At
Tabuk:
When the Muslim expedition arrived
at the stream of Tabuk near the Syrian border, Heraclius recognized him as a
true prophet and withdrew out of fear. The Christian troops and the Ghassanide
king also left their positions and cleared out of the area of the Muslim force.
Tabuk lay at a distance of fourteen or fifteen stages from Al-Madinah where the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) stayed for about
twenty days. During this period, Yuhannah bin Ru'bah, the ruler of Ailah
appeared before the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
to offer his obedience to him, his request was accepted in return for Jizyah
(tax) which he paid on the spot. The people of Jarbâ' also followed suit and
earned peace on the same conditions, and the same came to pass with the people
of Adhruh.
Dumat-ul-Jandal was located near
Tabuk whose ruler Ukaidir bin Abdul-Malik was a Christian and belonged to Banu
Kindah tribe. He refused to obey the Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم) and showed arrogance. He sent Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) at the head of a
detachment saying, "You will see Ukaidir hunting a white antelope."
When Khâlid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
came near to his palace after a night's journey, he saw an amazing event.
It was a hot summer moonlit night,
Ukaidir was enjoying his rest with his wife on top of his palace. All of a
sudden a white antelope came out from the adjacent forest and started rubbing
its horns against the gate of his palace. His wife drew her husband's attention
to this. Ukaidir, along with his brother Hassân, chased the animal on
horseback. He had covered a short distance when Khâlid's detachment surrounded
them. Ukaidir was captured alive while his brother was killed in the encounter.
His beautiful silken garment was sent ahead through a courier and Ukaidir himself
was brought by Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
spared the life of Ukaidir who showed his obedience and.
Hâtim stretched out his hand, took
the oath of allegiance, became a Muslim and returned to his people.
First
Deputy of the Prophet of Allâh
After returning from Tabuk the
arrival of deputations kept the Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وآله وسلم) so busy that he could not spare himself to lead the Hajj
caravan to Makkah. He delegated Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to perform the job. Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) departed at the head of three hundred Hajj pilgrims along with
twenty camels from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم) and five of his own to be sacrificed during Hajj. Soon after
the departure of the Hajj caravan under Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), forty Verses of Sûrat At-Taubah were revealed. These Verses
delineated some essential injunctions like banning the polytheists' entry into
the zone of the Sacred Mosque from the next year, banning the naked
circumambulation of the House of Allâh, and the fulfilling of the covenant made
with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
These injunctions were supposed to be announced on the occasion of the Hajj.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) immediately sent Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) riding on his (the Prophet's) dromedary with the instructions
that these Verses be read out to the audience on the Day of Sacrifice after the
Hajj was completed. Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) traveled quickly and
caught up with the caravan of Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) at Dhul-Hulaifah. Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) asked him whether he had come as the commander or the
commanded. "I have come as the commanded and you will remain the
commander. I have been entrusted with the duty of reading out these
Verses." On reaching Makkah, Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) oversaw the Muslims perform the rites of Hajj while Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) read out the Verses of Sûrat At-Taubah.
The same year the Prophet's daughter
Umm Kulthum passed away, Hajj was declared as obligatory and was performed
under the guidance of a Muslim leader and Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) gave them instructions on the rites of Hajj. The polytheists
were given a duration of only four months to vacate the sacred zone otherwise
Allâh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
would bear no responsibility whatsoever concerning them. Hearing this
announcement even those in Makkah who had remained polytheists accepted Islam.
Abdullah bin Ubai died the same year.
The
Tenth Year of Migration
From Muharram 10 AH up to the end of
the year, deputations kept arriving and Arab tribes continued joining the
caravan of Islam. In Rabi' Al-Âkhir, Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was sent to Najrân and its surrounding
areas accompanied by four hundred Companions with instructions to call the
people thrice to accept Islam and avoid fighting. They were pleased to embrace
Islam when Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
reached there. Banu Al-Hârith bin Ka'b was one of the tribes who was converted
to Islam. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
called Khâlid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and the Companions back while Amr bin Hazm (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was sent to those areas as an instructor of Islam.
In Ramadân 10 AH, a deputation from
Ghassan tribe came, which consisted of three members. They accepted Islam with
all pleasure and returned to their people, but they refused to come into the
fold of Islam.
In Shawwâl 10 AH, a seven-member
deputation from Banu Salâmân came headed by its chief Habib bin Amr, and
returned after accepting Islam. One day Habib bin Amr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) asked the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), "Which is the most excellent deed
in Islam?" He replied, "It is to offer prayer on time."
During the same period came the
deputation of ten members from Azd and accepted Islam, by their preaching the
whole tribe converted to Islam. For the same reason a fight broke out between
Azd and Jursh tribes. Before the fight, Jursh people had sent their two men to
Al-Madinah to enquire about the Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وآله وسلم). When these men approached the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), he said to them, "The Jursh and the
Azd engaged themselves in fighting against one another and the Jursh were
defeated." It had happened the same day. When both went back and related
the event, the entire Jursh tribe accepted Islam. The same year, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was sent to Yemen to teach them Tauhid
and forbid polytheism. With his efforts, Hamdân, the well known tribe of Yemen,
embraced Islam entirely. During this year the deputation from Murâd tribe came
after breaking away from Muluk Kindah and accepted Islam. The deputation of
Banu Abdul-Qais also came headed by Jârud bin Amr and they all converted to
Islam from Christianity. They went back and brought their whole tribe to Islam.
Musailamah
Kadhdhâb
In the same year the deputation of
Banu Hanifah came from Yamâmah which included Musailamah bin Hubaib Kadhdhâb
(liar), Jurjân bin Ghanam, Talq bin Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and Salmân bin Hanzalah. They stayed for a fortnight and
learned the Quran from Ubai bin Ka'b. During this period, other persons used to
be in the company of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم), but Musailamah was away most of the time, with the permission
of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم),
under the pretext of looking after the belongings of the group. Among the
deputations which came during this year were those of Banu Kindah, Banu Kinânah
and Hadramout and accepted Islam. In the same year, Wâ'il bin Hujr appeared
before the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
and embraced Islam. Expressing his joy over this, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Abu Sufyân (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to make his guest.
On the way to his home Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
was on foot and Wâ'il bin Hujr was on his mount. Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) asked Wâ'il for his footwear because his feet were burning
from the heat. "I shall not give them for I have already worn them,"
Wâ'il replied rather rudely. "Well, let me ride behind you,"
Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) proposed as an alternative. "You
can't ride the mount of a king," Wâ'il replied with an air of arrogance.
"But my feet are burning," Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
spoke rather painfully. "It is enough for you to walk in the shadow of my
camel,"Wâ'il retorted. This is the same Wâ'il that when he approached
Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) during his caliphate, he showed him so
much respect.
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