OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE PROPHETP.B.U.H
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When all the Muslims had gathered, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed them and said
that he had called them to have an oath that they would follow all the injunctions of the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
without any question - whether these injunctions conformed to their will or not. When the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
finished, one of the Muslims, named "Sanan", stood at his place and said,
"O Prophet of Allah, I swear to abide by any of your injunction, whether it seems
strange to me or is inconceivable for me". He went to the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) and placed his hand over his hand and offered his
allegiance. Seeing this sight of submission and obedience, all the Muslims were filled
with fervour and all of them instantly rose and started offering their allegiance. They
all vowed to follow their Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) un-hesitantly. This oath of allegiance that was taken under the dense tree is known as
"Bayt-e-Ridhwan" in Islamic history. And Allah has appreciated it in the Holy
Quran in Surah "Al-fath", verse 18; 18. As the Muslims proved their unmatched loyalty and allegiance to the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace),
Allah granted them a great reward, and that was the victory of Khaybar. When the Makkans, and the Quraysh in particular, found out about
Bayt-e-Ridhwan, they became alarmed. They had been informed that according to this oath,
all the Muslims would strictly obey their Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) and would offer their lives at his
slightest gesture. The Quraysh thought that the purpose of this oath was to invade Makkah
and eliminate anyone who obstructed Muhammad (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) and enslave the ones who were left. The Quraysh had witnessed the Prophets
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) leadership qualities in the battles
of Badr, Uhud and the Moat. They were frightened by the Muslim valour and gallantry. They
thought, if the Muslims attacked Makkah, the city would surely fall. They thus immediately
released UthmanR.A. The Prophets (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) son-in-law reached Hudaybiyyah and brought a message that
the Quraysh were willing to negotiate with the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace). They wished to send a delegation to him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to hold
talks on mutual issues. The Makkan chiefs had given consent to negotiate with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). "Urroh bin Masood" was the first person appointed by the
Makkans to hold talks at Hudaybiyyah with the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace). He belonged to the "Saqeef"
tribe and was among the elite of Taif. He had shifted and settled in Makkah. Urroh
bin Masood met the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) under the same tree where Bayt-e-Ridhwan had taken place and asked
him the purpose of their visit to Makkah. The Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied that they had come only for
pilgrimage and not to fight. He then asked that Urroh be shown the camels marked for
sacrifice. Escorted by some Muslims, Urroh went to the camping site and returned
after seeing the camels. It seemed that he did not believe that Muslims had only come to
perform pilgrimage. He stretched out his hand and with great dare touching the
Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
face, said, "O Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace)! Are you absolutely sure that these people surrounding you will be
at your side in battle and will not run away leaving you alone". On seeing this, one of the Muslims "Mugheerah bin Shoaba"
pricked Urrohs hand by the tip of his sword and said angrily, "O Urroh! Be
respectful and do not put your hand at the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace)s face while talking". Urroh
withdrew. At this, Abu BakrR.A addressed him, "O
Urroh! We could have put you to death, had you not come here as an emissary but listen! We
Muslims never leave our Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) during a war. Had you been in the battles of Badr or Uhud, you
would have seen the devotion of the Muslims with the Prophet of Allah, and not felt the
need to ask such a question!" |
After having this answer, Urroh bin Masood left for Makkah and
explained his observations to the elders of Quraysh, "O sages of Quraysh! I have seen
the court of Rome and that of Abyssinias King Najashi, but the devotion and the
loyalty in the hearts of the Muslims for Muhammad (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) I have never seen anywhere". After Urroh bin Masood, another person of Banu Kananah tribe, left for
Hudaybiyyah. He went there as the representative of Quraysh to meet the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and other
Muslims to know about their intentions and purpose of visit. When the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) was told that the person who had come from Makkah belonged
to Banu Kananah the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) said that this was a tribe whose members held the sacrificial camels
in high esteem. He instructed that the sacrificial camels be brought forth and shown so
that he could see them. The Muslims did as told and drove the camels forward while they
followed behind reciting the famous Hajj declaration, "I am at Your service, O Allah
I am at Your service". As soon as the Makkan representative saw these camels and the Muslims
reciting the declaration, he returned satisfied, and told the Quraysh that he himself had
seen the camels of sacrifice marked with "Saleeqah", besides, he had also heard
them reciting the Hajj declaration, therefore, there was no doubt that they had come to
Holy Kabah only for pilgrimage therefore they should not be obstructed. In spite of this re-assurance, the anxiety of the Quraysh was not
mitigated. They could not reach upon a final decision and thus opted for another person to
be sent to Hudaybiyyah for the same purpose. This time, the task was assigned to Halis bin
Alqamah - the chief of Ahabesh tribe. This tribe was among the tribes living in the
contours of Makkah, and the Quraysh greatly respected Halis-Bin-Alqamah. They considered
him a pious and a righteous person. He left for Hudaybiyyah. When he reached there, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) instructed
Muslims to leave him at his free will to see, observe and speak to anyone he pleased.
Halis bin Alqamah observed that all the Muslims were clad in Ahram and the camels marked
with the specific symbol. He saw no sign of armoury, but rather a few camels plucking the
hair of other camels owing to intense hunger. After seeing this, Halis bin Alqamah swiftly reached Makkah and
described his observations in the assembly of Quraysh, "O chiefs of Makkah! I can
surely say that the Muslims have the objective of pilgrimage alone. They have not come for
anything else. In my opinion they should be allowed to come to Makkah so that like other
people, they could offer pilgrimage to the Holy Kabah". The Quraysh replied that they feared only the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Islam. If he entered
Makkah, he might try to possess their city. Halis bin Alqamah replied with firm belief,
"I am prepared to swear that Muhammad (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) and his companions have come with no purpose but to
offer pilgrimage. If they had thought of occupying Makkah, they would not have come empty
handed but would have brought with them war-provisions. I have not seen a single spear or
armour in their tents". In spite of this explanation, the Quraysh elders did not agree to let
the Muslims come, Halis got angry and expressed, "This act of yours is an
unpardonable sin. Who has given you the right to obstruct the pilgrims? Do you not know
that pilgrimage to Holy Kabah is open to all the people of the world, provided they
have faith in Holy Kabah. By what authority do you stop the Muslims, who have
complete faith in Holy Kabah? If you dissuade Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) or his followers from entering Makkah
do not consider me on your side". Some of the Quraysh chiefs tried to tone him down and said, "O
Halis, you are a desert inhabitant - an honest and a truthful person - but too naive, that
is why you fail to apprehend the motives of other people. Be patient so that we council a
bit more and adopt a way for the good of Makkans". |