Shortly after this, the Prophet (sa) and his army set off for the second encounter at Badr with fifteen hundred riding camels and ten horses. It so happened that this time of year was also the time of Badr's annual fair, a time when merchants from all over Arabia journeyed there to sell their wares, and then, perhaps, continue onto Mecca to offer their pilgrimage. Such was the strength of the Muslim's faith that many of them, despite of the challenge that loomed over them, loaded their mounts with merchandise to sell or trade at the fair.
THE DILEMMA OF ABU SUFYAN
Abu Sufyan remained reluctant to set forth for Badr, however, the matter of honor or dishonor weighed heavily upon him. In an effort to keep face, whilst quite unaware of the fact that the Prophet (sa) had already departed from Medina, Abu Sufyan called upon the other chieftains saying, "Let us set out and journey for a couple of nights, and then return. If Muhammad has not already left he will soon learn that we went out to meet him and on account of not finding him we returned home. In this way it will be counted against him and for us!"
THE FAIR AT BADR
Prophet Muhammad (sa) and his companions reached Badr five days before Abu Sufyan and the Koraysh set out from Mecca. As there was no sign or news of Abu Sufyan, the Prophet (sa) and his men continued on to the fair where they not only traded and sold their wares, but also reported the fact that Abu Sufyan had failed to keep his part of the challenge. Abu Sufyan's failure was the main topic of conversation at Badr, and soon the traders that had journeyed from all over Arabia spread the news as they traveled homeward. It was a moral victory for the Prophet (sa) and disgrace fell upon Abu Sufyan and the Koraysh. Meanwhile, in Mecca the Koraysh chieftains chided Abu Sufyan for his lack of leadership, and told him that he should never have issued the challenge in the first place. Discontent was evident among the Koraysh and they became further committed to ridding themselves of the Prophet (sa) and his followers. As for the Muslims, they returned to Medina rejoicing in the blessings Allah had sent them. As the summer's heat intensified, the fourth year drew to a close and with it came a blessed month of peace.
THE FIFTH YEAR
The fifth year after the migration had just begun when news reached Medina that some of its neighboring tribes from the Ghatafan intended to raid their southern oasis. When the Prophet (sa) learned of the news he called upon four hundred of his followers and together they rode out to the plain of Najd in pursuit. However, they reached the plain after the Ghatafan had left.
THE BIRD AND THE ANT COLONY
One day on the expedition, the Prophet (sa) left his companions for a while. In his absence they found a red bird with two fledglings and caught them whilst their mother stood nearby flapping her wings in distress upon the sand. When the Messenger of Allah (sa) return he noticed the distraught mother bird and exclaimed, "Who has distressed this bird on account of its young −− return them to her." His mercy and respect for life was not restricted to humans for he was sent by Allah to be a mercy for all the worlds, and that included the animal kingdom. Then he noticed an ant−hill that had been set on fire and asked, "Who has set this on fire?" Meekly his companions replied that it was they that had done so whereupon the Prophet (sa) guided them telling them, "It is not right to torment with fire −− it is for Allah alone to punish with Fire."
THE CAMEL OF JABIR
On the return journey to Medina, the majority of the Prophet's companions rode on ahead whilst he and some of his close companions rode a distance behind to care for and ensure the safety of those who were unable to keep up. Jabir, whose father had been martyred at Uhud, had a camel that was old and so frail that it could not keep up with the others. It wasn't long until the Prophet (sa) caught Jabir up whereupon he inquired why he was not with the rest of his companions so Jabir mentioned the camel's condition. The Prophet (sa) asked Jabir to make his camel kneel and then dismount and he did the same. Then he asked Jabir to hand him his riding stick whereupon the Prophet (sa) gently prodded the old camel with it and told Jabir to remount. By the blessing of Allah, a miracle occurred and the camel's strength was revived to such a degree that it ran even faster than the Prophet's camel and they continued to ride together.
THE THREAT THE HEART OF FREEDOM
The sun had reached its height and so when the Prophet (sa) and his close companions reached a valley in which thorn trees grew, he decided they would rest and each sought the shade of a different tree. As the Prophet (sa) dismounted, he took off his sword and hung it upon a branch then lay down to rest and fell asleep. Shortly after, a Bedouin named Ghawrath, Al Harith’s son, came upon him, drew his sword and said in a voice that awoke him, "Do you fear me!" whereupon the Prophet (sa) answered calmly, "No". Ghawrath was surprised and demanded, "Who then will save you from me?" and the Prophet (sa) replied, "Allah," whereupon the Ghawrath’s sword fell from his hand to the ground. The Prophet (sa) picked it up and asked, "Now, who will save you from me?" Ghawrath was shaken by the turn of events and pleaded, "Be a good captor," whereupon the Prophet (sa) asked, "Will you bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that I am His Messenger?" Ghawrath answered, "No, but I promise that I will neither fight against you, nor will I join those who do so." The Prophet (sa) took Ghawrath at his word, for he was never oppressive, and let him go. Ghawrath was so struck by the leniency of the Prophet (sa) that upon his return to his tribe Ghawrath announced, "I have returned to you from someone who is the best of all mankind!"
THE COMPASSION AND GENEROSITY OF THE PROPHET (sa)
It was time to continue once more on their journey and as they rode the Prophet (sa) asked Jabir if he would sell him his camel. Jabir replied that he preferred to give it to him. The Prophet (sa) declined Jabir's offer telling him that he wished to buy it from him, so Jabir asked him to name his price. In jest, the Prophet (sa) told Jabir that he would buy it for a dirham. Jabir realized the jest and in the same tone replied, appreciating that the camel was no ordinary camel as it had been blessed, said that a dirham was insufficient. And so they continued until a price of forty dirhams was reached −− which was at that time equal to an ounce of gold −− and Jabir accepted. As they continued their journey, the Prophet (sa) asked Jabir if he was married. Jabir replied that he was and that his wife had been married before. Jabir was a young man and the Prophet (sa) inquired why he had chosen a mature lady rather than a girl of similar age. Jabir told the Prophet (sa) that the reason for his choice was that his mother had passed away and after the martyrdom of his father at Uhud he had become responsible for his seven young sisters, so he had chosen a motherly kind of lady for a wife who would help him to care for them. The Prophet (sa) was touched by Jabir’s noble decision and commended him for his choice. Medina lay but three miles away so the Prophet (sa) stopped at a place called Sirar and told Jabir of his intent to sacrifice some camels before entering the City. During the course of their conversation, the Prophet (sa) commented to Jabir that by now his wife would have learned that he was almost home and be preparing the house for him, beating the sand from the cushions. Jabir told him that they had no cushions to which the Prophet (sa) replied. "Allah willing, you will have some soon." The morning after their return, Jabir took his camel and made it kneel outside the door of the Prophet's house. The Prophet (sa) came out to greet him and asked him to leave the camel and go to the Mosque, and offer two units of prayer, which he did. After Jabir had offered his prayer, the Prophet (sa) instructed Bilal to weigh an ounce of gold, to which the Prophet (sa) −− as was his generous custom −− added some extra. Jabir was pleased and gratefully took the gold, but as he turned to go the Prophet (sa) called him back and told him to take the camel as a gift and keep the gold as well. There are many other such accounts that relate to the Prophet's generous and caring nature. In turn, his companions tried hard to emulate his fine example and it was through such fine examples that many a heart was reached and guided.
SALMAN OF PERSIA
Many years before the advent of Islam, Salman had been raised by his father to serve in the temples of Persia. As Salman grew he secretly started to challenge the validity of worshiping idols and started to search for the truth. There were two sects of good living people who did not worship the Persian idols that interested Salman but both claimed that they followed the teachings of Jesus, however, the doctrines were distinctively different. He listened to both sects and chose not to follow the one that preached the concept of the trinity as it occurred to him that worshiping three gods instead of One was very much akin to the pagan religions of Persia. He chose to follow the Nazarenes who taught the Creator was One and that Jesus was His prophet, not a god or His son, however, he hid his conversion from his father. Salman had many experiences in his search for the truth, and served several bishops. The first bishop was, however, corrupt who took from the poor and used the proceeds to satisfy his lusts, so he abandoned him in search of one more pious. He found a pious Nazarene bishop to teach him and served him for many years until his death. When he died Salman sought to serve another Nazarene bishop and was blessed to find one who was more knowledgeable and pious than the last.
BISHOPS OF 1400 YEARS AGO
The bishop spoke to him many times about a special prophecy of Jesus. Salman was taught that it was written in the Holy Scriptures that Prophet Jesus had foretold the coming of a new prophet who would be sent after him, and that he would appear in Arabia and went on to described the location of his appearance. As death approached the bishop, Salman asked if he knew of another bishop to guide him but the Nazarene bishop said he knew of none, however, he advised him to go in search of the city he described in Arabia.
BISHOPS OF TODAY
It seems strange that the bishops of 1400 years ago awaited the coming of Prophet Muhammad (sa). They knew his signs and even his birth−place, yet after his coming and their rejection they abandoned this prophecy so that they neither await the coming of the last Prophet of Allah (sa) nor even speak of it.
SALMAN ARRIVAL IN MEDINA
It was shortly after the death of the bishop that Salman's father learned of his son's conversion, in a burst of rage he had his son bound with rope so that he could not leave the house. Salman was a strong young man, and one day as he sat bound in his room news arrived that an Arab caravan was about to return to Arabia. It was the opportunity he had been waiting for so he summoned all his strength, broke loose from the ropes that bound him and went to them. When Salman met the leader of the caravan he offered him a herd of camels and all his wealth if he would take him with them, the deal was struck and so shortly thereafter he left with them. Just before the caravan reached Yathrib, as Medina was then called, the Arabs took not only Salman's camels and wealth but sold him into slavery to a Jew from the tribe of Krayzah. Salman was very disheartened by the turn of events until the Prophet's arrival in Medina. It was then that he was able to recognize that his circumstances had not been a misfortune, as he had previously thought, but a very great blessing of Allah to him, for he had unknowingly, and certainly not through his own planning, arrived at the place the bishop described to him and so it was that Salman converted to Islam. Salman did his best to follow the ways of Islam but it was difficult and it grieved him when he was unable to take part in the encounters of Badr and Uhud, but as he was a slave he had no choice but to remain behind. Salman seldom had a chance to meet his fellow Muslims as his owner made him work long hours in the fields and groves. He longed to be free and join his brethren and so one day he decided to go to his owner and asked how much he would need to buy himself out of his bondage. His owner demanded a very high price for his release −− no less than forty ounces of gold as well as three hundred planted date palms −− and he became very disheartened. One day, Salman was blessed to meet the Prophet (sa) and told him of his predicament. The Prophet (sa), who was deeply touched by Salman’s story, told Salman to write his owner an agreement, saying that he would pay the amount required in full. When the Prophet (sa) told his companions about Salman and asked them to donate as many date palms as they could, the companions responded generously. Some gave as many as thirty young palm tress, others twenty and so on until the required number was satisfied.
THE HUMILITY OF THE PROPHET (sa) WHO LABORED TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF HIS FOLLOWER
Now that the palms had been gathered, the Prophet (sa) told Salman to go and prepare the land in readiness to plant the young trees and that once he had finished he would plant the trees himself. The companions joined Salman in the preparation of the ground and together they dug the holes. When all was finished they told the Prophet (sa) so he returned with them to the grove and planted all but one of the trees. All the saplings flourished except for the one that had not been planted by him whereupon another sapling was planted. Prophet Muhammad (sa) had been given a nugget of gold −− about the size of a hen's egg −− and without a second thought gave it to Salman telling him to buy his freedom with it. Salman was concerned that the weight of the nugget would be insufficient and asked how much more gold would be necessary to complete the agreement. The Prophet (sa) supplicated to Allah, then took the nugget, put it in his
mouth, rolled his tongue around it, then gave it back to Salman saying: "Take it, and pay the full price with it." When the nugget was weighed, it weighed exactly forty ounces and Salman was released from captivity.
THE MARAUDERS OF DUMAT AL JANDAL
For sometime, caravans destined for Medina carrying merchandize and provisions for the Muslims from Syria had been attacked and plundered. The perpetrators were, for the most part, marauders from the tribe of Kalb, and the attacks were usually carried out in a place called Dumat al Jandal, an oasis that lay on the border of Syria. Another caravan destined for Medina had been robbed and it was clear that the marauders had no intention of ceasing their activities. It was time to take affirmative action and so with the intent of scattering the marauders and regaining their property, the Prophet (sa) together with a thousand Muslims sped in haste across the desert to Dumat al Jandal. The Prophet (sa) and his followers were well aware that news of their determination would spread swiftly throughout Arabia and that the desired message would reach its intended destinations.
A PATTERN OF LIFE EMERGES
Only a few years prior to Islam, each tribe had governed itself. There had been little or no unity among the many tribes except for the occasional alliance that lay dormant until a situation arose. Now, Arabs from every quarter of Arabia began to flock to Medina bringing with them diversified approaches. To an unbeliever, the situation might well have spelled internal disaster, however, Allah, in His Mercy united them all with one heart and sent down the verses:
" ... It is He who supported you with His victory and with believers, and brought their hearts together. If you had given away all the riches of the earth, you could not have so united them, but Allah has united them. He is Almighty, Wise.” Al-Quran 8:62−63
And so it was that Muslims from a multitude of different backgrounds now settled in Medina and put aside their differences. They were united as one under Allah and His Prophet (sa), for obedience to the Prophet (sa) is the same as being obedient to Allah. Each of the five obligatory daily prayers were offered in the Mosque and when Bilal called them to prayers, those able to attend made their way to join their brothers and sisters in the congregation. During the interval between the obligatory evening and night prayer the Prophet (sa) would encourage his companions to offer voluntary prayers informing them that, if Allah willed, it would increase their rank in Paradise. He would also expound the meaning of the verses of the Holy Al-Quran and speak of the many rewards of Paradise as well as the punishment of Hell. He never spoke upon religious matters without either receiving instructions from Allah via the Angel Gabriel or having been shown them in a vision. The sincere yearning of the companions to come closer to their Lord was evident as they spent many hours during the night worshiping Allah. Allah makes mention of these companions in the Al-Quran saying:
" ... whose sides forsake their couches as they supplicate to their Lord in fear and hope; who give in charity of that which We have given them. No soul knows what pleases the eye is in store for them as a recompense for what they used to do.” Al-Quran 32:16−7
THE VALUE OF THE REMEMBRANCE (ZIKR) OF ALLAH AND HIS PROPHET (sa)
Allah said:
“So remember Me. I will remember you. Give thanks to Me And do not be ungrateful towards Me.” Al-Quran 2:152
He also said:
“Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet. Believers, praise and venerate him And pronounce peace upon him in abundance.” Al-Quran 33:56
One day the Prophet (sa) asked his companions, “Is there anyone of you who has enough strength to do a thousand goods in a day?” The companions asked how this was possible, to which our beloved Prophet (sa) replied, ‘If you exalt Allah a hundred times, you will be recompensed with a thousand good deeds, or a thousand of your sins will be wiped away.” He also told them if they said, ‘Exalted is Allah, and to Him belongs all praise’ a date palm would be planted for the suppliant in Paradise. The companions were so grateful and delighted with the news that they would often exceed the number,
hoping for even greater rewards and forgiveness. The Prophet (sa) taught his companions that the example of one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead. The companions were overjoyed when he (sa) told them that Allah said, ‘I am to My worshipper as he imagines Me to be. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his mind, I remember him in Mine, and if he remembers Me in company, I remember him in better company.’ There were many poor people among the companions who grieved at not being able to be charitable like their richer brethren. One day the Prophet (sa) told his companions, “Shall I tell you what your best and purest deed is with your King that will raise your rank to the highest. One which is better for you than spending gold and silver, and is even better for you than if you should be engaged with the enemy and cut off their necks, and they cut off yours?” The companions anxiously replied, “Indeed, please tell us!” He replied, “It is the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted.”
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