Mercy to the World -Ten years of Turmoil

El Arquam House:

Arquam House where the First Muslims used to meet with the Prophet Muhammad (PUH)

  at Al Safa

For the first three years of Prophet-hood Apostle of Allah (PUH) preached Islam secretly and silently and raised the first contingent of 40 persons. But when Almighty Allah commanded him to declare the mission openly he adopted the most popular way for a call at Safa. He first enquired the gathering about himself and they unanimously said, “We have always known you to be truthful”. How intelligent was he to take an attestation of his character before declaring the message of Allah. Then at the second moment he declared his `Mission of Islam’. And suddenly the whole Makkan society turned into hostile gathering. Nobody answered his call, they dispersed murmuring among themselves. It was only Abu Lahab (his own real uncle) who cursed Holy Prophet Muhammad (PUH) saying “Perdition to thee (You be ruined). For this you invited us”. This was an strange experience. The whole society which was testifying his piety, nobleness and truthfulness just a minute ago suddenly turned against him and even his own blood relation started cursing upon him in the public. Abu Lahab’s behaviour was very tragic. Almighty Allah cursed Abulahab in the same words in Holy Quran saying, Perdition to Abu Lahab. “The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and gains will not exempt him. He will be plunged in flaming fire” (111:12-3 MMP). Historically the Muslims around the world are repeating the words “Perdition to Abu Lahab” for the last 1400 years for his crime. He was the only opponent denounced by name in Holy Quran. Surprisingly, a surah just before it, reads about the great triumph of Holy Prophet (PUH) showing the great success of his mission." When comes the help from Allah and Victory.And thou dost see the people Enter the religion of Allah " Holy Qu'aan In crowds. (110:1-2).

The Makkans noted the prophet-hood of Muhammad (PUH) for three years as his personal matter. But with the declaration at Safa it became an open challenge to the entire pagan society. Then started a campaign of hatred, humiliation, mockery, teasing and torturing  Prophet Muhammad (PUH) and his followers. This painful campaign continued for complete ten years. But on the other hand Almighty Allah commanded him to proclaim his mission in clear words, guaranteeing his success and protection : So Proclaim that which Thou art commanded And turn away from the idolaters "Lo We defend thee from the scoffers.Holy Qu'aan  (15:94-95 MMP)".

The call of Islam moved forward through all hurdles and hardship as a ship sails through rocky ridges and turbulent seas. Many new converts were beaten, tortured and even killed but whosoever embraced Islam once, never forsook it but safe-guarded it, even at the cost of his or her life. Sumaiyyah (R.A.) was the first lady, martyred in Islam. Ammar bin Yasir (R.A.), Khabbab bin Art (R.A.), Uthman bin Affan (R.A.), Amir bin Fuhairah (R.A.), Bilal bin Rabah (R.A.),and Musai’b bin Umair (R.A.) were the people most tortured by their relatives and masters for embracing Islam. The analysis of all blames hurled upon the Prophe Muhammad (PUH) shows that they tried to mislead the people by calling him a `Liar’, `Kahen’(soothsayer), `Majnun’ (a diseased or possessed by jinn) a `Shair’ (poet) or a `Sahir’ (magician). Holy Quran quoted their mischiefs in different Suras as (6:15, 4:38, 51:68, 5:25, 4:25, 103:16) and defended him against all these false allegations. On one occasion, the pagans reported all these bad titles about Holy Quran and Holy Prophet (PUH) to their mischief leader :Waleed bin Mughaira but he refuted them all, saying that Holy Quran, what Prophet Muhammad (PUH) recites, was so beautiful, meaningful and rythmatic. Holy Prophet in his person also has no such sign or symptoms that he may be termed with any such notorious titles.

Similarly, another pagan chief Nadr bin Harith who had enough experience in travelling to Syria and Iraq and metmany type of people said:
Muhammad (PUH) grew up here among you and always proved to be highly obliging, the most truthful and
trustworthy young man. However, later on when he reached manhood, he began to preach a new faith alien to your society, and opposed to your liking so you began to denounce him at a time as a sorcerer, at another as soothsayer, a poet, or even an insane man. I swear by Allah he is not anyone of those. He is not interested in blowing on knots as magicians are, nor do his words belong to the world of soothsaying; he is not a poet either, for his mentality is not that of a rambler, nor is he insane because he has never been witnessed to develop any sort of hallucinations or insinuations peculiar to madmen. (Raheeq E90) Almighty Allah refuted all these allegations about Prophet Muhammad (PUH) and said that he was not only Truthful and Trust worthy "Ameen" , but on (Sublime morals)" Khuluq -in-Azeem". The Islamic mission was passing through a critical stage when suddenly Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib declared his Islam to Abu Jehal and other pagan chiefs. This incited them more and they increased their wrath on the Muslim converts.

Migration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) :

When the situation became intolerable Prophet Muhammad (PUH) suggested few families to migrate to Habasha (now Ethiopia) across the Red sea. Subsequently, the first group of sixteen persons left their hearth and home for the sake of their faith in Rajab 08 (Before Hijra). Uthman bin Affan (R.A.) and his wife Ruqaiyyah (daughter of Holy Prophet (PUH) were among them. They caught ready boats at Shoeba port (80 km south of Jeddah) and escaped. The pagan followed the group up to Shoeba but failed to prevent them.

The declaration of Islam by Hamza (R.A.) and Umar Ibn El khattab (R.A.) and safe migration of Muslims to Habasha were three great factors which stabilised the growth of Islam in native as well as in foreign land. were out in their rage they broke their vengeance on the poor Muslims. This resulted in the second migration to Habasha. This time 82 men and 18 women left their home to a foreign land to save their faith.

The Mushrikeen again tried to arrest them at Shoeba. But Allah Almighty saved them and they escaped unhurt. Quraish so disgraced, sent a deputation to the court of King Najashi to arrest and extradite these Muslim from Habasha.Amr ibn al Aas and Abdullah bin Rabia , (who both embraced Islam later) stood in the Royal Court leveling charges against Muslims. Jaafer bin Abi Talib (R.A.) advocated for Islam and gave his master-piece speech which moved the heart of King Najashi Arch bishop and the courtiers. And the Makkans deputation returned to Makkah in utter failure.Quraish realised the real gravity of the situation. The message which they were opposing with mockery and persecution had taken the real shape. It won two chiefs of Makkah and also got deep footing abroad.They decided now to deal with Holy Prophet (PUH) direct. There were only two choices. Either to stop him from his message or to wipe him out from the scene. In this They approached Abu Talib and complained about his nephew.

The leaders of Quraysh, however, were none the less determined that they should not be left in peace, to establish there, beyond their control, a dangerous community which might be increased tenfold if other converts joined them. So they speedily thought out a plan, and made ready a quantity of presents of a kind that the Abyssinians were known to value most. Leatherwork they prized above all, so a large number of fine skins were collected, enough to make a rich bribe for every one of the Negus's generals. There were also rich gifts for the Negus himself. Then they carefully chose two men, one of whom was 'Amr ibn al-'As, of the clan of Sahm. Quraysh told them exactly what to do: they were to approach each of the generals separately, give him his present, and say:

“Some foolish young men and women of our people have taken refuge in this kingdom. They have left their own religion, not for yours, but for one they have invented, one that is unknown to us and to yourselves. The nobles of their people have sent us to your king on their account, that he may send them home. So when we speak to him about them, counsel him to deliver them into our hands and have no words with them.”

The generals all agreed, and the two men of Quraysh took their presents to the Negus, asking that the emigrants should be given into their hands and explaining the reason as they had done to the generals, and finally adding: “The nobles of their people, who are their fathers, their uncles and their' kinsmen, beg thee to restore them unto them." The generals were present at the audience, and now with one voice they urged the Negus to comply with their request and give up the refugees, inasmuch as kinsmen are the best judges of the affairs of their kinsmen. But the Negus was displeased and said:

“Nay, by God, they shall not be betrayed - a people that have sought my protection and made my country their abode and chosen me above all others! Give them up I will not, until I have summoned them and questioned them concerning what these men say of them. If it be as they have said, then will I deliver them unto them, that they may restore them to their own people. But if not, then will I be their good protector so long as they seek my protection."

Then he sent for the companions of the Prophet, and at the same time assembled his bishops, who brought with them their sacred books and spread them open round about the throne. ‘Amr Ibn el As' and his fellow envoy had hoped to prevent this meeting between the Negus and the refugees, and it was indeed in their interests to prevent it, even more so than they realized.

The Abyssinians were Christians, many of them devout; they had been baptized, they worshiped the One God, and they carried in their flesh the sacrament of Eucharist. As such they were sensitive to the difference between the sacred and the profane, and they were keenly conscious of the profanity of men like 'Amr'. So much the more were they receptive - none more than the Negus himself - to the impression of holy earnestness and depth which was made on them by the company of believers who were now ushered into the throne room, and a murmur of wonderment arose from the bishops and others as they recognized that here were men and women more akin to themselves than to such of Quraish as they had previously encountered. Moreover, most of them were young, and in many of them their piety demeanor was enhanced by a great natural beauty.

Not for all of them had the emigration been a necessity. ‘Uthman’s family had given up trying to make him (ra) recant, but the Prophet none the less allowed him to go and to take with him Ruqayyah (ra). Their presence was a source of strength to the community of exiles. Another couple very pleasing to look upon were Ja’far (ra) and his wife Asma' (ra). They were well protected by Abu Talib; but the refugees needed a spokesman and Ja'far was an eloquent speaker. He was also most winning in his person, and the Prophet said to him on one occasion: “Thou art like me in looks and character.” It was Ja'far he had chosen to preside over the community of exiles; and his qualities of attraction and intelligence were amply seconded by Musab of 'Abd ad-Dar (ra), a young man whom the Prophet was later to entrust with a mission of immense importance in virtue of his natural gifts.

When they were all assembled, the Negus spoke to them and said:

"What is this religion wherein ye have become separate from your people, though ye have not entered my religion nor that of any other of the folk that surround us?"

Ja'far answered him saying:

"O King, we were people steeped in ignorance, worshiping idols, eating unsacrificed carrion, committing abominations, and the strong would devour the weak. Thus we were, until Allah (The One True God) sent us a Messenger from out of our midst, one whose lineage we knew, and his veracity and his worthiness of trust and his integrity. He called us unto God, that we should testify to His Oneness and worship Him and renounce what we and our fathers had worshiped in the way of stones and idols; and he commanded us to speak truly, to fulfil our promises, to respect the ties of kinship and the rights of our neighbors, and to refrain from crimes and from bloodshed. So we worship God alone, setting naught beside Him, counting as forbidden what He hath forbidden and as licit what He hath allowed. For these reasons have our people turned against us, and have persecuted us to make us forsake our religion and revert from the worship of God to the worship of idols. That is why we have come to thy country, having chosen thee above all others; and we have been happy in thy protection, and it is our hope, O King, that here with thee we shall not suffer wrong."

The royal interpreters translated all that he had said. The Negus then asked if they had with them any Revelation that their Prophet had brought them from God and, when Ja'far answered that they had, he said: "Then recite it to me," whereupon Ja'far recited a passage from the Surah of Mary, which had been revealed shortly before their departure:

And make mention of Mary in the Book, when she withdrew from her people unto a place towards the east, and secluded herself from them; and We sent unto her Our Spirit, and it appeared unto her in the likeness of a perfect man. She said: I take refuge from thee in the Infinitely Good, if any piety thou hast. He said: I am none other than a messenger from thy Lord that I may bestow on thee a son most pure. She said: How can there be for me a son, when no man hath touched me, nor am I unchaste? He said: Even so shall it be; thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. That We may make him a sign for mankind and a mercy from Us; and it is a thing ordained.  Holy Qur'an 19:16-21.

d:

"This hath truly come from the same source as that which Jesus brought."

Then he turned to the two envoys of Quraysh and said:

"Ye may go, for by God I will not deliver them unto you; they shall not be betrayed."

But when they had withdrawn from the royal presence, 'Amr said to his companion: “Tomorrow I will tell him a thing that shall tear up this green growing prosperity of theirs by the roots. I will tell him that they aver that Jesus the son of Mary is a slave.” So the next morning he went to the Negus and said:

“O King, they utter an enormous lie about Jesus the son of Mary. Do but send to them, and ask them what they say of him."

So he sent them word to come to him again and to tell him what they said of Jesus, whereupon they were troubled, for nothing of this kind had ever yet befallen them. They consulted together as to what they should reply when the question was put to them, though they all knew that they had no choice but to say what God had said.

So when they entered the royal presence, and it was said to them: "What say ye of Jesus, the son of Mary?" Ja’far answered:

"We say of him what our Prophet brought unto us, that he is the slave of God and His Messenger and His Spirit and His Word which He cast unto Mary the blessed virgin."

The Negus took up a piece of wood and said:

“Jesus the son of Mary exceedeth not what thou hast said by the length of this stick."

And when the generals round him snorted, he added: "For all your snorting." Then he turned to Ja'far and his companions and said: "Go your ways, for ye are safe in my land. Not for mountains of gold would I harm a single man of you"; and with a movement of his hand towards the envoys of Quraysh, he said to his attendant: "Return unto these two men their gifts, for I have no use for them." So ‘Amr and the other man went back ignominiously to Mecca.

Meantime the news of what the Negus had said about Jesus spread among the people, and they were troubled and came out against him asking for an explanation, and accusing him of having left their religion. He thereupon sent to Ja'far and his companions and made ready boats for them and told them to embark and be ready to set sail if necessary. Then he took a parchment and wrote on it:

“He testifieth that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger and that Jesus the son of Mary is His slave and His Messenger and His Spirit and His Word which He cast unto Mary."