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After the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) had migrated successfully to Madinah, Abu Sufyan and Abi
bin Khalf, two chieftains of Makkah sent a warning to the people of Madinah: "The
breakage of our bond with you will cause far more grievance than it would have with other
Arab tribes. The step you have taken has strained our relationship. You have sheltered a
person who is among the eminent of Makkah and thus by this you have compelled us to
interfere in your affairs. We advise you not to come between us and Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). If he is a
pious person, we know him better than you do, if he is guilty, it is still our right to
demand him from you and perform the necessary deed". On receiving this letter, the Ansaar asked a Muslim poet Kaf bin
Malik to answer it in satirical verses. Before any speech, whether in poetry or in prose,
verses bore a special significance in the deserts of Arabia. Some satirical verses were
far more effective than poisonous arrows. Kaf bin Malik dispatched a satirical reply to the Quraysh. In
spite of receiving this reply, they did not refrain from their deeds and sent another
letter to the people of Madinah now addressing the leader of the Hypocrites, Abdullah bin
Obei. In this letter the Quraysh demanded that their fugitive who had been
given asylum in Madinah be handed over to them. They would otherwise attack Madinah,
spread carnage and enslave their women. Abdullah bin Obei and his people took no
decisions, against this letter: if they had, the term Hypocrites would not
have been applied to them. The Arabs say that Hypocrites were those people who would never decide
who their allies were. Throughout their lives, they debated what to do and what not to;
whom to support and whom not to; and whenever their verdict was sought - they avoided any
direct reply. These people on the surface proclaimed to be Muslims but often secretly
allied with the Quraysh and Jews against the Muslim community. When the Quraysh of Makkah
found their two letters to the Ansaar and Hypocrites producing no result, they asked the
Jews of Madinah, to hand over the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) to them. The Jews also gave no clear answer. However,
they promised secretly to support the Quraysh when the time arose. The Quraysh then decided to use an economic weapon against the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Majority
of the members of the Quraysh tribe were merchants, and the most effective weapon they
could use was economic and social boycott. The Quraysh occupied the northern trade routes
of Arabia and contacted many of their merchant friends to alienate Madinah and boycott
their products. Major commodities of life as a result of this boycott stopped reaching
Madinah. If such a boycott had occured within or around Makkah, it would have
killed all the people by hunger for there was neither agriculture in Makkah nor orchards
around it. In the vicinities of Madinah were present fields and orchards which could
sustain the people of Madinah for a while, even then the Medinites were faced with a
dearth of daily items of use. The food would eventually become scarce. The prices of items
of common use in Madinah shot up due to this boycott. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) was residing in his little house near the Mosque. He was
grieved by the economic strangulation of Madinah. He (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) was also aware that the Quraysh were
inflicting the punishment of one person on the entire city. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) of Islam led a simple life in Madinah. His house was made of
palm leaves and wood. To avoid being looked at by the passers-by and to act as a Purdah or
veil, the branches of date trees were covered with hides. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to sleep on a
sheep-skin in his simple house. His diet consisted of either dates or wheat-bread. He
would never eat both during one meal. AishahR.A, the Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) wife, says
that when Madinah was facing economic blockade and eatables were being sold at exorbitant
prices, we did not light fire to cook food, and that was the period when we never ate for
two consecutive days. Though the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) was married, he did most of the household work himself. He
used to dust his house and light the fire with his own hands when a meal was cooked in his
house. The meal was very simple, often pulses and lentils were cooked with meat. His wives
were fond of meat, therefore occasionally it was also cooked. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) used to sew his own dress and mend his shoes. He was very fond
of cleanliness, therefore he used to wash his clothes. He cleaned his teeth several times
a day using a short branch of a plant. This action is known as doing Miswak. He said,
"Cleanliness is half faith". He (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) used to clean his hands after taking meals with a
scarf he carried with him. When the economic boycott grew worse and the common people were
perplexed due to the dearth of daily supplies, the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was left with no choice but to take
over as political leader. He had been handling religious affairs till then. Since the day a form of government administration came into being a
ruler had only two choices while fighting his enemy: one, choice was politics and the
other all out war. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) had come to know that coming to a political solution with his
opponents, was impossible, therefore he would have to take the way of the sword. Arabs by
their nature were people who used the sword to settle their issues. Their war-like nature
can easily be assessed by the following words of Arab poets. "O Sword! The blacksmith has made you swift as a feather, soft and
flexible as a branch of tree, strong and hard as flint; and then imbued in you the spirit
of a brave warrior!". Another poet says, "O sword of Heart! Your edge is so delicate and
soft that my body tingles with sensation by its touch. Your handle is softer than a ripe
fruit under my fingers!" The Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) had seen to what extent the Quraysh would go to oppose
Islam. He had seen how merciless these people had been and how his followers had suffered.
The only way Islam could survive was if the Muslim were prepared to protect themselves.
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
of Islam warned the Quraysh of Makkah that as they had put Madinah under economic siege,
their trade caravans would not be permitted to pass through the Muslim territories. If
they endeavoured to do so, they would be intercepted. After this warning, the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) selected forty Muslim volunteers and put
them under the leadership of an eminent Muslim chief - HamzahR.A.
He (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
sanctioned twenty camels and assigned them to guard the pass way between Madinah and the
Red Sea. This was the main trade route for the caravans. These forty volunteers were from
Mohajireen. They did not seek wages to execute their duties. They also lacked horses.
Horses would have proved far more effective than camels for such an assignment, but then
the Muslims were not rich enough to buy and provide horses to their soldiers. In Arabia, there is a long strip of land called Hajjaz, which lies
along the coast of the Red Sea, from north to south, spreading over one thousand
kilometres. Mountains and dunes are abundant in this area. In Hajjaz are bred the best horses of the world. Those thorough-bred
are reputed as Arabian horses. They are unmatched in their agility and speed. This is an
expensive animal, which cannot be reared by the common lot. This animal cannot survive in
the Arabian deserts because of hunger and thirst. When the Arabs wanted to use these horses in a war, they were compelled
to take several additional camels to carry water and fodder for them. The camel can feed
itself on cacti and survive without water for several days. In case of shortage of water,
the travellers of a caravan with horses used to give their share of water to them, as they
knew that a horse cannot bear thirst like a human. When an attack in the battlefield was
launched, a horse emerged as a unique combination of agility, speed, obedience and
shrewdness, thus surpassing any other animal for warfare. It is mentioned in the Arab traditions, "When Allah created Adam,
all animals were introduced to him for his service; Adam chose the horse, and Allah
appreciated the choice as He Himself preferred horse to other animals". HamzahR.A and his forty companions who
were supposed to intercept the caravans of infidels, were heavy-hearted by the
non-availability of horses as they could have performed better. They were to patrol an
area stretching one hundred and thirty kilometres between the Red Sea and Madinah with
only camels at hand. This was a very difficult task. After some days, a dust-cloud raised by a caravan was seen. It was soon
known that the caravan was led by the greatest enemy of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Islam, Abu Jahal. He
was the same person who wanted to kill the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) and had put a price on his head. He had
also tried to strangulate the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) in Holy Kabah by the tripe of a camel. When the
Muslims came to know that Abu Jahal was leading this caravan, they decided to attack the
caravan. Makdad bin Umro, the chieftain of the tribe whose domains the caravan
was passing through came on the field to obstruct the way of HamzahR.A.
He asked him to refrain from attack. Umro told him that his tribe had agreed upon a
contract with the Quraysh according to which the Makkan caravans would be allowed safe
passage through their territories. They would neither intercept those caravans nor would
they allow any body else to do so. Umro said, "That in return for this assurance, they collected
Khuwa twice a year". Khuwa is synonymous for brotherly relations, but actually it
means the tax paid to the local tribes by caravans for safe passage through their
respective lands. He further said that they had entered into a similar contract with the
caravans of Madinah permitting them safe passage. He and his tribe would defend their
promise against any aggression under any circumstances. HamzahR.A who himself was an Arab,
knew that such promises could not be broken. He judged that if he launched an attack on
the Makkan caravan, it would rouse resistance not only from the local tribe, but would
also create difficulties for the Medinite tribes in future. He thus did not attack the
Quraysh. Abu Jahal sent a message to the chiefs of Quraysh about the situation
he faced, the Quraysh paid no heed to it. They decided that the caravans would have to
continue on the same trade route as usual. They had no other choice. They would have
adopted an alternative route if there was a choice. A second Muslim party was set off to confront the infidels. It included
sixty volunteers, like the first, they also rode camels. This time it was led by Ubaid bin
Abdul Muttalib, who was an uncle of the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace). These sixty persons like the previous forty
were among the Mohajireen and had volunteered in the way of Allah. After two weeks of surveillance in this area they traced out a Makkan
caravan being led by a person named Ikrimah the son of Abu Jahal. This caravan had one
hundred and forty men (double the party of Ubaid bin Abdul Muttalib) who took to their
heels on seeing the Muslims. Two persons from the caravan joined the Muslim batch as they
themselves were Muslims. One was Makdad bin Umro and the other was Utbah bin Ghazwan. Both of
them had gone to Abyssinia (Habsha) during the period of Muslim migration there, and had
returned to Makkah after some time. When they reached Makkah, Hijrat had begun and the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
had migrated from Makkah to Madinah. These two persons tried several times in the past to join their
religious brethren but had been unsuccessful. However, when they came to know of a caravan
led by Ikrimah ready to leave and expected to pass near Madinah, they joined it so that
they could reach Madinah. A third batch of twenty camel riders led by Saad bin Abbi Waqas
left to chastise the infidels for their economic blockade. |
This frequent change of volunteers was necessary as every Muslim wished
to serve Islam. To provide equal opportunities to all, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) adopted this principle
of cyclic change of volunteers. Saad bin Abbi Waqas was nephew of Amina - the
Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
mother. He observed a Makkan caravan in the region of Kharar and intended to intercept it.
Once again the local tribes chief barred him and the other Muslims and declared that
area a sanctuary, for they also had an agreement of Khuwa with the Quraysh. These local tribes not only extracted Khuwa from the caravan but also
earned profits from the sale of fodder and commodities. If a caravan was attacked in their
territories, they were sure to be deprived of both of these gains. The Muslim volunteers
had to return to Madinah once again without any action. Saad suggested that other
modes of operation be considered in this situation. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) knew that Bedouins received beneficence from the Makkans and
seeked the income of Khuwa, but he decided to give them something before which both the
incomes will stand diminutive. The Muslims inquired, "O Prophet of Allah! What will you give
them?" The answer was, "In return for this worthless profit which the Bedouins
seek, I will invite them to Islam and give them the tidings of Paradise". He asked the people to withdraw from this feeble profit, in return of
which he gave them the good tidings of Paradise. The modern people of the world, put everything to the
scales of logic and reason and would say that most probably the Bedouin Arabs would not
have accepted the Prophets (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) offer, as we ourselves prefer todays cash to next
days hope of credit. But this did not happen; the Bedouins accepted the Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) offer and
resigned from the income received through the Makkans, so that they could seek the Glory
of Allah and be given a place in Paradise. What caused them to believe the Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) proposal whole
heartedly; was, the Holy Quranic verses which rendered revolution in thought, and softness
in hearts, specially those verses mentioning the Paradise and its blessings. In the Surah
Al-Dahr verse No. 12, is said, 12. We, in the translation, cannot conceive how oration of these verses can
move hearts. Only an Arab native can grasp how elaborate and ornate these short verses
are. When such verses were recited melodiously before the Bedouin Arabs (who by nature
were connoisseurs of language and oration), they were deeply moved. If a detailed discourse is made elaborating the Heavens and its
pleasures, it would take too long. In short, Allah gave all the Muslims, including those
Bedouins whom the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) intended to unite with him, the tidings. In case of their acceptance
of Islam, they would be given the Blessings of Heavens in return where they would wear
silk robes and be given wines whose nature will be cool as camphor and aroma like
Zingiber. They will also be given beautiful women, who would remain youthful forever.
These tidings of heavens would be theirs ever lastingly. The marvel of Holy Quranic verses was revealed once again and the
Bedouins decided to side with the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) rejecting the income from the Makkans. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) tried to unite the Bedouin tribes with the Muslims. A party of
sixty volunteers was led by the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) himself, and again the Muslims had no horses to ride
instead they were riding the camels. On going out of Madinah, the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) along with his army went to the abode
of the Ghaffar clan. Ten years before this date, Abu Zara, who was a bandit had sought
repentance and accepted Islam. The Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) had sent him back to his tribe to invite his people to
Islam. Within the span of ten years all the members of his tribe embraced Islam and they
repented from robbery and plundering forever. The territories of Ghaffar were stretched between Madinah and Yanbu,
and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
before entering their territories made a stop at a place named "Abwa" where lay
his mother Aminas grave. It is said that he got off his camel when he reached near
his mothers grave and went to it by foot. The other Muslims who also had known about
the grave stopped at this place. UmarR.A bin Khatab who
had volunteered to come for this journey accompanied the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to the grave. The
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
knelt down before his mothers grave, and could not help weeping. Fifty years after her death the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was bitterly weeping like a child who
had just lost his mother. He was remembering troubles and hardships she had born in
upbringing him. When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) was born, his father, Abdullah, had died. His mother being a
widow and without any help had, nurtured her only son with great hardship. Soon she also
died and left the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) on his own. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) recalled the hard days of his childhood at her grave. He
realised how easy it was to face every difficulty when she was alive. Whenever he returned
home, his mother used to foster him, wash his face and prepare meals for him. She had
great devotion and love for him. When she closed her eyes for ever to leave him alone, there was nobody
to wash his face and solace him, and no-one was there to wait for him, when he would
return barefooted from the desert. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) wept so much at her grave that UmarR.A
who was known for his bravery, was greatly moved and upset. He said, "O Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Allah!
Do not weep so hard as it is becoming impossible for me to help myself from crying". Some historians including Ibn-Saad, Bukhari and Ibn-e-Hisham
write that when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) lifted his head from his mothers grave, UmarR.A
said, "O Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) of Allah, why do you weep so much? Look my eyes are also filled with
tears". When the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) left her grave, he reached a stretch of land called Wadan.
This place was just before entering the domains of Ghaffar, and was occupied by the tribe
Banu Samrah, who had also become Muslim. The tribe of Banu Samrah was a branch of the Ghaffar clan. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stayed at
Wadan for one week to hold talks with the heads of this tribe. As a consequence of these talks, a military pact was made. This is the
first military accord in the Islamic history written between the Muslims and another
party. Both sides verified it by endorsing their seals. As a Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) to Allah and as the leader of the Muslims, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) declared
his support to Banu Samrah in case it faced any aggression, and reciprocally it was their
obligation to reinforce the Muslims with their swords when the need arose. In addition,
Banu Samrah waived their obligation of letting the Makkan caravans pass through their
territories. The land of Wadan, which was the lodging of Banu Samrah, was at a distance of
three days ride from Madinah, and nine days from Makkah. It might be taken that Banu Samrah entered in this pact because they
found Madinah to be nearer than Makkah, thus it was more fruitful to establish friendly
ties with the Muslims. This notion was unlikely, as the dread of the Quraysh was too
overwhelming to overlook. The thing which led them to side with the Muslims, leaving the
Quraysh, was the impact of the Prophets (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) invitation to Islam, in which he had given them
the tidings of Paradise in exchange for their support to the Muslims in the cause of
Allah. Paradise introduces one to eternal bliss, therefore every worldly
sacrifice is permissible for its attainment. Human life is short lived and of this too
much of the time is passed in labour and misery. In Paradise man gets incessant life and
infinite blessings. Thus there is no loss if one discards this world in exchange for the
world hereafter. After this pact with Banu Samrah, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) left for the Banu
Ghaffar. This tribe exists in Arabia even today. Colonel Lawrence writes in his memoir
that the people of Ghaffar clan are the same in their moral and psychological make up as
they were fourteen hundred years ago, during the early Islamic period. For them everything
is either bright or dark, black or white, good or bad, true or false and they do not adopt
any middle way between good and bad. The people of this clan after accepting Islam became so strict in
carrying out the conjunctions of Islam that on committing a sin, the person of the tribe
would present himself before the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) to confess and repent before him, whether or not he
was seen committing it. Once a person of this clan, after accepting Islam, became guilty
of Zina-e-Mohsanah, i.e., he developed illicit relations with a married woman. No
one had witnessed him and thus he was not liable for punishment. Four witnesses were
required to testify that the act had been committed before their eyes. But that person
himself, appeared before the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) confessed to the sin and demanded punishment. When it was
confirmed that he was sane and was not calumniating himself, he was punished according to
the Islamic law. Once, during a war, the number of camels was not enough to carry all
the Muslim soldiers. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) sent back some soldiers of Banu Ghaffar to their tribe. When
the members of this clan became aware that they had been prevented from joining the war
front, they began weeping like mothers lamenting the death of their children. After that
day, the Muslims (by the way of humour) started calling this tribe as Banu-Al-Baka meaning
a weeping tribe. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) also reached a defence agreement with Banu Ghaffar. According
to the agreement, if that tribe was targeted by enemy, it would be defended by the
Muslims, and likewise, the Ghaffar clan would also help the Muslims in facing their
enemies. Later on, this tribe acquired so much trust of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that once
when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
was to leave for a journey, Abu ZarrR.A Ghaffari was
deputed to take charge of the administration of Madinah. After entering the pact with
Ghaffar clan, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) left for the domains of Jeehania Tribe. This tribe was residing at a
place called Rowdah in the mountainous region of Yanbu. This clan also formed an alliance
with the Muslims. The people of this clan became so staunch Muslims that they built a
mosque with their own expense and labour. This became the second mosque after Quba to be
built in Madinah. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) continued his journey and later entered the lands of the tribe
of Banu Madlej. Banu Madlej was the same tribe whose chieftain had tried to arrest the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
during his migration to Madinah. When he had tried to reach the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), his horse had either
halted or fallen down. He spurred his horse thrice but failed at every attempt. Though the people of Banu Madlej worshipped idols, still they welcomed
the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
with great reverence and consented to make a war-pact with him. Saqarah bin Malik,
had accepted Islam and later became one of the leaders of Islam. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) was satisfied to make war-pacts with these important tribes as
they were at the places from where the Quraysh caravans were bound to pass. Those tribes
could help the Muslims effectively in checking the Makkan caravans. After completing his agreements and pacts with the Bedouin tribes, the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
returned to Madinah. In his absence some fast camel riders led by Ibn-e-Habeer had
attacked Madinah, looted the Muslim property and set several houses on fire. It was known
later that they were sent by the Quraysh. |