Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

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PearlsOf Wisdom: A String Of Incidents In The History Of Islam

Author (s):Asgharali MM Jaffer

Publisher (s): World Federation of Khoja ShiaIthna-Asheri Muslim Communities

www.alhassanain.org/english

This text is a selection of sixty-two interesting stories from the history of Islam, to get an overview of the era just before and after the Prophet (S), and to provide key insight to the seeker of truth and moral teachings to apply in our daily life.

Table of Contents

Mulla Asghar Memorial Series of Books 1

Foreword 2

Pearls Of Wisdom 3

1. Too Late 4

2. Not Even For A Mountain Of Gold 5

3. Allegiance Of Women 6

4. The Idol That Could Not Fend For Itself 7

5. Muslim And Martyr All In Less Than A Day! 8

6. Brave & Dedicated Women Of Islam 9

7. Father Or Unclean Idolater? 10

8. Harm Not The Feelings Of Your Guest 11

9. No Compromise 12

10. Pay Ransom Money Or Teach Ten 13

11. The Guard In Prayer 14

12. Abu Dharr’s Thirst 15

13. In The Company Of The Noblest Of Mankind 16

14. As For The Ka’aba - It Has Its Own Master 17

15. Allow Me To Weep! 18

16. A Sharing Society 19

17. The First Constitution 20

18. Who Can Save You Now? 21

19. History Repeats Itself 22

20. Abu Lahab Bitter And Humiliated 23

21. What Reward For My Good Deeds 24

22. The Pillar Of Abu Lababah 25

23. The Greedy And The Deserters Of Uhud 26

24. Hilful Fudhul - The League Of Justice 27

25. The Neighbour 28

26. Knowledge 29

27. A Companion 30

28. A Poor Man At The Palace 31

29. The Unfixed Labour 32

30. Guest Of A Judge 33

31. Junaid And Bahlool 34

32. A Party Where Liquor Was Served 35

33. Amr Bil Ma’roof 36

34. Back From Hajj 37

35. Guidance From The Prophet 38

36. Jesus In Islam 39

37. A Letter To Abu Dharr 40

38. Bahlool 41

39. The End Of Friendship 42

40. The Candle 43

41. Before The Qadhi 44

42. I Do Not Know 45

43. For The Sake Of Allah 46

44. The Guests 47

45. The Prophet’S Gift 48

46. Contentment 49

47. The Foundation 50

48. The Fly 51

49. Not The Personalities 52

50. The Daily Prayers 53

51. The Rumour Mongers 54

52. Death The Leveller 55

53. Neighbours First 56

54. Through The Stomach 57

55. Self Reliance 58

56. The Poor Man Said 59

57. Iftaar 60

58. The Old Man 61

59. Listening To The Qur’an 62

60. The Last Will 63

61. Ghazali And The Robbers 64

62. The Prophet’s Visit To Taif 65

MullaAsghar Memorial Series of Books

The Legacy lives on…….

Jabtak mai ’jiu ’,kihdmate qaum karta rahu ’mai ’,Maut aa’e toya rab ,esi khidmat memaru ’mai ’.

Marhum MullaAsghar has left an unforgettable mark on the entireShii Community in this era. A multifaceted person of this caliber, with such an impact, only emerges but once in a lifetime. As a brilliant communicator, he eloquently presented the teachings ofAhlul Bait (A.S.) to the masses at large.

Acclaimed by his contemporary scholars, his deep insight into the subjects of Fiqh, theology, philosophy, theosophy as well as contemporary issues was legendary. As an educator par excellence, his ability to inform and educate his students on Islamic concepts was truly enlightening. Through his thought-provoking writings and inspiring speeches countless minds have been set thinking, and many lives have been changed. His impact on our society is nothing short of phenomenal and one that has been instrumental in shifting paradigms.

I hope that this Commemorative series of books, marking the 25th Anniversary of the World Federation, will continue to radiate the teachings ofAhlul Bait (A.S.) to the world at large through the words of this great scholar. By supporting theMullaAsghar Memorial Fund , which, amongst other educational projects, has made this series of publications possible, you will help ensure that his passion for disseminating the teachings ofAhlul Bait (A.S.) continues after him. Together, we can give reality to the many.dreams he had and help the World Federation continue on the path of service that he blazed under his charismatic leadership. I ask you rememberMarhum MullaSaheb with aSura eFateha .

Hasnain Walji

President,The World Federation of KSI Muslim Communities

September 15, 2002

Foreword

History, when divested of the historians’ bias and prejudice, is a beautiful string of incidents and events, which speak a thousand tongues. When we study history of early Islamic era, we are able to gain an insight into the society to which the message of Islam was preached, the circumstances, which then prevailed, and the reciprocal response of the leaders and the led.

It was with this in mind thatMarhum MullaAsgher selected a number of interesting stories from the history of Islam and published them under the titleUnto thee Igrant .... Given the popularity of the first book, he selected and translated several more stories and these were published under the titleA beautiful string of incidents... The present collectionPearls of Wisdom is a combination of the above two titles with some more stories added.

These sixty-two interesting stories, when interwoven into a single fabric, form acolourful backdrop against which the era just before and after the Prophet (S) can be clearlyvisualised .

We hope the readers will be able to glean more than one message from each story; and for those who wish to prepare their analytic treatments of Islamic subjects, there will be relevance in more than one way.

Secretariat

The World Federation of KSI Muslim Communities

PearlsOf Wisdom

1. Too Late

AbuBasir A’asha was one of the great poets of the pre-Islamic era. One of his poems known asLamiyya is classified among the ten great epics of Arabia. In his famous eulogy of the Holy Prophet (S) says:

“Whenever you halt to rest at the door of the son ofHashim , You feel relaxed, and are blessed with his magnanimity From him come charity you cannot miss, and the benefit. And what yon gain today, is not refused tomorrow ...”

A’asha decided to come to Mecca and embrace Islam. On his way, he met his old friends from the tribe ofQuraish . They asked him about his intentions, and when they learnt thatA’asha , the great poet, wished to become a Muslim, they were disturbed:

One of them said:“A’asha , do you know that Muhammad has forbidden fornication and adultery?”

A’asha replied:“That does not deter me, for I have never been a desolate person.”

The other said:“Yes, but he has also forbidden wine and all alcohol drinks.”

A’asha paused, and then said:“Ah! I am fond of drinking, and I don’t think I am ready to renounce that habit. So, this year let me continue drinking to my content, and I shall go next year to become a Muslim.”

A’asha returned, and died the same year.

2. Not Even ForA Mountain Of Gold

When the early Muslims were subjected to ill treatment and persecution, 83 of them migrated to Ethiopia, led byJa’far bin AbuTalib . The infidels of Mecca learnt that the Muslims were having a comfortable refuge in Ethiopia. They sent a delegation comprising of Amirbin Al-Aas and Abdullah binRabia to Negus, the King of Ethiopia, loaded with invaluable gifts for the king and his ministers, and with a mission to seek repatriation of the Muslims.

After having presented the gifts, they approached the King. At his court, Negus was told by Amr bin Al-Aas that the Muslims believed in a Prophet who spoke derogatorily about Jesus. Turning toJa’far bin AbuTalib , Negus enquired:

“What do you say about Jesus?”

Ja’far recited the verse from Surah An-Nisa :

“The Messiah, Jesus Son of Mary, was Allah’s apostle and His word, which He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him. (4:171) ”.

Negus picked a piece of wood from the ground and said:

“By God, Jesus was not a bit higher than what you have said, not higher than even the measure of this piece.” And then he turned to Amr bin Al-Aas and said:

“I am not going to harm them, even if I were given a mountain of gold. Take away all the gifts you have brought, for God did not receive any bribe from me when He blessed me with this kingdom, nor did He pay any heed to what others said about me when He decided to raise me to this status.”

3. AllegianceOf Women

Abdur -Rahman binKa’b bin Malik used to lead his blind father toJumu’a prayers regularly. Every time his father heardAdhan on Friday, he would say:“May Allah blessAs’ad binZurarah .”

This continued for many years, till one dayAbdur -Rahman asked:“Father, why do you rememberAs’ad and pray for him atJumu’a prayers?”

His father said:“My son, the first person to establish and lead us all inJumu’a prayers inMadina wasAs’ad . At the time, the Prophet was still in Mecca, and forty of us used toassembleat the foot of the mountain and pray.”

As’ad binZurarah was among those twelve who secretly accepted Islam one year beforeHijrah at the mountain road to Mina, and pledged loyalty to the Prophet (S) on the following terms:

To worship no other god but Allah;

To commit neither theft nor adultery norchildmurder ;

To utter no monstrous falsehoods;

To bring forth no illegitimate offspring;

And not to disobey in matters just or reasonable.

This allegiance is called the Allegiance of Women, because of two reasons. First, it does not include a pledge for Jihad, and secondly, the same pledge was taken from those ladies who embraced Islam. At the time when the secret pledge was made the Holy Prophet (S) was in Mecca, and Jihad had not yet been ordained.

4. The Idol That Could Not Fend For Itself

Amru binJamuh was a respectable elder of the tribeSalimah . While many young men from this tribe accepted Islam, the old man remained an idolater, his own wooden deity calledManat . The boys would stealthily enter his temple at night, pick up the idol and throw it into a dirty pit in their location.

Every morning,Amru would come out of the temple in a frantic search of his god, and reinstate it after washing it and sprinkling upon it sonic perfume.“I do not know who does this to you” , he would say.“If I ever lay my hands on him, I will punish him severely.”

At last,Amru got fed up. One morning, after he had washed and imbued the idol with a sweet scent, he took his sword and hanged it around its neck.“I have failed to find the culprits.” he said:“You will be able to defend yourself now, I hope.”

Next dayAmru found the idol tied to a dead dog in a nearby pit. A flash of awareness overcame him, and a flame of truth was lit in his bosom.“How can I worship these baubles which cannot fend for themselves?”, he murmured.

He accepted Islam the same day.

Amru binJamuh is one of the companions of the Prophet (S) martyred in a battle ofOhud . May peace be uponhim.

5. MuslimAnd Martyr All In Less Than A Day!

Aswad was a humble slave of the Jews atKhaiber , tending their sheep. On one of the days when the forts ofKhaiber were besieged by the army of Islam, he came to the Holy Prophet (S) and said:“Muhammad, teach me Islam.”

The Holy Prophet (S) welcomed him and explained to him the fundamentals. Aswad accepted Islam immediately. Thereafter he said:“I am employed by the Jews as a shepherd, and these sheep have been placed in my trust. What shall I do with them?”

The Holy Prophet (S) said:“Arrange the flock towards the fort, and they will lead themselves to their masters.”

Aswad picked up some sand and sprinkling it over the heads of the sheep, said:“Go back to where you belong, for I am no more your companion.” And the sheep ran towards the fort as if someone directed them.

Then Aswad joined the army of Islam to fight the same Jews who had employed him. A heavy stone fell upon him and killed him. Thus, Aswad became a martyr before he had an opportunity to offer a single prayer of the day.

6. Brave & Dedicated WomenOf Islam

Hind, the daughter ofAmru bin Haram, was steadily advancing fromOhud towardsMadina . She walked by the side of the camel upon which lay dead bodies of her husbandAmru binJamuh , her son and her brother.

On her way, she met some women who were going towardsOhud to find out the result of the battle. One asked:“O Hind, where are you going?”

“ToMadina to bury my husband, my brother and my son,” she said.

One of the wives of the Holy Prophet (S) who was among them asked:“What news do you have fromOhud ?”

“Well, I know that the Holy Prophet (S) is safe and well. Whatever befalls us is immaterial as long as he, peace be upon him, is protected. Allah has blessed us with martyrdom, and the infidels will soon retreat in total disappointment.”

Such were the brave and dedicated women of Islam, Peace be upon them.

7. FatherOr Unclean Idolater?

Seventeen months after the truce ofHudaibiyya , theQuraish of Mecca violated the terms and attacked the people ofKhuza’ah , killing 23 men. A representative ofKhuza’ah came to the Holy Prophet (S) to report the matter saying:

“They attacked us atWatir in the darkness of the night while we slept, and killed us while we bowed and prostrated in prayers.”

When AbuSufyan came to know that a complaint had been lodged with the Holy Prophet (S), he feared reprisals. He wanted no further confrontation, so he, rushed toMadina on a lone mission to meet the Holy Prophet (S) and to request him to continue with the truce.

As he enteredMadina , he thought it prudent to go to his daughter, UmmuHabibah , the wife of the Holy Prophet (S). Just as he tried to sit on the Holy Prophet’s mattress, UmmuHabibah rose and folded it up, not allowing him to sit on it. AbuSufyan said:“I do not know whether the mattress is unfit for me or I am unfit for it?”

With great calm and composure, UmmuHabibah replied:“Father, this mattress belongs to the Messenger of Allah, and I would not like to see an unclean idolater profane it.”

AbuSufyan was shocked out of his wits. He said:“You have indeed become a strange woman after having left my house.”

8. Harm NotThe Feelings Of Your Guest

AbuJahl was an inveterate enemy of the Holy Prophet (S). At his hand, the Holy Prophet (S) suffered severe persecution and humiliation. In the Battle ofBadr , there were 850 foot-soldiers and 100 horses in command of AbuJahl .

After his death, his sonIkramah fled from Mecca to Yemen leaving his wife behind. His wife, Ummu Hakim converted to Islam, sought amnesty for her husband, and set out to Yemen. She brought him back to Mecca whereIkramah later accepted Islam.

But just as he was approaching Mecca, the Holy Prophet (S) instructed his companions:“WhenIkramah arrives, do not speak ill of his father. Do not harm his feelings, for he is our guest.”

9. No Compromise

The people ofBanu Thaqeef lived inTaif , and were known for their arrogance and opposition to Islam. However, when they saw Islam had gained a firm foothold, and that people from all over Mecca andMadina were steadily entering the fold of Islam, they decided to send a delegation to the Holy Prophet (S) for discussion.

Six men fromThaqeef came toMadina . The Holy Prophet (S) welcomed them and ordered for a special tent to be erected near the Mosque to ensure their comfortable accommodation. Khalid bin Saeed binAas was appointed to wait upon them. Meals came from the Holy Prophet’s (S) house, but the delegation would not eat until Khalid ate first, to be sure that the food was not poisoned.

During the discussions, which lasted for several days, the representatives ofThaqeef said:

“O Muhammad, we have two proposals to make. After having embraced Islam, we should be allowed to maintain the temple ofLat , our idol, for three years. The other proposal is that we should be exempted fromSalaat , the daily prayers.”

The Holy Prophet (S) turned down both the proposals and said:“The temple of the idol cannot be allowed to remain even for a day.”

“Then do not force us to desecrate our temples by our own hands, and do not makeSalaat obligatory upon us,” they made a last plea.

The Holy Prophet (S) said:“You will not be forced to desecrate your temples or break your idols by your own hands. But there will be no exemption fromSalaat . A religion withoutSalaat (daily prayers) has no good in it.”

10. Pay Ransom MoneyOr Teach Ten

After the Battle ofBadr , captives were taken toMadina . Amongst them were Abbas, son of AbdulMuttalib and Aqil bin AbuTalib .

The Holy Prophet (S) ordered that each captive be released against payment of ransom money. It ranged between 1000 to 4000 dirhams, according to the wealth of the captive.

Abbas said:“O Muhammad, if I were to pay the ransom for myself and my nephew, I will be reduced to a beggar.”

The Holy Prophet (S) answered:“What about all the gold you confided to your wife, when you departed with the Meccan army?”

No one knew about the transaction except Abbas, so he was surprised. He immediately accepted Islam.

Then the Holy Prophet (S) announced:“I know there are some who are genuinely poor. For them there is another option.Any one who teaches 10 boys ofMadina how to read and write shall be released.”

Zaid binThabit was one of those who became an educated scribe under this arrangement.

11. The GuardIn Prayer

Jabir bin Abdullah says that in the Battle ofDhat-ur-Ruqa ’ the Holy Prophet (S) asked his companions to rest for the night on a plain surrounded by the mountains.

“Who will volunteer to guard us tonight?” the Holy Prophet (S) asked.

Immediately, two companions, namely Ammar binYathir andAbbad binBishr came forward and volunteered to stand guard while the army of Islam slept.

As they stationed themselves at a strategic spot on the terrain,Abbad said:“Let us divide the night, I shall keep the vigil in the first half, and you in the second.”

So Ammar slept whileAbbad remained vigilant, engaged in nightly prayers. In the middle of his prayers, an enemy soldier stealthily came near and shot an arrow, which hitAbbad . He pulled out the arrow and continued his prayers. Another arrow hit him causing a further injury.Abbad pulled it out again and remained steadfast. When the third arrow wounded him further,Abbad hastily bowed down in prostration to complete his prayers. He awakened Ammar and related to him what had transpired.

Ammar began to tend his wounds and wipe off blood from his body, then asked:“Why did you not wake me when you were first hit?”

Abbad said:“I was in my prayers, and I did not feel like abandoning my communion with Allah. When I felt terribly weakened by the third blow, I bowed down to complete my prayers. Had it not been for the Holy Prophet's (S) order to stand guard, I would not have disturbed your sleep.”

12. AbuDharr’s Thirst

In the expedition ofTabuk , some Muslims contrived excuses for not accompanying the Holy Prophet (S). Others who had joined in reluctantly, deserted after having gone with the expedition for some distance.

AbuDharr Ghiffari was with the expedition, but the animal he rode could not stand the blazing sun of the desert. He trailed behind his animal plodding forward at a slow pace, till at last he had to abandon the animal and walk.

Someone said:“O Prophet, AbuDharr has deserted us.”

The Holy Prophet (S) answered:“Allah’sWill be done. If AbuDharr wishes to be with us he will soon appear.”

AbuDharr set forth to reach the Holy Prophet (S) but the scorching heat of the desert worked against him. As he persisted, he came to an oasis. He tasted the water and found it cold and sweet.

“You cannot quench your thirst, while the Holy Prophet (S) might be thirsty” , he said to himself, and filled his water skin. At last, he drew near and companions notrecognising him from far informed the Holy Prophet (S) that someone was approaching.

“Perhaps it is AbuDharr ,” the Holy Prophet (S) said.

AbuDharr collapsed near the feet of the Holy Prophet (S) totally spent and tired by the heat and the thirst.

The Holy Prophet (S) ordered:“Give him some water.”

AbuDharr said:“I have water with me.”

“Then why did you not drink?” the Holy Prophet (S) demanded.

AbuDharr replied:“Because I found it sweet and cold; and I thought that the Messenger of Allah should drink it first, before I do.”

13.In The Company Of The Noblest Of Mankind

Among the slaves brought in from Syria by Hakim binHizam binKhuwailid , there was a young boy of eight whose name was Zaid binHaritha . Hakim gave him away to his aunt, Khadijabinte Khuwailid , the wife of the Holy Prophet (S).

The Holy Prophet (S), at the time was only 28 years old and married to Khadija for 3 years, saw the young boy and was moved by his plight.

“His parents must be driven mad at the disappearance of this young lad,” he thought. He requested Khadija to give Zaid away to him, and she acceded.

When Zaid became the Holy Prophet's (S) ward, he was freed from the bondage. The Holy Prophet (S) declared him free, but the young boy had no intention to return. So he remained as a son to the Holy Prophet (S), deeply attached to him.

Zaid’s father came to Mecca, searching for his son. When he learnt that Zaid was with the Holy Prophet (S), he came to persuade him to return.

The Holy Prophet (S) said:“He is a free man, and has a right to decide for himself.”

Zaid opted to stay with the Holy Prophet (S) and requested his father to grant him permission.

“You are in the company of the noblest of mankind,” he said, and returned to Syria greatly pleased and satisfied.

14. As ForThe Ka’aba - It Has Its Own Master

Abraha , a Christian warrior from Ethiopia invaded Mecca, causing destruction and plundering hundreds of camels, which belonged to theQuraish . He had to come, he said, to demolish theKa’aba .

AbdulMuttalib , the grandfather of the Holy Prophet (S), leaning on the door ofKa’aba prayed aloud:“Defend, O Allah, Your own home, and suffer not the Cross to triumph overKa’aba .”

Then he came to the raiding army ofAbraha , and sought to be admitted to his presence.Abraha knew that AbdulMuttalib was a man ofhonour and integrity, greatly respected in Mecca. He welcomed him and granted him a special audience.

AbdulMuttalib said:“I have come to complain that your soldiers have plundered my camels. I want them returned to me.” Upon hearing this,Abraha retorted:“You have fallen in my estimation. I thought you had come to petition for the safety and protection ofKa’aba , you are simply interested in your possessions!”

AbdulMuttalib said:“I have come to ask for that which I own. As forKa’aba , it has its own Master, Who will definitely protect it.”

The words of AbdulMuttalib were prophetic. Holy Qur’an describes the ignominious defeat ofAbraha and his army:

“Have you not considered how your Sustainer dealt with the army of the Elephant?” (105:1) .

“Did He not foil their stratagem” (105:2) .

“And send against them flock of birds” (105:3) .

“Which pelted them with clay-stones?” (105:4) .

“So that they became like plants cropped by cattle” (105:5).

15. Allow Me To Weep!

After the stunning defeat inBadr there was a bitter pang of shame and despair everywhere in Mecca. AbuSufyan gave the stern advice:“Weep not for your slain, mourn nottheirloss , for if you do so, it will ease your wrath and diminish your enmity toward Muhammad and his fellows.”

Then he took a solemn vow:“As for me, I will touch no oil neither approach my wife until I shall have gone forth to fight Muhammad.”

People chided AbuSufyan’s wife Hind for not mourning over her father, uncle and brother who were all killed atBadr . She said:“I will not weep till you wage another war against Muhammad. If tears would wipe the grief from my heart, I too would weep, but that is not the case with Hind.” Then not to be outdone by her husband, she pledged that she would not use oil, nor approach her marital couch until an avenging army from Mecca was on the march.

One night, an aged father, by the name of Aswad binMuttalib binAsad bin AbdulUzza , who had lost his 3 sons, heard the sound of weeping. He asked his servant to investigate if theQuraish had begun to wail for their dead.“Grief is consuming me, and I would like to weep over my sons,” he said.

The servant returned to inform him that it was only a woman who was mourning for her strayed camel. The man said:“Is she allowed to weep for her camel and for it banish sleep from her eyes? Allow me to weep - overBadr , over myAqueel andHarith , the brave soldiers ofQuraish .”

16. A Sharing Society

Few months after the Holy Prophet (S) had arrived inMadina , he asked theAnsars ofMadina to take up theMuhajirin from Mecca as their brothers.“Become brothers for the pleasure of Allah, and pair yourselves,” he said.

Everyone of the 45 immigrants was connected into brotherly accord with 45 men ofMadina : if anAnsar was a businessman he took an immigrant as equal partner in his trade, in case of his being a farmer, half his land he gave to his brother from Mecca; till the system grew so common that when a man fromMadina died, his immigrant brother was included among the heirs.

But the noble Meccans were loath to take undue advantage of their hosts.Abdur Rahman bin Auf, for example, became a brother toSa’ad bin Rabi’, andSa’ad offered him half of what he owned. He declined the offer with thanks and only asked the way to the market place, where he soon started a small business independently.

Gibbon gives the account in the following words:“To eradicate the seed of jealousy, Muhammad judiciously coupled his principal followers with rights and obligations of brethren, and when Ali found himself without a peer, the Prophet (S) tenderly declared that he would be the companion and brother of the noble youth. The expedient was crowned with success; the holy fraternity was respected in peace and war, and the two parties vied with each other in a generous emulation of courage and fidelity.”

17. The First Constitution

The Jews inMadina had a decided voice in many matters. They would enter into alliance with the tribes ofAus andKhazraj and take sides in their inter-tribal wars. Though Arabs by descent, they formed a distant unit by reason of their adoption of Judaism. The two principle tribes of the Jews,Banu Nadhir andBanu Quraidha , sided withKhazraj andAus respectively.

When the Holy Prophet (S) enteredMadina , most of theAus andKhazraj had already embraced Islam. He, therefore, contracted a pact with the Jews and formally laid a firm foundation of an Islamic state. It was an instrument, which could be termed the first Constitution of an Islamic state creating a political undertaking between the Muslim and non-Muslim. The terms were:

1. The Muslims and the Jews would live in peace as a single community;

2. The contracting parties could keep to their own faiths and enjoy freedom of worship;

3. In the event of war with a third party, each one was to help the other - provided always that the latter was the aggrieved and not the aggressor;

4. If the City ofMadina was attacked, both parties had to defend it;

5. In giving the peace terms to the enemy, the other party would be consulted;

6.Madina was to be considered holy and sacred by both and all bloodshed within its boundaries was prohibited;

7. The Holy Prophet (S) would be the final arbitrator;

8. The signatories of the contract would treat each other with respect and goodwill.

The Jews set their seals gladly to the document.

18. Who Can Save You Now?

In the third year afterHijrah , a tribe ofBanu Tha’laba and its allies were preparing to attackMadina . The Holy Prophet (S) set out to confront them, but as he entered the precincts ofNukhail , the enemies retreated to their hiding place behind the mountains.

Suddenly it began to pour. The Holy Prophet (S) removed his wet clothes and spread them over a tree for drying. Waiting for his clothes to dry, he took respite under a tree. An enemy by the name ofDu’shoor , thought that this was an opportune time to attack the Holy Prophet (S) unawares, so he crept forward and leapt with an open sword.“Muhammad, say who can save you from my sword now?”

The Holy Prophet (S) without losing his calm, said with a firm, resounding voice:“Allah!”

And just as the words fell from the Holy Prophet’s (S) lips, an unseen power seemed to overwhelm and seize the attacker. He trembled and the sword fell off his hands. The Holy Prophet (S) rose instantly, held the sword and turned toDu’shoor :“Tell me now, who is there to deliver you from my sword?”

Du’shoor said:“None.”

And suddenly herealised that this incident was revealing to him the great truth. Allah was the Creator, the Sustainer and to Him turned everything in human life. Life and death both are ordained by Allah. So he exclaimed:“I testify that there is no god but Allah, and you, Muhammad, are indeed His Messenger.”

Then he went back to his people to preach Islam and teach them the creed.

Qur’an describes this encounter in the following words:

“O believers! Remember thefavour , which Allah bestowed upon you. Remember when a group sought to harm you, He restrained their hands; guard yourselves in fear of Allah. In Allah let thefaithfuls put their Trust” (5:11).