Day: January 26, 2021

Islam being introduced to Tribes and Individuals

in Dhul-Qa’dah, i.e., July 619, the Prophetﷺ returned to Makkah to resume his activities. On the authority of Az-Zuhri, of the tribes that Islam was introduced to, we could speak of Banu ‘Amir bin Sa’sa’ah, Muharib bin Khasfah, Fazarah, Ghassan, Murrah, Hanifah, Sulaim, ‘Abs, Banu Nasr, Banu Al-Buka’, Kindah, Kalb, Al-Harith bin Ka’b, “Udhrah and people of Hadramout. They however, remained persistent and none of them responded positively. Islam was not introduced to them in one single year but rather repeatedly from the fourth year till the last pre-migration season of pilgrimage before the migration to Madinah. Most of these were introduced to Islam during the Hajj season of the tenth year. Ibn Ishaq has mentioned some details about the presentation of Islam to them and their rejection of it. Here is a summary: He visited a branch of Banu Kalb known as Banu ‘Abdullah. He called them to Allâh’s Message. He made a presentation to them in which he said:

“O Banu ‘Abdullah! Indeed Allâh made your father’s name a

good one.” Yet they would not accept what he presented them with. He called on Banu Hanifah in their locale, he presented himself before them, but none of the Arabs rejected him in a more repulsive fashion than them. He addressed Bani ‘Amir bin Sa’sa’ah, calling them to Allâh and

presenting himself before them. One of them called Bahirah bin Firas, said: “By Allah, I can take this young man from the Quraish and consume all of the Arabs with him!” Then he asked him, “Should we give you allegiance and Allâh gives you victory over your opponents

, will we succeed you in rule?” The Prophet ﷺin replied:

give rule to other than us? We have no need for”Rule is up to Allâh. He puts it wherever He wills.” The man commented: “Should we stretch out our necks for the Arabs for you, then when Allâh gives you victory, you would your

affairs.” When Banu ‘Amir returned to their area, they narrated the story to an elderly man who had remained behind because he was too old: “A young man of Quraish of Bani ‘Abdul-Muttalib, claiming that he is a Prophet, contacted us, asked for support and a place of refuge in our land.” The old man placed his hand on his head being struck by the news, and swore, “He is really Ishmaelite (he descends from Ishmael AlaihisSalam. He is the Truth (he is a real Prophet). How did it happen that you misjudged his words?” The Prophet ﷺwas not disappointed at all. He persisted in his mission for the fulfillment of which he had been commissioned to strive despite all odds. He did not confine his efforts to the tribes but also conducted contacts with individuals from some of whom he was able to receive a favorable response. Moreover, later in the same season, some of them did believe in his Prophethood and entered the fold of Islam. The following list included some of those early converts: Suwaid bin Samit. He was an intelligent poet from Yathrib (Madinah) who had good judgment. His people called him Al Kamil (The Perfect) because of his lineage, poetry, nobility and family. During his stay in Makkah for pilgrimage (or lesser pilgrimage). Allâh’s Messenger ﷺto invited him to Islam. He replied: “Perhaps what you have is similar to what I have.”

Allsh’s Messenger ﷺsaid to him:

“And what is it that you have?” He said: “Luqman’s wisdom.” So he said:

“Present it to me.” So he did, to which Allâh’s Messengerﷺ replied:

“This speech is good, yet what I have is better than this. It is a Qur’ân that Allâh the Most High revealed to me, it is

guidance and light.” He accepted Islam at once. When he returned to Madinah, he was killed in the fighting between the Aws and Khazraj tribes prior to the battle of Bu’ath.

Eyas bin a’adh

He was still a youth from Aws tribe. He came as a member of delegation seeking alliance with Quraish against another rival tribe dwelling in Madinah, Al-Khazraj, this was during the 11th year of declaration of Prophethood around the time of the battle of Bu’ath. The Aws tribe were less in number than the Khazraj. The Prophet ﷺ them and advised them saying:

“Maybe there is something better for you than what you

came for?” They said: “What would that be?” He replied:

“I am Allâh’s Messenger, He sent me to the worshippers to invite them to worship Allâh without associating partners

with Him and He revealed the Book to me.” Then he mentioned Islam to them and recited some Qur’ân for them. Eyas said: “O people By Allâh, this is better than what you came for.” Then Abul-Husayr Anas bin Raft’, a member of the delegation, took a handful of dust and threw it in Eyas’ face, saying: “Get away from us,”

Ibn Hisham 1/425-427. Al-Isti ab 2/277. Usdul-Ghabah 2337.

The people then left Madinah after having failed in establishing alliance with Quraish. Shortly after arrival in Madinah, the boy breathed his last acclaiming Allâh’s Name and celebrating His Glory

Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari.

He used to live in the suburbs of Yathrib. News of the Islamization of Suwaid bin Samit and Eyas bin Mu’adh reached him and constituted a turning point in his life by itself. Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn ‘Abbas that Abu Dharr said: “I was a man from the tribe of Ghifar. We heard that a man had appeared in Makkah, claiming to be a Prophet. I said to my brother, ‘Go to that man and talk to him and bring me his news.’ He set out, met him and returned. I asked him, ‘What is the news with you?’ He said, ‘By Allâh, I saw a man enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.’ I said to him, ‘You have not satisfied me with this little information.’ So, I took a water-skin and a stick and proceeded towards Makkah. Neither did I know him (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ) nor did I like to ask anyone about him. I kept on drinking Zamzam water and staying in the mosque. Then ‘Ali passed by me and said, ‘It seems you are a stranger? I said, ‘Yes.’ He proceeded to his house and I accompanied him. Neither did he ask me anything nor did I tell him anything. The next morning, I went to the mosque to ask about the Prophet ﷺ but no one told me anything about him. ‘Ali passed by me again and asked, ‘Hasn’t the man recognized his dwelling place yet?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Come along with me.’ He asked me, ‘What is your business? What has brought you to this town?’ I said to him, ‘If you keep my secret, I will tell you’. He said, ‘I will.’ I said to him, ‘We have heard that a person has appeared here, claiming to be a Prophetﷺ. I sent my brother to speak to him and when he returned. he did not bring a satisfactory report; so I thought of meeting him personally.’ ‘Ali said (to Abu Dharr), ‘You have reached your goal; I am going to

him just now, so follow me, and wherever I enter, enter after me. If I should see someone who may cause you trouble, I will stand near a wall pretending to mend my shoes (as a warning), and you should go away then.’ ‘Ali proceeded and I accompanied him till he entered a place, and I entered with him to the Prophet ﷺwhom I said, ‘Present (the principles of) Islam to me.’ When he did, I embraced Islam immediately. Here is said to me: O Abu Dharr! Keep your conversion a secret and return to your town; and when you

hear of our victory, return to us.’ I said, ‘By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I will announce my conversion to Islam publicly among them (i.e., the infidels).’ I went to the mosque, where some people from Quraish were present, and said, ‘O folk of Quraish! I testify that La ilaha illallâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh), and I (also) testify that Muhammadﷺ is Allâh’s His Messenger.’ (Hearing that) the Quraish men said, ‘Get this Sabi (i.e., Muslim)!’ They got up and beat me nearly to death. Al-‘Abbas saw me and threw himself over me to protect me. He then faced them and said, ‘Woe to you! You want to kill a man from the tribe of Ghifar, although your trade and your communications are through the territory of Ghifar?’ They therefore left me. The next morning I returned (to the mosque) and said the same as I have said on the previous day. They again said, ‘Get this Sabi!’ I was treated in the same way as on the previous day, and again Al-‘Abbas found me and threw himself over me to protect me and told them the same as he had said the day before.” So, that was the conversion of Abu Dharr on to Islam.” Tufail bin ‘Amr Ad-Dawsi. He was an honest poet and chief of AdDaws tribe inhabiting an area close to Yemen in South Arabia. He arrived in Makkah in the eleventh year of declaration of Prophethood. Great reception ceremonies were accorded to him on his arrival. The Makkans soon started to say over and over in his ears all sorts of opposition against the Prophetﷺ They even alleged that he had

caused the most horrible sociel split, dividing all sorts of social life even the family ties were subject to his schemes and plans of disagreement. They even warned him against speaking or even listening to him. The man overpowered by these pleas, complied by their requests. He even stuffed his ears with a piece of cotton in order not to hear any word of his. However, when this tribesman entered the mosque, he saw Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ observing his prayer and out of curiosity, he approached him for it was a Divine Will to hear the Prophet’s ﷺsound and appealing words. The temptation to hear more was irresistible so he followed the Prophet ﷺ into his house, briefed him on his advent and all the story of the people of Quraish. Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ recited some Verses of the Noble Qur’ân and the man managed to taste something exceptionally beautiful and distinguish the truth latent within. He embraced Islam and testified that there is no God but Allâh and that Muhammad ﷺis His Messenger. He then said that he was an influential man among his people and that he would call them to profess Islam, yet he wanted a supplication from the Prophetﷺ to equip him with a supportive sign that would ease his future task. The Prophetﷺ supplicated to Allâh for him, and in fact a Divinely light was bestowed in his whip. He called his father and wife to embrace Islam and they did respond. His people showed a little lack of interest but he encouraged them excitedly and was fully successful. He and seventy or eighty of his followers emigrated to Madinah after the Trench Battle. He was a perfect fighter in the cause of Allâh and was martyred on the day of Al-Yamamah.

Dumad Al-Azdi.

He came from Azd Shanu’ah in Yemen, specialist in incantation. He arrived in Makkah to hear the fools there say that Hazrat Muhammad ﷺwas out of his mind. He decided to practice his craft on the Prophet ﷺwho on seeing him said:

“Praise is to Allâh, we entertain His praise and seek His

help Whomsoever Allâh guides, none will lead astray, and whomsoever Allâh leads astray, none will guide. I testify there is no God but Allâh and Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ is Messenger

Dumad heard the words and requested the Prophetﷺ to echo them again, and he was granted his wish thrice. Here he said: “I have heard the soothsayers, sorcerers and poets, but never have I experienced the sweetness of your words, they have the depth of the ocean.” He then gave a pledge of a sincere convert.”

Hope inspiring Breezes from the Madinese

It was during the pilgrimage season, in the eleventh year of declaration of Prophethood, that the Islamic Call found the righteous seeds through which it would grow up to constitute tall trees whose leaves would foster the new faith and the new helpless converts from the blows of injustices and high-handedness of the Quraish. It was the Prophet’s ﷺ wise practice to meet the delegates of the Arabian tribes by night so that the hostile Makkans would not debar him from achieving his objectives. In the company of his two truthful Companions. Hazrat Ali AlaihisSalam and Abu Bakr Radiallahu anhoo had an interesting talk regarding Islamization with Bani Dhuhal, but the latter suspended their conversion

In pursuit of the same objective, the Prophetﷺ and his Companions passed by ‘Aqabah in Mina where they heard people talking. They went towards them and found six men from Yathrib, all of whom were from the Khazraj tribe: As’ad bin Zurarah, ‘Awf bin Harith, Rafi’ bin Malik. Qutbah bin ‘Amir, ‘Uqbah bin ‘Amir and Jabir bin ‘Abdullah. The Madinese always heard the Jews say that a Prophet ﷺwas about to rise, for the time for him had arrived, and that when they found him, they would follow him and then kill their enemies as the children of ‘Ad and Iram had been killed.

When Allah’s Messengerﷺ met them, he asked them:

“Who are you?” “Of the tribe of Khazraj.” they replied. He asked them

“Are you the allies of the Jews?” They said: “Yes.” He said:

“Then why not sit down for a little and I will speak to you.” The offer was readily accepted for the fame of Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ had spread to Madinah and the strangers were curious to see more of the man who had created a stir in the whole area. The Prophet ﷺpresented an explanation of Islam to them, its implications, and the responsibilities that fell upon those who accepted it. When the Prophetﷺ concluded his talk, they exchanged among themselves ideas to the following effect: “Know surely, this is the Prophetﷺ with whom the Jews are ever threatening us; so, let us make haste and be the first to join him.” They, therefore, embraced Islam, and said to the Prophetﷺ “We have left our community for no tribe is so divided by hate and enmity as they are. Allâh may cement our ties through you. So, let us go and invite them to this religion of yours; and if Allâh unites them in it, no man will be dearer than you.” The handful of Madinese converts remained steady to the cause and they preached Islam with full zeal and devotion with the result that they succeeded in winning supporters for Islam from among their fellow citizens and hardly was there a house in Madinah not talking curiously and enthusiastically about Allâh’s Messengerﷺ

The Marriage of the Prophet ﷺ to ‘Aishah Radiallahu anhoo

In Shawwal of the same year, the Prophet ﷺ formally married Hazrat Ayesha Radiallahu anhoo