finding no safety among them, we have come to
your country, and hope you will protect us from oppression."
The king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite some of Allâh's
Revelation. Ja'far recited the opening verses of Sûrah Maryam (Chapter 19 — Mary) wherein is told the
story of the birth of both John and Jesus Christ, down to the account of Mary having been fed with the
food miraculously. Thereupon the king, along with the bishops of his realm, was moved to tears that
rolled down his cheeks and even wet his beard. Here, the Negus exclaimed: "It seems as if these words
and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have radiated from the same
source." Turning to the crest-fallen envoys of Quraish, he said, "I am afraid, I cannot give you back
these refugees. They are free to live and worship in my realm as they please."
On the morrow, the two envoys again went to the king and said that Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
and his followers blasphemed Jesus Christ. Again the Muslims were summoned and asked what they
thought of Jesus. Ja'far again stood up and replied: "We speak about Jesus as we have been taught by
our Prophet (Peace be upon him) , that is, he is the servant of Allâh, His Messenger, His spirit and His
Word breathed into Virgin Mary." The king at once remarked, "Even so do we believe. Blessed be you,
and blessed be your master." Then turning to the frowning envoys and to his bishops who got angry, he
said: "You may fret and fume as you like but Jesus is nothing more than what Ja'far has said about
him." He then assured the Muslims of full protection. He returned to the envoys of Quraish, the gifts
they had brought with them and sent them away. The Muslims lived in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) unmolested
for a number of years till they returned to Madinah.
In this way Quraish's malicious intentions recoiled on them and their machination met with utter failure.
They came to fully realize that the grudge they nursed against he Muslims would not operate but within
their realm of Makkah. They consequently began to entertain a horrible idea of silencing the advocate of
the new Call once and for all, through various channels of brutality, or else killing him. An obstinate
difficulty, however, used to curtail any move in this direction embodied by the Prophet's uncle Abu Talib
and the powerful social standing he used to enjoy as well as the full protection and support he used to
lend to his nephew. The pagans of Makkah therefore decided to approach Abu Talib for the second time
and insisted that he put a stop to his nephew's activities, which if allowed unchecked, they said, would
involve him into severe hostility. Abu Talib was deeply distressed at this open threat and the breach
with his people and their enmity, but he could not afford to desert the Messenger too. He sent for his
nephew and told him what the people had said, "Spare me and yourself and put not burden on me that
I can't bear." Upon this the Prophet (Peace be upon him) thought that his uncle would let him down and
would no longer support him, so he replied:
"O my uncle! by Allâh if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition
that I abandon this course, until Allâh has made me victorious, or I perish therein, I would not
abandon it." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) got up, and as he turned away, his uncle called
him and said, "Come back, my nephew," and when he came back, he said, "Go and preach what
you please, for by Allâh I will never forsake you."
He then recited two lines of verse pregnant with meanings of full support to the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) and absolute gratification by the course that his nephew had chalked out in Arabia.
ONECE MORE QURAISH APPROACHES ABU TALIB: Quraish, seeing that the Messenger of Allâh
(Peace be upon him) was still intent on his Call, realized that Abu Talib would never forsake his nephew
even if this incurred their enmity. Some of them then went to see him once more taking with them a
youth called 'Amarah bin Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah, and said, "O Abu Talib! we have brought you a
smart boy still in the bloom of his youth, to make use of his mind and strength and take him as your
son in exchange for your nephew, who has run counter to your religion, brought about social discord,
found fault with your way of life, so that we kill him and rid you of his endless troubles; just man for man." Abu Talib's reply was, "It is really an unfair bargain. You give me your son to bring him up and I
give you my son to kill him! By Allâh, it is something incredible!!" Al-Mut'im bin 'Adi, a member of the
delegation, interrupted saying that Quraish had been fair in that bargain because "they meant only to
rid you of that source of hateful trouble, but as I see you are determined to refuse their favours." Abu
Talib, of course, turned down all their offers and challenged them to do whatever they pleased.
Historical resources do not give the exact date of these two meetings with Abu Talib. They, however,
seem more likely to have taken place in the sixth year of Prophethood with a brief lapse of time in
between.
THE TYRANTS' DECISION TO KILL THE PROPHET:
Now that all the schemes and conspiracof
Quraish had failed, they resorted to their old practices of persecution and inflicting tortures on the
Muslims in a more serious and brutal manner than ever before. They also began to nurse the idea of
killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him). In fact, contrary to their expectations, this new method and
this very idea served indirectly to consolidate the Call to Islam and support it with the conversion of two
staunch and mighty heroes of Makkah, i.e. Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May
Allah be pleased with him).
'Utaibah bin Abi Lahab once approached the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and most defiantly and
brazenly shouted at him, "I disbelieve in: "By the star when it goes down." [53:1] and in "Then he
(Gabriel) approached and came closer." [53:8] In other words: "I do not believe in any of the Qur'ân."
He then started to deal highhandedly with Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and laid violent hand on
him, tore his shirt and spat into his face but his saliva missed the Holy face of the Prophet (Peace be
upon him). Thereupon, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) invoked Allâh's wrath on 'Utaibah and
supplicated:
"O Allâh! Set one of Your dogs on him."
Allâh responded positively to Muhammad's supplication, and it happened in the following manner: Once
'Utaibah with some of his compatriots from Quraish set out for Syria and took accommodation in Az
Zarqa'.
There
a
lion
approached
the
group
to
the
great
fear
of
'Utbah,
who
at
once
recalled
Muhammad's
words
in
supplication,
and
said:
"Woe
to
my
brother!
This
lion
will
surely devour me just as Muhammad(Peace be upon him) supplicated.He has really killed me in Syria
while he is in Makkah."
The lion did really rush like lightning, snatched 'Utbah From amongst his people and crushed his head.
It is also reported that a wretched idolater from Quraish, named 'Uqbah bin 'Abi Mu'ait once trod on the
Prophet's neck while he was prostrating himself in prayer until his eyes protruded.
More details reported by Ibn Ishaq testify to the tyrants' deeply-established intentions of killing the
Prophet (Peace be upon him). Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam, once addressed some of his
accomplices: "O people of Quraish! It seems that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is determined to go
on finding fault with our religion, degrading our forefathers, discrediting our way of life and abusing our
gods. I bear witness to our god that I will carry a too heavy rock and drop it on Muhammad's head
while he is in prostration to rid you of him, once and for all. I am not afraid of whatever his sept, Banu
'Abd Munaf, might do." The terrible unfortunate audience endorsed his plan and encouraged him to
translate it into a decisive deed.
In the morning of the following day, Abu Jahl lay waiting for the arrival of the Messenger of Allâh
(Peace be upon him) to offer prayer. The people of Quraish were in their assembly rooms waiting for
news. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) prostrated himself, Abu Jahl proceeded carrying the big
rock to fulfill his wicked intention. No sooner had he approached closer to the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) than he withdraw pale-faced, shuddering with his hands strained the rock falling off. Thereupon,
the people watching hurried forward asking him what the matter was. He replied: "When I approached,
a male-camel unusual in figure with fearful canines intercepted and almost devoured me." Ibn Ishaq
reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him), in the context of his comment on the incident, said "It
was Gabriel (Peace be upon him) , if Abu Jahl had approached closer, he would have killed him. " Even
so the tyrants of Quraish would not be admonished, contrariwise, the idea of killing the Prophet (Peace
be upon him) was still being nourished in their iniquitous hearts. On the authority of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr
bin Al-'As, some people of Quraish were in a place called Al-Hijr complaining that they had been too
patient with the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who suddenly appeared and began his usual
circumambulation. They started to wink at him and utter sarcastic remarks but he remained silent for
two times, then on the third, he stopped and addressed the infidels saying:
"O people of Quraish! Hearken, I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand is my soul, that you will one day
be slaughtered to pieces." As soon as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) uttered his word of
slaughter, they all stood aghast and switched off to a new style of language smacking of fear and
even horror trying to soothe his anger and comfort him saying: "You can leave Abul Qasim, for
you have never been foolish."
'Urwa bin Az-Zubair narrated: I asked Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As to tell me of the worst thing that the
pagans did to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He said: "While the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was
praying in Al-Hijr of Al-Ka'bah, 'Uqbah bin Al-Mu'ait came and put his garment around the Prophet's
neck and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr came and caught him by his shoulder and pushed him away
from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said: "Do you want to kill a man just because he says, My
Lord is Allâh?"
THE CONVERSION OF HAMZAH BIN 'ABDUL
-MUTTALIB: In a gloomy atmosphere infested with
dark clouds of iniquity and tyranny, there shone on the horizon a promising light for the oppressed, i.e.
the conversion of Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib in Dhul Hijjah, the sixth year of Prophethood. It is
recorded that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was one day seated on the hillock of Safa when Abu
Jahl happened to pass by and accused the religion preached by him. Muhammad (Peace be upon him),
however, kept silent and did not utter a single word. Abu Jahl went on unchecked, took a stone and
cracked the Prophet's head which began to bleed. The aggressor then went to join the Quraishites in
their assembly place. It so happened that shortly after that, Hamzah, while returning from a hunting
expedition, passed by the same way, his bow hanging by his shoulder. A slave-girl belonging to
'Abdullah bin Jada'an, who had noted the impertinence of Abu Jahl, told him the whole story of the
attack on the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . On hearing that, Hamzah was deeply offended and hurried
to Al-Ka'bah and there, in the courtyard of the Holy Sanctuary, found Abu Jahl sitting with a company
of Quraishites. Hamzah rushed upon him and struck his bow upon his head violently and said: "Ah! You
have been abusing Muhammad (Peace be upon him); I too follow his religion and profess what he
preaches." The men of Bani Makhzum came to his help, and men of Bani Hashim wanted to render
help, but Abu Jahl sent them away saying: "Let Abu 'Ummarah alone, by Allâh I did revile his nephew
shamelessly." In fact, Hamzah's conversion derived initially from the pride of a man who would not
accept the notion of others humiliating his relative. Later on, however, Allâh purified his nature and he
managed to grasp the most trustworthy hand-hold (Faith in Allâh). He proved to be a source of great
strength to the Islamic Faith and its followers.
THE CONVERSION OF 'UMAR BIN AL
-KHATTAB: Another significant addition to the strength of
Islam was the conversion of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab in Dhul-Hijjah, the sixth year of Prophethood, three
days following the conversion of Hamzah. ] He was a man of dauntless courage and resolution, feared
and respected in Makkah, and hitherto a bitter opponent of the new religion. The traditional account
reveals that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once raised his hands in prayer and said:
"O Allâh! Give strength to Islam especially through either of two men you love more: 'Umar bin
Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham."
'Umar, obviously, was the one who merited that privilege.
When we scrutinize the several versions that speak of 'Umar's conversion, we can safely conclude that
various contradictory emotions used to conflict with one another within his soul. On the one hand, he
used to highly regard the traditions of his people, and was habituated to the practice of indulgence in
wine orgies; on the other hand, he greatly admired the stamina of the Muslims and their relentless
dedication to their faith. These two extreme views created a sort of skepticism in mind and made him
at times tend to believe that the doctrines of Islam could bear better and more sacred seeds of life, that
is why he would always experience fits of outrage directly followed by unexpected enervation. On the
whole, the account of his conversion is very interesting and requires us to go into some details.
One day, 'Umar bin Al Khattab set out from his house, and headed for the Holy Sanctuary where he saw
the Prophet (Peace be upon him) offering prayer and overheard him reciting the Sûrah Al-Hâqqah (Chapter
69—The Reality)of the Noble Qur'ân. The Words ofAllâh appealed to him and touched the innermost
cells of his heart. He felt that they derived from unusual composition, and he began to question his people's allegations as regards the man-composed poetry or words of a soothsayer that they used to attach to the
Noble Qur'ân.The Prophet (Peace be upon him) went on to recite:
"That this is verily the word of an honoured Messenger (i.e. Gabriel or Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) which he has brought from Allâh). It is not the word of a poet, little is that you
believe! Nor is it the word of a soothsayer (or a foreteller), little is that you remember! This is
the Revelation sent down from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that
exists)." [69:40-43]
At that very moment, Islam permeated his heart. However, the dark layer of pre-Islamic tendencies,
the deep-seated traditional bigotry as well as the blind pride in his forefathers overshadowed the
essence of the great Truth that began to feel its way reluctantly into his heart. He, therefore, persisted
in his atrocities against Islam and its adherents unmindful of the pure and true-to-man's nature feeling
that lay behind that fragile cover of pre Islamic ignorance and mentality.His sharp temper and excessive enmity towards the Prophet (Peace be upon him) led him one day to leave his house, sword in hand, with the
intention of killing the Prophet (Peace Be upon him) He was in a fit of anger and was fretting and fuming.
Nu'aim bin 'Abdullah, a friend of 'Umar's,met him accidentally half way.What had caused so much excitement in him and on whom was the fury to burst, he inquired casually. 'Umar said furiously:
"To destroy the man Muhammad (Peace be upon him) this apostate, who has shattered the unity of Quraish,
picked holes in their religion, found folly with their wise men and blasphemed their gods." "'Umar,I am sure,
your soul has deceived you, do you think that Banu 'Abd Munaf would let you walk on earth if you slain
Muhammad (Peace be upon him)? Why don't you take care of your own family first and set them right?"
"Which of the folk of my house?" asked 'Umar angrily. "Your brother-in-law and your sister have
apostatized [meaning to say: They have become followers of Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] and
abandoned your religion."
'Umar directed his footsteps to his sister's house. As he drew near, he heard the voice of Khabbab bin
Aratt, who was reading the Qur'ânic Chapter Tâ-Hâ (mystic letters, T. H.) to both of them. Khabbab,
perceiving the noise of his footsteps retired to a closet. Fatimah, 'Umar's sister, took hold of the leaf
and hid it. But 'Umar had already heard the voice. "What sound was that I have heard just now?"
shouted the son of Khattab, entering angrily. Both his sister and her husband replied, "You heard
nothing." "Nay," said he swearing fiercely, "I have heard that you have apostatized." He plunged
forward towards his brother-in-law and beat him severely, but Fatimah rushed to the rescue of her
husband. Thereupon, 'Umar fell upon his sister and struck upon her head. The husband and wife could
not contain themselves and cried aloud: "Yes, we are Muslims, we believe in Allâh and His Messenger
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) so do what you will." When 'Umar saw the face of his dear sister
besmeared with blood, he was softened and said: "Let me see what you were reading, so that I may
see what Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has brought." Fatimah was satisfied with the assurance, but
said: "O brother, you are unclean on account of your idolatry, none but the pure may touch it. So go
and wash first." He did so, and took the page and read the opening verses of the Chapter Tâ-Hâ until
he reached:
"Verily! I am Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me
and offer prayers perfectly (Iqâmat-as-Salât), for My Remembrance." [20:14].
'Umar read the verses with great interest and was much entranced with them. "How excellent it is, and
how graceful! Please guide me to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ." said he. And when he heard that,
Khabbab came out of concealment and said, "O 'Umar, I hope that Allâh has answered the prayer of the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) , for I heard him say: 'O Allâh! Strengthen Islam through either 'Umar bin
Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham.'" 'Umar then left for a house in Safa where Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) had been holding secret meetings along with his Companions. 'Umar reached that place with
the sword swinging by his arm. He knocked at the door. The Companions of the Prophet (Peace be
upon him) turned to see who the intruder was. One of them peeped through a chink in the door and
reeled back exclaiming: "It is 'Umar with his sword." Hamzah, dispelling the fears of his friends, said:
"Let him in. As a friend he is welcome. As a foe, he will have his head cut off with his own sword." The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) asked his Companions to open the door. In came the son of Khattab. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) advanced to receive the dreadful visitor, caught him by his garment and
scabbard, and asked him the reason of his visit. At that 'Umar replied: "O Messenger of Allâh (Peace be
upon him), I come to you in order to believe in Allâh and his Messenger and that which he has brought
from his Lord." Filled with delight, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) together with his Companions,
cried aloud: 'Allâhu Akbar' (Allâh is Great).
The conversion of 'Umar was a real triumph for the cause of Islam. So great and instant was the effect
of his conversion on the situation that the believers who had hitherto worshipped Allâh within their four
walls in secret now assembled and performed their rites of worship openly in the Holy Sanctuary itself.
This raised their spirits, and dread and uneasiness began to seize Quraish.
Ibn Ishaq narrated on the authority of 'Umar (May Allah be pleased), "When I embraced Islam, I
remembered the archenemy of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), i.e. Abu Jahl. I set out, and knocked
at his door. When he came out to see me, I told him directly that I had embraced Islam. He
immediately slammed the door repulsively denouncing my move as infamous and my face as ugly." In
fact, 'Umar's conversion created a great deal of stir in Makkah that some people denounced him as an
apostate, yet he would never waver in Faith, on the contrary, he persisted in his stance even at the
peril of his life. The polytheists of Quraish marched towards his house with the intention of killing him.
'Abdullah bin 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: While 'Umar was at home in a state of
fear, there came Al-'As bin Wa'il As-Sahmy Abu 'Amr, wearing an embroidered cloak and a shirt having
silk hems. He was from the tribe of Bani Sahm who were our allies during the pre-Islamic period of
ignorance. Al-'As said to 'Umar: What's wrong with you? He said: Your people claim that they will kill
me if I become a Muslim. Al-'As said: Nobody will harm you after I have given protection to you. So Al'As
went out and met the people streaming in the whole valley.He said: Where are you going? They replied:
We want son of Al-Khattab who has embraced Islam.Al-'As said: There is no way for anybody to touch
him. Sothe people retreated.
With respect to the Muslims in Makkah, 'Umar's conversion had a different tremendous impact. Mujahid,
on the authority of Ibn Al-'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) related that he had asked 'Umar bin
Al-Khattab why he had been given the epithet of Al-Farooq (he who distinguishes truth from
falsehood), he replied: After I had embraced Islam, I asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him): 'Aren't
we on the right path here and Hereafter?' The Prophet (Peace be upon him) answered: 'Of course you
are! I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand my soul is, that you are right in this world and in the hereafter.' I,
therefore, asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him) 'Why we then had to conduct clandestine activism. I
swear by Allâh Who has sent you with the Truth, that we will leave our concealment and proclaim our
noble cause publicly.' We then went out in two groups, Hamzah leading one and I the other. We headed
for the Mosque in broad daylight when the polytheists of Quraish saw us, their faces went pale and got
incredibly depressed and resentful. On that very occasion, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) attached to
me the epithet of Al-Farouque. Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) related that they (the
Muslims) had never been able to observe their religious rites inside the Holy Sanctuary except when
'Umar embraced Islam.
Suhaib bin Sinan (May Allah be pleased with him), in the same context, said that it was only after
'Umar's conversion, that we started to proclaim our Call, assemble around and circumambulate the
Sacred House freely. We even dared retaliate against some of the injustices done to harm us. In the
same context, Ibn Mas'ud said: We have been strengthened a lot since 'Umar embraced Islam.
QURAISH'S REPRESENTATIVE NEGOTIATES WITH THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH:
Shortly after the
conversion of these two powerful heroes, Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May
Allah be pleased with him), the clouds of tyranny and oppression started to clear away and the
polytheists realized that it was no use meting out torture to the Muslims. They consequently began to
direct their campaign to a different course. The authentic records of the biography of the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) show that it had occurred to the Makkan leaders to credit Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) with ambition. They, therefore, time and again plied him with temptation. One day some of
the important men of Makkah gathered in the enclosure of Al-Ka'bah, and 'Utbah bin Rabi'a, a chief
among them, offered to approach the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and contract a bargain with him
whereby they give him whatever worldly wealth he asks for, on condition that he keep silent and no
longer proclaim his new faith. The people of Quraish endorsed his proposal and requested him to
undertake that task. 'Utbah came closer to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and addressed him in the
following words:
We have seen no other man of Arabia, who has brought so great a calamity to a nation, as you have
done. You have outraged our gods and religion and taxed our forefathers and wise men with impiety
and error and created strife amongst us. You have left no stone unturned to estrange the relations with
us. If you are doing all this with a view to getting wealth, we will join together to give you greater
riches than any Quraishite has possessed. If ambition moves you, we will make you our chief. If you
desire kingship we will readily offer you that. If you are under the power of an evil spirit which seems to
haunt and dominate you so that you cannot shake off its yoke, then we shall call in skilful physicians to
cure you.
"Have you said all?" asked Muhammad (Peace be upon him); and then hearing that all had been said,
he spoke forth, and said:
"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Hâ-Mîm. [These letters are one of
the miracles of the Qur'ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. A revelation from
Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail;
—
a Qur'ân in Arabic for people who know. Giving glad tidings [of Paradise to the one who
believes in the Oneness of Allâh (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) and fears Allâh much (abstains from
all kinds of sins and evil deeds.) and loves Allâh much (performing all kinds of good deeds which
He has ordained)], and warning (of punishment in the Hell-fire to the one who disbelieves in the
Oneness of Allâh), but most of them turn away, so they listen not. And they say: Our hearts are
under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us …" [41: 1-5]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) went on reciting the Chapter while 'Utbah sitting and
listening attentively with his hand behind his back to support him. When the Messenger reached the
verse that required prostration, he immediately prostrated himself. After that, he turned to 'Utbah
saying: "Well Abu Al-Waleed! You have heard my reply, you are now free to do whatever you please."
'Utbah then retired to his company to apprise them of the Prophet's attitude. When his compatriots saw
him, they swore that he had returned to them with a countenance unlike the one he had before
meeting the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . He immediately communicated to them the details of the
talk he gave and the reply he received, and appended saying: "I have never heard words similar to
those ones he recited. They definitely relate neither to poetry nor to witchcraft nor do they derive from
soothsaying. O people of Quraish! I request you to heed my advice and grant the man full freedom to
pursue his goals, in which case you could safely detach yourselves from him. I swear that his words
bear a supreme Message. Should the other Arabs rid you of him, they will then spare you the trouble,
on the other hand if he accedes to power over the Arabs, then you will bask in his kingship and share
him his might." These words of course fell on deaf ears, and did not appeal to the infidels, who jeered
at 'Utbah and claimed that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had bewitched him.
In another version of the same event, it is related that 'Utbah went on attentively listening to the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) until the latter began to recite Allâh's Words:
"But if they turn away, they say [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ]: "I have warned you of a
Sa'iqa (a destructive awful cry, torment, hit, a thunder-bolt) like the Sa'iqa which overtook 'Ad
and Thamûd (people)." [41:13]
Here 'Utbah stood up panicked and stunned putting his hand on the Prophet's mouth beseeching him:
"I beg you in the Name of Allâh and uterine ties to stop lest the calamity should befall the people of
Quraish." He then hurriedly returned to his compatriots and informed them of what he had heard.
ABU TALIB ASSEMBLES BANI HASHIM ND BANI AL-MUTTALIB:
The new and welcome changes
notwithstanding, Abu Talib still had a deep sensation of fear over his nephew. He deliberated on the
previous series of incidents including the barter affair of 'Amarah bin Al-Waleed, Abu Jahl's rock,
'Uqbah's attempt to choke the Prophet (Peace be upon him) , and finally 'Umar's (before conversion)
intention to kill Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The wise man understood that all of these
unequivocally smacked of a serious plot being hatched to disregard his status as a custodian of the
Prophet (Peace be upon him), and kill the latter publicly. In the event of such a thing, Abu Talib deeply
believed, neither 'Umar nor Hamzah would be of any avail, socially powerful though they were.
Abu Talib was right. The polytheists had laid a carefully-studied plan to kill the Prophet (Peace be upon
him), and banded together to put their plan into effect. He, therefore, assembled his kinsfolk of Bani
Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib, sons of 'Abd Munaf and exhorted them to immunize and defend his
nephew. All of them, whether believers or disbelievers, responded positively except his brother Abu
Lahab, who sided with the idolaters.
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