10. THE
POSITION OF THE ṢAḤĀBAH (3)
8. Those who emigrated in the period between the
battle of Badr and the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah, namely, between 17 Ramaḍān 2
AH/13 March 624 AH, and Dhū ‘l-Qi‘dah 6 AH/March 628 CE.
9.
The participants of the Pledge of Riḍwān (أهل بيعة الرضوان). In the
month of Dhū ‘l-Qi‘dah 6 AH/March 628 CE the Prophet (ﷺ) accompanied by 1400 Muslims including his
wife Ummu Salamah went to Makkah for ‘umrah (minor pilgrimage). They did
not carry weapons for fighting, except knives and swords needed and carried by
travellers. When they reached Dhū ’l-Ḥulayfah they changed their dress with
pilgrims ones to indicate that they were being in the state of iḥrām to
let others know that they were coming for ‘umrah, not to fight.
But the Makkan Quraysh and many other tribes opposed their coming and
completely blocked the road to Makkah. Two hundred horsemen tried to take the
Muslims by surprise, but missed them, as they followed a rocky way.
As several negotiations failed
the Prophet (ﷺ) sent
‘Uthman ibn ‘Affān who belonged to one of most powerful families in Makkah who
would be expected to protect him. He told Abū Sufyān and other chiefs that they
only wanted to perform ‘umrah and go back to Madinah. He also invited them
to Islam and told them that Islam would prevail, but they were inflexible, that
only ‘Uthman was allowed to perform the ‘umrah which he rejected.
As
there was rumour of the death of ‘Uthmān
the Muslims took a solemn pledge that they would stand firm to the death
in the cause of Truth, started by Abū
Sinān al-Asadī and Salamah ibn al-Akwa’. All of them pledged except Jad ibn
Qays who was of the hypocrites. When ‘Uthmān arrived, he also made the pledge.
For this occasion Allah revealed:
لَقَدْ
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ
مَا
فِي
قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا
(18)
Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers
when they gave their bay‘ah (pledge) to you
(O Muhammad) under the tree (Q.
48:18)
Eventually, a treaty was
made, called “The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah” (صلح الحديبية) where the Muslims postponed their pilgrimage to next year and
would stay for three days only, and peace for the two parties for ten years.
Whoever wanted to join any of the two parties was free to do so. Any figutive
from the Quraysh to Muhammad (ﷺ) he should be sent back to the Quraysh, but not vice versa.
Despite this double standard, this treaty was called by Allah “a manifest
victory”, and history proved it to be true.
10. Those who emigrated to
Madinah after the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah and before the conquest of Makkah. In
this period Amr Ibn al-‘Āṣ and Khālid ibn
al-Walīd came to Madinah to convert to Islam. Khālid’s brother al-Walīd had
invited him to Islam in his letter when he was doing the pilgrimage. Abū Hurayrah
(603–681 CE) migrated to Madinah with his mother. He had converted to Islam in
Makkah at the hand of al- Ṭufayl ibn ‘Amr before coming to Madinah when the Prophet
(ﷺ) was in the conquest of Khaybar in 7 AH. Amr
Ibn al-‘Āṣ and Khālid ibn al-Walīd were welcomed by the Prophet (ﷺ) who told them that by embracing Islam all
previous sins were forgiven. These two warriors later become the Prophet’s
generals.
The increase number of
converts in this period can be seen by comparing those joined the Prophet (ﷺ) in the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah, and the
conquest of Makkah, namely, from 1,400 to 10,000 men with about 8,600 men, over
six times increase within two years.
11. Those who converts to
Islam at the conquest of Makkah in 20 Ramaḍān 8 AH. Banū Bakr the ally of the
Quraysh attacked the Khuzā‘ah tribe who was the ally of the Prophet. Nawfal,
the chief of Banū Bakr chased and killed them, even in the sanctuary when blood
should not be shed. The Prophet (ﷺ) demanded the Quraysh to pay blood money for the victims of
Khuzā‘ah, to terminate their alliance with Banū Bakr, or to consider the truce
to have been terminated. Abū Sufyān was sent to Madinah to renew the treaty,
but failed.
With 10,000 fighters the Prophet
(ﷺ) marched towards Makkah on 10th
of Ramaḍān 8 AH. During his absence Abū Ruḥm al-Ghifārī was to dispose the
affairs of the Muslims in Madinah. Accompanied by the Prophet’s uncle
al-‘Abbās, Abū Sufyān came to the Prophet. The Prophet told him that it was
time for him to bear witness to the Oneness of Allah and his being His prophet.
Abū Sufyān begged him for pardon and forgiveness, and would convert to Islam.
At al-‘Abbās’s suggestion, the Prophet (ﷺ) proclaimed that whoever entered Abū Sufyān’s house, beside
entering the Holy Sanctuary and his own house, would be safe.
Several archenemies of Islam
at the conquest of Makkah were forgiven: Waḥshī who had killed the Prophet’s
uncle Ḥamzah and Hind who had chewed his liver; Habbār who had attacked and
killed the Prophet’s daughter when she was on her way to Makkah to Madinah; Ṣafwān
ibn Umayyah who had plotted to kill him, as well as Fūḍālah who had also
attempted to kill him while he was doing ṭawāf in the Holy Sanctuary.
Ummu Ḥakīm bint al-Ḥārith,
the wife of ‘Ikrimah accepted Islam. She told the Prophet (ﷺ) that her husband ‘Ikrimah had run away to
Yemen, fearing his persecution, and asked him to grant him amnesty. When he did, she looked for him
until she reached one of the coasts of Tihāmah, but he had already boarded a
ship. As one of the sailors said to him to say “there is none worthy of worship
but Allah,” he replied, "It is from this that I am fleeing." As they
spoke, Ummu Ḥakīm arrived started waving a cloth and shouted that the Prophet (ﷺ) had forgiven him. So, they came to the
Prophet. Before they arrived, the Prophet (ﷺ) had advised his people that ‘Ikrimah was coming, and not to
curse his father, Abū Jahl, as cursing would only hurt the living, and would
not reach the dead. His conversion to Islam pleased the Prophet. He promised
that every expense he bore opposing the Islam, he would spend double that
amount in the path of Allah, and every battle he fought opposing it, he would
fight double the number of battles in Islam. He participated in all the battles after his conversion to Islam. He was
sent by Abū Bakr to lead an army in Yemen, then he was sent to Syria. In the
battle Yarmūk in 15/636 70,000 fighters of the enemy were killed, whereas among
Muslims, there were 3,000 fighters fell martyrs. In this battlefield Ḥārith ibn
Hishām, ‘Ayyāsh bin Abī Rabī‘ah (cousin of Khālid ibn al-Walīd) and ‘Ikrimah
were wounded. Ḥārith cried for water. When it was brought to him, he saw ‘Ikrimah
looking at it. He asked the person to give water first to ‘Ikrimah, but when it
was brought to ‘Ikrimah, he saw ‘Ayyāsh looking at it. He told him to give it
first to ‘Ayyāsh. But when the water was
brought to Ayyāsh, he had died before drinking it. Then the person turned
toward ‘Ikrimah and Ḥarith to give them water, but both of them had passed
away.
12. Those who convert to Islam after the conquest of
Makkah. With the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (ﷺ) became the de facto ruler of
Arabia. Many people embraced Islam, even from distant places came to the Prophet
(ﷺ) proclaiming their conversion to Islam.
They were all considered ṣaḥābah, including children, and those who saw
him and in one occasion or another. Allah refers to it as follows:
إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ
وَالْفَتْحُ. وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا.
فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ
وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا (النصر:1-3)
When there comes to Help of Allah (to you, O
Muhammad against your enemies)
and the Conquest
(of Makkah). And you see the
people enter Allah’s
religion (Islam) in crowds. So,
glorify the Praises of
your Lord, and ask His
forgiveness. Verily, He is
the One Who Ever accepts
repentance
and Who forgives (Q. 110:1-3)
At this time more delegations came to the Prophet (ﷺ) in Madinah. For example: Bali Delegation
came in Rabī‘ al-Awwal 9 AH. They embraced Islam and stayed in Madinah. Their
leader Abū ‘l-Dubayb asked the Prophet (ﷺ) whether hospitality was rewarded by Allah. When the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed it, he asked about the stray
ewe. The Prophet (ﷺ) answered:
“It is either yours or your brother’s: otherwise it goes to the wolf.” When he
asked about the stray camel, he answered: “It is none of your business. Leave
it alone until its owner finds it.”
The Thaqīf delegation consisting of six people came to
Madinah. They would make a treaty between him and the Thaqīf, that they would
be allowed to commit fornication, drink wine, and deal with usury. They asked
him not to injure their idol al-Lāt or to perform the prayer. As the Prophet (ﷺ) rejected all of their requests, they
asked him that the destruction of al-Lāt not to be done by them, but by the
Prophet, which he accepted. The delegation of Banī Fazārah consisting of over
ten men came to embrace Islam and complain about the drought. To this the Prophet
(ﷺ) prayed for rain.
Five
days before the Prophet’s death he praised his companions (ṣaḥābah) the
Helper (al-Anṣār), the people o Madīnah, reminding people of their favour.
He said,
أُوصِيكُمْ بِالأَنْصَارِ
فَإِنَّهُمْ كَرِشِى وَعَيْبَتِى وَقَدْ قَضَوُا الَّذِى عَلَيْهِمْ وَبَقِىَ
الَّذِى لَهُمْ فَاقْبَلُوا
مِنْ مُحْسِنِهِمْ وَتَجَاوَزُوا عَنْ مُسِيئِهِمْ (رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِىُّ)
I admonish you to be good to Al-Anṣār (the
Helpers).
They are
my family and with them I found shelter.
They have acquitted themselves credibly of the
responsibility that fell upon them and now there
remains what you have to do. You should fully
acknowledge and appreciate the favor that they
have
shown and should overlook their
faults. (reported by al-Bukhārī)
The Prophet (ﷺ) knew that by the lapse of time the number
of the Anṣār would decrease, and again he wanted people to recognise and
appreciate their contribution to Islam. He said:
إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَكْثُرُونَ وَتَقِلُّ الأَنْصَارُ
حَتَّى يَكُونُوا كَالْمِلْحِ فِي الطَّعَامِ،
فَمَنْ
وَلِيَ مِنْكُمْ أَمْرًا يَضُرُّ فِيهِ أَحَدًا أَوْ يَنْفَعُهُ فَلْيَقْبَلْ مِنْ
مُحْسِنِهِمْ
وَيَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ مُسِيئِهِمْ» (رواه
البخاري).
The number of believers would increase, but the
number of Helpers (al-Anṣār) would decrease to
the extent that they would be among man as salt
in the food. So, he who among you occupies a position
of responsibility and is powerful enough to do harm
or good to the people, he should fully acknowledge
and appreciate the favor that these benefactors
have shown, and overlook their faults.
(Reported by
al-Bukhārī)
(CIVIC,
11 November, 2016)
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
تفسير الطبري (ت. 310 هـ(
تفسير القرطبى (ت. 671 هـ(
تفسير ابن كثير (ت. 774 هـ(
Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri. The Sealed
Nectar
Dr. Shauqi Abu Khalil. Atlas of the
Qur’ān.
ABU_HURAYRAH.htm
http://sohabih.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/ikramah-ra-bin-abi-jahal-accepts-islam.html
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