25 March 2012

Battle of Mutah, 41 Inclination and desires
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Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Looking after Hamzah’s Daughter - 'Umarah
One day soon after the return to Medina, the Prophet* was woken from an afternoon siesta by the sound of a somewhat heated discussion. He recognised the voices of 'Ali, Zayd and Ja'far, and it was evident that they were all three at odds with each other. It was also evident that the more they argued, the further they were from reaching an agreement. Opening the door of the room he was in, he called them to him and asked what was the cause of their dispute. They exclaimed that it was a question of honour, as to which of them had most right to be the guardian of Hamzah's daughter, who had been in 'Ali's house ever since her arrival from Mecca. "Come to me," said the Prophet, "and I will judge between you." When they were all seated he turned first to 'Ali and asked him what he had to say for himself. "She is mine uncle's daughter," he said, "and it was I who brought her out from Mecca, and I have most right to her." The Prophet* then turned to Ja'far, who said: "She’s mine uncle's daughter, and her mother's sister is in my house." His wife Asma' was 'Umarah's maternal aunt. As to Zayd, he simply said "She is my brother's daughter," for the Prophet* had made the pact of brotherhood between Hamzah and Zayd when they first came to Medina, and Hamzah had made a testament leaving Zayd in charge of his affairs. There was no doubt that each of the three was convinced that he had the best right to the honour in question. So before pronouncing his judgement the Prophet* spoke words of praise to each one of them. It was then that he said to Ja'far: "Thou art like me in looks and in character."? Not until he saw that he had made each one of them happy did he voice his decision, which was in favour of Ja'far. "Thou hast most right to her," he said. "The mother's sister is as a mother." Ja'far said nothing, but rose to his feet and circled around the Prophet* with the steps of a dancer. "Ja'far, what is this?" said the Prophet. He answered: "It is that which I have seen the Abyssinians do in honour of their kings. If ever the Negus gave a man a good reason to rejoice, that man would rise and dance about him."

‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah and the whale (Rizq from Allah)
The invasion of Al-Khabt (diluted yoghurt) took place in the year eight Hijri i.e. before Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah led three hundred horsemen to observe a caravan belonging to Quraish. Because of the inadequacy of food supplies, they began to starve so much that they had Khabt (diluted yoghurt), hence the appellation "The Army of Al-Khabt". One of the men slaughtered nine camels at three times, three each time at different stages of the mission. Abu ‘Ubaidah, the leader of the campaign prohibited him from doing so as they didn't have the means to pay back for the camels. Their rations became one date per day and they realised the value of this when the dates ran out! The sea was generous and presented them with an animal called Al-‘Anbar (sperm- whale) so rich in fat that they subsisted on it for half a month. Abu ‘Ubaida got the tallest person to ride standing up on the tallest camel and yet he could not touch to arched rib bone of the whale. When they came back home, they narrated the story to the Prophet* , who commented that it was provision granted by Allah, and asked them to share him some of its meat. This campaign came chronologically prior to Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty because of and after which the Muslims stopped intercepting Quraishi caravans.

The Battle of Mu'tah
It was the most significant and the fiercest battle during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah*, a preliminary and a prelude to the great conquests of the land of the Christians. It took place in Jumada Al-Ula 8 A.H. / September 629 A.D. Mu'tah is a village that lies on the borders of geographical Syria. The Prophet* had sent Al-Harith bin 'Umair Al-Azdi on an errand to carry a letter to the ruler of Busra. On his way, he was intercepted by Sharhabeel bin 'Amr Al-Ghassani, the governor of Al-Balqa' and a close ally to Caesar, the Byzantine Emperor. Al-Harith was tied and beheaded by Al- Ghassani. Killing envoys and messengers used to be regarded as the most awful crime, and amounted to the degree of war declaration. The Prophet* was shocked on hearing the news and ordered that a large army of 3000 men be mobilized and despatched to the north to discipline the transgressors. It was the largest Muslim army never mobilized on this scale except in the process of the Confederates Battle.
Zayd bin Haritha was appointed to lead the army. Ja'far bin Abi Talib would replace him if he was killed, and 'Abdullah bin Rawaha would succeed Ja'far in case the latter fell. A white banner was raised and handed over to Zayd. The Prophet* recommended that they reach the scene of Al-Harith's murder and invite the people to profess Islam. Should the latter respond positively, then no war would ensue, otherwise fighting them would be the only alternative left. He ordered them: "Fight the disbelievers in the Name of Allah, neither breach a covenant nor entertain treachery, and under no circumstances a new-born, woman, an ageing man or a hermit should be killed; moreover neither trees should be cut down nor homes demolished." At the conclusion of the military preparations, the people of Medina gathered and bade the army farewell. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha began to weep at that moment, and when asked why he was weeping, he swore that it was not love for this world nor under a motive of infatuation with the glamour of life but rather the Words of Allah speaking of Fire that he heard the Prophet* reciting: "There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished." [19:71]
The Muslim army then marched northward to Ma'an, a town bordering on geographical Syria. There news came to the effect that Heraclius had mobilized a hundred thousand troops together with another hundred thousand men of Lakham, Judham and Balqain - Arabian tribes allied to the Byzantines. The Muslims, on their part had never thought of encountering such a huge army. They were at a loss about what course to follow, and spent two nights debating these unfavourable conditions. Some suggested that they should write a letter to the Prophet* seeking his advice. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha was opposed to them being reluctant and addressed the Muslims saying: "I swear by Allah that this very object which you hold in abhorrence is the very one you have set out seeking, martyrdom. In our fight we don't count on number of soldiers or equipment but rather on the Faith that Allah has honoured us with. Dart to win either of the two, victory or martyrdom." In the light of these words, they moved to engage with the enemy in Masharif, a town of Al-Balqa', and then changed direction towards Mu'tah where they encamped. The right flank was led by Qutba bin Qatadah Al-'Udhari, and the left by 'Ubadah bin Malik Al-Ansari. Bitter fighting started between the two parties, three thousand Muslims against an enemy fiftyfold as large.
Zayd bin Haritha, the closest to the Messenger's heart, assumed leadership and began to fight tenaciously and in matchless spirit of bravery until he fell, fatally stabbed. Ja'far bin Abi Talib then took the banner and did a miraculous job. In the thick of the battle, he dismounted, hamstrung his horse and resumed fighting until his right hand was cut off. He seized the banner with his left hand until this too was gone. He then clasped the banner with both arms until a Byzantine soldier struck and cut him into two parts. he was posthumously called "the flying Ja'far" or "Ja'far with two wings" because Allah has awarded him two wings to fly wherever he desired there in the eternal Garden. Al-Bukhari reported fifty stabs in his body, none of them in the back. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha then proceeded to hold up the banner and fight bravely on his horseback while reciting enthusiastic verses until he too was killed.
Thereafter, a man, from Bani 'Ajlan, called Thabit bin Al-Arqam took the banner and called upon the Muslims to choose a leader. The honour was unanimously granted to Khalid bin Al-Waleed, a skilled brave fighter and an outstanding strategist. It was reported by Al-Bukhari that he used nine swords that broke while he was relentlessly and courageously fighting the enemies of Islam. He, however, realizing the grave situation the Muslims were in, began to follow a different course of encounter, revealing the super strategy-maker, that Khalid was rightly called. He reshuffled the right and left flanks of the Muslim army and introduced forward a division from the rear in order to cast fear into the hearts of the Byzantine by deluding them that fresh reinforcements had arrived. The Muslims engaged with the enemies in sporadic skirmishes but gradually and judiciously retreating in a fully organized and well-planned withdrawal.
The Prophet*received instant news of the battle through the Angels. As the Prophet*described the battle the tears were flowing down his cheeks, and when the time came for the prayer he led it and immediately withdrew from the Mosque instead of turning to face the congregation as was his wont. He did the same again at sunset, and yet again after the night prayer.
Meantime he had been to the house of Ja'far. "O Asrna'," he said, "bring me Ja'far's sons." With some misgivings at the gravity of his face she fetched the three boys. The Prophet*kissed them, and then again his eyes filled with tears and he wept. "O Messenger of God," she said, "dearer than my father and my mother, what makes you weep? Hath news reached thee of Ja'far and his companions?" "Even so," he said. "They were struck down this day." She uttered a cry of lamentation, and women hastened to her side. The Prophet*returned to his house, and ordered food to be prepared for the family of Ja'far during the next days. "Their grief doth busy them", he said, "beyond caring for their own needs." Umm Ayman and Usamah and the rest of Zayd's family were in his house. He had already condoled with them; and as he returned, Zayd's little daughter came out into the street in tears, and seeing him she ran into his arms. He now wept unrestrainedly, and as he clasped the child to him his body shook with sobs. Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah happened to pass by at that moment and searching in himself for words of comfort, he murmured: "O Messenger of God, what is this?" "This," said the Prophet*, "is one who loveth yearning for his beloved." That night the Prophet*had a vision of Paradise, and he saw that Zayd was there, and Ja'far and 'Abd Allah and the other martyrs of the battle; and he saw Ja'far flying with wings like an Angel. At dawn he went to the Mosque; his Companions sensed that the weight of his sorrow had left him; and after the prayer he turned as usual to face the congregation. Then he went again to Asrna', to tell her of his vision; and she was greatly consoled.
The Byzantines, seeing this new strategy, believed that they were being entrapped and drawn in the heart of the desert. They stopped the pursuit, and consequently the Muslims managed to retreat back to Medina with the slightest losses. The Muslims sustained twelve martyrs, whereas the number of casualties among the Byzantines was unknown although the details of the battle point clearly to a large number. Even though the battle did not satisfy the Muslims' objective, namely avenging Al-Harith's murder, it resulted in a far-ranging impact and attached to the Muslims a great reputation in the battlefields. The Byzantine Empire, at that time, was a power to be reckoned with, and mere thinking of antagonizing it used to mean self-annihilation, let alone a three-thousand-soldier army going into fight against 200,000 soldiers far better equipped and lavishly furnished with all luxurious conveniences. The battle was a real miracle proving that the Muslims were something exceptional not then familiar. It is said that only 12 Muslims died in the battle.

Hadith 41 (of Nawawi's Forty Hadith)
Hadith 41: Inclinations and Desires according to Islam
Abu Muhammad 'Abdullah bin Amr bin al-'As reported that the Messenger of Allah*, said: "None of you (truly) believes until his desire or inclination is in accordance with what I have brought or subservient to what I came with." [al-Maqdidsi]
This hadith is similar to His statement   "But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith [Iman] until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them" [Surah an-Nisaa', 65].   In Surah al-Ahzab Ayah 36, Allah says: It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision.
The reason for the revelation of the first ayah, as related by al-Bukhari, was as follows :  Az-Zubair had a quarrel with a man from amongst the Ansar over the use of water from a stream, so they both went to the Messenger of Allah* for judgement between them. So he* said: "O Zubair, irrigate your land and then let the water flow to [the land of] your neighbour." Through this, he* encouraged az-Zubair to pardon his neighbour and to make affairs easy for him. However, the Ansari then said : "[You have judged in his favour] because he is the son of your uncle". So the colour of the face of the Messenger of Allah* changed [from anger], and he said : "O Zubair, hold back the water [in your land] until it rises to the level of the stems [of the trees], and then let it flow [to your neighbours land]". And by this the Messenger of Allah* indicated to az-Zubair the means by which the Ansari could be corrected from his error [of not submitting to the judgement of the Prophet*].
And it has been authenticated from the Prophet* in another hadith that he* said : "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, none of you believes until I am more beloved to him than his father or child or the whole of mankind". Abu az-Zinaad said that this is from the Comprehensive Speech of the Prophet*, as he has combined in these few, simple words great meaning and import. This is so since the types of Love are three: the Love which arises from a feeling of respect and greatness, such as the Love of ones parents; the Love which arises from compassion and mercy, such as the Love of ones child; and the Love which arises from seeing in another [person] traits which are similar to ones own, such as the Love of the whole of mankind in general. Thus all the types of Love have been enumerated [by the Prophet* in this hadith].
And the import of the hadith is that one must not surrender ones soul to [any person] other than the Messenger*. And the Companions used to be alongside the Prophet* in fighting their own fathers and sons and brothers [who were polytheists], and Abu 'Ubaydah killed his own father due to his harming the Messenger of Allah*. And on the Day of Badr, Abu Bakr faced his own son, 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan, in the hope that he would be able to overcome him and kill him. So whosoever finds similar to this in his self then he can be assured that his desires are subservient to that which the Prophet* brought.
It is an obligation on every single believer to love what Allah loves and to hate what Allah hates to a degree that will motivate them to fulfill his or her obligations. If that love is increased above the level which will lead to fulfilling the preferable acts (mandoub), this is considered an additional preferable level. At the same time, he should hate or dislike what Allah hates or dislikes to the extent that will lead him to avoid all the prohibitions. If that level leads him to avoid what needs to be avoided, then that is an additional level that Allah will reward him for.
In the two Sahihs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim it is related that the Prophet*, said: "None of you will be truly a believer until I become more beloved to him than himself, his children, his family, and all the people." The true love necessitates that one has to follow whatever has been commanded by Allah and the Prophet*, as stated in Surah al-Imran Ayah 31-32: Say (O Muhammad*): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Say (O Muhammad*): "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers.
The true believer is one who loves Allah and the Prophet*, truly and sincerely from his or her heart, and loves whatever Allah loves and whatever the Prophet*, loves, and hates whatever Allah hates and whatever the Prophet*, hates or dislikes. This love will lead him to act in accordance with these likes and dislikes. If someone acts in a different way, the obligatory love to Allah and the Prophet*, is not complete and has a defect. In this case, he has to repent and do his best to fulfill all the obligatory levels to achieve complete love to Allah and towards His Prophet*. All the sins or disobedience that take place as a result of desires happen because self-desire is given a higher degree or outweighs the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet*. Allah attributes this in the Qur'an to the disbelievers. In Surah al-Qasas Ayah 50, Allah says: But if they answer you not, then know that they only follow their own lusts. And who is more astray than the one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah?
Allah also commanded one of his Prophets not to follow his desires. In Surah Saad Ayah 26, Allah says: And follow not your desire, for it will mislead you from the Path of Allah. Allah has made restraining desires one of the conditions to be fulfilled in order to enter Paradise. Allah says in Surah al-Nazi'at Ayah 40-41: But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode.
Anyone who does anything that contradicts with the Message that Allah sent His Prophet*, with and violates any of the instructions or prohibitions, is a person who is following his own desires. It should be noted that desire has to do with likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes are not the main goal. Scholars say that the main point here is not to be influenced by those likes or dislikes. If someone likes something that violates the shari'ah, this person is following his own desires. If that person is influenced by those likes or dislikes, this will lead to an act. The act will lead to forms of actions which either pleases or displeases Allah. In both cases, the person has full responsibility and accountability. The responsibility and accountability are not for the likes or dislikes. They are for what the likes or dislikes lead him to. It is known that following the desires is the reason behind many evil acts and it is also the basis for bid'ah (heresy). When someone follows his desires without evidence or truth, this will lead him to fall into bid'ah easily. And those who are misled by their desires are the first to follow misconceptions, as stated by many scholars. Whenever there is a misconception they easily fall into problems or troubles.
Muslims must be sincere in their efforts to fight self-desires. The issue is not to like or dislike but what the result of this likes or dislikes is. For instance, if someone is sleeping before dawn in the early morning and then he hears the call for Fajr prayer but is too lazy or sleepy to wake up to perform the salah, this is considered following his self-desires. Everyone likes to sleep but the problem is the result of this leads us to delay or miss the Fajr prayer ( a wajibat). Another example is food. There are many things that we can eat but if they are not halal, we have to refrain from consuming them. A third example is the love of money. To like money is one thing but to be misled by money is a problem because this will lead the heart to be enslaved to money and the worldly life. This explains why the scholars say that committing sins is actually a result of desires. We should make the shari'ah as the judging authority for everything we do. Before we do something, we should ask ourselves: Is this act based on a sound reason? If the answer is not, then we are following the desires. This is why Allah labels the Qur'an as Al-Furqan or as the criterion that distinguishes what is right and what is wrong.
Tips to Control your Desires
There are signs of following desires. One of the signs is neglecting or turning away from seeking beneficial 'ilm (the needed knowledge of Islam). Another sign of following desires is turning one's back from the guidance that the Prophet*, has come with. One scholar mentions that the objective of shari'ah is to keep Muslims away from desires so that the believer will be a servant to Allah willingly and become an honest servant of Allah. He also states that following one's desires with regard to the rulings of shari'ah is a problematic issue where a person might use tricks to fulfill his desires, using deception in order to evade the rulings of shari'ah. With regards to how one can control and deal with one's desires, firstly Al-Imam Al-Shatibi says that the main thing is to make the law of shari'ah and its rulings as a judging authority that every Muslim should respect, appreciate, and comply with. Secondly, some other scholars mention feeling Allah's presence, seeking knowledge, and the continuance remembrance of Allah are the ways of controlling self-desires. Thirdly, Imam Ibn Qayyim mentions about 50 ways of dealing with self-desires. Even those who are already influenced by self-desire can use any of these ways to get rid of their self-desires. He mentions this in his book Rawdat al-Muhebin (Garden of Lovers). The following are 15 selected ways:
1. Strong resolution.
2. Patience.
3. Self-courage.
4. Considering consequences.
5. Reflecting that Muslims have been created for a great mission which cannot be fulfilled except by controlling one's desires.
6. Not to be enslaved by self-desires.
7. To know that Satan is the enemy that gets through the servants of Allah. Satan uses desires to influence people.
8. To know that following self-desires will lead to someone's destruction and punishment by Allah.
9. To know that fighting desires by making an effort in order not to be influenced by the desires is one of the greatest forms of jihad. Fighting desires is the essential message of Islam. Muslims are required to make every effort to adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah.
10. To know that the one who lets the desires take over and lead him will spoil his intellectual opinion.
11. To know that following desires will weaken the eagerness for performing good deeds. The opposite is also true in this case - that is, not following desires leads to strengthening one's motivation to perform good deeds.
12. To know that not being misled by desires will lead to the honour in this life and the Hereafter.
13. To know that following desires is the main cause of the spiritual heart disease and the remedy of the disease is to not follow desires. We have to make jihad to fight desires otherwise we will not be able to fight our enemies.
14. To know that seeking knowledge and feeding it by performing the preferable acts will strengthen one's faith.
15. To know that we need to be enlightened by the Qur'an and Sunnah. This requires us to make the effort to recite the Qur'an in order to know the meaning and the wisdom behind the ayahs.

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4 March 2012

Khaibar (part 4) and Safiyyah and Hadith 38: Drawing Nearer to Allah

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Umm ul-Muhminin Safiyyah: The Jewish Wife of Muhammad

Among the captives taken as a result of Kinanah's hiding the treasure was his widow Safiyyah, the daughter of that Huyayy who had persuaded the Bani Qurayzah to break their treaty with the Prophet, and who had been put to death with them after the Battle of the Trench. She was seventeen years old and had only married Kinanah a month or two before the Prophet*set out from Medina. Safiyyah was of a deeply pious nature. From her earliest years she had heard her people talk of the Prophet*who was soon to come, and this had filled her imagination. Then they had spoken of an Arab in Mecca, a man of Quraysh, who claimed to be that Prophet; and then came the news that he had arrived at Quba'. Safiyyah was the daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab, the undisputed leader of the Banu al-Nadir as well as a Jewish rabbi. Saffiyah says, "I was my father's and my uncle's favourite child. When the Messenger of Allah came to Medina and stayed at Quba, my parents went to him at night and when they looked disconcerted and worn out. I received them cheerfully but to my surprise no one of them turned to me. They were so grieved that they did not feel my presence. I heard my uncle, Abu Yasir, saying to my father, 'Is it really him?' He said, 'Yes, by Allah'. My uncle said: 'Can you recognize him and confirm this?' He said, 'Yes'. My uncle said, 'How do you feel towards him?' He said, 'By Allah I shall be his enemy as long as I live.'" That was when she was a child of ten. It was clear from what they said that they believed the newcomer to be the promised Prophet, but that they intended to oppose him; and her young mind was puzzled.

Soon after her marriage, and not long before the Prophet*arrived in front of Khaibar, she had had a dream. She saw a brilliant moon hanging in the sky, and she knew that beneath it lay the city of Medina. Then the moon began to move towards Khaibar, where it fell into her lap. When she woke she told Kinanah what she had seen in her sleep, whereupon he struck her a blow in the face and said: "This can only mean that thou desirest the King of the Hijaz, Muhammad." The mark of the blow was still visible when she was brought as captive to the Prophet. He asked her what had caused it, and she told him of her dream. Now Dihyah 1 of the Bani Kalb, who had entered Islam shortly after Badr, had asked that Safiyyah should be given him as his share of the booty of Khaibar, or as part of his share, and the Prophet*had agreed; but on hearing her dream he sent to Dihyah and told him he must take her cousin instead. He then told Safiyyah that he was prepared to set her free, and he offered her the choice between remaining a Jewess and returning to her people or entering Islam and becoming his wife. "I choose God and His Messenger," she said; and they were married at the first halt on the homeward march.

This significant act of marrying Safiyyah was indeed a great honour for her, for this not only preserved her dignity, it also prevented her from becoming a slave. The marriage to Safiyyah has a political significance as well, as it helps to reduce hostilities and cement alliances. Safiyyah, relates those moments when she hated the Prophet*for killing her father and her ex-husband. The Prophet*apologized to her saying, "Your father charged the Arabs against me and committed heinous act," he apologized to the extent that made Safiyyah get rid of her bitterness against the Prophet.

The Prophet's Attitude Towards Safiyyah: The Prophet*used to treat Safiyyah with courteousness, gentleness and affection. Safiyyah said, "The Messenger of Allah went to Hajj with his wives. On the way my camel knelt down for it was the weakest among all the other camels and so I wept. The Prophet*came to me and wiped away my tears with his dress and hands. The more he asked me not to weep the more I went on weeping.

Factors helping the Prophet*win in Khaibar

The gates of the forts of Khaibar were opened and the Jewish tribes surrendered before the army of Islam under certain special conditions. However, it should be seen as to what were the factors responsible for this victory and they are of course the distinguished points of this episode. This remarkable victory of Muslims was the consequence of military planning (encamping, use of weaponry, structured attack on the forts one by one) and getting usable intelligence (sending scouts to Khaibar beforehand, interrogating the arrested people and finding out about the water stores and hidden weapons).

Arrival of Jafar from Abyssinia

Before proceeding to Khaibar the Prophet*sent 'Amr bin Umayyah to the court of the Negus. The purpose of sending his envoy to the Ethiopian court was that he should convey a message of the Prophet*to the King of Ethiopia and ask him to provide facilities for the departure of all the Muslims residing in Ethiopia. The Negus arranged two boats for them. The boats of the Muhajirs cast the anchor on the coast near Medina. The Muslims came to know that the Prophet*had proceeded to Khaibar and they also arrived in Khaibar without any delay. The travellers of Ethiopia arrived at the time when all the forts had been conquered. The Prophet*took sixteen steps forward to receive Ja'far bin Abu Talib, kissed his forehead and said: "I don't know for which thing I should be more happy-whether for that I have met you after so many years or for that Allah has opened the forts of the Jews for us through your brother Ali" .

Abu Hurairah becomes a Muslim

His is the foremost name in the roll of hadith transmitters. Next to him comes the names of such companions as Abdullah the son of Umar, Anas the son of Malik, Umm al-Mumininin Aishah, Jabir ibn Abdullah and Abu Said al-Khudri all of whom transmitted over a thousand sayings of the Prophet*. It is after Khaibar that he became a Muslim. Afterwards,  much of Abu Hurayrah's time would be spent in spiritual exercises and devotion to God. Qiyam al-Layl staying up for the night in prayer and devotion - was a regular practice of his family including his wife and his daughter. He would stay up for a third of the night, his wife for another third and his daughter for a third. In this way, in the house of Abu Hurayrah no hour of the night would pass without ibadah, dhikr and Salat.

Forgiving the vanquished

When great and pious persons are victorious they show love and kindness to their vanquished and helpless enemies. As soon as the enemy surrenders they show indulgence to him and refrain from taking revenge and from nursing a grudge against him. After the conquest of Khaibar the great leader of the Muslims showed kind sentiments to the people of that place (notwithstanding the fact that they had spent large sums of money to instigate the idolatrous Arabs to rise against him and had subjected Medina to attack and possible fall) and conceded their demand that they might stay on in Khaibar and continue to possess the lands and trees of that area subject to the condition that they would pay half of the produce to the Muslims.

The Prophet*could put all of them to sword or expel them from Khaibar or compel them to embrace Islam. The Prophet*did not do any such thing, but granted them complete asylum, and allowed them to follow the principles, rules, regulations and ceremonies of their religion. If the Prophet*waged war against the Jews of Khaibar it was on account of the fact that Khaibar and its residents were the centre of danger for Islam and always collaborated with the idolaters to topple down the newly established Government / State of the Muslims. The Prophet* took jizyah from them it was for the reason that they enjoyed security under the Islamic State and it was obligatory upon the Muslims to protect their lives and property. And according to minute calculations the taxes which every Muslim was obliged to pay the Islamic Government, exceeded the jizyah which the Jews and the Christians were required to pay. The Muslims had to pay zakat and khums and at times they had also to make payments out of their net property to meet the needs of the Islamic Government. As compared with this the Jews and the Christians, who lived under the banner of Islam and enjoyed collective and individual rights, had to make payments, like the Muslims, by way of jizyah, for the security of this banner. The imposition of Islamic jizyah is something different from taking tribute.

The Jews are expelled from Khaibar

The excesses of the Jews were not confined to these incidents and they harassed the Muslims every now and then with their different schemes. Eventually, during the Khilafah of Umer, his son Abdullah, who had gone to Khaibar along with some other persons to conclude an agreement was tortured by the Jews. The Caliph came to know about the incident and thought of solving the problem. Then, relying on a tradition of the Prophet*which had been quoted by some persons, he said to the companions of the Prophet: "Whoever has to realize a debt from the people of Khaibar should realize it, for I am going to give orders that they should leave this place". Soon afterwards the Jews of Khaibar were banished from there on account of repeated excesses committed by them and they left the Peninsula. Their Jewish descendants tried to forge documents later showing that they were exempt from Jizyah – but these were proven to be forged.

Hajjaj gets his money from Mecca

A merchant named Hajjaj bin 'Ilat was present in Khaibar. He had trade dealings with the people of Mecca. The grandeur of Islam and the affection and kindness shown by the Prophet*to this obstinate nation (i.e. the Jews) enlightened his heart and he came to the Prophet*and embraced Islam. Then he drew up a plan to realize his dues from the people of Mecca. He entered the city of Mecca through a gate and saw that the chiefs of Quraysh were awaiting news and were very much anxious about the developments at Khaibar. All of them encircled his camel and enquired impatiently about the condition of Muhammad. He replied: "Muhammad has suffered an unparalleled defeat and his companions have been killed or captured. He himself has been captured and the chiefs of the Jews have decided to bring him to Mecca and to execute him before the very eyes of Quraysh". This false report pleased them immensely. Then he turned to the people and said: "In view of this good news I request you to pay me my dues as early as possible so that I may go to Khaibar earlier than other merchants and may purchase the slaves". The duped people paid him his dues in a very short time.

The circulation of this news extremely upset Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet, and he desired to meet Hajjaj. He, however, winked at Abbas which meant that he would let him know the real facts later. A short time before his departure he met the Prophet's uncle secretly and said: "I have embraced Islam and I chalked out this plan only to realize my dues. The correct news is that on the day on which I left Khaibar all the forts had been conquered by the Muslims and the daughter of their leader named Huyyay bin Akhtab (Safiyyah) had been captured and had become a wife of the Prophet. Please make these facts known to the people after three days of my departure".

After three days Abbas put on his best dress, scented himself with the costliest perfume and entered the mosque with a staff in his hand and began to go round the Ka'bah. Quraysh were surprised to see the dress of Abbas which displayed his joy and happiness, because they thought that, in view of the calamity which had befallen his nephew, he should have worn a dress of mourning. He, however, relieved them of their surprise by saying: "The report which Hajjaj furnished you was a clever device to realize his dues. He has embraced Islam and he had left Khaibar when Muhammad had gained the greatest victory, and the Jews had been disarmed and some of them had been killed and others had been made captives". The chiefs of Quraysh became very sad on hearing this news and soon afterwards they heard the same thing (from other sources as well).

Nawawi's Forty Hadith
Hadith 38: Drawing Nearer to Allah Through Obligatory Duties

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah*, said: "Allah the Almighty has said: 'Whosoever acts with enmity towards a closer servant of Mine (wali), I will indeed declare war against him. Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory (nawafil) prayers so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it.'" [Al-Bukhari]

“Whoever has mutual animosity with a friend (wali) of Mine, I declare war upon him.“

This hadith begins with a very stern warning: Allah declares war upon the one who opposes His devoted servants or auliyaa. In order to understand this statement properly, we need to understand the correct meaning of a wali or friend, of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, as it is established from the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Correct Understanding of  Who is a Wali of Allah

Wali (plural auliyaa), according to the Islamic understanding, means support, love, honour, respect and being beloved in both a spiritual and material sense. In Allah’s description, He points out two essential characteristics for anyone to be among the auliyaa of Allah. The first condition is imaan (faith) and the second condition is to have taqwa (God-consciousness). Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, says in the Qur’an: “Lo, verily the friends of Allah are those on whom fear comes not, nor do they grieve. Those who believe and keep their duty to Allah.” (Surah Yunus:62-63)

We can see from this that the auliyaa of Allah are those who believe and continually obey Him, and have the highest levels of imaan and taqwa. This shows us that the auliyaa of Allah are not all of the same rank. In fact some scholars have said they fall into three categories, due to the ayah: “Then those who We chose of Our servants inherited the Book. But of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who are intermediate, and of them are some who outstrip others through their good deeds, by Allah’s leave.” (Surah Faatir:32)

Ibn Katheer explains in his book of Qur’anic commentary that those ‘who wrong themselves’ are believers who are negligent of obligatory some duties and perform some forbidden acts. Those who are ‘intermediate’ are those who perform obligatory duties and abstain from forbidden acts but may not perform all of the recommended acts and may perform some makrooh or disliked acts. Those who ‘outstrip others through good deeds’ are those who perform the obligatory and recommended acts and abstain from both forbidden and reprehensible deeds. This shows us that, by the mercy of Allah, perfection is not is prerequisite to be an auliyaa of Allah. Even those of us who commit some sins may still gain entry to this category. Since imaan and taqwa are not something that can be seen by others, it is not possible to know who is definitely in fact a wali or friend of Allah, unless we have been informed of this in the Qur’an and sunnah. From these we know that the greatest auliyaa of Allah are the angels and messengers and then the prophets. After that come the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them all, and the true and sincere scholars of Islam, all of whom act on their knowledge and as such are the ‘heirs of the Prophet’, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

Incorrect Understanding of Who is a Wali of Allah

Unfortunately, some Muslims have taken this concept of Wali of Allah and used it to give their Sheikh’s a kind of demi-god status, considering them higher than the Prophets, and assuming that no faults can be attributed to them. They believe them to be so near to Allah that they should ask the Wali for help instead of Allah. May Allah protect us from this type of shirk, or associating partners with Allah, all praises and glory be to Him.

Mutual Animosity

The words ‘whoever opposes…‘ are in the reciprocal form, meaning that the enmity if from both sides. We may ask why a wali would have animosity towards others when they should be forgiving and patient? We should remember that an auliyaa of Allah loves and hates for the sake of Allah not from their own desires. This animosity may be between the auliyaa who are the people of the sunnah, and the innovators, or between the auliyaa and those are sinning. There there will be a mutual dislike for the actions of the other in each of these cases. What is referred to in this hadith is a warning to those who dislike the auliyaa of Allah or oppose them simply because they implement and follow the law of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. The enmity referred to does not apply to worldly disputes or disagreements. This hadith tells us that if someone opposes a wali of Allah simply for obeying Allah, then Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, has declared war on them, and we seek refuge with Allah from that.

“My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the religious duties that I have imposed upon him.”

After describing how no one should oppose His devoted servants, Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, goes on to describe the characteristics of a devoted servant. They are those who strive to get closer to Allah through performing deeds that are pleasing to Him, with pure sincerity. In this part of the hadith, Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, describes how His servant draws near to Him through their performance of the obligatory duties, namely the five pillars of Islam. A person in this category would also avoid what is forbidden as this is also a type of obligation from Allah. These people are known as the ‘companions of the right hand’ that Allah speaks about in the Qur’an (see Surah al Waaqiah:38). It is part of Allah’s immense mercy that the deeds that are obligatory upon us are also those that draw us closer to Him, the Praised, the Glorious.

Many people do not seem to realise that the obligatory duties are for a believers own benefit. Allah tells us: “Verily the prayers restrain one from evil and lewdity” (Surah al-Ankaboot:45) “But prostrate yourself and draw near (unto Allah)” (Surah al-Alaq:19) “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you in order that you may attain God-consciousness (taqwa)” (Surah al-Baqarah:183) “Take alms from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them by that” (Surah al-Taubah:103)

All of the obligatory deeds serve to purify us and draw us closer to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him.  They are like the root of a tree and voluntary deeds are like its branches. If the believer first fulfils the foundations, they are demonstrating their willingness to submit to Allah, and this in turn earns His approval. This commitment grows and spreads to the performance of voluntary deeds as a way of further pleasing  Allah. Obligatory deeds are also deeds of the heart. The heart must have a pure, sincere intention, free of envy and pride and other ills, in order for the action to be acceptable to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. The servant of Allah therefore draws nearer to his Lord though purifying both their intention and action, and performing the obligatory duties for the sake of Allah alone.

“My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I love him.”

Allah’s servants draw near to Him by performing the duties that He, all praises and glory be to Him, has obligated us to perform. Those who strive even harder, and voluntarily perform extra good deeds, and protect themselves from acts that will earn Allah’s wrath, continue to draw nearer to Allah until He loves them. We can see in the example of human beings, that a person becomes beloved to another by doing more than is required to assist them. If a person, for example, returns something that he borrowed from another, but also gives a gift as thanks, that will make him beloved in the eyes of the one that lent to him. This hadith shows us that this works in the same way in the case of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, His love for us grows as we strive harder to please Him.

There is ample evidence to indicate that a servant of Allah must also strive to stay away from what is forbidden (haraam) as well as what is disliked (makrooh). The Prophet* said: “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt” (Ahmad)  “Place between you and the forbidden acts a covering [or barrier] of permissible acts.” (Recorded in ibn Habbaan)  ‘That which is lawful is clear, and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful [or ambiguous] matters about which not many people are knowledgeable. Thus, he who avoids these doubtful matters certainly clears himself in regard to his religion and honour. But he who falls into the doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like a shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Verily every king has a sanctuary and Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. In the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be sound, all of the body is sound and which, if it be diseased, all of the body is diseased. This part of the body is the heart.” (Recorded in Bukhari and Muslim)

Unfortunately, many Muslims consider the ‘legal’ definition of makrooh (a disliked act) which states that it is an act that the person will be rewarded for avoiding and will not be punished for committing, and therefore consider it ‘permissible’ to engage in such acts. But those who strive to be nearer to Allah, look beyond this definition and consider the act from the point of view of the value of the act in the sight of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. When we consider that Allah, ‘dislikes’ the act, would we want to be one of those who perform it? Rather we should strive to stay away from such acts, even though they are not strictly forbidden. As we can see from the hadith cited above, when a person strays into performing dislikes acts, they come nearer to committing forbidden acts. If they should then slip into what in unlawful, they will fall into performing deeds that are hated by Allah.

An important aspect of performing voluntary deeds that many people neglect, is that they also make up for shortcomings in the obligatory deeds. If we ask ourselves about the quality of performance of our obligatory prayers, how many of us could say that we have no shortcomings that need to be made up? The Prophet* said: “The first deeds for which the slave of Allah will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgement will be his prayers. If they are in order, he will have prospered and been successful. But if they are wanting, he will have failed and been a loser. If there is some shortcoming in his obligatory, the Lord will say, ‘See if My slave has any voluntary prayers with which may be completed that which was wanting from the obligatory prayers’. Then the rest of his deeds will be judged in like fashion.” (Tirmidhi)

From this we can see why it is that those who perform the voluntary deeds receive the love of Allah, both in this life and the Hereafter. These are the people that Allah is describing in this part of the hadith. The Prophet* said: “If Allah loves a slave, He announces to Gabriel, ‘Verily Allah loves so and so, so love him.’ The Gabriel loves him and he announces to the inhabitants of the heavens ‘Verily Allah loves so and so, so love him’ Then the inhabitants of the heavens love him. And then he is granted the acceptance of the people of the earth.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

“And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks. “

When we read this part of the hadith, the first question that comes to mind is, ‘What does it mean that Allah would become a person’s hearing etc?’. The scholars have differed in their interpretation of this phrase. The majority agree that this is an allegorical reference to Allah’s support for His wali. When the wali sincerely strives to get closer to Allah by performing obligatory and voluntary deeds, they will be raised in rank from imaan (faith) to ihsaan (goodness). Then they will able to worship Allah as if they see Him, and look at the world knowing that He sees them, turning to Him in their hearts and fearing Him such that they dare not disobey Him. Their hearts are filled with the greatness of Allah and there is no room for anything else. Their own desires are abandoned in favour of Allah’s. They look for Allah’s sake, see for His sake, hear for His sake, speak for Hi sake, and act for His sake.

Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, has described the people for whom He becomes their eyes, ears and so on, in the Qur’an. They are the type of people who do not even turn to the evil that they see. They are numb to the effects of other’s sins. This does not mean that they do not fulfill their duty of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, but it means they would not be tempted by the evil around them. Allah says about them in the Qur’an: “And when they hear vanity, they withdraw from it and say: Unto us our works and unto you your works. Peace be unto you. We desire not the ignorant.” (al-Qasas:55)  “The faithful slaves of the Beneficent are those who walk on the earth modestly and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace” (al-Furqaan:63)  This is the real essence of pure tawhid, the meaning of la ilaaha illa-llaah, when a person devotes all of their love, hope, fear and obedience to Allah alone. We love what Allah loves and hate what He hates, all praises and glory be to Him. Sins only occur when our own desires love something that Allah hates or dislike something that Allah loves, even if only for a short period of time. If a person gives into their own desires then this is actually a type of deficiency in their tawhid.

Purification of the Soul According to the Qur’an and Sunnah

This hadith describes how a person becomes beloved to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, by purifying ourselves and our souls. It is through purifying ourselves that we draw closer to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. As Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “The Day [of Judgement] whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who comes to Allah with a clean, sound heart.” (al-Shuaraa:88-89) The purification of the soul is one of the main reasons why the Prophet* was sent. Allah tells us: “He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Sunnah. And, verily, they had been in manifest error.” (Al-Jummuah:2)

Since the Prophet* was sent to purify the souls of the people, there can be no question that his method of purification of the soul is the method that is approved by Allah and is pleasing to Him, all praises and glory be to Him. This path is clear and easy to follow:

1) We must first purify our beliefs and cleanse ourselves of any shirk or associating partners with Allah.

2) We must strive to become beloved to Allah by performing deeds that are obligatory upon us.

3) We should strive to perform extra voluntary good deeds which will make us even more beloved to Allah.

This is the correct path for purification as outlined in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is a path that does not necessarily take a long amount of time or involve any passing through levels or stages. A person could become an auliyaa of Allah very quickly if they have sincerity and devotion to Allah. Anyone who claims that one can draw closer to Allah by means other than this, such as through other practices or the assistance of a pious person, is no different to the idol worshippers who claimed they were getting closer to Allah by worshipping their idols. The evidence clearly contradicts them.

Purification of the Soul According to the Sufis

Historically and contemporarily speaking, it has been the Sufis who claim to follow the path of purification. This hadith provides one of the main sources by which their claims can be evaluated in that it shows us the path for how one can become beloved to Allah. For the Sufis, the path to become a wali of Allah is a long and arduous journey. One must do spiritual exercises and through many stages to get to this level. As detailed in Zarabozo’s commentary on this hadith, the Sufi’s begin their path with fulfilling obligatory deeds, but when they move to the ‘second level’, it is recommended that the person only perform obligatory deeds and spend the rest of the time on other exercises. The path also contains practices that are not contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah such as zuhd (renunciation of the world), special types of rhyming dhikr, listening to music and dancing. After all of these, one finally ‘witnesses’ Allah, which is for them the essence of being a wali. In reality, this is a heretical path that has no basis in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It has as its goal the ‘witnessing of Allah’, whereas the purification according to the Qur’an and Sunnah seeks only to make a servant the best servant that they can be, nothing more or different to that.

Some Sufis use this hadith to try and prove their belief in fanaa (annihilation and loss of oneself in God), hulool (incarnation in God) and ittihaad (union with Allah). They argue that this hadith states that Allah is becoming one’s vision, hearing and so forth, so the person must be becoming one with Allah. In reality though, this hadith is an argument against that concept, because it makes the distinction between the Creator Allah and the created wali. Allah makes it clear that he opposes those who oppose His auliyaa, hence they are clearly separate from Him and He Protects them. The remainder of the hadith also shows us that the wali comes to Allah to ask of Him – Why would they need to do that if they had become one with Him? We can see from this that no matter how pious the wali of Allah becomes, they are still only human beings and dependent on Him, the Sublime the Glorious.

“Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.”

Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, is able to grant His servant anything that He wishes, without any need of him having to ask for it. But it is through being asked, and granting the request, that Allah becomes more beloved to the slave and the slave becomes even more beloved to Allah. This hadith shows us that if a person performs the obligatory deeds and further voluntary good deeds, and stays away from what is forbidden (haraam) and disliked (makrooh), this person will be honoured with a special place with respect to Allah. Allah’s love will cover them, such that if they ask Him, He will grant their request, and if they were to seek refuge in Him, He would grant them refuge and respite. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said: “There are from the slaves of Allah people who, if they were to make an oath upon Allah, He would certainly fulfill it.” (Bukhari)

It is interesting to note that many early Muslims  often preferred to patiently bear the afflictions of this world, in the hope that they would receive the reward of Allah in the Hereafter. One of the Companions of the Prophet* who was promised Paradise, Saad ibn Abu Waqaas, lost his sight later in his life. He was told by his friends that he should ask Allah to return it. His reply was, “The decree of Allah is more beloved to me than my eyesight.” As some of the early scholars have noted, Allah knows what is best for His slaves. Sometimes a believer will ask for something while Allah knows that what they ask for is not what is best for them. As a result, Allah may not answer the supplication directly, but rather He may give the believer something that is better for them in both this life and the Hereafter. The Prophet* told us: “There is no Muslim who supplicates Allah with a supplication that does not contain anything sinful or ask for the ties of kinship to be broken, save that Allah gives him one of three things: either he will give him what he asks for soon, or He will delay it for him for the Hereafter or he will keep a similar evil away from him.” (Ahmad)

The Benefits of Asking Allah

One might ask, ‘What is the benefit of asking Allah when He already knows what is in our hearts and what is best for us?’ When Allah gives the person what they have asked for, and the person realises that Allah has responded to their supplication, this brings them joy and a deeper faith, which encourages them to do more good deeds in order to draw closer to Allah. In addition, supplication is one of the greatest forms of worship, and all its benefits would be lost to the person if they were not to make dua. Finally, the wali of Allah is freeing themselves from the illusion of self-sufficiency. Everything is in Allah’s hands, we are completely dependent on Him for everything and we need to remind ourselves of this. No matter what level of closeness to Allah one reaches, we will always be reliant on Him.

Children's Feedback

Place of parents in Islam and our lives

15 January 2012

Al-Hudaibiyah (part 4): Lessons and Returning Home

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Umer is beckoned by the Prophet* after revelation of Surah al-Fath
These are the realities of the clauses of the truce treaty and as it seems they all function in favour of the nascent Islamic state. However, two points in the treaty made it distasteful to some Muslims, namely they were not given access to the Holy Sanctuary that year, and the seemingly humiliating attitude as regards reconciliation with the pagans of Quraish. Umer, unable to contain himself for the distress taking full grasp of his heart, went to the Prophet* and said: “Aren’t you the true Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet* replied calmly, “Why not?” Umer again spoke and asked: “Aren’t we on the path of righteousness and our enemies in the wrong?” Without showing any resentment, the Prophet* replied that it was so. On getting this reply he further urged: “Then we should not suffer any humiliation in the matter of Faith.” The Prophet* was unruffled and with perfect confidence said: “I am the true Messenger of Allah, I never disobey Him, He shall help me.” “Did you not tell us,” rejoined Umer, “that we shall perform pilgrimage?” “But I have never told you,” replied the Prophet*, “that we shall do so this very year.” Umer was silenced. But his mind was disturbed. He went to Abu Bakr and expressed his feelings before him. Abu Bakr who had never been in doubt as regards the Prophet*’s truthfulness and veracity confirmed what the Prophet* had told him. In due course the Chapter of Victory (48th) was revealed saying: • “Verily, We have given you [O Muhammad] a manifest victory.” [48:1]
This was revealed to the Messenger* whilst he was marching back to Medina, words of satisfaction to the believers and instilling fear within the hearts of the Kuffar and Munafiqoon, encased within Surah al-Fath. When addressing the Muslims he announced: ‘Today such a thing has been sent down to me, which is more valuable to me than the world and what it contains.” After which he recited the complete Surah. Within its verses was a reminder for them of the responsibilities of the Muslims towards the Muslims, their duty to convey the message of Islam to the world. The Messenger of Allah* summoned Umer and imported to him the happy tidings. Umer was overjoyed, and greatly regretted his former attitude. He used to spend in charity, observe fasting and prayer and free as many slaves as possible in expiation for that reckless attitude he had assumed.

The Prophet* asks the Abyssinian Muslims to return
The Prophet* had also sent word to Ja'far bin Abi Talib that it would please him if he and his community would now come to live in Medina. Ja'far forthwith set about making preparations for the journey, and the Negus gave them two boats.

Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty: Lessons and Impact

• A series of events confirmed the profound wisdom and splendid results of the peace treaty which Allah called “a manifest victory”. How could it be otherwise when Quraish had recognized the legitimate Muslims’ existence on the scene of political life in Arabia, and began to deal with the believers on equal terms. Quraish in the light of the articles of the treaty, had indirectly relinquished its claim to religious leadership, and admitted that they were no longer interested in people other than Quraish, and washed their hands of any sort of intervention in the religious future of the Arabian Peninsula. The Muslims did not have in mind to seize people’s property or kill them through bloody wars, nor did they ever think of pursuing any coercive approaches in their endeavours to propagate Islam, on the contrary, their sole target was to provide an atmosphere of freedom as regards ideology or religion: • “Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.” [18:29]
• The Muslims, on the other hand, had the opportunity to spread Islam over areas not then explored. When there was armistice, war was abolished, and men met and consulted together, none talked about Islam intelligently without entering it; within the two years following the conclusion of the treaty double as many entered Islam as ever before. This is supported by the fact that the Prophet* went out to Al-Hudaibiyah with only 1,400 men, but when he set out to liberate Mecca, two years later, he had 10,000 men with him. The article of the treaty pertaining to cessation of hostilities for ten years points directly to the utter failure of political haughtiness exercised by Quraish and its allies, and functions as evidence of the collapse and impotence of the war instigator.
• The Muslims had been obliged to lose those advantages in return for one seemingly in its favour but does not actually bear any harm against the Muslims, i.e., the article that speaks of handing over believing men who seek refuge with the Muslims without their guardians’ consent to Quraish. At first glance, it was a most distressing clause and was considered objectionable in the Muslim camp. However, in the course of events, it proved to be a great blessing. The Muslims sent back to Mecca were not likely to renounce the blessings of Islam; contrariwise, those very Muslims turned out to be centres of influence for Islam. It was impossible to think that they would become apostates or renegades. The wisdom behind this truce assumed its full dimensions in some subsequent events. When the Sahabah were privy to this information they were filled with tranquillity and were more than willing to engage in the acts of statesmanship which had inspired the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. What dawned upon the Muslims and also ourselves as we look back at these events are the following important offshoots of this treaty.
• Firstly, it established within the region the legitimacy of the Islamic State which the Muslims had established in Medina. They were no longer the motley crew of rebels as the Quraish and the rest of the tribes had viewed, they were a state which possessed territory, with a head of state and were now treated as such. Although seen as minor in significance it meant that the surrounding tribes and indeed the regional players saw an equal player in the region who they could ally with and thus extend the influence of Islam.
• Secondly, The Quraishi propaganda was neutralised. The Muslims were not a bunch of bloodthirsty and ignorant mercenaries seeking economic domination; they were people who sought Justice and nothing more than to spread the message of Islam. Conversely, it was the Quraish who were antagonistic and war hungry, this something that the Muslims built on and accounted for the fast spread of the authority of Islam. The treaty created a positive public opinion for Islam and the Muslims - through their actions in attempting to go peacefully to Mecca. This public opinion victory was a great propaganda tool in favour of the Muslims and  worked against the Quraish, with the respect for the authority of the Quraish now greatly diminished due to their hypocritical actions. [We talked about this hypocrisy before.] Now, the society in Mecca and amongst the wider Arabs was more sympathetic to the Muslims with the debunking of many of the myths that were previously circulating about the Muslims. People could see Islam in action, with a single leader and unified body, and they liked what they saw!
• Thirdly, The Muslims were able to put down the Jewish plot to ally with the Quraish and thus create a war on two fronts for the Muslims to contend with. This was because the Jews of Khaibar had planned to ally with the Quraish to attack and finish off the Islamic State of Medina. The Quraish could not initiate hostilities against the Muslims, therefore could not ally with the Jews of Khaibar. The result of this was the skilful isolation of a potential enemy. This also meant that the Muslims could consolidate the rule with the region and then gave them breathing space in order to initiate delegations and then expeditions to the Roman and Persian empires and territories. This also shows how astute political manoeuvres can be used effectively to promote Islam – which is what the Prophet* did as part of the public journey and response to the treaty. This showed true statesmanship. The Prophet* managed to conceal his real aims from the enemy of his political desires as we see that after the treaty he then redoubled his efforts to rid the Muslims of the people of Khaibar and other tribes who were active in plotting against the Muslims. Hence, the Prophet commenced his Jihad against other nations and tribes to expand the message of Islam. This treaty effectively isolated the people of Khaibar.
• The Prophet* did not accept anyone's advice in signing the treaty of Hudaibiyah his ignored usage of Shura is defined clearly in the Sunnah of the Prophet* . He* sought advice in the battle of Uhud, as to whether to fight inside or outside of Madina. Likewise, he* sought Shura in the battle of Badr regarding where to camp. He* also sought advice from the Sahabah in the case of the slander against Aa'isha . These were all of the permissible forms of advice. In any matter where Allah had already decided His hukm (ruling), the Prophet* did not consider the objection of the majority of the Sahabah , responding that he was sent to obey Allah and not any other. Clearly then, there is no Shura upon a hukm of Allah, as is conveyed by the following ayah, the tafseer for which was given above: "It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter that they have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error" [TMQ Al-Ahzab: 36]. Also, the Prophet* did not involve himself in Shura (consultation) when conducting the treaty negotiations (as he had done before) which shows that this was revelation (wahy) that he was following – and he mentioned this to the Companions on numerous occasions. Hence, this treaty should not be used to justify modern treaties where Muslims appear weak and give away their rights and land – as modern dictators and leaders of Muslim countries are in a habit of doing for the last few hundred years!
• This incident also goes to demonstrate the unshakeable Iman of the Muslims when they were asked to stick together and agree to something which they clearly didn’t like – also, not apparently achieving their objective (Umrah). Furthermore, it highlights their courage and readiness to sacrifice for the sake of Islam – when they gave the Pledge (Bayah) of Ridwan. Furthermore, the Muslims in Mecca were given glad tidings and moral support through the visits of Uthman, and they became an effective pocket of believers in the enemy stronghold in Mecca.
• Finally, the Muslims were now seen as regional players on the international scene. The treaty finally legitimised the Muslims and their Islamic State and gave confidence to other people and tribes to do formal business with the Muslims, as they has seen that the arch-enemies (Quraish) had now been forced to recognise the power and authority of the Muslims. Hence the Muslims were now not seen as rebels, renegades or outcasts but serious people with a message worth listening to. This also demonstrates that sometimes peace is more effective than war, through these negotiations. Hence, those that were exposed to Islam after this event was greatly increased. Thereupon, more people embraced Islam (see above). As this treaty provided a degree of security – no longer an existential threat from Quraish – the Muslims could consolidate. As part of this the Prophet finally called back the back-up community of Muslims in Abyssinia because of the new security situation.

Abu Basir and his Guerrilla Army
After the Prophet* had reached Medina, Abu Basir, who had escaped from Quraish, came to him as a Muslim; Quraish sent two men demanding his return, so the Prophet*  handed him over to them. Abu Basir of the Bani Thaqif was a young man whose family had come from Ta'if and settled in Mecca as confederates of the Bani Zuhrah. He had entered Islam and they had imprisoned him, but he escaped and made his way to Medina on foot, arriving there shortly after the Prophet*'s return from Hudaybiyah, He was soon followed by an envoy of Quraish who demanded his return. While giving Abu Basir the same words of comfort that he had given to Abu Jandal, the Prophet* told him that he was bound by the treaty to deliver him into the hands of the envoy. The Companions, including Umer, were now more or less reconciled to the terms of the treaty, so when Abu Basir was led off by the man of Quraish and the freed slave he had brought with him for support, those Emigrants and Helpers who were present serenely echoed the words of the Prophet*: "Be of good cheer! God will surely find thee a way out."
Their hopes were realised sooner than was expected. Despite his youth, Abu Basir was a resourceful man and at the first halt he contrived to get the sword of the envoy and to kill him, whereupon the freedman, Kawthar by name, fled headlong back to Medina. He entered the Mosque unopposed and threw himself at the feet of the Prophet*, who happened to be there and who said as he approached: "This man hath seen some terrible thing." Kawthar gasped out that his fellow had been killed and that he himself was all but killed, and it was not long before Abu Basir himself appeared with the drawn sword in his hand. "O Prophet* of God," he said, "thine obligation hath been fulfilled. Thou didst return me unto them, and God hath delivered me." "Alas for his mother!"! said the Prophet*. "What a fine firebrand for war, had he but other men with him!" But if Quraish sent further envoys to demand his return he would be bound to comply, as he had done in the first case. Such an idea however was far from the mind of Abu Basir, who now suggested that the arms and the armour of the dead man together with the camels should be treated as booty, divided into five parts and distributed according to the law. "If I did that," said the Prophet*, "they would hold that I had not fulfilled the terms I swore to keep." Then he turned to the terrified survivor of the two Meccans. "The spoil plundered from thy fellow is thy concern," he said. "And take thou back this man to those who sent thee," he added, indicating Abu Basir, Kawthar turned pale: "O Muhammad," he said, "I value my life. My strength is not enough for him, nor have I the hands of two men." The Muslims had fulfilled their obligation, but the representative of Quraish had refused to take custody of the prisoner. So the Prophet* turned to Abu Basir and said: "Go whither thou wilt."
He made his way to the shores of the Red Sea, with the words "had he but other men with him" still in his ears. Nor was he the only one who had taken note of this veiled authorisation and instruction. Umer had been intent on what had passed; and he contrived to pass the Prophet*'s words on to the Muslims in Mecca, together with information about Abu Basir's whereabouts which he soon learned from friendly men of the coastal tribes who came to Medina. Now Suhail's son, Abu Jandal, was no longer closely guarded by his protectors as he had been by his father; and in any case the treaty had made for a general slackening of vigilance in Mecca as to the watch kept on the young Muslim prisoners, for Muhammad had shown that if they escaped to Medina he would keep to his word and return them. So Abu Jandal made his way to Abu Basir, and other youths did the same, including WalId, the brother of Khalid. Abu Basir made with them a camp at a strategic point on the Meccan caravan route to Syria. They recognised him as their leader and he led them in prayer and advised them on questions concerning the rites and other aspects of the religion, for many of them were recent converts, and they greatly respected him and gladly obeyed him. Quraish had been rejoicing in the re-established safety of their favourite road to the north. But no less than seventy young men joined Abu Basir's camp, and they became the terror of the caravans. Finally, after they had suffered the loss of many lives and much merchandise,
Quraish sent a letter to the Prophet* asking him to take guerrilla army into his community, and promising that they would not ask for them to be returned to Mecca. So the Prophet* wrote to Abu Basir that he could now come to Medina with his companions. But meantime the young leader had fallen seriously ill and when the letter arrived death was close upon him. He read it and died clasping it between his hands. His companions prayed over him and buried him, and made a mosque at the place of his burial; then they went to join the Prophet* in Medina.'

 

Main Topic:

Surah al-Fath (48)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad*) a manifest victory. (1)
That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future, and complete His Favour on you, and guide you on the Straight Path; (2)
And that Allah may help you with strong help. (3)
He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith. And to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise. (4)
That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow (i.e. Paradise), to abide therein forever, and He may expiate from them their sins, and that is with Allah, a supreme success, (5)
And that He may punish the Munafiqun (hypocrites), men and women, and also the Mushrikun men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allah, for them is a disgraceful torment, And the Anger of Allah is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them — and worst indeed is that destination. (6)
And to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Ever All-powerful, All-Wise. (7)
Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad*) as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner (8)
In order that you (O mankind) may believe in Allah and His Messenger*, and that you assist and honour him*, and (that you) glorify (Allah's) praises morning and afternoon. (9)
Verily, those who give Bai'ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad*) they are giving Bai'ah (pledge) to Allah. The Hand of Allah is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own harm, and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allah, He will bestow on him a great reward. (10)
Those of the bedouins who lagged behind will say to you: "Our possessions and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us." They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: "Who then has any power at all (to intervene) on your behalf with Allah, if He intends you hurt or intends you benefit? Nay, but Allah is Ever All-Aware of what you do. (11)
"Nay, but you thought that the Messenger* and the believers would never return to their families; and that was made fair-seeming in your hearts, and you did think an evil thought and you became a useless people going for destruction." (12)
And whosoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger*, then verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers a blazing Fire. (13)
And to Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (14)
Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, "Allow us to follow you," They want to change Allah's Words. Say: "You shall not follow us; thus Allah has said beforehand." Then they will say: "Nay, you envy us." Nay, but they understand not except a little. (15)
Say (O Muhammad SAW) to the bedouins who lagged behind: "You shall be called to fight against a people given to great warfare, then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a fair reward, but if you turn away as you did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful torment." (16)
No blame or sin is there upon the blind, nor is there blame or sin upon the lame, nor is there blame or sin upon the sick (that they go not for fighting). And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), He will admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow (Paradise); and whosoever turns back, He will punish him with a painful torment. (17)
Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the Bai'ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad SAW) under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory, (18)
And abundant spoils that they will capture. And Allah is Ever All-Mighty, All-Wise. (19)
Allah has promised you abundant spoils that you will capture, and He has hastened for you this, and He has restrained the hands of men from you, that it may be a sign for the believers, and that He may guide you to a Straight Path. (20)
And other (victories and much booty, He promises you) which are not yet within your power, indeed Allah compasses them, And Allah is Ever Able to do all things. (21)
And if those who disbelieve fight against you, they certainly would have turned their backs, then they would have found neither a Walî (protector, guardian) nor a helper. (22)
That has been the Way of Allah already with those who passed away before. And you will not find any change in the Way of Allah. (23)
And He it is Who has withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of Mecca, after He had made you victors over them. And Allah is Ever the All-Seer of what you do. (24)
They are the ones who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allah — Islamic Monotheism), and hindered you from Al-Masjid al-Haram (at Mecca) and detained the sacrificial animals, from reaching their place of sacrifice. Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, that you may kill them, and on whose account a sin would have been committed by you without (your) knowledge, that Allah might bring into His Mercy whom He wills, if they (the believers and the disbelievers) had been apart, We verily would have punished those of them who disbelieved, with painful torment. (25)
When those who disbelieve had put in their hearts pride and haughtiness — the pride and haughtiness of the time of ignorance — then Allah sent down His Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) upon His Messenger ( SAW) and upon the believers, and made them stick to the word of piety (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), and they were well entitled to it and worthy of it. And Allah is the All-Knower of everything (26)
Indeed Allah shall fulfil the true vision which He showed to His Messenger* [i.e. the Prophet* saw a dream that he has entered Mecca along with his companions, having their (head) hair shaved and cut short] in very truth. Certainly, you shall enter Al-Masjid al-Haram; if Allah wills, secure, (some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your head hair cut short, having no fear. He knew what you knew not, and He granted besides that a near victory. (27)
He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad SAW) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), that He may make it (Islam) superior over all religions. And All-Sufficient is Allah as a Witness. (28)
Muhammad* is the Messenger of Allah, And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers). This is their description in the Taurat (Torah). But their description in the Injeel (Gospel) is like a (sown) seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, and becomes thick, and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allah has promised those among them who believe (i.e. all those who follow Islamic Monotheism, the religion of Prophet Muhammad SAW till the Day of Resurrection) and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward (i.e. Paradise). (29)

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