Prophet Muhammad, (sa) was not to be deterred by the ever growing resistance to the Message he brought, and continued his preaching, inviting all who would listen to Islam. However, he was deeply saddened, and concerned that many appeared to disbelieve him when he told them that what he brought was from Allah. Thereafter, Allah sent down the following verse that told the Prophet (sa) that it was not him they disbelieved, rather, it was the verses of Allah. “We know what they say saddens you. It is not you that they belie; but the harmdoers belie the verses of Allah.” Al-Quran, Chapter 6 verse 33
Such was their anger that a state of open hostilities began to emerge. Road blocks were set up along the routes leading into Mecca to warn pilgrims and traders not to listen to a man named Muhammad who claimed to be the Prophet of Allah and preached against their idols. However, the Koraysh miscalculated and the warnings served to arouse the curiosity of many travelers and actually helped spread the news of his arrival. There wasn't a visitor to Mecca who had not heard of the Prophet and when they returned to their homes in distant parts of Arabia and beyond they took with them the news the Koraysh had attempted to suppress, his name was about to become a household word; a topic of conversation. The Koraysh were angered by the Prophet's preaching on several counts. They hated the fact that he preached against their idols because the idols housed in and around Ka'ba attracted pilgrims by the thousands each year. Lucrative trades such as idol carving, fortune telling and their like played an important role in the economy of Mecca, and they didn't want the situation to change. However, the Sacred House together with its City had been created for the worship of the Creator, even before the creation of Adam and humanity. First the angels had built it, then, it was rebuilt later on by the jinn and restored by Prophet Abraham. There were also those steeped in the folklore of their idolatrous traditions, who, on account of pride, refused to acknowledge its value as being tantamount to nothing. To this sector, the fact that their forefathers had seen fit to practice and uphold the folklore was sufficient reason for them to continue in the same way. As such they were not prepared to question the authenticity of their heritage, rather, they chose to blindly defend the tradition their forefathers invented. Allah speaks about them in the Holy Al-Quran saying:
"When it is said to them: 'Come to that which Allah has sent down, and to the Messenger,' they reply: 'Sufficient for us is what we found our fathers upon,' even though their fathers knew nothing and were not guided." Al-Quran Chapter 5 verse 104
THE SUPPORT OF ABU TALIB
Although Abu Talib had not converted to Islam, he unconditionally offered his support and his love for his nephew remained unfaltering. Abu Talib would not entertain a word against him and was always his strong supporter whenever the need arose. One day, in desperation, a group of influential Koraysh approached Abu Talib to ask him to persuade his nephew to stop preaching against their idols, however, Abu Talib avoided giving a direct answer and did nothing. After a while the Koraysh realized their visit to Abu Talib had been unfruitful so they visited him yet again, but this time their visit was more forceful. This time they spoke harshly to him reminding him of his rank and honor saying, "Abu Talib! We have asked you to speak with your nephew yet you have not done so. We swear that we will neither allow our forefathers to be insulted, our ways rebuked, or our gods reviled. You must stop him or else we will fight both of you!" Having delivered their ultimatum they left in the same manner in which they had come. Abu Talib went straight away to the Prophet (sa) to report the alarming conversation and said, "O son of my brother, spare me and yourself, do not burden me with more than I can bear." Caringly, yet saddened by the request, the Prophet (sa) answered, "I swear by Allah, if they were able to give me the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left in exchange for my abandonment of this way before He has made it victorious, or I have died on account of it, I will never do so." Abu Talib could see the deep upset of the Prophet (sa) and how certain he was of his mission that he replied, "O son of my brother, go, say what you will, because, by Allah I will never abandon you on any account."
TUFAYL FROM THE TRIBE OF DAWS
Tufayl's tribe resided outside Mecca, he was a poet of high renown and as such had earned great respect from not only his own tribe but also that of others. It became necessary for Tufayl to journey to Mecca, so he set out on his journey to the City. As he neared Mecca he was stopped by a party of the Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh said disturbed him to the extent that upon reaching Mecca he plugged his ears tightly with cotton to protect and prevent him from hearing anything. When he reached Mecca, the familiar sounds of passersby and the market place were now silenced on account of the cotton placed firmly in his ears and he felt at ease. For many years it had been Tufayl's custom to visit the Ka'ba and circumambulate it before attending to business. As he entered the precincts of Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) to offer his prayer in a loud manner, and this prayer was no exception, yet Allah, allowed his quiet recitation to penetrate the cotton with which Tufayl had plugged his ears. Tufyal knew well the intricacies of the Arabic language and was captivated by the compelling beauty and rhythm of the verses. He had heard many poets recite most excellent poetry, but the composition and arrangement of these words with their message was quite the most beautiful and certainly unique. He had never heard anything that could be remotely compared to the verses he now heard. Suddenly, he remembered the warning, but Allah caused reason to prevail. Tufayl knew he was able to distinguish between right and wrong and realized that what he had just heard was anything but evil. After the Prophet (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh warned against him and how he had plugged his ears tightly with cotton so that he would be unable to hear him, yet, he had heard his beautiful recitation. Tufayl asked the Prophet (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Al-Quran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) to the great pleasure of Tufayl, proceeded to recite several more verses. As soon as the recitation had finished Tufayl could no longer restrain himself and converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Al-Quran and spoke about Islam to his family and tribesmen, but only his father and wife came into its fold. Tufayl was both very disappointed and angry that so few had accepted the invitation so he returned to the Prophet (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) spoke kindly to Tufayl, but rather than cursing his tribe he supplicated to Allah for their guidance and told him to return home, continue preaching and to be patient with their shortcomings. Tufayl obeyed the Prophet (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.
PRE−ISLAMIC CONDITIONS IN YATHRIB
Many generations before, no less than twenty−one Jewish tribes settled themselves in Yathrib and in the early days of their migration gained a reputation for their religious schools. However, over the passage of time the tribes dispersed and their numbers dwindled, leaving behind them just a fragment of people. Secularism was common although a religious minority still remained. The Jews were also well known for their business acumen through which they had amassed great wealth and in their hay−day they had once governed the City. After a devastating flood in Yemen, the Arab Yemeni tribe of Bani Kahtan left their homeland and settled in Yathrib. The Bani Kahtan divided themselves into two tribes named after two brothers −− Aws and Khazraj −− and over time their population grew and exceeded both that of the Jews and other Arabs. However, their was friction between the two tribes, disputes arose followed by blood feuds. All was not well within the Jewish community as corruption was rampant. There had been a sharp decline in morals most notably in one of their chieftains named Fityun. Fityun usurped his power in such a disgraceful manner that Arab brides−to−be were forced to sleep with him the night before their wedding whilst other Jewish leaders did nothing to prevent him from satisfying his lust, but that was soon to end. When the time came for the sister of Malik, Ajlan's son to be married, Malik felt ashamed of what was about to befall her. So, on the day before her wedding, his sister, dressed in her bridal gown, made her way to Fityun's house accompanied by her brother disguised as a female attendant. Before Fityun could take advantage of Malik's sister, Malik took him by surprise, killed him, then fled to the safety of the tribe of Ghassan in Syria whose chieftain was Abu Jabillah. When Abu Jabillah heard of the corrupt ways of the Jews he and his warriors were utterly outraged and set off with Malik back to Yathrib with the intent of putting matters right. Upon reaching Yathrib, Abu Jabillah honored the Arab chieftains with fine gifts and invited the Jewish leaders to join them in a feast. During the feast Abu Jabillah and his warriors overcame the Jewish leaders and all were slain. So it was from that time onward that the Jews lost the control of Yathrib and the tribes of Aws and Khazraj became the governors of Yathrib. Time passed and the Jews, in their weakened position, deemed it more prudent to ally themselves with the now stronger pagan Arab tribes of Aws and Khazraj. However, the Jews, considering themselves to be the chosen people of Allah, resented the fact that they were now beholden to pagan Arabs and all too often sharp words were exchanged. Many were the times they would taunt the Arabs with the news that a prophet was about to come and that Allah would slay them on account of their idolatry just as He had done to the people of Aad and Thamood. There were also other times when the religious Jews would speak to their allies about their religion; they told of their belief in One God and in the life after death. Their allies found the matter of being raised from the dead difficult to believe so the Jews told them that when the prophet came he would confirm the truth of the matter. The idea of the coming of a prophet aroused both the curiosity and also the apprehension of the Arabs of Yathrib, so they asked where he would appear and were told in the direction of their ancestral homeland, Yemen, which also lies in the same direction of Mecca.
THE FEUD
For many years there had been a feud between a certain Awsite and Khazrajite tribe, and as time passed more tribes, including the Jews of Yathrib, were drawn into the feud. Three battles had already been waged with losses on both sides and now a fourth was imminent, so in an effort to strengthen their position, the tribe of Aws sent a delegation to Mecca to ask the Koraysh to side with them against the Khazraj. While they were waiting for the decision, the Prophet (sa) went to the delegation and asked if they would like to hear something better than that which they were seeking. The delegation asked what he had in mind whereupon the Prophet (sa) told them about Islam and of his mission, then recited some verses of the Al-Quran. After he had finished the recitation, a young man named Iyas, Mu'adh's son, remembered the taunt of the Jews and got up and said, "By Allah, this is better than that which we were seeking!" Iyas' spontaneous outburst annoyed the leader of the delegation who picked up a handful of sand and threw it in his face saying, "That's enough! By my life, we came here seeking something other than this!" The young man became quiet and the Prophet (sa) left. Meanwhile, the Koraysh reached the decision that it was not in their best interest to take sides in the feud and so the delegation returned to Yathrib without their help and the battle of Bu'ath ensued. Not long after their return Iyas died, but as he lay on his deathbed those around him confirmed that his last words were spent in praise and exaltation of Allah, testifying to His Oneness. And so it was that, Iyas became the first person to die in Yathrib as a Muslim. It wasn't long after that traders and pilgrims returning from Mecca brought more news of the Prophet (sa) to Yathrib, the word spread quickly and soon the entire City was talking about him. The Jews listened intently to the reports and recognized the truth in the Prophet's preaching, but for the most part, they could not bring themselves to entertain the fact that he was the long awaited Prophet because he was not a Jew
THE FAILURE OF MECCANS TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF THE PROPHET
In these early days of Islam, those who opposed the Prophet (sa) and his message were blinded by their own arrogant, useless idolatrous traditions and pride. Yet strange as it may seem, when it came to taking solemn oaths or when they wished people to take them seriously, the Arabs preferred to swear by Allah rather than their pagan gods For many years the pagan, materialistic society suffered on every count. They received no benefit for their dedication to the idols and corruption abounded in every form. Women were treated as worthless human beings and seldom afford their rights, injustice, murder and thievery were, amongst other depravities, were rampant. Yet even as these sad, intolerable state of affairs persisted those who opposed the Prophet (sa) failed to recognize or admit that what the Prophet (sa), whom they had until recently, attested to having an honest and upright character, brought and practiced a much better, higher standard of life for all; a standard where justice and happiness prevailed. But more importantly they rejected the news that there was life after death where they would be held accountable for their disbelief in the Oneness of their Creator for which there is either eternal punishment or the unfailing eternal rewards of Paradise with its continuous peace and happiness. The fact of the matter was that they failed to recognize the true value of the Prophet (sa) both spiritually and materialistically.
ANGER AND RESTMENT
Anger and resentment towards the message th Prophet Muhammad (sa) brought continued to intensify in Mecca as the number of his followers began to increase. One day, inside the precincts of Ka'ba at the Hijr Ishmael, a group of unbelievers gathered and were indulging in slanderous remarks about the Prophet (sa) as he entered. However, he paid not attention and continued to make his way across to the Ka'ba where he kissed the Black Stone then proceeded to circumambulate the Ka'ba. The first time he passed by the Hijr Ishmael, the unbelievers shouted at him in a very disrespectful, degrading manner, the same occurred on his second and third round, but on the third round as they jeered and shouted their slanderous remarks he stopped and said: "O Koraysh, will you listen to me? Indeed, by Him who holds my soul in His Hand, I bring you slaughter." The unbelievers were silenced by this unexpected statement, and silence hovered like a heavy weight above the gathering. After a while the silence was broken by the one who had been the most venomous with his slander, and in a surprisingly gently tone he addressed Prophet Muhammad, (sa) saying, "Go on you way, father of Kasim, for by Allah you are not an ignorant fool." Soon the unbelievers began to regret their momentary weakness and vowed they would never allow a situation like that to be repeated.
ABU JAHL − THE FATHER OF IGNORANCE
Amr, Hisham's son, was an influential, power seeking young man of the Makhzum tribe. He was the grandson of Mughirah and nephew of Waleed, the now elderly chieftain of his tribe. Amr had amassed considerable wealth and was, to those who had not earned his anger, hospitable and had high hopes of becoming the next chief of the tribe so he erroneously viewed the Prophet (sa) as a possible threat to his future. Amr was also a man to be feared for he was known for his ruthlessness toward those who dared to cross his path, and that now included Prophet Muhammad, (sa) as well as his followers. Such was his hatred of the Prophet (sa) and his Message, and disregard for the next life, that he had been among those responsible for setting up the road−blocks into Mecca. When members of Amr's own tribe embraced Islam his outrage became so bitter that he persecuted them without mercy; it was because of this that Amr became known to the companions as "Abu Jahl" − “The Father of Ignorance” and his supportive wife “The Mother of all Ignorance”. One day, as the Prophet (sa) sat by himself outside the Ka'ba, Abu Jahl caught sight of him and ceased upon the opportunity to display his foul behavior. He went across to the Prophet (sa) and in an extremely abusive manner, insulted him in a very base manner, however, the Prophet (sa) was patient and did not allow himself to be provoked and went home. Arrogantly, Abu Jahl felt he had made a good impression on a party of Koraysh gathered near the Hijr Ishmael, and returned to them gloating in what he perceived to be triumph. Hamza, the young uncle of the Prophet, known for his gentle disposition despite the fact he had grown into a very strong man, had been away on a hunting expedition and had just returned to Mecca. As he entered the City Hamza was met by an elderly lady who had once served the now deceased, Abdullah, Judan's son, and told him of Abu Jahl's disgusting outburst. When Hamza learned of the abuse, raging anger swelled deep within his gentle being and he thundered towards the still gloating Abu Jahl and his gleeful comrades who were still gathered around the Hijr Ishmael. Upon seeing Abu Jahl, Hamza raised his hunting bow above Abu Jahl's head and struck him forcefully across his back saying, "How dare you. Would you insult him! Know that I am of his religion and swear what he swears. Strike me now if you can!" Those that had been seated rose up to join the others in support of Abu Jahl, but he chose not retaliate saying, "Let him alone, for by Allah, I reviled his brother's son in a crude manner." Such was Abu Jahl’s hatred for the Prophet (sa) and his message, that he was to die in disbelief. However, when the news of the Prophet’s birth reached him over forty years before, he had been so elated that he freed a female slave, and for this noble act, each Monday − the day on which the Prophet (sa) was born − Allah in His Mercy reduces his punishment in Hell. That same day Hamza went to the Prophet (sa) and embraced Islam. Now that Hamza had embraced Islam, the Koraysh were hesitant to continue with their vile behavior. They realized from now onwards they would have to answer to him for their actions, so they revised their tactics, for no one wanted to cross Hamza’s path.
0 comments:
Post a Comment