Chapter 2

Prophet Muhammad ~ The Dawn of Guidance A little before sunrise, a soft light starts appearing from the east. As stated previously, the entire world was engulfed in the darkness of ignorance and disbelief. When the time came for the end of the dark night, the dawn broke to give glad tidings of the rising sun. Arabia which was then the center of darkness and whose deserts were facing the storms and evils of paganism, gradually began to show signs of the sun of Prophethood coming out and a stream of guidance gushing forth. Nations of Arabia were living the life of moral depravity, ignorance and deviation. But right from the birth of the Prophet :I;, Arabian tribes began to show signs of noble sentiments and the dislike of evil.

Waraqah bin Naufal bin Asad bin Abdul-Uzza, Uthman bin AlHuwairith bin Asad and Zaid bin Amr bin Nafil-the uncle of Umar bin Khattab, and Ubaidullah bin Jahsh assembled at a place and began to think over their beliefs and actions. At last, each one of them showed disgust at the worship of idols and stones and set out to various places in search of the religion brought by Ibrahim ~\. Waraqah bin Naufal accepted Christianity and went through the Torah and the Gospel with rapt attention. Ubaidullah bin Jahsh found himself unshaken in the quest for religion seeking the worship of one God till Islam appeared and he earnestly erri.,raced it. Then he History of Islam migrated to Abyssinia and became a Christian. Uthman bin Huwairith joined Caesar of Rome and accepted Christianity.

Zaid bin Amr neither accepted Judaism nor Christianity nor continued to tread the path of idolatry. He acknowledged as unlawful the use of blood and dead animals and gave up bloodshed and severing of ties with relatives. On inquiry he would say that he worshipped the Lord of Ibrahim ~ 1,, decried idolatry and counseled his people to desist from evil acts. He would often say: "O Allah, had I been aware of the manner of worshipping, I would have worshipped none but You Alone and sought Your Pleasure. But I am unknown to the patil of Your Pleasure." Saying this he would fell down in prostration. Even the soothsayers and astronomers began to say that a grand Prophet was about to be born in Arabia.

Both Jews and Christians populated Arabia. Thus, scholars of both the religions gave the people glad tidings from the Torah and the Gospel of the coming of a great Prophet. The King of Abyssinia had captured Yemen for a very short period. During the lifetime of Abdul-Muttalib, Yemen was under the rule of the King of Abyssinia. Those days Abrahah Ashram was the governor of Yemen on behalf of the king. He built a temple in Yemen and persuaded the Arabs to perform Hajj at the temple of Yemen instead of the Ka'bah.

He was not crowned with success in his movement. Moreover, an Arab, in order to put him to disgrace, defecated in the temple. Abrahah grew so furious that he invaded Makkah with the intention of destroying the House of Allah-the Ka'bah. He also used elephants in his attack, so the people of Makkah called them the people of the Elephant and the year came to be known as the year of the Elephant. When the Quraish came to know of the attack, they were filled with fear, as they were no match for such a large and strong army. They jointly requested their chief, Abdul-Muttalib to go to Abrahah and explore a way to avert the battle.

When AbdulMuttalib presented himself to Abrahah, he was greatly impressed and held him in high esteem. Abdul-Muttalib stated that Abrahah's army had captured two hundred camels, which belonged to him. Thereupon Abrahah remarked that he took him to be a wise person Prophet Muhammad jj but he obviously was mistaken. He (Abdul-Muttalib) was quite aware that Abrahah had come with the sole purpose of demolishing the House of Allah-the Ka'bah. But, intentionally ignoring the topic, he only spoke of his camels instead of saving the Ka'bah. Abdul-Muttalib said: "I am merely owner of the camels, but this House also has an Owner and He will save it." The answer enraged Abrahah and he burst out in anger saying he would see if the Lord of the House would save it.

His army was destroyed and left like an empty field from which all the corn has been eaten up and only the straw with stalks and stubble was left. The complete rout of Abrahah's forces after the daring reply of AbdulMuttalib was a very significant event for Arabia which put great fear of I Allah in their hearts. I After that fateful event, the rule of Yemen went out of the hands of the I Abyssinian king and Saif bin Dhi Yazin captured the country. AbdulMuttalib took some nobles of Quraish and went to congratulate Saif on j his victory. Saif bin Dhi Yazin gave Abdul-Muttalib glad tidings that the I last Prophet would be raised from his (Abdul-Muttalib's) offspring. This prophecy found wide currency and fame.

All the members of the delegation thought that the last Prophet would be raised from their progeny. Each of them contacted the soothsayers and monks hoping for good news but returned disappointed. On the occasion of an important Prophet or Messenger's birth or declaration, the stars in large number would be seen shooting in the sky. Thus close to the birth of last Prophet ~ ' bright flames appeared in the sky and the scholars of the Scriptures foretold that the time of the birth of the last Prophet ~ was near. Thus on Rabi' Al-Awwal 9, in the year of the Elephant corresponding to April 22, 571 CE on Monday, the last Prophet * was born at dawn before sunrise. The Sacrifice of Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib The well of Zamzam originated for the sake of Ismail :il\l, when he and his mother Hajira (Hagar) were over taken by thirst, Allah the Genealogy of Abdul Muttalib --,---,---.---~-~ Abdul Muttalib m I Maqum Abu Talib Hajl I Hind Naufal Mughirah Hanth I Zubair .

I i ii Abbas J"'"" I , Amarah I Ummul-Hakim I l . ! l Tahir I I o,saa> AW,"J Abu Sufyan Rabiah Abdullah Hamza Darar Utaibah Utbah K Ali UmmHani j J'afar l Husain Hasan Abdur Rahman Minah Mishar Aqil I Talib tvMuslim Abdullah Sab1h Fadl Ubaidullah Kathir Tammam Oa Prophet Muhammad !Ii' Almighty caused a stream of water to flow in the empty desert. Hajira contained the flowing water by building a mound around it and it turned into a well. At the time of leaving Makkah, Jurhum tribe covered it with dust and so for a long time it became traceless. When the task of giving water to the pilgrims was entrusted to AbdulMuttalib, he started searching for it along with his elder son Harith, but their efforts proved fruitless. The Father of Muhammad :I One day Abdul-Muttalib saw in his dream the location of the well of Zamzam and started digging for it. In that spot two idols Isaf and Nailah were being kept.

The Quraish resented this disturbance and became hostile and ready to fight. Although they were only two, father and son, they dominated the scene and continued digging the well. Realizing his isolation Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allah the Almighty that in case He gave him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of his sons in the name of God. After a short period the well appeared and he was also blessed with ten sons. The appearance of the Zamzam well established the prestige of Abdul-Muttalib over the Quraish and all of them acknowledged his leadership and virtues. When his sons had grown, he got ready to fulfil his vow.

He went to the Ka'bah along with all his sons and drew lots before Hubal. By chance the arrows of chance chose his youngest son, Abdullah who was very dear to Abdul-Muttalib. Since AbdulMuttalib was adamant in fulfilling his vow, he left for the altar along with Abdullah. All his brothers, sisters and chiefs of the Quraish tried hard to hold Abdul-Muttalib back from implementing his plan but he remained unshaken. After much discussion they turned to Saja', a famous soothsayer. She pointed out that blood money for their (AbdulMuttalib' s) clan was ten camels.

Thus they should put Abdullah on one side and ten camels on the other and then draw the lots. In the case that the camels were chosen they would be slaughtered, but if Abdullah is chosen they should add ten more camels and draw again. They should keep adding to the number of the camels until the ~- ...... Mudrikah i Hudhail i Sad i Tamim i Al-Haris i Salbah i Family of Muhammad ~ from Mother's Side Sasata i Adia i Lahyan i Ghanam Habasha i i Adi i Fihr (Quraish) i Ghalib i Luai i Kab i Murrah Dahab Wite+.Husband Malik Malik Owaij Kilab (Daughter) l Umayyah Wife .. (Daughter) l l ~ Husband Haris Ubaid l i I ~ Kalaba Wife .. Husband Auf ,~""""'T Barrah Wite+.Husband ,~"""'"''T AbdulAbdud-Dar l Uzza Asad Usman Umm Habib Wlle ..

Husband Abdul- '"'"""' T Uzza Barrah Wife+.Husbancl (Daughter) L Aminah (Mother) Zuhrah Abd Manaf l Wahb J Prophet Muhammad Jj camels were drawn. This exercise went on until the number of camels reached one hundred. Abdul-Muttalib drew the lots twice more for his personal satisfaction but each time it fell upon the camels. Hence one hundred camels were slaughtered and Abdullah was saved. Since that time, the blood money of one killed was fixed at one hundred camels. The table of genealogy of Abdul-Muttalib is given on the facing page.

The Birth of the Prophet ii Only a few days before the year of Elephant, Abdul-Muttalib married his son, Abdullah to Aminah bint Wahb belonging to a noble family of the Quraish in Yathrib (Al-Madinah). Abdullah was then 24. On the same occasion Abdul-Muttalib himself married Halah bint Wuhaib, a relative of Aminah. Hamzah was born from his marriage to Halah bint Wuhaib. A few days after the marriage, Abdul-Muttalib sent Abdullah to Syria along with a trade caravan. On his return, Abdullah fell sick and stayed in Yathrib (Al-Madinah) with his relatives and sent his father news about his illness.

Abdul-Muttalib sent his son Harith to bring Abdullah back to Makkah under his care and protection. But Abdullah died before Harith reached Al-Madinah and was already buried in the graveyard of his relatives, Banu Najjar. Harith came back to Makkah empty-handed and gave AbdulMuttalib this soul shattering news. Abdullah had left behind a few camels, goats and a slave-girl, Umm Aiman. Aminah was then pregnant and so the Prophet ~ became an orphan while still in the womb of his mother. He ~ was born 52 or 55 days after the event of the year of Elephant.

His mother had dreamt an angel telling her that the baby to be born had been named Ahmad. Thus she named him Ahmad, while AbdulMuttalib named his grandson Muhammad. According to the report of Abul-Fida, when the people asked Abdul-Muttalib as to why he gave his grandson a new name, setting aside all the names current in his family, he replied: "It is because I have a longing that my grandson should be praised and commended by one and all in the world." History of Islam Childhood Days Initially, after his birth, Thuwaibah, the freed slave-girl of Abu Lahab bin Abdul-Muttalib suckled him for · seven days. She had suckled Hamzah, the uncle of the Prophet ~ also. Thus both Masruh bin Thuwaibah and Hamzah • were his foster brothers. According to the custom of the Arab nobles, on the eighth day he was entrusted to lady Halimah of the Banu Sa'd clan of the Hawazin tribe to suckle him and bring him up.

The nobles of Arabia would entrust their babies to bedouin women so that they would become healthy and strong in the open and free climate of the desert. Besides it would help develop eloquent speech, because the language of the bedouin was more pure, graceful and eloquent than those living in urban areas. Halimah Sa'diyah would come to Makkah twice a year to show him to his mother and grandfather. Halimah Sa'diyah suckled him for two years and he remained with her for four years altogether. His mother summoned him to Makkah at the end of four years. When he was six, his mother took him to his relatives in Al-Madinah (Yathrib).

On the return journey after a month, she passed away at Abwa. AbdulMuttalib took upon himself the responsibilities of looking after the boy. According to other narrations, he~ remained with Banu Sa'd for five years. He ~ was five years of age and he was out grazing goats along with his foster brother and sisters and other boys of the same age when the event of the opening up of his chest occurred. According to a narration of Seerat lbn Hisham, Halimah bint Abu Dhuaib relates this event in these words: "One day both of my children came fearfully to me and said that two cleanly dressed persons seized our Quraishi brother and split open his chest. I went to the spot along with my husband (Harith bin Abdul-Uzza) and saw that he~ was sitting there with his face turned pale.

Upon inquiry he stated that two cleanly dressed persons came to him, laid him down with his face up, took out his heart, and extracted something from it." But Halimah found no trace of any injury or spot of blood. Having thought that the boy was affected by a jinn or something, she brought him to Makkah without loss of time and related the whole event to his mother. But his mother instead of being afraid of what had happened, , I Prophet Muhammad Ji spoke with all the confidence at her command that her son would achieve a very distinctive place in the world, and would surely remain safe from all calamities. She told that when he was in her womb, she heard many things from the angels and noticed many uncommon happenings. Imam Muslim reports from Anas bin Malik ~ that one day when he 1i was playing with the boys of Makkah, Jibril (Gabriel) ~\ came to him, split his chest, took out a black drop from it and said: "It was the portion of Satan." Following that he ! washed his heart in a tray of gold with Zamzam water and then put it I in its place. I J Death of Abdul-Muttalib !

After being brought up for two years under the care and guardianship I of Abdul-Muttalib, he :I reached eight years of age that AbdulI Muttalib passed away. When Abdul-Muttalib's funeral procession I I was proceeding, he :I joined it with tearful eyes. However, AbdulI Muttalib had entrusted him to his son Abu Talib before his death, I stressing the utmost care and protection for the boy. Despite having I several other sons, Abdul-Muttalib was wise enough to give him to I the care of Abu Talib because he and Abdullah, the father of the boy, i were born of the same mother. The assessment of Abdul-Muttalib j came true and the nephew became Abu Talib' s favorite. I I Support of Abu Talib I '!

Abu Talib took special care of his nephew and held him.·dearer than his own sons. He made him sleep on his own bed. He :I passed his I childhood days in a manner quite strange for the Arabian society. I Instead of playing with children of his age group, he felt disgusted in their company and preferred to be in solitude. Allah the Almighty had kept him aloof from every kind of debasement and depravity. A few boys of Quraish forced him to enjoy a marriage celebration where there was dance and music too.

But as he reached the spot he was overtaken by sleep and kept sleeping the whole night and got up only when the assembly had dispersed at the end of the celebration. He :I was thus saved from the undesirable and forbidden activities of the marriage ceremony. History of Islam He ~ was, perhaps, seven years old when the Quraish started rebuilding the Ka'bah which had suffered damage from a flood. During the construction work, he ~ joined the party of workers carrying stones and giving them to the masons. He was wearing Izar (waist sheet) which was causing him some trouble doing the work. The nakedness of a boy of seven was not then considered something improper.

So, his uncle Abbas grabbed hold of the waist sheet and pulled it so violently that he~ became naked. He grew shameful to the extent that he fell down unconscious. At last, the people felt the gravity of the situation and put his waist sheet back on and he recovered. First Journey to Syria He ~ was twelve years old when Abu Talib planned to go with a merchant caravan to Syria leaving him behind in Makkah. But he~ was so used to the company of Abu Talib that he could not bear separation from his uncle. Abu Talib felt moved and agreed to take him to Syria.

When the caravan reached Busra, the southeastern part of Syria, a Christian monk named Bahira saw and recognized him as the Last Prophet. He came to Abu Talib and let him know that his nephew was set to become a Prophet as he had noticed with him all the signs of Prophethood written in the Torah and the Gospel. He then advised Abu Talib to hurry back with his nephew. Abu Talib acted upon the advice. Harb AI-Fijar, First Participation in Battle A great fair was regularly held at Ukaz. This fair would organize a number of programs including horse races, wrestling, demonstrations of the art of combat and poetic competitions.

AJI the tribes of Arabia were highly belligerent by nature and drew swords against one another at the smallest incident. Once, in the course of the fair at Ukaz, the Hawazin and Quraish tribes challenged each other due to a slight provocation. At the outset some wise and sober people stood in the way and put the matter right. But some mischief-mongers worsened the situation which led to large-scale fighting and killing on both sides. The war was known as iProphet Muhammad ;J!i arb· Al-Fijdr because it took place in the month of Dhul-Qa'dah when ighting was altogether forbidden. This war was based on a series of our wars in which three firsts were small and the fourth war appened to be more fierce than the preceding one as all the tribes of ais joined the Hawazin tribe while all the tribes of Kinanah came to the elp of the Quraish.

Thus this war developed to become a war etween the Qais and Kinanah tribes. The fourth and the last war was o terrible that some of the chieftains had their feet chained so they ouldn't leave from the field of battle. he Prophet :i; joined this fourth war for the first time armed with eapons. Among Banu Kinanah, every tribe had its separate ommander. Thus the commander of Banu Hashim was Zubair bin bdul-Muttalib, an uncle of the Prophet :i; while Harb bin Umayyah as the commander of all the troops of Banu Kinanah. Muhammad :i; as then fifteen or twenty years of age. He was entrusted with the ervice of picking up the arrows for his uncles.

However, he was aved from combat action. At the outset Banu Hawazin seemed to be :laminating, but at last, Banu Kinanah turned the table against the anu Qais and war ended on peace treaty. lrrade ~hen the Prophet :i; became a young man, he turned towards trade s a vocation. His uncle Abu Talib also liked this work for his 1ephew. Several times he accompanied trade caravans with his erchandise and every time he returned with a substantial profit. The eople during these journeys had ample opportunity to observe his ualities of honest dealings and graceful behavior. Besides, all those n Makkah with whom he entered into business terms, became itness to his trusty, truthful, upright and gracious character.

Companion, Abdullah bin Abul-Hamsa relates: "Before his eputation to the Prophethood, I had entered into a business dealing ith the Prophet :i;. The dealing was not yet concluded when I had to eave for another place in haste. But, before leaving I asked the rophet ~ to wait until 1 returned to finalize the deal. After taking from him I forgot our appointment and when I returned by the 'ame route on the third day, I found the Prophet :i; waiting at the The Leaders of Quraish Tribes Fihr i t i Ghalib AL-HARi TH i (clan of Abu Ubaidah) Luai .. + Amir Kab (clan of Amr Suhail) i i l Husais ADI Murrah i Amr (clan of Uma r) l i Kilab TAIM Yaqazah SAHM JUMAH (clan of (clan of Uthman lbn Al-As) bin Mazun) L ___ __ (clan of Abu Bakr and Ta lhah ) i MAKHZUM .i----- -·· .. (clan of Abu Salamah and Khalid bin Al-Wand) Qusai ZUHRAH (clan of the Prophet's mother Aminah, his cousin S ad, and Abdur-Rahman bin Auf) ABOUD-DAR Abd Manaf ABO Abdul-Uzza (clan of Musab) + ABO SHAMS (clan of Uthman bin Affan and A b u Sufyan bin H arb) ASAD (clan of Khadijah, Waraqah and Az-Zubair bin AI-Awwam) HASHIM AI-MUTTALIB NAUFAL i (clan of Mutim) Abdul-Muttalib 6 other sons Abu Talib Abdullah Hamzah AI-Haclth Az-Zubal, ~ Abu Lahab 1 Al-Abbas 6 daughtecsl Jafar Ali MUHAMMAD ~ [The names of the founders of clans are given in Capitals.] Prophet Muhammad people often referred to the name of that organization in their conversations. After the Harb Al-Fijiir, Zubair bin Abdul-Muttalib, an uncle of the Prophet ~ felt the need of reviving the movement.

Thus a few people assembled at the house of Abdullah bin Jad'an and pledged afresh to combat the oppressors and help the oppressed. The Prophet also joined that pledge. After a period he ·~ brought to the chieftains and distinguished people around him the idea to rise as one man to redeem the Arab society from evils like oppression, highway robbery, excesses perpetrated on the weak and the poor on the part of the strong and wealthy. His sincere efforts brought fruit and an organization of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Banu Asad, Banu Zuhrah and Banu Tamim was set up. Every member had to pledge: (1) We shall wipe out disorder from the country; (2) Safeguard the travelers and wayfarers; (3) Help the poor; and (4) Check the tyrants from doing wrong. The organization served the people gracefully.

During his Prophethood he ~ would say: "If I were invited to have a hand in it even after the advent of Islam, I would have undoubtedly joined again." Appointed as Arbitrator by the Quraish The Ka'bah once caught fire due to some carelessness causing deep cracks in its walls. The Quraish agreed to rebuild it but none was ready to demolish it for fear of being overtaken by some calamity. At last, W alid bin Mughirah among the chieftains began it. Other tribes eventually joined the demolition work. About the same time a ship suffered wreckage near the port of Jeddah. The Quraish bought the wooden parts of the broken ship.

When the construction work reached up to the point where the Hajar Aswad (Black Stone) was to be placed, a serious dispute erupted, for the chieftain of every tribe wanted to place the sacred relic into its place. They were ready to fight and swords were drawn. The impasse continued for five days. At last the Quraish tribes assembled at the Ka'bah and a meeting was immediately convened. Abu Umayyah bin Mughirah brought forward a suggestion that the man first to enter the gate of the Ka'bah would be made umpire in the matter of a dispute. The first man to History of Islam come in was Allah's Messenger~- "This is Muhammad," they said as soon as they saw him coming.

"He is trustworthy and we all agree to his decision." The fact that every tribe was desirous for and claimed the honor was understandable. However, in their classical destructive manner they were all making pledges to fight unto death by thrusting their fingers into a bowl full of blood according to the custom of the times. It was in this atmosphere that they entrusted to the Prophet :l; this major responsibility and honor with all the different factions satisfied and in agreement. This is irrefutable proof of the fact that they all had profound faith in his honesty and justice. He ~ first acquainted himself with the matter and then put an end to the dispute quickly so that all the people, old and experienced were left wondering at his sagacity, power of decision and sense of justice. All of them raised their voices in appreciation.

The Prophet ~ asked them to bring a piece of cloth. He ~ took the Black Stone and put it on the cloth, and asked each tribe to take hold of an end of the cloth and lift it to the required height. When the people lifted the stone in the proper manner, the Prophet ~ placed it in its position with his own hands, and the building went on above it. Utbah bin Rabi'ah bin Abd Shams, Aswad bin Muttalib bin Asad bin Abdul-Uzza, Abu Hudhaifah bin Mughirah bin Umar bin Makhzum and Qais bin Adi As-Sahmi were the four persons most deeply involved in the dispute but they, too returned happy and satisfied. Had a war broken out, it would have left all the past wars behind in ferocity and bloodshed. The Prophet :I; was only thirty-five years of age when He ~ brought an end to the dispute of Black Stone.

Support for the Poor He ~ had excelled all others in Makkah with respect to honor and popularity, and he had no enemy throughout Arabia. His wisdom, uprightness, honesty and trustworthiness were the talk of the country. He was a trader by profession and he was passing his life in easy circumstances after his marriage with Khadijah~". Once famine broke out, Abu Talib had to shoulder the responsibility of a big family, and despite being the chieftain of Banu Hashim, he passed his days in poverty and want. Having seen his plight, the Prophet ~ told his Prophet Muhammad :Jr uncle, Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib about the famine and the difficulties that Abu Talib was facing. He further said that it would be better if they each took one of his sons under their care.

Abbas agreed and both of them went to Abu Talib and expressed their desire. Abu Talib gave his consent for Ali and Ja'far. Thus Ali was taken by the Prophet ;j and Ja'far by Abbas. This happened the same year when the Ka'bah was rebuilt. His Love for laid bin Harithah Hakim bin Haram, the nephew of Khadijah ~ had purchased a slave and offered him to his father's sister, Khadijah ~, who gave him to the Prophet ;j. It was this slave who was known as Zaid bin Harithah.

He belonged to an Arbian family but was captured during plunder and sold as a slave. When Zaid's father Harithah and his uncle Ka'b came to know that Zaid lived with a man in Makkah as his slave, both of them went to Makkah and requested the Prophet ~ to release Zaid. He ~ granted their request at once and said that Zaid was at liberty to accompany them if he so desired. Zaid was· then sent for. He ~ asked him, "Do you know these two?" Zaid replied, "Yes! They are my father and uncle." He ~ then said, "They have come to take you with them.

I give you permission to accompany them." Zaid replied, "I can't part company with you." Thereupon Zaid's father rebuked him and said, "Do you prefer slavery to liberty?" Zaid answered back, "I have noticed in Muhammad ~ such things that I can prefer none to him in the whole universe." Having heard this reply of Zaid, the Prophet ~ got up, took Zaid with him and entering Ka'bah cried in a loud voice: "O people! Be witness to it that today I set Zaid free and adopt him as my son, this is my heir from today and I am his." This moving sight delighted both the father and uncle of Zaid and they went away leaving their son in the company of the Prophet ~- From that day the boy came to be called Zaid bin Muhammad instead of Zaid bin Harithah until Revelation was sent to the Prophet ~ after his emigration that an adopted son cannot be a substitute for one's own son. Thus he returned to the name Zaid bin Harithah. But he enjoyed the love and affection of the Prophet ~ in the same measure History of Islam and it kept increasing with the passage of time. This particular event also tells a lot about the treatment and manners of Muhammad :i before being elevated to the lofty position of Prophethood. Inclined to Allah He :i was 32 or 33 years of age when he developed in himself a love for solitude and privacy.

He so often saw a strange light, which led him to feel a unique joy, although he never saw any figure nor heard any voice. He :i naturally abhorred polytheism. Once during a meeting, the pagans served him some food which had already been dedicated to the idols. He :i put it aside towards Zaid bin Amr. But he also refused to eat from it and said addressing the pagans: "We do not eat from the food that was offered to idols." This Zaid bin Amr bin Nufail was the uncle of Umar bin Khattab ~- During the hours of privacy and solitude, he :i would ponder over the Divine powers and kept praising and glorifying his Lord. The more he :i was drawing near the age of forty, the more he felt attracted to privacy.

He would very often go to the Cave of Hira, taking with him parched barley meal and water, to pray Allah in perfect peace and privacy and returned only when the supplies would run short. The Mount of Hira, now known as Jabal Nur (Mountain of Light), has a cave. It is situated at a distance of three miles from Makkah towards the north on the way to Mina. The cave has a length of four yards and a breadth of three-quarters of a yard. During those days he had true dreams and had dreams in the night about the happenings of the next day. About seven years passed in the same state, but during the last six months he frequently had true dreams.

Sunrise Muhammad :i was forty years old and now rose the sun of Prophethood. When the power of endurance and shouldering the heavy burden of Revelation had attained full growth by constant prayers, ceaseless exercises and deep reflection in solitude, an angel appeared before him and said addressing him, "Read." The Prophet :i answered, "I cannot read." The angel took and pressed him and J Prophet Muhammad .~ I I then let him go and said again, "Read." The Prophet ~ replied for the second time, "I cannot read." The angel again pressed him tightly and then letting him go said, "Read." When the Prophet~ replied once again, "I cannot read." He took him and pressed tightly a third time in the same manner. He then let the Prophet ~ go and said: "Read! In the Name of your Lord who has created, "Created man from a clot. "Read! and your Lord is the Most Generous, "Who has taught by the pen, "Has taught man that which he knew not." (96:1-5) Having said this the angel disappeared, but dizzy and frightened, the Messenger ~ came back home and went to Khadijah ~ and said: "Wrap me up, wrap me up," Khadijah i~ wrapped him up in a blanket. When he ~ regained peace of mind after a short while, he related to Khadijah ~ what had happened to him with the remark, "I feel my life threatened." Historic Words of Khadijah~ Khadijah ik said in reply: "By no means, I swear to Allah that He would never put you to shame.

You join the ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people's burdens, you help the destitute, you entertain guests and you mitigate the pains and grief suffered for the sake of truth." After comforting and encouraging her husband, she took him to her cousin Waraqah bin Naufal, who had grown old by then. When the Prophet ~ told him what he had seen and heard, W araqah cried out'. "There has come unto you the same Namus, who had come unto Prophet Moses aforetime. Had I been young and living by the time when your people will cast you out." The Prophet~ demanded from Waraqah, "What? will they expel me?" "Yes," replied Waraqah, "for whenever a Messenger of Allah came and preached Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) he was maltreated and put to untold miseries." Afterwards the Prophet ~ kept visiting the Cave of Hira. But no Revelation came to him for sometime. History of Islam One day he ;i was on his way home from the Cave of Hira when he ~ sighted the same angel and got frightened.

He hurried back home and wrapped himself up in a mantle and lay down. In the meantime he heard a majestic voice saying: "O you wrapped up in garments! Arise and warn; And magnify your Lord; And purify your garments; And keep away from abomination, polytheism and evils." (74:1-5) From then on Revelation kept coming after short intervals. One day Jibril (Gabriel), the Trusty took the Prophet~ to the foot of a hill and performed Wudu' (ablution) before the Prophet~ and the latter did the same. Afterwards Jibril, the Trusty led the prayer. Preaching of Islam He ii embarked upon preaching Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) as he received the Command of Allah to do so.

He started the task of keeping people away from polytheism and inviting to Tauhid right from his household, with the result that Khadijah ~ was the first to embrace Islam. Ali bin Abu Talib~ and Zaid bin Harithah ~ were also converted to Islam the very first day. These all belonged to his household. Abu Bakr bin Abu Quhafah ~ who was the Prophet's friend, accepted Islam the same day. Now, the individuals to become Muslims on the first day were his family members and his best friend. These were the people who knew the Prophet ~ well and were aware of his traits and character for a very long time, and no aspect of his life was a secret to them.

Now, their embracing of Islam the very first day was an outstanding proof of his truthfulness and uprightness. At the outset, he kept his teachings and preaching quiet, limiting them to his relatives and close friends. In the earliest period of the preaching of Islam, Abu Bakr ~ extended his services most prominently. He had a very wide and large circle of friends and acquaintances under his influence, which brought Uthman bin Affan, Talhah bin Ubaidullah, Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas, Abdur Rahman bin Auf, and Zubair bin Awwam ,$, to the fold of Islam. Uthman bin Maz'un, Qudamah bin Maz'un, Saeed bin Zaid, Fatimah-the sister of Umar bin Khattab and wife of Saeed ,$, were next to join the caravan Prophet Muhammad j/t of Islam. Another band to enter the circle of Islam constituted individuals like Umair, the brother of Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas, Abdullah bin Mas'ud, and Ja'far bin Abu Talib ,$,.

Thus came into being a small group of Muslim men, women, youths, old men and children. The believing men would go beyond Makkah in the mountain pass to pray to Allah for fear of their lives. Three years passed silently and secretly in preaching Islam, and people renouncing the abominable life of polytheism and idolatry came running to the fold of Islam. But, during this span of three years, every assembly and company of the Quraish was agog with the stir created by Islam. They had nothing to discuss but the new religion. The Quraish, at the outset, attached no importance to the movement of Islam nor did it look menacing in its early stage.

Thus they didn't go beyond poking fun at the believers, jeering at them and hurting them verbally. However, in some cases, mischief-mongers among them inflicted physical troubles on individual Muslims also. Once Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas ~ was performing prayers in a mountain pass along with a few Muslims. All of a sudden a few pagans passed by them and tried to hold the Muslims back from doing so by force. Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas rose against them and a disbeliever received an injury from his sword. This was the first sword fight in the cause of Allah the Almighty.

Once the Prophet ~ and Ali ~ were performing prayers in a mountain pass. By chance, Abu Talib arrived at the scene and kept silent watching them. When the prayer was over, he said, "What's this religion that you have adopted?" "This is the Religion of Ibrahim." They said, and added, "you should also accept it." Abu Talib replied, "I shall not renounce the religion of my ancestors," and said turning to Ali ~,"My son! Never part company with Muhammad. I am sure he will lead you to nothing but good." Proclamation of Truth from Mount of Safa Now came the Revelation: "Therefore proclaim openly that which you are commanded." (15:94) History of Islam With this order the Prophet ~ ascended the Mount of Safa and gave a call to each and every tribe by name in a raised voice. Having heard this call, the people in a large number gathered in front of him according to the practice of Arabia.

Thereafter he~ said addressing them, "O Quraish! If I tell you that your enemy is about to attack you, would you believe me?" They unanimously replied, "Yes." "We have always found you truthful and trustworthy." Having heard this answer, the Prophet~ said to them, "Well, I am a warner to you before a severe chastisement overtakes you." Hearing this they burst into laughter, Abu Lahab exclaimed, "May you perish. Is it for this you have brought us here?" Following this the people dispersed. As Abu Lahab left, Surat Al-Masad (111) was revealed. After a few days he ~ was ordered: "And warn your kith and kin." (26:214) Following this the Prophet ~ asked Ali bin Abu Talib ~ to throw a party and invite his relatives. About forty persons attended it.

At the end of the feast the Prophet ~ rose to say something but nonsensical utterances of Abu Lahab took away from the Prophet~ an opportunity to warn them of the consequences of their evil doings. After a gap of a few days another feast was arranged and as his relatives finished their meal, the Prophet ::i rose to say, "Look! I have come to you with something that none else ever brought for his tribe. Tell me who will lend his support to me in this task?" Hearing this nobody made any response but Abu Talib assured him of his support. Open endeavor to preach The Prophet ~ gave the call to Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) and Islam. During this period his small and weak band of people had to bear the brunt of their new faith.

In assemblies and gatherings, in fairs and market places, and by contacting people at their homes, he would teach people the virtues of Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) and forbid them from idolatry. Adultery gambling, lying, embezzlement, theft, and robbery were made taboo. The Quraish were proud people. It was not easy for them to put up with derogatory remarks against their ancestors' faith and practices. They were also very particular about Prophet Muhammad ?fi · the distinction between slaves and their masters. But Islam believed in . the equality of both of them.

The Quraish and the Makkans were held , in high esteem by all the tribes in Arabia only due to the idols that ! they would come to Makkah to worship. Islam was, on the other ; hand, the sworn enemy of idolatry. The chieftains and respectable men of Makkah could not step down from their positions and follow the Prophet ~. Most of the tribes were at enmity with Banu Hashim, so they could not accept a man from a rival tribe to lead them. Thus open preaching ignited the fire of hostility and antagonism all over Arabia which turned into a blaze during the fourth year of the Prophethood. First Educational Institution About the same period, the Prophet ~ set up the house of Arqam bin Abu Arqam at the bottom of the Mount of Safa as an educational institution.

Every new convert would come to this institution to learn the teachings of Islam. Gradually it became a crowded place and the Prophet ~ would lead the prayer. This house served as the center of all Islamic activities and the dwelling of the Prophet ~ for three years. Those who joined the Islamic movement at this stage are considered to be the Foremost Muslims. The last to embrace Islam in Dar Arqam was Umar bin Khattab ~. His acceptance of Islam proved a turning point in the Islamic movement.

Antagonism of the Quraish Among the entrants to Islam some were slaves and some of them had no powerful tribes or relatives to defend them. Such weak and powerless people became the easy victims of the disbelievers and suffered physical tortures. Muslims in general were put to ridicule of the most unkind nature so that others would not dare join the new faith. Bilal ~ was the slave of Umayyah bin Khalaf who put him to great torture. He used to bring him out at noontime and throw him on his back on the burning sand, ordering a heavy hot rock to be placed on his chest. At times his both arms were tied behind and he was lashed mercilessly.

Sometimes he was kept hungry and handed over to street urchins with a rope tied round his neck and they would pull History of Islam him through the streets and alleys and to the hills beyond the city. But Bilal ~ would bear all these soul-shattering miseries with Ahad, Ahad (One, One) upon his lips. Ammar~ embraced Islam along with his father Yasir ~ and mother Sumaiyah ~ . Abu Jahl tortured them beyond description. The wicked Abu Jahl stuck his spear in Sumaiyah ,~ and she was honored with martyrdom. Abu Jahl once gave Zanirah t~, such a severe beating that she became blind.

Hairs stand on end to think of the cruelties committed against the slaves and slave-girls, the weak and the downtrodden. But Islam is such a powerful force that nobody went astray and became an apostate because of these tortures. Uthman bin Affan ~ was a wealthy man from the Umayyah tribe. On becoming Muslim he was tied with a rope, thrashed severely and put to many other physical troubles. Zubair bin Al-Awwam's uncle tried to control him by wrapping him in a mat. While reciting the Quran, Abu Dhar GhHari ~ was so mercilessly beaten that he fell unconscious.

He was about to be killed, when Abbas bin AbdulMuttalib passed by and asked them to leave him because the Banu Ghifar tribe inhabited a strategic spot on the route their trade caravans passed through. Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ was also beaten to unconsciousness. Khabbab bin Arntt ~ was once made to lie down on his back on burning embers and a man sat on his chest so that he could not move or change sides, with the result that the flesh and skin of his back and waist were burned off. Insulting Behavior to the Prophet ~ Once the Prophet ~ was saying his prayers at the Ka 'bah when Uqbah bin Abu Muait twisted his neck with a piece of cloth until he ~ was nearly strangled. On being informed, Abu Bakr ~ rushed to the spot and saved the Prophet ~ from the mischief, and then said addressing the Quraish: "Would you kill a person simply because he claims that Allah is his Lord?" Thereupon they left the Prophet~ and grappled with Abu Bakr~ and manhandled him very roughly. Once the Quraish surrounded the Prophet~ on all sides and began to treat him rudely and disrespectfully.

Harith bin Abu Halah hurried to the place in order to save him from the clutches of the criminals but the Prophet Muhammad if disbelievers martyred him. However, they dared not manhandle the Prophet ;i. Thoms were spread on the way he had to pass in the night so that his feet were wounded. Once the Prophet ~ was performing prayers in the courtyard of Ka 'bah in the presence of the Quraish. Abu Jahl said to the people: "A camel has been slaughtered at such and such place and its intestines are still lying there. One should fetch them and put it on Muhammad." Hearing this, Uqbah bin Abu Muait got up and fetched the intestines and put it on the back of the Prophet~ when he was prostrating.

The disbelievers were overtaken by laughter. Although Abdullah bin Mas'ud was present there, he could not muster the courage to do the needful. By chance, Fatimah btk, who was then of tender age, removed the intestines from the back of her father reproaching them in strong words. They used to throw stones, filth and refuse at his house. Once he~ said, "O Banu Abd Manaf, how well you are at fulfilling the rights of a neighbor." The Prophet~ was sometimes called a poet and at times he was branded as a sorcerer, a soothsayer, or insane. In short, the disbelievers of Makkah left no stone unturned in putting the Prophet ~ and his Companions to the utmost physical and mental torture and tried to block his mission.

But the Prophet ~ was determined to fulfill his sacred mission with unshakable conviction. When the Quraish were perfectly convinced that their opposition to the mission would bear no fruit, they adopted another plan. An Offer of all earthly Desires and a Plain Reply The Quraish held consultations over the issue and sent Utbah bin Rabi'ah to the Prophet ~ with a proposal. He said very politely, "Muhammad, you are noble and belong to a noble and illustrious family. But you have created a rift in your people. Tell me what do you want?

If you want to have wealth, we will collect enough of it that you will be the richest of all of us. If you desire to be a leader, we will make you our chief and are ready to accept your rule. If you want to marry someone, we shall arrange your marriage with the most beautiful lady of the highest and most respectable family and if you are eager for these simultaneously, we can provide you with all this." History of Islam When Utbah had finished, the Prophet ~ began to recite Si)rat AsSajdah in response to his speech. When he ~ came to: "But if they turn away, then say: 'I have warned you of a destructive torment like the torment which overtook Ad and Thamud."(41 :13), Utbah turned pale and put his hand on the mouth of the Prophet ~ requesting him not to say such things. The Prophet ~ then prostrated and raising his head said, "Did you get my reply?" Utbah left the place and came back to the Quraish, and said, "Take my advice and leave this man alone and be neutral in his case. If he brings Arabia under his control then, since he is your brother, his success implies your success; and if he meets his doom, you are happily safe." Hearing this the Quraish said to Utbah, "It appears Muhammad has cast a spell on you." Utbah replied, "You say whatever you like, I have already expressed my opinion:" Deputation of the Quraish to Abu Talib When the efforts of Utbah met with failure, a delegation comprising Utbah, Shebah, Abul-Bukhtari, Aswad, Walid, and Abu Jahl came to Abu Talib and complained: "Your nephew doesn't refrain from insulting our idols, make him understand and hold him back from such moves." Abu Talib replied to them suitably and protested against their excesses.

That day they returned but the very next day they again came to Abu Talib after consultations. They made the same suggestions before Abu Talib that Utbah had already put forward. They began to say, "O Muhammad, we have sent for you to tell you that none has ever brought so much trouble to the people as you have done. If you, by this new faith of yours, intend to collect money, we can amass it for you that which none could excel. We will make you our chief if you have a longing for rule, we are ready to install you as our king. If you are possessed by a ghost or a jinni of which you have no remedy, we will find a skillful physician and soothsayer for you." Having heard all this, the Prophet ~ recited a few Verses from the Quran in response to what they said, and then said to them, "Allah the Almighty has sent me as His Messenger to you.

I have to convey His Message. In case you accept my teachings, you will be crowned with success in both the worlds; if you reject it, I shall be waiting for Prophet Muhammad ~ the Decision of Allah the Almighty." In response to this call they said, "Well, if you are the Messenger of God, remove these mountains from Arabia, make the deserts green, bring our forefathers back to life, particularly, Qusai bin Kilab. If Qusai bin Kilab, after becoming alive, accepts you as truthful and accepts your Prophethood, we shall also follow suit." The Prophet .'.j; said in reply, "I have not been sent as a Messenger for such things. I have come to convey to you the commands that Allah the Almighty revealed to me and make you comprehend them fully. I can't do anything out of my own will." After this exchange, the chieftains of the Quraish got up in wrath and left challenging even Abu Talib to rise to face them. After they left, Abu Talib said to the Prophet '.j; with the utmost affection, "My nephew, I have now grown old and it is not within my power to face the onslaught of the Quraish.

Put me not in such a trouble, which is beyond my power. It is fitting for you to hold back from reviling the idols." Having heard this, the Prophet '.j; replied with all the confidence at his command, "Dear uncle! If they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in the left, I shall not forsake it." What Abu Talib told him created doubt in the mind of the Prophet '.j; that he intended to withdraw his support for him. Abu Talib commanded the highest respect among the chieftains of Makkah and was the universally accepted chief of the Banu Hashim tribe. The opponents of the Prophet '.j; were reluctant to attack him simply because of the presence of Abu Talib. Now the disappointing utterances of Abu Talib filled the eyes of the Prophet '.j; with tears.

He ~ got up and walked away saying, "Uncle! I shall not give up my mission till it is fulfilled or I am undone accomplishing it." When Abu Talib heard this, he was moved from within and sent for him and said, "Do keep engaged in your mission; I shall neither withdraw my support nor consign you to your enemies while it is within my power." Migration to Abyssinia When all their efforts failed and the mission of preaching Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) remained continuous, they felt the power and strength of it. Thus they reacted violently and stopped the Prophet~ History of Islam from entering the Ka'bah, and set the louts and riffraff to raise a hue and cry against him and the believers, calling them bad names and making their movements impossible, and they didn't allow them to meet people from outside Makkah. They began to persecute the weak and the poor more intensely. Life became very hard and almost impossible to live. Witnessing this sad and tragic plight of the believers, the Prophet~ allowed them to leave for Abyssinia (where the Christians ruled).

Thus in the month of Rajah, the 5th year of the Prophethood, a band of eleven men and four women left Makkah for Abyssinia. They secretly reached the port of Shu'aibah where there was a ship with its anchor lowered. They boarded the ship and reached Abyssinia. Among those foremost migra.nts were: Uthman bin Affan, his wife Ruqayyah (the daughter of the Prophet~), Hudhaifah bin Utbah, Uthman ·bin Maz'un, Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Abdur-Rahman bin Auf, Zubair bin Al-Awwam, Mus'ab bin Umair, Amir bin Rabi'ah and Suhail bin Baida ,$,. These people belonged to the renowned and powerful tribes, which makes it clear beyond doubt that not only the weak but also the strong had become the target of their tortures. Finding out about their migration some of the disbelievers set out chasing them but the ship had already departed for Abyssinia.

The believers found peace there with the result that other Muslims followed suit. A few months after the migration, the Muslims came to know that either the entire Quraish population had turned Muslims or made peace with the believers, and Makkah was no longer a risky spot for them. With this good news, a group of Muslims left for Makkah while others waited to make sure about the truth behind the rumor. Those leaving for Makkah found the news baseless when they arrived at a short distance from Makkah. Thus some of them made a retreat while others entered Makkah under the protection of some influential Makkans. Those who went back to Makkah came into contact with the believers and left again for Abyssinia along with other Muslims.

This is known as the Second Migration to Abyssinia, which increased the number of the Muslims there to nearly one hundred. Prophet Muhammad Ji Quraish' s demand from the King of Abyssinia When the disbelievers noticed that the Makkans after being converted to Islam were leaving for Abyssinia and living there in peace, they feared that their power organized outside of Makkah could, one day, pose a great danger to the Makkans. They dispatched a delegation of two respectable persons Amr bin Al-As and Abdullah bin Rabi'ah to Negus, the King of Abyssinia. The Makkans had trade relations with Abyssinia for some time. The delegation was sent with costly gifts for the king and his courtiers. After being permitted into the court, they first presented their gifts and then requested the king to hand over some of their slaves who had come to his country after joining a new faith which was against the faith of their ancestors.

The king promised to look into their demands only after; investigating the matter. The king then sent for the Muslims to come to his court and inquired about their new faith. On behalf of the Muslims, Ja'far bin Abu Talib ~ moved forward to explain to Negus the truth about the new faith in a remarkable speech delivered before the king and his courtiers. The Beautiful Speech of Ja'f ar bin Abu Talib ~ "O King, we were people plunged in ignorance. We worshipped idols, we ate dead animals, and we committed abominations. We broke natural ties, we ill-treated our neighbors and our strong devoured the weak.

We lived like this until Allah the Almighty raised among us a Prophet of who~e noble birth and lineage, truthfulness, honesty and purity we all were aware. He invited us to acknowledge the Oneness of Allah and to worship Him. He enjoined us to speak the truth, to redeem our pledges, to be kind and considerate to our relatives and neighbors. He forbade us every vice, bloodshed, shamelessness, lies and deceit. He asked us not to encroach upon the belongings of our orphans and not to vilify chaste women. He ordered us to offer prayers.

We acknowledged the Messenger 1t and believed in him. Because of this our people were estranged and they persecuted us. History of Islam "So when they tortured us and tormented us under their tyranny, we fled to your country. We have come here, 0 King, to your country seeking your protection and we do hope that we shall not be dealt with unjustly." Negus listened patiently to Ja'far bin Abu Talib~- Then he asked him if he had something brought by his Prophet ~ from God. Thereupon Ja'far ~ recited the opening Verses of sarat Maryam. Tears started rolling down from the eyes of Negus and his courtiers.

The recitation being over, Negus remarked, "This and the Torah of Musa ~I are radiations from the same Heavenly Light." Then the envoys of the Quraish flung their last attempt and said, "OKing, they are opponents of Jesus too." By this they wanted the Christian king to grow angry at the Muslim migrants. Directly came the reply from Ja'far bin Abu Talib ~' "Not at all; the fact is rather: He is slave of Allah and His Messenger." Negus said: "This belief is correct to the core and the Gospel also means the same." Negus sent the envoys of the Quraish back empty-handed and refused point-blank to give the Muslims up to them. Along with this he returned their gifts thus rubbing salt in their wounds. This event occurred during the sixth year of the Prophethood. With the ignoble defeat of the Quraish's mission, their ill treatment of the Muslims simply was aggravated. Hamzah ~ accepts Islam The Quraish were going mad with enmity against the Muslims.

Once Abu Jahl happened to pass by the Prophet~ near the mount of Safa. He insulted the Prophet ~ and heaped· all manners of indignities upon him but the Prophet ~ did not answer him back. Then he hit him with a stone, which caused bleeding. The Prophet ~ came back home silently. Abu Jahl came back too and sat among his friends beside the Ka'bah. Hamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib was the uncle of the Prophet ~ - He loved the Prophet ~ very much but was still a disbeliever.

He was in the practice of going to the wilderness every morning with his bow and arrows and passing the whole day in hunting and would return only in the evening and go home only after circumambulating the Ka'bah. That fateful day when Hamzah was on Prophet Muhammad Jli his way back home from the chase, he came across the slave-woman of Abdullah bin Jad'an who told him about Abu Jahl's abusing and hitting the Prophet ~ with a stone and the latter's returning home in perfect silence. Hamzah besides being the uncle, was also the foster brother of the Prophet ~- This relation of blood and milk sent his temper out of control. He went straight to the Ka'bah, circumambulated it first and then turned back to where Abu Jahl was sitting with his friends. Hamzah was essentially a warrior, the bravest and the most courageous amongst the Quraish. Going straight to Abu Jahl, Hamzah proceeded to strike a bow upon his head causing him to bleed saying, "Would you dare to insult and abuse him if I followed his religion and say what he says?" Abu Jahl's friends got enraged and rose in his support but Abu Jahl pacified them all saying it was he who had crossed the limits.

If Hamzah had not taken revenge on me for his nephew, he would have been counted among those bereft of a sense of honor. Abu Jahl was worried that Hamzah might come to the fold of Islam in a fit of anger and antagonism. When Hamzah returned to the Prophet ~ with the news of his taking revenge of him, he remarked: "O uncle, this is not pleasing to me, I would really be pleased if you come into the fold of Islam." Having heard this, Hamzah embraced Islam then and there. The conversion of Amir Hamzah ~ to Islam invigorated the weak band of believers. This event occurred during the sixth year of the Prophethood. The Quraish now had to be cautious in dealing with the Prophet ~ and his Companions.

Umar bin Khattab's conversion to Islam Umar bin Khattab's acceptance of Islam plunged the Quraish into immense grief and their hostility took a serious turn. Umar bin Khattab was, like Hamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib ~' a well-known wrestler and one of the most famous brave men of Arabia. He played a prominent role in targeting the Muslims because of their new faith. He took hold of a Muslim and kept on thrashing him till he himself became exhausted and resumed the beating after having to take a rest. He tried his level best to bring the Muslims back to the old faith but History of Islam miserably failed in this endeavor. Being frustrated to the core he, one day announced in a assembly of the disbelievers his plan to do away with Muhammad~, the cause of the discord in Arabia.

Having heard about this heinous plan, Abu Jahl encouraged him by offering one hundred camels and one thousand Uqiyah (about 125 kilograms) of silver if the task was accomplished. ln this state he came out with unsheathed sword in his hand in search of Muhammad :l. "Where are you going in this manner?" Sa'd bin Abu Waggas asked Umar. "I am going to assassinate Muhammad today so that the c,lamity that has overtaken the Makkans is not experienced anymore." "Do you not fear the retaliation of Banu Hashim?" Sa'd bin Abu Wagqas ~ pleaded with Umar bin Khattab. "So far as there is a sword in my hand I fear none." Umar bin Khattab retorted and added, "As you appear to be a staunch supporter of Muhammad, let me kill you first." Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas ~ replied, "Take care of your own household first before killing Muhammad and me, for your sister has already embraced Islam." Hearing this sarcastic reply, Umar turned mad with rage and proceeded straight towards the house of his sister. His turning towards the house of his sister was, in fact, his turning to lslam. Khabbab bin Al-Aratt ~ was then giving Fatimah ~ , the sister of Umar bin Khattab and Saeed bin Zaid ~' her husband, lessons in the Quran.

H,nring heard the footsteps, Khabbab ~ hid somewhere in the house along with the written pages of the Quran. "What were you all reading?" Umar inquired in a fit of anger and grappled with his brother-in-law beating him mercilessly. When his sister intervened to save her husband, Umar hit her too making her bleed. Thereupon she mustered courage enough to throw a challenge to Umar saying "Umar; We have become Muslims and have been obeying Muhammad ~, so do whatever you want." On this courageous reply, Umar looked towards the bleeding face of his sister and his heart was moved at the pathetic sight, with the result that his furious storm subsided to a great extent. Umar then asked his sister to show him what they were reading. Since Umar was Prophet Muhammad # talking sense, his sister dared to ask him to take a bath first before touching the Scripture.

Umar took a bath and then went through the Words of Allah only to admit with fervor: "What sweet words these are, I am feeling the impression on my heart." Having heard this, Khabbab ~ came out from his hiding and said, "Congratulations, 0 Umar! The prayer of Muhammad ~ has been accepted, for I have heard the Prophet ~ invoking Allah: 'O Allah! Convert to Islam either Umar bin Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham."' Then Khabbab ~ read out the first Ruku' of Surat Ta-Ha. Umar upon hearing the Verses of the Quran, started weeping emotionally. Following this, Umar demanded from Khabbab ~ to take him to the Prophet ~ - Umar still had the unsheathed sword in his hand but his purpose was changed. Umar knocked at the door of the house of Arqam.

Since he had an unsheathed sword in his hand, the Companions were reluctant to open the door. But the Prophet ~ asked them to throw the door open. Hamzah ~ encouraged them saying, "Let him in. If he has good intentions it is better, otherwise he will be beheaded with his own sword." As Umar stepped in, the Prophet~ moved forward and said seizing his cloak rather violently: "Will you not leave your path?" Omar answered: "O Messenger of Allah! I have come to embrace Islam." As the Prophet ~ heard this, he raised the cry of Allahu Akbar, and his Companions joined him so loudly that it resounded through the hills of Makkah. Islam was immensely strengthened with Hamzah and Umar ~ marching to the path of Islam one after another.

After converting to Islam, Omar bin Khattab ~ proceeded straight to the house of Abu Jahl and knocked at his door. He came out and fervently greeted Umar bin Khattab ~ and said, "What for have you come?" Umar ~ replied, "By the grace of Allah, I have embraced Islam and I now believe in Muhammad ~ as the Messenger of Allah." Hearing this Abu Jahl shut his door in rage and went in. Umar ~ also came back. He meant by it to break this news to the greatest enemy of Islam. History of Islam Umar bin Khattab ~ soon after believing in Allah and His Messenger, suggested to the Prophet~: "We need not pray to Allah secretly in houses, we should do it publicly at the Ka'bah." Umar bin Khattab ~ fought back anyone who stood against it. Now the Muslims made it a practice to perform their prayers at the Ka'bah and Islam made its presence felt open and above board.

This event took place at the end of the last month of the sixth year of Prophethood. Umar bin Khattab ~ was then 33 years of age. With his conversion to Islam the number of Muslims in Makkah reached 40. Social Boycott Umar's coming to the fold of Islam plunged the Makkan disbelievers into profound grief. The believers began to perform their prayers openly at the Ka'bah, while a substantial number of the converts had been in peace in Abyssinia. The Quraish were rendered helpless and they had no way within their power to ward off the lurking menace.

Now they went into fresh consultr1tions and discussed wr1ys and means to combat the challenge. They came up with a plan to see Abu Talib and ask him to hand over his nephew to them. In case of his refusal they decided to impose a complete social and material boycott on Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul-Muttalib, who were lending their unrelenting support to the new faith. They reached an agreement that they would sever all relations with these two tribes and none among them would meet the Muslims, talk with them and establish marital relations with any of them. Moreover, they decided to see that no food reached them from any quarter. They also agreed that the boycott would be kept in force until they handed over Muhammad ~ to them.

They put their agreement in writing with the initials of all the notables of the Quraish and hung it on the Ka'bah, this gave added impact to the agreement. Abu Talib, along with the Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul-Muttalib, deserted their homes and went into the hills of Makkah to stay there. All the Muslims followed them to the pass called Shi'b Abu Talib. Abu Lahab was the only man of Banu Hashim who sided with the disbelievers. The food that Banu Hashim brought with them ran short and they had to live in a state of near starvation. Prophet Muhammad jJj Three years elapsed with untold sufferings forced upon the Muslims.

The inhuman persecution endured by them was awe-inspiring. These besieged people would come out during the days of Hajj and would buy food and other things they needed. The Prophet ~ would also come out in the months of peace and in this atmosphere would preach Islam among the people from outside Makkah. But the Quraish followed him everywhere holding people back from listening to him and branding him as insane and a sorcerer. The three-year exile of the Muslims to Shi'b Abu Talib proves beyond doubt that the sense of honor of the tribes and considerations for race and lineage had substantial value and importance. It was this fact that forced even the disbelieving section of Banu Hashim to extend their unflinching support to the Prophet ~ - This miserable period of exile spanning over three years also proved a blessing in disguise.

They all became very close to the Prophet ~ even the disbelieving group had a real chance of observing the life and activities, conduct and character of one who had nothing but the message of truth, love and righteousness. They watched him directly and came into direct contact with his Divine mission. Three years of inhuman treatment meted out to Banu Hashim stirred some Quraish individuals from within. The Quraish of Makkah could easily assess the pathetic situation when the babies of Banu Hashim were heard crying in front of their starving parents due to lack of food. Zuhair bin Abu Umayyah bin Mughirah was the first to assess the gravity of the sufferings because Abu Talib happened to be his maternal uncle. Zuhair drew first the attention of Mut'im bin Adi bin Naufal bin Abdu Manaf on the grounds of relationship to the miseries borne by Banu Hashim and persuaded him to break the agreement.

He then brought AbulBukhtari bin Hisham and Zam'ah bin Al-Aswad round to his plan. A number of persons rose in favor of abrogating the agreement in view of their close relations with Banu Hashim. In the meantime, the Prophet ~ conveyed to Abu Talib that he was informed by Allah the Almighty that the document bearing the agreement had been eaten by the termites except the word "Allah" where ever it was mentioned. Hearing this, Abu Talib came out of the pass and informed the Quraish that Muhammad ~ had told him such History of Islam and such. He then asked them to see the document and in case it was destroyed, the boycott should also be called off. The disbelievers were dismayed when they found that termites had already eaten up the document except the spots that mentioned the Name of Allah.

They were all deeply bewildered and announced the end of boycott then and there. Banu Hashim and all the Muslims came out from Shi'b Abu Talib after three years and began to live in their deserted houses. They had lived in Shi'b Abu Talib a life of acute depravation which forced them at times to eat the leaves of trees. If they found a dry skin, they would roast and eat it. Hakim bin Hizam would, sometimes, secretly send by his slave some food to his father's sister Khadijah~. Once it came to the notice of Abu Jahl, he snatched it from the slave and tightened his vigil on them.

The Year of Sorrow When the Prophet~ emerged from Shi'b Abu Talib, the tenth year of Prophethood had started. Instead of showing politeness, the Quraish appeared to be more atrocious. Moreover, some events also took place in this year that it came to be called the Year of Sorrow among the Muslims. During the month of Rajab, Abu Talib fell seriously ill and died at the age of eighty. The death of Abu Talib was encouraging to the hostile Makkans. Abu Talib was the only person who was held in esteem and awe by one and all and with his death, the strength and honor of Banu Hashim eroded to a great extent.

It was a golden opportunity for the mischievous Quraish to create trouble and commit atrocities more openly and fearlessly. The same year Abu Bakr~ also decided to migrate for the cruelties of the Quraish had taken a turn beyond endurance. He had reached Bark Al-Ghimad when he came across Ibn Daghinah, the chieftain of the Qarah tribe. On being asked about his departure Abu Bakr 4;i> told him that he had been tortured by his people to such an extent that he was forced to leave Makkah to settle somewhere else so that he could pray to Allah peacefully. Ibn Daghinah said, "You are a man that neither yourself nor the people should let you go from Makkah. You better come back and worship your Lord in Makkah." Thus Abu Bakr Prophet Muhammad~ ~ returned to Makkah. lbn Daghinah assembled the notables of the Quraish and put them to utter shame for driving out a man with such high qualities.

Abu Bakr ~ built in his courtyard a platform for performing prayer where he began to recite the Quran and offer prayers. His loud recitation would leave its impression on the hearts and minds of the women and children of neighborhood. Obviously, the Quraish could not remain silent over this lurking danger. Ibn Daghinah forbade him but Abu Bakr ~k> boldly answered back, "T abandon your protection now and go to the shelter of Allah the Almighty instead of giving up the recitation of the Quran." Two months after the demise of Abu Talib, Khadijah ~ the wife of the Prophet :i also passed away in the tenth year of his Prophethood. The Prophet~ loved her very much. She was his companion through all his troubles and suffering.

She was the first to believe in him. She always encouraged him and consoled him to keep patience. Abu Talib and Khadijah ~ were such staunch supports that their constant encouragement kept the Prophet :i moving forward with his mission. Their final departure made him sad. He was plunged into frustration also because the atrocities of the disbelievers had taken a turn for the worse. Once he~ was passing through a place where some scoundrels threw mud on his head with the result that his hair, body and garments were polluted.

He came back home in the same pitiable plight. His daughter, Fatimah Zuhrah ~ washed him weeping bitterly. Thereupon the Prophet ~ consoled her saying, "Weep not my daughter! Allah the Almighty will Himself protect your father." Once the Prophet ~ went to the Ka'bah where the polytheists were sitting, Abu Jahl passed a sarcastic remark, "O Abd Manaf, look your Prophet has come." Utbah bin Rabi'ah quipped, "Who are we to reject if one claims to be a Prophet or an angel?" The Prophet~ turned to Utbah and said, "You never lent support to the cause of Allah and His Messenger and remained insolently persistent in your stand." While addressing Abu Jahl he j/i remarked, "The time is drawing near when you will laugh less and weep more." Then he told all the pagans, "The time is nearing when you will enter into the faith you are rejecting now." History of Islam The Journey to Ta'if The stubbornness of Quraish continued to increase. During the very period of Shi'b Abu Talib, the Prophet~ had started preaching Islam among the people arriving in Makkah from outside during the Hajj season. But these efforts did not bear fruit.

He decided to call the people of Ta'if to Islam. Ta'if is at a distance of 60 miles from Makkah and was as a big city as Makkah. It was inhabited by Banu Thaqif who worshipped Lat. In Ta'if there was a temple of Lat, which was the center of attraction for the whole of the city. In the month of Shawwal, the 10th year of Prophethood, one month after the death of Khadijah ~, the Prophet~ took Zaid bin Harithah and left for Ta'if on foot. In route to Ta'if he first contacted the Banu Bakr tribe.

When they too behaved like the Makkans, he went to the Qahtan people but they were also similar to the Quraish. At last he~ reached Ta'if and made his first contacts with men of status. Among the chieftains of Ta'if, Abd Yalil bin Amr bin Umair and his two brothers, Mas'ud and Habib were the most influential. The Prophet ~ met all three and invited them to Islam. They were very haughty. One of them retorted: "Had God made you His Prophet you would not have been walking about like this." Another one quipped: "Did God find none to send as Prophet other than you?" "And they said: why is not this Quran sent down to some great man of the two towns." (43:31) The third one pleaded: "I don't like to have a talk with you, for if you are true to your word in being the Messenger of God, it is risky to reject it; if you are lying about God, you are not fit to be talked with." Obstinate Behavior of the People of Ta'if: When the Prophet ~ met with failure in the case of Abd Yalil and his brothers, he ~ asked them to keep what came to pass between them a secret.

He then left to contact others but Abd Yalil and his brothers stirred up their slaves and some rabble of the town to harass the Prophet ~ -The riffraff of Ta'if followed the Prophet :!Ji§;, abusing, screaming, and throwing stones at him until he left Ta'if but they kept following him. When the Prophet Muhammad ;iii shower of stones hit his shins, they bleed profusely. At a distance of three miles from Ta'if, there was an orchard of Ut.bah bin Rabi'ah, a wealthy man of Makkah. The Prophet~ took refuge in it. Sitting under the shade of a wall he invoked Allah the Almighty saying, "O Allah! You are the Protector and Caretaker of the weak and the helpless and I seek Your help alone." Utbah bin Rabi'ah was present in his orchard at that time.

Arabian nobility and the sense of hospitality pressed him to send through his slave Addas a bunch of grapes on a plate. The slave was a Christian from Nainua (Nineveh). The Prophet ~ ate from the grapes and invited Addas to accept Islam. He was impressed and kissed the Prophet's hands. Utbah was watching all this. When Addas returned, Utbah said to him, "Accept not what he says, for his religion was better than that of his (Prophet's)." The Prophet~ took a rest in the orchard for a while and then left.

From there he arrived at Nakhlah and passed his night in a date grove. Some of the leaders of the jinn heard him recite the Qur' an and believed in him. Back to Makkah: On his return, the Prophet~ came up to the mount of Hira and sent his message to the chieftains of the Quraish but none showed his readiness to give him refuge. When his message came to Mut'im bin Adi, inspite of being a polytheist, he got up overwhelmed with the sense of national honor and came to the mount of Hira. He took the Prophet j/s with him and they went to Makkah. The sons of Mut'im stood in front of the Ka'bah with unsheathed swords.

In this way the Prophet j/s went around the Ka'bah. Thereafter, Mut'im and his sons accompanied him to his house under the shadow of their swords. "What's your relation with Muhammad?" the Quraish asked Mut'im. He replied, "I have no relation with Muhammad. I am simply his supporter, and nobody can dare look at him with evil eyes while he enjoys my support." Such staunch support from Mut'im silenced the Quraish. As per one narrative, an angel came to the Prophet~ in Ta'if and said, "If you order me I would join together the two hills between which Ta'if is located." But he j/s replied, "No, if they fail to accept Islam, their progeny will do it." Banu Judham Banu Abs Banu Kalb Damra and Diyan _..•a'n - ~aua ~a\\~ Banu Tai , fadak • Banu Asad - Land of Banu Ghatfan North 1' ~~~ ~~ ~ .... />S(\\~ ~a~ . 1:a~\~ ~a\\~ ~ ,~ r,,.\-~.

Sa'd fazarah Murrah Ashja' - - - ~a't\ , ra~a r,,.\-' \\a"\\a'n \)'3(\\}.:,.:.;...---- • Hamra' al Asad Badr ,v,.i~ '(,'9' - Banu Salim -- Banu Amir - Rabigh a\\ Banu Huwazin i,a'f>t A 'l,1,' ,,\'l>'i, -~,· I'-"' Banu Lihyan • ']e_, Makkah udah ·a'n ·t \(\\u1-a \-1 a'\ ~a\\u . • ~ Arab tribes in the of Prophet Prophet Muhammad ;if Marriage with I Aishah ~, and Ni'rl/ The same year in Shawwal, the 10th year of Prophethood, the Prophet ~ married Saudah bint Zam'ah ~ and Aishah bint Abu Bakr~' and he was also honored with the Mi'raj (the Night Journey and his : Ascension to the heavens). Scholars are in disagreement regarding the year of the Ascension and some of them are of the opinion that it took place more than once. But this is not the place to discuss the issue in great detail. Preaching Islam in Different Places and Tribes Being fed up with the Makkans, the Prophet ~ undertook a journey to Ta'if but they proved worse than the Makkans. The Makkans ill treatment of the Muslims was multiplying day by day. But he~ did not lose his courage or determination.

Back from Ta'if he resumed his duty of preaching to the tribes which stayed around Makkah during the Hajj days. He contacted Banu Kindah and Banu Abdullah tribes at their dwellings. To Banu Abdullah he said, "O Banu Abdullah! Your father was Abdullah (literally the slave of Allah)! You too should become the slaves of Allah". He ~ also went to the settlement of Banu Hanifah tribe but they meted out treatment worst than ever.

He ~ continued preaching Islam among the caravans from outside Makkah during the Hajj season. But Abu Lahab was very keen on interrupting the preaching mission and calling the people not to pay heed to what the Prophet ~ would say. He ~ invited Banu Amir, Banu Shaiban, Banu Kalb, Banu Muharib, Fazarah, Ghassan, Sulaim, Abs, Harith, Adhrah, Dhuhl, and Murrah tribes to accept Islam. On contacting Banu Amir, a man named Firas said, "In case we accept Islam and you attain power, will you then appoint me your successor after you?" The Prophet~ replied, "This is within the Power of Allah the Almighty Alone that He choose somebody to succeed me." Hearing this he said, "Wonderful! At present we lay down our lives for your mission, and upon your big victories others plunge in to enjoy the fruits of power! Go away, I want nothing to do with you." History of Islam Suwaid bin Samit During the 11th year of Prophethood, from the tribe of Aus, a man named Suwaid bin Samit from Al-Madinah came across the Prophet ~ and the latter invited him to accept Islam.

He said, "You perhaps, have something which I too have with me." The Prophet ~ said, "What do you possess at all?" He replied, "The Wisdom of Luqman." He ~ said, "Let me know it." He recited some verses and the Prophet ~ appreciated it as a good saying, "But I have the Glorious Quran, which is far better in virtue and excellence and it is perfect in light and guidance." He then recited a few Verses from the Quran. He readily admitted that it was certainly the epitome of light and guidance. As per some narratives, he embraced Islam while others deny it. However, he held himself back from opposing the Prophet ~ from that day on. He went back to Al-Madinah and was killed in a battle fought between the Aus and the Khazraj tribes. lyas bin Mu 1adh ~ During these days Anas bin Rafi', accompanied by some persons of his tribe Banu Abdul-Ashhal, came to Makkah to strike an agreement with the Quraish against the Khazraj. As the Prophet ~ came to know of his arrival, he quickly went to him before he was able to meet.the chieftains of the Quraish to tell him about the issue in view.

He ~ at once said to them, "I have something with me that is very beneficial for you all; I can let you know it if you so desire." They said in one voice, "Very well, tell us what it is all about." Thereupon he~ said, "I have been sent as the Messenger of Allah for the guidance of the people. I forbid one and all to practice polytheism and ask you to worship Allah Alone. Allah has sent down His Book to me." Following this he taught them a few basic tenets of Islam and read out some Verses from the Glorious Quran. Iyas bin Mu'adh, a young fellow in the delegation of Anas bin Rafi ' listened to the Prophet ~ and his recitation from the Quran with rapt attention, and impatiently said, "O my people! This is far better than that for which you have come from Al-Madinah." Anas bin Rafi', the leader of the delegation rebuked Iyas bin Mu'adh and said, "We have not come here for this." lyas kept quiet, and the Prophet ~ left · I I I Prophet Muhammad ?Ji' the place silently. The delegation from Al-Madinah also met with utter failure and no agreement with the Quraish could be finalized.

A few days after reaching Al-Madinah, Iyas bin Mu'adh passed away declaring his faith in Islam. Dimad Azdi Dimad Azdi was a noted sorcerer and citizen of Yemen. Once he came to Makkah and came to know from Quraish that Muhammad :i was possessed by jinn. He claimed that he would cure him through his incantation. Then he came to the Prophet~ and said, "I want to recite my incantation for you." Thereupon he~ said, "Take from me first and you will recite afterwards." Then he~ recited the following: "Verily all praise is for Allah, we praise Him and we seek His help. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; and whomsoever Allah misguides, none can guide.

I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah Alone, having no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is his slave and His Messenger. Then after, ... " He ~ had uttered this much that Dimad lost control over himself and exclaimed, "Repeat these words." He made the Prophet ~ repeat these words several times before he said, "I have heard from soothsayers, sorcerers and poets their words but such words of such a comprehensive and exhaustive nature I have never come across." Saying this he entreated the Prophet ~ ' "Please stretch out your hand, I embrace Islam right now." Tuf ail bin Amr Dausi ~ The Daus tribe belonged to Yemen and its chief Tufail bin Amr was reckoned among the richest men of Yemen. Besides being an intellectual he was also a great poet. The same year, the 11th year of Prophethood, he came to Makkah. The chieftains of Makkah came out to greet him and brought him into Makkah with high honors.

The Quraish were, however, anxious about his possible meeting with the Prophet ~ and his being charmed by the latter. Thus, with the entry of Tufail to the town, they told him that there was a sorcerer in the History of Islam town who had brought calamities to the people and separated father from son, son from father, brother from brother and husband from wife. So, he must be careful against any word of his coming to his (Tufail' s) ears. One early morning, Tufail reached the Ka'bah with his ears stuffed with cotton. The Prophet ::I was then offering the Fajr (Dawn) prayer. The way of offering the prayer charmed Tufail and he gradually drew nearer.

He happened to hear something from the Prophet's recitation of the Quran. Tufail relates: "I thought, I am also a poet and a wise person and nothing in a speech can elude me. If it is good, I shall ; accept it; if bad, I shall reject it. With this thought I threw out the pieces of cotton from my ears." Tufail then followed the Prophet ~ up to his dwelling and asked him to let him know what he kept saying. The Prophet ~ read out some Verses from the Quran and Tufail embraced Islam then and there. He then entreated the Prophet: "Invoke Allah to favor my whole tribe with Islam through me." Tufail ~ came home and embarked on his mission of inviting his people to accept Islam.

He also requested the Prophet~ to accompany him and escape the torture of the Makkans. The Prophet ~ replied, "I shall migrate on the Order of Allah the Almighty and to the place enjoined by Him." Abu Dhar Ghifari ~ Abu Dhar Ghifari belonged to Banu Ghifar and lived in the suburbs of Al-Madinah. News about the Messenger ~ reached Al-Madinah through Suwaid bin Samit and lyas bin Mu'adh, and when Abu Dhar Ghifari overheard it he sent his brother Unais, who was also a poet, to find out the facts. Unais met the Prophet ~ and reported to Abu Dhar Ghifari in Al-Madinah that he came across such a person who taught to follow the good and shun the evil. Abu Dhar was not satisfied with this much. So, he left Al-Madinah for Makkah on foot and embraced Islam after presenting himself to the Prophet ~ -From there he went straight to the Ka'bah and recited the word of Touhid and some Verses of the Quran at the top of his voice, with the result that he was surrounded by the Quraish on all sides and beaten to unconsciousness.

Thev were about to kill him. when Abbas, who ._,.,a:, j Prophet Muhammad ;}ff j still a disbeliever, passed by. He revealed that the victim was a man I from the Ghifar tribe where they brought dates for trading. Hearing 1 this they left him. The next day, Abu Dhar~ raised again the word I of Tauhid loudly and was again beaten mercilessly. Later on he returned back to Al-Madinah. Six Fortunate Souls of Yathrib It was the last month of the 11th year of Prophethood and the bloody battle between Aus and Khazraj had come to an end after taking a heavy toll of noted chiefs from both sides.

Caravans from outside had begun to come into Makkah to perform the Hajj rites, and the Prophet ~ had started contacting people and preaching Islam among them at their places. Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab followed the Prophet~ forbidding people to give their ears to what he had to say. He, in order to be safe from their mischief, would come out in the darkness of night to contact the caravans staying at a distance of several miles from the Kabah. Once, at a distance of few miles from Makkah, he heard some people talking during night at Aqabah. He came close and saw that they were six in all who had come from Yathrib to perform the Hajj and that they were all from Khazraj. The Prophet~ preached Islam and read out a few Verses from the Quran.

They listened with rapt attention; they looked at each other and embraced Islam on the spot. The entire population of Yathrib was divided between the Jews and the idolaters. The Aus and the Khazraj were the two well-known and mighty tribes of the idolaters and they continually heard from the Jews about the rising of a grand Prophet in the immediate future, and also about his dominance over all others. Since they had already heard about it, they lost no time in accepting Islam. Those six persons were Abu Umamah As'ad bin Zurarah (who was from Banu Najjar and a relative of the Prophet 01, and was the first to embrace Islam), Auf bin Harith, Rafi' bin Malik, Qutbah bin Amir, Jabir bin Abdullah, Uqbah bin Amir bin Nabi $,. The Prophet ~ gave Rafi bin Malik ~ in written form the portion from the Quran already revealed.

The small band of believers left for Al-Madinah with the History of Islam sincere promise to preach Islam among their people. They set to translate their promise into action immediately after reaching AlMadinah and Al-Madinah heard the echo of Islam everywhere. First Pledge of Aqabah The 12th year of Prophethood had set in. The Quraish were still adamant in their hostility. This whole year passed in a mixed state of hope and fear for the Prophet ~ as he did not know about the missionary activities of the six persons who had gone back to AlMadinah with the promise of preaching Islam among their people. At last, the Prophet ~ went to the same place of Aqabah during the next Hajj season in search of those persons who had taken the pledge to preach Islam in Al-Madinah the previous year.

All of a sudden, he noticed them along with some new faces belonging both to the Aus and the Khazraj. Those twelve persons were: Abu Umamah, Auf bin Harith bin Rifa'ah, Rafi bin Malik bin Al-Ajlan, Qutbah bin Amir bin Hadbah and Uqbah bin Amir $,. These five persons belonged to the group, which had accepted Islam the previous year. The other seven persons were: Mu'adh bin Hariththe brother of Auf bin Harith, Dhakwan bin Abd Qais bin Khalid, Khalid bin Mukhallad bin Amir bin Zuraiq, Ubadah bin Samit bin Qais (from Junaib tribe), Abbas bin Ubadah bin Nadlah Prophet Muhammad Ji 4) We shall vilify none. 5) We shall not backbite 6) We shall obey the Prophet~ in every thing good. Success of Mus'ab bin Umair • in AI-Madinah Mus'ab bin Umair ~ devoted his all-out efforts to preaching Islam in Al-Madinah. By the Grace of Allah, tribe after tribe in Al-Madinah came into the fold of Islam.

From the branches of the Aus in AlMadinah, Banu Abdul-Ashhal and Banu Zafar clans were very renowned and strong. Sa'd bin Mu'adh was, besides being the chieftain of Banu Abdul-Ashhal, the commander of all the clans. Usaid bin Hudhair was the chieftain of Banu Zafar clan. His father was the commander of all the clans in the battle of Bu'ath and was killed in the same battle. As'ad bin Zurarah • in whose house Mus'ab bin Umair • was staying was the cousin of Sa'd bin Mu'adh. Once Mus'ab bin Umair • was sitting by the well of Banu Abdul-Ashhal and was in conversation with As'ad bin Zurarah •· Sa'd bin Mu'adh did not like their preaching of Islam in his locality.

Sa'd called Usaid bin Hudhair and asked him to tell them in strong words not to come into their locality from then on. Usaid moved towards them with his sword and reproached both As'ad and Mus'ab ~. "There is no harm if you please sit down and listen to what I say; you are at liberty to decide after that." Usaid sat down saying, "Very well." Mus'ab then expounded Islam to him and recited the Quran. Usaid kept listening silently. When Mus'ab bin Umair finished, Usaid l bin Hudhair said, "I accept Islam." Usaid • then said, "There is one man that if he becomes a Muslim, there would be none to oppose l you." I'll send him to you at once. "Thus Usaid • came back to Sa'd bin Mu'adh who was waiting for Usaid •· "What did you say to them?" Sa'd inquired.

Usaid ~ said, "They have promised not to do j anything against your will. But a new incident took place there. A few young men of Banu Harithah came in and they wanted to kill As'ad bin Zurarah." Hearing this Sa'd bin Mu'adh stood up with his sword and reached the spot. He saw both As'ad and Mus'ab ~ sitting there peacefully. Sa'd fell in doubt about his being sent to them under false pretenses. With this thought entering his mind he began to abuse History of Islam them and told As'ad ~ that he had considerations for relations otherwise he could not have dared come to the locality to preach Islam.

Mus'ab ~ said, "Please sit down and accept what 1 say or reject it outright."Sa'd laid down his sword and sat before them. Mus'ab ~ told him what he had already stated before to Usaid ~ and Sa'd too embraced Islam then and there. On return he assembled the people of his clan and said, "What's your opinion about me?" They said as one man, "You are our chief and your opinion has always been worth practicing." Thereupon Sa'd ~ said, "I have nothing to do with you unless you all accept Islam." Having heard this, the entire Banu Abdul-Ashhal accepted Islam. Thus Islam kept spreading among other tribes and clans of AlMadinah. It was the 13th year of Prophethood. On one hand, Mus'ab bin Umair 4Wk, was achieving successes one after another and the tortures of Quraish were crossing all limits on the other.

In DhulHijjah, in the 13th year of Prophethood, Mus'ab bin Umair ~ set out to Makkah with a caravan of 72 men and 2 women of Al-Madinah. They were sent with the twin purpose of seeing the Prophet~ and to invite him to come to Al-Madinah. Second Pledge of Aqabah The Prophet ~ had already been informed of the arrival of this caravan. He came out in the night, took his uncle Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib with him and reached the mountain pass of Aqabah. The caravan of believers from Al-Madinah was waiting for him. The caravan also had comprised some disbelievers with it as well.

The polytheists from Al-Madinah were unaware of that fateful meeting and they were sleeping in their dwellings. When the people of Al-Madinah expressed their desire to take the Prophet~ to Al-Madinah, Abbas rose to say: "O the people of Al-Madinah: Muhammad ~ is at present under the protection of his family. Since you want to take him with you, keep in mind, you are alone responsible for his safety and security. But his protection is not easy. Take him with you if you are ready for a series of bloody fights, otherwise abandon such a yearning right now." Prophet Muhammad j/j · Bara' bin Ma'rur ~ rose to answer and said, "Abbas! we listened to what you said. Now we want the Prophet~ also to say something." Thereupon he ~ recited some Verses of the Quran and the:'1 brought home the rights of Allah and His slaves and the responsibilities to be thrust upon them on taking him to Al-Madinah.

Having heard the speech of the Prophet ~, Bara' bin Ma'rur ~ said, "We are prepared for all eventualities." Follow ing this, Abul-Haitham bin Taihan ~ said, "You please promise that you will not come back leaving us in Al-Madinah." The Prophet ~ said, " I shall live and die with you." At this, Abdullah bin Rawahah ~said, " 0 Prophet of Allah! What shall we get in return?" The Prophet~ replied, "Heaven and the pleasure of Allah!" Abdullah ~ said, "Now the bargain is settled. There will be no going back on both sides." In the wake of this, all of them took the oath of allegiance and Bara' bin Ma'rur ~ was first. This is called the Second Pledge of Aqabah. After the agreement was finalized, As'ad bin Zurarah ~ said addressing everyone, "O people! Bear in mind this mutual agreement implies that we are prepared to face the entire world." All of them said, "Yes, we know very well that we will have to confront the entire world." At the end, the Prophet ~ chose twelve persons from among them and appointed them his proclaimers with the duty of preaching Islam.

The twelve are listed below: (1) As'ad bin Zurarah, (2) Usaid bin Hudair, (3) Abul-Haitham bin AlTaihan, (4) Bara' bin Ma'rur, (5) Abdullah bin Rawahah, (6) Ubadah bin Samit, (7) Sa'd bin Rabi', (8) Sa'd bin Ubadah, (9) Rafi ' bin Malik, (10) Abdullah bin Amr, (11) Sa'd bin Kaithamah, and (12) Mundhir bin Amr ;~. Among these twelve chieftains, nine belonged to the Khazraj tribe and three to the Aus. Addressing them, the Prophet ~ said, "Like the partisans of Jesus ~ I, I assign you the responsibilities of educating your people and I hold responsibility for you all." At the time the pledge of Aqabah was taking its final form, a satan from the top of the mountain cried loudly: "O Makkans! Behold, Muhammad and his party are holding consultations against you." He and his party of believers paid no heed to this call. When everything was finalized, the Prophet ~ left the issue of migrating to Al-Madinah to the permission History of Islam from Allah the Almighty. Thereafter, they left the place in ones and twos so that secrecy could be maintained.

The Prophet~ and Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib came to Makkah but the very next morning the Quraish were informed of the meeting that took place the night before. They hurried to the residence of the people from Al-Madinah and said, "Did Muhammad visit you last night?" The non-Muslims or idolaters among them were themselves unaware of such an assembly that was held the previous night. Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul was one of them who later on became the head of the hypocrites, he retorted, "How can it be that the people of Al-Madinah finalized any deal without my knowledge?" Thus the doubt in the mind of the Quraish was dispelled and they left. The same moment the people from Al-Madinah started preparations for their return journey and left for their destination. The Quraish came to know of the event later through some other sources and they came out again armed with their weapons. But, by then, the caravan had already traveled a long distance.

Sa'd bin Ubadah and Mundhir bin Amr ~ were left behind for certain reasons. Mundhir ~ fled away but Sa'd bin Ubadah ~ was captured by the Quraish and they took him to Makkah beating him mercilessly. Sa'd bin Ubadah ~ relates, "When the Quraish were thrashing me relentlessly, a red and white complexioned man appeared corning towards me and I thought he was the man among the whole lot to treat me gracefully. But he slapped me violently dispelling my hope of any good from those people. Meanwhile, another person came on the scene and said, 'Are you acquainted with anyone from the Quraish?' I replied, 'I know Jubair bin Mut'im and Harith bin Umayyah, the grandsons of Abd Manaf.' He said, 'Why don't you call them by their names?' Telling me this much he left to contact those two persons and said to them, 'A man from Khazraj tribe is being beaten and he is calling you for help.' They said, 'What's his name?' He said, 'Sa'd bin Ubadah.' They said, 'We are obliged to him, for we go to him with business and stay under his protection.' Thus both of them came and got me out of their clutches. Soon after being set free, I left for Al-Madinah (Yathrib)." A long time before the Prophet ~ was told by Allah the Almighty that he would have to Prophet Muhammad ii! emigrate.

He was shown in a dream where he was destined to go. He had dreamt that it was a land of date palm trees. The dream led him to think it might be Yamamah, for it too had a large number of date trees. General Permission to migrate to AI-Madinah After the second pledge of Aqabah, the persecution of the Quraish knew no bounds. Their hostility can be gauged from the following single event. When the Prophet~' at the height of the atrocities, gave the Muslims general permission to migrate from Makkah to AlMadinah in order to save their lives, they set out towards Al-Madinah deserting their houses and leaving their relatives, the Quraish could not put up with this provocative development.

They began to put up obstructions of many kinds in the way of the migrating Muslims so that they could not live in peace and worship one God in Al-Madinah. Umm Salamah ~ relates: "When Abu Salamah had made up his mind to set out to Al-Madinah he saddled his camel and mounted me on it with my son Salamah. Then taking hold of the camel's halter, he went ahead. When some of the men belonging to our clan saw him, they came near us saying, 'It is all right so far as you are concerned, but how can we allow our daughter to go with you.' Meanwhile the clansmen of Abu Salamah came in and said, 'If she does not go, we will not let our son go with her.' Thus Banu Abdul-Asad took my child away." And Banu Mughirah returned with Umm Salamah ~, with the result that Abu Salamah ~ was left alone for Al-Madinah. Umm Salamah ~ was separated from her husband and son, while Abu Salamah ~ received the recompense for migrating without his wife and son. When Suhaib ~ tried to leave for Al-Madinah, the disbelieving Quraish said to him, "You came to us as a destitute beggar and have grown rich among us, and now you want to go away safely with your life and wealth." So they snatched all his possessions and allowed him to leave for Al-Madinah.

When Hisham bin As~ decided to migrate, the disbelievers caught and put him in captivity and tortured him. Aiyash ~ migrated to Al-Madinah but Abu Jahl followed him and deceitfully brought him back to Makkah and made him a captive. History of Islam In short, despite these impediments, the believers kept migrating to Al-Madinah one or two at a time. All these migrants were the guests of the Muslims in Al-Madinah. Migrating Muslims were called the Muhajirin and their helpers in Al-Madinah were known as the Ansar. The 14th year of Prophethood had started.

Muhammad~' Abu Bakr Siddiq ~ and Ali bin Abu Talib ~ and their wives and children were yet to migrate, along with some others who were weak and old people. Besides these few, all the Muslims had already migrated to Al-Madinah and their houses were lying vacant. The Prophet * had not made up his mind, for he was awaiting permission from Allah the Almighty. He also held back Abu Bakr Siddiq ~ to accompany him to Al-Madinah. Ali bin Abu Talib ~ was also delaying his migration waiting for permission from the Prophet ~ - Holding Counsel by the Quraish in Dar An-Nadwah When the Quraish noticed that, one by one, all the Muslims slipped out of their hands and they had gone to Al-Madinah in substantial numbers, the Makkans felt it posed a danger to them and they grew anxious about the future. Since the Prophet* was now living almost alone, after the departure of his Companions, the Quraish targeted the very existence of the preacher of Islam.

They were now in a haste to implement their plan, for with the departure of the Prophet ~ ' the matter would get out of their control. They were all thinking in the same direction until every tribe of Makkah was occupied with the same common thought of putting the Prophet ~ to death. Thus, at the end of the month of Safar, the 14th year of Prophethood, the chiefs of all the tribes except Banu Hashim assembled in Dar An-Nadwah to deliberate upon the issue. The chieftains of the Quraish who took part in the deliberation were: Abu Jahl bin Hisham (from Banu Makhzum), Nabih and Munabbehsons of Hajjaj (from Banu Sahm tribe), Umayyah bin Khalaf (from Banu Jumh), Abul-Baukhtari bin Hisham, Zam'ah bin Aswad and Hakim bin Hizam (from Banu Asad tribe), Nadr bin Harith (from Banu Abdud-Dar tribe), Utbah and Shaibah-sons of Rabi'ah, Abu Sufyan bin Harb (from Banu Umayyah tribe), Tuaimah bin Adi, Jubair bin Mut'irn, Harith bin Amir (from Banu Naufal tribe). Besides these Prophet Muhammad Ji ' famous names, there were many other chieftains. One of the participants was a very old and experienced devil from the Najd and was the president of the session.

There was no disagreement among the participants over the fact that Muhammad ~ was the source and center of all their problems . But they had a disagreement over how he should be dealt with. One of them suggested: "Let him be put in fetters so that he dies of hunger cind thirst." Thereupon the Sheikh of the Najd interrupted and said, "This is not a good proposal for his relatives and followers will try to seek his freedom which may result in violence and heavy bloodshed." Another person proposed: "Let him be driven out from Makkah with no permission for his re-entry." This suggestion was also contradicted by the Sheikh of the Najd. Many other suggestions were put forward and were rejected by him. Lastly, Abu Jahl proposed: "Let a swordsman from each tribe be chosen, and all of them should surround Muhammad ~ on all sides and strike at him simultaneously so that his blood will be divided among all the tribes and clans. Moreover, Banu Hashim will not be able to face the collective force of the entire Quraish tribes.

Ultimately they will become content with the blood money, which may be collected easily from the tribes involved in the action." This proposal of Abu Jahl was highly appreciated by the Sheikh of the Najd and the resolution was unanimously passed. The consultations were going on in Dar An-Nadwah and at the same time Allah the Almighty informed the l'rophet ~ with all that was taking place. Moreover, permission for his migration was also granted. Making Preparations for the Journey With the order for migration, the Prophet ~ called at the house of Abu Bakr ~~ at noon when the burning sun had forced the people indoors. Since it was an unasual time to visit, Abu Bakr ~ speculated that migration must have been ordered. First of all he ~ inquired if there was any strange person in the house.

When he was informed that there was no one in the house except Abu Bakr ~ and his daughters, Asma' and Aishah ~, he disclosed that migration to AlMadinah had been ordered. History of Islam "Who will accompany you on the journey?" Abu Bakr ~ asked. The Prophet ;'Ji#; said, "You will accompany me." Having heard this, tears of joy trickled down from the eyes of Abu Bakr ~ and he said, "O Prophet of Allah! I have already bought two she-camels for this purpose and have made them strong and stout, and I offer you one." The Prophet ;'Ji#; said, "I will purchase it." Thus he paid for it and Abu Bakr ~ had to accept it. And from that moment, preparations for migration started. Asma' bint Abu Bakr ~ made them provisions of parched barley and some other food, Aishah ~ was at that time still of a very tender age.

After telling Abu Bakr ~ of the plan, the Prophet ;'Ji#; went back home. The polytheists had made their nefarious plan to assassinate the Prophet ;'Ji#; on the following night. They surrounded his house from that evening. Their heinous plan was to make a surprise attack on the Prophet ;'Ji#; when he comes out to offer his dawn prayers. The Prophet ;'Ji#; had asked Ali bin Abu Talib ~ to lie in his bed and to wrap himself in his mantle. He also gave Ali ~ the valuables that his pagan neighbors had left with him in trust, and instructed Ali ~ to give them back to their rightful owners the next morning.

He also asked Ali ~ to migrate after settling these matters. After completing this, the Prophet ;'Ji#; came out of his house in the dark hours of the night reciting the first nine Verses of Surat Yasin. He threw a handful of dust at them, with the result that they did not see him. "And (remember) when disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you or to kill you or to get out you; they were plotting and Allah too was planing; and Allah is the Best of the planners." (8:30) Abu Bakr ~ paid Abdullah bin Uraiqit a reasonable sum to deliver both the she-camels at an appointed time and place to be told to him later, although he was a disbeliever, he was trustworthy. The Prophet ;'Ji#; came out of his house and went straight to Abu Bakr ~- They set out right away, and took a low-lying trail to a distance of four miles outside of Makkah. They arrived at the cave of Mount Thaur and hid themselves in it.

Ali bin Abu Talib ~ kept sleeping soundly and peacefully in the bed of the Prophet ;'Ji#; while the disbelievers of Makkah Prophet Muhammad JI! continued their siege around the house the whole night. They were feeling satisfied thinking that Ali~ was the Prophet~- When Ali~ got up for the Fajr (dawn) prayer the disbelievers asked him, "Where's Muhammad?" Ali ~ retorted, "How can I know, for I was asleep the whole night. You should know his whereabouts since you have been on guard." The disbelievers held Ali ~ and beat him in a state of ferocity and then released him after sometime. Ali~ then gave back the trusts to their rightful owners. 1· It is worth noticing here that although the disbelievers were thirsting for the life of the Prophet ~ , they trusted his honesty and integrity so much so that they left their precious valuables, gold, silver, and jewelry in trust with him. He ~ was very particular about it and that is why he left Ali ~, someone he knew he could depend on, to return the trusts to his bloodthirsty enemies. Leaving Ali ~ , the disbelievers called at the house of Abu Bakr ~ and knocked at the door.

Asma' bint Abu Bakr ~ came out. Abu Jahl said, "O girl! Where is your father?" She said flatly, "I know nothing about him." Hearing this the wicked man slapped her so violently that her earrings fell down on the ground. After this, the furious disbelievers mounted a search for the Prophet ~ but it was in vain. Now, in a state of frustration, they announced a reward of one hundred camels for anyone who could catch and bring back Muhammad ~ dead or alive. The greed for such a substantial reward incited a number of persons to search the area but their efforts met with total failure.

The Sun and the Moon in the Cave of Mount Thaur When the two arrived at the cave in Mount Thaur Abu Bakr ~ requested the Prophet ~ to wait until he searched and cleaned up the cave. So he went in, searched it and stuffed the holes with the pieces of cloth torn from his garment and then came out to escort the Prophet ~ in. They remained hidden in the cave for three days and nights. Some chieftains and notables from the Quraish reached the mouth of the cave tracking their footprints. Since there was no trace beyond this, some of them suggested that either Muhammad~ was hidden somewhere there or might be inside the cave or had flown to History of Islam heaven from the same spot. Someone said, "No human has entered this dark cave, it is in an undisturbed state for a long time." Another person noticed, "There is a spider's web across the mouth of the cave and anybody going in would have broken it." The third one pointed to a pigeon flying around and the eggs, which it was hatching.

So, all of them grew confident that no human had entered the cave. These disbelievers had come so close to the entrance that both the Prophet * and Abu Bakr ~ . saw their feet and heard the voices of these bloodthirsty warriors of the Quraish. In such a critical moment Abu Bakr ~ said, "The disbelievers have at last arrived." The Prophet js very confidently said, "Grieve not, Allah is with us," and then added, "What do you think of those two with whom the third is Allah?" The unfortunate disbelievers went back dismayed and disappointed. Abu Bakr ~ had already told his son Abdullah bin Abu Bakr ·.:;, to keep him informed of the daily activities of the disbelievers of Makkah at night. Similarly, he had instructed his slave, Amir bin Fuhairah to graze his herd of goats anywhere but bring them to the cave of Thaur at night. Asma' bint Abu Bakr ~~ was assigned the duty of bringing meals to the Prophet ~ and Abu Bakr ~ in the night with the utmost care.

The brother and sister, Abdullah and Asma' ~ ' returned after performing their duties, Amir bin Fuhairah also did his job and his return in the late hours of the night by the way of Mount Thaur hid the tracks made by the others. When the fervor of the disbelievers subsided, Abdullah bin Uraiqit was told to bring the she-camels to the foot of Mount Thaur fulfilling his agreement. It was a credit to the Arabian sense of honor and national character that Abdullah bin Uraiqit who, although not a Muslim, kept the matter secret. He brought the two she-camels and his own camel near the foot of Mount Thaur on a moonlit night of Rabi' Al-Awwal, while Asma' t;., turned up with parched barley and meal. Muhammad and Abu Bakr ~ came out of the cave of Thaur. He mounted a she-camel named Al-Qaswa, while Abu Bakr~ and his slave Amir bin Fuhairah got on the other she-camel.

Abdullah bin Uraiqit serving as a guide, mounted his own camel. This small caravan of four secretly moved forward through routes away from I I Prophet Muhammad ft the main road. An event worth mentioning took place when the caravan was about to set out. The bag of food brought by Asma' $, , was without a string. When the bag was to be suspended from the camel's saddle, there was no string to serve this purpose. Asma' ~ made no delay in tearing her waistband in two tying one half around her waist and with the other half, she tied the bag.

This ready solution put forward by Asma'~ won for her praise from the Prophet ~ who also named her "The Lady with the String." She was later known by this title. Another interesting event that took place was that Abu Bakr ~ took with him all his cash which, amounted to five or six thousand dirhams. His father, Quhafah who was blind and still a disbeliever, came in and told his grand daughters that Abu Bakr ~ went away with all the riches of the house. Asma' ~ replied, "Grandfather, he has left enough money for us." Then she wrapped up a large number of pebbles in a piece of cloth and put it at the place where the money was always kept. She then caught the hand of her grandfather and took him to that spot. After touching it he was satisfied about the presence of money.

Then he said to his granddaughters, "The departure of Abu Bakr now is no long a matter of sorrow." Migration Before mounting Al-Qaswa, the Prophet ~ looked at Makka:h and said overwhelmed with grief: "O Makkah! You are to me dearest of all the cities. But your citizens allowed me not to reside here." Following this Abu Bakr ~ said, "They have banished their Prophet and they are now bound to be ruined." About the same time this Ayah (Verse) was revealed: "Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is Able to give them victory." (22:39) It is worth considering how and under what rigorous circumstances they embraced Islam and remained firm and stuck to the truth in the face of opposition from all quarters and at the cost of soul-shattering torture and persecution. Could anyone dare imply that they had come to the fold of Islam under threats or out of greed? No, not at all! Now, after the revelation of this Verse begins the era when the believers History of Islam were permitted to face and fight those who obstructed the path of Islam.

It is interesting to watch how people in large numbers accepted Islam under these trying situation that lay ahead. This small caravan set out in the early part of the night. The next day, on Rabi' Al-Awwal 1, the 14th year of Prophethood, they arrived at the tent of Umm Ma'bad in the afternoon. That old woman belonged to the Khuza'ah tribe. She used to serve travelers water and drinks. The Prophet ~ halted there, took milk and then resumed his journey after a short rest.

They had moved a little ahead when Suraqah bin Malik appeared on the scene pursuing the Prophet ~ - Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'shum was a famous warrior. He was once sitting in his dwelling place along with his companions when, in the early morning, a man came and revealed that he had witnessed three riders on camel moving in such and such direction. He presumed that they must be Muhammad ~ and his companions. Suraqah made a sign to silence him and said that he knew very well who those travelers were, and that they were such and such persons who had left on a journey last night. By this ploy Suraqah meant to chase and catch the Prophet~ to get the reward of the one hundred camels and he wanted no one else to share in it. He came home in a hurry, sent his horse and weapons outside the dwelling and then he himself reached the spot where his horse was evading others' eyes.

He hurried after the fugitives tracking their footprints. He let his horse go at a canter until the fugitives came into the full view. But his horse stumbled abruptly and he was thrown off. He remounted his horse but it again stumbled and he was thrown off. But he continued his chase until his horse stumbled for the third time, and he was thrown off again. Such a queer misfortune sent fear through his body and he felt sure that his attempt would have to be given up.

Then admitting his failure, he called out to the Prophet ~ to halt and listen to him. He ~ stopped his movement. Suraqah drew near and said, "I had come to take you back to Makkah as a prisoner. But I now seek your pardon. Please write for me a warrant of security besides forgiving me for my evil intentions. I promise to take back with me all those coming in this direction who have the same purpose as I did." Thus, with the order Prophet Muhammad jf of the Prophet ~, either Abu Bakr ~ or Amir bin Fuhairah wrote the warrant sitting on the camel's back and threw it towards him.

He turned back with the warrant and took back all others assuring them that the Prophet ~ was long gone and traceless. Suraqah embraced Islam after the conquest of Makkah and the warrant of security was a source of safety for him. From the cave of Thaur and the low-lying land of Makkah, Abdullah bin Uraiqit took the Prophet ~ to the coastal area. Passing across the main track to the other side of Usfan. He continued his journey up to Qudaid through the valley of Amaj and then cutting across the main road he came down into the field of Kharar Laqaf, Mudlijah and Majaj crossing the territory of Dhul-Ghadwin and passing through the grove of Dhu Salam they crossed Al-Ababid and Al-Arj. In the valley of Al-Atj, a camel of the caravan became exhausted.

A man of Aslam clan brought a camel from Aus bin Hajar, who also gave a slave to accompany the Prophet ~ - From there the caravan, after crossing Thaniyatul-Air, reached the valley of Reem, and from there to Quba' at noon. After Suraqah bin Malik retreated, the caravan had marched a little ahead when Zubair bin Awwam ~ came across them on his way back to Makkah at the head of his trade caravan. He gave gifts of garments to the Prophet ~ with his fervent desire to join the Prophet * in AlMadinah after reaching Makkah. During this journey, people at various places recognized Abu Bakr ~ ', for they had so often seen him leading trade caravans. However, they were not familiar with the Prophet ~ and so, they asked Abu Bakr ~ about the person going ahead of him. He replied, "This is my leader and the guide." End of the Journey After an eight-day journey, the Prophet * arrived at Quba' on Rabia al-Awwal 8, the 14th year of Prophethood (corresponding September 23, 622 CE) at noon.

Quba' lies at a distance of a few miles from AlMadinah and was generally taken as the locality of Al-Madinah. It was largely inhabited by Banu Amr bin Auf who had already been enlightened by Islam. A few days before the departure of the Prophet * from Makkah, the news of his arrival in Al-Madinah was in the air. History of Islam The Ansar of Al-Madinah would come out of their dwellings early in the morning and kept waiting till noon everyday. Thus when the Prophet ~ arrived at Quba' at noon, they had already gone back after waiting for some time. A certain Jew who was watching the crowds of Muslims awaiting someone by coming out of their settlement knew that Muhammad ~ was about to come from Makkah.

This Jew was then, by chance, upstairs when he witnessed the small caravan moving into Quba'. Guessing it to be the caravan of the Prophet ~ ,he cried at the top of his voice: "O the people of Arabia, 0 those taking rest at noon, there has come your object of love." Having heard this call, the people rushed out of their dwellings and waves of exultation gripped the whole atmosphere of Quba'. He ~ was emerging from an orchard of dates. Bearing in mind that the people might fall into confusion regarding the identification of the Prophet ~, Abu Bakr ~ drew himself back and shaded the Prophet ~ with his mantle, thus making a clear distinction between the master and the servant. The Prophet ~ was now entering Quba' and the little girls of the Ansar were reciting in great fervor and boundless joy: "On the hillside whence caravans are given a send-off, The full moon comes up in the day. All the while Allah is praised.

We had better return our thanks The noble one, 0 you sent to us, You have brought binding commands." The Prophet ~ entered Quba' on Monday and stayed there until Friday. The Prophet ~ stayed in the house of Kulthum bin Hadm while Abu Bakr~ stayed with Habib bin Asaf ~ . He ~ would hold his assemblies in the house of Sa'd bin Khaithamah ~ and the people visited him at that same place. During this short stay in Quba', he ~ laid the foundation of a mosque which is the first mosque ever built after the advent of Islam. On Friday, the 12th Rabi' Al-Awwal, he left Quba' and made his entry into Al-Madinah. He ~ was still in Quba' when Ali bin Abu Talib ~ came and joined him.

Ali~ had made this long and arduous journey on foot. While the Prophet ~ was Prophet Muhammad it staying in Quba', Ali ~ who had been busy returning the deposits of the people to their rightful owners was blessed with the honor of joining the Prophet ~ -He had left Makkah the very day the Prophet :~ left the cave of Thaur. But Ali ~ ' a traveler by himself, made his movement during the night and kept himself hidden in the day. The Prophet ~ came avoiding the busy thoroughfares and reached Quba' in eight days, while Ali ~ undertook the journey by the well-known routes but was made late by three or four days because of being on foot. Entry into AI-Madinah Taking leave of the people of Quba' and Banu Amr bin Auf on Friday, the Prophet * moved forward to make his stay in Al-Madinah. Every household of each loc ..

Jitv expressed its strong desire that the Prophet ?~ would stay with them. He was in the locality of Banu Salim bin Auf when the time for the Friday (/umu'ah) prayer drew near. The Prophet ~ led the prayer at the same place in a field with about a hundred men behind him. This was the first Friday prayer of the Prophet ~ in Al-Madinah and the first time the Friday sermon (Khutbah) was ever delivered. Later on, a mosque was built at that place. After offering the Friday prayer, the Prophet ~ mounted his shecamel.

Banu Salim bM1 Auf approached him and took hold of his shecamel's halter with the request that he stay with them. The people of other clans and localities also came in groups and made the same request. This led to a clash of words, which ended when the Prophet ~ said to one and all: "Let her go her way. She is guided by Allah. I shall stop where the animal sits down." The Ansar and Muhiijirfn followed the she-camel on all sides. He set the halter loose and free and the she-camel moved ahead slowly.

All eyes were focused on the animal and they were eagerly waiting for it to kneel down. When she entered the locality of Banu Biyadah, Ziyad bin La bid and Urwah bin Amr, the chieftains of the tribe wanted to take hold of the halter but the Prophet ~ forbade them saying: "Leave her for she has already been commanded." Then the she-camel stepped into the locality of Banu Sa'idah and Sa'd bin Ubadah and Mundhir bin Amr, the chieftains of Banu Sa'idah made the same attempt but received the History of Islam same words from the Prophet ~ -After this, she reached the locality of Banu Al-Harith bin Al-Khazraj, and Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi', Kharijah bin Zaid and Abdullah bin Rawahah stepped forward to stop her but received the same reply. From there the she-camel made an entry into the locality of Banu Adi bin An-Najjar. Since Abdul-Muttalib's mother Salma hint Amr belonged to this clan, they made their claim for the Prophet ~ to stop there. Thus Salit bin Qais and Asirah bin Abu Kharija, the chieftains of Banu Adi took hold of the halter but he ~ asked them to leave it for the animal had prior instructions for herself. At last the she-camel arrived at the locality of Banu Malik bin AnNajjar and knelt down in a deserted and fallow land for a while and then got up and advanced a little only to turn back and be seated on the same spot again.

This time she shook herself and then lay down on her neck wagging her tail. Close to this unpopulated land was the house of Abu Ayub Khalid bin Zaid Ansari ~ -He rushed to the spot with his face beaming with · joy and took the belongings of the Prophet ~ to his house. Thus he ~ made his stay in his house. The deserted land was the property of two orphan boys Sahl and Suhail. The piece of land had a few date trees, graves of the polytheists and a resting spot for the herds of cattle. "Who is the owner of this land?" The Prophet~ inquired.

Mu'adh bin Afra' submitted, "This piece of land belongs to two orphan boys related to me and they are nourished by me; I shall make them agree, you may take it for building a mosque." But the Prophet ~ asserted, "I want to buy it, and will not take it without paying the price." Abu Bakr ~ made the payment at once. And with the order of the Prophet ~ the date trees were cut, the graves leveled, and the construction work of the mosque was started then and there. The Prophet ~ joined the builders. The walls of the mosque were constructed with stone and kneaded clay, the roof with the wood of the date palm and date leaves. Until the construction of a separate house for himself, the Prophet ~ remained staying with Abu Ayub Ansari ~ in his house as his guest. This is the same Abu Ayub Ansari ~ whose grave lies in Constantinople where he was honored later with martyrdom during the siege of Constantinople in the caliphate of Mu'awiyah in 48 AH. f Prophet Muhammad .:Jli Prophet ~ stayed in the house of Abu Ayub Ansari• for six months and a few days.

The mosque built during the time of the Prophet ~ saw no change before the caliphate of Umar •. During his caliphate, it underwent an expansion for the first time. Uthman bin Affan .:$, strengthened it. During the time of Walid bin Abdul-Malik, it saw more expansion with the inclusion of the dwellings of the noble wives of the Prophet~- Mamun Rashid Abbasi adorned the mosque beautifully. The Prophet ~ was in the house of Abu Ayub Ansari .:$, when he sent Zaid bin Harithah and Abu Rafi ~ to bring Fatimah, Umm Kulthum, Saudah hint Zam'ah, Usamah bin Zaid and his mother, Umm Aiman ~- Abdullah bin Abu Bakr ~ also, along with his relatives, accompanied them. Talhah bin Ubaidullah .:$, also joined the caravan.

After the arrival of these people, the Prophet;i shifted to his newly built house. Calendar Year Until now the year of Prophethood was being used to keep account of the time. It is notable that the name and the order of the lunar months are the same as was the custom in Arabia from before. Thus the first year of Prophethood elapsed just in a few months. This is the reason why the entry of the Prophet ~ into Al-Madinah is being reported in the month of Rabi' Al-Awwal, the 14th year of the Prophethood, while his Prophethood was actually spread over a span of 121 / 2 years. Similarly, the Hijrah C1lendar starts from the Prophet's emigration to Al-Madinah.

Since he~ had come to Al-Madinah on Rabi' Al-Awwal 12, the first Hijrah year began from Muharram; Thus the Prophet :j stayed in the house of ~bu Ayub Ansari~ until the 2nd Hijrah year. First Year of Migration Among the events of the first year of migration, the construction of the Prophet's Mosque and his house, and the arrival of the rest of the believers to Al-Madinah has already been mentioned. The death of Abu Umamah As'ad bin Zurarah ~ is worthy of mention here. Abu Umamah • was not suffering from any disease. All of sudden he fell ill and passed away. When this sad news was given the Prophet :I, he remarked, "The polytheists have got an opportunity to say, 'what North r Dwelling ofYathrib tribes at the time of migration Qanat Valley :\\-Madina Prophet Muhammad !ft kind of Prophet is he that one of his Companions becomes the target of sudden death'." After his death, the people of Banu Najjar presented themselves to the Prophet ~ and submitted, "Abu Umamah was our chief.

Please choose for us another chief in his place." The Prophet~ replied, "You Banu Najjar are all my maternal uncles, so I belong to you. Thus l am myself your chief." Hearing this, Banu Najjar's joy knew no bounds. Moreover, this device warded off the possibility of other candidates for chief clashing over this matter. The courage and determination of the clan increased. The first objective of the Prophet ~ was to achieve law and order and good mutual relations among the people. He :I; felt right away that the Muhnjirin had come from Makkah and so they must not become a source of constant mental stress for the people of Al-Madinah.

But he was equally conscious of the stark reality that the Muhajirin had migrated from Makkah sacrificing everything for their faith, their homes, motherland, relatives, wealth, property, family and clan. They should be treated in a manner that they were not overtaken by a deep sense of loss, dejection and frustration. Thus the Prophet~ convened a meeting of the Muhtijirin and the Anstir and told them about the virtues of Islamic brotherhood. He then established bonds of brotherhood between the Muluijirin and the Ansar, putting them together in an atmosphere of mutual welfare. Each Ansar took a Mulu'ijir as his brother. Abu Bakr's brother in faith was Kharijah bin Zubair Ansari and Umar bin Khattab entered the bond of brotherhood with Utban bin Malik Ansari, Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah with Sa'd bin Mu'adh Ansari, Abdur-Rahman bin Auf with Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi', Zubair bin AlAwwam with Salilmah bin Salamah, Uthman bin Affan with Thabit bin AI-Mundhir Ansari.

Similarly, Talhah bin Ubaidullah and Ka'b bin Malik, Mus'ab bin Umair and Abu Ayub Ansari, Ammar bin Yasir and Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman :$, mutually consolidated their bonds of brotherhood. The Ansar remained faithful to this arrangement with so much caution and sincerity that human history is unable to give any other similar example. The Ansar treated their Muhajir brothers like their own and entrusted to them their wealth and property in abundance. Some of History of Islam the Ansar went to such an extent that they wanted to divorce one of their two wives and to give one to their brother in faith to marry. But the Muhajirin also disliked being a burden on their Ansari brothers and undertook a life of sweat and toil to shoulder their own burden. First Political Document One event worth mentioning after the migration was a pact that the Prophet ~ had drawn up for the inhabitants of Al-Madinah, including the Jews and the polytheists. [ncluded in it were a number of terms and conditions.

The main condition being that, in case of an attack on Al-Madinah launched by outsiders, the people of AlMadinah as a whole would raise arms together against the enemies. Another condition being that the Jews of Al-Madinah would not provide refuge to the Quraish of Makkah o'r their allies. None of the citizens of Al-Madinah would put any hurdle in the way of anyone else's religion, life or property. If two people of AI-Madinah had a falling-out on an issue and were not able to find any solution to it by themselves, they would have to abide by the decision made by the Prophet ~ concerning it. The burden of the war expenditures would be shared equally by all the people of Al-Madinah. The Muslims of Al-Madinah would be considered as friends of the Jews, so also they (the Jews) would have to treat as friend those tribes and clans who were in alliance with the Muslims.

All kinds of fighting and bloodshed would be treated as prohibited in the territory of AlMadinah. All the people of AI-Madinah were to be considered bound to help the oppressed. This pact was signed by all the tribes of AlMadinah. After the agreement was finalized, the Prophet ~ made an all-out effort to bring the clans around Al-Madinah into the fold of this pact so that all kinds of disruptions, disorder and bloodshed were curbed once and for all. The Prophet :i was so eager to widen the scope of this pact that he IJ1ade a special journey to Banu Damrah bin Bakr bin Abd Manaf to bring them around to this recently signed pact. He ~ won over their chief, Amr bin Makhshi to the idea and he put his initials on the document.

He also got the people of Mount Buwat and of Dhul-Ushairah in Yanbu and Banu Mudlij to accept the peace Prophet Muhammad jj treaty. The purpose of the Prophet ~ behind this peace pact was to create an atmosphere of peace and order so that the people could be at peace and be able to reflect on the message of Islam in an air of safety and security. These peace efforts were yet to bring fruit when clandestine activities in Al-Madinah and onslaughts from outside plunged Al-Madinah into disorder once again. Beginning of Hypocrisy There happened to be in Al-Madinah a man of great wisdom, experience and astuteness and he wielded influence both on the Aus and the Khazraj. A short time before, both of the tribes had the bloody battle of Bu'ath, in this battle they lost much of their power and strength and Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul was shrewd enough to take advantage of their weaknesses. His clever tricks achieved for him immense popularity among both tribes.

While the people were making up their minds about installing Abdullah bin Obai as the chief or king of Al-Madinah, Islam started to take hold in Al-Madinah. They had planned to celebrate the occasion of Abdullah's ascension to leadership on a very high level and even a crown had already been made for him. With the advent of Islam in Al-Madinah, the atmosphere changed beyond recognition. After the arrival of the Prophet ~ in Al-Madinah, the Muslims became its mightiest power. Furthermore, the peace pact made all the people of Al-Madinah recognize the strength and supremacy of Islam and they all signed it signifying their acceptance of the superiority of the Muslims. The grand dreams of Abdullah bin Ubai were shattered into pieces.

Since he was shrewd before anything else, he never highlighted his grievances but he harbored malice against the Prophet ji; from the day he appeared in AI-Madinah. The idolaters among the Aus and the Khazraj tribes were still under the influence of Abdullah bin Ubai. When the Quraish of Makkah found out that the Prophet i; and his Companions were enjoying a peaceful life after arriving in AlMadinah, and the circle of Islam was expanding by leaps and bounds, they felt terribly disturbed. Shooting their first arrow at Islam in AlMadinah they wrote a letter to Abdullah bin Ubai and the polytheists of Al-Madinah. They warned them against providing refuge to the History of Islam fugitives and asked them to expel them (the Muslims) from their territory, failing this they should be ready to face an onslaught on AlMadinah ending in the killing of their young and the capturing of their women. In the wake of receiving this message from the Quraish of Makkah, Abdullah bin Ubai assembled all the polytheists and kindled flames of fighting in their hearts.

At the opportune moment, the Prophet ~ was informed of the development and he hurried to the gathering of the people and said to them: "The Quraish of Makkah have attempted to deceive you and you will suffer heavy losses if you become victims of their allurement. It is better for you to reject their warning flatly and keep to your agreement finalized between you and us. ln case the Quraish make an assault against the people of Al-Madinah, it will be easier to fight them if we are united. But if you fight the Muslims, you are bound to kill your own sons and close relatives with your own swords and bring upon yourselves complete destruction. Having heard the wise counsel of the Prophet ~ ' the entire gathering followed his point and dispersed at once. They deserted Abdullah bin Ubai and he was left alone looking pathetic. The same year, the Muslim~began to use the Adhan to call the people to perform prayer in congregation.

It was also the year when Abdullah bin Salam ~ , a great scholar of the Jews, accepted Islam. Salman the Persian also embraced Islam after accepting Christianity and had gone through the scriptures of the Jews and the Christians who were awaiting the advent of the last Prophet. The payment of zakah was also made obligatory in this year. The Second Year of Migration The Quraish appeared defeated in the wake of the Prophet's departure to Al-Madinah unharmed. The acute sense of shameful defeat had filled them with a maddening pain which could be cured only by taking a satisfactory revenge. The simple goal before the Makkan polytheists was to cause death and destruction to the Prophet ~ and his Muslim followers.

This wild rage had taken them by storm. Putting aside their petty differences and discord, they had risen to the Prophet Muhammad~ occasion as one individual with the single purpose of punishing the followers of Islam. There lay a distance of 300 miles between Makkah and Al-Madinah. Special care and preparations were needed for the Makkans to invade Al-Madinah along with winning the sympathies of the tribes living on the way and forming alliances with the forces hostile to Islam. The Prophet ~ was, on the other hand, wise enough to foresee the lurking menace and he had to play his role as a reliable chief and an experienced and skilful commander. Permission for defensive fighting had already been received.

Thus the time for removing the obstructions in the way of Islam had arrived. The Muslim population in Al-Madinah was, in no way, more than three or four hundred. But, in spite of lacking numbers and weapons, the evil designs and mischief of the disbelievers was more than enough to kindle in their hearts determination and ignite their Arabian sense of honor and bravery. They repeatedly placed before the Prophet ~ their deep desire to raise arms against the enemies of Islam and sought his permission to fight. When the love of Islam went deep into the hearts of the believers and they appeared mentally prepared to fight the forces inimical to Islam, permission from Allah the Almighty came for curbing the evildoers. However, the series of events taking place provide ample proof that the Messenger of Islam preferred peace to war and forgiveness to revenge.

A chieftain of Makkah, Kurz bin Jabir came from Makkah along with a band of people, and raided some grazing cattle nearAlMadinah and made off with a large number of camels belonging to the believers. When the Muslims got the news, they chased the criminals but they escaped. However, it was a serious warning for the people of Al-Madinah that their enemies could rob them of their goods and property at a distance of about three hundred miles from their houses. Besides, the disbelievers were constantly in correspondence with Abdullah bin Ubai and the Jews of Al-Madinah conspiring against the Muslim interests. During Sha'ban of this year, the Qiblah (direction of pr:iyer) was changed for the Muslims to Makkah and the fasting of Ramadan was made obligatory before the end of Sha'ban. At the beginning of the month of Ramadan, news came to Al-Madinah that a Makkan caravan History of Islam was corning from Syria which would pass by Al-Madinah.

In order to instill fear in the disbelievers and also to reply to Kurz bin Jabir's attack, the Prophet i; asked a party of the Muhajirin and Ansar to intercept the caravan so that the Makkans would know that to worsen the relations with the people of AI-Madinah might prove injurious to their trading activities with Syria. This party was sent with the sole purpose of frightening them and not for fighting. The Makkan trade caravan became informed of the movement of the Muslim party. Abu Sufyan, the head of the caravan, led it off the main routes. He also hired Darndam bin Amr Ghifari to hurry to Makkah with the information that the caravan was facing danger from the Muslims, and they should rush to help it and save their goods. In the wake of this news, Abu Jahl marched forward with great enthusiasm from Makkah at the head of a large army consisting of seven hundred camels and three hundred horses.

The entire army was armed to the teeth and the reciters of martial songs also accompanied the army. Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib, Utbah bin Rabi'ah, Urnayyah bin Khalf, Nadar bin Harith, Abu Jahl bin Hisharn and others, a total of thirteen men in all were assigned the duty of serving food to the army. The Muslim party sent to terrorize the trade caravan came back to Al-Madinah. The Battle of Badr Abu Sufyan sent word to Abu Jahl that he had arrived at Makkah and that he should also come back. But Abu Jahl turned down the suggestion. Abu Jahl had, in truth, not come out with the army simply to provide safety but also to avenge the killing of Amr bin Hadrarni at the hands of a Muslim party dispatched by the Prophet ?i to Nakhlah to probe some incident.

The Quraish had already started preparations to retaliate. They were about to invade Al-Madinah when Damdam bin Amr reached Makkah to seek their help. Abu Jahl was marching towards Al-Madinah. The Prophet ~ became aware of the movement of the Quraish army and all the notable chieftains like Abu Jahl, Utbah, Shaibah, Walid, Hanzalah, Ubaidah, Asi, Harth, Tuaimah, Zam'ah, Aqil, Abul-Bakhtari, Mas'ud, Munabbih, Nabih, Naufal, Sa'ib, and Rifa'ah accompanying the Makkan troops. Prophet Muhammad .# The Prophet :i summoned his followers and asked for their advice regarding the current development and said to the Companions: "Makkah has sent you its darlings. What do you think about facing them?" First of all Abu Bakr~ and then Umar bin Khattab ,$ and Miqdad ~ uttered words of valor and determination.

The last one said: "O Prophet of Allah, we will not say as the Children of Israel said to Moses: 'Go you and your Lord and fight, we will sit here'." The Prophet ~ asked again for their advice. By this he really wanted to know the reaction of the Ansar for all the three who had pledged their support and loyalty belonged to the Muhajirin. When the Prophet :i put the same question again, the Ansar now realized that the question was meant for them. Their original pledge with him implied their defending him in AlMadinah and did not put them under any obligation to take part in a military expedition outside their territory. Sa'd bin Mu'adh • immediately got up to say in reply: "O Prophet of Allah, it seems as if you are speaking to us and you want to have our answer." "Yes," the Prophet ~ said. Sa'd ~ then said, "We have believed in you and have full faith in your being Allah's Messenger.

How can it be possible that Allah's Messenger would go out to fight the disbelievers and we remain sitting in our houses? These disbelievers are, after all, men like us. How can we fear them? If you command us to plunge into the sea, we will do so." I Lack of Means: Satisfied with the staunch support and determination of the Companions, the Prophet~ resolved to march out. The total number of the combatants did not exceed 310 or 312 or 313. When they were finally examined outside the city, some minor children were found accompanying the troops who were not fit to take part in battle yet.

Thus the Prophet ~ asked them to go back. Some of them persistently entreated to be enlisted and of those some were granted permission to accompany the army. It was in no way a well-equipped force. This Islamic army had only two horses under the charge of Zubair bin Awwam and Miqdad ~ and seventy camels to be mounted by three or four persons at a time. Many others accompanied on foot. On .c t:: ~~------ Prophet Muhammad ~ reaching Badr, the Islamic army noticed that the enemy force had already captured the raised piece of land and pitched their tents on it.

The Muslims had to take the low-lying sandy spot. However, the jwells of Badr were under the control of the Muslim force. The Prophet j~ issued orders that any of the disbelievers coming for water must jnot be stopped. A hut of palm branches was erected for the Prophet~ jon an elevation overlooking the battlefield. He prayed and invoked 'the help and blessings of Allah. The number of the Companions were one-third of the Makkans, and 1their weapons were less than one-hundredth of what the Quraish army had.

Their army consisted of young and strong men, and all wearing armor. The Muslims were, on the other hand, starving, weak, sick and old. Most of them didn't even possess simple weapons. Some of them had swords but no bows and arrows, while others possessed spears but no swords. When the Muslims encamped, the disbelievers sent Umair bin Wahb Jumahi as a spy to find out the number of Muslim soldiers. Umair reported that they were not more than 310, having a total cavalry of only two.

The height of the disbelievers jarrogance may be gauged from the statement of Utbah bin R;:ibi'ah who scornfully remarked, "Let us go back without a fight," meaning the disgracefully low number of the Muslims was no match for the large and well-equipped army of the ~;h1kkans. t.lui Abu Jahl j vehemently opposed the proposal expressing his firm detcrminatiun I to exterminate them no matter how few they were. I I Beginning of War: I I At last, on Ramadan 17, 2 AH, when the two armies came face to face, I the Prophet ~ returned to his small hut ,ind beseeched Allah for Divine help. He entreated the Lord: ! "O Alliih! If vou were to exterminc1te this small g. roup of I Muslims, you will be worshipped on earth no more." " He then offered two Rak'ah of prayer. Following this, he dozed a little and then cc1me out fresh and smiling from his hut and s;:iid with utmost confidence: "The ent>my fnrn' is defeated.

They took to their heels." History of Islam The Prophet ~ had already issued an order not to initiate the fighting. There were approximately eighty Muslims from the Muhajirin and the rest belonged to the Ansar. Among the Ansar, sixty-one were from the Aus and one hundred and seventy from Khazraj. The ranks on both sides were set in order. The Prophet~ was setting the ranks with an arrow in his hand. In the meantime, in accordance with the Arabian fashion, Utbah and Shaibah-sons of Rabi'ah and Walid bin Utbah stepped forward, and in response to their call, three of the Ansar, Auf and Mu'awwidh-the sons of Afra' and Abdullah bin Rawahah came forward to give them battle.

Utbah asked, "Who are you?" "We are the Ansdr," they answered. "We need not fight with you," Utbah said in a tone filled with arrogance. He then called out: "O Muhammad; send our peers, men of our own tribe." The Prophet~ said, "Go ahead, 0 Hamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib to give battle to Utbah, Ubaidah bin Al-Harith to fight with Shaibah-the brother of Utbah, and Ali bin Abu Talib to engage Walid-the son of Utbah." With the order, all the three Companions rose from their spots and came face to face with their respective rivals. Utbah wanted to know their names although he knew them very well. Then hearing their names he said, "Yes, we will fight with you." The confrontation began. Hamzah and Ali~ put the father and the son Utbah and Walid to the sword.

Ubaidah ~ and Shaibah both received injuries in the encounter. Ali bin Abu Talib and Hamzah ~ , did away with the enemy of Islam and brought Ubaidah ~ to the Prophet ~ - Now the disbelivers launched a full-scale attack and the Muslim troops also moved forward to face their enemies. Both sides showed great valor. As the day of Badr drew towards its close, the defeated disbelievers fled the battlefield leaving behind seventy men slain and seventy as prisoners. When the fighting started, the Prophet ~ came out to have a full view of the situation. He pointed out to the Muslims that Banu Hashim did not join the enemy force out of their own will and desire, it was due only to compulsion and so they deserved special concessions.

So Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib must not be killed, and Abul-Bakhtari also deserves forgiveness. Abu Hudhaifah ~ said, "How can it be that I kill my brother and leave Abbas bin AbdulProphet Muhammad~ Muttalib, I will not Jet him go if Abbas fights with me." Later on Hudhaifah ~ was deeply repentant for his words and expressed great regret. Mujadhdhir bin Ziyad~ happened to face Abul-Bakhtari and said to him, "I have been ordered not to fight with you, so keep away." But Abul-Bakhtari made an attempt to save a friend of his and was killed. Umayyah bin Khalaf and his son Ali bin Umayyah were in great distress to save their lives. During the days of Ignorance AbdurRahman bin Auf ~ and Umayyah were close friends, so he gave him protection. But the moment Bilal ~ noticed him, he called some A11snr and they together fell on Umayyah and his son and did away with them despite Abdur-Rahman's efforts to save them.

Umair bin Al-Hamam ~ came to the Prophet ~ eating dates and asked, "Shall I go to Paradise at once if I am killed fighting the disbelievers?" He said, "Yes." He threw away the dates in his hand and ran to the battlefield and fought with the enemy until he was honored with martyrdom. I When the battle was in full swing, the Prophet ~ picked a handful of dust and threw it towards the disbelievers after reciting something over it. It resulted in the enemy fighters fleeing for their lives. Mu'adh bin Amr ~ ' a young Ansnr came across Abu Jahl who was armor clad. Mu'adh bin Amr~ struck at his uncovered leg with his sword so forcefully that it was cut off from the shin. When Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl found his father fatally injured, he fell upon Mu'adh bin Amr ~ and struck him with his sword so violently that his left arm was I nearly separated from the shoulder but he kept fighting the whole 1 day with the hanging arm.

But when it gave him more trouble, he put the hanging part under his foot and pulled apart by a violent force. At the same moment Mu'awwidh bin Afra' ~' another young man from the A11sar drew near Abu Jahl and put him to the sword. When the disbelievers fled the battlefield and the believers were victorious in this historic event, Allah's Messenger ~ asked for a search of the dead body of Abu Jahl. Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ searched through the dead bodies and found Abu Jahl lying haU-dead. Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ got on his chest and said, 'Behold, 0 enemy of Allah, what a disgrace you have been put to by Allah." Abu Jahl said, "What's the History of Islam outcome of battle?" Abdullah bin Mas'ud • replied, "It ended in victory for the believers and defeat for the disbelievers." When he was about to cut his head off he said, "Cut off my head from near the shoulders so that it looks bigger than the heads of all others and it is seen as the head of a chief." Abdullah bin Mas'ud • chopped his head off and laid it down at the feet of the Prophet 11. Having noticed it, Allah's Messenger ~ thanked Allah.

This battle martyred fourteen believers, six from the Muhajirin and eight from the Ansar. The battle being over, Allah's Messenger 11 buried the believers and ordered that the dead among the infidels should be thrown into a pit or well and let them be covered with dust. The disbelievers were so frightened when they fled the field that they even lost track of their Commander, Abu Jahl and left him behind fatally injured and dying. Harth bin Zam'ah, Abu Qais bin AlFakihah, Ali bin Umayyah and As bin Utbah were young men and had deep sympathy with the Prophet ~ in Makkah; or they had secretly accepted Islam. After the migration of the Prophet ~ and his Companions, they were flayed and decried by their clansmen and relatives and pressed to return to their former faith. So they openly disobeyed Allah's Messenger ?I and joined the battle against Islam.

They were all killed in the battle along with all the notable chieftains from the Quraish. The soul-shattering news of the disbelievers' ignominious defeat in the battlefield of Badr left the Makkans struck with grief. The Prophet ~ entrusted the booty to Abdullah bin Ka'b ~ who belonged to Banu Najjar, and sent Abdullah bin Rawahah and Zaid bin Harithah ~ with the glad tidings of victory to the upper and lower settlements of Al-Madinah. Usamah bin Zaid ~ who was left in Al-Madinah as the deputy of the Prophet~, remarks, "The glad tidings of the victory were received by us at a time when we were burying Ruqayyah ~, the daughter of the Prophet~ and the wife of Uthman bin Affan ~- The news of victory had arrived in Al-Madinah on 18 Ramadan." Being free from his engagement in the battlefield of Badr, the Prophet ~ proceeded to Al-Madinah. On reaching Safra', he with the Command of Allah the Almighty, distributed the booty equally Prophet Muhammad !Ji among the Muslims, and ordered Nadr bin Al-Harith bin Kildah (from Banu Abdud-Dar) to be beheaded. Similarly, arriving at Irq-uzZabyah, he issued the same order for Uqbah bin Abu Mu'ait bin Abu Amr bin Linah.

These two among the prisoners of the battle of Badr were hard-core and ruthless enemies of the Prophet :I and Islam and equal to Abu Jahl in enmity. Thereafter the Prophet :I, along with his Companions, speedily left for Al-Madinah leaving the prisoners and their guards behind who joined them in Al-Madinah the next day. General Treatment of the Prisoners: When the captives reached Al-Madinah, the Prophet ~ said distributing them among the Companions, "Treat them generously." Among them was Abu Aziz bin Umair who was the standard-bearer of the disbelievers' army and also the full brother of Mus'ab bin Umair •. Abu Aziz relates, "When I was being brought to AIMadinah, I was in the custody of a group of the Ansar. Whenever they sat down to dine, they gave bread to me and they began to eat dates. Being ashamed, I tried to return it but whenever I gave the bread to any of them, he gave it back to me." On reaching Al-Madinah, Abu Aziz was lodged with Abu Yusr Ansari .:ij,.

Mus'ab bin Umair • said to Abu Yusr Ansari ..,, '1'reat him roughly, for his mother is a wealthy woman." Abu Aziz said, "Brother, is it for you to give this counsel?" "You are not my brother," replied Umair ~' "instead he is my brother who is tying up your hands." The mother of Abu Aziz sent four thousand dirhams for his release. The defeat suffered by the polytheists prunged Makkah into gloom. There was not a house in the city, which did not go into mourning. The Makkans stood aghast and agitated. However, the suppressed Muslims of Makkah breathed a sigh of relief and felt elated. Abu Lahab, who could not join the army at Badr, was so terribly shocked that he died after a week.

The Issue of the Captives: Concerning the captives, Allah's Messenger ~ sought the advice of the Companions. Umar bin Khattab ~ submitted, "In my opinion everyone of us should kill his own relatives to establish beyond doubt History of Islam that, in Islam, love of faith is far greater than love for relations." Abu Bakr ~ said, "Let all the captives be released in return for reasonable ransoms so that the amount be invested in developing weaponry. Besides, some of them may embrace Islam in future." The Prophet ;i; liked the proposal of Abu Bakr ~- Some of the prisoners were released without ransom. The Makkans sent from one thousand to four thousand dirhams to pay for the release of their relatives. The captives who knew reading and writing but were unable to pay ransom were allowed freedom after teaching ten children to read and write. Zainab ~ , the daughter of the Prophet ;i;, sent her necklace as a ransom for the release of Abul-As, her husband, who was also among the captives.

Allah's Messenger~ noticed the necklace and said to his Companions, "If you think it fit, send the necklace back to Zainab, for it was a gift from her mother Khadijah." The Companions were pleased to accept it and released Abul-As at once. Abul-As then hurried back to Makkah and sent Zainab ~ to Al-Madinah at once. He accepted Islam six years [not six but three or four years] after this event. Revengeful Enthusiasm of the Makkan Infidels In the wake of ignominious defeat at Badr, the Makkans held themselves back from mourning loudly, for to them, it would be honoring the victorious Muslims. Safwan bin Umayyah, whose father Umayyah and son Ali were both killed at Badr, persuaded Umair bin Wahb to go to Al-Madinah and assassinate Muhammad ;i;. Umair arrived at Al-Madinah with a poisonous sword.

Umar bin Khattab ~ was in doubt and catching hold of him by the handle of his sword, took him to the Prophet ~ - Allah's Messenger ~ said to him, "What are you here for?" "I have come to seek the release of my son who is among the captives of Badr, do mercy on me and get him released." The Prophet ~ said, "Why don't you speak the truth that Safwan has sent you to assassinate me?" Afterwards he related the entire conversation held between Safwan and Umair. Umair declared without loss of time, "I accept Islam and )Prophet Muhammad :ff bear witness that you are truly the Messenger of Allah, for our secret ~ealings were known to none except Safwan and me." ; ~ n the day of Badr, Allah the Almighty helped the Muslims with is angels. The participation of angels in the battle was described by ,e polytheists on their return to Makkah and by those viewing the attle from a distance. They stated, "On the day of Badr, all of a udden, we witnessed a piece of cloud passing over our heads owards the battle spot. The piece of cloud was producing the eighing sound of horses. We also heard someone say, "Hurry!

Go head." This voice struck such terror in us that a cousin of mine fell rown dead out of fear. ~he battle of Badr being over, the Prophet ~ came back to Alt adinah on Ramadan 22. This very year, during the last days of the urrent month, Sadaqah Fitr was made obligatory and the Eid prayers nd the sacrifice of an animal (camel, cow or sheep) were also ~njoined on the believers. The same year he married his next daughter µmm Kulthum ~ to Uthman bin Affan ~ who came to be called phun-Nurain (the holder of two lights), and also gave the hand of his ~oungest daughter Fatimah~ to Ali bin Abu Talib~- ~he flames of revenge were burning very strongly in the hearts of the ~efeated disbelievers of Makkah. Two months after the battle of Badr /Abu Sufyan proceeded from Makkah at the head of a cavalry of two / hundred men to give battle to the Muslims. When he drew near AlMadinah the Prophet ~ was informed and came out with a band of Muslim combatants. But Abu Sufyan had already left after setting the some date orchards on fire and killing Saeed bin Amr Ansari and his / friend who were engaged in agricultural activities.

When Abu Sufyan heard of Muslims' arrival, the whole party took to their heels. They were in so much of a hurry that, in order to lighten their load, they threw away bags of food on the way. The Muslim troops gave them a very hot chase up to Kadr and found the food lying all over. Having abandoned the chase the Prophet ~ came back to Al-Madinah and the event came to be known as the expedition of Suwaiq. The type of food they abandoned is called Suwaiq in Arabic. History of Islam The Third Year of Migration It has already been mentioned that Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul was to be installed as the king of Al-Madinah.

But his plan failed as a result of the Prophet's arrival in Al-Madinah. Because of this he fostered enmity against the Prophet ~ and his Companions. However, he was wise enough to keep his hateful feelings and hostile attitude a secret. Nevertheless he entered into heinous conspiracies with the Makkans against the Muslims. He tried hard to make the polytheists rise against the believers but was utterly defeated in his purpose. He grew so awestricken in the wake of the victory at Badr that he apparently accepted Islam but in truth he remained hostile to the Muslims.

He also advised all the non-Muslims to follow in his footsteps and he himself played the role of their leader. The group of men his secret planning gave birth to, are called the Munafiqin (hypocrites). Some Jews too joined his party and tried to benefit from the discord. Hostile Attitude of the Jews The dominant position of the Muslims and the speedy spread of Islam was most undesirable to the Jews. Their hostility had far exceeded the enmity of Abdullah bin Ubai. They had their three strongest tribes on the outskirts of Al-Madinah with their separate fortifications.

They were Banu Qainuqa', Banu Nadir and Banu Quraizah. The agreement that the Prophet ~ had finalized immediately after his arrival in AlMadinah, had brought all the Jewish tribes into its fold. The Quraish kept hatching plots with the Jews as they had been doing with! Abdullah bin Ubai. Since the Jews were antagonistic to the progress made by Islam, they had grown sympathetic to the Quraish and their efforts to curb the expansion of Islam. The Jews were enraged and disgruntled when they heard from Zaid bin Harithah 4, the news of the Muslim victory at Badr.

And Ka'b bin Ashraf violently reacted to this good news and remarked, "Woe to you! the Makkans are kings and the nobles o Arabia. If Prophet Muhammad has won victory over them, one will not be able to enjoy living on this earth." Prophet Muhammad ?Jf When the news of the polytheist defeat was properly verified, Ka'b bin Ashraf left Al-Madinah and went to Makkah where he wrote elegies for the slain and began to sing them throughout Makkah. After igniting the fire of revenge among the Makkan disbelievers, he came back to Al-Madinah and left no stone unturned in flaying and decrying and mocking the Muslims. The Jewish tribes were wealthy and practiced usury of the most destructive nature. The Aus and the Khazraj tribes of Al-Madinah were indebted to them and financially under their control. The Jews were also proud of their wealth and cunning, and therefore, looked at others as if they were foolish and ignorant.

The honorable victory of the Muslims at Badr embarrassed them. They formed new alliances with Abdullah bin Ubai and his hypocrite followers in Al-Madinah, and the Quraish in Makkah. Foul words and abusive language were devices they used to soothe their mental agony. They also drew a dangerous plan to first ask the disbelievers to profess Islam without actually believing in it and then renounce it saying that they accepted Islam but found that it was not a sound religion. They wanted their abandoning of Islam to ca~e the other Muslims to turn back from their new faith leaving behind disorder and disruption. Now the Prophet ;I; and his Companions came across this very ugly situation.

Allah's Messenger ~ would _visit the Jewish communities and go to their meetings and congregations to try to bring them around to the truth and to put matters right. He said to them, "You are fully aware of the fact that I am the true Messenger of Allah and you were yourself awaiting the advent of a Messenger from Allah the Almighty. It was your duty to testify to my Prophethood first before all others, and you should have looked into your heavenly Books in order to find the prophecies regarding me. But you are advancing on the path of rejection and opposition; do fear the wrath of Allah otherwise you may suffer the same ignoble death and destruction that came to men like Abu Jahl, Utbah and the others at Badr." In response to these noble and wise words, they would lash out at Allah's Messenger ~ saying: "The Quraish of Makkah were unaware of the strategies of battle. We shall teach you a lesson if and when you will face us, do not compare us with the Quraish of Makkah." History of ls/am The Jewish Tribe-Banu Qainuqa' The Prophet ~ put up with the highly rude treatment meted out to him with exemplary patience and forbearance. Although these unprincipled and haughty Jews had broken their covenant, Allah's Messenger ~ did not like to punish them.

He preferred wise counseling and patience to their shocking rudeness and disrespectful behavior. Finally, their extreme ill-treatment and evil doing led them to the brink of disaster and their doom. Once a fair was being held in the settlements of Banu Qainuqa'. A woman from the Ansfir went there to sell milk. Following this, she went to a goldsmith's shop to buy an ornament. The Jewish goldsmith molested her.

An Ansfiri raised his voice in support of the woman in trouble. Jews from far and near assembled in no time and fell upon the Muslim which resulted in his martyrdom after he had also put a Jew to death. Other Muslims also reached the trouble spot but suffered attacks from armed Jews. The Prophet 1i received information in Al-Madinah. He reached there accompanied by the Companions but found the Jews armed and ready to fight. Fighting took place and seven hundred warriors of Banu Qainuqa' including three hundred armored men took refuge in their fort.

Abdullah bin Salam ~ belonged to Banu Qainuqa'. The Muslims laid siege to the fort, which continued for about a fortnight with the result they captured the fort along with everybody inside. In accordance with the Arabian practice, the prisoners of war would be mercilessly put to death. The Makkans were amazed to see that among the captives of Badr, only two were killed as a result of their unbounded mischief and crimes. All others were left alive. Again, when seven hundred people were captured, they were expecting death.

But Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul, the head of the hypocrites and apparently a Muslim, interceded with the Prophet 1i for the safety of their lives. The Prophet 1i was a little hesitant about making the decision. At last Abdullah bin Ubai's repeated efforts materialized and safety was granted to all the prisoners. Thus Abdullah bin Ubai succeeded in his attempt to consolidate his friendly relation with the Jews. Prophet Muhammad ;ft Ka'b bin Ashraf has been referred to above. He grew bold enough to use the names of Muslim women in his love poems.

The Muslims were much aggrieved with this state of affairs. Patience on the part of the Muslims emboldened the Jews to hatch a conspiracy for assassinating the Prophet ~ with the result he took care while going out at night. When the mischief of Ka'b bin Ashraf crossed all limits, Muhammad bin Maslamah ~, a Companion took permission to kill him. He then took a few friends with him and went to Ka'b bin Ashraf's house and killed him. In the wake of the murder of Ka'b bin Ashraf, another Jew, Salam bin Abul-Huqaiq took up the gauntlet and exceeded his mischief. Since Kab bin Ashraf was killed by Banu Aus, Banu Khazraj took upon themselves the responsibility of doing away with his evil successor.

Eight youngsters from Banu Khazraj took the route to Khaibar, killed Salam bin Abul-Huqaiq there and escaped safe and sound. The Battle of Uhud, l AH The contemptible defeat of the Makkans had infuriated them to the exh·eme, while the Jews and the hypocrites of Al-Madinah were making all-out efforts to light the fires of revenge. Furthermore, Hindah the wife of Abu Sufyan, whose father and brother were killed at Badr, was doing all she could to create a sense of shame at the ignominious defeat and loss of pride and prestige besides the loss of precious lives. Abu Sufyan who had achieved the status of undisputed chief after the large-scale massacre of the Quraish chieftains, started upon massive preparations to avenge the defeat. The trade caravan which had returned from Syria prior to the battle of Badr, brought a huge profit of fifty thousand Mithqiil (Mithqal is a kind of weight equaling 4.3 gm approx.) of gold and one thousand camels. But the goods, instead of being distributed among the shareholders, it was decided, were to be utilized for providing weapons and armor to the army that was burning with the rage of revenge.

Poets were sent to other tribes of Arabia and they played their role in activating people to rise up to help the Makkans against the followers of Islam. As a result, all of Banu Kinanah and the people of Tihamah came to their help besides other allies of the Quraish. Ahbash (the Abyssinians residing near History of Islam Makkah) were also enlisted for the purpose. Singers of military songs and the women were exciting the polytheist troops to strong action and were also to be brought to the front lines. The whole year was devoted to largescale military preparations and they were aided and abetted by the Jews and the hypocrites at all levels. A heavily armed troop of three thousand warriors proceeded to AlMadinah at the beginning of the month of Shawwal.

Wives and daughters of the slain chieftains also accompanied the army to see with their own eyes the spectacle of the killers being killed. Poets were also fanning the fire of maddening anger and instigating the soldiers to storm into the settlement of the believers with new vigor. Hindah, the daughter of Utbah was the leader of the women's section as her husband Abu Sufyan was at the head of the Makkan army. Jubair bin Mut'im had an Abyssinian slave named Wahshi who was skilled in the art of throwing lances and seldom missed his target. Jubair bin Mut'im promised to set him free if he killed Hamzah ~' while Hindah struck a deal with the same person that if he did away with Hamzah ~' she would give all of her jewelry to him. The polytheist army reached near Al-Madinah.

Being informed, the Prophet ~ summoned the Companions and asked them to give their advice about the fresh menace. Abdullah bin Ubai (the leader of the hypocrites), considered to be among the Muslims, was also present. The Prophet :i was in favor of facing the enemy within the bounds of Al-Madinah. It was also because he had recently dreamt that a little portion of the edge of his sword had dropped and he inferred from this that an open encounter with the enemy might cause some loss. He had also dreamt that he had put his hand in armor. By armor he meant Al-Madinah.

Abdullah bin Ubai also supported the view of fighting the enemy inside Al-Madinah and he felt he might have some advantage by this. However, the majority of the Companions favored the idea of facing the enemy outside of Al-Madinah. Although the old ones preferred to fight from inside Al-Madinah, the young ones differed and showed a burning desire to go out. The 14th of Sha'ban was Friday. The consultations being over, the Prophet ~ led the Friday prayer and then came out of his house clad j Prophet Muhammad ;J!i' jin armor and armed with his weapons. Now it flashed into their r minds that they had differed from his opinion and might, therefore, fbe overtaken by some calamity.

They submitted, "You are at liberty to change your opinion into action and we are ready to follow suit." But the Prophet ~ kept to the majority opinion as he had no specific Revelation to follow. Moreover, he liked to satisfy the fervent desire of those who were restless enough to prove their mettle in the battlefield as they weren't able to display their valor in the battle of Badr. Thus, leaving behind Umm Maktum ~ in Al-Madinah, the Prophet ~ moved onward at the head of one thousand soldiers. Mischief of the Hypocrites: In the morning, he reached near Uhud mountain, Abdullah bin Ubai, the wicked hypocrite, broke away with his three hundred followers pretending that since his opinion of fighting inside Al-Madinah was not accepted, he and his men would not take part in the battle. Now the Muslim army consisted of merely seven hundred fighters. The Prophet ~ had also returned the boys of young age before.

Soon they arrived at the foot of Mount Uhud. The Makkan army had already pitched its tents there. The Prophet ;j; encamped keeping Mount Uhud to their back. The next day, on Sha'ban 15, 3 AH, the battle broke out. Before the battle, the Prophet ;j; had put 50 archers under Abdullah bin Jubair ~ at a mountainside and ordered them strictly to stay there until further order, without leaving the place whatever may be the condition. They were to obstruct the enemy if it comes on the Muslims from the rear.

The Prophet ~ then drew up his troops for battle, he appointed Zubair bin Al-Awwam ~ as the commander of the right wing and Mundhir bin Amr ~ was given the left wing of the army. Hamzah ~ was put in as the advance guard, Mus'ab bin Umair ~ was chosen as the standard-bearer of Islam and Abu Dujanah ~ was fortunate enough to receive the Prophet's sword. Out of excessive joy he marched on giving an air of vanity. Thereupon the Prophet ~ Map of Uhud invasion Prophet Muhammad #I! remarked: "Such gestures are disliked by Allah, but it is permissible while facing the enemy on the battlefield." The Quraish, on the other hand, set their ranks in order and put Khalid bin Walid (still a disbeliever) as the commander of the right wing of their force with one hundred cavalry soldiers under his command. Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl (still a non-Muslim) was the commander or the left wing with an equal number of soldiers to lead. Banu Abdud-Dar had been the standard-bearers of the Quraish army since the long past.

In order to get them excited, Abu Sufyan told them rudely that their performance in the battle of Badr brought them misfortune. They should keep it and fulfill its right otherwise it would be handed over to someone else. Banu Abdud-Dar persistently kept the standard with them and promised to fight gallantly. The commander of the Quraish's archers was Abdullah bin Rabi'ah. The enemy force consisted of three thousand soldiers against seven hundred men in the Muslim camp. The Battle starts: In the beginning of the battle, Abu Amir came forward.

He was a monk (belonging to the Aus of Al-Madinah) held in regard by his people. He had settled in Makkah after the arrival of the Muslims in Al-Madinah, and also accompanied the Makkan army to Uhud. He had claimed in Makkah that he would certainly call the Aus to his side right on the battleground. Thus he gave the call but was ruthlessly rebuked by the believing Aus and he was rejected. Following this, each side launched an attack against the other. j Hamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib and Abu Dujanah ~ fought with such i matchless gallantry that the disbelievers lost courage. Abu Dujanah I~ fought with the Prophet's sword killing everybody that came up against him, and advanced deep into the enemy's ranks.

Hindah bint Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan was within the range of his sword at that moment she screamed and Abu Dujanah ~ held his sword back for he did not like that the Prophet's sword be stained with the blood of a woman, so she was saved. History of Islam Martyrdom of Hamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib 4k,: Hamzah ~ sprang into action with matchless valor and killed Talhah, the standard-bearer of the polytheists. He then went deep into the ranks killing and creating chaos and disorder. Wahshi, the Abyssinian slave, noticed him from a distance and then hid behind some rocks. While making a quick forward movement, Hamzah ~ came within the range of Wahshi and he flung his lance at him which pierced him from one side to the other. Hanzalah ~ approached Abu Sufyan by breaking the cordon around him with his dashing charge but Shaddad bin Aswad Laithi killed him before he could attack Abu Sufyan.

Nadr bin Anas and Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi' ~..iii proved their mettle before being honored with martyrdom. Twelve standard-bearers of the Quraish army were killed one by one at the hands of Muslim fighters. The Quraish standard remained lying on the ground after the killing of Sawab, their last standard-bearer, and none had the courage to pick it up after him. The massive Makkan army was routed and after a gradual retreat, they fled the field accompanied by their women who had taken a position to encourage their soldiers to fight fiercely and fearlessly. A Reversal: The defeat of the polytheists and the victory of the Muslims left none in doubt of the outcome of the fierce battle. The fleeing of the polytheists and their standard lying on the ground for a long period created in the Muslim archer's hearts a zest and fervor to chase the escaping enemy.

They did this in spite of their commander, Abdullah bin Jubair ~ trying to stop them from doing so until the Prophet ~ signaled them to join the attack. Khalid bin Walid knew the importance of that mountain pass and he therefore, lost no time in storming into the open passage left by the Muslim archers. No one was there to stop the forward movement of the Makkan cavalry. Abdullah bin Jubair ~ was martyred on the spot. This sudden attack of the polytheists created a temporary confusion in the Muslim ranks and they stopped chasing the Makkan army. Prophet Muhammad ;Ji The chaotic condition of the Muslim ranks emboldened Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan to stop fleeing and they gathered their soldiers together to launch another attack on the Muslims while they were in a state of turmoil.

Their sudden onslaught only added to the trouble and losses in Muslim ranks. The Muslims were surrounded by a large numbers of polytheist fighters on different fronts. Mus'ab bin Umair • was standing by the Prophet :i with the standard of Islam in his hand. lbn Qami' ah Laithi, a noted fighter among the disbelievers made a violent attack and put Mus'ab bin Umair • to martyrdom. Since Mus'ab • resembled the Prophet :i, he thought that Muhammad :I was martyred. lbn Qami'ah mounted a raised place and claimed that he had killed Muhammad ~ . This news sent a wave of great joy through the ranks of the polytheists and in a fit of rejoicing they indulged in jumping and dancing and felt very elated and encouraged. The Muslims were on the other hand, left shocked and stunned.

Meanwhile Ka'b bin Malik ~ saw him and exclaimed loudly, "Muslims! Be happy, for the Prophet~ is alive and perfectly safe and sound." Following this, the Prophet ~ called in a loud voice, "O slaves of Allah, come to me for I am the Messenger of Allah." The Muslims rushed to him from far and near fighting and killing the disbelievers. The disbelievers also concentrated on the area where the Prophet~ was surrounded by his Companions. Allah's Messenger :lj was now the main target of the attack. Abdullah bin Shihab Zuhri struck the Prophet ~ and injured his face, while lbn Qami'ah hit his head so violently that two rings from the metal chain strap of the helmet put on by the Prophet ~ were driven into his cheek. Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah ~ pulled out the rings one by one and two of his teeth were pulled out doing this.

Moths at the Lamp of Prophethood: Some of the devoted Companions circled around the Prophet :i. Abu Dujanah ~ leaned over the Prophet :i to shield him from arrows until many were stuck in his back. Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas, Abu Talhah, Zubair, and Abdur-Rahman bin Auf ~ stood like rocks to guard him against the mounting onslaught of the enemy soldiers. Talhah • History of Islam used his hand as a shield to stop the sword attacks until it became motionless. Ziyad bin Sakan Ansari ~ and five of his companions were martyred protecting the Prophet ~' Amarah bin Ziyad ~ met the same fate. Umm Amarah ~ whose real name was Nusaibah bint Ka'b, went following the Muslim troops just to see the spectacle of the battle.

But when the situation turned against the Muslims, she rushed to be by the side of the Prophet :,i in those difficult and delicate moments. When Ibn Qami'ah attacked the Prophet ~ , she rushed forward like a flash of lightning and launched several attacks on the enemy of Islam with a sword. But he remained safe because he was wearing a double coat of mail. But his counter attack inflicted a deep injury on her arm near the shoulder. Stability of the Prophet ~ : During the moments when the fighting was going strong, some wretched and callous person hurled a piece of stone at the Prophet ~ from a distance which injured his lip and smashed his lower tooth and he fell on his side into a ditch. Ali bin Abu Talib~ caught hold of his hand and Abu Bakr and Talhah ~ lent their support in helping him out of the pit.

When a small band of the Companions assembled near the Prophet~ the enemy attack slowed down. The Companions, emboldened by the presence of the Prophet ~ , smashed their ranks and pushed them back. Now, he went or the nearby mountain along with a party of his Companions to give a. fresh call to battle from a raised point. Abu Sufyan also tried to climb the mountain but his efforts were fruitless. When he made an attempt to get on a place higher than that of the Muslims, Umar bin Khattab ~ was ordered to fight Abu Sufyan and his band to push them back and he did it well with the support of his fellows. Now the Muslim troops began to gather.

The scattered Muslims got on the higher ground to be at the service of the Prophet ~, and the disbelievers could not gather the courage to launch a fresh attack. However, a hard-core enemy, Ubai bin Khalaf who had planned from before to assassinate the Prophet ~ , made a bold charge at him. When the latter noticed him moving towards him on horseback, he said, "Let him come." He was about to make an attack when the Prophet~ took a lance Prophet Muhammad -~ from his Companion, Harith bin Samma ~ and thrust it in the neck of Ubai bin_ Khalaf, he scuttled off bewildered and embarrassed. He succumbed to his injury on his way back to Makkah. Abu Sufyan said in a loud voice: "Is Muhammad among you?"•"Don't make any reply," the Prophet~ said to his Companions. ''Is Abu Bakr among you?" he said again and got no reply.

"Is Umar bin Khattab among you?" he said and the reply was only silence. Then he said "It seems all of them have been killed." Now Umar bin Khattab ~ broke his silence in exasperation and answered back: "O enemy of Allah! All are alive and you will meet your doom." Amazed to hear this he uttered with an air of vanity: "Glory be to Hubal!" The Prophet~ asked Umar bin Khattab ,$ to say in reply: "Allah is the Highest and Most Great!" Having heard from Umar bin Khattab ~' Abu Sufyan said: "We have the idol Uzza, while you have none." The Prophet ti again directed Umar ~ to say in reply: 11 Allah is our Lord but yours is none." Thereafter Abu Sufyan said: "This battle equalized the score of Badr." Umar ~ replied on the instruction of the Prophet~: "No, there is no equality at all, for those killed on our side have gone to Paradise and those on your side are lying in Hell." He then called out, "We shall meet again at Badr next year." The Prophet ti asked Umar ,$ to reply: "Yes, it is an appointment between us." Abu Sufyan then departed. The Prophet ti sent Ali bin Abu Talib~ after him to witness the manner they adopted in making their departure. If they put saddles on their camels and left their horses free they meant to depart to Makkah; if they got on their horses and did not saddle their camels they had a plan to attackAl-Madinah once again. And in view of their imminent attack, the Muslims should take the initiative in launching an attack.

Ali ,$ went behind but returned in a short while with the news that the Makkans had left their horses free. A View of the Battleground: The Prophet ~ then descended from the mountain peacefully and the task of burying the martyrs started. Sixty-five Ansar and four Muhajirin in all were honored with martyrdom. The dead bodies of several martyrs were torn to pieces. Hindah bint Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan mutilated the body of Hamzah ~- She cut Prophet Muhammad !lt someone sc1id to her, "Your husband has been martyred." But she put the same question, "Is the Prophet ~ safe?" In the meantime the Prophet ~ was at a little distance from her and someone pointed out to her that he was coming. Having seen his noble face, the woman uttered," All sufferings are insignificant if you are safe and sound." On Abdullah bin Ubai's deserting the Muslim troops and on their number being reduced, some of the Companions submitted to the Prophet ~ to seek help from the Jews but he rejected the proposal.

The Jews kept waiting the outcome of the battle in their safe dwellings. Mukhairiq, a person among the Jews told his people that they must lend support to Prophet Muhammad ~ -"We can't fight for this is Saturday," they replied. "This is the fighting between the Prophet and the disbelievers, so Saturday can't stand in the way." He took his sword and pronounced that in case he was killed, all of his property should be given to Muhammad ~ and none should go against him. He joined the battle and was killed. When the Prophet ~ came to know of this, he remarked, "He was the best of the Jews." A hypocrite named Harith bin ~uwaid accompanied the Muslims to the battlefield. When the battle broke out, he killed two Muslims Mujazziz bin Ziyad and Qais bin Zaid ~ and fled to Makkah.

He returned to Al-Madinah after a couple of days and was killed by Uthman bin Affan ~- In this battle, the Muslim camp found the hypocrites in their true form and color. The next day, Sunday the 16th of Shawwal, 3 AH, the Prophet ~ issued orders that only those who were present at the ~ battle of Uhud would accompany him in pursuit of the disbelievers. So every Muslim, who had fought at Uhud the day before, followed the Prophet ~ on his way out of Al-Madinah in spite of their fatigue and their wounds. The Prophet ~ camped with his followers at Hamra' Al-Asad, about 8 miles from Al-Madinah where he remained for three days. At Rawha', it came across the polytheists minds that they had not won a victory. They said, "What will we say when we meet the people without any Muslim captives and without booty?

Moreover, we are returning to Makkah in a state that our noted chieftains like History of Islam Walid bin Asi, Abu Umayyah bin Hudhaifah, Hisham bin Abu Hudhaifah, Ubai bin Khalaf, Abdullah bin Humaid Asadi, Talhah bin Abu Talhah, Abu Saeed bin Abu Talhah and a few others, who were the famous chiefs of Quraish, have been killed." Pressed hard under the demand of his men, Abu Sufyan showed his inclinatio~ to attack Al-Madinah once again. In this situation Ma'bad bin Abu Ma'bad passed through Rawha' and informed Abu Sufyan that Muhammad ~ had already came out of AlMadinah with his army and they were already at Hamra' Al-Asad. Perhaps they will meet you very soon. With this news, great panic and confusion gripped the polytheists and they fled straight to Makkah for fear of their lives. Informed of the polytheists' scuttling off to Makkah in a state of embarrassment, the Prophet ~ returned to Al-Madinah. This expedition is known as the expedition of Hamra' Al-Asad.

This event sent tremendous terror into the hearts of the disbelievers and Al-Madinah was safe from another attack by this army. It is a grave mistake to think that the Muslims were defeated in the battle of Uhud. During the first phase of the battle, the disbelievers were routed but the mistake of the archers led them to stage a comeback. But after some casualties, the Muslim troops dominated the battle scene once again and the polytheists fled from the battlefield. The Fourth Year of Migration A Breach of Promise and Mischief-making On Muharram 1, 4 AH, the Prophet ~ was informed that a large number of mischief-mongers of Banu Asad had assembled in Qatan under the leadership of Talhah bin Khuwailid and Salamah bin Khuwailid with the evil intent of launching an attack on Muslims. The Prophet~ dispatched a detachment of 150 Muslim soldiers headed by Abu Salamah Makhzumi ~ to punish them.

But the enemies fled before Abu Salamah ~ reached Qatan. The Muslim soldiers returned with some cattle of the culprits. Prophet Muhammad Is There is a place called Uranah near Arafat where Sufyan bin Khalid Hudhali, a hard-core disbeliever was reported to be collecting people to attack Al-Madinah. When this news came pouring in, the Prophet ~ dispatched a detachment headed by Abdullah bin Unais. He made it to the destination undetected and managed to cut off the head of the leader and escape unhurt. After a long and arduous journey of eighteen days, he returned to Al-Madinah on Muharram 23, 4 AH, and laid the head at the feet of the Prophet :j. ln Safar, 4 AH, by way of treachery, the Quraish of Makkah sent seven persons from the Adal and Qarah clans to the Prophet~ saying that their people have decided to enter the fold of Islam so some persons should be sent to them to teach Islam.

In response to the request, he sent ten teachers (six according to lbn Khaldun) headed by Marthad bin Abu Marthad Ghanawi ~ or Asim bin Thabit bin Abu Aflah ~ . When this party reached Raji', a water spot, they unfolded their treachery and called in two hundred persons. When the Muslim party saw itself surrounded, they moved to the top of a hill and began to fight in self-defense. When the Muslim party could not be captured, the disbelievers played a trick but they could seize only two while the rest laid down their lives fighting fiercely. Those two captured were Khubaib bin Adi and Zaid bin Dathina ~ who were taken to Makkah. These two were kept hungry and thirsty for a couple of days in the house of Harith bin Amir.

One day a little child of Harith, while playing with a knife, drew near Khubaib ~- He had the child seated on his thigh and put the knife aside. This horrible sight made the mother cry in distress. Khubaib ~ pacified the woman saying that he would never kill her child. After a few days Safwan bin Umayyah purchased Zaid ~ to avenge the killing of his father. The Makkans assembled to enjoy the spectacle of Zaid's murder. From among the spectators, Abu Sufyan stepped forward and said: "You are going to be killed in a state of hunger and thirst.

Would you like to be with your family members while Muhammad is killed instead of you?" Zaid ~ retorted "By Allah, I would never like to be among my family members while even a thorn History of Islam pricks my Prophet ~-" Thereupon Abu Sufyan remarked: "Nobody ever had friends like those of Muhammad." Zaid was then put to martyrdom. Khubaib ~ was taken by Hujair bin Abu Ihab. Khubaib ~ was then brought for execution. He asked if he could offer two Rak'ah of prayer. Having performed the prayer in complete repose he said to them, "Were it not that you would think I have delayed out of fear of death, I would have prolonged the prayer." The executioners then sent him to his fate. A Soul-shattering Incident Soon after, in Safar, 4 AH, Abu Bara' Amir bin Malik bin Ja'far bin Kilab bin Rabi'ah bin Amir bin Sa'sa'ah called on the Prophet~- He invited him to accept Islam.

But he neither confessed Islam nor abhorred it. However, he said, "I have some concern about my people. So let some of your people accompany me to the Najd to give my people the rudimentary teachings of Islam "But I am apprehensive of the people of Najd," the Prophet~ said. "You care not about the Muslims. I shall take them under my protection," Abu Bara' said. The Prophet ~ sent Mundhir bin Amr Sa 'idi at the head of seventy Companions in all.

When they arrived at a well Bir Ma'unah, lying between Banu Amir and Banu Sulaim, a letter from the Prophet ~ came to Amir bin At-Tufail through Haram bin Milhan ~- This Amir bin At-Tufail was the nephew of Abu Bara' Amir bin Malik. He put Haram bin Milhan to death without reading the letter. Then he incited the people to kill the Muslims. Banu Amir refused but Banu Sulaim's clans Ri'l, Dhakwan and Usayyah carried out his wish. However, Abu Bara' Amir bin Malik felt aggrieved that the incident took place in spite of the protection provided by him. He succumbed to his grief and died after a fortnight.

Amir bin At-Tufail took Amr bin Umayyah Darnri ~ with him as a captive. He was then set free after his beard was shaved on behalf of his mother who had vowed to free a slave. He hurried to Al-Madinah and reported the event to the Prophet~- While in the way he killed two men taking mistakenly as enemies. In Prophet Muhammad ft a state of profound distress, the Prophet~ invoked the curse of Allah on the assassins, and Amir bin At-Tufail died of plague. Faithfulness to the Promise The two people killed by Amr bin Umayyah Darnri on his way back to Al-Madinah, were under the protection of Muslims so their blood money had to be paid. The Prophet~ himself went to hold consultations with Banu Nadir concerning the blood money as they had an agreement with the Muslims in this regard.

The Prophet ~ went to the settlement along with Abu Bakr, Umar and Ali ~ - Banu Nadir apparently showed their interest in giving their share of blood money. They seated the Prophet ~ in the shade of the wall of their fortification and left the place pretending to collect people for the discussion. While away from the Prophet ;I, they conspired to kill the Prophet :I by pushing a huge stone down on his head from the top of the fortification. Mischief of the Jews With this plan in view, Amr bin Jahsh bin Ka'b got on the top of the citadel, but Allah the Almighty informed His Prophet ~ of the plot through Revelation, with the result that he got up at once and came back to Al-Madinah accompanied by his Companions. When the Jews tried to call the Prophet jg; back, he rejected the offer point-blank saying, "You hatched a plan to kill me in such and such way, so you cannot be trusted any more." The Jews didn't even deny it nor did they show any sense of shame. Having arrived in Al-Madinah, the Prophet ~ wrote the Jews to finalize another agreement but they refused it.

He again wrote them to either sign the agreement or leave the territory. But they agreed to nothing and got ready to fight the Muslims. The Prophet ~ invaded their territory and the Jews retreated inside their fortress. The Prophet ~ laid siege around the fortification, which continued for a fortnight. Abdullah bin Ubai and the hypocrites of Al-Madinah assured the Jews of their unflinching support if they either fight or accept an exile. History of Islam Banishment of Banu Nadir However, the Jews conveyed to the Prophet~ through Abdullah bin Ubai that they were ready to accept banishment provided they were granted safety of life.

The Prophet~ finally ordered them to put on their camels as much goods and belongings as they could, except the weapons, and leave the territory. They demolished their dwellings and broke even their earthen vessels and jars before taking leave. One section went to Khaibar and another one went to Syria and settled there. The rest of the goods and property were distributed among the Muhdjirin, except for Abu Dujanah and Sahl bin Hanif ~ ' who were from the Ansiir, and received a share from the booty as they were extremely poor. Yamin bin Umair and Saeed bin Wahb from the Jews accepted Islam, so their property remained intact. This expedition is known as the Expedition of Banu Nadir, it took place in Rabi' AlAwwal, 4 AH.

This was exactly six months after the battle of Uhud. S{irat Al-Hashr (59) was sent down during this expedition. The Expedition of Dhat-ur-Riq,1 During this period, news came constantly pouring in about Banu Muharib and Banu Tha'labah of Ghatfan tribe that they were making large-scale preparations to wage a war against the Muslims. The Prophet ~ proceeded to meet the enemy at the head of four hundred Companions, appointing Uthman bin Affan ~ the administrator of Al-Madinah. They had collected in an oasis and took to their heels on receiving the news of the arrival of the Muslim troops. No fighting took place.

This expedition marched in Jumada Al-Ula, 4 AH. It was named Dhiit-ur-Riqa' because the feet of the Muslim army were injured due to making a long and arduous journey through rocky lands and they had to wrap up their feet with rags. Expedition to Sawiq While departing from Uhud, Abu Sufyan had fixed the next year to meet again on the battlefield of Badr and the Prophet ~ had accepted the challenge. The hypocrites of AI-Madinah sent Nu'aim bin Mas'ud Prophet Muhammad ~ to Makkah to remind the Quraish of their challenge to the Muslims of Al-Madinah. Makkah was then in the grip of a famine. Abu Sufyan told Nu'aim that while he (Abu Sufyan) was making preparations for the battle, he should go back to Al-Madinah and report the massive preparations and readiness of the Makkans for the ensuing fight and so fill the hearts of the Muslims with terror.

This was done in hope that I they would hold back from coming out of Al-Madinah and in that way I the .battle would be defe. rred for a year. He made an offer of twenty camels in case the job assigned to him was accomplished. I Nu'aim came to Al-Madinah to do his deceitful job and began to tell of the massive battle preparations of the Quraish. The Muslims came to the I Prophet ~ very concerned. Umar bin Khattab ~ called on the Prophet ~ 1 and submitted, "Why are the Muslims so disturbed with the news from Makkah when you are a true Prophet of Allah?" Thereupon the Prophet ir said, "I will go to the battlefield of Badr in accordance with my promise even if there is not a single person to accompany me." Following this he made preparations to give battle to the disbelievers and set out towards Badr. An army of one thousand five hundred soldiers proceeded I under his command.

I I Abdullah bin Rawahah ~ was appointed the administrator of AlMadinah and Ali bin Abu Talib ~ was made the standard-bearer of Islam. Although Abu Sufyan wanted to avoid the battle, the coming out of the Muslim troops from Al-Madinah forced him to proceed to the battlefield and he came with an army of two thousand soldiers. They were not carry anything but parched barley as provisions. The Makkans called it the Expedition of As-Sawiq. Abu Sufyan had managed fifty horsemen to accompany his army. When the Makkan army reached Usfan, they found out that the Islamic troops numbered one thousand five hundred soldiers under a strong and solid command.

They lost courage for they had already tasted defeat at the hands of armies much less in strength during the battles of Badr and Uhud. The disbelievers retreated with the excuse that they thought it unreasonable to do battle during a drought. When the Makkan army returned from Usfan, the women of Makkah tauntingly remarked: "Have you gone to eat Sawiq? Had you proceeded with an intent of fighting, why did you come back at all?" History of Islam The Prophet ~ waited for eight days at Badr but on the eighth day, Ma'bad bin Abu Ma'bad Khuza'i gave him news that Abu Sufyan returned from Usfan to Makkah. After receiving this information, the Prophet ti returned to Al-Madinah. This event took place at the end of Rajah, 4 AH.

Although the Muslims didn't get any booty, they did take full advantage of the fair, which was held at Badr during those days. The Prophet~ came back to Al-Madinah in Sha'ban, Husain bin Ali bin Abu Talib ~ was born the same year and wine was declared as prohibited. Other events of the year were: the deaths of Abdullah bin Uthman bin Affan ~' the maternal grandson of the Prophet ~, Zainab bint Khuzaimah and Fatimah bint Usaid, the mother of Ali bin Abu Talib. Moreover, the Prophet~ married Umm Salamah ~ after the death of her husband, Abu Salmah Makhzumi. The Fifth Year of Migration On return from the second expedition to Badr the Prophet~ remained in Al-Madinah for a period of six or seven months and nothing significant took place during this span. In the beginning of Rabi' AlAwwal, 5 AH, the Prophet~ got the news that Ukaidir, the Christian ruler of Dumat-ul-Jandal, had collected a massive army to invade AlMadinah and they also used to plunder the trade caravans on the way to Syria.

Since this new enemy could prove itself formidable and the hypocrites, the Jews and other Arabian tribes around Al-Madinah could aggravate the trouble for the Muslims, the Prophet ~ thought it fit to stop the menace quickly. Appointing Siba' bin Arfatah Ghifari ~ the administrator of Al-Madinah, he ~ set out with an army of one thousand soldiers. Dumat-ul-Jandal lay at a distance of five stages from Damascus and ten stages from AJ-Madinah. A man from Banu Adhrah was taken to show the way. During this journey they would move during the night and rest during the day. When Dumat-ul-Jandal remained at a distance of one night's journey, the guide said, "The meadow of the enemy is at hand.

It is better to seize their cattle." The Prophet ~ permitted this action. Informed of the arrival of the Muslim army, Ukaidir, the ruler of Dumat-ul-Jandal fled in a state of great terror. The Prophet ~ halted there for a few days and dispatched detachments to the surrounding areas but no one came to face them. Prophet Muhammad if Expedition to Banu Al·Mustaliq On return from Dumat-ul-Jandal, the Prophet ~ took to his mission of teaching and training the Companions peacefully and singlemindedly. But, during Sha'ban, 5 AH, news came that the chief of Banu Al-Mustaliq, Harith bin Abu Dirar was making preparations for waging war on Al-Madinah and was also contacting other tribes to be a party to his plan. The Prophet~ sent Buraidah bin Husaib Aslami • on the mission of collecting information about their real intention.

He came back with the news that Harith bin Abu Dirar was bent upon overthrowing Islam and the Muslims and he had brought many tribes to his side. The Prophet ~ ordered the Muslims to rise to the occasion without loss of time. Appointing Zaid bin Harithah • as the administrator of Al-Madinah, he moved forward at the head of an army consisting of thirty horses, ten of the Muhajirin and twenty of the Ansar. The Muhajirin and Ansar were given separate standards, the standard of the Ansdr was given to Sa'd bin Ubadah • and that of the M11l11ijirin was handed over to Abu Bakr ., while Umar bin Khattab ~ was appointed commander of the advance guard. Since Abdullah bin Ubai had witnessed the Muslims victorious in the past, he along with his group of the hypocrites joined the Muslim army with a great desire for the booty. Since these hypocrites called themselves Muslims, they enjoyed all the Islamic rights of a Muslim, and so, they could not be debarred from taking part in the battles.

This was the first occasion when the hypocrites joined the Muslim camp for fighting. Harith bin Abu Dirar had sent a spy who was caught by the Muslim troops and brought before the Prophet ;i. When being a spy was proved beyond doubt and he also rejected the offer of coming to the fold of Islam, then according to the Arabian practice he was put to death. When Harith got the news of the killing of his spy, he felt worried and embarrassed. At last Umar bin Khattab ~ was ordered to go ahead and invite them to accept Islam, and he did the job adequately. But their response was History of Islam rude and harsh.

Following this, both the sides fell upon each other. The standard bearer of the disbelievers was killed by Abu Qatadah ~ and with his fall, the disbelievers ran off. Among the captives was Juwairiyah, the daughter of the commander of the army, besides booty was taken in a very large quantity. Muraisi', where the battle took place, was at a distance of nine stages from Al-Madinah. Mischief of the Hypocrites: On the return journey, the hypocrites made an attempt to create bad blood between the Muhiijirin and the Ansiir. Abdullah bin Ubai highlighted the issue of the Muhiijirin and the Ansiir.

He went to the extent that he pronounced: "When we return to Al-Madinah, those who are worthy and noble, will drive out the unworthy wretches." One more event that should be mentioned took place during this journey. 'Aishah hint Abu Bakr ~ was also present on this journey. The army made a halt at one stage when resuming the journey. Her litter was set on the camel without her because, at the time, she was away answering the call of nature. The man who set the litter thought that 'Aishah ~ was inside it. She was delayed because a pearl necklace she wore was entangled in a bush and the pearls were scattered.

Since the necklace belonged to her sister, she was more particular about collecting them. In the meantime the army moved off. When she returned she found nobody there. She grew very anxious. Meanwhile, Safwan bin Mu'attal ~ emerged slowly from behind. He was assigned the duty of looking after all the gear and as a rear guard.

Now when he came on the scene he was dumb-founded to see the Mother of the believers. He at once got down from his camel, and seated 'Aishah ~ on it and moved ahead holding its halter. He caught up with the Muslim army on the way. When they came to know of this incident, they expressed immense sorrow over it. But the wicked hypocrites had a golden opportunity to capitalize on the incident and created a storm in the Muslim camp. Filled with tremendous despair, 'Aishah ~ went to live with her father in such a state of gloom that the believers as a whole were thoroughly convinced of her innocence and piety.

Approximately one month after Prophet Muhammad if this _incident, Revelation came down vindicating her completely. Thus 'Aishah ~ was strongly and firmly declared as 'truthful'. The ever expanding mischief of Abdullah bin Ubai and particularly the latest incident became intoler?ble for the believers, and one Companion requested the Prophet~ to do away with the scourge. But the Prophet ~ declined saying: "Since Abdullah bin Ubai outwardly proclaims himself a Muslim, killing him will encourage some people to say that Muhammad has now started killing his friends." When his son, Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Ubai came to know that his father had proved himself worthy of being killed, he called on the Prophet ?i. He said, "Let the task of killing my father, Abdullah bin Ubai be assigned to me so that I, by beheading him, will establish beyond a doubt that Islam is more valuable than a father." "No, I don't want to kill Abdullah bin Ubai," the Prophet ~ emphatically said. However, Abdullah ~ stopped his father Abdullah bin Ubai at the entrance to AlMadinah declaring, "You are a hypocrite and I will not allow you to enter Al-Madinah." When the Prophet ?i came to know of this, he issued an order to let Abdullah in.

Release of the Captives: Juwairiyah, the daughter of Harith, the chief of Banu Al-Mustaliq was given to Thabit bin Qais ~- In the meantime Harith himself came to Al-Madinah to seek the release of his daughter. He~ himself paid the ransom and set her free. But Juwairiyah refused to accompany her father and showed her eagerness to be at the service of the Prophet :I instead. Thus he took her hand in marriage with the ready consent of her father. In the wake of this marriage, the Companions set all the prisoners of Banu Al-Mustaliq free saying that those entering into relation with the Prophet~ could not be kept as captives. The spoils of war were also given back to them.

Thus enmity with a tribe was changed into love simply because of this marriage. Reproving the Jews: It is a fact that the Banu Nadir had aggravated their mischievous activities right from the day they had been banished from AlMadinah. It was only because of their nefarious plans that the History of Islam i polytheists and the Jewish tribes of Arabia rose against the believers. The matter took such a turn that all Arabian tribes even the Christian forces at the Syrian frontiers began to look upon the Muslims as a danger to their peace and solidarity. As a result of all this, the Prophet ~ had grown very cautious regarding their hostile activities and·never i failed to dispatch detachments wherever danger seemed lurking. ' Ghazwah Khandaq Hua'i bin Akhtab was the biggest habitual troublemaker among Banu '1 Nadir who had settled in Khaibar along with the larger section of the Jews who were banished from Al-Madinah.

Hua'i bin Akhtab, Salam I I bin Abul-Huqaiq, Salam bin Mishkam and Kinanah bin Ar-Rubaiyi' I were the prominent chieftains of Banu Nadir. They along with Hud I bin Qais and Abu Umarah, the chieftains of Banu Wa'il, went to Makkah and started raising funds for another battle and the Quraish I made lavish contributions to it. After collecting huge amounts of I wealth and exciting the people to the extreme, they went the Ghatfan clans and played the same role there. Banu Kinanah also jumped on ! the bandwagon. Finally they made contacts with Banu Quraizah of I Al-Madinah who were still bound to help the Muslims according to I the pact signed by both the parties. Banu Sulaim, Fazarah, Ashja', Banu Sa'd and Banu Murrah, and the chieftains of the Quraish, Banu I Nadir and Ghatfan that were not less than fifty in number, all went to I I the Ka'bah and vowed to fight against the Muslims as long as they i lived. l They maintained great caution and tight security in view of their past !

I experiences, so the Prophet ~ did not receive any news about this I greatest conspiracy hatched against Islam until it was too late for the [ Muslims to do anything. · According to their plan, Abu Sufyan set out from Makkah at the head! of four thousand soldiers collected from the allied tribes. At Marr-az-i Zahran the troops of Banu Sulaim also joined the Makkan army; otheri of their allies kept on joining on the way. Hua'i bin Akhtab was th~ chief of Banu Nadir, and the chief of the Ghatfan tribes was Uyaina~ bin Hisn, while Abu Sufyan was the commander in chief of the allied! forces. Prophet Muhammad 1f Coming close to Al-Madinah, the total number of the allied forces came at least to ten thousand or twenty-four thousand according to some narratives. It consisted of four thousand five hundred camels and three hundred horses. When the Prophet ~ received news of their nefarious design to invade Al-Madinah, he called a meeting to decide on how to face an enemy with far superior numbers and weaponry.

They all agreed to fight a defensive war. Salman Parisi (the Persian)~ is reported to have said, "When we feared a charge by the cavalry, we used to dig trenches to keep the invaders at bay." The Prophet :i agreed to his suggestion and decided to have a trench dug in the open ground lying to the north of Al-Madinah. The city was exposed only on that side and was well-protected to the west, south and east by large plantations of date palms, volcanic rocky plains and granite hills presenting considerable obstacles to the progress of a mounted enemy. This was, in fact, the fort of the Muslim troops. In the middle, the Prophet ~ pitched his camp. The trench was dug five yards wide and five yards deep.

Groups of ten persons were each assigned the task of digging a part of the trench after equal division of the whole area. The Prophet ~ was performing the same work along with his loving Companions. A large rock was causing great difficulty in digging the trench for it could not be broken by the pick. When the Prophet :i was informed, he dropped down into the trench and gave such a blow with the pick that the rock was split and a glowing light came out of it. He :i said, "Al/ahu Akbar (Allah is the Most Great), the keys of Syria have been given to me." With the second blow of the pick, the Prophet ~ split another portion of rock and said, "Allah is the Most Great, the keys of Persia have been given to me." On the third attempt the remaining portion of the rock was broken to pieces. The Prophet ~ then said, "Allah is the Most Great, I have been given the keys of Yemen." He then added, "Jibril the trustworthy has given me glad tidings that all these countries will be under the possession of my Ummah." At a time when the Muslims were making a desperate effort to save their lives against an army of twenty-four thousand strong and when l,ake ~ Confluence of flood water North I Mapof Ahzabinva.

SIOD Prophet Muhammad !ft all of Arabia seemed to be thirsty for their blood, glad tidings of the conquest of Persia, Rome and Yemen were given to the Muslims. No one but Allah the Almighty Alone could do such a thing. Meanwhile news came to the Prophet~ that even Ka'b bin Usaid, the chieftain of Banu Quraizah had joined hands with the invaders and Hua'i bin Akhtab had made a friendly entry into the citadel of Banu Quraizah to rouse them against the Muslims. The Prophet ~ sent Sa'd 'bin Mu'adh and Sa'd bin Ubadah to Banu Quraizah to bring them iback to their senses but in vain. In reply to the polite and sensible approach, they very harshly replied that they knew of no Muhammad nor did they have any commitment with him. :When the enemy troops drew near, they exclaimed in amazement at !the sight of the trench for it was a new experience for the Arabians. ;They laid siege of Al-Madinah. It was the most tremendous show of military power and strength on the part of the polytheists.

The · Muslims had managed to send their women and children to a nearby citadel. A sudden attack by the Jews, who happened to be within the bounds of Al-Madinah, was looming large over the Muslims of AlMadinah. The hypocrites could prove even more injurious as they were always mixing with them. Many times the disbelievers tried to cross the trench but failed. They inspected · the trench and, at last, found out a spot where it was . narrowest and their horses jumped over the moat and carried their : riders into the territory of Al-Madinah. One of these was the wellknown warrior, Amr bin Abd Wadd who was considered a match for two thousand horsemen.

Ali bin Abu Talib~ cut off his head with a sweeping slash of his scimitar. The rest who had stormed the trench with him darted back on their horses. Then the actual fight started and both sides got engaged in an exchange of arrows, which would · continue from morning till evening. This siege lingered on for about a month, which was very difficult and troublesome. The enemy camp was getting reinforcements from outside supporters but the Muslims were deprived of any such help. Once a Companion complained to the Prophet ~ of being exhausted by hunger, and showed him his stomach on which he had tied a slab History of Islam of stone to keep himself straight and active.

The Prophet ~ then showed him his own belly on which he had tied two slabs of rock. Since they were constantly under the fear of being sniped at by the enemy, the Muslims used to keep guard the whole night under the open sky besides being engaged in facing the enemy the whole day. Mus'ab bin Qushair, a hypocrite, tauntingly remarked: 'Though the Prophet is giving Syria, Iran and Yemen to his Companions, I see in fact that they are now unable to even live in Al-Madinah. Some of them used to say, "They cannot even go out to answer the call of nature but see the dream of conquering the empires of Caesar and Chosroes. The Muslims were in a state of a long-drawn-out siege. They were facing the scorching sun in the day, hunger, the lurking danger of an enemy charge any time, and the nefarious activities of Banu Quraizah and the hypocrites of Al-Madinah.

Mounting pressure of enemy power and strength on one hand, and the lack of men and material on their side, the Muslims were so determined and dauntless that whenever they were asked to accept peace at the cost of their honor, they rejected the offer totally. Even in ' such a period of distress and desperation, noble and fortunate souls were coming into the fold of Islam. Suddenly one day Nu'aim bin Mas'ud belonging to the Ghatfan tribe, came to the Prophet ~ breaking away from the enemy camp and embraced Islam. He then said that he had a mission to sow the seed of discord between Banu Quraizah and the Makkan army. Thus, he first went off to Banu Quraizah and then to Abu Sufyan and talked in a way that both of them grew doubtful of each other. As a result of this, Banu Quraizah held back from lending any concrete and meaningful support to the Quraish.

Both the parties gave their ear and attention to what Nu'aim ~ said to them, for his acceptance of Islam was still a secret. When the siege had lasted over 27 days, a violent windstorm uprooted the tents of the polytheists and overthrew their cooking pots. "We sent a hard gale and such an army they could not witness." (33:9) Prophet Muhammad.# Their fires were put out in their camps and the polytheists took it as an ill omen. The polytheists were so much overpowered by fear and frustration that they scuttled off in the darkness of night. Allah the Almighty Himself sent to His Prophet~ the news that the bewildered polytheists had fled. Thereupon the Prophet :I sent Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman ~ to bring the news, he gave the glad tidings that the enemy departed leaving no trace behind.

The Prophet ~ remarked, "The Quraish shall not come at you after this year." The Muslims returned to Al-Madinah overwhelmed with joy. This event took place in Dhul-Qa'dah, 5 AH. fbn Umm Maktum ~ was appointed the administrator of Al-Madinah in the absence of the Muslims. On returning to Al-Madinah, the Prophet ~ halted there only for a short while and said after offering Zuhr prayer that the 'Asr prayer would be performed in the locality of Banu Quraizah. So, the Muslims proceeded on to Banu Quraizah before laying their arms · aside. Banu Quraizah's Breach of Trust Sa'd bin Mu'adh ~ who had been sent to Banu Quraizah during the Battle of Trench to bring them back to their senses, was treated rudely by them. He was hurt by an arrow during the battle of Trench.

Due to his wound he did not join the expedition to Banu Quraizah. The Prophet :i handed over the standard to Ali bin Abu Talib ~ and sent him ahead as the advance guard. Hua'i bin Akhtab was present in the fort of Banu Quraizah and was engaged in rousing them against the Muslims. The Muslims besieged the fort of Banu Quraizah and the : siege continued for 25 days. The chief of Banu Quraizah was Ka'b bin Asad. When he saw that his people were unequal to face the charge of the Muslim troops, he assembled them all at one place.

He said, "There can be no doubt about Muhammad being the Prophet of Allah, for our heavenly Book carries clear and unequivocal prophecies about him and whose advent we have been waiting for. It appears fitting that we believe in him and thus safeguard our lives and our property." But the Banu Quraizah opposed this proposal tooth and nail. Ka'b bin Asad put forward another suggestion then and said, "Kill your women and History of Islam children first and then go out of the fort and give a fierce battle. If victory is won, women and children can be had again, and if defeated and killed, it will be a death of honor." Banu Quraizah rejected this offer too. Ka'b bin Asad presented a third alternative and said, "Snipe at the Muslims on the night of Sabbath when we are not permitted to launch any invasion or carry out killing activities, the Muslims will be careless on this night and thus incur heavy losses." But they refused to agree to this proposal also for they did not like to violate the sanctity of Sabbath. Meanwhile, three persons from Banu Quraizah named Tha'labah bin Saeed, Asad bin Ubaid and Usaid bin Saeed, confessed Islam.

A man named Amr bin Sa'd said, "I admit that my people have committed a breach of trust and I cannot become a party to it." Saying this he left the fort. At last one morning, they sent a message to the Prophet~ that they would like to surrender on condition that Sa'd bin Mu'adh ~ was allowed to suggest the punishment for them. He ~ accepted the proposal. After Banu Quraizah consigned themselves to the Muslims, the Muslim Ansar of Banu Aus called on the ~rophet ~ and submitted: "On the eve of the battles between the Aus and the Khazraj, Banu Quraizah would side with the Aus. You have set Banu Qainuqa' free in accordance with the will of the Khazraj. It is our turn now, please appoint from us a judge to decide the fate of Banu Quraizah." The Prophet ~ said, "I have already appointed Sa'd bin Mu'adh, the chief of the Aus to deliver his judgment about Banu Quraizah, while Banu Quraizah has also suggested his name for the role." Hearing this the Aus expressed utmost joy.

At the same moment they left for the Prophet's Mosque where Sa'd bin Mu'adh ~ was undergoing treatment for his injuries. They brought him to the Muslim troops. On the way they kept pressing Sa'd bin Mu'adh ~ to make concession for Bam1 Quraizah. However, he told one and all that he would do nothing but justice. When Sa'd bin Mu'adh ~ approached, the Prophet~ asked the Ansar to get up and pay regards to their chief. When he was told that the Prophet ~ had entrusted to him the matter of Banu Quraizah, his old allies, Sa'd ~ turned to his people and said, "Tell me by an oath to Allah that Prophet Muhammad ;if you will accept my judgment with pleasure and without any objection to it." All of them expressed their total agreement.

Sa'd bin Mu'adh ~ put the same question to the Prophet~ and the Muhiijirin, and ! they all agreed to abide by his judgment. Now Sa'd bin Mu'adh ~ i delivered his judgment: "I enjoin that all the men of Banu Quraizah be i put to death and their wives and children be treated like prisoners of ' war while their wealth and properties be divided among the i Muslims." Following this judgment Banu Quraizah were ordered to icome out of the fort and they were all brought to Al-Madinah in icustody. At last, following the judgment, their men were killed and I their dwellings were given to the Muslims. \Incidents during 5 AH I iJn Dhul-Hijjah, 5 AH, Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah ~ proceeded to see 1coast area at the head of three hundred Companions under the order :of the Prophet ~ to make an inquiry into the affairs of the Juhainah !tribe, for distressing information was pouring in about them. Abu 1Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah ~ and his commandos had to bear untold miseries due to a shortage of food and drink. They had to survive on two or three dates a day. While they were along the shore, a huge fish jwas thrown up on the beach, which fed them for many days.

About Banu Kilab it was reported that they were determined to raid !and plunder Al-Madinah. In the same month of Dhul-Hijjah, 5 AH, !Muhammad bin Maslamah ~ set out with a party of thirty Muslims. iBanu Kilab moved forward to take on the Muslims but tasted a 'sweeping defeat and took to their heels leaving behind ten dead and !fifty camels and three thousand goats as booty. :Similarly, Ukashah bin Mihsan ~ was sent to Makkah to look into ithe state of affairs, while a small party was dispatched to Najd, which ireturned to Al-Madinah with Thuma.mah bin Uthal as a captive, who !embraced Islam wholeheartedly. He then went back to his territory, iYamamah, and prevented the caravans from carrying food grains to iMakkah. The people of Makkah were so hard pressed by the ban imposed by Thuma.mah ~ that they wrote to the Prophet ~ !requesting him to get the ban lifted. The Prophet ~ asked Thuma.mah ]~ to allow the supplies of food grains to reach Makkah. History of Islam The Sixth Year of Migration It has already been mentioned among the events occurring in 5 AH that on the occasion of the Prophet's return from the expedition to Dumat-ul-Jandal, Uyainah bin Hisn had requested him to allow grazing of his camels in the meadows of Al-Madinah.

He was allowed the opportunity for one year. But that thankless fellow paid back by raiding the pasture of the Prophet's camels, killed a man from Banu Ghifar and carried away his wife along with the camels of the Prophet ~ - Salamah bin Amr bin Akwa'~ was the first to know of this incident. He raised the alarm, collected a small band and gave them hot chase. Salamah' s loud voice made the Prophet ~ also to go behind the culprits. Shortly after his departure, Miqdad bin Al-Aswad, Abbad bin Bishr, Sa'd bin Zaid, Ukashah bin Mihsan, Muhriz bin Fadalah Asadi, and Abu Qatadah ~ followed suit and joined the Prophet ~ - He appointed Sa'd bin Zaid ~ the head of the party and sent him ahead and he himself halted at the stream of Dhu Qirad. Salamah bin Amr ~ caught the miscreants.

The pursuers were strengthened by reinforcements, and both the parties set themselves against one another. The Muslims captured their camels besides regaining their own camels. They returned to the Prophet :i at Dhu Qirad. The Prophet ~ slaughtered a camel from among the captured ones, and left for Al-Madinah after a night's halt. In the same year, news reached the Prophet :i that Banu Bakr had entered into a conspiracy with the Jews of Khaibar to invade Al- ! Madinah.

The Prophet~ sent Ali bin Abu Talib ~ at the head of two i hundred soldiers to deal with Banu Bakr. On the way, the Muslim army captured a spy of Banu Bakr who ' disclosed the concentration points of the enemy troops on a promise of his safety. He was set free as promised. Ali bin Abu Talib 4*, made a sudden dashing charge against the enemies and they took to their heels after a fierce encounter. The Muslims collected five hundred camels and two thousand goats as booty. Prophet Muhammad ft Preaching of Islam In Sha'ban, 6 AH, the Prophet~ sent Abdur-Rahman bin Auf ~ to the surrounding areas of Dumat-ul-Jandal to preach Islam to the people of those areas who were still disbelievers.

One of their chieftains, Asbagh bin Umar Kalbi was a Christian. With the efforts of Abdur-Rahman bin Auf ~, Asbagh accepted Islam and the majority of the tribe followed suit. Some other chieftains, who declined to accept Islam, got ready to pay the Jizyah (a tax levied on non-Muslims to compensate their not taking part in armed defense of the Muslim community). Tarnadar, the daughter of Asbagh was married to Abdur-Rahman bin Auf ~ and she gave birth to Abu Salamah who rose to be among the greatest Islamic legal experts. A Criminal Event A few persons from Ukl and Urainah tribes who seemingly confessed Islam, expressed their desire to settle in Al-Madinah. But, after a few days, they complained of the unfavorable climate of Al-Madinah and became sick.

The Prophet~ sent them to the north of Uhud where his own camels were grazing. When they became strong and stout, they mercilessly killed Yasar, who was taking care of the camels, and.made off with the camels. When this tragic news reached Al-Madinah, the Prophet ~ sent Kurz bin Jabir Al-Fihri behind them with twenty horsemen and they caught the culprits on the way and they were returned to Al-Madinah and put to death there. The Truce of Hudaibiyah Although the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham) ~ I was part of the culture all over Arabia, the people had become immersed in polytheism and idol-worship, they all still held the Ka'bah in high esteem and performed the Hajj most regularly. They also stopped fighting during the days of Hajj. In the month of Shawwal, 6 AH, the Prophet ti had a dream that he was entering the Ka'bah along with his Companions.

The Muslims had a great desire to visit Ka'bah and the dream deepened this urge. The Prophet ~ decided to visit the Ka'bah to perform Umrah (the lesser History of ]slam pilgrimage) and he left Al-Madinah for Makkah in Dhul-Qa'dah, 6 AH, with one thousand four hundred Companions and seventy sacrificial camels. They were all in Ihram. Coming as pilgrims symbolized their peaceful intentions and the Makkans also had no right to prevent the Muslims from visiting the Ka bah. Having arrived at Dhul-Hulaifah, the Prophet '.!i sent as a precaution a man from the Khuza'ah tribe to check the situation. He came back and informed the Prophet ~ that the Quraish had collected a large number of people to stop the Muslims from reaching the Ka'bah.

The Prophet ~ consulted the Companions. Abu Bakr~ said, "We have come here for performing Umrah and not for fighting. But, if someone stands between the House of Allah and us, then we must fight against them." . Having heard this, the Prophet '.!i ordered the Muslims to proceed on. The Quraish had already sent Khalid bin Walid with a squad of cavaliers to Kura' Al-Ghamim to stop the movements of the Muslims towards the Ka'bah. The Prophet '.!i took a route towards the right evading the main route and all of a sudden, they passed western side of Khalid bin Walid.

Now he, frightened to the extreme, galloped off on his horse to Makkah to update them of the imminent danger at hand. The Prophet '.!i, on the other hand, reached the hilly range below which starts the surrounding areas of the city of Makkah. His dromedary sat down there. The people around remarked: "The dromedary has played foul." Thereupon the Prophet '.!i retorted, "The dromedary has not played foul, but she is prevented by the One Who has prevented elephants to enter the city." Position of Hudaibiyah: The Prophet '.!i did not think it proper to launch an attack on Makkah and the House of Allah for those were the areas where fighting was prohibited by Allah. He ~ then chided the dromedary and it got up and moved on. The Prophet '.!i halted at the well of Hudaibiyah.

The well was deficient in water which ran short in no time. When the people were on the brink of facing trouble, the Prophet~ took out an arrow from his quiver and gave it to Bara' bin Azib ~ to drop it in , the well. With the dropping of the arrow, water in the well flowed in such a great quantity that the Muslim army no longer had a scarcity.