Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The young generation welcomed Islamic Teachings

When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) gave a call for embracing Islam in the great historical city of Mecca those who readily and positively responded belonged to the young and youthful generation. A majority of them had come from the tribe of Quraish. This group had intensely felt their backwardness in comparison with other tribes. They were fed up with

Meccan idol-worship and superstitious rituals. So as soon as they heard the sweet call from the mouth of Mecca ’s most popular gentleman, Muhammad ibn Abdullah asking people to give up idol-worship and superstitions based on ignorance they were the first to come forward and embrace Islam and also decided to suffer every difficulty that could arise in their path.

Summary: The Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.s .) had put forth his ideas in such a nice and attractive manner, which was both comprehensive and eloquent that it proved extremely effective and impressive. His words appealed directly the hearts of the people and made them readily responsive.

Consequently, those elite and high-class Meccan families, whose youth, both male and female, had left their elders and flocked around the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) became very anxious and fearful about the future and they began to stop their gatherings.

One of them said, “O Muhammad! You have brought an unprecedented calamity to us. You are sharply criticizing our elders for their ancient beliefs and mocking our religion and culture. You are using indecent words for our gods and misleading our youth, thus creating a rift in our families and disunity in the society. If the aim of your mission is wealth and property, we promise to give you so much money that you will become the richest man among us. If your intention is to gain name and fame, we are prepared to give you utmost honor and to make you the most respected person in the society. If you want to become a king, we will make you our ruler and if you are fond of the most beautiful woman in Mecca, just mention it and we will give you dozens of damsels, but the only condition is that you should stop talking ill of our gods.”

In reply, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) said, “I do not require any wealth, name, fame or kingdom. My God has sent me to guide you to the true and straight path. He has revealed the Divine Book, Quran to me and commanded me to give you good tidings of His Mercy and Kindness and to stop you from disobeying Him. My duty is to propagate among you what He has sent through me for you. If you will accept it (Islam) you will get the good of both this world and the Hereafter. But if you opposeme I will also confront you until I see what God wants.”[94]

After this event, relations between the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) and the idol-worshippers of Mecca were cut off and the latter began to harm the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) and his sincere companions in every way and planned many conspiracies. They began to oppress even their own daughters and sisters extremely. But what is all the more noteworthy and important is that the more force they applied the more the youthful and enthusiastic generation became firm in their conviction and became devoted to the heavenly teachings of the Holy Quran. More and more youths from Quraish joined the supporters of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) and became so much devoted that they rooted out all ancient ignorant beliefs of their forefathers from their hearts and readied themselves to bear every difficulty for the sake of truth and justice.

In this way, confronting oppression unhesitatingly was the wonderful feat in the history of Islam, which has no parallel.

When the elders of Quraish did not succeed in their talks with the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) they began to stall the path of the Holy Prophet’s youthful companions and to give every possible trouble to them. Some imprisoned their own sons to prevent them from meeting the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .). They chained them and kept them in dark rooms for long periods.

AbuJahl who was considered the most wealthy and clever amongst Quraish, whenever he heard that a youth from his tribe joined the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .), he used to say humiliatingly, “You have left the religion of your forefathers, which was better than what Muhammad has brought! Now just wait and see how I tear apart your youthfulness and how I destroy your new faith and belief. I will dishonor you in public.” To those men of age (elder ones) who embraced Islam, AbuJahl said, “Very soon I will finish your trade and business and confiscate your wealth and property.” If a somewhat weaker man embraced Islam, AbuJahl slapped him, whipped him and gave him every possible trouble.[95]

One of such weak and powerless persons was a black slave named Bilal. He had become a Muslim and started to act in accordance with Islamic teachings steadfastly.Consequently a fellow namedUmayyah ibn Khalaf used to drag Bilal out of his house in scorching heat of midday, take him out of the city and force him to lie down on red-hot sand. Then he put a heavy stone on his chest telling him, “This stone will not be removed until either you die or revert to our religion and begin to worship the idols of Lat and Uzza.” But, what faith! Bilal would cry ‘Ahad ’ ‘Ahad ’ meaning ‘my God is the Only One God.’

Waraqa ibnNaufal was the uncle of Lady Khadijah and a leading personality of Quraish. Whenever he saw Bilal being tortured in a cruel manner and observed Bilal’s steadfastness, he would also cry out ‘Ahad ’ ‘Ahad ’.

Among these youths was also a young man named Ammar Yasir. He also bore a lot of torture meted out to him by the Meccan idol-worshippers. They used to manhandle and chastise him in the worst ways. Some people belonging to AbuJahl’s tribe BaniMakhzoom used to drag Ammar, his father, Yasir and his honorable motherSumaiyah out of their homes and take them out of the town to burn their faces with hot sand at noon. Whenever the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) passed by them he would console them saying: O family members of Yasir, be patient. Your abode is Paradise.

Yasir andSumaiyah were martyred as a result of such torture but Ammar survived. AbuJahl was the one who stuck his spear in the chest of Yasir’s mother and she became the first female martyr of Islam.

One day some people belonging to the tribe of BaniMakhzoom gathered and met their tribal chief, Hisham ibn Walid ibnMughaira and said, “We intend to punish those youths who have created trouble among us by accepting a new faith. We want to finish them soon and nip the trouble in the bud before they mislead others and the affair becomes uncontrollable.” Incidentally, Hisham’s brother, Walid was also among the youth who had embraced Islam recently. He said, “Punish my brother also. It is essential to punish him. But see that his life is not put in danger.”

When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) saw that living in Mecca had become extremely difficult and hazardous for new Muslims, he advised some of them to migrate towards the Red Sea and enter Abyssinia, as the just king of that place did not oppress anyone.

According to the famous historian, Ibn Hisham, the caravan, which thus left Mecca and migrated to Abyssinia comprised of eighty-three men in addition to women and children. Leaving Mecca in the darkness of the night they stealthily reached the seashore and taking a boat reached Abyssinia. Then they went to the capital to live in peace.

What is interesting is that in that caravan there also were some ladies and gentlemen who were related to the nobles of Medina like AbuHuzaifah the son ofUtba ’ ibnRabeeah .Utbah was the brother of Abu Sufyan’s wife Hind (who chewed the liver of Hamzah). There also wasSahlah , AbuHuzaifah’s wife and the daughter of Suhail ibn Umar, the man who was the deputy of the Quraish at the time of negotiating the Treaty ofHudaibiyah . (Remember thatUtbah was killed by Ali in the Battle of Badr.)

Another name is that ofUmme Salma, the daughter ofUmayyah IbnMughaira Makhzoomi , a cousin of AbuJahl . With her also was her husband Abi Salma ibn AbdulAsad , after whose demise she married the Prophet. Yet another famous name is that of Zubair ibnAwam , the son of the Prophet’s uncle and Khadijah’s sister. He migrated to Abyssinia at a very young age.

About him historians say that he was instigated by Talha to assist Ayesha in the Battle of Camel and was killed in it. Another well-known face is that of Ammar ibn Yasir whose family was not considered of any worth among Meccan nobles. Yet another distinguished name is of Musab ibn Umair who belonged to the family of BaniAbdud Daar . Most of the people of this tribe were dead against the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .). He had fought the enemy’s front line in the Battle of Badr. Many of his relatives were killed at the hands of Ali (a.s ). Musab was quite young at the time of migrating to Abyssinia. He also was very handsome and good-looking.

Another name, oft repeated in history, is that ofUmme Habiba who was in the caravan, which migrated to Abyssinia. She was the daughter of BaniUmaiyyah’s greatest figure, Abu Sufyan. She migrated to Abyssinia with her husbandUbaidullah ibnJahash . History testifies that Abu Sufyan was the greatest enemy of Islam but his daughter embraced Islam along with her husband and therefore she migrated leaving her parents, relatives, town and motherland.

Her husband,Ubaidullah ibnJahash was a strong and a handsome man and his youth was worth admiring. He met Negus, the King of Abyssinia several times. A woman who used to be present in the royal court at such times came into contact with him and expressed her love for him.Finally this new Muslim (Ubaidullah ) embraced Christianity to marry that woman. This behavior of the husband of a lady (Umme Habiba) who was the daughter of a man like Abu Sufyan was a very big hindrance in the path of Islamic propagation. It could have resulted in a very serious harm for the faithful and this feeling of shame had putUmme Habiba in an extremely unbearable and awkward situation.

On the otherhand when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) learnt of this ugly event he sent a letter to Negus, the just and gentle King of Abyssinia:

You are my representative in marriage contract. So please, read out the announcement of my marriage toUmme Habiba at a Dower of 400 gold coins.

This was the highest amount of Dower fixed by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) for his marriage. By this great deed, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) protected all the Muslims in Abyssinia, who were likely to be hit by deviation from the true path and raised the head of a self-sacrificing lady who suffered so much for the cause of Islam. On the otherhand he disgraced Abu Sufyan by marrying his daughter. Now, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) was the son-in-law of the greatest enemy of Islam. Later this honorable lady returned to Medina and entered the house of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) as his respectful wife. Her former husband, after passing a few youthful days in apostasy passed away from this world.

A name, which dazzles in the history of Islam, is that of Ja’farIbn Abi Talib. As he was the leader of the caravan of migration to Abyssinia, who had done exemplary work, it is necessary to set aside a chapter to briefly describe his life.

Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib

The Holy Prophet’s uncle Abu Talib had four sons each of whom was ten years younger than his elder brother. Their names in order of seniority were Talib, Aqil, Ja’far and Ali.

Ja’far was among the first of the Meccans to embrace Islam. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) used to become very happy on seeing Ja’far and said, “O Ja’far! You are very much similar to me in the matter of appearance, mannerism and character.”

When the caravan of Muslim migrants reachedAbyssinia this news angered and worried theQuraishite polytheists. They sent a delegation led by AmrAas to King Negus with a lot of precious gifts so that he may deport the neo-Muslim migrants to Mecca for being punished for their offense of giving up their ancient religion of idol-worship.

AmrAas first forwarded the presents to the king and thereafter sought permission to enter his royal court. The king was quite old and experienced. The Meccan delegates, as an extreme gesture of flattery, lay down on the ground and when they were asked to getup they said:

“Your Highness! A group of our community’s young and unwise people have left their houses, relatives and country and entered your territory. Their new belief is not at all in conformity with your religion. Their new faith is also totally against the religion of our forefathers. Their elders and parents have sent us to you so that you may hand them over to us and we may take them back to our country and give them in the custody of their elders. Your honor can realize how disgraceful it is on the part of these youths to run away, discarding their ancient religious beliefs.”

Kind Negus was very wise and intelligent gentleman. He felt disturbed with these accusations and he replied, “These people have given preference to me over other rulers and they have come under our shelter fortheir

personal safety. I cannot send them back with you. Of course, I would like to call them here to know how much truth is there in what you say. If what you say is found correct, I will hand them over to you. Otherwise, instead of giving them to you, we will take more care of them.”

Then Negus called the migrants to his court. When they arrived in an upright and proper manner the king asked them, “What is the matter? What kind of a new religion have you adopted which compelled you to leave your families and relatives?”

Now Ja’far who was a handsome and gentle young man got up and said, “Your Highness! We were unwise and unintelligent folk. We used to worship man-made idols. We ate carrion and indulged in immoral deeds. We did not know how to honor our elders. We did not behave nicely with our neighbors. The powerful among us starved the poor ones until Almighty God had mercy on us and sent to us His Messenger whom we knew very well as a noble, truthful, honest and most responsible man as he was born in one of our noblest families. This Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w.s .) taught us to worship only One God and called upon us to end idol-worship forever which was in vogue since our forefathers’ time. This Prophet taught us to always tell the truth and also to hand over every trust to whom it belongs and to pay honor and respect to our relatives and to love our neighbors and to have friendly and brotherly relations with them and to refrain from everything which is against self-respect.

This Prophet taught us to worship none but only One God and never to consider anyone His partner. He ordered us to establish prayer, to observe fasts and to pay the poor tax… We have testified to his prophethood and have put faith in him and we accept and obey whatever comes to him through revelation from Almighty Allah, the only One God. We never consider anyone as equal to God Almighty. Whatever he has banned for us, we regard it as a permanently prohibited thing and whatever he has allowed is permissible forever.

But our community rose up to oppose us tooth and nail. They harassed and oppressed us in every painful and degrading way only to make us return to our superstitious faith of idol-worship and to make us indulge in all bad and dirty affairs in which we were engaged earlier. When their high-handedness, oppression and harassment crossed all limits and it became quite unbearable for us and when they swept upon us wildly from all directions to force us to return to the earlier deviated way of life we decided to take shelter in your honor’s kingdom and we gave preference to your honor over all other rulers so that we may be able to live a peaceful life in your territory. We hope that we will no more suffer in the limits of your peaceful kingdom.”

King Negus asked, “Have you the knowledge of any sign, which your Prophet has brought to you from his God? If so, please describe it.”

“Yes,” replied Ja'far.

Ja'far knew that King Negus and his courtiers were staunch Christians and greatly devoted to Prophet Isa (a.s ) and his respected mother, Maryam. So, he began to recite Surah Maryam in a most melodious and respectful way.

And mention Maryam in the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place;so she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said:Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent God, if you are one guarding (against evil). He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy. She said: When shall I have a boy and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so; your Lord says: It is easy to Me: and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed.So she conceived him; then withdrew herself with him to a remote place. And the throes (of childbirth) compelled her to betake herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten! Then (the child) called out to her from beneath her: Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you; And shake towards you the trunk of the palm tree, it will drop onyou fresh ripe dates: So eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say:Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent God, so I shall not speak to any man today. And she came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: O Maryam! Surely you have done a strange thing. O sister of Harun! Your father was not a bad man, nor, was your mother an unchaste woman. But she pointed to him. They said: How should we speak to one who was a child in the cradle? He said: Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet; And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live; And dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me insolent, unblessed; And peace on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life. [96]

After he finished the recitation, King Negus wept with such fervor that his cheeks became wet with tears.

Not only this, the Christian scholars seated in the balconies and around the King also wept so much that their Bibles became wet with their tears.

Negus then said, “This speech and whatever Jesus Christ has said are having the same source and center. Then he addressed the agents of Quraish, “You may go back. We can never give these people into your custody.”[ 97]

Ja'far and other Muslims accompanying him settled down in Abyssinia. Some of them thought that the situation in Mecca might have improved.So they returned to Mecca with their families but when they reached Mecca they saw that the conditions were the same, and they at once retraced their steps to Abyssinia. A few were also such that they remained in Mecca while some others went to Medina. King Negus and some other influential people of Abyssinia were influenced by the words of Ja'far and they accepted Islam.Thus it was Ja'far who sowed the seeds of Islam for the first time in the African continent. Ja'far at-Tayyar began to be included among the rows of those valiant ones called the foremost (Sabiqoon ).

After a period of twelve years Ja’far at-Tayyar came to Medina in the seventh year of the Hijrah along with his companions. At this time the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s .) was returning to Medina after the conquest of Khyber. When he was informed that Ja'far has returned from Abyssinia and

that he was coming to him, he was very pleased and he waited for him restlessly. When Ja'far arrived, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) arose and walked twelve steps to welcome him. He embraced Ja'far, kissed his forehead and began to weep. He said, “Which joy should we give preference to? The arrival of Ja'far or the conquest of Khyber? According to the text ofKhisal ofSadooq , the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .) said to Ali, “I don’t know which victory should I celebrate. Your arrival or the conquest of Khyber at the hands of your brother?” Then he began to weep in joy.[98]

During the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (Jahiliyya ), Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib was having a special and prominent personality. When the sun of Islamarose he began to be included among the known Muslims due to his pure conscience, abilities and merits.

ShaykhSadooq writes in the Iranian edition of his book,Khisal that it is narrated from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s ) that he said: One day the Almighty revealed to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .): “There are four qualities in Ja'far that I like.” The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) immediately called Ja'far and asked him what four qualities he had that Allah liked? Ja'far said, “O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .)! If the Almighty Allah had not mentioned them, I would not have said anything. The four qualities are:

(1) I have never consumed wine. Because I know that wine makes one lose the intellect.

(2) I never lied. Because I know that lying destroys courage and manliness of a person.

(3) I never fornicated. Because I know that if I fornicate with a woman of some other person, someone would fornicate with my woman.

(4) I never worshipped the idol. Because I know that it can neither protect nor cause any harm.”

In the eighth year of Hijrah, Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib was sent as the commander of 300-strong army towards Jordan where a huge Roman army was preparing to attack the Muslims. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) said, “If Ja'far is martyred the leadership of the army should be given to Zaid Ibn Harith and if he too is killed, the command would go to Abdullah IbnRawaja and if he too falls, the Muslims may select a commander through consensus.”

When Ja'far at-Tayyar was departing with the army, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .) bid him farewell and said, “I advise you, O Ja'far and the Muslims in your army that you must all observe piety. Continue to fear the Almighty. Fight

Jihad for the sake of Allah and confront the enemies of Allah on the land of Sham firmly. There you would find some people engrossed in worship in their cloisters. Do not disturb their devotions. Do not attack women, children and aged persons. Do not cut down any tree and neither must you plunder or destroy any dwelling houses.”

At a place calledMuta , in Jordan the Muslim army consisting of 3000 soldiers came face to face with the Roman army comprised of 10000 or more fighters. This army was all the better equipped than their Muslim rivals.Ja'far’s army was surrounded from all sides. When Ja'far saw that they were about to be routed, he took up the standard in one hand and the

sword in the other and fell upon the Roman army with ferocity. Around a hundred Roman soldiers surrounded Ja'far and began to attack him. When one of his hands wassevered he took the standard in the other hand and continued to fight till his other hand was also cut off. At last he fell down and was martyred. Immediately the standard was taken up by Zaid Ibn Haritha and he was also martyred in due course. Then the standard was held by Abdullah IbnRawaja . When he was also martyred, Khalid Ibn Walid took out the Muslims from the Romans encircling them and fled the battlefield to return to Medina.

When the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s .) received the news ofJa'far’s martyrdom, he wept profusely and said, “Ja'far is that personality whose martyrdom should be mourned.” After that he said, “O Allah! In exchange of the hands of Ja'far, bestow a pair of wings to him, so that he may fly in Paradise with the angels.”Thus Ja'far came to be known as Ja'far at-Tayyar .[99]

Abdullah IbnMasud : A Valiant Youth Who RecitedThe Holy Quran In The Midst Of Polytheists

Abdullah IbnMasud was the sixth person to accept the purified beliefs and laws of Islam with a submissive and a sincere heart. He is included among the intellectuals and steadfast members of the Muslim community. When Abdullah IbnMasud received the invitation for accepting Islam from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) and he learnt about the revelation of Quran, he came to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Teach me also the words that you recite.” It was a time whenMasud was a fresh convert to faith. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) patted with affection the head of this righteous youth and said, “You are the son of a learned man.”

After some days, Abdullah IbnMasud says, “I have learnt seventy Quranic chapters (Surahs) from Allah’s Messenger and when I recite them, none can dare find any defect in my recitation.” This is that unique personality among the companions who had the courage to recite the Quran in a loud voice in the midst of the Meccan polytheists.

One day some recently converted Muslims assembled and discussed among themselves, “None from the polytheists has heard the Quran being recited in a loud voice. Is there anyone among us who can accomplish this task?” Abdullah IbnMasud replied with utmost courage and determination, “I am prepared to render this service.” All the Muslims said, “O IbnMasud , only a person who has some status and position should go to the polytheists. (That is, he must have a strong family background, so that he could defend himself). While you do not possess such advantage.”

Abdullah IbnMasud replied, “Leave that to me. My God would help me.” The next day, the Meccan chiefs assembled near the Ka’ba after sunrise. Abdullah IbnMasud also arrived and stood at the Place of Ibrahim and facing theQuraishite leaders began to recite the Holy Quran:

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. The Beneficent God, Taught the Quran. He created man, Taught him the mode of expression. The sun and the moon follow a reckoning. And the herbs and the trees do adore (Him). And the heaven, He raised it high, and He made the balance,That you may not be inordinate in respect of the measure. And keep up the balance with equity and do not make the measure deficient. And the earth, He has set it for living creatures; Therein is fruit and palms having sheathed clusters, And the grain with (its) husk and fragrance. Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny? He created man from dry clay like earthen vessels, And He created the jinn of a flame of fire. Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?

Lord of the East and Lord of the West. Which then of the bounties of your Lord will youdeny?… [100]

IbnMasud recited the Quran with such intrepidity that all the Meccan polytheists could hear it clearly; and that too in a beautifully melodious tone. When just a few verses of Surah Rahman remained to be recited some polytheists approached Abdullah IbnMasud and said, “O son ofUmme Mabad ! What is this that you recite?” Some of their own people said, “He is

reciting the same thing that Muhammad has brought and that which he recites.”

When the polytheists saw that Abdullah IbnMasud , an ordinary person of Mecca had the audacity to recite the Quran in their midst and that too in a loud voice, they surrounded him from all sides like a gemstone is fixed in a finger ring. IbnMasud was neither afraid of being surrounded nor did he hesitate. He continued to recite the verses with utmost tranquility and demeanor. The polytheists began to fist him on the head and slap his face. Though they continued to thrash him, IbnMasud did not interrupt his recitation till he completed the whole chapter of Surah Rahman. After concluding the same, since he was greatly outnumbered by the Meccans, he fled the crowd and returned to the Muslims.

When the Muslims noticed the condition of IbnMasud , they were much aggrieved and they said, “Do not go there alone. See what the polytheists have done to you.” IbnMasud replied, “This is not a problem in the path of Islam. I will go there again and recite the verses of Quran.”

The other Muslims told IbnMasud , “It is enough, that you have made them hear the Quran once and what you have done is nothing insignificant.”

During the migration from Mecca, Abdullah IbnMasud was also with the migrants. Then he returned to Mecca and again went to Medina. After that he participated in almost all the battles.

In the Battle of Badr, Abdullah IbnMasud saw that AbuJahl had fallen. He at once came to him, beheaded him and brought his severed head to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) and threw it at his feet. At that time, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .) gave him the good news of Paradise.[101]

Abdullah IbnMasud was a proficient reciter of the Holy Quran and a great commentator of our heavenly book. His equal is not found in the early period of Islam. He was the first person to refuse allegiance to Abu Bakr after the passing away of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .). However, later he relented for the sake of his life. During the Caliphate ofUthman he raised some objections against the third caliph who ordered Abdullah Ibn Zama to beat him. Ibn Zama dragged Abdullah IbnMasud outside the Mosque and threw him on the ground. The bones of Abdullah IbnMasud were fractured as a result. He never recovered from his injuries and at last passed away after some days. During his last moments, he summoned his friend, Ammar Ibn Yasir and made a bequest to him that caliph Uthman must not be allowed to recite his funeral prayer.[102]

Musab Ibn Umair : The Youthful MissionaryOf The Holy Prophet In Medina

Among the youthful faces of Islam is the name of Musab Ibn Umair. When the sun of Islam arose, Musab who was a young man accepted the Islamic faith through his intelligence, capability, merit and incomparable ability. From thattime he engrossed himself in defending the faith of Islam.

Musab Ibn Umair belonged to a prosperous and well-established family. His parents loved him deeply and used to be very affectionate towards him. His mother desired that her son should always be dressed in the best clothes.So she used to purchase expensiveraiments for her dear son and had him dressed to her satisfaction. Musab was a youth whose elegance, fair looks and black tresses were objects of attention among the Meccans. He was passing his life in the best and luxurious environment. None in Mecca used the type of perfume he wore.[103]

Musab Ibn Umair used to meet the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) secretly and benefit from the teachings of Islam. He tried his utmost that his parents do not learn about his association with the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .). But one day Uthman ibn Talha saw Musab praying the Islamic ritual prayer. He at once informed Musab’s mother and his other relatives that Musab was following the religion of Muhammad and he recited the Muslim ritual prayer. The whole clan was shocked to know this. At last the parents had their righteous son arrested on the charge of following Islam and kept him within the confines of their house.

Musab was spending a life of imprisonment when at last he got an opportunity to escape. He joined the group of Muslims, which was leaving for Abyssinia. Then he returned to Mecca after some time with a group of Muslims.

During the period of ignorance everyone had the freedom of speech in the Hajj season. Every year, on the occasion of Hajj, in addition to the polytheists of Mecca, people from other cities and villages used to congregate at the place called Mina. Taking advantage of this opportunity, every year the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) used to go among the tribes and discuss Islam with them and inform them about its teachings. During this period the different communities of Medina gathered around the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) at Mina and when they returned toMedina they conveyed the Prophet’s words to other people. As a result of this no house in Medina remained uninformed about Islam.

After a year it so happened that when evening fell on the land of Mina and the moonlight had illuminated the surroundings, a group of twelve Hajj pilgrims came to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .). The members of this community were inhabitants of Medina. These people recited the words of Islamic faith in the presence of the Prophet and accepted the religion of Islam. These persons opened a new chapter in the history of Islam and they helped a great deal in removing great difficulties from the path of Islam that were to come in the future.

When this group of new converts was about to depart for Medina, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) sent Musab Ibn Umair also with them, with the

instructions that he should recite the Quranic verses among them and teach them about Islam and Islamic law. At that time Musab was very famous. Along with the ascending youth he had modesty, shame, maturity and a stable disposition. All these perfections had added embellishments to his personality.

When Musab arrived in Medina he resided withAsad ibnZurarah , one of those twelve persons and also a senior leader of theKhazraj tribe. One day Musab went to Saad ibnMu’az along with his host,Asad ibnZurarah , to invite Saad towards Islam. We should remember that Saad ibnMu’az was the chief of the Aws tribe. The other members of that group of new converts also accompanied Musab andAsad when they went to Saad’s place. They all seated themselves around Musab and his host. When all had settled down Musab began to recite the Holy Quran among the people of Aws tribe in an extremely nice manner.

The people of Bani Aws used to speak eloquent Arabic. Since Arabic was their mother tongue some of them began to listen attentively to the Quran being recited by Musab and they did not feel any bigotry towards it. So much so that the beautiful words and lovely verses of the Holy Quran mesmerized their hearts. When Saad ibnMu’az heard Musab’s recitation he toldUsaid ibnHafeer another polytheist and a leader of Aws tribe, “Before these two make the weak-minded people of our tribe deviated, send them away from my house with a strict warning. IfAsad ibnZurarah had not been the son of my maternal aunt I would have accomplished this task myself. Since he belongs to myrelations I do not want to take such a step.”

Usaid ibnHafeer picked up a weapon and moved towards them. When he came to them,Asad ibnZurarah said to Musab, “This is the senior-most member of our community. If possible, convert him to Islam.” Musab said, “If he gives me some respite and listens to me, hopefully he would become a Muslim.”

MeanwhileUsaid ibnHafeer had reached near them and he began to mouth whatever abuses came to his mind. He told them, “You have come to deviate thesimple minded people of this tribe. For the sake of your life, get up at once and begone.” Musab said with utmost dignity and demeanor, “I have a request to you that you please sit down for a moment and listen to what I have to say. If you find my words acceptable, do accept them otherwise there is no problem if you choose otherwise.” No one knows whatUsaid thought; he kept his weapon aside and sat down besides Musab.

Musab told him about the religion of Islam in brief and after that recited a few verses of Quran. The attractive statements about the principles of Islam and the eloquent words of Quran and that too from the tongue of a handsome youth of Mecca had such an effect onUsaid that he suddenly exclaimed, “What a beautiful and spiritual discourse it is!” Sparks of joy flickered in the eyes ofUsaid . There was a complete transformation in his personality and his thoughts also underwent a change. He asked, “What should one who desires to accept this religion do?” Musab replied, “He should perform a ritual bath, wear clean clothes, recite the testimony of faith and perform two units (rakats ) of prayer.”

Usaid ibnHafeer did as directed and then said, “There are two persons behind me. If they accept faith none in the Aws tribe would turn away from Islam. I am going and I would send Saad ibnMu’az to you.”

WhenUsaid returned to his tribesmen Saad ibnMu’az looked at him and said, “ThoughUsaid has returned, his thinking is not the same as what it was when he had gone from here. He is looking completely transformed.” Then he askedUsaid what feat he had performed.Usaid replied, “I have warned them sternly and there is no danger from them anymore. Because I have threatened them so much about their mission that now they would do only as you say.”

After thatUsaid said, “O Saad! When I was returning, I heard that a group of men from Bani Haritha are coming to murderAsad ibnZurarah and break the treaty of peace.”

Saad ibnMu’az got up at once, picked up his sword and rushed out thinking that Bani Haritha men may attackAsad ibnZurarah before he could reach there. But when he reached the place where Musab andAsad were seated he found them safe and sound and no men from Bani Haritha were in sight. He at once realized the ruse ofUsaid and spoke caustically toAsad , “If you had not been related to me, being my maternal aunt’s son, you would not have dared to perform that dangerous task which I dislike, in my own house.”

Again Musab resorted to the same mode of action that he had used withUsaid . Saad was also deeply affected.Therefore he also liked the simplicity of Islamic laws and the magnetic verses of Quran. Musab’s statements transformed his heart. He became a Muslim at that very moment. When Saad’s tribesmen sawhim they remarked, “By Allah! Saad is not what he was before. He has changed completely.”

Saad came to his people and said, “O people of Bani AbdulAshmal (another name of Bani Aws)! What is your opinion about me? What position do you accord me amongst yourself?” All replied in unison, “You are the senior-most person among us. You are better than us in intelligence, integrity and purity.” After thatMu’az said, “Now I have the right to say that no man or woman from among you can speak to me till he or she has not accepted the religion of Islam.”

Asad ibnZurarah and Musab says that it was such an auspicious day that before the sun set all the people of Aws andKhazraj tribes became Muslims. These two clans were the most powerful, influential and famous tribes of the Arabs.Thus their conversion to Islam meant that Islam became the dominant faith of Medina.

Musab andAsad returned from Saad’s residence and upon reaching home became engrossed in the propagation of religion. It is sufficient matter of pride for Musab that with the help ofAsad ibnZurarah he succeeded in converting the two most influential personalities of Medina,Usaid ibnHafeer and Saad ibnMu’az .

When Musab stood up to pray the people of Medina accepted his leadership and the congregational prayers were performed in Medina for the first time. Musab ordered that the call for prayer (Azan) be recited aloud so that other people of Medina may also participate in the congregational

prayers. Since the Aws andKhazraj were old enemies of each other all would not have agreed to the leadership of one person but since Musab was from Mecca none had any objection in praying behind him. When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .) migrated from Mecca and arrived in Medina, the two tribes buried their mutual enmity after some time.

In this way, much before the migration of the Prophet to Medina, Musab had converted the majority of the people of Medina to Islam with his foresight, intelligence and meritorious qualities. Musab had actually prepared the ground for the Prophet’s arrival in Medina, and that is the reason that when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) fled the dangerous situation of Mecca and reached Medina he received a hearty welcome. Upon his arrival at Medina he heaved a sigh of relief. Because it was a time when except for Medina every area of the Arabian Peninsula was aflame with the fire of polytheism and infidelity. It was due to the efforts of Musab Ibn Umair that Medina proved to be a refuge for the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s .).

Musab participated in the Battles of Badr andUhad under the command of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .). He attained martyrdom during the Battle ofUhad and was buried near Hamzah, the Prophet’s uncle.[104]