Divine Succour
God cares for those who do
their duty to Him
Aishah tells of how the Prophet remained awake one night while he was staying in her chamber. When she asked him why he was so restless, he sighed, “If only one of my righteous companions keep watch for me at night!” Just then the clank of weapons could be heard from outside. “Who is it?” exclaimed the Prophet. “It is Saad ibn Malik,” came the reply. “What has brought you here?” enquired the Prophet. “I came to keep watch over you, O Messenger of God,” explained Saad. Soon after this, says Aishah, she heard the sound of the Prophet’s deep breathing. He had fallen asleep.
In another tradition, Aishah says that after emigration to Madinah a regular watch used to be kept over the Prophet, but that when the verse containing the words, “God will protect you from men,” (5:67) was revealed, the Prophet looked through an aperture and told his watchmen to go on their way, “for God has given me His protection.”
(Ibn Kathir, Tafsir)
Wisdom: God’s greatest gift
Wisdom and learning are lights by which God guides whom he wills,” said Imam Malik. “They do not stem from an understanding of many theological issues.”
(JAMI‘ BAYAN AL-‘ILM)
The danger of action
without knowledge
“One who acts in ignorance will cause more harm than good,” said Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz.
(JAMI‘ BAYAN AL-‘ILM)
Seeing the positive
aspect of misfortune
During the wars in Persia, a band of Muslims visited the Court of the Iranian King, Yazdagird, only to have scorn heaped upon them by the King. “I cannot think of a people who are scantier in number, or more ill fated or disunited than you are. Even our villagers would be a match for you if I handed you over to them.” Mughira ibn Shuabah replied on behalf of the Muslims: “What you say is true. We used to live in a wretched state having no home but the face of the earth. The clothes we wore were fashioned from goat and camel hair. Our religion led us to hate and kill one another. We even used to bury our daughters alive for fear that they might eat away our stocks of food. But then God sent to us one who was well known to us, and who was, indeed, the best of us all. He invited us to follow him, but, at first, only one of us-Abu Bakr-went with him. As for the rest of us we denied him. But, as everything he said came to pass, faith entered our hearts and we followed him. Through His Prophet, God has promised us that whomsoever of our number is slain shall enter heaven, while those who survive shall be granted succour in the face of the enemy.” Incensed, Yazdagird gave orders for a basket full of earth to be perched on the head of the noblest of the Muslims and for them all to be chased away beyond the land of Madain. The Muslim so singled out for humiliation, Asim by name, left the court in this condition and rode on on his camel until he met his Commander, Saad ibn Abi Waqqas. When Saad learned of the degrading treatment to which Asim had been subjected, he said; “Do not be unhappy! Surely God has given us the keys to their land.”10
(AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)
Correcting a false impression even at the expense of one’s own prestige
During the Battle of Yarmuk, an Iranian chieftain, by the name of Jurjah, left the ranks of his own army and expressed a desire to meet Khalid ibn Walid. The latter also left his ranks and rode up so close to Jurjah that the necks of their horses were touching. “O Khalid,” said Jurjah, “Tell me-and a free man does not lie, so tell me the truth-did God truly send a sword down from Heaven for His Prophet? And did the Prophet hand that sword over to you, with the result that you defeat whomsoever you fight against?” When Khalid said that this was not so, Jurjah asked why Khalid was called the “Sword of God.” “God sent His Prophet among us,” replied Khalid. “Some of us believed, while others disbelieved. I was among the disbelievers. Then God captured our hearts and granted us His guidance. As I was swearing allegiance to the Prophet, he said to me, ‘You are one of God’s swords that he has unleashed against the idolaters.’ He prayed that I should have God’s succour. Since then I have been called the ‘Sword of God’.”
(AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)
God helps those who help others
One night, in 610 AD, Muhammad ibn Abdullah was in retreat in the cave of Hira, when he was visited by an angel of God. “Read!” said the angel. “I do not know how to read,” Muhammad replied. The angel then clasped him in tight embrace until the pressure became too much for him. Releasing him, the angel again said, “Read!” Again Muhammad begged to be excused, saying that he did not know how to read. Then the angel took hold of him and exerted such pressure upon him that Muhammad could bear it no more. Releasing him, the angel said, “Read!” “I cannot read,” pleaded Muhammad. And the angel said: “Read in the name of your Lord, who created you from a clot of blood. Read: your Lord is most bounteous.” This was the first verse of revelation to the Prophet Muhammad.
After this experience, the Prophet came home to his wife Khadijah in Makkah. Trembling, he cried out to her, “Cover me up, put a blanket over me!” Khadijah then made the Prophet lie down. When he had recovered from his shock, he explained the entire episode to his wife who, being older, was more experienced. “I feared for my life,” said the Prophet. “That could never be,” said Khadijah, “For you are one who cultivates the bonds of kinship. You help the needy and enable the destitute to earn their living; you are hospitable to guests; you offer assistance to those in distress. Is it possible that God would put you to shame? By God, that could never happen!”
(AL-BUKHARI, SAHIH)
Insight comes with true faith
When Umar emigrated from Makkah to Madinah, one Ayash ibn abi-Rabiyah accompanied him, and on reaching Madinah, they went to stay with the family of Amr ibn Auf. In the meantime, Abu Jahal and Harith, who were close relatives of Ayash, set out from Makkah in search of their kinsman. (During this period, the Prophet was still in Makkah.) On reaching Madinah, Abu Jahal and Harith met Ayash and had a talk with him. “Your mother has sworn that, until she sets an eye on you, she will not comb her hair or take shelter from the sun,” they said, in an attempt to persuade Ayash to return with them to Makkah. Seeing that pity for his mother was beginning to soften him, Umar warned him: “These two men want to turn you away from your faith. Beware of them! You can rest assured that when lice start biting your mother, she will surely comb her hair, and when the heat becomes too intense, she will betake herself into the shade.” But Ayash insisted on freeing his mother from her oath; he had also to collect some possessions he had left in Makkah. He assured Umar that he would return, but, on reaching Makkah, Ayash was tied up by his relatives and subjected to all kinds of torment. Finally, he rejected Islam and reverted to his ancestral religion.
(AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)
God’s mercy for the merciful
The Prophet said: “God will not show mercy to one who does not show mercy to his fellow-men.”
With God’s help a handful
can conquer a multitude
Among the Quraysh, there was a rumour monger by the name of Jamil ibn Maamar al-Jamhi who, when he heard of Umar’s acceptance of Islam, positioned himself at the gate of the Ka’bah and said in a loud voice: “I will have you know that Umar, son of Khattab, has become an infidel!” The Quraysh were sitting grouped around the Ka’bah at that time, and Umar was also present, “The man is lying,” said Umar. “The truth is, I have accepted Islam, bearing witness that there is no god besides God, and Muhammad is His messenger.” On hearing this, people closed in on Umar and he fought with them until the sun was high in the sky. When the combatants became too exhausted to fight any longer, Umar said to them, ‘Do as you will. If we Muslims could be as many as just three hundred, as God is my witness, we would either leave this land to you, or you should have to leave it to us.”
(AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)
Their greatest strength was Islam
In the face of unrelenting oppression by the Quraysh, a group of some eighty Muslims emigrated, under the leadership of Jaafar ibn abi-Talib, from Makkah to Abyssinia in the fifth year of the Prophet’s mission. The Quraysh sent their envoys to the Christian king of Abyssinia to seek the Muslims’ return, but the King had been so impressed by the Muslims’ way of speaking and behaving that he refused the Quraysh’s request, and promised the Muslims a safe refuge in his land. “If anyone insults you, he shall be punished,” he assured them. “I will not wrong anyone of you, even in return for a mountain of gold. “You can remain here as long as you please.” He gave orders for the Muslims to be provided with food and clothing, and asked them whether they were having to suffer any ill-treatment. When they said that they were, he issued a proclamation to the effect that anyone ill-treating a Muslim would have to pay him (the Muslim) a fine of four dirhams. “Is that sufficient?” he asked the Muslims. When they said that it was not, he doubled the sum.
When the Muslims emigrated from Makkah to Madinah, the Muslims who had settled in Abyssinia also moved there; they were given mounts and provisions for their journey by the King. Those who serve God alone shall be raised above other men In the beginning, Abu Talib had provided his nephew, the Prophet Muhammad, with the patronage necessary to the continuance of his public mission. But as Abu Talib lay on his death-bed, a group of Qurayshite chieftains gathered around him with a request. “You well know the position you hold among us,” they began, “but now, as all men must, you have reached the end of your days. You know the matter still at issue between your nephew and ourselves. We wish you to take a covenant both from him and from us, that he will not interfere with us and we will not interfere with him. If he leaves us to our religion, we shall leave him to his own religion.” Abu Talib called the Prophet and told him that these chieftains had come to offer him a pledge for a pledge. “What is it that you want of them?” asked Abu Talib. “Just one thing,” replied the Prophet, then, turning to the assembled chieftains, he said: “If you accept this one thing, you will become lords over Arabia; all Asia shall yield to you.” Abu Jahal then swore an oath by the Prophet’s father that they would accept more by far than just one demand on the part of Muhammad, but, when he heard that the Prophet demanded that they bear witness to there being no god besides God, and forsake all that they worshipped besides Him, he wrung his hands in dismay and left, saying as he went: “Should we forsake our gods for one God? What an extraordinary demand to make! This man is not going to give anything away, so come, let us adhere to our religion until God settles this between him and us.”
Secrecy is of the essence in
launching an attack
When the Quraysh broke the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, the Prophet issued instructions to his people to make ready for departure; the Prophet’s own household were also to make their preparations. At that time Abu Bakr visited Aishah, his daughter and wife of the Prophet, while she was packing the latter’s belongings. “Has the Prophet told you to prepare for a journey?” asked Abu Bakr. When Aishah said that he had, Abu Bakr asked her where she thought the Prophet intended to go.” “I do not honestly know,” replied his daughter.
(IBN HISHAM, AL-SIRAH AN-NABAWIYYAH)
