Part 78

Thus was ‘Abbaad raised to the level of his duties as a believer from among the Angaar. He gave the oath of allegiance to his Messenger, dedicating his life to Allah and death in His cause.

When he saw the destructive battle turning in favor of the enemy, he remembered the words of the Messenger to his people, the Ansaar: "You are my people. I can not be defeated through you. There has not come and people like you before." This sound filled his heart and soul and penetrated his consciousness, until it was as if the Messenger of Allah was now standing before him repeating these words of his.

“Abbaad felt that the whole responsibility of the battle was placed completely on the shoulders of the Ansaar, on the shoulders of those about whom the Messenger of Allah had said, "There has not

come any people like you before." And on the shoulders of no one else besides them.

Then and there, ‘Abbaad went up on a hill and shouted, " O people of the Ansaar! Carry your sword in a valiant way, and be honored and distinguished among the people!"

When 400 of them answered his call, he led them and Abu Dajaanah and Al-Baraa' Ibn Maalik to the garden of death, where the army of Musailamah had fortified itself for protection. The hero fought a worthy fight as a man, as a believer, and as an Angaar.

On that glorious day, ~Abbaad attained martyrdom. The vision which he saw in his dream the day before came true. Did he not see

the sky open until, when he entered it from that opening, it returned and folded on him and closed?

He interpreted it as meaning that his spirit would ascend in the coming battle to its Creator. The vision was true and the interpretation of it was true. And the doors of heaven were opened to

welcome to happiness the spirit of *Abbaad Ibn Bishr, the man who had with him a light from Allah.

(56) SUHAIL IBN “AMR From Liberation to Martyrdom

When he was captured into the hands of the Muslims in the Battle of Badr, ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab approached the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, let me extract the teeth of Suhail Ibn “Amr until no speaker stands against you after today."

The great Messenger responded, "No, ‘Umar. I do not treat anyone harshly so Allah will not harm me, even though I am a Prophet." Then ‘Umar came nearer to him and the Prophet said, "Perhaps Suhail will take a stand tomorrow that will make you

So the prophecy of the Messenger came true. The greatest orator of the Quraish, Suhail Ibn “Amr, changed into a brillant and dazzling speaker of Islam. This polytheist who was always against Islam changed into an obedient believer. His eyes never stopped crying out of fear of Allah. One of the senior chiefs of the Quraish and a leader of its army changed into a very hard fighter in the path of Islam, a fighter who vowed to himself to be persistent and to persevere in courage, self-control, and fighting until he died on that path, so that perhaps Allah would forgive his previous sins.

So who was that obstinate polytheist ? He was Suhail Ibn “Amr, one of the prominent leaders of the Quraish, and one of its wise men and people of intelligence and discernment.

He was the one whom the Quraish appointed to convince the Messenger to change his mind and refrain from entering Makkah in the year of Hudaibiyah. At the end of A.H. 6, the Messenger and his Companions went out to Makkah to visit the Sacred House and to perform “Umrah. They did not want war and they were not prepared to fight.

The Quraish knew they were on their way to Makkah, so they went out to block the way and stop them from achieving their objective. The situation became critical and hearts became tense. The Messenger said to his Companions, "The Quraish do not call me today to a plan but ask me instead about the bonds of kinship. So I gave them to them."

The Quraish began to send their messengers and representatives to the Prophet, so he informed all of them that he did not come to fight but to visit the Sacred House and glorify its sacredness. Each time one of their representatives returned, they sent another after him more vigorous and unyielding and stronger in persuasion, until they chose ~Urwah Ibn Mas*uud Ath-Thaqafiy. He was among the strongest and cleverest of them. The Quraish thought that ‘Urwah would be able to convince the Messenger to go back; however, he quickly came back to them saying, "O people of Quraish, indeed I went to the Persian emperor in his kingdom and Caesar in his kingdom and the Negus in his kingdom, but, by Allah, I swear I never saw a king whose people magnify him as the Companions of Muhammad magnify him. 1 saw around him a people that shall never surrender to evil. So, what will you do and what is your opinion?"

At that time the Quraish believed that there was no way for their attempts to succeed, so they decided to resort to negotiation and reconciliation. They chose for this task the most suitable of their chiefs. He was Suhail Ibn “Amr.

The Muslims saw Suhail coming towards them and recognized him and realized that the Quraish preferred the way of peace making and mutual understanding when at last they sent Suhail. Suhail sat in front of the Messenger, and a long dialogue took place ending with a peace treaty. Suhail attempted to gain much for the Quraish. The tolerant leniency, noble-mindedness, and excellent manner in which the Messenger managed the negotiations and peace making helped him in achieving that.

Days passed until A-H. 8 came. The Messenger and the Muslims went out for the conquest of Makkah after the Quraish had

violated its treaty with the Messenger of Allah.

The Muhaajiruun returned to their homes which earlier they had been expelled from by force. They returned and with them the Ansaar, who had taken care of them in their city and preferred them over themselves.

With its flags fluttering victoriously in the sky, Makkah opened all of its gates and the polytheists were stopped in bewilderment. What would be their destiny and fate today, since they were the ones who had done wrong to the Muslims previously by killing them, burning them, torturing them, and starving them? The merciful Prophet (PBUH) did not want to leave them for long under the pressure of these debilitating feelings. He received them and turned to them in a good and noble manner and said to them with his merciful voice flowing tenderly and lovingly, "O people of Quraish, what do you think J will do with you?"

At that time the enemy of Islam in the past, Suhail Ibn ~Amr, stepped forward and answered, “We think you will treat us well, O noble brother and son of a noble brother."

A smile formed from light appeared on the lips of the Beloved of Allah and he called to them, "Go, you are free, liberated.” These words did not come from the victorious, triumphant Messenger except to change human beings with living feelings by melting them to obedience, humility, and repentance. At the same moment, this situation, filled with nobility and glory, stimulated all of Suhail Ibn ‘Amr's feelings, so he surrendered to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. His Islam, at that time, was not the surrender of a defeated man, resigned to fate. It was, as his future shall reveal in what follows, the surrender of a man overwhelmed and fascinated by the majesty of Muhammad and the grandeur of the religion that Muhammad demonstrated in his conduct in conformity with its teachings and instructions. These teachings, as he saw them, conveyed extraordinary benevolence, friendship, and devotion.

Consequently, some persons from among those Tulaqaa’ (or those who were liberated) were raised by their sincerity to a far distant horizon of sacrifice, worship, and purity which placed them in the first rank of the Prophet's righteous and devoted Companions. Among these was Suhail Ibn “Amr.

Islam molded and fashioned him afresh and refined all of his original skills and gifts and, what is more, increased them and placed all of them at the service of truth, goodness, and faith. They described him in these words: "The kind, generous, outstanding one. The one who performs prayer much and fasts and gives in charity and reads the Qur'aan and crys out of fear of Allah."

That was the greatness of Suhail. For in spite of the fact that he accepted Islam on the Day of the Conquest of Makkah, and not before that, we see him truthfully affirming his Islam and its certainty, to the extent that he excelled in it with distinction, exerting himself with all his heart. He was transformed into a worshiper, self-denying

and abstenious, and into one who sacrifices and strives in the path of Allah and Islam.

When the Messenger was transported to the company of the Most High, the news soon reached Makkah. Suhail at that time was residing there, and the Muslims were overwhelmed by agitation and perplexity, just as the Muslims were in Al-Madiinah. However, the confusion of Al-Madiinah was dissipated by Abu Bakr at that time by his decisive words: "Whoever worships Muhammad, know that Muhammad is dead; and whoever worships Allah, indeed Allah is living and never dies.”

So we were amazed when we saw Suhail holding the same position in Makkah as Abu Bakr in Al-Madiinah. He gathered all of

the Muslims there, and he stood dazzling them with his salutorious words, informing them that Muhammad was truly the Messenger of Allah and that he did not die until he had executed his trust and conveyed the message and that the duty of the believers towards this message was to assiduously devote all their efforts to it in persuance of his methodology and approach.

On account of Suhail's position and his rightly directly words and strong faith, he warded off the discord and civil strife which almost extirpated and uprooted the faith of the people of Makkah when the news of the death of the Messenger reached them.

Did not he, the Messenger, say to ‘Umar on the day ‘Umar asked the Prophet (PBUH) for permission to pull out the two teeth of Suhail when he was taken prisoner at Badr, "Leave them, perhaps they will make you happy one day."