37. THE VISIT OF THE DEPUTATION OF THAQEEF TO ALLAH’S MESSENGER IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN,THE 9TH YEAR
It has been mentioned earlier that when Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was withdrawing from the Thaqeef, he was asked to curse them, but, rather, he supplicated for their guidance. It has also been mentioned that when Malik Ibin ‘Awf An-Nasri accepted Islam, he was kind to him and granted him profound gifts and made him the chief of those who accepted Islam among his people. He would raid the land of Thaqeef and straitened them till he compelled them to enter the fold of Islam.
A few months after ‘Urwah was killed, Thaqeef deliberated among themselves and came to the conclusion that they did not have the capability to wage war against the surrounding Arab tribes, who had pledged allegiance (to the Prophet) and had accepted Islam. Based on the advice of ‘Amr Ibn Umayyah of Banu ‘Ilaj, they had a mutual consultation and decided to dispatch one of them to Allah’s Messenger. They sent And Yaleel Ibn ‘Amr Ibn ‘Umayr along with two men from Ahlaf and three from Banu Malik.
Moosa Ibn ‘Uqbah said that there were about ten individuals and among them were Kinanah Ibn ‘Abd Yaleel, who was their leader, and ‘Uthman Ibn Abu Al-‘As, who was the youngest of the delegates. Ibn Ishaq related that when the delegates approached Madinah, they stopped at Qanat; where they met Mugheerah Ibn Shu‘bah whose turn it was to graze the camels of the Prophet’s Companions took this task in turns. When he saw them, he quickly went to inform Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, of their arrival. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, met him on the way and he informed him of the arrival of the delegation from Thaqeef with the intention of pledging allegiance and accepting Islam on the conditions of the Prophet and provided that a document of guarantee would be written for their people. Abu Bakr said to Al-Mugheerah: “I beseech you by Allah, please do not precede me to inform the Messenger of Allah, let me be the one who will relate the good news to him.” Mugheerah agreed and Abu Bakr went in to inform the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, of their arrival.
Mugheerah went back to the delegates of Thaqeef. Although he taught them the proper etiquette of greeting the Prophet, still upon arriving at his presence, they greeted him with the greeting of the pre-Islamic period. He erected a tent for them in the Mosque and it was Khalid Ibn Sa’eed Ibn Al-‘As who was the intermediary between them and Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Whenever he brought food to them from Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, they would not eat it unless Khalid Ibn Sa’eed ate it first. He was also the one who wrote down the document of guarantee for them.
Among the conditions they stipulated to Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was that they be allowed to maintain their idol, Al-Lat, for three years without being demolished. Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, refused and they persisted imploring him for a moratorium of two or even one year but the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not accede to their demand. Eventually, they asked for a month from their arrival back home and they impressed it upon him that the reason was so that the foolish ones might be reconciled (to Islam). However, the Prophet,peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, refused to stipulate any time limit for them; rather, he sent Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb and Mugheerah Ibn Shu‘bah with them to demolish the idol.
They also requested that they be exempted from offering Salat and from having to destroy their idols by their own hands. Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “As for your request not to demolish your idols by your own hands, we shall exempt you from that, but concerning your being excused from offering Salat, there is no good in a religion which is bereft of Salat.”
On the authority of Wahb who said: “I asked Jabir concerning Thaqeef and their pledge of allegiance. He said: ‘They stipulated that they be exempted from paying Zakah and from participating in Jihad.’ He heard the Prophet say afterward: “They will pay the Zakah and participate in Jihad once they accept Islam.” Moosa Ibn ‘Uqbah mentioned that whenever their delegates went to Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, they would leave ‘Uthman Ibn Abul-‘As in their camp and when they returned to him around midday, he would approach Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to ask him for some knowledge and to learn the Qur’an. Whenever he found him sleeping, he would go to Abu Bakr As-Siddiq and he did not cease from this practice until he acquired the understanding of Islam and Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, loved him dearly.
On the authority of ‘Uthman Ibn Abul-‘As who narrated: I once said: “O Messenger of Allah, make me the Imam of my people,”and he said, “You are appointed their Imam and lead according to the ability of the weakest of them and choose a Mu’adhdhin who would not receive payment for his calls.”
Moosa Ibn ‘Uqbah related that the delegation from Thaqeef consisted of ten individuals. When they came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he lodged them at the Mosque so that they may listen to the Qur’an; they asked him concerning Riba’ (interest), Zina (adultery) and Khamr (intoxicants) and he forbade for them all that.
They also asked him as to what should be done to their idol, and he said: “Demolish it.” They said: “Impossible, if it comes to know of your intention to demolish it, its kindred will kill you.” ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Woe to you, Ibn ‘Abd Yaleel, how ignorant you are. The deity is just a stone.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, undertake the demolition yourself. As for us, we shall never destroy it (with our own hands).” Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “I shall send with you someone who will destroy it.” (2) They entered into a pact with him on that and further requested that they be allowed to precede his messengers to their town. Upon their return back home, their people inundated them asking for the news of their encounter with Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
They feigned grief saying that they had returned from a man who was severe and harsh-hearted who had unsheathed his sword and judged as he deemed fit and had stunned the Arabs. They told their people that he had prohibited Riba’, Zina and Khamr and had ordered the demolition of their deity. Thaqeef broke into a frenzy saying: “We shall never consent to that!” They mobilized for war and prepared their weapons and lay in wait for two or three days. Then Allah cast terror into their hearts and they returned to their town and became repentant.
They turned to their delegates and said: “Return to him and relay to him our willingness and conclude a peace pact with him on our behalf.” The delegates said: “We have already done that and we found him to be the most pious of men, the best in fulfilling the terms of a treaty, the most merciful of men and the most truthful. We have been blessed by our journey to him and concerning the agreement which we have entered with him, have a full grasp of the agreement.” They said: “So why did you conceal all these things?” The delegates responded: “We intended that Allah remove from your hearts the arrogance of Shaitan.”
They yielded their position and a few days afterward, the envoys of the Prophet arrived. Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed had been appointed their leader. Among the Prophet’s envoys was Mugheerah Ibn Shu‘bah. They headed to Al-Lat and the men, women and children of Thaqeef gathered around Al-Lat. The majority of the people did not believe that demolishing it would be possible. In fact, they had assumed that it was invincible. Mugheerah got up, took a pick-ax and said to his companions: “I shall make you laugh at Thaqeef.” He struck the idol with the pick-ax and then he fell down shaking his leg. The people of Thaqeef broke into a frenzied cry of joy. They said: “Allah has forsaken Mugheerah, the deity has killed him; let anyone dare to come near it again!” Upon hearing that, Mugheerah got up and said: “By Allah, people of Thaqeef, it is merely a despicable (statue made of) stone and mud; accept the Will of Allah and worship Him alone.”
Then he struck the door and broke it. Then he climbed the effigy and other men ascended with him and they did not cease to demolish it stone by stone until they pulled it down. The custodian of the idol said: “Its foundation shall be extremely angry and it will convulse the earth beneath them.” When Mugheerah heard that he said to Khalid, “Permit me to excavate its foundation.” He excavated it until he removed all the soil and made it into a heap. Then they returned to Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and they distributed its wealth the same day and they gave thanks to Allah for giving glory to His religion and for aiding His Messenger.
By: Ibn Katheer
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