As the fragmented Koraysh army returned home, the extent of their unexpected, devastating loss be came apparent to the Koraysh. Each day the Koraysh waited anxiously for their kinsmen to return or learn from others whether they knew if their kinsmen were alive, dead or taken captive. It was feared, by the remaining Koraysh hierarchy, that the Prophet (sa) would soon learn that the people of Mecca were deeply affected by their defeat and grief−stricken, so a meeting was convened in the House of Assembly. It was proposed that none should make an open issue of their grief and in an effort to make the matter appear light, the council of chieftains agreed that the Koraysh must delay sending the ransom money to free their kinsmen. As a matter of bravado in support of this resolution, Amr's father shouted out, "Must I loose twice! They have killed Hanzalah, now I must pay for the ransom of Amr! Let him stay with them, they can keep him as long as they wish!" During the meeting it was also agreed that the profit from the sale of the caravan's merchandise would be spent upon rebuilding their army. The consensus was that it should be larger, better equipped and more powerful than ever before and from now on their women folk should accompany into battle and encourage them. It was also agreed to send messages to all their allies, throughout the length and breadth of Arabia, explaining, why, in their opinion, they should unite with them against the Prophet (sa).
THE BREAKING OF THE RESOLUTION
For the majority of Koraysh tribesmen, the matter to delay sending the ransom for their loved ones proved too difficult, so they broke the resolution and sent fellow tribesmen to Medina to secure their release.
JUBAIR, SON OF MUTIM
Jubair, Mutim's son had been sent to Medina to ransom his cousin and two tribal allies. Before and after meeting with the Prophet (sa) Jubair had a chance to wander around Medina where he saw the small community of Muslims going about their daily business, sharing and caring for each other in a way he had neither seen nor yet experienced before, there was an air of unity, a sense of tranquility and devotion to Allah and great love for His Messenger everywhere he went. When he met the Prophet (sa) he told him why he had come to Medina whereupon the Prophet (sa) spoke with soft words and told him that if his father had been alive and come to ransom them he would not have accepted it, rather, he would have released them without ransom. As the daylight faded and evening approached, Jubair watched the believers make their way to the Mosque to offer the Maghrib prayer. Jubair felt drawn to the Mosque but did not enter but listened to the prayers from outside. That evening the Prophet (sa) recited the chapter "The Mount" which warns, at it’s beginning, of the Day of Judgement, its consequences, and the punishment of the Fires of Hell for those who belie it. The chapter then expounded the delights of Paradise with its serenity, and rich, unending rewards. Further on in the chapter he heard how Allah challenges mankind with His ability to create and then draws attention to mankind's inability to do so. The recitation concluded with the verses:
"So leave them till they encounter their Day in which they shall be thunderstruck. The Day when their guile shall not relieve them a thing, and they shall not be helped. For the harmdoers there is indeed, a punishment before that, but most of them do not know. And be patient under the Judgement of your Lord, surely, you are before Our Eyes. And exalt with the praise of your Lord when you arise, and exalt Him in the night and at the declining of the stars." Al-Quran 52:45−49
When the Prophet (sa) reached the words: "And be patient under the Judgement of your Lord, surely, you are before Our Eyes. And exalt with the praise of your Lord when you arise, and exalt Him in the night and at the declining of the stars."
Jubair said later that it was then that the light of belief was sown in his heart, however, he put it to one side for the time being, as the grief he felt for his beloved uncle Tuaymah killed by Hamza during Badr consumed him for there was, in his opinion, a matter of honor to be settled. He felt obliged to engage Hamza in mortal combat for his uncle's death, and so he distanced himself from his inclination and returned to Mecca with his cousin and the two allies.
THE RANSOM OF WALID
Waleed, the chieftain of the Makhzum had been killed on the battlefield and his youngest son, also by the same name, had been taken captive and given to Abdullah, Jahsh's son and some of the other companions for ransom. Waleed had two other brothers, one full blood and the other half, both of whom had made their journey to Medina to pay for his release. When his half brother, Khalid, learned that Abdullah would accept no less than four thousand dirhams, he was unwilling to pay such a large amount. Hisham, his full blood brother, rebuked him saying, "Indeed, he is not your mother's son!" whereupon Khalid felt ashamed and agreed to pay the amount. However, before the final agreement was reached, Prophet Muhammad (sa) advised Abdullah that he should also ask for their deceased father's coat of armor and weapons. When Khalid learned of this he expressed yet again his reluctance to part with his father's possessions, but Hisham managed to convince him to part with them and so the armor and weapons were brought from Mecca so they could not longer be used against the Muslims. The ransom was now paid in full and the three brothers left for Mecca. They had traveled for quite a while when they felt the need to rest. As the brothers took their rest, Waleed slipped away and returned to Medina where he went directly to the Prophet (sa) and embraced Islam. When his brothers awoke, they searched for Waleed then decided to follow his tracks which led them back to Medina. Upon reaching the City they searched for their brother and upon finding him, Khalid, who was extremely angry, demanded to know why he had let them pay the ransom and surrender their father's armor when all the time he intended to convert to Islam and stay with the Prophet (sa) in Medina. Waleed's answer was direct, he told them that he had no wish for people to think that he had converted in order not to pay the ransom; it was a matter of honor. Unwisely, Waleed decided to return to Mecca with his brothers in order to bring his belongings to Medina. As soon as he arrived home he was imprisoned and placed under heavy guard by Ikrima, Abu Jahl's son, whose uncles Ayyah and Salamah had embraced Islam. When the Prophet (sa) learned of Waleed's pitiful condition he included him in his supplications along with the other Muslims who were unfortunate enough to be incarcerated in Mecca.
UMAIR AND HIS SON
The hearts of Ubay from the tribe of Jumah, his nephews Safwan and Umair, as well as many others, had not softened toward the Prophet (sa) and his Message. Ubay had lost his brother Ummaya as well as his close friend Ukba during the hostilities. This grief, coupled with the humiliation of loosing the encounter in which their numbers far exceeded those of the Prophet (sa) only accentuated their hatred and bitterness. Umair felt further humiliated as he was already heavily in debt and now that his son had been taken captive he expected to have to pay a ransom. Umair's very being was consumed with resentment and bitterness to the extent that he was prepared to die attempting to kill the Prophet (sa), however, the matter of his debt restrained him as he did not wish to leave his family destitute. Safwan, the next−in−succession to the tribe of Jumah since the killing of his father, spoke in secrecy to Umair. He told him that, if as he had said, the only thing holding him back from riding out to kill the Prophet (sa) was the fact that he did not want to leave his family destitute, he would bear the debt for him, and in the event that anything should happen to him, he would look after his family. Umair was agreeable and both Safwan and Umair swore never to disclose their arrangement to anyone until after the event. Umair returned home to prepare himself for the journey and as he sharpened his sword, he smeared its blade with poison and carefully placed it in its sheath then told his family he was going to Medina to ransom his son. When he reached Medina, he found the Prophet (sa) sitting in the Mosque. Omar immediately suspected Umair's intentions when he saw him wearing his sword and told some of the Ansar, who were nearby, to go and sit close to the Prophet (sa) and to be on their guard as he felt Umair was their enemy; a person not to be trusted. Umair concealed his intention under the guise of politeness and greeted the Prophet (sa) in the way Arabs usually greeted one another. The Prophet (sa) responded saying, "Allah has given us a better greeting than this Umair, it is 'peace' which is the greeting of the people of Paradise." Then the Prophet (sa) inquired about the nature of his visit so Umair told him that he had come on account of his son, so the Prophet (sa) asked why he wore a sword. Unexpectedly, Umair cursed the sword, exclaiming, "Have they done us any good!" The Prophet (sa) spoke gently to him, asking, "Tell me the truth Umair, why have you come?" Umair repeated his reason, then much to his astonishment, the Prophet (sa) informed him verbatim of the conversation he and Safwan exchanged in Mecca. Umair cried out, "Who has told you this, by Allah there were only two of us present −− no one else!" whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that Gabriel had informed him of their conversation. Umair was in awe of the Prophet (sa) and said, "We called you a liar when you brought us news of Paradise, praise be to Allah who has guided me to Islam. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger." It was a time for thanksgiving and the Prophet (sa) asked his companions to teach their new brother in Islam and to free his son. The light of guidance had certainly shed itself upon Umair. Sometime after, when he was more knowledgeable of Islam, he asked the Prophet (sa) for his permission to return to Mecca so that he might tell his family and friends. And so it was that Umair was blessed to guide many of his tribe to Islam, however, his one−time best friend, Safwan, refused to have anything to do with him and viewed him as a traitor. Such was the love of Umair for the Prophet (sa) that he could not bear to be away from him for long and so several months after his return to Mecca he and his family migrated to Medina.
AL AS, HUSBAND OF LADY ZAYNAB
Lady Zaynab had married Al As before the Prophet (sa) had been given the command to preach and as a wedding gift, her mother, Lady Khadijah gave her daughter a most beautiful necklace, her favorite necklace, one which she often wore. Much to Lady Zaynab’s dismay Al As had not been among the early converts to Islam and their relationship had not been as close as it had once been. When the Prophet (sa) migrated to Medina, Al As refused to allow her to migrate with her sisters and this had caused her to grieve. Then in more recent days, their relationship had become even more strained when Al As sided with his fellow tribesmen to fight against her beloved father, and now Al As found himself a captive in Medina. When Lady Zaynab learned of her husband’s capture she sent the necklace as part of the ransom to secure his release. However, when the Prophet (sa) caught sight of the necklace, he immediately recognized it as having once belonged to his dearly beloved wife Khadijah and tears of loving remembrance swelled up and flowed from his eyes then gently ran down his noble face as he softly said to his companions, “If you would like to let her have her captive husband and return the ransom you may do so.” The companions realized the significance of the necklace and were overcome with emotion whereupon the necklace, together with the ransom were returned to Al As and he was free to return to Mecca. When Al As returned to Mecca, he told Lady Zaynab that she and their young daughter were free to join her father. Lady Zaynab was delighted and started to make preparations for the journey. One day Hind, Utba's daughter happened to see her packing and asked whether she was leaving for Medina. Lady Zaynab was unsure whether to trust Hind so she replied with an evasive answer even though Hind offered to give her money as well as provisions for the journey. A month had now passed since the encounter, and so the Prophet (sa) asked Zayd, Haritha's son and a companion to journey to the valley of Yajaj, which lies eight miles out of Mecca, and wait for her there then accompany them onto Medina. The time to leave had arrived, and so her brother−in−law, Kinanah, brought her canopied camel for her and little Umama to ride and led the way out of Mecca with his bow in hand. When the Koraysh learned of Lady Zaynab's departure a party of them rode after her and finally caught up with them at a place called Dhu Tuwa. Habbar, Al Aswad's son was the first to approach and threatened her menacingly with his lance as she rode the camel. Kinanah armed his bow and cried out, "By Allah, if any one of you comes near us I will put an arrow through him!" The Koraysh knew Kinanah was in earnest and withdrew. Shortly afterwards Abu Sufyan arrived with several other Koraysh chieftains and asked him to disarm his bow so that they might talk things over and Kinanah agreed. Abu Sufyan rebuked Kinanah for taking Lady Zaynab out of Mecca in broad daylight for all to see and asked why he had done such a thing. "Didn't he know their predicament and might it not be taken as a further sign of humiliation and weakness on their part?" he asked him. Abu Sufyan told him that they did not want to keep her, however, she must return until things died down and then leave discreetly to join her father. And so, Lady Zaynab and Kinanah returned to Mecca and waited until the time was right, then set off once again on their journey to Yajaj where arrangements had once more been made for Zayd and his companion to accompany the holy family on to Medina.
v THE ELDERLY ANSAR AND ABU SUFYAN
In an attempt not to lose face among the Koraysh, Abu Sufyan continued to refuse to send money for his son's ransom. However, during the pilgrimage season of the following year, Abu Sufyan seized and elderly Ansar on his return to Medina from his pilgrimage and sent word that he would not release him until Amr was released. It was not an honorable act to capture one so elderly and without hesitation the Prophet (sa) agreed to the exchange and both were reunited with their families.
THE MARRIAGE OF LADY FATIMA
In the second year after the Migration, now referred to as Hijra 2, during the month of Dhul Hija, which equates approximately to the Christian era 623/624, Lady Fatima, daughter of the Prophet (sa) and Lady Khadijah, was married. Lady Fatima was now eighteen years of age and her father had made mention to his family that he thought Ali, who had been raised with her for many years, but now lived in a very modest house near the mosque, would be the most suitable husband for her. However, the issue had not been settled. Lady Fatima was not without suitors. Abu Bakr and Omar had both offered their hand in marriage but the Prophet (sa) deferred them saying he would wait until Allah clarified the matter. A few weeks after the Encounter at Badr, in which Ali had fought so bravely, the Prophet (sa) suggested that he might like to ask for Lady Fatima's hand in marriage. Ali had been too shy to come forward before now as he was very poor and did not consider himself to be in a position to offer Lady Fatima a worthy dowry and drew the Prophet's attention to it. The Prophet (sa) was touched by Ali’s humility and asked referring to a piece of armor he had won at the Encounter of Badr, "What have you done with 'Huttiyah'?" Ali replied that he still owned it, whereupon the Prophet (sa) said it was sufficient for his daughter's dowry. Ali's worldly possessions were indeed meager, all he owned was the piece of armor, a sheep skin and an old piece of Yemeni cloth that he used as a sheet. However, now that he had received encouragement from the Prophet (sa) he asked Lady Fatima for her hand in marriage in the presence of her father. It was customary in those days for brides−to−be not to answer her suitor if she was agreeable to his proposal, so Lady Fatima remained silent and Ali knew that his proposal had been accepted. Up until now, several schools of Islamic jurisprudence consider a prospective bride’s shy silence as an indication of acceptance to a proposal.
A HOME FOR THE BLESSED COUPLE
One of the Ansar, Haritha, Numan's son, owned many houses and had already given several of them to the Prophet (sa) who accepted them graciously and then given them to those in need. Lady Fatima knew of Haritha's generosity, and asked her father if it might be possible for him to also give them one. The Prophet (sa) was reluctant to press upon Haritha's generosity, however, when Haritha learned of Lady Fatima's forthcoming marriage he went immediately to the Prophet (sa) saying, "Whatever I have is yours. By Allah, whenever you accept any of my houses, it gives me greater pleasure than if I still owned them." Haritha's generous offer was accepted and Ali with his bride−to−be now had a home awaiting them. As a wedding gift, the Prophet (sa) gave his daughter and Ali a bed woven from Arkanda fiber. A leather mattress stuffed with soft palm leaves, a water−skin, two sets of mill stones with which to grind grain, and two earthenware pitchers. When the day of the marriage arrived, Lady Ayesha and Lady Umm Salama went together to prepare the house for the young couple and soft sand was brought then strewn over the floor. In celebration of the occasion, the Prophet (sa) requested that a ram be sacrificed and prepared in readiness for their guests. Grain, dates, figs and perfumed water were also brought to feed their guests. It was a very happy occasion and one that was well remembered for a long time afterwards. As the celebration drew to a close the Prophet (sa) arose and left whereupon the guests realized that it was also time for them to leave, but just before he departed he spoke to Ali telling him not to approach Lady Fatima until after he returned. The only person to remain behind was the faithful, long time family maid, Umm Ayman, who had consoled the Prophet (sa) upon the death of his mother nearly fifty years before, and she busied herself with tidying up after the guests had left. When the Prophet (sa) returned, Umm Ayman answered the door and he asked: "Where is my brother?" Umm Ayman was somewhat surprised and inquired, using an expression common to Arabs of that time, "May my father and mother be your ransom! O Messenger of Allah, who is your brother?" Whereupon the Prophet (sa) replied: "Ali, the son of Abu Talib." The reply puzzled Umm Ayman and she asked: "How can he be your brother, when you have just married your daughter to him?" "It is as I said," replied the Prophet (sa) and asked her to bring some water. Upon hearing the Prophet's voice Ali entered the room and sat down in front of him. Umm Ayman returned and gave the water to the Prophet (sa) whereupon he took a mouthful of water then returned it to the vessel. Then he dipped his hand into the vessel and sprinkled some water over Ali's shoulders, chest and arms. Then he called for his daughter and did the same, as he supplicated for blessings upon them both and upon their children.
0 comments:
Post a Comment