Abu Jahl, Al Akhnas son of Sharik's and Abu Sufyan were curious to learn why so many people were attracted to the Prophet (sa) so they decided to spy upon one of his gatherings. One night after the believers had gathered in the Prophet's house, they met together and then hid among the shadows so as not to be detected and waited for him to begin. The Prophet (sa) and his followers spent the night in prayer and also listened to the Prophet’s captivating recitation of the Koran. After its recitation, the Prophet (sa) much to the delight of his followers, lovingly expanded upon its meaning and stories from the knowledge he had been given by Gabriel. He never spoke on religious matters without having first been given knowledge from Gabriel, who was entrusted by Allah to deliver the Koran and its explanation. The hours slipped by and it was only just before dawn that the three returned home in fear that if they stayed any longer someone might see them and then misinterpret their reason for presence. As they made their way home they warned each other that they must never do such a thing again. However, they were to return yet again on the second, and third night then leave as they had done before dawn, but as they parted company on the third night each took a binding oath never, ever, to return again. Later on that day Al Akhnas, with stick in hand, went to the home of Abu Sufyan to ask his opinion of the past three nights. Abu Sufyan told him that he had heard things he knew and already knew what was meant by them, and that he had also heard things he had not heard before and had not known their meaning. Al Akhnas concurred with Abu Sufyan and then went to Abu Jahl's home to ask his opinion. Al Akhnas found that Abu Jahl's position had not soften in the slightest, in fact he understood that Abu Jahl now saw the Prophet (sa) as an even greater threat and had become more opposed than ever. Abu Jahl reminded his visitor that he and his tribesmen competed with the Prophet (sa) and his followers for honor saying, "They have fed the poor, so have we; they have been generous, so have we, we are like two horses running neck−to−neck in a race. But, they say we have a Prophet to whom a Revelation is sent down from heaven −− when will we ever attain anything like that!" It was now more evident than ever that Abu Jahl feared he would loose his chance to be the chieftain of this very powerful tribe when his uncle died. Although, if he had put his pride to one side and listened without bias he would have realized his fear was completely unfounded as the Prophet (sa) was honorable and respectful, and never took away the authority of tribal chieftains or claimed such rank for himself. Now, in a fit of arrogant rage, Abu Jahl swore never to believe in the message the Prophet (sa) brought, nor would he ever again consider him to be truthful. The unbelievers persisted in their mockery of the Prophet (sa) saying, "There is a veil over our hearts, we do not understand what you say. There is also a heaviness in our ears so we are unable to hear you, and a curtain that divides us from you. You follow your path and we will follow ours. We do not understand any thing you say!" It was then that Allah sent down the verses:
"When you recite the Koran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Everlasting Life an obstructing barrier. We lay veils upon their hearts and heaviness in their ears, lest they understand it. When you (Prophet Muhammad) mention your Lord alone in the Koran, they turn their backs in aversion. When they listen to you, We know very well how they listen. When they conspire, when the evildoers declare: 'You are only following a man who is bewitched.' See what they compare you to. They have surely gone astray and cannot find the Path. 'What!' they say, 'When we are (turned to) bones and broken bits, shall we be raised again in a new creation?' Say: 'Let you be stones or iron, or any other creation yet more monstrous in your minds.' They will ask: 'Who will restore us?' Say: 'He who originated you at first.' They will shake their heads and ask:
'When will this be?' Say: 'Maybe it is near, on that Day, He will summon you, and you shall answer Him with praise and you shall think you have stayed but for a little.'" Koran 17:45−52
CHAPTER 32 WALEED, CHIEF OF THE MAKHZUM
The status of Waleed, the elderly chieftain of the Makhzum, and uncle of Abu Jahl, within the Koraysh tribes was that of great standing and influence to the extent that one might say he was virtually the unofficial leader of all the Koraysh tribes. Prophet Muhammad (sa), was ever hopeful that the Message he brought would touch the hearts of tribal leaders, which would not only turn them into believers and the rest of their tribes, but make for strong allies and bring about the cessation of the relentless persecution of his companions. His uncle, Abu Talib, supported him but had not embraced Islam, which was a source of deep regret to the Prophet (sa), so now he sought the opportunity to approach Waleed. The opportunity was soon to present itself when one day they unexpectedly met together. Waleed did not brush the Prophet (sa) away and soon the two became engrossed in their discussion. During the course of their conversation, the Prophet (sa) was overheard by a blind passerby, who had recently converted to Islam. The blind man interrupted the conversation at an inopportune moment and asked the Prophet (sa) to recite to him some verses whereupon Waleed frowned and turned away. The conversation ended shortly after the interruption and Waleed left without being persuaded. Later, Waleed was heard to arrogantly exclaim to his fellow tribesmen, "Are Revelations sent to Muhammad and not to me! I am the most important among the Koraysh, and I am their lord! Why are they not sent to Abu Masoud, the lord of Thakif or myself −− we are the two great men of the two great cities!" The cities referred to were those of Mecca and Ta'if. Not long after the Prophet (sa) had spoken with Waleed he received a new, short chapter that refers, in part, to the blind man and Waleed:
"He frowned and turned away when the blind man came to him. And what could let you know? Perhaps he (comes to hear you) to be purified. (He might) remember, and the Reminder might profit him. As for he who is sufficed, you attended to him, although it is not for your to be concerned if he remained unpurified. And to him who came to you eagerly and fearfully, of him you were unmindful. No indeed, this is a Reminder; and whosoever wills shall remember it." Koran 80:1 − 12
THE SPLITTING OF THE MOON
It was the night of the full moon and as it rose over Mount Hira its silvery light lit the City of Mecca below. Prophet Muhammad (sa), happened to be out walking with Ali and some of his companions when a group of unbelievers passed by. As might be expected, the unbelievers started hurling their usual mockery, then, one of them issued a challenge to the Prophet (sa) saying, "If you really are the Messenger of Allah, then split the moon into half!" The Prophet (sa) supplicated and to the absolute amazement of the unbelievers, Allah, the Most Able, caused the moon to split and draw away from its other half so that one half shone on one side of Mount Hira and the other below. The small crowd looked on in wonderment, then the Prophet (sa) turned to the unbelievers and his customary, innate, gentle manner asked them to bear witness, for his only desire was to bring them to Allah and save them from the Fire. Some converted immediately, whilst others were not ready to commit themselves, but those whose hearts were hardened refused to believe claiming that the miracle was nothing other than magic and persisted, even after others from remote areas were questioned and bore witness that they too had seen the division of the moon, that the Prophet (sa) had cast a spell over their eyes.
Allah refers to this miraculous event and the lies of the unbelievers saying:
“The Hour is drawing near, and the moon is split (in two). Yet if they see a sign (the unbelievers) turn their backs and say: ‘This is but a continuation of sorcery!’ They have belied, and follow their own fancies. But every issue will be settled!” Koran 54:1−4
IDOLATORY THROUGH LACK OF DIVINE GUIDANCE − THE CONVERSION OF OMAR, SON OF KHATTAB
Although Omar disliked the Prophet (sa) and his companions, his reasons were different from those of his uncle Abu Jahl. Omar came from a family steeped in conservatism and tradition, and as such taught to respect, but not question through lack of Divine Guidance, the age−old custom of reverence for the idols and Ka'ba. The very idea of even challenging the validity of worshipping its idols was to Omar something that was simply not open for discussion. Traditions and heritage went hand in hand, and were to him, something to be preserved at all costs, although there was nothing to support the worship of the idols. As for the Ka'ba itself, only fragments of its real reason for reverence remained. To Omar, and most of the people of Mecca, he was content with the age−old illogical excuse that his fathers and ancestors had worshipped them and what had been good enough for them, was still good enough for his generation. When Omar heard the Prophet (sa) calling upon people to renounce the idols and worship just One God, Allah, it was more than he could bear. To Omar's way of thinking, the Prophet (sa) and his Message had become a threat to the very fabric of his society's heritage, unity and ultimately its existence so he had come to the conclusion that the only way to stop the escalation would be the elimination of the Prophet (sa).
THE ATTEMPT OF OMAR AND ABU JAHM TO KILL THE PROPHET (sa)
Omar and Abu Jahm, Hudhayfa’s son were of a similar mind so they agreed that on a specified night to go to the Prophet’s home and accomplish the matter. However, upon reaching his house they heard him reciting the words: “The Resurrection Verifier; and what is the Resurrection Verifier? What makes you to know what the Ressurection Verifier is? Thamood and Aad belied the Clatterer. Thamood, they were destroyed by the violent shout (of Gabriel), as for Aad, they were destroyed by a howling, violent wind that He subjected upon them for seven nights and eight days consecutively and you might have seen them struck down as if they were the stumps of palm tress that had fallen down. Can you see any remnant of them now?” Koran 69:1−8
When Abu Jahm heard these words he struck Omar’s arm violently exclaiming, “Save yourself!” and they ran away in fright.
NU'AYM DIVERTS OMAR
The matter, however, still weighed heavily upon Omar’s mind, he could bear it no longer. The matter had, in his opinion, to be resolved once and for all, so he fastened his sword to his belt and stormed out of the house. He had not gone far when Omar was met by a fellow tribesman by the name of Nu'aym, Abdullah's son. Nu'aym had embraced Islam, however, very few people knew of his conversion and without doubt Omar was completely unaware. Upon seeing the determined look upon Omar's face and then the sword fastened to his belt, Nu'aym suspected trouble and asked casually, so as not to arouse suspicion, where he was going. Omar replied, "I am going to kill Muhammad; he has divided us!" Nu'aym, trying to conceal his fear for the Prophet (sa) tried to dissuade Omar by telling him that even if he succeeded the children of Abdu Manaf would never rest until they had taken their revenge and killed him. Nu'aym was quick to realize that Omar was not to be put off by his advice so desperately, in an effort to buy time in which he could alert the Prophet (sa) and his companions, he said, "Omar, you should put things right in your own house first!" Omar was startled, and asked what he meant by such a statement. Nu'aym replied, "Your sister, Fatima and her husband Sa'id, they are followers of Muhammad and his religion." Without so much as a word, Omar stormed off to his sister's house. Nu'aym felt badly at having exposed Fatima and Sa'id to Omar's wrath, but he knew they would understand his intention as they, like every convert loved and would do anything to shield their beloved Prophet (sa) from the prospect of harm.
THE RECITATION OF KHABBAB
Now among the literate people of the tribe of Zuhra was a convert called Khabbab. Khabbab had a very sweet voice and had learned the recitation of the Koran. Fatima and Sa'id loved to both recite and listen to its recitation and so Khabbab had become a most welcome visitor to their home. On the day Omar discovered his sister and her husband had become Muslims, Khabbab happened to be visiting them. It was as they were sitting together reciting the new chapter "Ta Ha" which had recently been sent down, then written upon a piece of parchment, that Omar arrived at her house and made his presence known by calling out his sister's name in a thunderous voice. Khabbab was stricken with fear, for he was among those who were poor and of little standing, so he hid himself in Fatima's house hoping that Omar would not discover his presence, but before hiding, Fatima took the parchment from him and hid it under her gown. Omar burst into Fatima's house and demanded, "What was that mumbling I heard?" Fatima and Sa'id told him that he heard no mumbling. Angrily, Omar replied, "Indeed, I heard you and I have been told that you have both become followers of Muhammad!" Omar restrained himself no longer, and started beating his brother−in−law without mercy. Fatima tried to intervene but a blow intended for Sa'id struck her and she began to bleed profusely whereupon she cried out to her brother to do whatever he wanted, and told him that, yes, he was right, they had indeed become Muslims. When Omar realized what he had done to his sister he was overcome with remorse and his attitude changed. In a soften tone he asked, "Give me what I have just heard you reading from so that I might see what Muhammad has brought." Fatima, fearful of her brother's intention, replied, "I am afraid to trust you with it" whereupon Omar laid down his sword and said, "Do not fear, by Allah, I will give it back to you." Fatima knew her brother to be a man of his word and hoped with all her heart he would embrace Islam and spoke to him gently saying, "O my brother, because of your idolatry you are unclean, and only the cleansed may touch it." Omar heeded his sister's words and went to wash himself. When Omar returned Fatima gave him the parchment and Allah, in His Mercy caused the light of faith to enter his heart and he began to read.
THE SUPPLICATION OF THE PROPHET (sa)
After Omar had finished reading, Khabbab came out from his hiding place and said, "Omar, I hope that through the prayer of our Prophet (sa) Allah has chosen you, because yesterday I heard him supplicate, 'O Allah, strengthen Islam with either Abdul Hakam, Hisham's son or with Omar, Khattab's son." These encompassing words of Khabbab touched Omar in such a way that he asked where he might find the Prophet (sa) so that he might go to him and embrace Islam. Khabbab no longer feared for the Prophet's safety under the hand of Omar and told him that he would find him together with his companions in the house of Akram, near the Hill of Safwa.
OMAR'S ARRIVAL AT THE HOUSE OF AKRAM
Omar fastened his sword and made ready to leave for the house of Akram. When he reached the house he knocked at the door and announced himself. Meanwhile, Nu'aym had been able to warn the Prophet (sa) and his companions of Omar's original intent, so they were taken by surprise when they heard the gentle tone of his voice. One of the companions got up and went to look through a small crack in the door and returned to the Prophet (sa) to confirm that it was indeed Omar and that he was wearing his sword. The Prophet (sa) was not afraid for he trusted Allah and knew He had answered his supplication, and gave permission to let Omar enter. However, Hamza told his companion to open the door saying, "If he comes with good intent, he will receive much good, but on the other hand, if his intentions are evil then he would kill him with his own sword."
OMAR EMBRACES ISLAM
As Omar entered, the Prophet (sa) caught hold of his belt by surprise and led him into the middle of the room then asked in his usual gentle manner, "What brings you here, son of Khattab." Meekly, Omar replied, "O Messenger of Allah (sa) I have come to you so that I may proclaim my belief in Allah and in His Messenger, and in that which He has sent down to you." In gratitude and humility, the Prophet (sa) exalted Allah saying "Allah is the Greatest!" Those present felt an overwhelming sense of relief and followed the Prophet’s example and exalted Allah as they realized Omar was no longer their enemy, but one of them, a Muslim.
ABU JAHL LEARNS OF OMAR'S CONVERSION
The next morning, Omar went to the house of Abu Jahl and knocked at his door. Abu Jahl was happy to see his favorite nephew and came out to welcome him asking what had brought him there. Omar told him that he had come to tell him that he believed in Allah and bore witness that Muhammad is His Messenger, and to the truth which is sent down to him. Abu Jahl's face blackened and as he cursed his nephew, slammed the door in his face.
THE KORAYSH LEARN OF OMAR'S CONVERSION
Omar had no intention of keeping his conversion secret, so he went to Jamil, Mamar Al Jumahi's son, the Koraysh gossip, knowing well he would spread the news quickest and told him of his conversion. Omar's assumption was correct, Jamil jumped up, and made straight for the Ka'ba with Omar following a few steps behind. At the door of Ka'ba, Jamil proclaimed loudly for all to hear, "Omar has apostatized!" Then Omar shouted! "He is a liar, I have become a Muslim and testify that there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet and His Messenger! Several unbelievers, standing near Ka'ba witnessed Omar's proclamation and started to fight him. The fighting continued until the heat of the mid−day when Omar took a rest saying, "Do as you will, I swear by Allah that if you were three hundred men I would have fought it out on equal terms!" Just then, a Koraysh chieftain, robed in a Yemeni cloak intervened and asked what was going on. When he was told that Omar had embraced Islam, he turned to them and asked, "Why shouldn't a man choose a religion for himself −− what are you trying to do? Do you think that the children of Adiyy will surrender their companion to you? Let the man alone!" And so Omar was left in peace. Now that Omar had proclaimed his acceptance of Islam, the companions felt more secure to worship Allah at the Ka'ba, as the unbelievers feared a formidable encounter with Omar and Hamza.
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