Muhammad Man and Prophet by Salahi Adil

Author:Salahi, Adil
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kube Publishing Ltd
Published: 2010-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

Dealing with Strife

It was then clear to the Prophet, and to those of his companions who were present, that ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy was correctly quoted. ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb suggested that the Prophet should command ʿAbbād ibn Bishr to kill ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy. The Prophet said: “How would you like it, ʿUmar, if people started to say that Muhammad is killing his companions? Indeed, I shall not do that. However, give orders to depart now.”

ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy learnt that the Prophet had been told what he had said. He therefore hastened to him and denied any knowledge of what had been attributed to him. He swore by God that he did not say anything of the sort. Those of the Prophet’s companions who were present tried to pacify matters. They were still keen that ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy should be given his chance to accept Islam. After all, he had been well respected among his people before the advent of Islam. They suggested to the Prophet that Zaid ibn Arqam might have misquoted or misheard ʿAbdullāh. The Prophet said nothing.

When the orders were given to march, Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr, a prominent figure among the Anṣār, came to the Prophet, greeted him with the respect due to him as Messenger of God and said: “Prophet, I see that you are marching at a time of day when you used not to march.” The Prophet said to him: “Have you not heard what your friend said?” When Usayd asked for details, the Prophet told him that ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy had said that “the honourable among the two of us will chase the humble out of Madinah.” Usayd said: “Yes indeed, Messenger of God. You can turn him out of Madinah if you like. You are the honourable and he is the humble.” Usayd then pleaded clemency and told the Prophet: “God has sent you to us when his people were preparing to crown him king. He may think that you have robbed him of his kingdom.”

The Prophet marched at the head of the Muslims for the rest of the day and throughout the night, and continued marching until mid-morning, when it was burning hot. He then allowed his companions to stop. Hardly had they sat down when they all fell asleep. This the Prophet did in order that people would not be preoccupied with what ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy had said.4

The Prophet realized that those evil comments might cause strife within the ranks of the Muslims. He felt that if he tired the Muslims out by marching most of the time and taking as little rest as possible, the whole episode might be forgotten before the army had reached Madinah. Hence, haste and speed were the marks of the Muslims’ return from their successful expedition against the tribe of al-Muṣṭalaq.

Shortly afterwards, the sūrah entitled al-Munāfiqūn, or The Hypocrites, was revealed. It describes the hypocrites and their feelings towards the Muslims and it also states the very words said by ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy and conveyed to the Prophet by Zaid ibn Arqam.

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