|
AR-RaheeQ Al-Makhtum (THE
SEALED NECTAR)- Memoirs of the Noble Prophet 
Author: Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri - Jamia Salafia - India-
Translated by : Issam Diab
Pages : 1. 2. 3.4.5 .6 .7 .8 .9.10 .11 .12 .13 .14 .15.16 .17
Factors
inspiring Patience and Perseverance
It is natural for sensible and
mild-tempered people to meditate deeply on the factors that
inspired those early Muslims that miraculous constancy and
perseverance. It is normal to wonder how those people managed to
tolerate unspeakable persecutions, and stand fast in the face of
tyrannical tortures. With respect to these questions, we deem it
wise just to touch on those underlying reasons:
1. Unshakable Belief in Allâh.
The first and foremost factor is no doubt, unshakable Belief
in Allâh Alone coupled with a wonderful degree of perception of
His Attributes. A man with this Belief deeply averred in his
heart will look at those foreseen difficulties as triflings and
can under no circumstance compare with the sweetness of Belief:
"Then, as for the
foam, it passes away as scum upon the banks, while that
which is for the good of mankind remains in the earth."
[13:17]Other sub-factors
that branch out from that Belief and assist in
strengthening it and promoting long amity are:
2. Wholeheartedly-loved
leadership. Muhammad ,
the great leader of the Muslim community, and mankind at large,
was an exemplary man in his perfect manners and noble attributes;
no one could measure up to his endowments of nobility, honesty,
trustworthiness and abstinence; unanimously and uncontestedly
acknowledged even by his enemies. Abu Jahl himself, the great
enemy of Islam, used repeatedly to say: "O Muhammad (),
we are in no position to belie you, we rather disbelieve what you
have brought us (Islam)." It is narrated that three people
of Quraish each separately and secretly listened to some verses
of the Noble Qur’ân. Later, this secret was uncovered and one
of them asked Abu Jahl (one of the three) what he thought of what
he heard from Muhammad (.).
He answered: We contested the honour of leadership and generosity
with Banu ‘Abd Munaf and shared equal privileges competitively.
They then began to boast saying that a Prophet rose among them
whom Revelation came down upon from heavens. I swear we will
never believe in him.[1]
So Allâh said:
"… It is not
you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Qur’ân)
of Allâh that the Zâliműn (polytheists
and wrong-doers) deny." [6:33]
One day, the
disbelievers of Quraish leveled to him a cynical remark
three times. He remained silent but for the third one he
remarked, "O Quraish! Slaughter is in store for you."
They were taken aback and ulterior fear filled their
hearts to such an extent that the most hostile among them
began to make up for their insult by the best friendly
terms they could afford. When they slung the entrails of
a camel on him while prostrating himself in prayer, he
invoked Allâh’s wrath on them, and they immediately
were caught in an inexpressible state of worry and were
almost convinced that they would be destroyed. Ubai bin
Khalaf used always to threaten he would kill Muhammad . One day the Prophet retorted that he would kill him by Allâh’s
Will. When Ubai received a scratch in his neck, on the
day of Uhud, he, under the sense of horror, remembered
the Prophet’s words and remarked, "I am convinced
he would be able to kill me even if he spat on me.[1]
" Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh said to Omaiyah bin
Khalaf in Makkah, "I heard the Messenger of Allâh one day say that the Muslims would surely
kill you." Omaiyah was extremely panicked and swore
he would never step out of Makkah. Even when Abu Jahl
obliged him to march with them to fight the Prophet on the day of Badr, he bought the best and
swift camels in Makkah in order that they hasten his
escape. Even his wife warned him against going out
reminding him of Sa‘d’s words, his reply was "By
Allâh, I have no intention of going out with Quraish, I
will disengage from them after a short distance."[1]
That was the clear sense
of horror and terror haunting his enemies wherever they
were. His friends and companions, on the other hand, held
him dearest to them, and he occupied the innermost cells
of their hearts. They were always ready to defend him and
secure his well-being even at the risk of their lives.
One day, Abu Bakr bin Abi Quhafa was severely beaten by
‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, a terrible polytheist. His whole
body was almost bleeding and he was on the verge of
death, yet when his people took him back home extremely
indignant at his misfortune, he swore he would never eat
or drink anything until they had told him about the well-being
of his noble Companion, Muhammad . That was the spirit of selflessness and
sacrifice that characterized the behaviour of those early
Companions.[1]
3. The sense of
responsibility. The early Companions were fully aware of the
daunting responsibility they were expected to shoulder. They were
also convinced that those charges were inescapable even though
they were being persecuted for fear of the far-reaching
ramifications, and the horrible impact that humanity would suffer
in case they shirked their obligations.
4. Unwavering Belief in the
truth of the Hereafter. This was the corner-stone that
strengthened their sense of responsibility. There was a deep
certainty established through the light of their religion that
one day they would have to rise on the Day of Resurrection and
account for all worldly deeds, small or big. They were sure that
their future in the other world would depend wholly on their acts
in their provisional life on earth, either to everlasting Garden
(Paradise) or perpetual chastisement in Hell. Their whole life
was divided between hope for Allâh’s mercy and fear of His
punishment.
"… Who give that (their
charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds)
with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and
charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they
are sure to return to their Lord." [23:60]They had already known that life
with all its amenities and pains was worthless when
compared with the Hereafter. Such deep convictions
brought about in them a sense of indifference to all
troubles and hardships that attended their life.
5. The Qur’ân. The
verses and chapters of the Noble Qur’ân were attractively,
forcefully and successively revealed at that gloomy and critical
stage, supporting and advancing arguments on the truth and
soundness of the principles of Islam, round whose axis the whole
Call of Muhammad
was revolving. They constituted the immune basis upon which the
best and most wonderful Divinely decreed society was to be
established. The Qur’ânic verses served also to excite the
feelings of the believers, strengthen their selves on their
course of patience and endurance and introduce them to the most
purposeful examples and suggestive instructions:
"Or
think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials)
as came to those who passed away before you? They were
afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so
shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed
along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allâh?’
Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allâh is near!" [2:214]
"Alif-Lam-Mim.
Do people think that they will be left alone because they
say: ‘We believe’, and will not be tested. And We
indeed tested those who were before them. And Allâh will
certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are
true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood
of) those who are liars, (although Allâh knows all that
before putting them to test)." [29: 1-3]
Mere lip
profession of Faith is not enough. It must be tried and
tested in the real turmoil of life. The test will be
applied in all kinds of circumstances, in individual life
and in relation to the environment around us to see
whether we can strive constantly and put the Lord above
self. Much pain, sorrow and self-sacrifice may be
necessary, not because they are good in themselves, but
because they will purify us, like fire applied to a
goldsmith’s crucible to burn out the dross.
These
verses also constituted an irrefutable answer to the
false allegations of the disbelievers, and a clear
ultimatum that smacked of the horrible consequences that
would ensue in case they persisted in their disbelief. On
the other hand, the Noble Qur’ân was leading the
Muslims to a new world and enlightening them as to its
features, the beauty of Lordship, the perfection of
Godship, the impact of kindness and mercy and the
manifestations of the yearned for Allâh’s pleasure.
They implicitly connoted meaningful messages carrying
glad tidings of definitely approaching Divine Mercy
leading to eternal bliss in a blissful Garden (Paradise).
They, at the same time, envisaged the end of the tyrants
and disbelievers who would be brought to Divine Justice
and then dragged through the Fire where they would taste
the touch of Hell.
6. Glad tidings
of success. Ever since the time they experienced the
adversities of life, the Muslims had been certain that entrance
into the fold of Islam did not entail involvement into hardships
or digging one’s own grave. They had been aware that the
Islamic Call had one goal, viz extermination of pre-Islamic
tradition and destroying its iniquitous system, to go on parallel
lines with extending its influence allover the earth and holding
in firm control the political situation worldwide to lead
humanity along a course conducive to Allâh’s Pleasure, and
perfect enough to rid people of worshipping Allâh’s servant to
worshipping Allâh, Himself. Glad tidings of this sort were being
revealed sometimes explicitly and at other times implicitly, in a
manner relevant to the situation. When the Muslims were forced to
undergo constraints, or when their life was kept under continual
restraint, there would be revealed verses telling identical
stories of past Prophets with their people and the sufferings and
pains they had experienced. The verses would also include
suggestive clues to the final tragic end of the Makkan
disbelievers envisaging their final perdition, yet and at the
same time, bearing glad tidings to the believers and promising
the true servants of vicegerency on earth to go with absolute
success, and victory to attend the Islamic Call and its
proponents.
Here we
could adduce some of the verses of this category pregnant
with glad tidings referring to the final victory that
would crown the perseverance and patience of the Muslims:
"And,
verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our slaves,
— the Messengers, that they verily would be made
triumphant. And that Our hosts, they verily would be the
victors. So turn away (O Muhammad ) from them for
a while, and watch them and they shall see (the
punishment)! Do they seek to hasten on Our torment? Then,
when it descends into their courtyard (i.e. near to them),
evil will be the morning for those who had been warned."
[37:171-177]
In the same
context, Allâh told His Prophet :
"Their
multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their
backs." [54:45]
He also
said:
"They
will be a defeated host like the confederates of the old
times." [38:11]
The Muslims
who migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) had the following:
"And
as for those who emigrated for the cause of Allâh, after
suffering oppression, We will certainly give them goodly
residence in this world, but indeed the reward of the
Hereafter will be greater, if they but knew." [16:41]
In the
context of the story of Joseph, there was:
"Verily,
in Joseph and his brethren there were Ayât (proofs,
evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for
those who ask." [12:7]
i.e., the
Makkans will receive the same fate that befell Joseph’s
brothers, viz, failure and surrender. In another
instance, Allâh speaks about the Messengers:
"And
those who disbelieved, said to their Messengers: ‘Surely,
we shall drive you out of our land, or you shall return
to our religion!’ So their Lord inspired them: ‘Truly,
We shall destroy the Zâliműn (polytheists,
disbelievers and wrong-doers). And indeed, We shall make
you dwell in the land after them. This is for him who
fears standing before Me (on the Day of Resurrection or
fears My punishment) and also fears My threat." [14:13,14]
During the
war between the Persians and the Romans, the disbelievers
had a sincere wish that victory be the former’s lot,
because both parties professed polytheism, whereas the
Muslims prayed for a Roman victory because both groups
believed in Allâh, His Messengers, Books, the Revelation
and the Hereafter.
The war
resulted in the overthrow of Rome by Persia. They were
pro-Persian, as we have said, and in their hearts they
hoped that the nascent movement of Islam, which at that
time was, from a worldly point of view, very weak and
helpless, would collapse under their persecution. But
they misread the true signs of the times. They were told
that they would soon be disillusioned in both their
calculations, and it actually so happened when Heraclius
carried his campaign into the heart of Persia and the
Makkan Quraish were beaten off at Badr:
"And
on that Day, the believers (i.e. Muslims) will
rejoice (at the victory given by Allâh to the
Romans against the Persians) with the help of Allâh."
[30:4,5]
During the
season of ‘Ukaz forum, and other such occasions, the
Messenger of Allâh himself would
communicate not only glad tidings pertinent to the Garden
(Paradise) but also news of promising prospects for the
true believers in the Call of Islam. He would openly tell
them that they would surely prosper, rule the whole of
Arabia and subdue Persia if they professed the most
serious pillar of Islam, i.e. the Oneness of Allâh.[1]
Khabbab bin
Al-Aratt once urged the Messenger to call upon Allâh to
shield him against the adversities he was suffering at
the hand of the polytheists. The Prophet’s face
reddened and he remarked that the true believer must not
precipitate things, it was incumbent upon a believer to
undergo all the odds of life as much as he could, fearing
nobody except Allâh until the religion was established,
which would surely happen. The Prophet in this regard,
referred to the perseverance that the Muslims had to show
and the hardships they had to undergo in order to
establish the land of Islam where peace and security
would prevail all over it.
Glad
tidings of better prospects for Islam and the Muslims
were not confined to Muhammad’s followers, in fact they
were being disclosed time and again to both believers and
disbelievers. Whenever the two parties met, the latter
would jeer at the former and mockingly say "Here are
the sovereigns of earth who will defeat Chosroes and
Caesar." But the believers, in anticipation of that
shining and Godly-orientated future, would always
persevere and tolerate all sorts of persecution and
humiliation regarding them as summer clouds that would
soon clear away.[1]
The Prophet
, on his
part, would always maintain and sustain his followers’
souls with the light of belief, sanctify them through
inculcating the Qur’ânic wisdom in their hearts and
cultivate their minds deeply with the spirit of Islam
that would elevate them to a state of noble spirituality,
pure heartedness and an absolute degree of freedom from
the yoke of materialism, a high morale powerful enough to
resist worldly lusts and consequently lead them from
darkness to light. He would constantly teach them to be
tolerant, forgiving and overpowering over their selves in
order to get well established in their religion, disdain
lust, and devote themselves to attaining the Pleasure of
Allâh, yearning for the Garden (Paradise), enthusiasm in
sciences relating to their faith, calling themselves to
account, subordinating fleeing whims, holding under firm
control all rage-provoking incidents and finally
observing sobriety, patience and gravity.
Pages : 1. 2. 3.4.5 .6 .7 .8 .9.10 .11 .12 .13 .14 .15.16 .17
Go back to the Main Page If you have any questions or comments please click this image: 
|
