54- THE PROPHETsa OF GOD CALLS YOU
The Prophetsa urged Muslims to always remember that Allah was Great and to pray to Him to save them from the superstitions of earlier peoples. Before the Muslim army reached Hunain, the Hawazin and their allies had already prepared a number of ambuscades from which to attack the Muslims, like the fox-holes and camouflaged artillery positions of modern warfare. They had built walls around them. Behind the walls were soldiers lying in wait for the Muslims. A narrow gorge was left for Muslims to pass through. Much the larger part of the army was posted to these ambuscades, while a small number was made to line up in front of their camels. Muslims thought enemy numbers to be no more than they could see. So they went forward and attacked. When they had advanced far and the hiding enemy was satisfied that they could be attacked very easily, the soldiers lined up in front of the camels and attacked the centre of the Muslim army while the hiding archers rained their arrows on the flanks. The Meccans, who had joined for a chance to display their valour, could not stand this double attack by the enemy. They ran back to Mecca. Muslims were accustomed to difficult situations, but when two thousand soldiers mounted on horses and camels pierced their way through the Muslim army, the animals of the Muslims also took fright. There was panic in the army. Pressure came from three sides, resulting in a general rout. In this, only the Prophetsa, with twelve Companions, stood unmoved. Not that all the Companions had fled from the field. About a hundred of them still remained, but they were at some distance from the Prophetsa. Only twelve remained to surround the Prophetsa. One Companion reports that he and his friends did all they could to steer their animals towards the battlefield. But the animals had been put to fright by the stampede of the Meccan animals. No effort seemed to avail. They pulled at the reins but the animals refused to turn. Sometimes they would pull the heads of the animals so as almost to make them touch their tails. But when they spurred the animals towards the battlefield, they would not go. Instead, they moved back all the more. “Our hearts beat in fear—fear for the safety of the Prophetsa,” says this Companion, “but there was nothing we could do.” This was how the Companions were placed. The Prophetsa himself stood with a handful of men, exposed on three sides to volleys of arrows. There was only one narrow pass behind them through which only a few men could pass at a time. At that moment Abu Bakrra dismounted and holding the reins of the Prophet’ssa mule said, “Prophetsa of God, let us withdraw for a while and let the Muslim army collect itself.”
“Release the reins of my mule, Abu Bakrra,” said the Prophetsa. Saying, this, he spurred the animal forward into the gorge on both sides of which were enemy ambuscades from where the archers were shooting. As the Prophetsa spurred his mount, he said, “I am a Prophetsa. I am no pretender. I am a son of ‘Abdul Muttalib” (Bukhari). These words spoken at a time of extreme danger to his person are full of significance. They stressed the fact that the Prophetsa was really a Prophetsa, a true Messenger of God. By stressing this, he meant that he was not afraid of death or of the failure of his cause. But if, in spite of being overwhelmed by archers he remained safe, Muslims should not attribute any divine qualities to him. For he was but a human being, a son of ‘Abdul Muttalib. How careful was the Prophetsa ever to impress upon his followers the difference between faith and superstition. After uttering these memorable words, the Prophetsa called for ‘Abbasra. ‘Abbasra had a powerful voice. The Prophetsa said to him, ” ‘Abbasra, raise your voice and remind the Muslims of the oath they took under the tree at Hudaibiya, and of what they were taught at the time of the revelation of the Surah Baqara. Tell them, the Prophetsa of God calls them.” ‘Abbasra raised his powerful voice. The message of the Prophetsa fell like thunder, not on deaf ears but on ears agog. It had an electric effect. The very Companions who had found themselves powerless to urge their mounts towards the battlefield, began to feel they were no longer in this world but in the next, facing God on the Judgement Day. The voice of ‘Abbasra did not sound like his own voice but the voice of the angel beckoning them to render an account of their deeds. There was nothing then to stop them from turning to the battlefield again. Many of them dismounted and with only sword and shield rushed to the battlefield, leaving their animals to go where they liked. Others dismounted, cut off the heads of their animals and rushed back on foot to the Prophetsa. It is said that the Ansar on that day ran towards the Prophetsa with the speed with which a mother-camel or a mother-cow runs to her young on hearing its cries. Before long the Prophetsa was surrounded by a large number of Companions, mostly Ansar. The enemy again suffered a defeat.
The presence of Abu Sufyanra on the side of the Prophetsa on this day was a mighty divine Sign, a Sign of the power of God on the one hand and of the purifying example of the Prophetsa on the other. Only a few days before, Abu Sufyanra was a bloodthirsty enemy of the Prophetsa, commander of a bloodthirsty army determined to destroy the Muslims. But here, on this day the same Abu Sufyanra stood by the side of the Prophetsa, a friend, follower and Companion. When the enemy camels stampeded, Abu Sufyanra, a wise and seasoned general, saw that his own horse was likely to run wild. Quickly he dismounted and, holding the stirrup of the Prophet’ssa mule, started going on foot. Sword in hand, he walked by the side of the Prophetsa determined not to let anyone come near the Prophet’ssa person without first attacking and killing him. The Prophetsa watched this change in Abu Sufyanra with delight and astonishment.
He reflected on this fresh evidence of the power of God. Only ten or fifteen days before, this man was raising an army to put an end to the Movement of Islam.
But a change had come. An erstwhile enemy commander now stood by the Prophet’ssa side, as an ordinary foot-soldier, holding the stirrup of his Master’s mule, and determined to die for his sake. ‘Abbasra saw the astonishment in the Prophet’ssa look and said, “Prophetsa of God, this is Abu Sufyanra, son of your uncle, and so your brother. Aren’t you pleased with him?”
“I am,” said the Prophetsa, “and I pray, God may forgive him all the wrongs he has done.” Then turning to Abu Sufyanra himself, he said, “Brother!” Abu Sufyanra could not restrain the affection welling up in his heart. He bent and kissed the Prophet’ssa foot in the stirrup he was holding (Halbiyya).
After the battle of Hunain, the Prophetsa returned the war material he had received on loan. While returning it he compensated the lenders many times over. Those who had made the loan were touched by the care and consideration which the Prophetsa had shown in returning the material and in compensating the lenders. They felt the Prophetsa was no ordinary man, but one whose moral example stood high above others. No wonder, Safwanra joined Islam at once.
(Source: LIFE OF MUHAMMAD (pbuh))
BY HADRAT MIRZA BASHIRUDDIN MAHMUD AHMAD
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