Month: April 2021

Delegations and Expeditions following the Invasion of Bani Al Mustaliq

1: A military expedition led by ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf Radiallahu anhoo was dispatched to the lands of Bani Kalb in Dumatul-Jandal in Sha’ban, sixth year of Al-Hijra. Before setting out, the Prophetﷺ summoned ‘Abdur-Rahman Radiallahu anhoo. and placed with his hand a turban on his head invoking Allâh’s blessings and giving him order to act excellently during the war. He told him to marry the king’s daughter if they obeyed him. ‘Abdur-Rahman Radiallahu anhoo stayed among those people for three days, invited them to Islam and they responded positively. He then did marry the king’s daughter Tamadur bint Al-Asbagh, and it is she who is Umm Abu Salamah, the mother of ‘Abdur-Rahman’s son Abu Salamah.

2. In the same month and year, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib AlaihisSalam was dispatched at the head of a platoon to the habitation of Bani Sa’d bin Bakr in a place called Fadak. The Prophet ﷺ learned that they were supporting the Jews by providing force. The Muslim fighters used to march in the day and conceal their camp at night. On their way, they captured a messenger of the enemy who admitted being sent to Khaibar, to offer its people support in return for their dates. He also informed them about their encampment. ‘Ali AlaihisSalam and his companions raided there. captured five hundred camels and two thousand goats, but Banu Sa’d, with their chieftain Wabr bin ‘Aleem had fled away.

3. An expedition led by Abu Bakr As-Siddiq Radiallahu anhoo or Zaid bin Harithah Radiallahu anhoo was dispatched to Wadi Al-Qura in Ramadan, sixth year of Al-Hijra, after the Fazarah tribe had made an attempt at the Prophet’sﷺ life. Salamah bin Al-Akwa’ said, “I went with him until we prayed the Morning prayer after which he ordered us to begin the attack. At the enemy’s watering place we began, and Abu Bakr was fighting while I saw a group containing women and children. I was afraid that they would escape to the mountain so I, shot with my arrow between them and the mountain. When they

saw the arrow they stopped. There was a woman among them named Umm Qirfah wearing a leather garment. Her daughter was one of the prettiest Arab girls. So, I drove them to Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr gave me her daughter. So, I had not yet disrobed her when Allâh’s Messengerﷺ things asked about the daughter of Umm Qirfah, so she was sent to Makkah and exchanged for some Muslim captives there.”[1] Umm Qirfah was behind the attempts on the Prophet’s ﷺlife, but her plan fell back on her, and the thirty horsemen were all killed.

4. The expedition of Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihrisko at ‘Urainah occurred in Shawwal of the year 6. This was because a group from the ‘Ukl and ‘Urainah tribes declared their Islam, and stayed in Madinah but found its climate disagreeable. So, they were asked to erect their tents in the pastures nearby. They did so and were all right. They then fell on the Prophet’s ﷺshepherd and killed him, turned apostates from Islam and drove off the camels. The Prophetﷺ sent a group of twenty Muslims led by Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri Radiallahu anhoo on their track. They were brought and handed over to him. He had their hands and feet cut off, their eyes forced out in recompense for their behavior, and then they were thrown on the stony ground until they died. [2]

Biographers also reported that ‘Amr bin Umaiyah Ad-Damrithe and Salamah bin Abi Salamah Radiallahu anhoo were sent on a task to kill Abu Sufyan, the chief of Quraish, who had already sent a bedouin to kill the Prophet ﷺ The two-

man mission failed except for three polytheists killed on the way. It is noteworthy that all the foregone invasions did not imply real bitter fighting, they were rather clashes or punitive military movements carried out to deter some enemies still not surrendered. Deep consideration on the development of war circumstances reveal the continuous collapse of the morale among the enemies of Islam, who had come to understand that they were no longer in a position to stop the Islamic call or weaken its active drive. This state of affairs reached

(1) Sahth Muslim 2/89. And it is also said that this occurred during the year 7. (2) Zadul-Ma’ad 2/122.

its climax with the Treaty of Al-Hudaibiyah when the two confronting parties, believers and disbelievers, entered into a truce agreement that pointed markedly to the ever-growing power of Islam, and unequivocally recorded the continuation of this heavenly religion in Arabia.

News reached the Prophetﷺ on the 2nd of Sha’ban to the effect that the chief of Bani Al-Mustaliq, Al-Harith bin Dirar had mobilized his men, along with some Arabs, to attack Madinah. Buraidah bin AL Haseeb Al-Aslami was immediately dispatched to verify the reports. He had some words with Abi Dirar, who confirmed his intention of war. He later sent a spy to explore the positions of the Muslims but he was captured and killed. The Prophetﷺ summoned his men and ordered them to prepare for war. Before leaving, Zaid bin Harith Radiallahu anhoo was put in charge of the affairs of Madinah. On hearing the advent of the Muslims, the disbelievers became frightened and the Arabs accompanying them defected and ran for their lives. Abu Bakr Radiallahu anhoo was entrusted with the banner of the Emigrants, and that of the Helpers went to Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah The two armies were stationed at a well called Muraisi’. Exchange of arrow fire continued for an hour, and then the Muslims rushed and engaged the enemy in a battle that ended in a complete victory for the Muslims. Some men were killed, women and children of the disbelievers taken as captives, and a wealth of booty fell to the lot of the Muslims. Only one Muslim was killed by mistake by a Helper. Among the captives was Juwairiyah, daughter of Al-Harith, chief of the disbelievers. The Prophet ﷺmarried her, due to which the Muslims freed a hundred of the other enemy prisoners who embraced Islam, and were then called the Prophet’sﷺ in-laws.”

Zadul-Ma’ad 2/112, 113, Ibn Hisham 2/289, 290, 294, 295.

The Treacherous Role of the Hypocrites prior to the Invasion of Bani Al-Mustaliq

‘Abdullah bin Ubai, a terrible hypocrite was full of enmity against Islam and the Muslims because he believed that the Prophet ﷺ had taken his leadership over Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj, two clans already agreed on the Prophethood Nabi Pakﷺ men and his masterhood over them. ‘Abdullah’s enmity appeared before he entered Islam. Following the battle of Badr, he made pretensions of being a Muslim, but deep at heart, he remained that terrible enemy of Allâh, His Messenger ﷺ and all the believers, in general. His sole target had always been to sow the seeds of dissension in the Muslim community, and undermine the cause of the new heavenly religion it has. His treacherous behavior could be witnessed everywhere but was strikingly evident in his wicked attempts at creating a state of confusion and disorder amongst the Muslims at the battle of Uhud. His hypocrisy and deceit assumed serious and ugly dimensions when he used to stand up among the Muslims shortly before the Prophet’sﷺ Friday speech, and mockingly say to them: “This is the Messenger of Allâh, who has honored you with Allâh, so you have got to support, obey and listen to him,” and then he would sit down.

He did the same following the battle of Uhud on Friday. He was so rude and arrogant that his words expressed clearly the deeplyrooted enmity, so some of the Muslims took him by his cloak and silenced him. He immediately left, uttering rude and mocking words. A Helper met him at the Mosque gate and ordered him to return and beg the Messenger for Allâh’sﷺ forgiveness, but he replied that he did not want his forgiveness.” He, previously held secret contacts with Bani Nadeer, encouraging them to make an alliance with him and promising support for them; all of this in his ceaseless efforts in a long process of conspiracy and intrigue hatched against the Muslims. Allâh’s Words as regards his treacherous acts and attempts during the Trench Battle came to testify quite clearly his hypocrisy

“And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubts) said: ‘Allâh and His Messengerﷺ promised us nothing but delusions!” (33:12]

All enemies of Islam from the Jews, hypocrites and polytheists did acknowledge that Islam had the upper hand not because of material superiority, multitudes of troops or equipment; but it was rather due to the noble values, refined ethics and high attributes of the Muslim community and deep love to Nabi Pakﷺ . The enemies of Islam were already aware of that flood of light derived wholly from the person of the Prophetﷺ who always stood as an excellent example for men to imitate and follow. The enemies of Islam, after going through the course of fruitless warfare against the new religion for five years, came to realize fully that eliminating Islam would not be possible on a battlefield, so they adopted other tactics. They, being reputed gossipmongers. decided to launch a widespread propaganda campaign alming at slandering the person of the Prophet ﷺin a most sensitive area of Arabian life, namely ethics and traditions. Following the battle of the Confederates, the Prophet ﷺmarried Zainab bint Jahsh after her marriage with Zaid bin Harithah , his adopted son, had

broken up. They seized this opportunity and began to circulate idle talk against the Prophetﷺ in Arabia depending on a tradition among the desert Arabs that prohibits contracting a marriage with an adopted son’s divorcee. They alleged that his marriage would be considered a terrible sin. These rumors had a negative impact on the morale of some weakhearted Muslims until the decisive Verses were revealed acquitting the Prophet and invalidating all those ill designs and hateful schemes.

The Wicked Role of Hypocrites during the Invasion of Bani Al-Mustaliq

During this Ghazwah, the hypocrites almost managed to create chaos among the Muslims themselves, coupled with serious and ugly slander against the Prophet ﷺAllâh said about them::

“Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder, and they would have hurried about in your midst (spreading corruption) and sowing sedition among you…” [9:47]

The following are the details of the events:

1. The Hypocrites said. “If we return to Madinah then the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner.”

After the battle was finished, Allâh’s Messengerﷺ was staying at Al-Muraisi’, and the people were getting water from a well. There was a man named Jahjah Al-Ghifari helping ‘Umar bin AlKhattab. He and Sinan bin Wabr Al-Juhani were crowding each other for the water and began to quarrel. So Al-Juhani yelled, “O Helpers!” Jahjah yelled, “O Emigrants!” So Allâh’s Messenger ﷺshe said:

“Do you use the slogans of pre-Islamic ignorance while I am yet among you? Leave it, for indeed it is detestable.”

This was conveyed to ‘Abdullah bin Ubai Ibn Salul while he was with some of his people and he became angry. Among the people was Zaid bin Arqam cities while a boy, and he narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ubai said, “Have they done that? We are the greater number in our city…if we return to Madinah then the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner.” Then he turned to those present and said, “This is your own doing! You put them up in your city, divided your wealth with them and by Allâh! if you were to withhold your hand from them then they would go to a land other than yours.” Zaid bin Arqam is told his uncle about that, who in turn told Allâh’s Messenger ﷺwhile ‘Umar was present. ‘Umar Radiallahu anhoo said, “Order ‘Abbad bin Bishr to kill him.” So he wrote the said:

“Why O ‘Umar! The people will say that Muhammad ﷺ kills his followers?”

So he ordered them to move out. But that was at an hour when people normally would not move. So they began moving out. Usaid bin Hudair caught up with him and said, “You move at such a bad time?” He even replied “Has what your companion said not reached you?” He was referring to ‘Abdullah bin Ubai. So he said, “What did he say?” He replied, “He claims that if he returns to Madinah then the more honorable will expel the meaner from it.” So he said, “But you can expel him from it if you wish O Messenger of Alláhﷺ ! He is, by Allâh, the humiliated while you are the mighty one.” Then he said that he would gain the upper hand

once the people saw the real side of ‘Abdullah bin Ubai. Then he marched with the people that day until the evening and that night until the morning and the sun appeared. Then they halted and slept which distracted them from what had happened. As for Ibn Ubai, when he was informed that Zaid bin Arqam

had conveyed to Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ, what he said, he went to the Prophetﷺ and swore by Allâh that he had not said what he had, and that he had not spoken about it at all. Some who were there among the Helpers suggested that maybe the boy was mistaken in what he narrated and he had actually not remembered what the man said. So he agreed. Zaid the said: “I became more upset than ever I had been. [Later) I just sat in my house.” Then Allah revealed:

“When the hypocrites come to you…” (63:1) up to His Saying:…they are the ones who say: ‘Spend not on those who are

with Allâh’s Messenger, until they desert him…” and:

“Indeed the more honorable will expel therefrom the

meaner.” [63:8) So Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ sent for me, recited it to me, and said:

“Allâh has confirmed your statement.” Meanwhile the son of this hypocrite, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, was a righteous man among the Companions. He was innocent of his father’s behavior. So he waited at the gates of Madinah with his sword unsheathed. When Ibn Ubai came he told him, “By Allâh! You may not enter here until the Messengerﷺ of Allâh gives you permission, for he is the mighty one and you are the humiliated one.” When the Prophet ﷺ came, he permitted him so he moved out of the way. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdullah had told him, “O Messenger of Allâh! ﷺOrder me if you want to kill him, by Allâh, I will bring you his head.”

The Slander Incident

This extremely painful incident took place on the Prophet’s ﷺreturn from the expedition against Bani Mustaliq. The Muslim army had to halt for a night at a place, a short distance from Madinah. In this expedition, the Prophet ﷺ was accompanied by his noble wife, ‘Aishah Radiallahu anhoo. As it so happened, ‘Aishah then went out some distance from the camp to attend to the call of nature. When she returned, she discovered that she had dropped her necklace somewhere. The necklace itself was of no great value, but as it had been loaned to her, ‘Aishah Radiallahu anhoo went out again to search for it. On her return, to her great grief and sorrow, the army had already marched away with the camel she was riding, her attendants thinking that she was in the howdah (litter) as she was then thin, very young and light in weight. In her helplessness, she sat down and cried till sleep overpowered her. Safwan bin Mu’attal , an Emigrant, who was coming in the rear recognized her as he had seen her before the Verse enjoining the veil was revealed, and brought her on his camel to Madinah, himself walking behind the animal. The hypocrites of Madinah, led by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ubai

sought to make an incident out of this and spread a wicked scandal against ‘Aishah Radiallahu anhoo and unfortunately some of the Muslims also became involved in it. On arrival in Madinah, the Prophetﷺ held counsel with his Companions, who pronounced different opinions ranging from divorce to retention. The incident almost roused a fight between two rival factions, Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj, but the Prophet’sﷺ intervention silenced both parties on the spot. ‘Aishah Radiallahu anhoo unaware of the rumors being circulated, fell ill and was confined

to bed for a month. On recovering, she heard of the slander and took permission to go and see her parents seeking authentic news. She then burst into tears and stayed for two days and one sleepless night ceaselessly weeping to such an extent that she felt her liver was about to rip open. The Prophetﷺ visited her in that situation, and after testifying to the Oneness of Allâh, he told her, “If you are innocent. Allâh will acquit you, otherwise, you have to beg for His forgiveness and pardon.” She stopped weeping and asked her parents to speak for her, but they had nothing to say. so she herself took the initiative and said “Should I tell you I am innocent, and Allâh knows that I am surely innocent, you will not believe me; and if I were to admit something of which, Allâh knows, I am innocent, you will believe me: so there is nothing for me and you except the words of the father of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph):

‘So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allâh (Alone) Whose Help can be sought against that which you assert.” She then turned away and lay down for some rest. At that decisive moment the Revelation came acquitting ‘Aishah of all the slanderous talk fabricated in this concern. ‘Aishah Radiallahu anhoo, of course. was wholeheartedly joyful and praised Allâh thankfully. Allâh’s Words in this regard went as follows:

“Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against ‘Aishah – the wife of the Prophet are a group among

you.” (24:11) The principal elements involved in the slander affair, Mistah bin Athathah, Hassan bin Thabit and Hamnah bint Jahsh. were flogged with eighty stripes As for the man who took the principal part. ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, he was not flogged, either because the physical punishment in this

world substitutes the chastisement in store for him in the Hereafter – and he did not deserve this merit; or for the same public interest for which he was not killed previously. He, moreover, became the object of criticism and humiliation after his real intentions had been exposed to all the public.”

Almost a month later, Allâh’s Messengerﷺ and Umar bin AlKhattabh Radiallahu anhoo were engaged in the following talk: “Don’t you see ‘Umar if I had him (Abdullah bin Ubai) killed, a large number of nobles would have furiously hastened to fight for him. Now, on the contrary, if I ask them to kill him, they will do so out of their own free will.” “Umar Radiallahu anhoo replied: “I swear by Allâh that the Prophet’sﷺ judgment is much more sound than mine.’