The Life of The Prophet Muhammad

Monday, November 9th, 2009

gefulhu400by Leila Azzam and Aisha Gouverneur

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful

from Muhammad, Messenger of Allah to Chosroes, Shah of Persia.

Peace be upon those who follow the truth, who believe in Allah and His Prophet and who testify that there is no divinity but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. I ask you in the Name of Allah, because I am His Messenger, to warn your people that if they do not accept His Message, they must live with the consequences. Become Muslim and you will be safe. If you refuse to tell them you will be to blame for the ignorance of your subjects.

The Shah was furious when he read this and tore the letter into little pieces. When the messenger returned to Arabia and told the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) what Chosroes had done, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said, ‘May Allah also tear his kingdom into little pieces. ‘ And several years later it happened just as the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) had said it would. As with Syria and Persia, a messenger was also sent to the Negus (or King) of Abyssinia, with the following letter:

Peace. Praise be to Allah, the King, the All-Holy, the Peacemaker, the Keeper of Faith, the Watcher.
He is Allah, there is no divinity but He, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, the All-peaceable, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the All-sublime. Glorified be Allah from all that they associate with Him. (Koran lix.23)

And I testify that Jesus, son of Mary, is the spirit of Allah and His Word which He cast to Mary the Virgin, the good, the pure, so that she conceived Jesus. Allah Created him from His Spirit and His Breath as He created Adam by His Hand and His Breath. I call you to Allah, the Unique, without partner, to His obedience, and to follow me and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon all those who follow true guidance.

The King of Abyssinia was a very wise man, and was thought by the world to be a good Christian. He had, of course, already heard of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and his religion from the Muslims who had sought refuge in his country years before. He was deeply moved by the letter and when he came down from his throne it was not just to show his respect but also to declare that he was already a Muslim.
He answered the Prophet’s letter with one of his own.

To Muhammad the Prophet of Allah from the Negus al-Asham, King of Abyssinia.

Assalamu aleikum O Prophet of Allah wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu There is none like Him who has guided me to Islam. I received your letter, O Messenger of Allah. Some of your followers, as well as your cousin Ja’far, still live here. I believe you are truly the Messenger of God and reaffirm the pledge of allegiance I made to you some time ago before your cousin Ja’far, at whose hand I joined Islam and surrendered to the Lord of the Worlds.

A fourth messenger had, in the meantime, traveled by boat to Alexandria to meet the Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt, who was a Coptic Christian. In his letter, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) invited the Muqawqis to accept Islam, because a Christian who believed in the message of Jesus should also believe in him, for he had come with the same message from Allah. It read:

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful,

from Muhammad, son of ‘Abd Allah to the great Copt.

Peace be upon whoever follows the Truth. I beseech you to accept Islam. Become a Muslim. Allah will reward you twice. If you refuse, you will carry the blame for not allowing your people to share in this blessing.

The Muqawqis showed respect for what the letter said. He treated the messenger well, and sent many presents with him for the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), but he did not become a Muslim.

Although only Abyssinia responded to the Prophet’s call to Islam, all was not lost, for a few years later
Persia, Syria and Egypt all became Muslim countries.

THE ENTRY INTO MECCA

DESPITE the improved relations between Mecca and Medina after the signing of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, the ten-year peace was to be broken by Quraysh who, with their allies, the Bani Rakr, attacked the Khuza’ah tribe. Now Khuza’ah were allies of the Muslims and when the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) heard of the attack he immediately ordered his men to prepare for war. When they were ready he told them that their destination was Mecca and, as he did not want any fighting within the walls of the city, he told them they must move quickly and take the enemy by surprise. In this way the Meccans would not have time to prepare for war and, being surrounded would have to surrender. The Muslims would then be able to take the city without injury or loss of life to anyone.

When the Muslim army, which numbered ten thousand, set out for Mecca, it was the month of Ramadan in the eighth year of the Hijrah. Many of the men kept the fast, even though they were not obliged to because they were traveling. Everyone was jubilant because they were going to Mecca, especially as some of them had not seen their homes in the city for eight long years.

In the meantime, the Prophet’s uncle, al-’Abbas, had decided that the time had come for him and his wife to leave Mecca and join the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in Medina. They did not, however, have to go far as after a distance of only twenty-five kilometres they came across the Muslim camp. When the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) saw them he said, ‘Uncle, your emigration is the last emigration. My prophecy is the last prophecy.’ Al-’Abbas then joined the army and his wife went on to the safety of Medina.

Night fell and the Muslims made fires to light their camp. The Meccans, looking out of the city, were amazed to see the many fires, and Abu Sufyan went all over Mecca trying to find out whose camp it was. Suddenly he saw al-’Abbas riding towards him from the direction of the fires. He was returning as a messenger of peace from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and said to Abu Sufyan, ‘The Muslims have come with a large army. They do not wish to fight, only to enter the city. It would be better to surrender and not fight. Come under my protection and meet the Prophet (p.b.u.h.).’

Abu Sufyan agreed, and got up behind al-‘Abbas, who was riding the Prophet’s white mule. It was still night as they entered the Muslim camp. Each time they passed a fire, someone would call out, ‘Who goes there?’ None of them recognized the stranger as the leader of their enemy but all knew al-’Abbas and so let them through.

As they passed by ‘Umar, however, he immediately recognized Abu Sufyan and yelled out, ‘Abu Sufyan! The enemy of Allah!’ He ran after them intending to kill his enemy but al-‘Abbas made the mule go faster. They reached the Prophet’s tent just before ‘Umar, who rushed in after them quite out of breath. ‘Umar begged the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), ‘0 Messenger of Allah, let me end the life of Abu Sufyan, this enemy of Islam, who has led the Quraysh armies in their attacks on us!’

Arab News… to be continued

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