The Sealed Nectar | Biography of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) [Revised Colour Edition] 9786035001106

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THE SEALED NECTAR

Tabuk Buraydah

I

Dammam

1

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A H Riyadh

I

Madinah

Yanbu AI-Bahr

Jeddah Makkah H-Abha

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THE SEALED NECTAR iography of the Noble Prophet H

Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri Islam ic University Al-M adinah Al-Munawwarah

DARUSSALAM

DAR USSA LAM Y O U R AUTH EN TIC SO U RC E O F KN O W LEDG E

Riyadh • Jeddah • A l-K hobar • Sharjah Lahore • London • H ouston • N ew York

1ST. PRIZE WINNER BOOK This Book was awarded First Prize by the Muslim World League in a worldwide competition on the Biography o f the Prophet held at Makkah A lMukarramah in 1399/1979

//v / / c . \()///............................................................357 Controling the Situation ........................................................................... 358 From his Wife's Lap to a Sw ord-fight...................................................358 The Muslim Archers Contribution to the Battle................................ 359 Sense of Defeat Among the Idolaters.................................................... 359 The Archers' Fatal M istake.......................................................................360 Khalid bin Al-Walid Cuts Off the Rear.................................................361 The Weakened Position of the M uslim s...............................................361 The Battle Intensifies Around Allah's Messenger M.........................364 The Most Awkward Hour in the M essenger's L ife ..........................364 The Companions Surround the M essen ger^.....................................368 The Idolaters Increase the Intensity of Battle......................................369 Unprecedented Heroism........................................................................... 370

The Seald Nectar

The Rumor of the Death of the Prophet M and its Effect on the Battle................................................... 371 The Messenger M Consolidates His Position in the B attle..................................................... 371 Ubai bin Khalaf is Killed...................................................... 373 Talhah Lifts the Prophet M...................................................373 The Idolaters' Last A ssault..................................................374 Mutilation of the M artyrs.................................................... 374 The Messenger M Reaches the Trail...................................376 The Appointment to Meet Again at Badr........................377 Verifying the Movement of the Idolaters........................377 Checking on the Dead and Wounded.............................. 378 Burial of the M artyrs.............................................................379 The Messenger M Praises Allah $g and Supplicates to H im ........................................................ 381 Display of Love Received on the Return to M adinah. 382

The Messenger in M adinah......................................................................383 The Number of D e a d ................................................................................ 383 A State of Emergency in Madinah..........................................................384 The Hamra'ul-Asad Invasion................................................................. 384 The Observations of the Noble Q ur'an on the Battle of U h u d

389

Lessons and M orals....................................................................................390 Military Platoons and Missions b etw een ................................................. the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Confederates.................... 392 The Abi Salamah Expedition................................................................... 394 The Mobilization of 'Abdullah bin Unais

....................................... 394

The Raji' M obilization............................................................................... 395 The Tragedy at the Well of M a'unah..................................................... 397 The Invasion of Bani An-Nadeer............................................................499 The Second Battle of Badr.........................................................................405 The Expedition of Dum atul-Jandal....................................................... 407 The Invasion of Al-Ahzab (The Confederates)................................... 410 The Invasion of Banu Q uraidah.............................................................422 Continued M ilita ry .......................................................................................... Activities The Killing of Salam bin A bul-H uqaiq.............................428 Mission of Muhammad bin M aslam ah................................................431 The Invasion of Bani L ihyan................................................................... 432 Continued Expeditions and D elegations............................................ 433 The Invasion of Bani Al-Mustaliq (M uraisi')......................................436 The Incident of the Slan d er..................................................................... 442 Delegations and Expeditions........................................................................ Following the Invasion of Bani aal-Mustaliq......................................445 Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty............................................................................... 449

The Seald Nectar

CONTENTS The Circumstances of the 'Umrah of Al-Hudaibiyah ..449 The Muslims M obilize......................................................... 449 Heading for M akkah.............................................................450 The Quraish Attempt to Block t h e ......................................... Muslims from Reaching the K a 'b a h ................................ 450 Changing D irection............................................................... 450 Budail Mediates Between Allah's Messenger gi and the Q u raish ..................................................................... 451 The Envoys of Q u raish ........................................................ 451 Allah it Prevented Them From Treachery..................... 452 'Uthm an bin 'Affan is sent as a Messenger to the Quraish.................................................... 453 The Rumor of 'Uthm an's Death and the Pledge of R idw an...................................................453 The Treaty and its Clauses...................................................454 The Return of Abu Jandal.................................................... 456

/§^>

7 Refusing the Return of Emigrant W om en........................................... 458 Impact of the Treaty of A l-H udaibiyah................................................459 The Muslims' Grief and 'U m ar's Expression of T h a t..................... 460 The Problem of Weak Muslims Solved.................................................461 The Second Stag e.............................................................................................. A New Phase of Islamic A ction ..............................................................463 The Prophet's Plans to Spread................................................................ 465 The Message of Islam Beyond Arabia...................................................466 1. Letter to Aby sinia (Ethiopia)..............................................................466 2. Letter to the King of Egypt, M uqaw qis........................................... 470 3. Letter to Chosroes, Emperor of P ersia............................................. 472 4. The Envoy to Caesar, King of R o m e.................................................474 5. Letter to Mundhir bin Sawa, Governor of Bahrain...................... 477 6. Letter to Haudhah bin 'Ali, the Governor of Yam am ah

478

7. Letter to Al-Harith bin Abi Shimr .......................................................... Al-Ghassani, the king of D am ascus...................................................... 479 8. Letter to the King of Oman, Jaifer,.......................................................... and His Brother 'Abd bin Al-Julandai..................................................479 Post-Hudaibiyah H ostilities.................................................................... 484 The Invasion of Ghabah or Dhi Q arad.................................................484 The Conquest of Khaibar..........................................................................487 The Reasons for the B attle........................................................................488 Headed to K haibar.....................................................................................488 The Number of Soldiers in the A rm y ...................................................489 The Hypocrites Alert the Jew s................................................................ 489 The Road to K haibar................................................................................. 489 The Muslim Army Surrounds Khaibar.................................................491 The Fortresses of K haibar.........................................................................492

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' 'Allah selected Ismael 8S3 from the sons of Ibrahim, Kinanah from the sons of Ismael aga, Quraish from the sons of Kinanah, Hashim from the sons of Quraish and He selected me from the sons of Hashim."1 A l-'A bbas bin 'A bdul-M uttalib quoted A llah's Prophet as saying: j p

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Recorded by Muslim from Wathilah bin A l-A sqa', the chapter of the Virtue of the Lineage of the Prophet 2/245; and At-Tirmidhi 2/201.

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Location and Nature of Arab Tribes

' 'Allah created the creatures and made me among the best of them, He chose the tribes and selected me from the best whereof; and He chose families and made me among the best of them. Then He chose the households, making me among the best of their households. I am the best of them in person and the best of them in household."' After increasing in number, the children of 'A d n an spread out over Arabia in pursuit of pastures and water. 'A bdul-Q ais, together with som e tribes of Bakr bin W a'il and Tamim, em igrated to Bahrain. Banu H anifah bin S a'b bin Ali bin Bakr w ent to settle in Hajr, the capital of Yamamah. All the tribes of Bakr bin W a'il lived in an area of land that included Yamamah, Bahrain, Saif Kazim ah, the seashore, the outer borders of Iraq, A blah and Hait. M ost of the tribe of Taghlib lived in the area around the Euphrates, while som e of them lived w ith Bakr. Banu Tamim lived in the desert of Basrah, Banu Sulaim in the vicinity of M adinah on the land stretching from Wadi Al-Qura to Khaibar onw ards to Harrah. Thaqif dwelt in Ta'if and H aw azin east of M akkah near Awtas on the route from M akkah to Basrah. Banu Asad lived on the land east of Taima' and w est of Kufah, w hile the fam ily of Tai' lived betw een Banu Asad and Taima'. They were at a distance of five days from Kufah. Dhubyan inhabited the area betw een Taima' and Hawran. Som e divisions of Kinanah lived in Tiham ah, while som e of the Quraish dwelt in M akkah and its suburbs. The Q uraish rem ained com pletely disunited until Qusai bin Kilab m anaged to rally their ranks on honorable terms, attaching great prom inence to their status and im portance.2

1 2

A t-Tirm idhi, the Book of Al-Manaqib , the chapter of what is narrated about the Virtue of the Prophet 2/201. Muhadarat Tarikh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah by Al-Khudari, 1/15,16.

W hen talking about the Arabs before Islam, we see that it is necessary to outline the history of rule, governm ent, sectarianism , and the religious dom ination of the A rabs, to facilitate the understanding of the em ergent circum stances w hen Islam appeared. W hen the sun of Islam rose, rulers of A rabia w ere of two kinds: crow ned kings, w ho were in fact not independent; and heads of tribes and clans, who enjoyed the sam e authorities and privileges possessed by crow ned kings and were m ostly independent, though som e of them m ay have show n som e kind of subm ission to a crow ned king. The crow ned kings were those of Yemen, and those of Shaam (ancient geographical Syria); the fam ily of G hassan and the m onarchy of Heerah. All the other rulers of A rabia were not crowned.

The Seald Nectar

Government among ■ ■ H B t h e Arabs

The Seald Nectar

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Yemen Gate-Old City-Sana’a, Yemen

Rule in Yemen Yemen, the people of Sheba were one of the oldest know n // nations of the pure Arabs. They have been m entioned in records as early as the 25th century C.E., according to excavations undertaken at Or. Their civilization flourished, and their dom ain spread in the 11th century C.E. It is possible to divide their ages to the follow ing estim ation:

//

1. From 1300 to 620 B.C. Their nation was know n as 'M a'in iy ah ' during w hich their kings were called ' M akrib Sheba'. Their capital was Sarwah, also know n as Kharibah, w hose ruins lie approx. 50 kms. north-w est of M a'rib, and 142 kms. east of S an 'a'. During this period, they began building the Dam of M a'rib w hich had great im portance in the history of Yemen. Sheba had so great a dom ain that they established colonies w ithin and outside Arabia. 2. From 620 B.C. to 115 B.C. During this era, their nation was known by the name Sheba. They left the name Makrib and assumed the designation of Kings of Sheba. They also made M a'rib their capital instead of Sarwah. The ruins of Ma'rib lie at a distance of 192 km east of San'a'.1 3. From 115 B.C. u n til 300 C.E. During this period, the nation becam e 1

Muhadarat Tarikh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah by Al-Khudari, 1/15,16. Al-Yaman ' Abrat-Tarikh pp. 77, 8 3 ,1 2 4 ,1 3 0 , and Tarikhul-'Arab Qablal-Islam 101-112.

Rule and Government among the Arabs

4. From 300 C.E. until Islam daw ned in Yem en. D uring this period the nation was know n as H im yariyah the Second, and it w itnessed increasing disorder and turm oil, follow ed by civil rebellion and outbreaks of tribal wars, rendering the people of Yemen liable to foreign subjection and hence loss of independence. D uring this era, the Romans conquered ' Adn and even helped the A byssinians (Ethiopians) occupy Yemen for the first tim e in 340 C.E., m aking use of the constant intratribal conflict in Ham dan and Himyar. The A byssinian (Ethiopian) occupation of Yemen lasted until 378 C.E., after w hich Yemen regained its independence. Later, cracks began to show in the M a'rib D am w hich

Palace of Queen Sheba

The Seald Nectar

know n as H im yariyah the First after the tribe of Hirnyar conquered the kingdom of Sheba m aking Redan their capital instead of M a'rib. Later on, Redan was called Zifar. Its ruins still lie on M udaw w ar M ountain near the tow n of Yarim. During this period, they began to decline in trade and pow er that eventually led to their downfall. Their trade failed to a great extent: firstly, because of the N abetean dom ain over northern Hijaz; secondly, because of the Rom an superiority over the naval trade routes after the Rom an conquest of Egypt, Syria and northern Hijaz; and thirdly, because of the inter-tribal warfare. Due to the three above-m entioned factors, the fam ilies of Qahtan rem ained disunited and scattered about.

Rule and Government among the Arabs

, J 3^ -

led to the Great Flood (450 or 451 C.E.) m entioned in the N oble Q ur'an. This was a great event, which caused the fall of the entire Yemeni civilization and the dispersal of the nations living therein. In 523 C.E., a Jew ish ruler named Dhu Nawas launched a devastating campaign against the Christians of Najran in order to force them to convert to Judaism. Having refused to do so, they were thrown alive into a big ditch where a great fire was lit. The Q u r'an refers to this event:

"Cursed were the people of the ditch." [85:4] This aroused great wrath among the Christians, especially the Roman emperors, who not only instigated the Abyssinians (Ethiopians) against the Arabs but also assembled a large fleet of seventy thousand warriors, which helped the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) army to bring about a second conquest of Yemen in 525 C.E., under the leadership of Eriat. He was granted rulership over Yemen, a position he held until he was assassinated by one of his army leaders, Abrahah. After reconciliation with the king of Abyssinia, Abrahah gained rulership over Yemen and, later on, deployed his soldiers to attempt to demolish Al-Ka'bah, and hence, he and his soldiers came to be known as the "P eo p le of the Elephant". In the year 575 C.E., after the incident of the "P eople of the Elephant", the people of Yemen, under the leadership of M a'dikarib bin Saif Dhu Yazin Al-Him yari, and through Persian assistance, revolted against the A byssinian (Ethiopian) invaders, regained independence and appointed M a'dikarib as their king. However, M a'dikarib was assassinated by som e of his A byssinian (Ethiopian) servants. The fam ily of Dhu Yazin was thus deprived of royalty forever. Kisra, the Persian king, appointed a Persian ruler over San'a, and thus m ade Yemen a Persian colony. Persian rulers m aintained rulership of Yemen until Badhan, the last of them, em braced Islam in 638 C.E., thus ending the Persian dom inion over Yemen.1 1

For details see Al-Yaman ' Abrat-Tarikh pp. 77, 8 3 ,1 2 4 ,1 3 0 ,1 5 7 ,1 6 1 , Tarikh ArdulQ ur'an 1/133, and Tarikhul-'Arab Qablal-Islam 101-151. There is a considerable amount of discrepancy in the historical references for these dates. Indeed some such details are mentioned in the Q ur'an: "In d eed these are but tales of the an­ cients." [23:83]

Rule and Government among the Arabs

Rulership in Heerah since Korosh the Great (557-529 B.C.) united the Persians, they ruled over Iraq and its neighboring areas. N obody could displace their authority until A lexander the Great vanquished their king Dara I and thus subdued the Persians in 326 B.C. Persian lands were thenceforth divided and ruled by kings know n as " th e Kings of Sects", an era that lasted until 230 C.E. M eanw hile, the Qahtanians occupied som e Iraqi territories, and were later follow ed by som e ' Adnanians who m anaged to share som e parts of M esopotam ia w ith them. The Persians, under the leadership of Ardashir, who had established the Sasanian state in 226 C.E., regained enough unity and pow er to subdue the Arabs living in the vicinity of their kingdom , and force the Q uda'ah tribe to leave for Syria, leaving the people of H eerah and A nbar under the Persian domain. During the tim e of Ardashir, Jadhim ah A lw addah exercised rulership over H eerah and the rest of the Iraqi desert area, including R abi'ah and M udar in M esopotam ia. A rdashir reckoned that it was im possible for him to rule the Arabs directly and prevent them from attacking his borders unless he appointed one of them w ho enjoyed the support and power of his tribe as a king. He had also seen that he could m ake use of them against the Byzantine kings w ho persistently harassed him. At the sam e tim e, the Arabs of Iraq could face the A rabs of Syria w ho were under the hold of Byzantine kings. However, he deem ed it fit to keep a Persian battalion under the com m and of the king of H eerah to be used against those Arabs who m ight rebel against him. A fter the death of Jadhim ah, and during the era of Kisra Sabour bin Ardashir, 'A m r bin "Adi bin N asr A l-Lakhm i was ruler of H eerah and A nbar (268-288 C.E.). The Lakhm i kings rem ained in rule of H eerah until the Persians appointed Qabaz bin Fairuz in w hose reign appeared som eone called M azdak, w ho called for dissoluteness in social life. Qabaz, and m any of his subjects, em braced M azdak's religion and

Rule and Government among the Arabs

even called upon the king of Heerah, A l-M undhir bin M a'-us-Sam a' (512-554 C.E.), to follow suit. W hen the latter, because of his pride and self-respect, rejected their call, Qabaz discharged him and nom inated H arith bin 'A m r bin H ajar Al-Kindi, who had accepted the M azdak doctrine. No sooner did Kisra Anu Shairw an succeed Qabaz than he, due to hatred of M azdak's philosophy, killed M azdak and m any of his follow ers, restored M undhir to the throne of Heerah, and gave orders to sum m on under arrest Harith who sought refuge w ith A l-Kalb tribe where he spent the rest of his life. The sons of A l-M undhir bin M a'-us-Sam a' m aintained kingship a long tim e until A n-N u'm an bin A l-M undhir took over. Because of a calum ny borne by Zaid bin 'A d i A l-'A bbadi, the Persian king got angry at A n-N u'm an and sum m oned him to his palace. A n-N u'm an w ent secretly to Hani bin M as'ud, chief of Shaiban tribe, and left his wealth and fam ily under the latter's protection, and then presented him self before the Persian king, who im m ediately threw him into prison until his death. Kisra, then, appointed Eyas bin Q ubaisah At-Ta'i as king of Heerah. Eyas was ordered to tell Hani bin M as'ud to deliver AnN u 'm an's charge up to Kisra. No sooner had the Persian king received the fanatically m otivated rejection on the part of the A rab chief, he declared war against the tribe of Shaiban. He m obilized his troops and w arriors under the leadership of King Eyas to a place called Dhi Qar which w itnessed a m ost furious battle w herein the Persians were severely routed by the Arabs for the first time in history.'They say that this occurred very soon after the birth of Prophet M uham m ad M , eight m onths after Eyas bin Q ubaisah's rise to pow er over Heerah. A fter Eyas, a Persian ruler nam ed A zadhabah was appointed over Heerah, ruling for seventeen years (614-631 C.E.) after which the authority returned to the fam ily of Lakhm w hen A l-M undhir AlM a'rur took over. Hardly had the latter's reign lasted for eight m onths when Khalid bin Al-Walid fell upon him w ith M uslim soldiers.2 1 2

That was reported in a tradition in Musnad Khalifah bin Khaiyat p. 24, and Ibn Sa'd 7/77. Muhadarat Tarikh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah 1/29-32. The details are mentioned by At-Tabari, Al-M as'udi, Ibn Qutaibah, Ibn Khaldun, Al-Baladhiri, and Ibnul-Athir and others.

Rule and Government among the Arabs

Ancient Roman time town in Palmyra (Tadmor), Syria. Greco-Roman & Persian Period

Rulership in Geographical Syria I

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uring the tribal em igrations, som e branches of the Quda ah tribe reached the borders of geographical

Syria where they settled down. They belonged to the fam ily of Sulaih bin H alw an, of w hose offspring were the sons of D aj'am bin Sulaih know n as A d-D aja'im ah. The tribes of Q uda'ah were used by the Byzantines in the defense of the Byzantine borders against both Arab bedouin raiders and the Persians. A king was put in charge of them. One of their m ost fam ous kings was Ziyad bin A l-H abulah.They enjoyed autonom y for a considerable phase of tim e that lasted from the beginning of the first century to near the end of the second century C.E. Their authority how ever ended upon defeat by the Ghassanides who were consequently granted the proxy rulership over the Arabs of Syria and had D um atul-Jandal as their headquarters, w hich lasted until the battle of Yarm uk in the year 13 A.H. Their last king Jabalah bin A l-A ihum em braced Islam during the reign of the Chief of believers, 'U m ar bin A l-K hattab } 1

ibid.

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The Seald Nectar

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Rule and Government among the Arabs

Rulership in Hijaz Ism ael SSB adm inistered

authority over M akkah as w ell as

custodianship of the K a'b ah throughout his lifetime. U pon his death, at the age of 137,1 two of his sons succeeded him; Nabet, then Qidar. It is also said that they were opposite in order. Later on, their m aternal grandfather, M udad bin 'A m r Al-Jurhum i took over, thus transferring rulership over M akkah to the tribe of Jurhum , preserving a venerable position. Very little authority rem ained for Ism ael's sons even though they held a sacred status since it was their father w ho built the K a'bah.2 Time passed w ithout the situation of the children of Ism ael * 3 changing, until the rule of Jurhum declined prior to the invasion of Bukhtanassar. The political role of the 'A dnanides had begun to gain firm er ground in M akkah, w hich could be clearly attested to by the fact that upon Bukhtanassar's first invasion of the Arabs in Dhati Trq, the leader of the Arabs was from the 'A dnanides not from Jurhum .3 U pon Bukhtanassar's second invasion in 587 C.E., however, the 'A dnanides were frightened out to Yemen, while the Israelite proclaim ed Prophet Burkhiya fled to Syria from H arran w ith M a'ad. But w hen Bukhtanassar's pressure lessened, M a'ad returned to M akkah to find none of the tribe of Jurhum except Jursham bin Jalham ah, whose daughter, M u'anah, was given to M a'ad as wife. She later had a son by him nam ed Nizar.4 On account of the difficult living conditions and poverty prevalent in M akkah, the tribe of Jurhum began to treat visitors to the K a'bah poorly and seized its funds by force.5This aroused resentm ent and hatred of the 'A dnanides (sons of Bakr bin 'A bd M anaf bin Kinanah). 1 2 3 4 5

Genesis 25:17, Tarikh At-Tabari 1:314. Ibn Hisham 1/111-113, where he only mentioned the rule of Nabet among the sons of Ish m ael. Tarikh At-Tabari 1:559. Tarikh At-Tabari 1:559-560, 2/271, and Fathul-Bari 6/622. Tarikh At-Tabari 2:284.

a

Rule and Government among the Arabs

They, w ith the help of the tribe of K huza'ah that had com e to settle in a neighboring area called M arr A z-Zahran, invaded Jurhum and chased them out of M akkah. Rulership was left to K huza'ah in the m iddle of the second century C.E. Upon leaving M akkah, Jurhum filled up the well o f Zamzam, levelled its place and buried a great many things in it. 'A m r bin Al-Harith bin Mudad A l-Jurhum i1 was reported by Ibn Ishaq to have buried the two gold deer o f the K a'bah, together with the B lack Stone in the Zamzam well. A fter sealing it up, he and those with him escaped to Yem en.2 Ism ael's period is estim ated to have lasted for tw enty centuries B.C. It m eans that the Jurhum stayed in M akkah for tw enty-one centuries and held rulership there for about tw enty centuries. U pon the defeat of Jurhum , the tribe of K huza'ah m onopolized rulership

over M akkah.

M udar tribes, however, enjoyed

three

privileges: •

F irst: Leading pilgrims from 'A rafat to M uzdalifah and during the rites at M ina on the Day o f Sacrifice. This was the authority o f the fam ily o f Al-Ghawth bin Murrah, descendants o f Elias bin Mudar, who were called 'S u fa h ’ . This privilege meant that the pilgrims were not allowed to throw stones at A l-'A qabah until one o f the men o f the Sufah did so. When they finished stoning and wanted to leave the valley o f Mina, the Sufah men stood on the two sides o f A l-'A qabah and nobody would pass that position until the men o f Sufah passed and cleared the way for the pilgrims. W hen the Sufah perished, the fam ily o f S a'd bin Zaid M anat from the Tamim tribe inher­

•

ited the responsibility. Second: A l-Ifa d a h (leaving for M ina after Muzdalifah) on the morning o f the sacrifice, and this was the responsibility o f the fam ily o f Adwan.

•

1 2 3

T h ird : Postponement o f the sacred months, and this was the responsibility o f the fam ily o f Tamim bin 'A di from Bani K i­ nanah.3

This is not the earlier Mudad Al-Jurhumi Al-Akbar who was mentioned in the story of Ish m ael. Ibn Hisharn 1/114,115. Ibn Hisharn 1/44-119,120-122.

B

The Seald Nectar

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Rule a n d G o v e rn m e n t a m o n g th e A rabs

............

K h uza'ah's reign in M akkah lasted for three hundred years,1 during which the Adnan ides spread all over N ajd and the sides of Bahrain and Iraq, while sm all branches of the Quraish rem ained on the sides of M akkah; they were Halloul, Sarim and som e other fam ilies of Kinanah. They enjoyed no privileges over M akkah or the Sacred House until the appearance of Qusai bin Kilab.2 Q usai's father is said to have died w hen he was still a baby, and his m other subsequently m arried R a b fa h bin Haram , from the tribe of Bani Udhrah. R abi'ah took his wife and her baby to his hom eland on the borders of Syria. W hen Qusai becam e a young m an, he returned to M akkah, which was ruled by H ulail bin H abshah from K huza'ah, who gave Q usai his daughter, Hobbah, as wife. After H ulail's death, a w ar betw een the K huza'ah and the Quraish broke out resulting in Qusai taking hold of M akkah and the Sacred H ouse.3

The Reasons for This War Have Been Illustrated in Three Versions First: Due to the influence and m ultiplicity of his offspring, increase of his property and exaltation of his honor after H ulail's death, Qusai considered him self m ore entitled than the tribes of K huza'ah and Bani Bakr to shoulder the responsibility of rulership over M akkah and custodianship of the Sacred House. He also advocated that the Quraish were the chiefs of Ism ael's descendants. He consulted Q uraish and Kinanah to expel K huza'ah and Bani Bakr from M akkah and they supported him .4 Second: The K huza'ah claim ed that H ulail requested Qusai to hold custodianship of the K a'b ah and rulership over M akkah after his death.5 Third: H ulail gave the right of K a'b ah service to his daughter H obbah and appointed Abu G hubshan A l-K huza'i to function as her agent thereof. U pon H ulail's death, Qusai bought this right for a 1 2 3 4 5

Yaqut M addah's M akkah and Fathul-Bari 6:633. Ibn Hisham 1/117. Ibn Hisham 1/117-118. Ibn Hisham 1 /117-118. Ibn Hisham 1 /118.

a

Rule and Government among the Arabs

leather bag of wine, w hich aroused dissatisfaction am ong the m en of K huza'ah and they tried to keep the custodianship of the Sacred House away from Qusai. The latter, however, w ith the help of Q uraish and Kinanah, m anaged to take over and even to expel K h u za'ah com pletely from M akkah.1 W hatever the truth m ight have been, the entire affair resulted in Sufah being deprived of their privileges; the evacuation of K huza'ah and Bakr from M akkah; the transfer of rulership over M akkah and custodianship of the H oly Sanctuary to Qusai. The m atter was resolved after fierce w ars betw een Qusai and K huza'ah, inflicting heavy casualties on both sides, reconciliation and then arbitration of Ya'm ur bin 'A w f from the tribe of Bakr. His judgm ent entailed eligibility of Q usai's rulership over M akkah and custodianship of the Sacred House; Q usai's absolution of responsibility for the bloodshed of K h u za'ah and im position of blood m oney on K h u za'ah and Banu Bakr.2 Q usai's reign over M akkah and the Sacred H ouse began in 440 C.E.,3 and allow ed him and the Q uraish after him absolute rulership over M akkah and undisputed custodianship of the Sacred H ouse to w hich A rabs from all over A rabia cam e to pay hom age. Qusai brought his kinspeople to M akkah and allocated it to them, allow ing Q uraish som e dw ellings there. A n-N us'a, the fam ilies of Safwan, Ad wan, M urrah bin 'A w f preserved the same rights they used to enjoy before his arrival.4 A significant achievem ent credited to Q usai was the establishm ent of A n-N adw ah House (an assem bly house) on the northern side of AlK a'bah, to serve as a m eeting place for the Quraish. This w as very beneficial for the Q uraish because it secured unity of opinions am ong them and cordial solutions to their problem s.5 Qusai enjoyed the follow ing privileges of leadership and honor: 1 2 3 4 5

Rahmatul-lil-'Alamin 2/55, Fathul-Bari 6/634, Al-Ya'qubi 1/239, Al-M as'udi 2/58. Ibn Hisham 1/123-124. Fathul-Bari 6/633, Qalb Jaziratil-'Arab p. 232. Ibn Hisham 1/124-125. Ibn Hisham 1/125, Muhadarat Tarikh Al-Umam Al-Islamiyah by Al-Khudari 1 /36, Akhbarul-Kiram p. 152.

B

-.-Q

1

The Seald Nectar

Rule and Government among the Arabs

t

2 3 4 5 6

Presiding over A n-N adw ah H ouse M eetings: Consultations relating to serious issues were conducted •

there and m arriage contracts were announced. The War Standard: There could be no declaration of w ar except w ith his approval or the approval of one of

•

his sons. C aravan Leader: He was the com m ander of all caravans. N o caravan from M akkah could depart, be it

•

for trade or otherw ise, except under his authority or the authority of one of his sons. Doorkeeper of the Ka bah: He was the only one eligible to open its gate, and was responsible for its service and

•

protection. Providing Water for the Pilgrim s: They would fill basins sw eetened w ith dates or raisins for the pilgrim s

•

visiting M akkah to drink. Feeding Pilgrim s: This m eans m aking food for pilgrim s who could not afford it. Qusai even imposed

•

an annual land tax for food on the Quraish, paid at the season of pilgrim age.1

It is notew orthy how ever that Qusai singled out "Abd M anaf, a son of his, for honor and prestige though he w as not his eldest son (who w a s ' Abdud-Dar), and entrusted him w ith such responsibilities such as chairing the m eetings at A n-N adw ah House, custody of the standard, the doorkeeping of A l-K a'bah, providing w ater and food for pilgrims. Due to the fact that Q usai's actions were regarded as unquestionable and his orders inviolable, his death did not give rise to conflicts am ong his sons. However, no sooner had"Abd M anaf died, fierce infighting began betw een his sons and their cousins, the sons of "Abdud-Dar, w hich would have given rise to further conflicts and strifes am ong the w hole tribe of Quraish, had it not been for a peace treaty. Thereby the posts were reallocated to reserve the rights of feeding 1

Ibn Hisham 1/130, Tarikh Al-Ya'qubi 1/240-241.

B

Rule and Government among the Arabs

and providing w ater for pilgrim s for the sons of 'A b d M anaf; while A n-N adw ah House, custody of the standard and the doorkeeping of A l-K a'bah were m aintained for the sons of 'Abdud-Dar. The sons of 'A bd M anaf, however, cast lots for their charge. C onsequently they left the charge of providing food and water to H ashim bin 'A bd M anaf, upon w hose death, the charge was to be taken over by his brother A l-M uttalib bin 'A bd Manaf. A fter him it was to be taken by 'A bdulM uttalib bin H ashim , the Prophet's grandfather. His sons assum ed this position until the rise of Islam, during w hich 'A bbas bin 'A bdulM uttalib was in charge.1 M any other posts were distributed am ong the establishing

Q uraish for

the pillars of a new quasi-dem ocratic state with

governm ent offices and councils sim ilar to those today. Som e of these posts are enum erated as follow s: 1. Casting lots for the idols was allocated to Bani Jum ah. 2. Keeping record of offers and sacrifices, settlem ent of disputes and relevant issues were to lie in the hands of Bani Sahm. 3. Consultation was to go to Bani Asad. 4. O rganization of blood m oney and fines was with Bani Tayim. 5. Bearing the national banner was w ith Bani Um aiyah. 6. The m ilitary institute, footm en and cavalry w ould be the responsibility of Bani M akhzum. 7. Bani 'A d i would function as foreign am bassadors.2

Rulership in Pan-Arabia We have previously m entioned the Q ahtanide and 'A dnanide em igrations, and the division of A rabia betw een these tw o tribes. The tribes dw elling near H eerah were subordinate to the A rabian king of Heerah, while those dw elling in the Syrian deserts were under 1 2

Ibn Hisham 1/129-179. Tarikh Ardul-Q ur'an 2/104-106, it is also popularly mentioned that the flag bearing tribe was Banu 'A bdud-Dar and the command of troops was under Banu Umai­ yah.

a

Rule and Government among the Arabs

the dom ain of the G hassanides — a dependency that was in reality form al rather than actual. However, those living in the far-off desert areas enjoyed full autonomy. These tribes in fact had heads chosen by the w hole tribe w hich was a dem i-governm ent based on tribal solidarity and collective interests in defense of land and property. H eads of tribes enjoyed dictatorial privileges sim ilar to those of kings, and were rendered full obedience and subordination in both w ar and peace. Rivalry am ong cousins for rulership, however, often drove them to outdo one another in entertaining guests, affecting generosity, w isdom , and chivalry for the sole purpose of outranking their rivals, and gaining fam e am ong people — especially poets, who were the official spokesm en at the time. The head of a tribe and its chief had special claim s to spoils of war such as one-fourth of the spoils, w hatever he chose for him self, or found on his w ay back or even the rem aining undivided spoils.

The Political O n

n o

three A rab regions adjacent to foreigners suffered from great w eakness and inferiority. The people there w ere either m asters or slaves, rulers or subordinates. Their m asters — especially the foreigners — had claim to every advantage; slaves had nothing but responsibilities to shoulder. In other words, absolute rulership brought about violation of the rights of subordinates, ignorance, oppression, iniquity, injustice and hardship, and turned them into people groping in darkness and ignorance. U nder such a system , the fertile land rendered its fruits to the rulers and m en of pow er to extravagantly spend on their pleasures and enjoym ents, w ishes and desires, oppression and aggression. The tribes living near these regions m oved betw een Syria and Iraq, whereas those living inside A rabia were disunited, and governed by tribal conflicts and racial and religious disputes. They had neither a king to m aintain their independence nor a supporter to seek advice from, or depend upon in hardships. The rulers of Hijaz, however, were greatly esteem ed and respected by the Arabs, and w ere considered rulers and servants of the religious center. Rulership of H ijaz was, in fact, a m ixture of secular and official superiority as w ell as religious leadership. They ruled am ong the Arabs in the nam e of religious leadership and alw ays m onopolized the custodianship of the H oly Sanctuary and its neighboring areas. They looked after the interests of visitors to the K a'b ah and were in charge of putting the code of Ibrahim into effect. They even had offices and departm ents like those of the parliam ents of today. However, they were too w eak to carry the heavy burden, as this evidently cam e to light during the A byssinian (Ethiopian) invasion.

a

Religions of the Arabs M editecran* a n s e a

M ost of the Arabs com plied w ith the call of Ism ael

, and professed the religion of

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his father Ibrahim . They w orshipped Allah,

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professed His Oneness, and follow ed His

El Faiyum

religion for a long time until they forgot

Al-

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part of w hat they had been rem inded of. However, they still m aintained fundam ental beliefs such as m onotheism as well as various other aspects of Ibrahim 's religion, until the tim e w hen a chief of K huza'ah, nam ely 'A m r bin Luhai cam e back from a trip to Syria. He was renow ned for his righteousness, charity, devotion and care for religion, and was granted unreserved

^

love and obedience by his tribesm en. In

° es

Syria, he saw people w orshipping idols, a phenom enon he approved of and believed to be righteous, since Syria was the land of the advent of M essengers and their Scriptures. He brought w ith him an idol (Hubal) which he placed in the m iddle of the K a'b ah and sum m oned people to w orship it. Readily enough, idolatry spread all over M akkah and thence to Hijaz, w ith the people of M akkah being custodians of not only the Sacred House but of the entire H aram as well. A great num ber of idols, bearing different

1 Id o ls a n d Im a a ‘

1. Suwa 2. Al-Uzza 3. Al-Lat 4. Manat 5. Nasr 6. Wadd 7. Ya'uq 8. Yaghuth

nam es, were introduced into the area.1 1

Mukhtasar Seeratir-Rasul by Sheikh Muhammad bin ' Abdul-Wahhab, p. 12.

9. Isaf 10. Dhul-Khai 11. Dhush-Sh 12. Dhul-Kaffi 13. Nailah 14. Hubal

Religions of the Arabs........................................................................ , (/

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"Woe to every slanderer and backbiter." [104:1 ] Ibn H isham said, " Al-H um azah is the one who publicly m ocks a person...and A l-Lum azah is the one who secretly declares the defects of people and defam es th em ."1 'Uqbah bin Abi M u’ait, U m aiyah’s brother, once attended an audience o f the Prophet M and listened to him preaching Islam. A close friend o f his, Ubai bin Khalaf, heard o f this. He could not bear this, so he strongly condemned 'Uqbah and ordered him to spit in the face o f A llah’s M es­ senger , and he shamelessly did it. Ubai did not spare any conceivable means to harm the Prophet ; he even ground old decomposed bones and blew the powder on him.2 Al-Akhnas bin Shuraiq Ath-Thaqafi used to slander the character o f the Prophet St and vilify him at every opportunity. The Noble Q ur’an, in direct reference to this m an’s shameful deeds, attached to him nine repulsive characteristics:

"And obey not everyone who swears much, - and is considered worthless, a slanderer, going about with calumnies, hinderer of the good, transgressor, sinful, cruel -- after all that base-born (of illegitimate birth)."3[68:10-13] Som etim es Abu Jahl would com e to listen to A llah ’s M essenger recite the Q ur’an, then he would leave without believing in it, nor taking heed to its warnings. He would harm A llah’s M essenger in speech, he would take every opportunity to obstruct the M essage o f Allah, and then he would go around arrogantly boasting about what he did. Allah revealed about him:

"So he (the disbeliever) neither believed (in this Qur'an, in the Message of Muhammad ) nor prayed!" [75:31] 1 2 3

Ibn H isham 1/356, 357. Ibn H isham 1/361, 362. Ibn H isham 1/356.

Open Preaching

He, moreover, wanted to debar the Prophet M from praying in the Noble Sanctuary. It happened once that the Prophet M was praying within the area o f the Sacred House, when Abu Jahl proceeded toward him threat­ eningly and uttering abusive language. The Prophet SS admonished him severely to which Abu Jahl answered back rudely claim ing that he was the mightiest in M akkah; Allah then revealed:

"Then, let him call upon his council (of helpers).'We will call out the guards of Hell(to deal with him)." [96:17] In another version o f the same incident, the Prophet M took Abu Jahl by his neck, moved him back and forth severely saying: 4 & 3 dit f 0

"Woe to you [O man] And then (again) woe"to you! Again, woe to you [O man] And then (again) woe to you!"1[75:34,35] N otw ithstanding this reproach, A bu Jahl never w oke up to his m istakes nor did he realize the harm of his foolish actions. On the contrary, he was determ ined to go to extrem es, and swore he would throw dust in the M essenger's face and step on his neck. No sooner had he proceeded to fulfill his w icked intention than he was seen turning back, shielding him self w ith his hands (as if som ething horrible was in his pursuit). His com panions asked him w hat was the matter. He said: " I perceived a ditch of burning fire and som e w ings flying." Later on, the M essenger s§ com m ented saying: «

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' 'If he had proceeded further, the angels would have plucked off his limbs one after another."2 Such was the disgraceful treatm ent m eted out to the Prophet St and the M uslim s at the hands of the evil pagans w ho claim ed that they were A llah's people, living in His Sanctuary. 1 2

Recorded by Ibn Jarir in his Tafsir , A t-Tirm idhi in the Tafsir of Surat Iq ra1, Ibn K athir 4/477, and A d-D urrul-M anthur 6/478. Sahih M u slim , the D escription of the H ypocrites, no. 38.

* *■/

-

ffs /Z /z /tt f f f

The Second Stage

The House of Al-Arqam In the light of this inhum an harassm ent, the Prophet

deem ed it

wise to advise his follow ers to conceal their conversion, in both word and deed. He took the decision to m eet them secretly lest the Quraish should get to know of his designs, and plot to foil his goals. He also wanted to avoid open confrontation w ith the polytheists because at that early stage, such action would not be in the interest of the fledgling Call to Islam, that was still fragile and weak. Once, in the fourth year of Prophethood, the M uslim s were on their w ay to the hillocks of M akkah to hold a secret m eeting w ith the Prophet M, w hen a group of polytheists observed their suspicious m ovem ent and began to abuse and fight them. Sa d bin Abi W aqqas beat a polytheist and shed his blood and thus recorded the first instance of bloodshed in the history of Islam .1 On the other hand, the Prophet St proclaim ed the Islam ic faith and preached it openly w ith deep devotion and steadfast pursuit. However, for the general welfare of the new converts and in consideration of the strategic interests of Islam, he took Dar Al-Arqam , the estate of Al-Arqam bin A bul-Arqam A l-M akhzum i on As-Safa, as a tem porary center to m eet his follow ers secretly and instruct them in the Q u r'an and in Islam ic wisdom.

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 m onth by month. By the m iddle of the fifth year, the situation got so grave and intolerable that the M uslim s began to think of feasible ways to avert the painful torture meted out to them. It was in this depressing and desperate period that A llah inform ed them that His earth was not restricted for them, alluding to m igration. He revealed Surat A z-Zum ar (Chapter 39 — The Groups) saying in it: 1

Ibn Hisham 1/263.

Open Preaching

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” Ha-Mim . A Revelation from Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the Verses are explained in detail; -- a Qur'an in Arabic for people who know. Giving glad tidings and warning, 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 [4 1 :1 -5 ]

A llah's M essenger M w ent on reciting the Chapter while 'U tbah sat and listened attentively w ith his hand behind his back to support him. W hen the M essenger M reached the Verse that required prostration, he im m ediately prostrated him self. A fter that, he turned to 'U tbah saying: "A bul-W alid! You have heard my reply, you are now free to do w hatever you please." 'U tbah then returned to his com pany to tell them of the Prophet's attitude. W henhis com panions saw him , they swore that he had returned to them w ith an expression unlike the one he had before m eeting the Prophet M ■He im m ediately com m unicated to them the details of his proposal and the reply he received, and added saying: " I have never heard w ords sim ilar to those he recited. They definitely relate neither to poetry nor to w itchcraft nor do they derive from soothsaying. O people of the Quraish! I request you to take note of m y advice and grant the m an full freedom to pursue his goals, in w hich case you could safely detach yourselves from him. I swear that his w ords bear a suprem e M essage. Should the other A rabs rid you of him, they w ill then spare you the trouble, on the other hand if he gains pow er over the Arabs, then you w ill enjoy his kingship and share him in his m ight." These

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The Second Stage

words of course fell on deaf ears, and did not appeal to the infidels, who m ocked at 'U tbah and claim ed that the Prophet M had bew itched him .1 In another version of the same event, it is related that 'U tbah went on attentively listening to the Prophet |g until the latter began to recite A llah's Words:

"But if they turn away, then say (0 Muhammad ): "I have warned you of a Sa'iqah (a destructive awful torment) like the Sa'iqah which overtook (the people of) 'Ad and Thamud." [41:13] Here 'U tbah stood up panicked and stunned, placed his hand on the Prophet's m outh and requested him: " I beg you in the N am e of Allah and the ties of kinship to stop lest the calam ity should befall the people of Q uraish." He then hurriedly returned to his com panions and inform ed them of w hat he had heard.2

The Heads of the Quraish Challenge the Messenger it and Abu Jahl Passes Judgment on Him Still the Quraish had hope. This w as because the Prophet M had not clearly rejected their offers in a w ay that w ould com pletely rule out an agreement. One day they gathered behind the K a'b ah after sunset for a m eeting and sent a m essage to the Prophet M inviting him to attend. W hen he cam e, they presented him w ith the sam e proposals that 'U tbah had done previously. He m ade clear to them that none of these applied, that he was m erely a M essenger conveying the M essage of his Lord. If they accepted then it w ould benefit them in this life and the H ereafter; if they rejected it then he w ould be patient until A llah judged betw een them and him. Then they asked him to produce a sign, asking his Lord to either m ove a m ountain for them, level the city, m ake the daw n appear, or 1 2

Ibn Hisham 1/293, 294. Tafsir Ibn Kathir 6/159-161.

O p e n P re ach ing ................................................................................................... ,

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bring to life som e of the dead so they w ould believe him. He responded in a sim ilar manner. Then they told him to ask his Lord to send an angel to them testifying to his words, bringing gardens, treasures, and castles of gold and silver. He answered again in the sam e manner. Then they asked him to bring a punishm ent: that he m akes a piece of the sky fall dow n upon them, he replied: "'That is up to A llah §g, He does as He w ills." At this, they criticized him sharply and threatened him, and he w ent away, grieving and upset. A fter he had gone, Abu Jahl, the archenem y of Islam, addressed them: " O people of Quraish! It seem s that M uham m ad is determ ined to go on finding fault with our religion, degrading our forefathers, discrediting our w ay of life and abusing our gods. I bear w itness to our god that to rid you of him , once and for all, I w ill carry a heavy rock and drop it on M uham m ad's head w hile he is in prostration. I am not afraid of w hatever his tribe, Banu 'A bd M anaf, m ight do." The unfortunate audience approved his plan and encouraged him to translate it into action. In the m orning of the follow ing day, A bu Jahl lay w aiting for the arrival of A llah's M essenger M to offer prayer. The people of Quraish were in their assem bly room s w aiting for news. W hen the Prophet |g prostrated him self, Abu Jahl proceeded, carrying the big rock to fulfill his w icked intention. No sooner had he approached the Prophet M than he turned back pale-faced, shuddering w ith his hands straining w hile the rock dropped. The people w atching hurried forw ard asking him w hat was wrong. He replied: "W h e n I approached, a m ale cam el unusual in figure w ith fearful canines intercepted and alm ost devoured m e." Ibn Ishaq reported that the Prophet M , in the context of his com m ent on the incident, said: #oJllls

Jl 4U1P

' 'It was Jibreel & , if Abu Jahl had approached closer, he would have killed him."1 1

Ibn Hisham 1/298-299.

TheSecondSta?e

«

The Quraish Attempt to Negotiate Although the Quraish tried to challenge the Prophet M and Abu Jahl tried to kill him, they still hoped to com e to som e term s of agreem ent with the Prophet M since they were not com pletely convinced that he was false. Rather they felt about the M essage, as A llah said: ^ S-‘Jj * ^*5

j**

"They are in grave doubt concerning it." [11:110] They saw that the Prophet St w as firm in the m atter of his religion, and they w anted to m eet him som ew here in the m iddle of the road. They were w illing to give up som e of their faith, requesting him to give up som e of his. They thought that through this m ethod they w ould be able to arrive at the truth, if w hat he called them to was indeed true. Ibn Ishaq reported that som e people were m ocking A llah's M essenger w hile he was circum am bulating around the K a'bah. They included A l-A sw ad bin A l-M uttalib bin Asad bin 'A bdu l-'U zza, AlWalid bin A l-M ughirah, U m aiyah bin Khalaf, and Al-' As bin W a'il As-Sahm i, and these were the elders of their people. They said, "O M uham m ad! Com e and let us worship w hat you w orship, and you w orship w hat we worship. We can be partners w ith you in this matter. If the one you worship is better than w hat we w orship then w e will get som e kind of benefit. W hereas, if w hat w e worship is better than the one you worship then you w ill get som e kind of benefit. So A llah revealed:

"Say: '0 you disbelievers! I will not worship what you worship..." to the end of the Surah [109]1 'A bd bin H um aid and others reported that Ibn "Abbas said that the Quraish said, " I f you subm it to our gods then w e w ill worship your god." So A llah revealed:

1

Ibn Hisham 1/362.

"Say:'0 you disbelievers! ..."to the end of Surah [109]1 At-Tabari and others report that Ibn 'A bbas said that the Quraish said, "W orship our gods for one year, and w e w ill w orship your god for one year." So A llah revealed:

"Say: 'Is it other than Allah that you order me to worship 0 you fools?" [39:64]2

The Quraish's Bewilderment and The route the pagans had taken began to seem dark after these events, and they were perplexed over w hat to do. Finally one of their devils, A n-N adr bin H arith stood to advise them saying: " O Quraish! By Allah ®f ! You have experienced an unprecedented phenom enon w hich has rendered you helpless. M uham m ad M grew up here and nursed am ong you, and he alw ays proved to be highly obliging, the m ost truthful and trustw orthy young man. However, w hen his sideburns began to gray, he brought forth this problem . You said, 'H e is a sorcerer.' No by A llah fg! He is not a sorcerer for we have seen sorcery and its spells. Then you said, 'H e is a soothsayer.' No by Allah! He is not a soothsayer, for w e have seen soothsayers and their taste for passions and we have heard their rhymes. Then you said, 'H e is a poet.' No by Allah! He is not a poet, for we have seen poets and heard their words of song and obscenity. Then you said, 'H e is possessed.' No by Allah! He is not a possessed, for w e have seen the possessed and he has never been w itnessed to develop any sort of hallucinations or fits peculiar to the insane. O people of the Quraish, this is really a serious m atter and I recom m end that you seriously consider w hat to do." Then the Q uraish decided to contact the Jew s for help in this matter. They authorized A n-N adr bin H arith to go w ith som e others to the 1 2

Ad-Durrul-Manthur 6/692. The Tafsir of Ibn Jarir At-Tabari: Surat Al-Kafirun

The Seald Nectar

Their Consultation With the Jews

TheSecondSta9e Jews of Madinah. There the rabbis told him , " A s k him three questions. If he inform s you about them then he is indeed a M essenger i t . A sk him about the young m en w ho w ent away in earlier tim es; w hat happened to them? A sk him about a m an w hose journeys reached the east and w est of the earth; w hat was his prophecy? A sk him about the soul; w hat is it?" W hen he returned to M akkah he said that he had returned with som e details that could be used against M uham m ad St and he inform ed them about w hat the Jew s said. Thus, the Q uraish asked A llah's M essenger St about these three m atters. After a few days, Surat A l-K ahf was revealed; it narrated the story of the young m en know n as the People of the Cave. It also narrated about the journeys of the m an know n as Dhul-Qarnain. The answ er about the soul was revealed in Surat Al-Isra' . This clarified to the Quraish that the Prophet M was follow ing the truth, yet the w rongdoers were bent on disbelief.1

Abu Talib Assembles His Family W hile the pagans were doing this, Abu Talib still had a deep portent of fear for his nephew. He had given considerable thought to the previous series of incidents including the case of 'U qbah bin Abi M u 'ait's attem pt to strangle the Prophet S t, Abu Jahl w ith his rock, and finally 'U m ar's intention to kill M uham m ad (before his conversion). Since all of these m en were from Banu H ashim and Banu Al-M uttalib, the wise m an understood that all this unequivocally pointed to a serious plot being hatched to kill the Prophet St . Abu Talib exhorted them to protect the Prophet i t . All of them, w hether believers or disbelievers, responded positively except his brother Abu Lahab, who sided with the idolaters.2

1 2

Ibn Hisham 1/299-301. Ibn Hisham 1/269.

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General Social

Boycott A Pact of Injustice and Aggression

I

fter exhausting their plots, and w ith the covenant of Banu H ashim and Banu AlM uttalib to protect A llah's Prophet M , the pagans grew even more desperate to get the tribes to abandon their plan to protect him — at w hatever the cost. They held a m eeting at Khaif Banu Kinanah in a place called Wadi AlM uhassab, and form ed a confederation hostile to both Bani H ashim and Bani A l-M uttalib. They all took an oath not to have any business dealings w ith them nor any sort of inter­ m arriage, social relations, visits and even verbal contact

until the Prophet St w as given up to them to be killed. They wrote this down, draw ing up a pact and a covenant. Ibn A l-Q ayyim said, "T h e y say that this w as w ritten down by M ansur bin 'Ikrim ah bin 'A m ir bin Hashim , or N adr bin A l-H arith. W hat is correct is that it w as Bagheed bin 'A m ir bin Hashim . The Prophet M invoked A llah's curse upon Bagheed, w hose hand w as later paralyzed.1

1

This treaty was affixed to the w all of the K a'bah, all

Sahih Al-Bukhari ( F ath u l-B ari) 3/529, nos. 1589, 1590 and others. Zadul-M a'ad of Banu H ashim and Banu A l-M uttalib were boycotted, 2/46.

w hether they were believers or disbelievers, except for A bu Lahab.

, ^ A -i/U < ,y « /. '/U S ,/',,,,................................................................. TheSecond Sta?e A bu Talib wisely and quietly took stock of the situation and decided to w ithdraw to a valley on the eastern outskirts of M akkah. Banu H ashim and Banu Al-M uttalib, who follow ed suit, were thus confined w ithin a narrow pass ( Shi b of Abu Talib), from the beginning of M uharram , or later as som e say, the seventh year of M uham m ad's m ission till the tenth year, viz., a period of three years. It was a horrible and deadly siege. The supply of food was virtually stopped and the people in confinem ent faced great hardships. The idolaters used to buy w hatever food com m odities entered M akkah lest they should leak to the people in A sh-Shi'b, who were so constrained that they were com pelled to eat leaves of trees and skins of animals. The cries of little children suffering from hunger used to be heard clearly. N othing eatable reached them except, w hen on a few occasions, som e sm all quantities of food were smuggled by som e com passionate M akkans. D uring 'th e prohibited m onths' w hen hostilities traditionally ceased, they would leave their confinem ent and buy food com ing from outside M akkah. Even then, the foodstuff was unjustly overpriced so that their financial situation would cause them to fall short of finding access to it. H akim bin H izam was once on his w ay to sm uggle some wheat to his aunt Khadijah ^ w hen Abu Jahl intercepted him and tried to prevent him. Only w hen A l-Bukhtari intervened, did H akim m anage to reach his destination. Abu Talib was so concerned about the personal safety of his nephew that w henever people retired to sleep, he would ask the Prophet g§ to lie in his place, but w hen all the others fell asleep, he would order him to change his place and take another, all in attem pt to trick a potential assassin. Despite all the odds, M uham m ad persisted, and his determ ination and courage never weakened. He continued to go to the K a'b ah and to pray publicly. He used every opportunity to preach to outsiders w ho visited M akkah for business or on a pilgrim age during the sacred m onths and H ajj season.

General Social Boycott

Dissolution of the Pact This situation ultim ately created disagreem ent am ong the various M akkan factions, who were tied to the besieged people by blood relations. A fter three years of blockade, in the m onth of M uharram /the tenth year of M uham m ad's m ission, the pact was broken. H isham bin 'Am r, who used to sm uggle som e food to Bani H ashim secretly at night, w ent to see Zuhair bin Abi U m aiyah A l-M akhzum i and condem ned him for agreeing to the intolerable treatm ent m eted out to his uncles in exile. The latter expressed w eakness, but agreed to w ork w ith H isham and form a pressure group that would secure the liberation of the exiles. M otivating each other on the basis of ties of kinship, there em erged a group of five people who set out to abolish the pact and declare all its clauses null and void. They were H isham bin 'A m r, Zuhair bin Abi Um aiyah, A l-M u t'im bin 'A di, A bul-Bukhtari and Z am 'ah bin AlAswad. They decided to m eet in their assem bly place and begin their m ission from the precinct of the Sacred House. A fter circum am bulating seven times, Zuhair and his com panions approached the assem bly of people there and criticized them for indulging in the pleasures of life whereas their kith and kin of Bani H ashim were perishing on account of starvation and econom ic boycott. They swore they w ould never give up until the parchm ent of boycott was torn to pieces and the pact broken at once. Abu Jahl, standing nearby, replied in a sharp tone that it w ould never be torn. Zam 'ah becam e angry and accused Abu Jahl of telling lies, adding that the pact was established and the parchm ent was w ritten without seeking their approval. A bul-Bukhtari interfered and backed Zam 'ah. A l-M ut'im bin 'A d i and H isham bin 'A m r attested to the truthfulness of their two com panions. Abu Jahl, with a cunning attem pt to settle the heated argum ent that was running counter to his evil plans, surm ised that the issue had already been resolved earlier [i.e, they were acting in collusion w ith one another]. 1

The proof for this is that Abu Talib died six months after the pact was cancelled, and the correct view is that he died during the month of Rajab. If one were to say that he died during Ramadan, as some claim, then that would mean that he died eight months after the pact was cancelled.

1 { / 't -

The Second Stage

Abu Talib m eanw hile was sitting in a corner of the M asjid . He came to com m unicate to them that a Revelation had been sent to his nephew, the Prophet M , to the effect that ants had eaten away those parts of the docum ent that had points of injustice and aggression except the parts that bore the N am e of Allah. He proposed that he w ould be ready to give M uham m ad up to them if his w ords proved untrue, otherwise, they would have to withdraw and cancel their boycott. The M akkans agreed to the soundness of his proposition. A l-M u t'im w ent to see the parchm ent and there he discovered that it was eaten away by ants and nothing was left except the part bearing the N am e of Allah. Thus, the declaration was cancelled, and M uham m ad M and the other people w ere perm itted to leave A sh-Sh'ib and return hom e. In the context of this trial to w hich the M uslim s were subjected, the polytheists had an unparalleled opportunity to experience a striking sign of M uham m ad's Prophethood (the ants eating away the parchm ent) but to their m iserable lot they persisted and increased in disbelief:

"But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say Th is is continuous magic." [54:2]’

1

Sahih Al-Bukhari (in several chapters); Z adu l-M aad 2/46, Ibn Hisham 1/350.

General Social Boycott

The Final Phase of the Diplomacy of Negotiation A llah's M essenger M em erged from the period of boycott and continued preaching his Faith as usual. The Quraish, likew ise, cancelled the boycott but continued their atrocities and oppression on the M uslim s. Abu Talib, despite having reached eighty years of age, was still keen on shielding his nephew but by that time, due to the adverse circum stances and continual turm oil, he had w eakened considerably. No sooner had he em erged victorious from the inhum an boycott, he was troubled by persistent illness and physical weakness. Seeing this serious situation, and fearing the stain of infam y that the other Arabs could attribute to them in case they took any aggressive action against the Prophet M after he had lost his m ain support, Abu Talib, the polytheists of M akkah decided to negotiate w ith the Prophet M once more and grant som e concessions they had previously withheld. They delegated som e representatives to see Abu Talib and discuss the issue with him. Ibn Ishaq and others reported that w hen a serious illness caught Abu Talib, the Quraish began to review the m ain events of that period, w hich included the conversion of 'U m ar and H am zah to Islam, coupled w ith the trem endous stir that M uham m ad had created am ong all the tribes of the Quraish. They considered it necessary to see Abu Talib before he died to pressure his nephew to negotiate a com prom ise on the various disputed points, because they were afraid that the other Arabs m ight accuse them of opportunism . The delegation of Quraish com prised 25 m en including notables like 'U tbah bin Rabi'ah, Shaibah bin Rabi'ah, Abu Jahl bin Hisham , U m aiyah bin Khalaf and Abu Sufyan bin Harb. They first paid tribute to him and confirm ed their high esteem of his character and position am ong them. Then they shifted to the new give-and-take policy that they claim ed they w anted to follow. To bolster their argum ent, they proposed that they would refrain from interfering in his religion if he did the same. Abu Talib sum m oned his nephew and inform ed him of his m eeting

TheSeCOnd Sta?e

«

w ith them, and said: " M y nephew, here are the nobles am ong your people. They have proposed this m eeting to subm it a policy of mutual concessions and peaceful coexistence." A llah's M essenger turned to them saying: ®

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''/ will guide you to the means by which you will gain control over both the Arabs and non-Arabs." In another version, the Prophet M addressed A bu Talib in the follow ing words: " O uncle! W hy don't you call them unto som ething better?" Abu Talib asked him , "W h a t is it that you invite them to?" The Prophet it replied: " I invite them to hold fast to a M essage that is bound to give them access to kingship over the A rabs and non-A rabs." According to Ibn Ishaq's version: " I t is just one word that w ill give you suprem acy over the Arabs and non-A rabs." The M akkan deputies were taken by surprise and began to wonder w hat sort of word was that which would benefit them to that extent. Abu Jahl asked, "W h a t is that word? I swear by your father that we w ill surely grant you your w ish follow ed by ten tim es as m uch." He said: " I w ant you to testify that there is no deity w orthy of being w orshipped but Allah, and then dissociate yourselves from any sort of w orship you harbor for any deities other than A llah." They im m ediately clapped their hands in ridicule, and said "H o w can you expect us to com bine all the deities in one God? This is som ething incredible!" On their w ay out, they said to one another, " B y A llah this m an will never give up, nor w ill he offer any concessions. Let us hold fast to the religion of our forefathers, and A llah will in due course deliver His judgm ent and settle the dispute betw een us and h im ." A bout this incident A llah revealed the follow ing Verses:

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"...Who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord." [23:60] They knew that life w ith all its am enities and strife was w orthless w hen com pared to the Hereafter. Such deep convictions brought about in them a sense of indifference to all troubles and hardships that attended their life.

•

The Qur'an The Verses and Chapters of the Noble Q u r'an were revealed at that

depressing and critical stage, supporting and advancing arguments on the truth and soundness of the principles of Islam, around whose axis the entire Call of M uhammad revolved. They constituted the immutable basis upon which the best Divinely decreed society was to be established. The Q ur'anic Verses also served to excite the feelings of the believers, strengthen their souls on their course of patience and endurance and introduce them to the m ost purposeful examples and injunctions: t-VTh V CL

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