Indexed OCR Text

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
'Abdullah bin Umayyah exclaimed: "O Abû Tâlib! Do you
wish to renounce the creed of 'Abdul-Muttalib?"
Abû Tâlib refused to utter Lâ Ilâhâ Illallâh and the very last
words to leave his tongue were "'Alâ Millati 'Abdil-Muttalib.
In other words, I am committed to the creed of 'Abdul-
Muttalib."
Abû Tâlib died saying this but Rasûlullah % pledged to
continue making Du'â of forgiveness for him until Allâh Ta'âlâ
does not prohibit him. Upon this the following verse was
revealed:
"It is not permissible for the Prophet and the believers to seek
forgiveness for the polytheists even if they are relatives when it
is evident to them that they are inmates of hell. (In other words,
they died in disbelief.)" [Sûrah Tawbah verse 114]
The following verse was also revealed in this regard:
"You are unable to guide whom you wish but Allâh guides
whomsoever he chooses to." [Sûrah Qasas verse 56]
Hadrat 'Abbas 132 relates: " I asked Rasûlullah , 'of what
benefit were you to your uncle? After all, he was your
132 'Allâmah Suhaylî writes in Rawdul-Anf and Hâfiz Ibn Sayyidin-Nâs
writes in 'Uyûn Al-Athar volume 1 page 133 and Hâfiz 'Asqalânî writes in
Fathul-Bârî volume 7 page 148 that this question posed by Hadrat 'Abbâs
clearly indicates that the narration attributed to Hadrat 'Abbâs citing the
Îmân of Abû Tâlib is incorrect. The narration in question is that at the time
of his death, Abû Tâlib's lips were visibly moving. Hadrat 'Abbâs put his
ears to his mouth and subsequently informed Rasûlullah Sallallâhû 'Alayhi
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Wasallam: "He has uttered the words you have asked him to express."
Rasûlullâh Sallallâhû 'Alayhi Wasallam replied: "I did not hear him."
The reason this narration is unsound is that if Hadrat 'Abbas actually heard
Abû Tâlib uttering the words of the Kalimah Shahâdah, what is the sense of
posing the aforementioned question. Hypothetically speaking, even if this
narration is authentic, it cannot constitute any form of proof in contrast to
the Qurânic verses, narrations of Bukharî, Muslim and other authentic
Hadîth books and in contrast to a number of other reliable and renowned
Ahadîth let alone a Hadîth that is weak and unreliable.
On the basis of this weak and Mungat'i Hadîth of Ibn Ishaq, 'Allâmah Shiblî
discards the narrations of Bukharî, Muslim and other authentic Hadîth books
and aims to establish the Îmân of Abû Talib. According to 'Allâmah, the
narrations citing the trembling of the columns of the palace of Chosroe are
unreliable simply because such narrations are not mentioned in Bukhârî,
Muslim and in any of the other six authentic books of Ahadîth. If the Hadith
of the columns of the palace of Chosroes is not mentioned in any of the six
most authentic books, then at least not a word contradictory to this Hadîth is
mentioned in the six books. On the other hand, the six authentic books of
Hadîth mention authentic and explicit Ahadîth contradicting this narration
of Ibn Ishaq. Furthermore, according to 'Allâmah's research, Muhammad
bin Ishâq is declared an unreliable narrator because he often gleans his
narrations from the Jews and Christians. So 'Allâmah considers him an
unreliable narrator. So I wonder how, on the basis of such an 'unreliable'
narrator's narration, 'Allâmah is willing to discard the authentic narrations
of the Sihah Sittah (six most authentic books of Hadîth). Furthermore, all
the narrations citing the belief (Îmân) of Abû Talib are narrated by narrators
who - Allâh Ta'âlâ forbid - report Abu Bakr and 'Umar to be disbelievers.
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benefactor and he provided you his unstinting support.""
Rasûlullah replied: "He is up to his ankles in the fire. Had I
failed to intercede on his behalf, he would have been in the
midst of the fire of hell." [Bukharî under the chapter dealing
with the story of Abî Talib]
Note: 'Allâmah Suhaylî says: "Abû Tâlib was fully immersed
in supporting and assisting Rasûlullah . Only his feet (so to
say) were ensnared in the creed of 'Abdul-Muttalib. This is
why only his feet were enveloped by the divine chastisement
(as mentioned above). "O our Lord! Dispense upon us patience
and secure our feet and assist us against the disbelieving
nation."
Hadrat 'Alî narrates: "When Abû Talib died, I notified
Rasûlullah : "O Prophet of Allâh! Your deviated uncle has
died. Rasûlullâh * responded: "Go and bury him." I submitted:
"He died a Mushrik." Rasûlullah % said: "All the same, go and
bury him." This narration is cited in Abû Dawud and Nasaî.
[Fathul-Bârî volume 7 page 148]
According to another narration, when Hadrat 'Alî reappeared
before Rasûlullah % on his return from burying Abû Talib,
Rasûlullah % instructed him to take a bath. This is why the
jurists and 'Ulamâ maintain that it is preferable to take a bath
Hâfiz 'Asqalânî gives a detailed explanation of the Îmân of Abû Tâlib in his
book Isâbah volume 4 page 115. Apart form Isâbah, academics may refer to
Al-Bidâyah wa Al-Nihâyah volume 3 pages 126 and 142 and Zarqâni
Sharah Mawâhib volume 1 page 291 for further details.
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after administering to the Ghusl and burial of a disbeliever or
polytheist.
Hafiz Torpushtî says: "On the basis of this Hadîth, the
Aimmah-e-Mujtahidîn principally Imâm Abû Hanîfah and
Imâm Shâf'î corroborate the permissibility of burying a
disbeliever. Furthermore, they have additionally established
that a Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever. Abû Talib
had four sons; Tâlib, 'Aqîl, J'afar and 'Ali. Only Tâlib and
'Aqil profited from their father Abû Talib's estate because they
were adherents of the same creed as their father. 'Alî and J'afar
were dispossessed of his estate because both of them were
Muslims. [Mentioned in M'utamad fil M'utagad]
A note of caution: It is the unanimous belief of the Ahle
Sunnah wal Jama'ah133 that Abû Tâlib died upon disbelief as
verified by a number of Qurânic verses and Ahadîth. Hâfiz
Torpushtî writes: "The disbelief of Abû Talib has reached
levels of Tawâtur (uninterrupted unanimity) and this is the
opinion of the past 'Ulama and the Aimmah of Dîn. The
133
This is the unanimous belief of the Ahle Sunnah. Hence, for 'Allâmah
Shiblî to write in Sîratun-Nabî volume 1 page 181 that there is a difference
of opinion in regards to the Islâm of Abû Talib, this is merely a deception.
There is no difference of opinion amongst the Ahlu Sunnah as far as his
disbelief is concerned. Yes, the Rawâfid are of the opinion that Abû Tâlib
died with Îmân. And obviously, the difference of opinion held by the
Rawâfid is of no consequence. How can the difference of opinion of a sect
that reckons Abu Bakr and 'Umar, in fact all the Sahabah as disbelievers
and hypocrites ever be considered?
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Rawâfid (a Shia sect) are of the opinion that Abû Tâlib died
with Îmân whilst Abû Bakr died upon disbelief. Bear in mind
that love and sacrifice is insufficient for Îmân. A person can
never be declared a Mumin without believing in prophethood
and without attesting to the truthfulness of Rasûlullah .
Understand this well and remain firm."
Journey to Taif for the propagation of Islam
Following the departure of Abu Talib from this world,
Rasûlullah was left with no apparent benefactor and
,رضي الله عنها supporter and after the demise of Hadrat Khadijah
he was left with no sympathiser and comforter. This is why, at
the end of Shawwal in the tenth year of prophethood, strained
by the heavy-handedness of the Quraysh of Makkah,
Rasûlullah % decided to journey to Tâif. Perhaps, he reflected,
these inhabitants would embrace the divine guidance of Allâh
Ta'âlâ and turn out to be the supporters and benefactors of this
Din. Accompanied by Zaid Bin Harithah رضى الله عنه, Rasulullah
set out for Tâif.
Rasûlullah % presented Islam to 'Abdiyalîl, Mas'ûd and Habîb
- three brothers who were the chieftains of that area. Instead of
lending an ear to the Kalimah of truth, they responded in an
awfully ruthless manner. One of them remarked: "Did Allâh
Ta'âlâ commission you as a prophet to rip apart the curtains of
the K'abah?" Another derisively commented: "Couldn't Allâh
Ta'âlâ locate someone else for His prophethood?" The third
brother bellowed: "By Allâh! I absolutely refuse to speak to
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you! If you have truly been commissioned as a divine
messenger, it is terribly dangerous to defy you. (This foolish
man failed to understand that ridiculing and poking fun at a
prophet is even more dangerous than that.) And if you are not
the Prophet of Allah, you don't merit my attention nor are you
worth our consideration."
He then incited the immoral vagrants and other uncouth
youngsters to hurl stones at him and poke fun at him. These
heartless inhabitants lobbed so many stones upon his blessed
body that they gravely wounded him. Whenever Rasûlullah
was overwhelmed by his injuries and forced to sit down, these
unfortunate souls would seize him by the arm and force him to
stand up again for another spell of stone throwing and mockery.
Zaid bin Harithah رضى الله عنه, who also went along on this
journey, selflessly tried to protect Rasûlullah % by bodily
shielding him from the barrage of stones. This left him with
serious head injuries whilst Rasûlullah suffered serious
injuries to his (body and) legs so much so that blood streamed
down his legs (into his shoes).
On his return from Tâif, Rasûlullah « decided to take a breath
under a tree in the garden of 'Utbah bin Rabî'ah and Shaybah
bin Rabî'ah. As he sat down, he humbly expressed his
helplessness before Allâh Ta'âlâ by offering the following
Du'â:
"O Allâh! Only to You do I complain of my infirmity, my
inadequate strategies and of my humiliation before the people.
O most merciful of the merciful! You are the Lord of the weak
and helpless. To whom do you consign me? Would You
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condemn me to a surly and ill-tempered enemy who will enrage
me or would You consign me to a close friend to whom You
would entrust my affairs? If You are not angry with me, I am
not concerned in the least but Your protection and safety is
more accommodating and congenial to me. I seek refuge with
the Nûr (radiance) of Your being that has brightened the
darkness and the radiance upon which the affairs of this world
and the hereafter depend, with the medium of this radiance I
seek Your refuge, O Allâh, from Your wrath descending upon
me or from Your fury being unleashed over me. And only to
You (do I wish to express my lamentations) until You are
content. There is no power (to repel evil) nor might (to do
good) but only that which You have decreed." [Ibn Ishâq,
Tabrânî]
The attribute of prophethood would have sufficed for the
acceptance of Du'âs because every prophet is a Mustajâbud-
D'awât (one whose Du'âs are promptly accepted by Allâh
Ta'âlâ). However, at this moment, apart from the attribute of
prophethood, a pitiable condition of adversity, victimisation,
alienation and Musâfarat (a state of travelling) further
complemented this condition of acceptance of Du'âs. As Allâh
Ta'âlâ says: "Who is the one who would respond to (the Du'âs)
of the person afflicted by adversity when he calls unto Him and
He removes evil."
Furthermore, in regards to a traveller and an oppressed person,
both of them are clearly and independently mentioned in the
Hadîth that their Du'âs are indisputably accepted.
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Persian Couplet: "Beware the sigh of the oppressed for the
gates of acceptance readily welcomes his Du'â in the divine
court of Allâh Ta'âlâ."
So you can very well imagine the Du'âs of a personage of such
noble character who besides being a divine messenger is also a
victim of adversity, oppressed, alienated and travelling on a
journey. Such a Du'â barely left his lips when the doors of
acceptance134 were flung open.
The same 'Utbah and Shaybah, whose hearts were hitherto
harder than stone turned soft when they caught sight of
Rasûlullah 's forlorn and pitiable condition. The blood of
their kinship and the veins of their patriotism surged forth (in
their concern for his welfare). They charged their slave 'Addâs
to fill a tray of grapes and take it to the man sitting in the
garden. They instructed him to request the man to partake of it.
'Addas brought the tray to Rasûlullah % and placed it before
him. Rasûlullâh ¿ recited Bismillah and commenced eating.
'Addas commented: "By Allâh! Nobody in that city has ever
expressed such words." Rasûlullah asked: "Where are you
from and what religion do you follow?" 'Addâs replied: "I am a
resident of the city of Nenwa135 and I am a Christian by faith."
Rasûlullah % enquired: "Is this the same Nenwa where the
134
This is an indication that from this point onwards, this Du'â was the
inception for the progress Islâm enjoyed.
135 Nenwa is a city in the environs of Mûsil.
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devout servant of Allâh, Yûnus bin Mattâ lived?" Taken aback,
'Addâs responded: "What knowledge do you have about Yûnus
bin Mattâ?" Rasûlullah * replied: "He was my brother, a
prophet and I am also a prophet." 'Addâs kissed Rasûlullah
on his forehead, hands and legs and submitted: "I bear
testimony that you are the slave and messenger of Allâh."136
When 'Addas returned to 'Utbah and Shaybah, they reproached
him for kissing Rasûlullah % on his hands and feet. They also
warned him: "Make sure this man does not deviate you from
your religion. Your religion is far better than his religion."
['Uyun Al-Athar volume 1 page 134, Al-Bidâyah wa Al-
Nihâyah volume 3 page 135]
Hakîm bin Hizâm narrates: "When 'Utbah and Shaybah were
all primed to take part in the battle of Badr with the Quraysh of
Makkah, 'Addâs grasped their feet and beseeched: "By Allâh!
This man is the Prophet of Allâh. These people are being drawn
to their annihilation."
'Addâs was busy weeping when 'Âs bin Shaybah happened to
pass by. He asked 'Addas why he was weeping so profusely.
'Addâs replied: "I am shedding tears over my two masters who
are on their way to do battle with the Prophet of Allâh." 'Âs bin
Shaybah enquired: "Is he really the Prophet of Allâh?" 'Addâs
replied: "Certainly, by Allâh! He has been commissioned as a
136 We have reproduced this entire incident from 'Uyun Al-Athar except the
testimony of 'Addâs. This testimony of 'Addâs is cited by Hâfiz 'Asqlâni
with reference to Sîrat Sulayman Taymî in his book Isâbah volume 2 page
266 under the chapter dealing with the biography of 'Addâs.
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messenger of Allâh to the entire world." [Isabah volume 2 page
267]
Hadrat 'Ayeshah رضي الله عنها narrates: "I once asked Rasulullah
if he ever encountered a day more gruelling than the day of
Uhud. Rasûlullah
replied: "Well, the rigorous ordeals I
suffered at the hands of your people, were trials I had somehow
endured but the most punishing day to me was the day I
presented myself before the sons of 'Abdiyâlîl (at Tâif). I
returned from them dreadfully disillusioned and dejected. I
recovered somewhat as I reached a place called Qarn Al-
Tha'âlib when all of a sudden I raised my head and caught sight
of a cloud sheltering me. Jibraîl who was also within the cloud
called out to me: "Allah is well-aware of the response of your
people. Allâh has presently despatched to you Malakul-Jibâl
(the angel of the mountains). You may bid him to do as you
instruct." Presently, the angel in charge of the mountains
greeted me with Salâm and said: "O Muhammad! Allâh has
sent me to you. I am Malakul-Jibâl (the angel in charge of the
mountains). The mountains are in my control. You may instruct
me to do as you prefer. If you instruct me, I will combine these
two mountains (on either side of Makkah and Tâif) and crush
everyone within them. Rasûlullah # responded: 'No. I cherish
hope that Allah Ta'ala will create from their very own
descendants people who will worship Him alone without
ascribing any partners unto Him."
The aforementioned narration is cited in Bukharî under the
chapter dealing with the angels. Only the underlined words (the
words in brackets in this English translation) are extracted from
M'ujame Tabrânî. [Fathul-Bârî volume 6 page 225]
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Note: In spite of their ruthless brutalities, this personification of
mercy unto mankind, this embodiment of affection * did not
make Du'â for their annihilation because even though these
people may not embrace Islâm, their descendants may comprise
of obedient, sincere and devoted servants of Allâh Ta'âlâ.
This is contrary to that of Sayyidina Nuh, may my life and soul
be sacrificed for him. When he lost all hope of them embracing
Islâm and when he was notified by Allâh Ta'âlâ that those who
were destined to embrace Îmân have embraced Îmân whilst the
rest of them, neither them nor their future descendants, will
embrace Îmân, only then did Nûh make Du'â for their
destruction. As Allâh Ta'âlâ describes in the Holy Quran:
"And it was divinely revealed unto Nuh that nobody from your
nation will accept Îmân except those who have already
accepted Îmân. So, do not become dejected with what they do."
Thereafter Nûh made the following Du'â:
"O my Lord! Do not leave a single inhabitant of the
disbelievers on the earth. If you leave them, they will lead Your
servants astray and they do not beget except sinful and
disbelieving (children)."
On the basis of divine revelation, Hadrat Nûh ascertained that
these people will not embrace Îman nor are any of their future
descendants destined to embrace Îmân. Whosoever is to be
born in the future is doomed to be born a disbeliever, as a
flagrant sinner and or as one who is disobedient of Allâh
Ta'âlâ. This is why he pleaded with Allâh Ta'âlâ not to leave
any disbeliever or falsifier on the face of the earth. If these
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people are left to roam the earth, they are sure to defy You and
their upcoming generations are also bound to disobey You.
Since the very prospect of Îman is lacking, there is obviously
no occasion for mercy and compassion. The systematic
management of this entire world will also endure so long as
there is someone taking the name of Allah Ta'âlâ but the
moment this earth ceases to sustain a single individual taking
the name of Allâh Ta'ala, this entire universe will be turned
upside down.
Return from Tâif and attendance of the Jinn
On his return from Tâif, Rasûlullah % spent a few days in a
place called Nakhlah. As Rasûlullah ¿ was performing Salâh
one night, seven Jinnât of Nasîbayn happened to pass by. They
stood listening to his recitation of the Quran for a little while
and departed. Rasûlullah was totally unaware of their
appearance until the following verses were revealed:
"And remember the time when We directed towards you a
group of Jinn listening attentively to the (recitation of) the
Qurân. When they turned up before him, they said (to one
another): 'Remain silent (and listen to his words).' And when it
was concluded (by the termination of the Salah), they returned
to their people warning (them). They said: 'O Our People! We
have heard (the recitation) of a book revealed after Mûsâ that
endorses the previous books and it guides towards the truth and
towards the right path. O our People! Respond to the caller of
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Allâh and believe in him; Allâh will forgive your sins and
deliver you from a grievous punishment. And he who does not
respond to the caller of Allah, he is unable to flee in the earth
and he will have no supporter besides Him (Allâh) . Such
people are in manifest deviation." (Sûrah Ahqâf verses 29-34)
[Al-Bidâyah wa Al-Nihayah volume 3 page 137]
As they approached Makkah, Hadrat Zaid bin Harithah asked:
"How will you enter Makkah when the inhabitants of Makkah
had forcefully ousted you from the city?" Rasûlullah % replied:
'O Zaid!137 Allâh Ta'âlâ will surely bring about some solution
from this predicament. Allâh Ta'âlâ Himself is the supporter
and guardian of His Dîn. And certainly He will grant His
messenger dominance over everyone else."
When Rasûlullah & reached the cave of Hira. He dispatched a
message to Akhnas bin Sharîq asking whether he could enter
Makkah under his (Akhnas') protection. Akhnas responded:
"Since I am an ally of the Quraysh, I am unable to afford you
this protection." Thereafter Rasulullah
sent the same
message to Suhail bin 'Amr. He replied: "The Banû 'Âmir are
unable to offer protection in defiance of Banû K'ab. Finally
Rasûlullah % sent a message to Mut'im bin 'Adî appealing to
137 The actual words are: "O Zaid! Allah Ta'ala will create a way out and
grant relief from (the dilemma) facing you. Surely Allâh Ta'âlâ is a
supporter of His Dîn and He is the being Who will grant victory to His
messenger. Tabqât Ibn S'ad volume 1 page 142]
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him whether he could enter Makkah under his protection.
Mut'im accepted this appeal. He then drew his sons and people
of his clan together and instructed them to assemble fully
armed at the door of the Haram. He declared to them: "I have
offered Muhammad my protection." Saying this, he himself
mounted his camel and headed for the Haram. As he reached
the door of the Haram, he proclaimed: "O people of the
Quraysh! I have offered Muhammad my protection. None of
you should interfere with him."
Rasûlullah % then entered the Haram. After kissing the Hajar-e-
Aswad (the black stone) he performed Tawaf of the K'abah
followed by two Rak'at of Salah. He then returned home.
Mut'im and his sons had actually taken Rasûlullah % into their
personal protection. [Tabqât Ibn S'ad volume 1 page 144,
Zâdul Ma'âd voule 2 page 47]
It was due to this demonstration of his goodwill, Rasûlullah
,
in regards to the captives of Badr said: "If Mut'im bin 'Adî was
alive today and he spoke to me about these (spiritually) filthy
people, I would have released all of them in consideration of
him." ['Uyûn Al-Athar volume 1 page 136]
Islâm of Tufail bin 'Amr Dawsî
During this period, Tufail bin 'Amr Dawsî turned up in
Makkah. Rasûlullah was actively engaged in Tabligh
(inviting towards Allâh Ta'âlâ) during this period. Apart from
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being a man of noble lineage, Tufail was a celebrated poet and
a man of remarkable wisdom. He was also renowned for his
great hospitality. He enjoyed friendly alliances with the
Quraysh.
When he came to Makkah, some of the Quraysh informed him:
"There is a man who has turned up amongst us who has
triggered a series of fissures within the nation. His speech is
like sorcery and black magic as it causes hostile division
between father and son, between brother and brother and
between husband and wife. You should also be vigilant of him
lest you or your people fall prey to his menace. As far as
possible, refrain from listening to anything he has to say."
The Quraysh terrified him to such an extent that he inserted
wads of cotton into his ears lest the speech of this man
accidentally falls onto his ears. He relates: "This action led the
people to dub me Zul-Qutnatain (the man with two wads of
cotton wool). Coincidentally, I was one day passing the
Musjidu Harâm where I came across Rasûlullah % performing
Salâh before the K'abah.
"I edged closer to him. Although I personally had no intention
to listen to his words, Allâh Ta'âlâ wanted to make me listen to
some of His words. I involuntarily managed to listen to these
words, which I found extraordinarily pleasant and delightful. I
thought o myself, 'I am an intelligent man and a celebrated
poet. The charismatic grace or the repulsive lewdness of any
speech is not strange to my ears. I will definitely lend my ears
to this speech. If his words are pleasant, I will accept them and
if his words are revolting or inappropriate, I will reject them."
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He further relates: "Subsequently, when Rasûlullah % returned
from the Haram, I tagged along behind him. When he reached
his house, I submitted: "Your people have left me so terrified of
listening to your words that I have inserted cotton wool into my
ears lest I fall prey to your words. However, the divine will of
Allâh Ta'âlâ has vetoed this decision of abstaining from your
words. Your words fell onto my ears and I found them to be
exceptionally graceful. Why don't you present your religion to
me?"
Rasûlullah % then presented Islam to me and recited a portion
of the Holy Quran before me."
According to another narration, Rasûlullah % recited Sûrah
Ikhlâs and Mu'awwazatain before him."
He relates: "By Allah! I have never ever come across any
words similar to the words of the Holy Quran and I have not
encountered any religion more moderate 138 and reasonable than
the religion of Islam. I right away embraced Islam.
138
This is one of the salient features of Islam. Each and every one facet of
the divine law of Islam is intrinsically moderate. It is devoid of all forms of
extremity. Every celestial command is temperate, reasonable and rational.
For instance, Islâm has neither compelled us to take revenge against the
enemy nor are we obliged to pardon them altogether. In fact, Islâm has
permitted revenge against the enemy but at the same time, it has encouraged
pardoning them altogether. Islâm highlights this stance to be closer to
Taqwa (Allâh-consciousness) and religiousness. Or for instance, Islâm has
forbidden the ordinary folk from both wastage and miserliness. They are
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"I then appealed: "O Rasûl of Allah! I am the chief of my
people. After my return, I aspire to invite my people towards
Islâm. Make Du'â unto Allâh Ta'âlâ to grant me some symbol
that would assist me in my ambitions." Rasûlullah # then made
Du'â: "O Allâh! Grant him some symbol."
He relates: "Subsequently, as I neared my hometown, a Nûr
(radiance) like the radiance of a lantern suddenly formed
between my eyes. I pleaded with Allâh Ta'âlâ to transfer this
Nûr onto some other part of my body instead of positioning it
right on my face lest my people regard this as a type of
Muthlah139 (mutilation) as a form of divine reprisal against me
for denouncing my ancestral religion. This Nûr was instantly
transferred to my whip, which miraculously turned into
something like a lantern.
In the morning, I presented Islam first to my father and then to
my wife. Both of them cleaned their clothing, took a bath and
embraced Islâm. I pacified my wife by saying: "If you are
prohibited from being extravagant and wasteful whilst at the same time, they
are restrained from miserliness and greed. They are encouraged to take a
stance between the two extremities. On the contrary, those whose hearts are
so imbued with contentment and trust upon Allâh Ta'âlâ that the lack or the
availability of wealth is the same in their eyes, Islâm permits such
distinctive people from spending all their wealth in the path of Allâh Ta'âlâ.
139 Transformation of the facial or anatomical features is referred to as
Muthlah.
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concerned about any harm afflicting the children due to our
repudiation of the idols, I accept full responsibility."
"I then presented Islam to the Daws140
tribe but they were a bit
hesitant to accept Islâm. I returned to Makkah and once again
presented myself to Rasûlullah % exclaiming: "O Prophet of
Allâh! The tribe of Daws declined to embrace Islam. Why
don't you invoke the curse of Allâh against them?" Rasûlullah
raised his hands in supplication: "O Allah! Guide the tribe of
Daws and (following their conversion to Islam) bring them
here."
He then advised Tufail: "Go and invite them towards Islam
with affection and compassion." He says: "As per his advice, I
persisted in inviting the people towards Islâm. Up to the
seventh year of Hijrah, between seventy to eighty households
embraced Islam. In the year seven A.H. I brought all of them
with me to Madinah Munawwarah in the presence of
Rasûlullah . Following the conquest of Makkah, I requested
Rasûlullah % to permit me to set ablaze the idol of 'Amr bin
Hamîmah called Zul-Kaffain."
Once Tufail gained his approval, he set out for his village and
set fire to this idol. As he was in the process of setting it alight,
he disdainfully continued reciting the following stanzas:
140 Hâfiz 'Asqalânî says that at that moment none of the members of the
tribe embraced Islâm apart from Abû Hurayrah. [Isâbah volume 2 page 226]
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"O Zul-Kaffain! I am not one of your devotees. My birth is far
superior to your birth. Indeed, I have thrust blazing fire within
your heart."
Half the tribe had already embraced Islam. Subsequent to the
torching of this idol, the other half repented from their
polytheism and embraced Islâm.
According to another narration, after accepting Islâm, Tufail
returned to his hometown on an incredibly dark rainy night. As
a result, he was unable to see the road ahead. This is when
Allâh Ta'âlâ created this Nûr (light). The people were left in
utter bewilderment. They surrounded him from all sides
attempting to clutch his whip. This brilliance then radiated from
their fingertips. Whenever a dark night fell, this whip would
turn radiant with Nur. This is why Hadrat Tufail was
prominently hailed as Zun-Nûr (a man of radiance). [Al-Istî‘âb
volume 2 page 231, Al-Isâbah volume 3 page 225, Al-
Khasâisul-Kubrâ volume 1 page 136]
Note: The supernatural phenomena of the Awliya (the pious
servants of Allâh Ta'âlâ) are actually a glimpse of the
miraculously divine feats of the Ambiya. Just as the spiritually
devout 'Ulama are the heirs of the Ambiya as far as divine
knowledge and wisdom is concerned, similarly, they are - as
per their spiritual status - heirs of the Ambiyâ as far as such
supernatural phenomena are concerned. As a Hadîth proclaims:
"The 'Ulama are the heirs of the Ambiyâ."
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So it seems as though this supernatural feat of Hadrat Tufail
was a token of Hadrat Mûsâ alla de's miracle of the glowing
hand. And Allâh Ta'âlâ knows best.
Furthermore, in deference to the Sahâbah, Allâh Ta'âlâ says in
Sûrah Tahrîm:
"On the day when Allah will not humiliate the Prophet and
those who believe in him. Their Nûr (radiance) will scurry in
front of them and on their right." [Sûrah Tahrîm verse 8]
It wouldn't be startling if this Nur of Hadrat Tufail were
essentially a foretaste of the Nûr that would specifically guide
the Sahabah on the day of judgement. Due to the Tufail
(agency) of Rasulullah , Hadrat Tufail رضى الله عنه was shown
this Nur in this very world.
And Allâh Ta'âlâ is most knowledgeable and His knowledge is
most comprehensive and extensive.141
141 The details above were extracted from Tabqat Ibn S'ad volume 4 page
175, Sîrat Ibn Hishâm volume 1 page 135, Al-Khasâisul-Kubrâ volume 1
page 135, Dalâil Abî Nu'aim volume 1 page 78, Al-Isâbah volume 2 page
22.
420