Saheeh Seerah Al Albaanee English

We have already mentioned how the Mushriks had harmed and abused the Believers
who lacked power and protection, and the severe beatings and insults they received at
their hands. As for the Messenger of Allaah ‏,ﷺ Allaah تعاىل protected him and
prevented them from harming him through his uncle, Abu Ṭaalib, as we have already
mentioned. And all praise is for Allaah alone.
‏:رضيُاهللُعنه Imaam Aḥmad has reported from his chain, on the authority of Ibn Mas`ood
“We were over eighty men 231 who were sent to al-Najaashee (Negus) by the Messenger
of Allaah ‏.ﷺ Among them were: `Abdullaah Ibn Mas`ood, Ja`far (Ibn Abu Ṭaalib),
`Abdullaah Ibn `Urfuṭah, `Uthmaan Ibn Maẓh`oon 232 and Abu Moosaa (al-Ash`aree). 233
Shaikh Muḥammad Ibn Ṣaaleh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه اهلل said in his Tafseer:
Al-Fitnah (here) means to prevent the people (the Muslims) from (practicing) their religion; as Allaah تعاىل said:
‏﴿إِنَُّالَّذِينَُفَتَن واُال م ؤ مِنِنيَُوَال م ؤ مِنَاتِ‏ ‏ُث ‏َُّلَ‏ ‏ُيَت وب واُفَلَه م ‏ُعَذَاب ‏ُجَهَنَّمَُوََلَ‏ م ‏ُعَذَاب ‏ُاحل ‏َُرِيقِ‏ ﴾
{Verily, those who put into Fitnah (trial) the believing men and believing women (by torturing them and
burning them), and then do not turn in repentance, (to Allaah), will have the torment of Hell, and they will
have the punishment of the burning Fire.} [Surah al-Burooj (85): 10]
So preventing the people from their religion is a Fitnah more severe than killing them. This is because by killing
them, the utmost they can do is cut off the person from pleasures of this Dunya (world); whereas the Fitnah cuts
them off from the Dunya and the Aakhirah, as Allaah تعاىل said:
‏﴿وَإِن ‏ُأَصَابَت ه ‏ُفِت نَة ‏ُانقَلَبَ‏ ‏ُعَلَىُوَج هِهُِخَسِ‏ رَُالدُّن يَاُوَاْل خِ‏ رَةَُُُۖذَىلِكَ‏ ‏ُه وَُاْل س رَان ‏ُال م بِني ﴾
{…but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts back to disbelief after embracing Islaam). He
loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss.} [Surah al-Ḥajj (22): 11] --end of quote
Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ also said: ❝A time will soon come when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep
which he will take on the top of mountains and the places of rainfall (valleys) so as to flee with his religion from
afflictions.❞ [Ṣaḥeeḥ al-Bukhaaree (19, 3300, 7088)]]
231 [TN: In his original book (al-Seerah), Ibn Katheer - from the route of Ibn Is-ḥaaq - listed the names of these
eighty men and women who had migrated to Abyssinia. One may refer to it.]
232 [TN: This is `Uthmaan Ibn Maẓh`oon, he was one of those who embraced Islaam in its early stages, was
persecuted and had to flee from Makkah. He migrated twice, once to Abyssinia and the other to al-Madeenah.
Yet, when he died, this is what the Prophet ﷺ had to say:
Narrated Umm al-`Alaa’: When the Anṣaar drew lots as to which of the Muhaajiroon (emigrants) should dwell
with which of the Anṣaar, the name of `Uthmaan Ibn Maẓh`oon came out (to be in their lot). Umm al-`Alaa’
further said: `Uthmaan stayed with us, and we nursed him when he got sick, but he died. We shrouded him in his
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