Chapter Eight
Battle of the Confederates—Expulsion of the Banu Quraizah—Letters to Various Kings Inviting Them to Islam—Ghazwah of Khaibar—‘Umratul-Qada’—The Battle of Mutah

Battle of the Confederates (Battle of the Ditch)

The next part of the life of Muhammad (sas) is characterized by a united effort on part of all Arabia to make its utmost and final attempt to wipe out Islam. The Quraish of Makkah and the tribes of Najd, including Banu Ghatafan and Banu Sulaim, were already thirsty for the Muslims’ blood. When the exiled Jews who had settled at Khaibar toured all of Arabia, they cleverly convinced the other tribes of Arabia to wage war against the Muslims. About two years after the Battle of Uhud, a mighty army of disbelievers estimated to be between 10,000 and 24,000 under the command of Abu Sufyan descended on Madinah like a great flood in all of its pomp and pride.

This army had barely left Makkah when Muhammad (sas) found out about it through some special means. Muhammad (sas) immediately gathered the Companions and consulted with them. Salman, the Persian (ra)1, who was aware of foreign strategies of war, pointed out that Madinah was protected on three sides because of its natural geographic location—its thick trees, continuous rocks, and walls. He advised that a deep and long ditch be dug on the fourth side to thwart a sudden attack of the enemy. Muhammad (sas) approved of this proposal2 and instructed groups of 15 companions each to dig a piece of land about 15 feet wide to prepare the ditch under the supervision of Salman (ra).3 Muhammad (sas) took part in the digging of the ditch along with the Companions. Muhammad (sas) often recited the following poetic verse to keep a pleasant environment for the Companions:

اَللّٰھُمَّ لَا عَیْشَ إِلَّا عَیْشُ الْاٰخِرَہْ
فَاغْفِرْ لِلْأَنْصَارِ وَ الْمُھَاجِرَہْ

O Our Lord! True life is that of the Hereafter. Forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirun.4

Some of the Companions often recited the following verse in response:

نَحْنُ الَّذِیْنَ بَایَعُوْا مُحَمَّدًا
عَلیٰ الْجِھٰدِ مَا بَقِیْنَا اَبَدًا

We are those who have taken oath on the hand of Muhammad (sas) that we shall continue to strive in Jihad as long as we live.5

It is narrated by a companion that when the Companions were reciting these verses, they were extremely starved due to hunger and thirst. Muhammad (sas) himself had to tie stones on his belly to deal with the pain of hunger.6

While the ditch was being dug, a hard rock was encountered at one place. All the brawny companions tried but no one could break the rock. Muhammad (sas) went with an axe to the place of the rock, and with the name of Allah struck the rock with such force that it caused sparks to come out of it and weakened the rock. Muhammad (sas) loudly raised the slogan of Allahu Akbar and said, “I have been given the keys of the kingdom of Syria—and by God, at this time I am beholding the red stone palaces of Syria.” Then Muhammad (sas) wielded the axe a second time and again a spark was ignited. Muhammad (sas) again loudly proclaimed Allahu Akbar and said, “This time I was given the keys of Persia and I can see the white palaces of Mada’in.” When he hit the rock a third time, again a spark ignited and he said, “This time, I have been given the keys of Yemen—and by God, the gates of San‘a’ have been shown to me.” This time the rock was weakened so much that it broke into pieces. Muhammad (sas) addressing the Companions said, “Gabriel told me that my community will triumph over all these countries.”7 The Hypocrites laughed at the Muslims and said, “They do not leave their homes out of fear and are starving to the point where they have stones tied to their bellies, but are still dreaming of the treasures of Caesar and Khosrau.”8

A sincere companion, Jabir bin ‘Abdullah (ra), slaughtered a goat and prepared food for Muhammad (sas). Allah the Exalted miraculously blessed the food so much that after feeding hundreds of people, there was still food left over.9

The task of digging the ditch was finally completed after weeks of round-the-clock effort. The ditch was barely finished when the mighty army of idolaters from all of Arabia, along with the Christians and Jews (the People of the Book)10 intoxicated with their power and sense of pride, dawned upon the horizon of Madinah like a thick cloud.

Muhammad (sas) divided the Companions into different squads and stationed them around Madinah at a certain distance from each other.

In the darkness of night, Abu Sufyan sent Huyayy bin Akhtab, the chieftain of the Bani Nadir to Banu Quraizah, a tribe that had still not openly campaigned against the Muslims. At first, Ka‘b bin Asad, the chieftain of the Banu Quraizah, did not agree with him. But Huyayy promised a very bright future and convinced Ka‘b with smooth talk of the looming destruction of Islam and their own victory, offering them his personal assurance and guarantee. Finally, the chieftain of Banu Quraizah was convinced, and he instructed his tribe to prepare for war against the Muslims. When Muhammad (sas) found out about Banu Quraizah’s plans, he tried different strategies to stop them but they bluntly refused stating that there was no pact between them and Muhammad (sas).

The joining of Banu Quraizah with the idolaters further swayed the balance on the side of the idolaters, and added to the worries of the Muslims who were already helpless. The group of hypocrites started openly saying:

مَّا وَعَدَنَا اللّٰہُ وَرَسُوۡلُہٗۤ اِلَّا غُرُوۡرًا

Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but a delusion.11

But this event had no effect on the devotion of the firm believers, who after seeing the strength of the army of disbelievers said:

ہٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللّٰہُ وَرَسُوۡلُہٗ وَصَدَقَ اللّٰہُ وَرَسُوۡلُہٗ ۫ وَمَا زَادَہُمۡ اِلَّاۤ اِیۡمَانًا وَّتَسۡلِیۡمًا

This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us; and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. And it only added to their faith and submission.12

The condition of the believers in this sensititve and dangerous situation is sketched by the Qur’an in the following words:

اِذۡ جَآءُوۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ فَوۡقِکُمۡ وَمِنۡ اَسۡفَلَ مِنۡکُمۡ وَاِذۡ زَاغَتِ الۡاَبۡصَارُ وَبَلَغَتِ الۡقُلُوۡبُ الۡحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّوۡنَ بِاللّٰہِ الظُّنُوۡنَا ۝ ہُنَالِکَ ابۡتُلِیَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ وَزُلۡزِلُوۡا زِلۡزَالًا شَدِیۡدًا ۝

When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when your eyes became distracted and your hearts leapt to your throats and you entertained wayward thoughts about Allah. There and then were the believers sorely tried, and they were shaken with a violent shaking.13

The Suffering of the Muslims at the Time of the Siege

During the siege, the Muslim groups had to stay vigilant all along the ditch day and night with very long shifts causing them extreme fatigue. Further, due to the rebellion of Banu Quraizah, their internal guard for the protection of women and children also had to be further strengthened.

On the other side, wherever the disbelievers found a comparatively weak spot along the ditch, they would mass their troops there and launch a full force attack. The Muslims would rush to the spot and use all their strength to barely push back the disbelievers.

‘Amr bin ‘Abdi Wudd was a famous fighter from the army of disbelievers. He stepped forward and demanded an individual combat. ’Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) stepped forward to confront him. Muhammad (sas) honoured ’Ali (ra) with his sword and prayed for him.14 For a moment, the two warriors stood face to face. ‘Amr hamstrung his own horse [an Arab custom implying one will not flee, either being victorious or dying in the process] and stepped towards ’Ali (ra) with the determination to swiftly cut him down. He swung his sword with such a force that his sword cut through ’Ali’s shield and wounded his forehead. Then ’Ali (ra) raised the slogan of Allahu Akbar and retaliated at ‘Amr so fiercely that his sword made a deep cut from the shoulder downwards, killing him instantaneously.

But this one-off success had no bearing on the greater battle, and the long siege was taking a toll on the strength of the Muslims. Seeing the situation, Muhammad (sas) sought the advice of the chieftains of Ansar, asking “What should be done under these circumstances? Should we strike a deal with Banu Ghatafan on the condition of entitling them to a part of the revenues of Madinah?” The Companions replied, “O Messenger of Allah, if you have received a revelation in this regard, then we bow our heads in obedience. However, if you said this because of our pain, then our advice is that since we never conceded anything to our enemies when we were disbelievers, why should we give in after becoming Muslims? By God, we will not show them anything other than the blade of our swords.”15

This was a time of great pain for the Muslims. Their distress, anxiety, and apprehension had made them extremely exhausted. But some relief soon came in the form of Nu‘aim bin Mas‘ud, a member of the Ghatafan tribe and a Muslim at heart. With great cleverness he set about causing a rift between the Jews and the disbelievers.

First, he went to the Banu Quraizah and told them with great sympathy that they had rebelled against Muhammad (sas) trusting the Quraish, but the Quraish would be of no use to them after the war. He further told them that the siege was going to last only a few days and the Quraish would be gone, leaving the Banu Quraizah at the mercy of the Muslims who would certainly not forget their rebellion. Nu‘aim advised them to demand a few members of the Quraish tribe as a guarantee. Nu‘aim then went to the Quraish and told them about the intentions of Banu Quraizah, advising them not to give the hostages as they might be betrayed and the hostages turned over to the Muslims.

Nu‘aim’s plan soon took hold. The Quraish called upon the Banu Quraizah saying that they were growing tired of the long siege, and asking the Banu Quraizah to join forces with them to launch a combined sudden attack on the Muslims the following day. The Banu Quraizah were cautious because of Nu‘aim’s advice, stating that they could not join them as the following day was the day of Sabbath. They also demanded few hostages from them as a condition to join forces with them against the Muslims as a guarantee for not betraying them afterwards.

The Quraish and Banu Ghatafan were stunned on hearing this condition. It further strengthened their suspicion. They readily refused to provide any hostages and left it up to them if they wanted to join the attack. At the same time, the Banu Quraizah saw Nu‘aim’s self-fulfilling prophecy come true, and their doubts about the Quraish were further strengthened. In this way, Nu‘aim bin Mas’ud’s strategy created a wave of rift and mistrust in the army of the disbelievers.

The other relief for the Muslims came in the form of a strong storm that started at night. The storm caused pandemonium in the enemy’s army, with tents being blown away, pots and pans were overthrown, fires being extinguished, and sand and pebbles being blown fiercely into the faces of the enemy.

The Quraish, who were already prone to suspicion, were so overawed by this scene that nothing could keep them together at this point. In the middle of the night, Abu Sufyan ordered his army to depart, and by the morning there was no sign of the dust of the army of disbelievers in the sky of Madinah. The Muslims expressed their gratitude to God and praised Him.

Expulsion of the Banu Quraizah, Dhul-Qa‘dah, 5 A.H.

Shortly after the return of Muhammad (sas) from the Ghazwah of the Confederates, he was told in a vision not to disarm until the matter related to the betrayal of the Banu Quraizah was fully resolved. So he gathered the Companions and besieged the fortresses of the Banu Quraizah.

Initially, the Banu Quraizah showed great arrogance and pride, but with the passage of time they grew tired of the severity and length of the siege. Ka‘b bin Asad, the chieftain of the Banu Quraizah, called upon his people and suggested three options. First, they could become Muslims. Second, they could kill their women and children and take up swords to go to the battlefield. Third, since it was the day of Sabbath and the Muslims might consider themselves out of danger from their attack, they could wage a sudden night attack. The people of Banu Quraizah rejected the first proposal outright. They did not accept the second proposal because they thought that after killing their women and children their lives would not be worth living. And they thought the third proposal too dangerous and further they felt they had already suffered due to dishonouring the Sabbath in the past.

No significant event happened at that time. As the siege was having a severe impact on the people of Banu Quraizah, they were completely bereft of any ability to fight. They made a strange proposal. Instead of accepting the judgment of Muhammad (sas), they suggested that they would like to have Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, the chieftain of their old ally tribe, Aus, as their final judge, accepting whatever his judgment would be.16 Muhammad (sas) accepted the proposal and instructed Sa‘d to announce his judgment. Sa‘d, announcing his judgment said:

The combatant men of the Banu Quraizah would be executed; their women and children would be taken captive and their wealth would be distributed amongst the Muslims.

Though this judgment was perfectly in accord with the Mosaic Law17, if these people had instead agreed to accept the judgment of Muhammad (sas), who was a paragonl of mercy, he would have—at the worst—treated them like he treated Banu Qainuqa‘ and Bani Nadir, and exiled them with peace.

According to the agreement, the judgment of Sa‘d was carried out, and the men of Banu Quraizah were killed18 and their women and children along with their possessions were captured by the Muslims.19

Ghazwah of Hudaibiyyah, 6 A.H.

After the Battle of the Confederates, a few smaller battles took place, but since they have no significant bearing on Islamic history, and there is insufficient space in this brief book to describe them, we will pass over them to the event of the Hudaibiyyah Treaty, which occurred in the 6 A.H., one year after the Battle of the Confederates.

It so happened that in the month of Shawwal in 6 A.H., Muhammad (sas) saw a dream that he along with his companions was entering into the Ka‘bah20 in complete peace. Muhammad (sas) mentioned this blessed dream to his companions. They were greatly pleased as they had for a long time been longing for the circuit and pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah. In the month of Dhul-Qa‘dah, 6 A.H., Muhammad (sas) along with 1,400 Companions set out for Makkah. The circuit of the Ka‘bah was considered so sacred, that even the worst enemies were never stopped from it. However, the Quraish’s enmity for the Muslims had crossed all bounds, so as a caution, Muhammad (sas) instructed the Companions to carry no weapons or provisions of war except their sheathed swords.

When Muhammad (sas) reached close to Makkah, he found out that the Quraish were preparing to fight. Muhammad (sas) sent Budail bin Warqa’, a member of the Banu Khuza‘ah tribe who was still not a Muslim but was an ally of the Quraish, to communicate to them that the Muslims had come on a peaceful mission only to make the circuit of the House of Allah and the pilgrimage. Budail conveyed the message of Muhammad (sas), but the bloodthirsty and incensed people of Makkah denied the Muslims entry into Makkah.

By the time Budail returned, Muhammad (sas) had camped at a place called Hudaibiyyah.21 Now, Muhammad (sas) sent Kharash bin Umayyah, but he was ill-treated by the people of Makkah. His camel was killed and an attempt was made on his life as well, but he survived with the aid of a few of his allies. This time, Muhammad (sas) dispatched ‘Uthman (ra) as his ambassador to the Quraish; he was more influential and resourceful than the other Companions because of the size of his tribe. The Quraish said to ‘Uthman (ra) that they would let him perform the circuit, but not the others. ‘Uthman (ra) replied that performing the circuit without Muhammad (sas) was out of question. His reply enraged the Quraish and they detained him.

A rumour quickly spread among the Muslims that ‘Uthman (ra) had been murdered. When this rumour reached Muhammad (sas), he immediately assembled the Companions under an acacia tree and made a forceful speech saying, “If this news is true, by God, we will not move from this place until we have avenged ‘Uthman’s death.” He further said, “Come and pledge on my hand that no one among you will back away, and caring not for your own life, will not leave this place [until we are successful].” In their eagerness, the Companions tripped over each other to rush to take part in the pledge. At the time of the pledge, Muhammad (sas), putting his left hand on his right hand said:

This is ‘Uthman’s hand, for indeed he had gone to fulfill Your command and that of Your Messenger.

This event is known in history as the Pledge of Ridwan.22 This was such an important event that when people started visiting this tree during the time of ‘Umar (ra), he had it cut down lest people start worshipping it.

When the Quraish heard about this pledge, they immediately freed ‘Uthman (ra) and his Companions. The Muslims were overjoyed at their return. When the sensible people of the Quraish realized that the Muslims were ready to do or die, as they had previously observed during many battles, they showed their inclination towards making peace. They sent ‘Urwah bin Mas‘ud, the chieftain of the Banu Thaqif, as their representative to Muhammad (sas). ‘Urwah addressing Muhammad (sas) said:

O Muhammad, if you succeed in wiping out your enemy in the war, you will have committed such excess as no one in Arabia had ever done before. And if you do not succeed and the Quraish are victorious, by God, I am seeing such faces here who would be gone before long and everyone will abandon you.

Abu Bakr (ra) was annoyed with ‘Urwah’s speech and he harshly responded back to him.

In the meantime, it was time for Salat. The tradition says that when Muhammad (sas) was performing ablution (Wudu’), the dedication of the Companions was such that they would not let a drop of water used by Muhammad (sas) fall on the floor. ‘Urwah was astonished to see this display of love. When he returned back to Makkah, addressing the Quraish he said:

“O people of Quraish, I have seen the courts of Caesar and Khosrau, but I have never seen the kind of love that the companions of Muhammad (sas) have for him. Therefore, my advice for you is to accept whatever Muhammad (sas) is saying to you. It is better to make peace with him.”

Even the hot-headed people of the Quraish agreed with ‘Urwah, and agreed to make peace. The Quraish of Makkah sent Suhail bin ‘Amr as their representative to Muhammad (sas) to make peace on specific conditions. Muhammad (sas) was always inclined towards making peace. He readily agreed upon their conditions and called ’Ali (ra) to scribe the treaty. When ’Ali (ra) wrote on the top of the document “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful” in the Islamic way, Suhail objected and said, “We do not accept the Gracious God (Rahman). If you have to write something, write ‘In the name of everyone’s Allah.’” Muhammad (sas) agreed. When ‘Ali (ra) wrote “the Messenger of Allah” after the blessed name of Muhammad (sas), Suhail again objected and said that they did not accept him as the Messenger of Allah, and that if they had accepted him, they would not have fought so many battles with them. Muhammad (sas) said to ’Ali (ra) to erase that too. ’Ali (ra) said to Muhammad (sas) that how he dared not erase it. Muhammad (sas) himself erased it and Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah was written in its place. The following were the conditions of the treaty:

1. This year, the Muslims will return without performing the circuit of Ka‘bah and the pilgrimage (‘Umrah).23

2. They will come back next year, but will not stay for more than 3 days, and will keep their swords sheathed.24

3. If a person from the Quraish goes over to the Muslims without the permission of his guardian, he will be returned to the Quraish.25 But if a person from the Muslims goes to the Quraish, he will not be returned.26

4. The tribes of Arabia will have the option to enter into treaties with any groups they wish.27

5. The duration of the treaty will be 10 years.28

These were the main conditions of the treaty and the Companions were particularly unhappy with the first three conditions.

When the treaty was being written, Abu Jandal, a Makkan who was the son of Suhail and had been imprisoned for the crime of becoming a Muslim, escaped and appeared before Muhammad (sas). He showed his fresh wounds to Muhammad (sas) and said that living in Makkah was very painful for him, and requested permission to go to Madinah with the Muslims. Suhail, his father, said that Muhammad (sas) could not take him to Madinah according to the conditions of the treaty. Muhammad (sas) explained to him that the treaty was still being scribed, and should not apply to him, but Suhail disagreed and beating Abu Jandal, took him back to Makkah.

The Muslims felt humiliated at the terms of the treaty. It was particularly unbearable for ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (ra). He went to Muhammad (sas) and complained, “O Messenger of Allah, are you not a true prophet?” Muhammad (sas) replied, “Certainly.” ‘Umar (ra) said, “Are we not on the right side and our enemy on the wrong side?” Muhammad (sas) said, “Yes, certainly it is so.” ‘Umar (ra) said, “Then why are we tolerating this disgrace for our true religion?” Muhammad (sas) said, “Listen ‘Umar, I am the Messenger of Allah and know Allah’s will and I am following His guidance, and He is the One who is my Helper.” ‘Umar (ra) said, “Did you not say that we would perform Hajj?” Muhammad (sas) said, “I certainly said that, but I did not say that we would do it this year.” In a little while, when ‘Umar (ra) calmed down, he deeply regretted and grieved over this incident, and to expiate for his reaction he offered supplementary prayers, fasted, gave alms and freed slaves. Most Muslims still thought that Muhammad (sas) accepted these conditions under duress; and for this reason they hesitated when after the signing of the treaty, Muhammad (sas) asked them to offer sacrifices at Hudaibiyyah.29

Seeing their hesitation, Muhammad (sas) went to his wife Ummi Salamah (ra) for advice. Ummi Salamah (ra) said, “O Messenger of Allah, your companions are not disobedient, but they are heartbroken by the conditions of this treaty. My suggestion is that first you offer your own sacrifice, and then watch how the Companions offer sacrifices in your footsteps.” So once Muhammad (sas) offered his sacrifice, the Companions immediately followed in his footsteps and offered sacrifices.

When Muhammad (sas) was returning to Madinah from Hudaibiyyah, Chapter Al-Fath of the Qur’an was revealed which starts with the following words:

إِنَّا فَتَحۡنَا لَکَ فَتۡحًا مُّبِیۡنًا

Verily, We have granted thee a clear victory.30

The conditions of the treaty proved so beneficial that in a little while the progress of Islam tremendously accelerated. It is recorded in history that within one and a half to two years, the Muslims started living in peace and safety, and propagated their faith with great ease, and by the time of the victory of Makkah, the number of Muslims had exceeded 10,000 compared to the 1,400 present at Hudaibiyyah.

Apparently, the third condition of the treaty was very painful for the Muslims, but it proved to be greatly beneficial because the Muslims living in Makkah (who were not allowed to go to Madinah) were continuously spreading Islam. Further, no Muslim wanted to go over to the Quraish, and if someone did go there after reverting back on his faith, the Muslims had no need for him anyway.

In addition, another incident soon made the treaty easier to bear. After a few days, a person named Abu Basir came to Madinah tired of the atrocities of the Quraish. The Quraish sent two people to Muhammad (sas) to bring him back. Muhammad (sas) instructed Abu Basir to go back with them according to the conditions of the treaty. The poor man went with them, but when he got to a place called Dhul-Halaifah, he said to one of his accompanying guards, “It looks like you have a great sword!” Hearing the praise of the sword, one of the guards took the other guard’s sword to look at it. Abu Basir also expressed his desire to look at it. The guard without thinking handed over the sword to Abu Basir. Abu Basir got the opportunity and swung the sword so skillfully that he severed the neck of one of the guards. The other guard ran away. Abu Basir chased the guard towards Madinah, but the guard reached there first and appeared before Muhammad (sas).

The guard was still in the Masjid an-Nabawi narrating his story when Abu Basir got there. Muhammad (sas) seeing Abu Basir said, “It looks like this person (Abu Basir) wants to instigate a fight.” These words of Muhammad (sas) convinced Abu Basir that it would be difficult for him to live in Madinah. He said to Muhammad (sas), “O Messenger of Allah, you have fulfilled your promise and handed me over to the disbelievers of Makkah. But now God freed me, so I beg leave, and I will spend the rest of the days of my life at some other place.”

Abu Basir went towards the coastal areas, and settled at a place called Saiful-Bahr. This place was neither under the power and authority of Muhammad (sas) nor under the Quraish. When the persecuted Muslims of Makkah who were unable to go to Madinah because of the treaty came to know about the migration of Abu Basir to Saiful-Bahr, they also started migrating to Saiful-Bahr, and in a little while, quite a few Muslims settled there. As these people were not bound by the Hudaibiyyah Treaty, they started raiding the trade caravans of the Quraish and greatly aggravated the Quraish. The Quraish sent a request to Muhammad (sas) to dismiss the second condition of the treaty, and pleaded with him to call the Muslims of Saiful-Bahr to move to Madinah under the authority of the Prophet (sas). Muhammad (sas) accepted the request of the Quraish, and removed the restriction on these Muslims to enter Madinah. But unfortunately when the messenger of Muhammad (sas) reached Abu Basir, he was sick. He held the blessed letter of Muhammad (sas) with great passion and passed away in a little while.

إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُونَ

Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.

The rest of the Muslims, after burying him at Saiful-Bahr, appeared before Muhammad (sas) with mixed feelings of happiness and grief.

Invitation to Various Rulers to Accept Islam, 6 A.H.

During the time when the Muslims enjoyed some respite from the battles after the Hudaibiyyah Treaty and were freely inviting people towards Islam in Arabia, Muhammad (sas) sent letters to the rulers of the neighboring areas inviting them to Islam. Muhammad (sas) sent letters to the following rulers:

1. Heraclius, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire

2. Khosrau, Emperor of Persia

3. Muqauqis, Viceroy of Egypt

4. Negus, King of Abyssinia

5. Various chieftains of the neighboring lands of Arabia

Letter to Heraclius, the Byzantine Emperor

Dihya al-Kalbi took the letter of Muhammad (sas) to the chief of Basrah who delivered it to Heraclius, the Byzantine Emperor. Heraclius asked his people to locate an individual belonging to the nation of the claimant of prophethood. Incidently, Abu Sufyan was in Syria on a trading trip and was, therefore, presented before the court. The exact dialogue that took place between Heraclius and Abu Sufyan regarding the claimant of prophethood is recorded in history and reproduced here:

Heraclius: How is his family and lineage?

Abu Sufyan: Noble and respected.

Heraclius: Did any Arab ever claim prophethood before him?

Abu Sufyan: No.

Heraclius: Have you ever accused him of lying before the claim of prophethood?

Abu Sufyan: No.

Heraclius: Were there any kings among his ancestors?

Abu Sufyan: No.

Heraclius: Who have followed him? Are they the poor and the weak or the nobles?

Abu Sufyan: His followers mostly consist of the poor and the weak.

Heraclius: Are his followers increasing or decreasing in number?

Abu Sufyan: Increasing.

Heraclius: Has anyone renounced his religion after accepting it?

Abu Sufyan: No.

Heraclius: Does he ever break his pledge?

Abu Sufyan: No, but these days we have a treaty with him which we have some apprehension about, and cannot say what will come out of it.

(Abu Sufyan said that he did not find any other opportunity besides this to say anything against Muhammad (sas).)

Heraclius: Did you ever fight a war with him?

Abu Sufyan: Yes.

Heraclius: What was the outcome of the battles?

Abu Sufyan: Sometimes he won and sometimes we.

Heraclius: What does this claimant call you to?

Abu Sufyan: He tells us to believe in One God, and not to associate partners with Him. He forbids us to worship as was done by our ancestors, and asks us to perform Salat, give charity, refrain from evil deeds, fulfill our pledges, and not to breach our trusts.

When the dialogue ended, Heraclius said to Abu Sufyan:

When you mentioned to me in your response that his family was noble and respected, I know that prophets do have good lineage.

When you said that no one in Arabia ever claimed to be a prophet before, if it had happened, I would have assumed that he probably was simply following the early claimant.

When you said that he never lied before his claim, I concluded how a person who does not lie about human beings could ever lie about God.

Then you said that he did not have any kings among his ancestors. If there had been a king, I would have assumed that he was trying to revive his kingship through this claim.

You said that in the beginning poor people accepted him; in the beginning this honour is always achieved by the poor.

Then you said that his followers were increasing, so this is a distinction of true faith, that it gradually grows and reaches perfection.

You confessed that no one has turned back from his religion considering it bad. This is also a sign of the true faith that once it enters into a heart, then no one reverts back considering it bad.

You said that he never broke a promise, and this is the practice of the messengers of God.

As you said that in wars, sometimes you succeed and sometimes he succeeds; this is how the initial periods of the prophets of God are; however, in the end they are triumphant and successful.

Abu Sufyan narrates that after this, Heraclius sent for the letter of Muhammad (sas) and had it read out before the court. The following is the text of the letter:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ۔‏
مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلٰى هِرَقْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ‏۔ سَلَامٌ عَلٰى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدٰى، أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ بِدِعَايَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ، أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ، يُؤْتِكَ اللّٰهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ۔ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ فَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ إِثْمَ الأَرِيْسِيِّيْنَ۔ وَ‏ يٰٓأََهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلٰى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۢ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللّٰهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهٖ شَيْئًا وَّلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّنْ دُونِ اللّٰہِ ؕ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْھَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ۔

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.

(This letter is) from Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, written to Heraclius, the Ruler of Rome [Byzantine].

Peace be upon him who accepts the guidance.

I invite you to Islam. Accept Islam and enter into the protection of God. Allah the Exalted will grant you a double reward. But if you reject this invitation of Islam, you will be responsible for the misguidance of the peasants (i.e. your nation).

O People of the Book! Come towards the belief that is common between you and us, that we worship not anyone besides Allah nor associate anyone with Him under any circumstances, and do not consider anyone among us as our lord and provider besides God. Then if these people turn away, tell them to bear witness that we are Muslims.31

Abu Sufyan relates:

When this dialogue ended and the reading out of the letter was completed, the Byzantine chieftains raised a huge hue and cry in the court. At that time, we were instructed to leave the court. When I came out with my companions, I said to them that the star of Muhammad (sas) appears to be rising very high, as the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire seems to fear him. After this I always remained low and my heart was full of conviction that the religion of Muhammad (sas) would triumph.32

Heraclius asked a few more questions of the same kind. He was much impressed by the responses and the content of the letter. But since he was concerned about losing his empire by personally accepting Islam, he initially gathered his courtiers and tried to convince them. When he noticed that the courtiers were getting agitated, he changed his tone stating that he was just testing them.

It appears that in spite of his rejection, Heraclius’s respect for Muhammad (sas) was deep in his heart and he kept the letter of Muhammad (sas) with him as a benediction, and it remained with his family for many centuries. It is recorded in history that once a few ambassadors of the Sultan Mansur Qala’un (7 A.H.) visited a country of Europe. The representative of the European country showed them a golden box that contained a letter wrapped in a silk fabric and said, “Your Messenger sent a letter addressed to one of my ancestors, Heraclius, which is still kept as a benediction in our house.”

The Letter to Khosrau, the Emperor of Persia

The second letter of Muhammad (sas) of invitation to Islam was addressed to Khosrau, the Emperor of Persia. In those days, Khosrau was the official title of the kings of Persia. The real name of this king was Parvez bin Hormizd and he belonged to the famous Sassanid family. The letter to the king was carried by a long-time devoted companion of Muhammad (sas), ‘Abdullah bin Hudhafah as-Sahmi. He was instructed to first take the letter to the chief of Bahrain, and then on his behalf to Khosrau. The name of the chief was Al-Mundhir bin Sawa and he was the viceroy of Khosrau for the land of Bahrain.33 This letter also carried the official seal of Muhammad (sas) as had the letter sent to Heraclius. The following is the text of the letter:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ۔
مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ إِلٰى كِسْرٰى عَظِيْمِ فَارِسَ۔ سَلَامٌ عَلٰى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدٰى وَاٰمَنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَرَسُولِهٖ، وَشَھِدَ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ۔ أَدْعُوكَ بِدِعَایَةِ اللّٰهِ، فَإِنِّي رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ إِلٰى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً لِأُنْذِرَ مَنْ كَانَ حَيًّا وَيَحِقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلٰى الْكافِرِينَ۔ أَسْلِمَ تُسْلَمْ۔ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، فَعَلَيْكَ إِثْمَ الْمَجُوسِ۔

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.

(This letter is) from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to Khosrau, the chief of Persia.

Peace be upon him who follows the guidance, believes in Allah and His Messenger, and bears witness that there is no one worthy of worship besides Him and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

(O ruler of Persia!) I invite you towards Allah, because I have been sent as a Messenger to all mankind to warn them that God’s judgment may overtake the infidels.

(O ruler of Persia!) Accept Islam. If you turn away, you will be responsible for the sins of your Zoroastrian subjects.34

‘Abdullah bin Hudhafah says that when a translator read out the letter to Khosrau, he was enraged. He took the letter from the hands of the translator and tore it into pieces and said, “My subject addresses me like this?”35 The tradition says that when Muhammad (sas) was informed about the reaction of Khosrau, he, due to his sense of honour for his religion, said, “May God Himself tear these people into pieces.”36 And according to another tradition he said, “Now these people will themselves be torn to pieces.”37

Khosrau and his people were fire worshippers, but were greatly influenced by the Jewish propaganda against the Muslims. Because of that influence, Khosrau not only tore up Muhammad’s letter, but also instructed Badhan, the Governor of Yemen, to immediately send two strong troopers to Hijaz to arrest the claimant of prophethood and summon him before him, killing him if he resists. Badhan sent two sturdy troopers with a letter to Muhammad (sas). On reaching Madinah, the troopers presented the letter to Muhammad (sas) and counselled him to go along with them; otherwise, the Khosrau might destroy his country and nation. Muhammad (sas) smiled, invited them to Islam, and told them to stay the night and that he would God willing (In sha’ Allah) answer them the next day. The next day, Muhammad (sas) addressing them said:

اَبْلِغَا صَاحِبَکُمَا اَنَّ رَبِّی قَتَلَ رَبَّہٗ فِی ھٰذِہِ اللَّیْلَةِ

Go and tell your master (the Viceroy of Yemen) that my Lord, the Majestic God, has killed his lord (the Khosrau) this very night.

When these two messengers returned to Badhan with the message of Muhammad (sas), Badhan spontaneously said, “If what he says really comes to pass, there will be no doubt in his prophethood.” Not long after, Badhan received a directive from Shirwaeh (also known as Qabad II), the son of the emperor Khosrau Parvez, which read, “I, in the interest of my country, have killed my father, Khosrau Parvez, who was a tyrant and mercilessly killed the nobles of the country. When you get this letter, take a pledge of allegiance in my name from the people of your land. I have been informed that my father sent you an order about an Arabian person—consider that rescinded and wait for my next directive.”

When Badhan received the directive of Shirwaeh, the new Khosrau, he spontaneously said, “Muhammad’s words proved true. It appears that he is a true prophet, and I believe in him.” He immediately wrote a letter expressing his allegiance to Muhammad (sas), and many people of Yemen also became Muslims with him.38 The tradition says that Khosrau Parvez was killed the same night when Muhammad (sas) recieved the news about him from God.

Allah the Exalted dealt with Heraclius and Khosrau the same way they dealt with the letters of Muhammad (sas). Because of the tearing of the letter of Muhammad (sas), the great state of Khosrau was disintegrated into pieces. On the other hand, because of honouring the letter of Muhammad (sas), Heraclius’s descendents were given respite for a long time, and his family ruled for centuries.

The Letter to Muqauqis, the Viceroy of Egypt

The third letter of Muhammad (sas) was addressed to Muqauqis, who was the viceroy or the heir of Heraclius for Egypt and Alexandria, and a Christian by religion like Heraclius. His real name was Juraij bin Mina and he belonged to the Coptic nation. Muhammad (sas) sent this letter through his companion, Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah (ra)39. Following is the text of this letter40:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ۔
مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ وَ رَسُولِهٖ إِلٰى الْمَقَوْقَسِ عَظِيْمِ الْقَبْطِ۔ سَلَامٌ عَلٰى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدٰى، أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي أَدْعُوْكَ بِدِعَايَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ، أَسْلِمْ تُسْلَمْ، يُؤْتِكَ اللّٰهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ۔ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ فَعَلَيْكَ إِثْمُ الْقِبْطِ۔ يٰٓأََهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلٰى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۢ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللّٰهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهٖ شَيْئًا وَّلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّنْ دُونِ اللّٰہِ ؕ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْھَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ۔

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.

(This letter is) from Muhammad, the servant of God and His Messenger, written to Muqauqis, the chief of the Copts.

Peace be upon him who accepts the guidance.

Thereafter, I call you towards the guidance of Islam. Accept Islam; Allah will grant you double reward. If you turn away, then (in addition to your own sins), you will bear the burden of the sins of the Copts.

O People of the Book! Come towards the belief that is common between you and us, that we worship not anyone besides Allah nor associate anyone with God under any condition, and do not consider anyone among us as our lord and provider besides God. If they turn away, say to them to bear witness that we are Muslims.41

The content of this letter and the subsequent discussion with Hatib (ra) had a deep impact on Muqauqis, and he acknowledged without any hesitation that not only was he a wise person, but also an ambassador of a wise person. He also added, “I have considered the matter regarding your prophet. His teachings do not include anything bad and do not stop us from anything good.” He put the letter of Muhammad (sas) in an ivory box, and put his seal on it, and handed it to one of the respectable girls of the house for its safekeeping.42

Thereafter, Muqauqis sent for his Arabic scribe and dictated a letter to Muhammad (sas). The translation of that letter follows:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.

To Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah, from Muqauqis, the chief of the Copts. Peace be on you!

I have read your letter and have understood its contents, and that to which you have called me. I am aware that a prophet is yet to arise; but I am of the opinion that he will appear in Syria (not in Arabia).

I have done honour to your envoy and I am sending you with him two damsels of high status among the Copts, raiment, and a mule for you to ride upon. Peace be with you!

The two girls mentioned in this letter were Mariyah and Sirin. They were sisters, and belonged to the Coptic nation. Muqauqis himself belonged to the Coptic nation too. These girls enjoyed a high status in the Coptic nation as mentioned by Muqauqis in his letter. It appears that it was long-standing tradition among Egyptians to offer noble girls of their family or nation for marriage to those people with whom they wanted to further relationships. When Abraham (as) went to Egypt, the chief of Egypt presented him a noble girl (Hagar (ra)) for marriage. Among the two girls sent by Muqauqis, Muhammad (sas) married Mariyyah Qibtiyyah, and her sister Sirin was married to the famous Arabian poet, Hassan bin Thabit Ansari (ra).43

Mariyyah is the same blessed lady who gave birth to Ibrahim, the son of Muhammad (sas), who was the only child born during his prophethood. The mule that was gifted to Muhammad (sas) was called Duldul. Muhammad (sas) often rode it, and also used this mule during the Ghazwah of Hunain.44

The Letter to Negus, the King of Abyssinia

Negus was the title of the kings in Abyssinia. The real name of Negus during the time of Muhammad (sas) was Ashamah bin Abjar, who was a good-natured king. During the time of Muhammad (sas) in Makkah, when the disbelievers committed a large number of atrocities against the Muslims, Muhammad (sas) sent many companions (including some women) to Abyssinia. In spite of the Quraish’s pursuit of the Companions and their multiple efforts to incite Negus, Negus stuck to integrity and justice, and the Muslims emigrants lived in peace and security under his rule for a long time. In spite of having good beliefs, he was still not a Muslim; therefore, when Muhammad (sas) sent letters to various kings after the Hudaibiyyah Treaty; he also sent a letter to Negus through his companions ‘Amr bin Umayyah Damri. The text of the letter was as follows:

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ۔
مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ إِلٰى النَّجَاشِيِّ مَلِكِ الْحَبْشَةَ سَلِّْم أَنْتَ۔ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّي أَحْمَدُ إِلَيْكَ اللّٰهَ الَّذِیْ لَا إِلٰہَ إِلَّا ھُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوْسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ۔ وَأَشْھَدُ أَنَّ عِيْسٰى ابْنَ مَرْیَمَ رُوْحُ اللّٰهِ وَكَلِمَتُهٗ أَلْقَاهَا إِلٰى مَرْيَمَ الْبَتُوْلِ … وَإِنِّي أَدْعُوْكَ إِلٰى اللّٰهِ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ وَ مَوَالَاةِ عَلٰى طَاعَتِهٖ، وَإِنْ تَتَّبِعُنِيْ وَ تُؤْمِنُ بِالَّذِيْ جَآءَنِيْ فَإِنِّيْ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ إِنِّيْ أَدْعُوْكَ وَجُنُوْدُكَ إِلٰى اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی وَقَدْ بَلَّغْتُ وَنَصَحْتُ فَاقْبِلُوْا نَصِيْحَتِيْ وَ قَدْ بَعَثْتُ إِلَيْكَ ابْنَ عَمِّیْ جَعْفَرًا وَ مَعَہُ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِیْنَ۔ وَالْسَّلَامُ عَلٰى مَنِ التَّبَعَ الْهُدٰى۔

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.

(This letter is) from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to the Negus, King of Abyssinia.

Peace be on you!

Thereafter, I praise Allah besides whom there is no one worthy of worship, the King, the Most Holy, the Source of Peace, the Bestower of Security, the Protector. I bear witness that Jesus son of Mary was raised by the Word of Allah which He sent to Mary…

I call you to Allah, the One who has no associate, and to cooperate with me in obedience to Him and to follow me, and to believe in that which has been revealed to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah, and call you and your people to Allah the Exalted.

I have conveyed my message to you, and have called you out of sincerity to the truth. So respond to my sincere call.

I have already sent my cousin Ja‘far and a party of Muslims to your country. Peace be on him who follows the guidance.

When Negus received Muhammad’s letter, he raised it to his eyes and descended from his throne out of respect, and said, “I bear witness that Muhammad is a prophet of God.” He sent for an ivory box and secured Muhammad’s letter in it, and said, “I am certain that as long as this letter would remain secure in our house, the people of Abyssinia would continue drawing goodness and blessings from it.” The author of Tarikhul-Khamis wrote that this letter was still secured with the royal family of Abyssinia.

The translation of Negus letter in response to Muhammad’s letter follows:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful. To Muhammad, Messenger of Allah, from the Negus Ashamah. Peace be on you, Messenger of Allah, and His mercy and His blessings. Allah, besides whom there is no one worthy of worship, He it is who has guided me to Islam. Messenger of Allah! Your letter has reached me. By the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus, peace be on him, is not any more than you have mentioned, even by a particle. I have recognized that with which you have been sent to us. I bear witness that you are a true Messenger of Allah whose truth has been testified to. I make my pledge at the hand of your cousin and embrace Islam for the sake of Allah, Lord of the worlds. Peace be on you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.45

The letters of Muhammad (sas) and Negus, both had a strange aura. It appears as if Muhammad (sas) had the conviction that Negus would believe immediately upon receiving the letter, and every single word of the response of Negus also proves that his soul was ready to accept the truth. Allah the Exalted granted Negus the good fortune to accept Islam. When he died in 9 A.H., Muhammad (sas) offered his funeral prayers and said, “One of your righteous brothers, Negus died in Abyssinia. Let us pray together for his soul.”46

It is noteworthy that when Muhammad (sas) wrote the letter to Negus with the invitation to Islam, which he accepted, he also sent him another private letter, and drew his attention towards two matters; first, to perform Muhammad’s Nikah in absentia with Ummi Habibah, the daughter of Abu Sufyan, and second, to send Ja‘far bin Abi Talib and his companions back to Arabia under his own arrangements. Negus carried out both of these requests.

Acting upon the first request, he sent a message to Ummi Habibah to get her formal permission before performing the Nikah. Khalid bin Sa‘id, her close relative approved the Nikah as her guardian at a dowry of 400 dirhams.47 He also carried out the second request according to the wishes of Muhammad (sas), and made arrangements for the return of Ja‘far and his companions. Ja‘far and his companions returned when Muhammad (sas) was returning from the victory of Khaibar, and the tradition says that he was so pleased after meeting Ja‘far that he said, “I do not know if I am more pleased with the victory of Khaibar or on the arrival of Ja‘far and his companions.” Unfortunately, Ja‘far did not live long, and after a little while, he was martyred in the Ghazwah of Mutah.48

The Negus died in 9 A.H., and after him another Negus took the throne. The new Negus did not accept Islam, but the revered companions spent a long time in Abyssinia with peace and security under his rule. The Muslims remembered the favour of Abyssinia and never carried out a military campaign against Abyssinia while they waved the flag of Islam far and wide in the world with their victories. This appreciation of Negus’s favour could be observed even centuries later in the Muslim nations. This is a strong moral point, from which nations could learn a valuable lesson.

Thereafter, Muhammad (sas) wrote letters to the other chieftains of Arabia, but the details are being skipped in this brief treatise.

Detailed Account of Ummi Habibah (ra)

Ummi Habibah (ra) was the daughter of Abu Sufyan. Her first marriage was with ‘Ubaidullah bin Jahsh, cousin of Muhammad (sas). After the arrival of Islam, both she and her husband accepted Islam and migrated to Abyssinia. The real name of Ummi Habibah (ra) was Ramlah bint Abi-Sufyan, but after having a baby girl she came to be known by the name of Ummi Habibah (ra) (the Mother of Habibah).

At the time of the demise of ‘Ubaidullah (ra) in Abyssinia, Ummi Habibah (ra) showed great steadfastness and remained resolute in her faith inspite of the hardships. Considering her sincerity and steadfastness, Muhammad (sas) sent a proposal of marrige through ‘Amr bin Umayyah Damri as an expression of care for her. Negus performed the Nikah after consulting Ummi Habibah (ra). This Nikah took place either in the 6 A.H. or 7 A.H. Thereafter, Negus boarded Ummi Habibah (ra) and other Muslims on a ship to Madinah with great honour according to the instructions of Muhammad (sas). Ummi Habibah (ra) was 37 years old at the time of this marriage. When she landed on the coast of Arabia, Muhammad (sas) was in Khaibar.

When the Quraish violated the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, Abu Sufyan came to Madinah for the renewal of the treaty assuming that Muhammad (sas) did not know about the violation. He stayed at the house of his daughter Ummi Habibah (ra), and unintentionally sat on the prayer mat of Muhammad (sas). Ummi Habibah (ra), who was meeting her father after so many years, made him get up from the prayer mat of Muhammad (sas) not tolerating that an idolater (even her own father) would sit upon the mat which Muhammad (sas) used to offer prayers. Abu Sufyan was amazed at the devotion of his daughter.

The motivation behind the marriage with Ummi Habibah (ra) was none other than to bring to an end the long chain of wars with the tribes of Arabia. As mentioned before, the father of Ummi Habibah (ra) was Abu Sufyan, the most powerful chieftain of the Quraish after Abu Jahl. Because of his great desire to end the hostilities as soon as possible, Muhammad (sas) did not wait for the return of Ummi Habibah (ra) from Abyssinia and sent the message to Negus in Abyssinia to conduct the Nikah. It is notable that Ummi Habibah (ra) was already beyond her youth at that time.

Muhammad’s Care for His Wife’s Feelings

Muhammad (sas) took special care of the feelings of his wives. Once when he saw Mu‘awiyah, the brother of Ummi Habibah (ra) sitting next to her, he called it a beautiful manifestation of the love of siblings, and sat close to them and asked, “Ummi Habibah (ra), is Mu‘awiyah dear to you?” “Yes, O Prophet!” said Ummi Habibah (ra).” Muhammad (sas) said that if he was dear to her, then he was dear to him also.

Ghazwah of Khaibar, Muharram, 7 A.H.

After the Hudaibiyyah Treaty, Muhammad (sas) felt some relief from the hostilities of the Quraish of Makkah. However, after reaching Madinah in Muharram, 7 A.H. he learned that the Jewish tribes of Bani Nadir and Banu Quraizah, who had moved to Khaibar after their exile from Madinah, had already completed their preparation to attack the Muslims. He further learned that the Ghatafan tribe was also partnering with them in this scheme. After verifying the news, Muhammad (sas) set out towards Khaibar with 1,600 companions. They camped at Ar-Raji‘, a place located between Khaibar and Ghatafan.49

This strategic move of Muhammad (sas) caused the Banu Ghatafan to worry about the safety of their own houses and, as a result, they gave up plans to support the Jews.50 Now the fight was only with the Jews. Muhammad (sas) was hoping that they would make peace on seeing the strength of the Muslims, but on reaching Khaibar he found out that they were fully prepared to fight. The Jews initially fought in the open battlefield, but when their famous fighters Marhab and Yasir died at the hands of Muhammad bin Muslim (ra) and Zubair bin al-‘Awwam (ra), they retreated back into their fortressess. The Muslims attacked the fortresses and after a fierce battle of a few days, conquered all the fortresses except the fortresses of Al-Qamus which was heavily fortified. After a few days, Muhammad (sas) said, “Tomorrow morning, I will hand over the standard to the person who will not return from the field without achieving complete victory.”51 The believers were very pleased on hearing this, and anxiously waited to see who received this honour. The next morning, Muhammad (sas) supplicated, and gave the Islamic standard to ’Ali bin Abi Talib (ra). ’Ali (ra) was suffering with inflamed eyes. Muhammad (sas) applied his saliva to ’Ali’s eyes and prayed, and by Allah’s blessings he recovered. Thereafter, ’Ali (ra) remembering the name of Allah marched towards the Al-Qamus fortress with his faithful companions and conquered the fortress after a continuous siege of 20 days.

A Wonderful Event of the Truthfulness of Muhammad (sas)

While the siege of the fortress was going on, a shepherd of one of the chieftains of the Jews accepted Islam and said to Muhammad (sas), “O Messenger of Allah, I cannot go to those people anymore, but these goats belong to the Jewish chieftain, what should I do with them?” He said, “Turn them in the direction of the fortress and spur them from the back; God the Exalted will take them to their owner.” He spurred the goats and when they reached close to the fortress, the people took them inside.52 This event portrays how firmly Muhammad (sas) honoured the trusts of people. Can we find any such example in the religions of this age that the animals of the enemy are captured, and then returned? Would it not have provided months of food supply for the starving enemy? The Messenger of Allah accepted the strengthening of the enemy during the seige but did not like that the goats entrusted to a new Muslim should not be returned to the enemy at war.

The Kindness of Muhammad (sas) and the Mischief of the Jews

The defeated Jews made a request to Muhammad (sas) that they not be expelled and in return they would always provide half of their produce to the Muslims. Muhammad (sas) accepted their request. But in spite of Muhammad’s magnanimity, the Jews did not abstain from mischief. There is an event recorded in history that a Jewish woman asked the Companions which part of meat was liked by Muhammad (sas). The Companions told her that he liked the shoulder part of the meat. She slaughtered a goat and made kebabs on stones and poisoned the meat, particularly the shoulder part that Muhammad (sas) liked. She sat outside the tent of Muhammad (sas) with this meat. When Muhammad (sas) returned to his tent after the evening (Maghrib) prayers, he said to the woman, “O Lady, what brings you here?” She said, “O Abul-Qasim, I brought some meat as a gift for you.” Muhammad (sas) asked one of his companions to take the meat.

When Muhammad (sas) sat for dinner, he had only taken one bite of the meat from the shoulder when he sensed the poison and immediately stopped the Companions. By then, Bishr bin Bara’ had already taken a bite, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, by God who has given you honour, I also felt the poison in the bite I ate. I wanted to spit it out, but as you had already swallowed the bite, I thought it inappropriate to spit it out, so I swallowed it following you (we find from a tradition that Bishr fell sick after a little while and died at Khaibar). Muhammad (sas) sent for the woman and asked, “Did you poison the meat?” She asked, “Who told you?” Muhammad (sas) was holding the shoulder piece of the meat in his hand at that time and said, “This hand told me.” The woman realized that her secret was out, so she confessed poisoning the meat. Muhammad (sas) asked her, “What made you do this misdeed?” She said, “You fought with my nation. I thought that I would poison you, and that if you were really a prophet, you would be saved. And if not, we will be saved from you.” Hearing this, Muhammad (sas) forgave her.53

How great is this treatment of Muhammad (sas) to an enemy that was out for blood! Certainly, history cannot find any match for it.

Marriage With Safiyyah (ra), 7 A.H.

Among the captives of Bani Nadir, Safiyyah bint Huyayy, the daughter of their chieftain, Huyayy bin Akhtab, was also included. Her mother was the daughter of the chieftain of Banu Quraizah. The tribe was famous throughout Arabia for the bravery and valor of its people. Safiyyah’s first marriage to Salam bin Mishkam ended in divorce. Thereafter, she married Kinanah bin Rabi‘. He was the chieftain of Al-Qamus, the famous fortress of the Jews and he lived there with his family.

When the fortress was conquered and Kinanah was killed, his whole family including Safiyyah (ra) was captured, and Safiyyah (ra) was assigned to Dihya al-Kalbi. A few companions entreated that the woman given to Dihya was the “First Lady” of Bani Nadir and Banu Quraizah, and as such should not be given to a soldier; only Muhammad (sas) was appropriate for her. Muhammad (sas) accepted their suggestion. Muhammad (sas) gave another slave woman to Dihya in place of her, freed Safiyyah (ra) and married her.

Safiyyah’s marriage to Muhammad (sas) proved to be a great proof of the truthfulness of Muhammad (sas). Safiyyah (ra) had long marks on her face. When Muhammad (sas) asked her about the marks, she said, “O Messenger of Allah! Once I had a dream that the moon had fallen in my lap, and I narrated my dream to my husband. He thought it a strange dream, and took me to my father. When I narrated my dream to my father, he struck my face so severely leaving these marks on me. My father yelled at me accusing me that I wanted to marry the King of Arabia.”54 The national symbol of Arabia was the moon. Therefore, if a woman would see that the moon had fallen in her lap, it was interpreted that she had established a link with the King of Arabia.

The motivation behind this marriage was the desire that the Jews would stop creating mischief, make peace with the Muslims, and incline towards Islam. After the Nikah, when the couple left Khaibar, the wedding reception and the banquet were arranged at a place called As-Sahba’.

Safiyyah (ra) loved Muhammad (sas) dearly. When Muhammad (sas) was indisposed, she said with great desperation, “O Prophet of Allah! I pray that your affliction had befallen me.” Muhammad (sas) addressing all of his wives said, “By God, she is only telling the truth.” Muhammad (sas) also loved her greatly and took special care of her. He was particularly sensitive to the fact that the Jews were disgraced in the eyes of the Muslims because of their misdeeds, and that she was from Jewish descent. Once, someone from the Prophet’s wives taunted her on her Jewish lineage. When Muhammad (sas) found out about it, he said, “Why did you not tell them that Aaron was your father, Moses was your uncle, and Muhammad is your husband? Who could be better than you?”

Safiyyah (ra) was a very generous and contented person and had great sympathy for others. She died in the 50 A.H., at the age of 60 years and was buried in the Jannatul-Baqi‘.55

Marriage With Maimunah (ra), 7 A.H.

Maimunah’s first marriage was with Mas‘ud bin ‘Amr who divorced her. She then married Abu Arham bin ‘Abdul-’Adiyy who died in 7 A.H., and she became a widow. ‘Abbas (ra), Muhammad’s uncle, was also her uncle. ‘Abbas (ra), observing her situation requested that Muhammad (sas) marry her, and he agreed. This was the last marriage of Muhammad (sas).

Maimunah (ra) had very righteous beliefs and a mature mind. Most of her time was spent in explaining religious matters to the people. Once a woman was indisposed and she pledged to pray in the Baitul-Muqaddas on recovering. Allah the Exalted granted her recovery and she came to see Maimunah (ra) before leaving to fulfill her pledge. Maimunah (ra) explained to her that the reward for offering Salat in the Masjid an-Nabawi was greater than the reward of offering Salat in any other mosque by more than 1,000 times; therefore, she should fulfill her pledge by offering Salat in Masjid an-Nabawi.56 Maimunah (ra) died in 51 A.H., and Ibn Abbas led her funeral prayers.

If the objective of Muhammad’s multiple marriages was—God forbid—his own pleasure as alleged by non-Muslim historians, he would not have married elderly ladies. Instead, he would have chosen beautiful unmarried girls, and it was not hard for him to do so because the parents of such girls would have taken pride in marrying their girls to Muhammad (sas). Therefore, as mentioned before, Muhammad’s marriages with widows and mature women, mostly beyond the age of marriage, is clear proof that his objective was to facilitate the propagation of Islam to various tribes and to spread Islamic teachings among the Muslim women.

Marriage With Mariyyah (ra)

As mentioned before, the Muqauqis of Egypt sent two girls of his family to Muhammad (sas) as a gesture of his devotion to Muhammad (sas). Out of the two, Muhammad (sas) married Mariyyah (ra). Allah gave him a son from her who was named Ibrahim. Before the birth of this child, Muhammad (sas) had borne the loss of all of his sons and daughters except Fatimah (ra).

Naturally, he had great love for Ibrahim. But by the decree of God, this child also did not stay with him for long, he became sick at the age of one and a half years and passed away. Muhammad (sas) was deeply grieved at his death and tears started flowing from his eyes. Seeing his condition, ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf (ra) said, “O Messenger of Allah, you also cry!” Muhammad (sas) replied, “O son of ‘Auf, this is a mercy which God has put in the heart of His servants.” Then he said:

تَدْمَعُ الْعَیْنُ وَ یَحْزَنُ الْقَلْبُ وَ لَا نَقُوْلُ إِلَّا مَا یَرْضٰی رَبُّنَا إِنَّا بِكَ یَا إِبْرَاھِیْمُ لَمَحْزُوْنُوْنَ

Our eyes shed tears and our hearts grieve. But we say only what our Lord is pleased with. O Ibrahim, we are sorely grieved for you.57

What a great example of patience was shown by our Prophet (sas)! Usually it is seen that if a father who after losing all of his children is blessed with a son from Allah the Exalted in an old age, and if that son also dies, he would lose control and resort to wailing and crying. But what a perfect example was shown by our Prophet (sas), that neither the heart was so hard that tears did not come, nor was there any complaint to God. Rather, he adopted the way which was based on the perfect balance and exemplified the true relationship with Allah.

Aversion to Pretension

The study of the life of Muhammad (sas) shows us that there was absolutely no pretension in him. He hated anything that might even raise a suspicion of pretension about him in other people’s hearts. At the time of the death of Ibrahim, his son, the sun coincidentally had an eclipse. As Muhammad (sas) was very grieved by his death, some Muslims thought that perhaps the sun was grieving too and the eclipse was a demonstration of that. On hearing this, Muhammad (sas) said:

اِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ اٰیَتَانِ مِنْ اٰیَاتِ اللّٰہِ۔ لَا یَنْکَسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ اَحَدٍ وَ لَا لِحَیَاتِہٖ۔ فَاِذَا رَاَیْتُمُوْھُمَا فَادْعُوا اللّٰہَ وَ صَلُّوْا حَتّٰی یَنْجَلِیَ۔

The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse because of someone’s death or life. So, when you see them eclipsed, invoke Allah and pray till the eclipse is clear.58

What a perfect model of personal integrity was presented by him! If God forbid, his claim was based on pretence, he would have been pleased to see another sign of his truthfulness for the Muslims, or at least have remained quiet. But he did not accept that people would have this kind of misunderstanding; therefore, he immediately corrected them. Is this event not a grand proof of his truthfulness?

‘Umratul Qada’, Dhul-Qa‘dah, 7 A.H.

In the Hudaibiyyah Treaty, the idolaters agreed that the Muslims would be able to perform the ‘Umrah the following year. Therefore, on the sighting of the moon of the Dhul-Qa‘dah, 7 A.H., Muhammad (sas) made plans to travel to Makkah to make up for the missed ‘Umrah of the time of the Hudaibiyyah Treaty. Muhammad (sas) specially instructed all the companions who were with him at the time of the Hudaibiyyah Treaty to accompany him. Other people were also allowed to go along. Muhammad (sas) set out from Madinah with 2,000 companions. On reaching there, Muhammad (sas) instructed the Companions to bare their shoulders, take out the Ihram59 from under their arm, wrap it around their neck, and swiftly running, perform the circuit of the Ka‘bah. In this way, the idolaters would have a good impression of the strength, splendor, and agility of the Muslims.

Quraish were extremely dismayed by the entry of the Muslims in Makkah; therefore, many of them went to the passages and valleys outside Makkah, as they could not stand to see the Muslims performing the circuit of the Ka‘bah.

Muhammad (sas) stayed for three days in Makkah. During his stay, good character and admirable qualities of the Muslims left a deep imprint of the truth of Islam on the hearts of many God-fearing people.

During these days, Maimunah (ra), the niece of ‘Abbas (ra), who had been a widow for a long time, married Muhammad (sas) according to the wishes of ‘Abbas. The tradition says that on the third day of the Muslims’ stay in Makkah, the disbelievers told the Muslims to immediately leave according to the treaty, which they complied with. Because of the sensitivity of the people of Makkah, Muhammad (sas) even left the newly wedded Maimunah (ra) behind in Makkah; she joined them later outside Makkah in the woods when the animals carrying the provisions for the journey joined them. This event of her life was so dear to her, that when she passed away at the age of 80 years, she made a will to be buried outside Makkah at the place where she met Muhammad (sas) for the first time.

اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ علٰی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلٰی اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

Bless, O Allah, our master, Muhammad and the people of Muhammad.

Certainly, this was the result of the excellent treatment extended by Muhammad (sas) to his virtuous wives.

The Acceptance of Islam by ‘Amr bin al-‘As (ra) and Khalid bin Walid (ra)

A few days after Muhammad’s return to Madinah, ‘Amr bin al-’As accepted Islam in Makkah and decided to migrate to Madinah. Khalid bin Walid (ra), a very close friend of ‘Amr who was also deeply impressed by the recitation of the Qur’an that he heard from the blessed tongue of Muhammad (sas) during the Hudaibiyyah journey, also decided to join him. In this way, two famous Makkan chieftains and renowned warriors of Arabia accepted Islam.

The Battle of Mutah, Jumadiul-Awwal, 8 A.H.

After returning from the pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah, Muhammad (sas) received news that Arabian Christian tribes on the provocation of the Jews and the disbelievers were preparing for an attack. Muhammad (sas) sent a party of fifteen to investigate, who, because of the passion they felt for their faith, started preaching to the non-Muslims. Those people had no soft corner for the Muslims; they attacked the Muslims and martyred them. When Muhammad (sas) learned about this event, he sent a letter to Shurahbil bin ‘Amr Ghassani, the ruler of Basrah. When the messenger of Muhammad (sas) reached him, he was also killed with great brutality. The killing of the messenger was a clear declaration of war. Therefore, Muhammad (sas) sent an army of 3,000 faithful under the command of Zaid bin Harithah (ra) towards Syria.60 The appointment of Zaid bin Harithah (ra), a freed slave, over the eminent Muhajirun and Ansar is a grand proof of the Islamic equity demonstrated by Muhammad (sas) during his life.

When the army was ready, Muhammad (sas) addressed them saying, “If Zaid (ra) is martyred, appoint Ja‘far bin Abi Talib (ra) as your chief (Amir). If he is also martyred, appoint ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah (ra) as your chief. He also advised not to hurt priests and not to kill women, children, and elders, nor destroy trees.

When the army of the Muslim faithful reached Mutah, they found out that Shurahbil was ready with a huge army, many times bigger than the Muslim army, and they also heard rumours that Caesar was making preparations to fight as well. A dangerous battle was fought with the army of Shurahbil. When Zaid (ra) was martyred, Ja‘far (ra) took the standard. Ja‘far (ra) also fought bravely, and was martyred after receiving 90 wounds. After him ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah (ra) took over the standard, but he was martyred also. When all the commanders nominated by Muhammad (sas) were martyred, the Muslims appointed Khalid bin Walid (ra) as their commander after mutual consultation. Khalid bin Walid (ra) fought so bravely around the clock that it completely reversed the balance on the battleground. Khalid (ra) showed such feats of bravery that Muhammad (sas) awarded him the title of “the Sword of Allah.”