UMRAH OF THE PROPHETP.B.U.H |
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) had decided to offer Umrah with his followers in 6 A.H, but
the idolaters of Makkah had intervened and the result had been the treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
One of the clause of this treaty permitted the Muslims to come to Holy Kabah for
pilgrimage the next year, provided they stayed no longer than three days. In 7 A.H, (629
AD), the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
left for Makkah to offer Umrah. He was accompanied by one thousand companions. The Muslims going for pilgrimage had no weapons, except swords. The
sword was part and parcel of their dress. When the Muslims entered Makkah, the Quraysh
became frightened and left for the hills situated in front of Holy Kabah to watch
the Muslims from a distance. They were afraid that the Muslims might attack them. The
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
observed precautions, before entering Makkah. He appointed a cavalry of one hundred
soldiers led by Muhammad bin Muslimah at Miraldohran, in the vicinity of Makkah and
ordered them to stay vigilant all the time. Muhammad Muslimah and his companions climbed a hill situated in
Miraldohran from where they could watch Makkah. The Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) final instructions to
Muhammad Muslimah were, "If you see the unbelievers attacking us, then come to our
assistance, otherwise stay here till our return". When BilalR.As voice
reverberated in the air of Makkah, "Allah is Great, Allah is Great". "There
is no Allah but Allah", the idolaters standing at the nearby hills, writhed with rage
and fury. They had expected that the huge idols of Holy Kabah would crash the skies
onto the Muslims or would turn them to a heap of chaff by showering them with stones.
Nothing undesirable happened to the Muslims. Not even a single speck or stone fell from
the skies. Instead the atmosphere of Makkah was purified with the echoes of the
heathen-shattering words of "Allah is Great". The sketch showing inner structure of the Holy Ka Dimensions of the Holy Kabah Outer Dimensions 13.20 X 11.27 meters Inner Dimensions 10.15 X 8.0 meters Outer Height 12.96 meters Inner Height 8.32 meters
When the Muslims started circumambulating the Holy Kabah in company of their Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), their eyes became wet with passion. UmarR.A bin Khatab, who was with the strongest of heart and a resolute man, started crying loudly. The Muslims had been craving for the Holy Kabah since long remembering how the Quraysh had restricted their entry into the Holy Kabah after they had come into faith. It was unbelievable for Muslims that they were offering pilgrimage at the Holy Kabah. At the end of Hajj rites, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) decided to marry a very reputed lady of Makkah named MaimoonaR.A bint Haris. She entered into matrimony with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). She was sister-in-law to AbbasR.A - the Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) uncle. MaymunahR.A had eight sisters who were wives of influential and prominent men of Makkah. This important step taken by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was to enhance natural ties with the Quraysh. |
Three famous Islamic historians, Ibn-e-Hisham, Zafhashrt, Ibn-e-Habib,
write that whosoever wedded Maymunah automatically stood in relationship with all the
Makkans. Ibn-e-Hisham writes that Maymunahs mother Hind, held the highest status
among all the Arab women. Another benefit by this marriage was that the famous chief of
Makkah, Khalid bin Walid also became the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace)s relative. He was nephew of Maymunah. She
had brought him up like her own children. When she became the Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) wife,
Khalid bin Walid, in a way, came to be known as his foster son. By this marriage the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) was also able to invite the elders of Makkah to
a feast to eat alongside the Muslims at the same table. This wedding feast was the best
source of a mutual sitting. On the second day after Hajj, arrangements for this feast began. The
Makkans were still occupying the adjacent hills. They could not muster up the courage to
come down and enter Makkah. They were gripped by a strange feeling. The religious fervour
of the Muslims, the call for prayer given by BilalR.A and
the disciplined lives of believers at prayer times, overwhelmed the Makkans. The effect of
this was so great that Khalid bin Walid, standing at the top of the mountain, said,
"This religion, whose followers are so sincerely devoted to it, cannot be a
deception" If their religion had even an iota of deceit, these people would not have
attached themselves to him with such devotion. On the third day of his stay at Makkah the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) sent a messenger to the
Quraysh inviting them to the wedding-feast, but before the messenger could reach them, a
Qurayshi delegation entered Makkah and made their way straight to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Abdul Aza
was leading the delegation. Aza was the name of one of the three greater idols of Holy Kabah.
Names like Abdul Aza, Abdul-Lat and Abdul-Manat, were common. The Makkans knew Allah as
Allah. They worshipped him like Lat and Manat. Before Islam, the name of the
Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
father was Abdullah. In the eyes of the Makkans Allah had no supremacy over other gods.
They considered Allah as the Allah of IbrahimR.A, and
thus they respected Him as well. When Abdul Aza and his delegation reached, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), they saw
him and his companions busy arranging the feast. When Abdul Aza came to know that the
feast would be given as the wedding-party and the Quraysh would also be invited, he said,
"O Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace),
you with your companions must leave Makkah instantly, as, according to the pact your stay
is coming to an end today". The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) honouring the Pact, cancelled the feast, and left for Madinah
with his companions the very same day. The Muslims had not gone far when Khalid bin Walid
joined the Muslim caravan, his heart had been deeply moved by their unity, faith and
discipline. He longed to become a Muslim and enter Faith. Afterwards, as a Muslim
commander, he demonstrated such feats of valour and bravery that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) bestowed
upon him the title of "Saif Ullah" - the sword of Allah. AliR.A
was honoured by the title of "Asad Ullah" - the lion of Allah after the battle
of Khaybar but none of the Muslims came to be honoured as Saif Ullah. This unique honour
and title was bestowed upon Khalid bin Walid only. When Khalid bin Walid was going towards the Muslim caravan to become a
Muslim, he met in the way a person coming from Abyssinia. His name was Umroah bin
Alas. He too was in search of the Muslim caravan to accept Faith. According to the pact of Hudaybiyyah, if a Makkan citizen joined the
Muslims without the permission of the Quraysh, the Muslims were to deliver the person back
to the Quraysh. When a person as Khalid bin Walid joined the Muslims, the Quraysh dared
not recover him, as they had come to realise that Islam was becoming stronger and more
popular than ever before. |