In the 9th year of migration, in Zul
Qa’dah, after returning from the Battle of Tabuk, the Final Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
sent a caravan of 300 Muslims to Makkah for Hajj. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was appointed the
Ameer of Hajj, Sayyiduna Ali Murtaza رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ
عَنْهُ the Naqeeb of Islam and Sayyiduna Saad Bin Abi Waqas, Sayyiduna
Jabir Bin Abdullah and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah رَضِیَ
اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم were appointed the teachers.
He صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم also sent twenty camels on his own behalf
for sacrifice. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِیَ
اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ delivered a sermon in the sanctuary around the Ka’bah as well
as at Arafat and Mina. Sayyiduna Ali رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ
عَنْهُ stood up and recited forty verses of Surah al-Bara’ah and
announced: “From now onwards, no polytheist can enter the Ka’bah nor can anyone
perform Tawaf naked.¹ After four months, protection will be ended for
disbelievers and polytheists.”
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah and other
blessed companions رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم made
the announcements so loudly that they lost their voices. After these
announcements, people came in droves and became Muslim.
Referance:
1 Sharh
al-Zurqaani ‘Ala al-Mawahib vol. 4, p. 115-116, summarised & Bukhari, vol.
3, p. 128, Hadith 4363
Arrival
of delegations
9 Hijri is also called the year of
delegations (Wufood). ‘Wufood’ is the plural form of ‘Wafd’ in Arabic. A ‘Wafd’
is a group of more than one person. The Final Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
would send preachers everywhere for preaching Islam. Some people would become
Muslim after accepting the invitation of Islam at the hands of these preachers,
whereas some tribes would desire to go directly to the Prophetic court to
witness the beauty of Prophethood and express their Islam.
For this reason, some people would
come to Madinah as representatives of their tribes and would embrace Islam
after listening to the message of the invitation to Islam from the founder of
Islam himself, the Final Messenger of Allah صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Then they would go back to their tribes
and make them Muslim.
Such kind of delegations had been
coming to Madinah at different times, but after the conquest of Makkah, the
flag of Islam had been raised in the entire Arabian Peninsula.
The
Reason for the Abundance of Delegations
Many tribes had already accepted the
truth about Islam, but they could not embrace Islam due to the fear of and
pressure from the Quraysh. The Conquest of Makkah removed this obstacle. Now,
the teachings of Islam and the sacred message of the Holy Quran ruled all
hearts such that those who could not even bear to hear anything about Islam
began to now sacrifice themselves at the blessed feet of the Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
Impressed by the teachings and
character of the true Prophet, these people would now come to him in large
numbers from far and wide as delegations to embrace Islam and to be crowned
with the honour of being from his blessed companions, thus attaining
everlasting felicity.
In 9 Hijri after the conquest of
Makkah, so many delegations came that the year was named ‘سَنَةُ الْوُفُود’ i.e. the year of the arrival of
delegations. According to one opinion, approximately sixty delegations came to
the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ
وَسَلَّم that year.
He صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would make special arrangements for
welcoming and meeting the delegations of tribes. For every delegation, he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
would come in very nice clothes and sit leaning against a pillar in Masjid
al-Nabawi in order to meet them. Then, he صَلَّى
اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would converse cheerfully with every
delegation and educate them about essential beliefs and commandments of Islam.
He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
would accommodate those guests in the best houses, take special care of their
hospitality and would also give gifts to every delegation.
Delegation
of Kindah
One of these delegations is the
delegation of Kindah. These people lived in the surroundings of Yemen. Seventy
to eighty people of this tribe came to Madinah with great splendour. With
combed hair, in silk robes, and with weapons adorned on their bodies, they
entered Madinah. When these people came to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم,
he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
asked: “Have you embraced Islam?” All of them replied in the affirmative. He صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
said: “Then, why are you wearing silk clothes?” As soon as they heard this,
they took off silk robes and also tore off the remaining pieces of silk from
their clothes.
Delegation
of Fazarah
One of the delegations was the
delegation of Fazarah. It was a delegation of twenty people. They came and
announced that they embraced Islam and said to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:
“There is a severe famine in our area. Now, it is unbearable for us to face
poverty and hunger. Please have mercy and make Du’a for rain.”
The last Prophet of Allah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
made a Du’a on the pulpit on Friday. The rain started falling immediately and
continued to fall for an entire week. On the next Friday, when the Final
Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ
وَسَلَّم was delivering the sermon, an Arab villager humbly said: “O
Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ
وَسَلَّم! Due to abundant rain, our cattle have started dying; our
family members are restless due to hunger and all the roads have been blocked. Please
make Du’a that this rain falls on the mountains and not on the fields.”
The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
made Du’a. When he صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ
وَسَلَّم made the Du’a, the clouds moved away from Madinah. In this way,
the sun appeared in Madinah after eight days.
Delegation
of the Saad Bin Bakr tribe
One of the delegations came with
Sayyiduna Damam Bin Tha’labah رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ,
the chief of the Saad Bin Bakr tribe. He was a very handsome man with a rosy
complexion and long hair. He came to the Final Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
and said: “O son of Abdul Muttalib! I will ask you questions about a few things
and I will be harsh in the questions. Do not get displeased with me.”
The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
replied: “Whatever you want, you can ask from me.” Then, the conversation took
place like this:
Damam bin Tha’labah: By oath to the
God Who is your Lord and the Lord of all humans, I ask: Has Allah Almighty sent
you to us after making you His messenger?
The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:
Yes.
Damam bin Tha’labah: By oath to God,
I ask the question: Has Allah Almighty made Salah, fasting, Hajj and Zakah
obligatory for us?
The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:
Yes.
Damam Bin Tha’labah: Whatever you
have said, I believe in it and I am Damam Bin Tha’labah. My tribe has sent me
to you so that I can understand your religion very well and then convey the
message of Islam to my tribe, Bani Saad bin Bakr.
He then reached his homeland and
gathered his entire tribe. First, he condemned the idols and then delivered
such an excellent speech on the truthfulness of Islam that all the men and
women of the tribe became Muslim overnight. They broke the idols into pieces
with their own hands, had a Masjid built in their tribe and became firm
believers who acted upon the commandments of Islam.
Many other delegations also came to
the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ
وَسَلَّم and embraced Islam.
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