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your Lord? It is We who portion out amongst them their
livelihood in this worldly life and We raise some of them
amongst others in rank so that some may employ the others (in
their work). And the mercy of your Lord is far better than (the
wealth) they are amassing.' (In other words, the fortunes of the
hereafter are far superior to the blessings of this world. So, if
the distribution of worldly livelihood is not based on their
opinion, how can the fortune related to the hereafter
(prophethood) ever be based on their opinions?) [Sûrah
Zukhruf verse 31] {Ibn Hishâm volume 1 page 126}
Put differently, material wealth, affluence, worldly honour and
reputation is certainly not the basis of prophethood. On one
occasion, a few chieftains of the Quraysh including Walid bin
Mughîrah, Umayyah bin Khalaf, Abû Jahal, 'Utbah bin Rabî'ah
and Shaybah bin Rabî'ah approached Rasûlullah % to make
some enquiries about Islâm. Whilst Rasûlullah % was in the
process of preaching to them, 'Abdullân ibn Ummi Maktûm -
the blind Muazzin of Rasûlullah *'s Musjid - also came to
enquire about some issue. Rasûlullah ¿ reckoned that Ibn
Ummu Maktûm is after all a Muslim. He can enquire later on at
some other time. These people on the other hand, are the
influential folks of society. If they embrace Islam, thousands of
others will follow. This is why Rasûlullah % did not pay much
attention towards Ibn Ummi Maktûm. In fact, owing to his ill-
timed intrusion, a few traces of a scowl appeared on Rasûlullah
's blessed countenance. He should have waited for the first
meeting to conclude before butting in like this, thought
Rasûlullâh . However, the mercy of Allah Ta'ala flared up
and the following verses were revealed:
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"He (Rasûlullah ) frowned and turned away because there
came to him the blind man. And how do you know? He may
just purify himself (from all sins). Or perhaps he might receive
admonition and this advice may benefit him. As for him who
considers himself independent, to him you attended. There is
(no blame) upon you if he does not become pure (from
disbelief and kufr etc.). But as for he who came running to you
whilst he was afraid (of Allâh Ta'âlâ), you are neglectful of
him (by diverting your attention to others).Nay, this (Qurân) is
an admonition ..... [Sûrah 'Abasa verses 1-11]
Subsequent to this incident, whenever 'Abdullah ibn Ummi
Maktum appeared before Rasûlullah , he would reverently lay
his sheet down for him saying: "Welcome to him in whose
regards my Lord reprimanded me."
Abû Qays bin Al-Fâkihah
He was also instrumental in ruthlessly persecuting Rasûlullâh
g. He was one of the select assistants and sidekicks of Abû
Jahal. Abû Qays was killed in the battle of Badr at the hands of
Hadrat Hamzah رضي الله عنه .[Ibn Athir volume 2 page 26]
Nadr bin Harith
He was also one of the chieftains of the Quraysh. He would
often travel to Persia on business. On his travels, he would
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purchase stories and historical chronicles of the non-Arab
monarchs. He would then share these narratives with the
Quraysh. He would tell the Quraysh: "Muhammad relates the
stories of 'Ad and Thamud to you but I will share with you the
legends of Rustam, Asfandiyar and the Persian monarchs."
People took great delight in listening to these stories (like the
novels of today). People would pay more attention to the
accounts of his legendary fables than they paid to the Holy
Qurân. He also purchased a singing slave girl whose musical
talents he exploited by making people listen to her melodious
voice. Whenever he learnt of anyone predisposed to Islâm, he
would take this slave to him and bid her to entertain him with
food, drink and music. He would then ask him: "Tell me, is this
better than what Muhammad invites you to? Is this better than
his directives on Salâh, Saum and Jihad against the enemies of
Allâh?"
Upon this, the following verses were revealed:
"And amongst people there is a person who purchases idle talk
(music, singing etc.) to mislead people from the path of Allâh
without knowledge and he takes this (path of Allâh or the Holy
Qurân) as a form of mockery. For such people there is a
humiliating punishment (in hell). And when our verses are
recited to him, he turns away in arrogance as though he hasn't
heard them as if there is a mass (deafness) in his ears. So offer
him glad tidings of an agonizing punishment." [Sûrah Luqmân
verses 6-7]
Note: Entertaining people with food, drink and singing girls to
deflect them from their religious convictions are an ancient
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ploy of the people of falsehood. The Christians in particular are
exceedingly skilful in this and in emulation of them, the Aryans
(modern reformist but fanatical Hindu sect) also adopted this
approach. A person whom Allâh Ta'âlâ has given a wee bit of
intellect will realise that this is not the approach of the
faithfully devoted but the approach of the faithless hedonists.
May Allâh Ta'âlâ protect us all.
Nadr bin Harith was captured in the battle of Badr and as per
the directive of Rasulullah , he was slain by Hadrat 'Alî
[27 Ibn Athir volume 2 page] . رضي الله عنه
'Âs bin Wail Sahmî
'As bin Wail Sahmî was the father of Hadrat 'Amr bin 'Âs
He (the father) was also one of the people who .رضي الله عنه
vigorously engaged in poking fun at and ridiculing the blessed
personality of Rasûlullah .
All Rasûlullah 's sons passed away in infancy. In deriding
Rasûlullah , 'Âs bin Wail commented:
"Indeed Muhammad is an Abtar. None of his sons survive."
The word Abtar refers to an animal with a severed tail. A
person who is not survived by male descendants or a person not
remembered by anyone is like an animal with a severed tail.
(As though the person's lineage is now severed and
terminated.)
Upon this, the following verse was revealed:
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"Verily your enemy is an Abtar (cut off from all good in the
hereafter)." [Sûrah Kawthar verse 3]
Rasûlullah is fondly remembered by millions of people
(unlike his enemies).
A month after Hijrah, 'Âs was bitten by an animal on his leg.
This caused such swelling that his leg turned as thick as a
camel's neck. This casualty ultimately led to his death. [Ibn
Athîr volume 2 page 26]
Nubaih and Munabbihah, the sons of Hajjaj
Nubaih and Munabbihah were also bitter enemies of Rasûlullâh
. Whenever they laid eyes on Rasûlullah %, they caustically
commented: "What, couldn't Allâh find anyone else to appoint
as His messenger?"
Both of them were killed in the battle of Badr. [Ibn Athîr
volume 2 page 26]
Aswad bin Al-Muttalib
Whenever Aswad bin Muttalib and his cronies came across
Rasulullah and his Sahabah رضي الله عنهم, they would roll their
eyes, wink at each other and mockingly say: "Are these the
people who propose to rule the earth? Are they the people who
portend to seize the treasures of Caesar and Chosroes?" Making
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such sarcastic remarks, they would whistle and clap hands.
Rasûlullah % cursed him in the following words: "O Allâh?
Make him blind (so that he is unable to wink his eyes in
derision) and destroy his son." As a result, Aswad immediately
turned blind whilst his son was killed in the battle of Badr.
Whilst the Quraysh were frantically making preparations for
the battle of Uhud, he was ill but, notwithstanding this, his
efforts in inciting his people against Rasûlullâh % persisted. He
died before the battle of Uhud. [Ibn Athîr volume 2 page 27]
Aswad bin 'Abdi-Yaghuth
Aswad bin 'Abdi-Yaghuth was Rasûlullah
's mother's
brother's son. His family lineage is as follows: Aswad bin
'Abdi-Yaghûth bin Wahab bin Munaf bin Zuhrah. He was also
one of the most bitter enemies of Rasûlullah . Whenever he
saw the poor Muslims, he would sarcastically remark: "These
are the future kings of the world who will become the heirs of
Chosroes' kingdom." Whenever he laid eyes on Rasûlullah ,
he would derisively say things like: "What's the matter, nothing
came down from the heavens today?"
Hârith bin Qays Sahmî
He was also referred to as Harith bin 'Aytalah. 'Aytalah was
his mother's name whilst his father was Harith. He was also
one of those who ardently engaged in deriding and mocking the
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companions of Rasûlullah . He would often remark:
"Muhammad has deceived his companions by leading them to
believe in life after death."
Allâh Ta'âlâ portrays this in the verse: "They say, by Allâh!
Nothing but time annihilates us." [Sûrah Al-Jâthiyah verse 24]
When their mockery and scorn went beyond reasonable limits,
Allâh Ta'âlâ revealed the following verses to comfort
Rasûlullah :
"So proclaim what you have been commanded and (if the
polytheists refuse to comply) turn away from the polytheists.
Verily, We will suffice for you against the mockers." [Sûrah
Al-Hijr verse 94]
The most active in mocking Rasûlullah % were the following
five people: Aswad bin 'Abdi-Yagûth, Walîd bin Mughîrah,
Aswad bin 'Abdul-Muttalib, 'As bin Wail and Harith bin Qays.
On one occasion Rasûlullah * was busy making Tawaf of the
Baitullâh 117
when Jibrail عليه السلام appeared before him.
Whilst Rasûlullah was complaining to Jibrail Sullade
about the excessive mockery of these people, Walid bin
Mughîrah happened to pass before Rasûlullah . Rasûlullah
pointed out that this is Walid. Jibraîl indicated towards Walid's
117 This narration was extracted from Rûhul-Ma'ânî volume 14 page 78 but
the incident dealing with the Tawaf is extracted from the narration of Ibn
Ishaq which is related by Ibn Kathîr under the commentary of the
aforementioned verse.
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jugular vein. Rasûlullah % asked: "What? What is it?" Jibraîl
replied: "You are sufficed against Walid." Thereafter, Aswad
bin Muttalib happened to pass by. Rasûlullah % commented:
"This is Aswad bin Muttalib." Jibrail عليه السلام indicated
towards his eyes. Rasûlullah asked: "What is it?" Jibraîl
replied: "You are sufficed against Aswad bin Muttalib.
Thereafter Aswad bin 'Abdi-Yaghuth passed by. Jibraîl
indicated towards his head and as per the previous inquiry of
Rasûlullâh , Jibraîl said: "You have been sufficed."
Thereafter, Harith happened to pass by. Jibraîl pointed to his
stomach and said: "You have been sufficed." Thereafter along
came 'Âs bin Wail. Pointing towards the soles of his feet,
Jibraîl said: "You have been sufficed."
What happened to Walid is that once he came across a man
from the Khuzâ'ah tribe who was engaged in the manufacture
of arrows. Accidentally, Walid's foot fell onto one of his
arrows thereby causing a minor injury to his foot. He barely
pointed to his foot when the injury started spurting blood. This
minor injury proved fatal for him. The story of Aswad bin
Muttalib is that he just sat beneath an acacia tree when he
suddenly screamed out to his sons: "Help me! Help me!
Someone is poking thorns into my eyes." Hi sons replied: "We
don't see anyone around." He went on yelling like this until he
turned blind. What happened to Aswad bin 'Abdi-Yagûth is that
Jibraîl merely indicated towards his head when suddenly his
whole head erupted in pustules and pimples. He ultimately died
from this affliction. What happened to Harith was that he
abruptly fell so ill that he started evacuating faecal matter from
his mouth. This in due course led to his death. What happened
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to 'Âs bin Wail was that he was on his way to Taif on a donkey
when he unexpectedly fell off the donkey onto a patch of
thorny grass. He was pricked by an insignificant thorn but the
injury caused by this rather tiny thorn was so severe that it
proved fatal for him. [Extracted by Tabrânî118 in Awsat and
Bayhaqî and Abû Nu'aim in Dalâil and Ibn Mardwiyyah with a
satisfactory Sanad (chain of narrators).]
On the basis of the aforementioned incidents, readers are urged
to contemplate whether coercion and intimidation was
employed in the spread of Islam or whether coercion and
transgression was used against the eradication and suppression
of Islâm.
Persecution of the Muslims
(Within it is mercy and outside it is agony.) [Sûrah Hadîd verse
13]
Just as Islâm continued spreading far and wide and just as the
Muslims continued growing in number, the rage and
antagonism of the polytheists of Makkah also intensified
proportionately. The disbelievers really didn't have much
118 Also narrated in Khasâisu-Kubrâ volume 1 page 146 and in Tafsîr Ibn
Kathîr under Sûrah Al-Hijr volume 5 page 336 old print without any
endorsement of the Sanad. This is only mentioned in Rûh Al-Ma'ânî
volume 14 page 78.
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influence and dominance over the Muslims who had patronage
and support (within their respective clans) but the pitiable
Muslims who neither enjoyed any support nor sanctuary fell
victim to the unrelenting persecution and brutality of the
disbelievers of Makkah. Some Muslims fell prey to their
relentless beatings whilst others were confined to dark and
narrow cages.
Hereunder we recount a few incidents highlighting the sheer
brutality and ruthlessness of the Makkan polytheists and the
inviolable endurance and forbearance of the Sahabah
- رضي الله عنهم
رضي الله عنه Sayyidina Bilal bin Rabah
119
(The Imâm of the callers to Salah and success)
He was an Abyssinian by lineage. He was the slave of
Umayyah bin Khalaf. In the midst of the afternoon, when the
heat was at its fiercest and the boulders of the desert turned
blazing hot, he (Umayyah, the master) would direct his servants
to lay Bilâl down onto the baking stones of the desert and place
a boulder onto his chest to restrict his movements. He would
then bellow at him: "You will die like this. If you have any
hope of salvation, renounce Muhammad and start praying to
Lât and 'Uzzâ. But even in these trying times, nothing but the
119
Rabâh was the name of his father. His mother's name was Rahmamah.
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words "Ahad Ahad (He is one, He is one)" would stem from
his mouth. [Sîrat Ibn Hishâm volume 1 page 109]
Persian Couplet: "You can cast a mountain of gold before a
Muwahhid (monotheist) or stand with an Indian sabre over his
head, nothing will deter him from his beliefs.
His fears and aspirations are not associated with anyone else
and this is the very core of Tauhid."
Occasionally he would drape him in cowhide or fit him out
with a suit of armour and force him to sit in the scorching sun.
Even in this state of horrible torture, the words "Ahad, Ahad"
would emanate from his tongue. [Tabqât Ibn S'ad volume 3
pages 26-27]
When Umayyah, his master realised that Bilal's determination
and tenacity is not influenced in the least, he tied a rope around
his neck and committed him to the charge of some young boys
who continued dragging him around the city but despite these
odds he persisted in uttering the words "Ahad, Ahad". [Tabqât
Ibn S'ad volume 3 pages 26-27] Hâkim says that this narration
is based on an authentic Sanad although the Hadîth is not
extracted by Bukhârî and Muslim. Zahabî also endorses this
view. [Mustadrak volume 3 page 284]
Consistent with this wave of unrelenting torture, Hadrat Bilal
was being turned into a target of their ruthless رضي الله عنه
tyranny when Hadrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه happened to pass by.
Witnessing this pitiful and intolerable scene before him, he
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addressed Umayyah, the master, saying: "Don't you fear Allâh?
Until when will this agonising torture continue?"
Umayyah replied: "You are responsible for turning him into
this wreck. Now you are obliged to release him. Abu Bakr
replied: "Very well. I have a slave who is extremely رضي الله عنه
strong and he is passionately devoted to your faith. Take him in
exchange of Bilal and surrender Bilal to my care. Umayyah
consented to this offer. Hadrat Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه then took
Bilâl along with him and subsequently set him free. [Sîrat Ibn
Hishâm volume 1 page 109]
The brutal torture and dreadful injuries inflicted by the
رضي الله عنه polytheists upon the best of Muazzins Hadrat Bilal
left horrible scars on his back. These scars were clearly visible
whenever his back happened to be exposed.
Arabic couplet: Bilâl encountered a great degree of adversity
at the hands of Umayyah,
But fortitude proved to be his superlative host against hardship.
The enemy subjected him to a life of misery whilst he proved
himself to be a man of indefatigable forte.
They hurled him prostrate onto the scorching rocks of the
plains of Makkah and placed huge boulders onto his body.
But he persisted in proclaiming the unity of Allâh and there
were scars like traces of an abandoned encampment upon his
entire back.
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If the back of the friend of Allah was carved out then the heart
of the enemy of Allah was also carved out (of stone).
[Mawâhib]
رضي الله عنه Ammar bin Yasir،
Ammar bin Yasir dicail , was essentially a man of Qahtânî
descent. His father Yâsir came to Makkah in search of one of
his missing brothers. His two brothers, Harith and Malik also
accompanied him on this journey. Harith and Malik returned to
Yemen whilst Yasir decided to stay over in Makkah
Mukarramah. He then established an alliance with Abû
Huzaifah Makhzûmî. Abû Huzaifah got him married to his
slave woman Sumayyah bintu Khayyât and from this union
'Ammar was born. Yasir and 'Ammar lived with Abû Huzaifah
right until the end of his life. When Allâh Ta'âlâ subsequently
exposed Islâm, Yâsir, Sumayyah, 'Ammâr and his brother
'Abdullah bin Yasir all embraced Islam. Hadrat 'Ammar also
had another elder brother by the name of Huraith bin Yâsir who
was murdered at the hands of Banud-Dail in the times of
Jâhiliyyah (pre-Islamic era). [Tabqât Ibn S'ad volume 3 page
176]
Since 'Ammar bin Yasir had no family nor tribe in Makkah to
support him, the Quraysh doggedly persecuted him and
inflicted him with a multitude of tormenting afflictions. In the
midst of the scorching noon heat, they would lay him onto the
blazing sand and beat him up so severely that he would fall
unconscious. At times they would hurl him into (a dam) of
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water and at times they would force him to lie down on a bed of
blazing coals. On such occasions, whenever Rasulullah
happened to pass by, he would pass his hands over 'Ammâr's
head and say:
"O Fire! Turn cool and safe upon 'Ammar as you had
transformed yourself for Ibrâhîm."
Whenever Rasûlullah % witnessed 'Ammar or his father Yâsir
or his mother Sumayyah in hardship, he would advise them: "O
family of Yâsir! Exercise patience." Sometimes, he would
utter: "O Allâh! Forgive the family of Yâsir." Sometimes he
would remark: "Glad tidings upon you! Jannat is eagerly
awaiting your arrival." [Tabqât Ibn S'ad]
Hadrat 'Alî Lcals, narrates that he heard Rasûlullah
saying: "From head to toe, 'Ammar is imbued with faith. (He is
an embodiment of Îmân.)" This Hadîth is narrated in Jâm'î
Tirmidî and Ibn Mâjah. The Sanad of this Hadîth is
satisfactory. [Al-Isabah volume 2 page 512] This Hadîth is also
extracted by Bazzâr on the authority of Hadrat 'Âyeshah
with an authentic Sanad. Nasaie also narrates this رضى الله عنها
Hadîth with an authentic Sanad. [Fathul-Barî volume 7 page 72
under the chapter dealing with the Manâqib of 'Ammar
[. رضي الله عنه
Once Hadrat 'Ammar رضي الله عنه removed his shirt when a few
bystanders happened to catch sight of black scars covering his
back. When asked about these scars, he replied: "The Quraysh
of Makkah would lay me down on the scorching stones (of the
Makkan desert). These are the scars of those injuries. [Tabqât
Ibn S'ad volume 3 page 3 page 77]
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رضي الله عنه The same brutality was meted out to his father Yasir
and his mother Sumayyah رضي الله عنها .Mujahid says: "Initially,
just seven people openly proclaimed their belief in Islam. They
(رضي الله عنه Bilal,رضي الله عنه were, Rasulullah , Abu Bakr
Khabbab رضي الله عنه , Suhaib رضي الله عنه, 'Ammar رضي الله عنه and
Sumayyah رضى الله عنها. Owing to their noble family
connections, the polytheists of Makkah were unable to wield
absolute domination over Rasûlullah
and Abu Bakr
,However, the remaining five; Bilal, Khabbab .رضى الله عنه
Suhaib, 'Ammar and Sumayyah رضي الله عنهم were persistently
subject to their relentless brutality. In the midst of the midday
heat, they would dress them in metallic armour and force them
to stand in the blistering heat. One day, Abû Jahal appeared
before them. (In a fit of rage), he thrust a spear into Hadrat
Sumayyah's (رضي الله عنها) private part. This wound proved fatal.
She subsequently died a Shahîd." Extracted by Abû bin Abî
Shaybah on the authority of Mujahid. This is a Mursal but
authentic Hadîth. [Al-Isâbah volume 4 page 335] See Tabqât
-رضي الله عنها Ibn S'ad under the chapter dealing with Sumayyah
In Tabqât Ibn S'ad it is narrated with an authentic Sanad on the
authority of Mujahid that the first martyr in Islam was Hadrat
Sumayyah رضي الله عنها who was exceptionally old and weak.
When Abû Jahal was put to death on the occasion of the battle
رضي الله عنه of Badr, Rasulullah addressed Hadrat 'Ammar
thus: "Allâh has slain your mother's killer."
In the same gruelling and brutal circumstances, Hadrat Yâsir
-رضي الله عنها passed away before Hadrat Sumayyah رضي الله عنه
[Fathul-Bârî volume 7 page 17]
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رضي اللهعنه Suhaib bin Sinan
Suhaib was actually a native of the vicinity of Mûsil. His father
and uncle were governors of Ubullah whilst it was a dominion
of the Persian Empire under the rule of Chosroe. Once this area
came under fierce attack from the Romans. Suhaib was barely a
young boy at that time. During the course of the Roman pillage
and plunder, he was seized by the Romans and hauled away to
Rome. This is where he grew up. Hence the name "Suhaib Al-
Rûmî" (Suhaib, the Roman). A person of the Banû Kalb tribe
purchased him from the Romans and brought him over to
Makkah. In Makkah, 'Abdullah bin Jad'ân purchased him and
set him free. When Rasûlullah % launched his public invitation
towards Islam, Hadrat 'Ammar رضي الله عنه and Hadrat Suhaib
both appeared together in Daru Arqam and embraced رضي الله عنه
Islam. Just as they persecuted Hadrat 'Ammar, the polytheists
of Makkah also subjected Hadrat Suhaib رضي الله عنه to a stream
of wide-ranging modes of torture. When he intended to
emigrate from Makkah, the Quraysh of Makkah demanded that
he may only depart if he leaves behind all his goods and wealth
in Makkah otherwise he is prohibited from emigrating. Hadrat
Suhaib consented to this ultimatum and giving a boot to the
ephemeral vanities of this world, he emigrated. When he
reached Madînah Munawwarah and related this incident to
Rasûlullah , he commented: "Suhaib has unquestionably
profited in his trade." In other words, by him trading in his
dunyâ in exchange for his hereafter, he has netted a healthy
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profit. In regards to this, Allâh Ta'âlâ revealed the following
verse:
"And there are some people who sell themselves in pursuit of
the pleasure of Allâh. And Allâh is exceptionally kind to the
servants." [Sûrah Baqarah verse 207]
According to another narration, Rasûlullah repeatedly
affirmed: "Suhaib has earned a healthy profit. Suhaib has
earned a healthy profit."
'Umar bin Hakam relates: "The polytheists of Makkah would
torment 'Ammâr, Suhaib, Abûâidah and 'Âmir bin Fuhayrah
to such an unbearable level that they would often رضي الله عنهم
fall unconscious and at times they would be beaten senseless.
This state of senselessness was so severe that quite often, they
didn't even realise what they were uttering.
In regards to such people, the following verse was revealed:
"Then, your Lord - for those who migrated after suffering
misfortunes and then they migrated and exercised forbearance,
verily your Lord, after these things, is rather kind and
merciful." [Sûrah Al-Nahl verse 110]
This verse was revealed in respect of the aforementioned
people. [Al-Isâbah volume 2 page 195, Tabqât Ibn S'ad volume
3 page 160]
رضي الله عنه Khabbab bin Al-Aratt
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Khabbab bin Al-Aratt رضي الله عنه was from amongst the first
group of persons to embrace Islâm. It is said that he was the
sixth person to enter Islam. He was honoured with Islam even
before entering Dâru Arqam. He was a slave of Ummu Anmâr.
When she learnt of his conversion to Islam she subjected him to
an assortment of pain and suffering. [Isâbah volume 1 page
416]
Once Hadrat Khabbab رضي الله عنه went to meet Hadrat 'Umar
,Assigning him a seat on his personal seating place. رضي الله عنه
Hadrat Umar رضي الله عنه remarked: "Nobody is more eligible to
this seat than you except Bilal رضي الله عنه ." Upon this, Hadrat
Khabbâb remarked: "O Amîrul-Muminîn! Even Bilâl is not
more eligible than I am because Bilal enjoyed some support
from at least a few polytheists during that period of suffering
and anguish. At any rate, some of them supported and protected
him whilst I enjoyed absolutely no support from any one of
them. I recall one day when these polytheists of Makkah laid
me flat over blazing coals. One of them placed his foot over my
chest so that I am unable to shift about." Hadrat Khabbâb
then lifted his kurtah to expose ashen scars covering رضى الله عنه
his back. [Tabqât Ibn S'ad volume 3 page 117]
Khabbab bin Al-Aratt says: "In the pre-Islamic days of
ignorance, I was a blacksmith by trade. I was well skilled in the
forging of swords. On one occasion I produced a sword for 'Âs
bin Wâil. When the time came to pay for his sword, he
declared: "I refuse to pay you a cent until you renounce
Muhammad (*)." I replied: "Even if you had to die and be
resurrected, I will never renounce Muhammad Rasûlullah ."
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Life of the Prophet
'Âs sarcastically enquired: "Will I be resurrected after my
death?" Khabbab رضى الله عنه replied: "Yes, of course." To this,
'Âs scornfully replied: "When Allâh puts me to death and
resurrects me once again and I have the same wealth and
children in my possession, I will settle my debt with you."
Upon this, Allâh Ta'âlâ revealed the following verses of the
Holy Quran:
"Did you behold the one who denies our signs and say: 'I will
certainly be bestowed with wealth and children (in the
hereafter).' Is he conscious of the unseen or has he taken a
covenant from Allâh? Never! We will record what he says (as a
form of evidence against him in the hereafter) and We will
persist in prolonging his torment (in the hereafter). And We
shall inherit all what he speaks of (wealth and children) and he
will appear before us alone."120
[Sahîh Bukhârî page 691 Tafsîr
Surah Maryam, Fathul-Barî volume 8 page 326]
رضي اللهعنه Abu Fukayhah Juhani
Abû Fukayhah was actually his appellation. His name was
Yasâr although he was better known by his appellation of Abû
Fukayhah. He was the slave of Safwan bin Umayyah. Umayyah
bin Khalaf would sometimes get a rope tied to his feet and
pitilessly drag him around. At times, he would shackle his feet
120
Sûrah Maryam verses 77-80.
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Life of the Prophet
with leg irons and force him to lie face down on the scorching
sand with a huge boulder placed on his back. This was so
agonizing that he often fell unconscious. Sometimes he would
viciously throttle him.
One day Umayyah bin Khalaf had him pinned to the scorching
ground and he was busy throttling him when Umayyah bin
Khalaf's brother Ubayy bin Khalaf happened to pass by.
Instead of this callous man taking pity on him, he urged his
brother to throttle him even more. He throttled him so
ruthlessly that people thought he was no more. Fortunately Abû
Bakr رضي الله عنه happened to pass that way. He purchased Abu
Fukayhah رضي الله عنه and set him free. [Al-Isti'ab volume 4
page 157]
رضي الله عنها Zanirah
Hadrat Zanirah رضي الله عنها was amongst the first group of
women to embrace Islam. She was the slave of Hadrat 'Umar
Before he embraced Islam), 'Umar would). رضي الله عنه
relentlessly beat her until he himself would be exhausted. Abû
Jahal also harassed her a great deal. Whenever Abû Jahal and
the other chieftains of Makkah caught sight of Zanîrah
they would contemptuously say: "If Islam was an ,رضي الله عنها
admirable religion and if it was something grand, people like
Zanîrah would not have beaten us to it."
In reaction to this, Allâh Ta'âlâ revealed the following verse:
340