Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
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2IZ<br />
The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong><br />
Of the B. Sa'ida b. Ka'b: Sa'd b. 'Ubada a leader. AI-Mundhir b. 'Amr,<br />
a leader, present at Badr and U1)ud and killed at Bi'r Ma'iina commanding<br />
for the apostle. It was said <strong>of</strong> him 'He hastened to death' (259), Total 2.<br />
The total number <strong>of</strong> those present at the second'Aqaba from the Aus<br />
and Khazraj was seventy-three men and two women who they allege<br />
pledged their obedience also. The apostle used not to strike hal\ds with<br />
women; he merely stated the conditions, and if they accepted them he<br />
would say, 'Go, I have made a covenant with you.'<br />
(Of these two women) Nusayba was <strong>of</strong> B. Mazin b. ai-Najjar. She was<br />
d. <strong>of</strong> Ka'b b. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Mabdhiil b. 'Amr b. Ghanm b. Milzin,<br />
mother <strong>of</strong> 'Umara. She and her sister went to war with the apostle. Her<br />
husband was Zayd b. 'kim b. Ka'b, and her two sons were I;Iabib and<br />
'Abdullah. Musaylima the liar, the I;Ianifi chief <strong>of</strong> the Yamiima, got hold<br />
<strong>of</strong> I;Iabib and began to say to him, 'Do you testify that <strong>Muhammad</strong> is the<br />
apostle <strong>of</strong> God?' And when he said that he did, he went on, 'And do you<br />
313 testify that I am the apostle <strong>of</strong> God?' he answered, 'I do not hear.' So he<br />
began to cut him to pieces member by member until he died. He tried<br />
putting the same questions to him again and again, but he could get no<br />
different answers. Nusayba went to al-Yamiima with the Muslims and<br />
took part in the war in person until God slew Musaylima, when she<br />
returned having suffered twelve wounds from spear or sword. It was<br />
<strong>Muhammad</strong> b. Ya1)ya b. I;Iabban who told me this story from 'Abdullah<br />
b. 'Abdu'I-Ra1)miin b. Abii f;Ja'~a'a.<br />
The other woman was <strong>of</strong> B. Salama, Umm Mani', named Asmil' d.<br />
'Amr b. 'Adiy b. Nabi b. 'Amr b. Sawiid b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salama.<br />
THE APOSTLE RECEIVES THE ORDER TO FIGHT<br />
The apostle had not been given permission to fight or allowed to shed<br />
blood before the second 'Aqaba. He had simply been ordered to call men<br />
to God and to endure insult and forgive the ignorant. The Quraysh had<br />
persecuted his followe!,s, seducing some from their religion, .and exilin,g<br />
others from their country. They had to choose whether to give up the"<br />
religion, be maltreated at home, or to flee the country, some to Abyssinia,<br />
others to Medina.<br />
When Quraysh became insolent towards God and rejected His gracious<br />
purpose, accused His prophet <strong>of</strong> lying, and ill treated and exiled those who<br />
served Him and proclaimed His unity, believed in His prophet, and held<br />
fast to His religion, He gave permission to His apostle to fight and to<br />
protect himself against those who wronged them and treated them badly.<br />
The first verse which was sent down on this subject from what I have<br />
heard from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr and other learned persons was: 'Permis<br />
314 sion is given to those who fight because they have beenwronged. God is<br />
well able to help thcm,~those who have been driven out <strong>of</strong> their houses<br />
without right only ,because they said God is our Lord. Had not God used,<br />
The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong> 21 3<br />
some men to keep back others, cloisters and churches and oratories and<br />
mosques wherein the name <strong>of</strong> God is constantly mentioned would have<br />
bee~ destroyed. Assuredly God will help those who help Him. God is<br />
AlmIghty. Those who if we make them strong in the land wilf establish<br />
prayer, pay the poor-tax, enjoin kindness, and forbid iniquity. To God<br />
belongs the end <strong>of</strong> matters.' I The meaning is: 'I have allowed them to<br />
fig~t only because they have been unjustly treated while their sole <strong>of</strong>fence<br />
agamst men ~s been that they worship God. When they are in the ascendant.<br />
they w.'ll e.stabhsh prayer, pay the poor-tax, enjoin kindness, and<br />
forbid InIqUIty, I.e. the prophet and his companions all <strong>of</strong> them.' Then<br />
~od sent down to him: 'Fight them so that there be no more seduction'2<br />
I.e. until no believer is seduced from his religion. 'And the religion'is i::;<br />
God's', i.e. Until God alone is worshipped.<br />
When God had given permission to fight and this clan <strong>of</strong> the Ansilr<br />
had pledged their support to him in Islam and to help him and his followe~s,<br />
~d the MuslIms who had taken refuge with them, the apostle commanded<br />
hi.s con:p~lOns, the emigrants <strong>of</strong> his people and those Muslims who were<br />
WIth hIm m Mecca, to emigrate to Medina and to link up with their<br />
brethren the An~ilr. 'God will make for you brethren and houses in which<br />
you may be s.a~e.' So they went out in companies, and the apostle stayed<br />
In Mecca waltmg for his Lord's permission to leave Mecca and migrate<br />
to Medina.<br />
THOSE WHO MIGRATED TO MEDINA<br />
The first <strong>of</strong> the Quraysh to migrate to Medina from among the apostle's<br />
compamons was one <strong>of</strong> B. Makhziim, Abii Salama b. 'Abdu'l-Asad b.<br />
Hilal b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhziim whose forename was 'AbdulIah<br />
He went to .Medina a year before the pledge at al-'Aqaba, having come t;<br />
the apostle m Mecca from Abyssinia. He migrated because the Quraysh<br />
ill-treated him and he had heard that some <strong>of</strong> the An~ar had accepted<br />
Islam.<br />
. My father Is~aq b. Yasar on the authority <strong>of</strong> Salama who had it from<br />
hiS grandmother Umm Salama the prophet's wife told me that she said:<br />
When Abu Salama had decided to set out for Medina he saddled his camel<br />
3<br />
for me and mounted me on it together with my son Salama who was in<br />
1 5<br />
my arms. Then he set out leading the camel. When the men <strong>of</strong> B.<br />
al:M~ghira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhziim saw him they got up and<br />
saId: So far as you are concerned you can do what you like' but what<br />
about your wife? Do you suppose that we shall let you take her away?'<br />
So they snatched the camel's rope from his hand and took me from him.<br />
~bii Salama's family, the B. Abdu'l-Asad, were angry at this and said:<br />
'Y e Will ~ot leave our son with her seeing you have torn her from our<br />
trIbesman. So they dragged at my little boy Salama between them until<br />
I Sura 22. 40-42. 2 Sura 2. 198.