Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth

II4
The Life of Muhammad
Khuwaylid who also follows him in his religion.' 'Mif said after he had
become a Muslim and Islam was firmly established in his heart, "Would
that I had been a fourth I" '1
'ALl B. ABU TALIB THE FIRST MALE TO ACCEPT ISLAM
'Ali was the first maIe to believe in the apostle of God, to pray with him
159 and to believe in his divine message, when he was a boy of ten. God
favoured him in that he was brought up in the care of the apostle before
Islam began.
'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\I on the authority of Mujahid b. Jabr Abu.'l­
I;lajjaj told me that God showed His favour and goodwill towards hIm
when a grievous famine overtook Quraysh. Now Abu Tahb had a large
family, and the prophet approached his ~nck, AI-'Abbas, who :vas one of
the richest of B. Hashim, suggestmg that m vIew of hIS large famIly and the
famine which affected everyone, they should go together and offer to relieve
him of the burden of some of his family. Al-'Abbii,s agreed"and so they
went to Abu Talib offering to relieve him from his responsibility ~f two
boys until conditions improved. Abu Talib said, 'Do what you hke ,so
long as you leave me 'Aqil' (150). So the apo'stle took 'Ali and kept hIm
with him and AI-'Abbas took Ja'far. 'Ali continued to be with the apostle
until God sent him forth as a prophet. 'Ali followed him, believed him,
and declared his truth, while Jafar remained with AI-'Abbas until he
became a Mllslim and was independent of him.
A traditionist mentioned that when the time of prayer came the apostle
used to go out to the glens of Mecca accompanied by 'Ali, who went unbeknown
to his father, and his uncles and the rest of his people. There
they used to pray the ritual prayers, and return at nightfall. This went on
as long as God intended that it should, until one day Abu Talib came upon
them while t\ley were praying, and said to the apostle, '0 nephew, .w~at is
this religion which I see you practising?' He replied, '0 uncle, thiS IS the
religion of God, His angels, His apostles, and the religion of O':f father
160 Abraham.' Or, as he said, 'God has sent me as an apostle to mankmd, and
Y OU my uncle most deserve that I should teach you the truth and call you
, , 1 '
to guidance, and you are the most wort,hy to resp~nd and he p .~e, or
words to that effect. His uncle replied, I cannot gIve up the rehglOn of
my fathers which. they followed, but by God you shal.1 never meet .with
anything to distress you so long as I live.' They mentlOn that he saId :0
'Ali, 4My boy, what is this religion of yours?' He answered, II heheve l.n
God and in the apostle of God, and I declare that what he has brought IS
true, and I pray to God with him a~d follow hi~.' They all~ge tha: h~
said, 'He wOll!d not call you to anythmg but what IS good so suck to hIm.
Zayd the ftee4man of the apostle was the first male to accept Islam after
I See Introduction, pp. uti f.
The Life of Muhammad I 15
'Ali ('5')' Then Abu Bakr b. Abu Qu\Iiifa whose name was 'Aliq became ,6,
a Muslim. His father's name was 'Uthman b. 'Amir b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b.
Sa'd b. Taym b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr. When he
became a Muslim, he showed his faith openly and called others to God and
his apostle. He was a man whose society was desired, well liked and of
easy manners. He knew more about the genealogy of Quraysh than anyone
else and of their faults and merits. He was a merchant of high character
and kindliness. His people used to come to him to discuss many matters
with him because of his wide knowledge, his experience in commerce, and
his sociable nature. He began to call to God and to Islam all whom he
trusted of those who came to him and sat with him (152).
[I.K. iii, 24. The following day 'Ali b. Abu Talib came as the two of
them were praying and asked, 'What is this, MuhammadI' He replied, 'It
is God's religion which He has chosen for Himself and sent His apostles
with it. I call you to God, the One without an associate, to worship Him
and to disavow al-Lat and al-'Uzza.'