Part 21

I told him: “Your Royal Highness, are you saying this believing in fully?”

He replied that he believed in it wholeheartedly, just as he believed in the day after the sun rose up in the heavens. Even from before this his heart had been uprooted from his old faith. I replied:

“Your Majesty, if this is so, then I would like to become a Muslim without any delay.”

King Najashi very happily put out his palm and ‘Amr bin Al-‘As pledge allegiance to Islam.

“Then I left for Al-Madinah, so I could meet the Prophet 3 himself and swear allegiance on his palm personally, and enter the fold of Islam. This incident occurred about six months before the conquest of Makkah. On the way I met Khalid bin Waleed and ‘Uthman bin Talhah. Then all of us reached AlMadinah together and tethered our camels outside the Mosque of the Prophet 3%. We bathed, changed clothes, since the Adhan'! for the ‘Asr prayers had already been over. After prayer we entered the presence of the Prophet 3%. Thus our lives and fortunes changed and we entered the fold of Islam.”

“Amr from your intelligence, wisdom, foresight and understanding, it strikes me that you should have been the first to accept Islam.”

Answering him, [ said:

“O ‘Umar! Men’s hearts are in the control of that being who has created us. This kind of obedience and honour are given when He desires it; a mortal has no part in this. Now that this honour has come to me I feel it is due to my good fortune. And I consider that time when I entered the presence of the Prophet 3% and he received me with smiling face, to be the fund and capital of my whole life. When I wished him with the Islamic greeting of ‘Asslamo ‘Alikum’, he replied with smiling gently. I was ashamed and embarrassed, my eyes were cast down. He took me under the protection of his benevolence, and I read the Kalimah - ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet and Messenger.’ Immediately after reading it, | asked him to offer supplications to Allah 38 for me, so that my previous sins are forgiven. He answered me:

“When you accept Islam all your previous sins are forgiven, and in the same way Hijrah (migration) also erases all previous sins.”

' The call to prayers, given five times a day for the five compulsory prayers,

1 had accepted Islam with a firm faith and a very strong determination, which was accepted by the Prophet #8. That was the reason why I was appointed Commander of the Muslim army for the Battle of As-Salasal just a few days later. Among the Mujahideen were such notable Companions as Abu Bakr Siddiq, ‘Umar bin Khattéb and ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah we) rs. After that I command the forces of the Muslim army in many dangerous encounters.”

After gaining complete control of Makkah, the Prophet 38 decided to raze down to the earth the various temples where idols were worshipped in and around the Ka’bah. This was to completely uproot the centres where others were being equated with the One True Allah Almighty. He made a public announcement that all those who had idols in their houses should break them with their own hands. All the idols in the Ka‘bah were shattered into pieces, and the Sacred House of Allah was cleansed of all impurity and filth. All the temples in the environs of Makkah were destroyed and razed to the ground by Companions who were chosen for this task by the Prophet 38.

Khalid bin Waleed was sent to destroy an idol called ‘Uzza, Sa’d bin Zaid Ashhali < was sent to demolish an idol called Manat. And

‘Amr bin Al-‘As 4 was to destroy an idol by the name of Sawa’. This idol had been installed at a place about hundred miles from Makkah. It had been made in the name of Sawa’, the son of Sheeth bin Adam 42) and it was being worshipped from the time of Nah pW. The tribe of Hatheel was its trustees. When ‘Amr bin Al-’As reached there, he found an attendant at the shrine. He asked him for the purpose of his visit. He answered he had come there to destroy the idol, and uproot this evil practice of associating others with the One

“He is so weak that he cannot even defend himself? Surely it is a weakness in our minds, this cannot possibly be our god. He cannot help us when we are in trouble; surely we are mistaken. You are right. I, today accept Islam with all the sincerity of my heart. I herewith cleanse myself from the filth and impurity of associating others with the One True Allah and prostrate before the One True Allah, with Whom none can be associated. Today reality has been revealed to me, I wish I had not spent my whole life in the swamp of idol worship.”

“Amr bin Al-As 4 had broken the idol Sawa’ into fragments without any hindrance.

On the south east of the peninsula of Arabia lies the state of ‘Oman, today it is known as Muscat or ‘Oman, The people of this land associated others with the One True Allah and the Prophet sent ‘Amr bin AL’As . to invite them to the true religion of Islam. Two brothers, ‘Abd and Jeefer ruled over this country, and they also did not worship One True Allah, associating others with him. The Prophet 3 also wrote letter to them to convince them to convert to Islam.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful This letter is from Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah to ‘Abd and Jeefer. He

has taken the task of preaching, of following and obeying so that he may gain peace and concord. Accept Islam and you will live in peace and safety.

I have been sent as a Messenger for all the worlds, so that I may warn people of the torments and tortures of Allah 3% (for disbelievers) and adduce arguments to convince the Kuffar. If both you brothers accept Islam, you will continue to rule over your fand. If you refuse your right to govern will be lost and your end will be a lesson for others.

‘Amr bin Al-’As dé took this letter and left for Yemen (‘Oman) alone. Divine providence had bestowed him with wisdom and intelligence. So when he reached ‘Oman he did not display any haste, but took every step after a great deal of thought, consideration and planning. As he was gifted with political insight, he first studied the character and habits of the two brothers. He reached the conclusion that the younger brother ‘Abd was soft hearted; so he decided to meet him first. He realised he had hit the target when ‘Abd was deeply impressed and influenced by his speech. ‘Amr bin Al-’As 4 told him,

“By accepting Islam you will gain both worlds. If you pledge allegiance to Islam you can continue to rule over your country, Our mission is not to grab your power and rule; we wish to make you obey the orders of Allah Almighty. You can rest assured that if you accept Islam you will continue to rule. Thus you will be successful both in this world and in the Hereafter.”

“What you say appeals to me. I wish my brother too would realise this. He is very stubborn and in the matter of the power to rule, he is extremely greedy. When did you become a Muslim? We have seen you fighting against the Muslims.”

‘Amr bin Al-’As 2% said:

“Allah has been Gracious to me. If He pleases to give Guidance He makes manifest and clear the heart to the radiance of Islam. Allah Almighty has given me Divine Guidance to accept Islam, and I am very grateful to Him with my best wishes.”

Then he told ‘Abd he would like to meet with his brother Jeefer. ‘Abd told his brother about the conversation he had with ‘Amr bin Al-’As sf. A few days later Jeefer invited ‘Amr bin AL‘As 8 to his court. He first gave him the letter of the Prophet #8. He read the letter very carefully and then answered very arrogantly:

“And what if I do not accept the invitation of your Prophet?”

‘Amr bin Al-‘As -4 replied that the answer to his question was written at the end of the letter, and requested him to read the letter again.

“He was aware that similar letters had been written to rulers of other countries as well; some of them had torn them up and consigned them to wastepaper baskets.”

‘Amr bin Al-’As . answered:

“All of them are under our control now, and soon you will see their final end.”

At first Jeefer was very furious and the conversation had to come to and end. In fact he even threatened ‘Amr bin Al-’As 4 and said that they could do their utmost and he was ready to meet their challenge. He would give them better than he got, and he would reply to the letter the following day.