Chapter 31: Persecution of the early Muslims

Ibn Is-haaq said: Thereafter, they began persecuting those who believed and followed the Prophet ﷺ, from his Companions. Every tribe took charge of torturing the Muslims within it. They confined them and punished them with beatings, hunger and thirst, and exposing them to the intense heat and hot grounds of Makkah. Those who were weak (and had no tribal support) were put to trials in their Deen, and due to the extreme torture that they had suffered some of them gave in, while the others remained firm upon their Deen. We already mentioned the narration of `Abdullaah bin Mas`ood رضي اهلل عنه that he said: ❝ The first people to declare their Islaam publicly were seven: The Messenger of Allaah, Abu Bakr, `Ammaar and his mother Sumayyah, Suhaib, Bilaal and Miqdaad. With regard to the Messenger of Allaah, Allaah protected him through his paternal uncle Abu Taalib. With regard to Abu Bakr, Allaah protected him through his people. As for the rest, the idolaters seized them and made them wear coats of chain-mail and exposed them to the intense heat of the sun. There was none of them except he (under coercion) did what they wanted them to do, except for Bilaal. He did not care what happened to him for the sake of Allaah, and his people did not care what happened to him. Then they gave him to the children who took him around in the streets of Makkah while he was saying: ‘Ahad, Ahad (One, One).’❞ 207 And it is reported from Jaabir رضي اهلل عنه: The Prophet ﷺ passed by `Ammaar and his family while they were being persecuted and he ﷺ said: ❝O family of `Ammaar and family of Yaasir! Receive the glad tidings, for your promised place (to meet) is the Paradise.❞ 208 207 Musnad Ahmad (3832) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (150) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. Al-Haakim also reported it in “al-Mustadrak” (5238) and said it is “sahih”, and al-Dhahabee agreed with him, but Shaikh alAlbaanee said: It only reaches to the level of “Hasan” because of `Aasim Ibn Abee al-Nujood, as they differed about him. 208 “al-Mustadrak” of al-Haakim (5666), from the route of Abu Zubair from Jaabir, and he said: “It is “sahih as per the condition of Muslim”, and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. It is as they have said, except that Abu Zubair is a Mudallis (i.e. a narrator who misses out or masks the identity of his immediate authority in order to strengthen his Isnaad), and he narrated this using: “`An” (عن). Ibn Sa`d also reported this in “al-Tabaqaat al-Kubraa” (3/249) from the same route but the name of Jaabir رضي اهلل عنه is omitted. Al-Haithamee also reported it in his “al-Majma`” (9/293) and said: “It was reported by al-Tabaraanee in “al-Awsat” and its narrators are of “sahih” except for Ibraaheem Ibn `Abdul `Azeez al-Muqawwim, and he is reliable.” He then mentioned a similar narration from `Ammaar as supporting chain and said: “It was reported by al-Tabaraanee and its narrators are reliable.”

I (Ibn Katheer) say: And it is in regards to this that Allaah تعاىل revealed: ﴿م ن ك ف ر ب اللَّـه م ن بـ ع د إ ْي ان ه َّإ ّل م ن أ ك ر ه و قـ ل ب ه ٌّم ط م ئ ن ب اْل ْي ان و ل ـىك ن مَّن ش ر ح ب ال ك ف ر ص د رًا فـ ع ل ي ه م غ ض ب مِّن اللَّـه و َل م ع ذ اب ع ظ يم﴾ {Whoever disbelieved in Allaah after his belief, - except him who is forced (to renounce his religion) while his heart is at rest with Faith 209but those who (willingly) [TN: There is another supporting chain for this narration: `Uthmaan Ibn `Affaan رضي اهلل عنه said: “Should I tell you about `Ammaar? I was walking with the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, who was holding my hand, and we were walking in al-Bathaa’ until he came to where his (`Ammaar’s) father and mother were being tortured. `Ammaar’s father said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Are we going to be like this forever?’ The Prophet ﷺ said to him: ❝Be patient.❞ Then he ﷺ said: ❝O Allaah! Forgive the family of Yaasir, and You have already done so.❞ [Musnad Ahmad (439), but it is “Dha`eef” as it is interrupted (Inqitaa’). Saalem Ibn Abee al-Ja`d did not meet `Uthmaan رضي اهلل عنه. Al-Tabaraanee also reported it in “al-Kabeer” (24/303) from `Uthmaan رضي اهلل عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Be patient O family of Yaasir. Your promised place is the Paradise.❞ Al-Haithamee (9/293) said: “Reported by alTabaraanee, but in its chain is someone who I don’t know.”] 209 I (al-Albaanee) say: It is unanimously agreed that this Aayah was revealed regarding `Ammaar, as mentioned by al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar in “al-Isaabah”. And there are many Ahaadeeth regarding it which were recorded by alSuyootee in “al-Dur al-Manthoor” (4/132), but all of them are Mursal, except for the narration of Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنه, which was mentioned by Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abee Haatim, and Ibn Mardawaih, but he (al-Suyootee) did not mention it, nor did he report from him, as was his habit most of the time. I had wished that this narration was sahih, because of the incident which happened (with `Ammaar), but the knowledge (and authentication) is not according to one’s wishes. And from these Ahaadeeth is the one reported by al-Haakim in his “al-Mustadrak” (3362) and said that it is sahih, and al-Dhahabee agreed with him, then this is from their conjecture, which I have explained in my checking of “Fiqh al-Seerah” (1/108). [TN: The narration reported by al-Haakim is as follows: Abu `Ubaidah Ibn Muhammad Ibn `Ammaar Ibn Yaasir reported from his father (i.e. Muhammad Ibn `Ammaar) that he said: The Mushriks seized `Ammaar Ibn Yaasir and did not let him go until he reviled the Prophet ﷺ and spoke well of their gods, then they let him go. When he came to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, he ﷺ asked: ❝What happened to you?❞ He said: “Something bad, O Messenger of Allaah; I was not let go until I reviled you and spoke well of their gods.” He ﷺ said: ❝How do you find your heart?❞ He said: “It is at rest with faith.” He ﷺ said: ❝If they do that again, do the same again (as you did).❞ Then al-Haakim said: “It is sahih as per the conditions of Shaikhain”, and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. Shaikh al-Albaanee said in his checking of “Fiqh al-Seerah” (1/108): This is what they both said, and long ago I was misled by what they had said. But their mistake has now become clear to me. A group of scholars have reported this as a narration of Abee `Ubaidah from his father, but his father (Muhammad Ibn `Ammaar) is a Taabi`ee and not a Sahaabee. So this narration is “Mursal” (having a broken chain between the Taabi`ee and the Prophet ﷺ)

open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allaah, and for them will be a great torment.} [Surah al-Nahl (16): 106] They were excused (and forgiven) because of the insults and punishments they had to suffer, and Allaah has protected us from it by His Might and Power. Narrated Khabbaab Ibn al-Arat رضي اهلل عنه: “I was a blacksmith in the Pre-Islaamic period, and al-`Aas Ibn Wail owed me some money, so I went to him to demand it. He said (to me): ‘I will not pay you unless you disbelieve Muhammad.’ I said: “I will not disbelieve till Allaah kills you and then you get resurrected.” He said: ‘Leave me till I die and get resurrected, then I will be given wealth and children and I will pay you your debt.’ On that occasion it was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ: ﴿ أ فـ ر أ ي ت الَّذ ي ك ف ر ب آي ات ن ا و ق ال َّ ِّل وتـ ني ًم اّل و و ل دًا * أ طَّل ع ال غ ي ب أ م اَتَّ ذ ع ند الرَّمح ـىن ع ه دًا * َّك ال ۖ س ن ك ت ب م ا يـ ق ول ُّو َّن د ل ه م ن ال ع ذ اب م دًّا * و ن ر ث ه م ا يـ ق ول و ي أ ت ين ا فـ ر دًا ﴾ {Then, have you seen he who disbelieved in Our Signs and said: “I will surely be given wealth and children [in the next life]?” Has he known the unseen, or has he taken a covenant from the Beneficent (Allaah)? No! We will record what he says and extend for him from the punishment extensively. And We shall inherit from him (at his death) all that he talks of (i.e. wealth and children which We have bestowed upon him in this world), and he shall come to Us alone.} [Surah Maryam (19): 7780]” 210 Narrated Khabbaab Ibn al-Arat رضي اهلل عنه: “We complained to Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ (of the persecution inflicted on us by the Mushriks) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka`bah, leaning over his Burd (i.e. covering sheet). We said to him: “Would you seek help for us? Would you pray to Allaah for us?” He ﷺ said: ❝Among the nations before you, a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw if not “Mu`dhal” (weak because of omission of two or more consecutive narrators from the chain of narration). Moreover, al-Bukhaaree and Muslim did not report anything from Abu `Ubaidah or his father in their respective sahih. Rather, Ibn Abee Haatim said about Abu `Ubaidah: “Munkar al-hadith” (i.e. his narrations are rejected/denounced), and Ibn Ma`een and others have agreed with him. So how can this hadith be sahih? And how further away it is from being upon their (al-Bukhaaree and Muslim’s) conditions. What is confirmed is that this Aayah was revealed about `Ammaar, from other routes which were reported by Ibn Jareer. And Allaah knows best.] 210 Musnad Ahmad (21068, 21075, 21076), sahih al-Bukhaaree (2091, 2275, 2425, 4732, 4733, 4734, 4735) and sahih Muslim (2795-35)

would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces, yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion. By Allaah, this religion (i.e. Islaam) will prevail till a traveler from Sana`aa’ (in Yemen) to Hadhrarmaut will fear none but Allaah, or (will he fear) a wolf as regards his sheep, but you (people) are hasty.❞ 211 [Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition] It was narrated that Abu Laila Al-Kindee said: “Khabbaab رضي اهلل عنه came to `Umar رضي اهلل عنه and said: ❝Come close, for no one deserves this meeting more than you, except `Ammaar.❞ Then Khabbaab started to show him the marks on his back where the idolaters had tortured him.” 212 [end of Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition] 211 sahih al-Bukhaaree (3612, 6943) 212 Sunan Ibn Maajah (153) and graded as “sahih” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. Also reported by Ibn Sa`d in “alTabaqaat” (3/165)