The Acceptance of Thumāmah bin Uthāl the Chief of Yamāmah - Muḥarram 6 A.H.

Upon return from this expedition, the instance of the capture of Thumāmah bin Uthāl took place.1 This individual resided in Yamāmah and was a very influential chieftain of the tribe - Banū Ḥanīfah. He had exceeded so far in his enmity towards Islām that he let no opportunity for killing innocent Muslims pass. Therefore, on one occasion an ambassador of the Holy Prophet(sa) went to his region and he, ignoring all the laws of war, conspired to kill him.2 As a matter of fact, at one time, he even planned to assassinate the Holy Prophet(sa) himself.3 When the party of Muḥammad bin Maslamah(ra) captured Thumāmah, they were unaware of the identity of this individual. As a matter of fact, they had captured him only on the basis of suspicion. It seems that by his extraordinary intelligence, Thumāmah also did well in concealing his identity from the Muslims. For he knew that he had committed heinous crimes against Islām and that if the indignant Muslim soldiers were to find out who he was, they might deal with him harshly or kill him altogether. He expected kinder treatment from the Holy Prophet(sa) himself. As such, until their return to Madīnah, the identity of Thumāmah remained hidden to the party of Muḥammad bin Maslamah(ra).

Upon arriving in Madīnah, when Thumāmah was presented before the Holy Prophet(sa), he recognised him at first glance and said to Muḥammad bin Maslamah(ra) and his companions, “Do you know who this is?” They expressed their lack of knowledge in this matter, upon which the Holy Prophet(sa) enlightened them. After this, the Holy Prophet(sa) ordered the good treatment of Thumāmah as was his custom, and went to his home and instructed that whatever food was available should be sent to Thumāmah.4 Then the Holy Prophet(sa) instructed that instead of keeping Thumāmah in another house, to tie him to a pillar on the veranda of Masjidun-Nabawī.5 By this, the purpose of the Holy Prophet(sa) was so that his gatherings and the Muslim Ṣalāt6 be held before his eyes and so that these spiritual sights influence his heart, so that he become inclined towards Islām.7

During those days, the Holy Prophet(sa) would go to Thumāmah and inquire of him, “Thumāmah! What are your intentions now?” Thumāmah would respond, “O Muḥammad[sa]! If you kill me, you have the right to do so, for I have been charged of murder, but if you deal with me in goodness you shall find me grateful. If you wish to accept my ransom, I am willing to pay my ransom as well.” This exchange of questions and answers continued for three days. Finally, on the third day, the Holy Prophet(sa) himself ordered his companions to release Thumāmah. The companions released him at once and Thumāmah hurriedly left the mosque. Perhaps the companions thought that now he would return to his homeland, but the Holy Prophet(sa) had understood that his heart had been won over. As such, he went to a nearby garden and returned after bathing and immediately accepted Islām at the hand of the Holy Prophet(sa). After this he said to the Holy Prophet(sa), “O Messenger of Allāh! There was a time when I hated your person, and your religion and your city more than anything in the world, but now your person, and your religion and your city are most beloved to me.”8

That night in the evening, when food was customarily brought for Thumāmah(ra), he ate a little of the food and left the rest. The companions were surprised that until that morning Thumāmah(ra) would eat extravagantly and was a glutton, but now he had eaten only a little. When this news reached the Holy Prophet(sa) he said, “Until this morning Thumāmah ate like the infidels and now he has eaten like a Muslim.” Then the Holy Prophet(sa) explained this saying, “An infidel eats in seven intestines while a believer eats in one alone.”9 By this, the Holy Prophet’s intention was (to express) that where an infidel is so absorbed in the pleasures of this world and is forever engrossed in them, on the other hand, a true believer limits his physical needs only to the extent as is necessary for the sustenance of life. This is because a believer finds true delight in religion alone. It should also be kept in mind that here, the number seven does not infer to the actual numerical value, but in light of Arabic idiom, the number seven is used to imply ‘abundance’ or ‘completion’ as well.10 In other words, the meaning is that an infidel remains engrossed in worldly comforts and all his attention is spent in worldly affairs, but a believer restrains himself from the comforts of this world and does not cross the boundary of necessity, because the true means of his delight is something else. This teaching is a true illustration of the natural inclination and personal character of the Holy Prophet(sa).

After becoming a Muslim, Thumāmah(ra) said to the Holy Prophet(sa), “O Messenger of Allāh! When your men captured me I was on my way to the Ka‘bah for ‘Umrah.11 What do you now order?” The Holy Prophet(sa) granted him permission and prayed, and Thumāmah(ra) left for Makkah.12 Due to the passion of his faith, upon reaching there he began to preach openly within the Quraish. At this sight, the eyes of the Quraish gorged with blood in extreme rage. They captured Thumāmah(ra) and planned to kill him, but upon the thought that he was the chieftain of the region of Yamāmah, and keeping in mind that Makkah had historic trade relations with Yamāmah, they abandoned this idea and released him, after some mere verbal abuse.13 However, the disposition of Thumāmah(ra) was full of passion and all the cruelties inflicted upon the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions were before his eyes. Upon leaving Makkah, he addressed the Quraish saying, “By God, from now on you shall not receive a grain of corn from the region of Yamāmah until the Holy Prophet(sa) grants permission.”14

Upon reaching his homeland, Thumāmah(ra) actually stopped the caravans of import and export to Makkah and since a large portion of Makkah’s food supply came from Yamāmah, upon the halt of this trade, Makkah underwent a great trial. Not long had passed before they became worried and wrote a letter to the Holy Prophet(sa), that he always instructed the kind treatment of relatives, and they who were their brothers were trapped, so please may they be granted salvation from this trial.15 At the time, the Quraish of Makkah were so worried that they did not rely on this letter alone, but also sent their chief, Abū Sufyān bin Ḥarb to the Holy Prophet(sa). He verbally lamented before the Holy Prophet(sa) and whilst presenting his difficulty, he began to seek mercy. Upon this the Holy Prophet(sa) sent word to Thumāmah bin Uthāl(ra) that the import and export of caravans which contained food supplies for the Quraish, should not be blocked. Therefore, the circuit of this trade recommenced and the people of Makkah received salvation from this difficulty.16

On the one hand, whilst this occurrence is a clear proof of the unprecedented tenderness, mercy and forgiveness of the Holy Prophet(sa), on the other hand, it also proves that initially the true purpose of the systematic interception of various caravans of the Quraish by the Holy Prophet(sa), was not to force the Quraish’s destruction by famine. The true purpose of this was to secure the borders of Madīnah from the threat of the Quraish. This occurrence also proves that in light of Islāmic teachings, it is not permitted in normal circumstances to stop the free movement of an enemy at war to the extent that they are deprived of their bread and butter. Nonetheless, the import and export of weapons of war or other items excluding the basic necessities of life can be intercepted as per the requirements of war. If however, the case is that the enemy cuts off food supplies to the Muslims, then as per the principle teaching of the Qur’ān 17, it is permissible to cut off this supply as well.

As mentioned above, Thumāmah bin Uthāl(ra) was a very influential chieftain of his region. By his fervent preaching, many people of Yamāmah entered Islām. Later, near the demise of the Holy Prophet(sa) and in the beginning of the caliphate of Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr(ra), when many Bedouins of Yamāmah were led to apostasy by the false claimant to prophethood, Musailamah Kadhdhāb, not only did Thumāmah stay firm upon his faith, but through his passionate efforts he was able to safeguard many people from the evil of Musailamah and kept them gathered under the banner of Islām. He played a great role in combating the mischief of Musailamah.18