Appointed
as Arbitrator by the Quraish
The Ka'bah once caught fire due to
some carelessness causing deep cracks in its walls. The Quraish agreed to
rebuild it but none was ready to demolish it for fear of being overtaken by
some calamity. At last, Walid bin Mughirah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) among the chieftains began it. Other tribes eventually joined
the demolition work. About the same time a ship suffered wreckage near the port
of Jeddah. The Quraish bought the wooden parts of the broken ship. When the
construction work reached up to the point where the Hajar Aswad (Black Stone)
was to be placed, a serious dispute erupted, for the chieftain of every tribe
wanted to place the sacred relic into its place. They were ready to fight and
swords were drawn. The impasse continued for five days. At last the Quraish
tribes assembled at the Ka'bah and a meeting was immediately convened. Abu
Umayyah bin Mughirah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
brought forward a suggestion that the man first to enter the gate of the Ka'bah
would be made umpire in the matter of a dispute. The first man to come in was
Allâh's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
"This is Muhammad," they said as soon as they saw him coming.
"He is trustworthy and we all agree to his decision." The fact that
every tribe was desirous for and claimed the honor was understandable. However,
in their classical destructive manner they were all making pledges to fight
unto death by thrusting their fingers into a bowl full of blood according to
the custom of the times. It was in this atmosphere that they entrusted to the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) this major
responsibility and honor with all the different factions satisfied and in
agreement. This is irrefutable proof of the fact that they all had profound
faith in his honesty and justice. He (صلى الله عليه
وآله وسلم) first acquainted himself with the matter and then put an end
to the dispute quickly so that all the people, old and experienced were left
wondering at his sagacity, power of decision and sense of justice. All of them
raised their voices in appreciation.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked them to bring a piece of cloth. He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) took the Black Stone
and put it on the cloth, and asked each tribe to take hold of an end of the
cloth and lift it to the required height. When the people lifted the stone in
the proper manner, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم) placed it in its position with his own hands, and the building
went on above it. Utbah bin Rabi'ah bin Abd Shams, Aswad bin Muttalib bin Asad
bin Abdul-Uzza, Abu Hudhaifah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
bin Mughirah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
bin Umar bin Makhzum and Qais bin Adi As-Sahmi were the four persons most
deeply involved in the dispute but they, too returned happy and satisfied. Had
a war broken out, it would have left all the past wars behind in ferocity and
bloodshed. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
was only thirty-five years of age when He (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم) brought an end to the dispute of Black Stone.
Support
for the Poor
He (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) had excelled all others in Makkah with
respect to honor and popularity, and he had no enemy throughout Arabia. His
wisdom, uprightness, honesty and trustworthiness were the talk of the country.
He was a trader by profession and he was passing his life in easy circumstances
after his marriage with Khadijah (radhiyallahu 'anha). Once famine broke out,
Abu Tâlib had to shoulder the responsibility of a big family, and despite being
the chieftain of Banu Hâshim, he passed his days in poverty and want. Having
seen his plight, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
told his uncle, Abbâs bin Abdul-Muttalib about the famine and the difficulties
that Abu Tâlib was facing. He further said that it would be better if they each
took one of his sons under their care. Abbâs agreed and both of them went to
Abu Tâlib and expressed their desire. Abu Tâlib gave his consent for Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and Ja'far. Thus Ali
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was taken by the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and Ja'far by Abbâs.
This happened the same year when the Ka'bah was rebuilt.
His
Love for Zaid bin Hârithah
Hakim bin Harâm, the nephew of
Khadijah (radhiyallahu 'anha) had purchased a slave and offered him to his
father's sister, Khadijah (radhiyallahu 'anha), who gave him to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). It was this slave
who was known as Zaid bin Hârithah. He belonged to an Arabian family but was
captured during plunder and sold as a slave. When Zaid's father Hârithah and
his uncle Ka'b came to know that Zaid lived with a man in Makkah as his slave,
both of them went to Makkah and requested the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to release Zaid. He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) granted their request at once and said
that Zaid was at liberty to accompany them if he so desired.
Zaid was then sent for. He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked him, "Do
you know these two?" Zaid replied, "Yes! They are my father and
uncle." He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
then said, "They have come to take you with them. I give you permission to
accompany them." Zaid replied, "I can't part company with you."
Thereupon Zaid's father rebuked him and said, "Do you prefer slavery to
liberty?" Zaid answered back, "I have noticed in Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) such things that I
can prefer none to him in the whole universe." Having heard this reply of
Zaid, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
got up, took Zaid with him and entering Ka'bah cried in a loud voice: "O
people! Be witness to it that today I set Zaid free and adopt him as my son,
this is my heir from today and I am his." This moving sight delighted both
the father and uncle of Zaid and they went away leaving their son in the
company of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
From that day the boy came to be
called Zaid bin Muhammad instead of Zaid bin Hârithah until Revelation was sent
to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
after his emigration that an adopted son cannot be a substitute for one's own
son. Thus he returned to the name Zaid bin Hârithah. But he enjoyed the love
and affection of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
in the same measure and it kept increasing with the passage of time. This
particular event also tells a lot about the treatment and manners of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) before being
elevated to the lofty position of Prophethood.
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