Anxiety Amongst the Companions

When Suhail returned, the Holy Prophet(sa) said to the Muslims, “Get up and after slaughtering your animals shave your heads right here (after the sacrifice, the hair on the head is either shaved or cut short), and then prepare for our return.” However, the companions were in a state of extreme shock, due to what seemed to be an apparently humiliating agreement. Moreover, when they would think that the Holy Prophet(sa) had brought them there on the basis of a dream of his and Allāh the Exalted had shown a scene of the Ṭawāf of the Baitullāh in that dream, their dispositions began to sink exceedingly. They were like lifeless beings sitting without feeling or movement. They had full faith in the Messenger of Allāh and completely believed in his promise as well, but due to the demands of human nature, their hearts had fainted in grief due to this apparent failure. It is for this reason that when the Holy Prophet(sa) instructed them to slaughter their animal sacrifices and return, the companions did not move. This was not because they were, God-forbid, disobedient to their Messenger(sa), for no community has existed on the face of this earth which was more obedient than the companions of the Holy Prophet(sa). Hence, their lack of execution was not an act of rebellion or disobedience, rather, it was because the feeling of grief and apparent disgrace had paralysed them; it was as if they heard but could not hear, and saw but their eyes did not function. The Holy Prophet(sa) was deeply hurt by this and quietly retired to his tent. Ḥaḍrat Ummi Salmah(ra), the venerable wife of the Holy Prophet(sa), who was an exceptionally intelligent lady, was watching the entire scene from her tent. When she saw her burdened and beloved husband enter in a state of concern and she inquired as to the details of the grief and concern of the Holy Prophet(sa) from his own mouth, she sympathetically and lovingly said to him, “O Messenger of Allāh! Do not grieve, your companions, by the grace of God, are not disobedient. However, the conditions of this treaty have lost their senses in grief. My suggestion is that you say nothing to them, rather, quietly go out and slaughter your animal sacrifice and shave your head. Your companions shall automatically follow your lead. The Holy Prophet(sa) was pleased with this recommendation. Without saying a word, the Holy Prophet(sa) slaughtered his animal sacrifice and began to shave his head. When the companions saw this scene, just as a sleeping man suddenly awakens upon a clamour, etc., they were startled and as if woken up and so began to slaughter their animals in a frenzy and shaved the heads of one another. However, grief had made them so immensely restless at that time, that the narrator relates that such was the state of affairs, that there was a danger that while shaving the heads of one another, the companions could have well-nigh (accidentally) cut the throats of each other.1 In any case, the recommendation of Ḥaḍrat Ummi Salmah(ra) succeeded and where the blessed words of the Holy Prophet(sa) temporarily remained ineffective, his action suddenly awoke his followers who sat motionaless at the time.2