97. ALLAH’S MESSENGER(PBUH) SENT ‘ALI IBN ABI TALIB AND KHALID IBN AL-WALEED TO YEMEN
Al-Bara’ narrated that Allah’s Messenger, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), sent Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed to the people of Yemen to invite them to Islam. Al- Bara’ added: I was among those who set out with Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed. We stayed for six months inviting them to Islam but they did not respond to him. Then Allah’s Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), sent ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib and also ordered that Khalid should return (with his entourage) excluding one man who had been with Khalid. I wished I would be left behind with ‘Ali. Al-Bara’ continued: I was among those left behind with ‘Ali. When we came close to the people, they came out to meet us. ‘Ali stepped forward and led us in prayer and then he arranged us into a single row. Then he went forward in front of us and read the letter of Allah’s Messenger, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) to them and the people of Hamdan accepted Islam in their entirety. ‘Ali sent a letter to Allah’s Messenger, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), informing him of their acceptance of Islam. When Allah’s Messenger, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) read the letter, he prostrated and when he raised his head, he said: “Peace be unto Hamdan, peace be unto Hamdan.”
It is related that Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri said: Allah’s Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), sent ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib to Yemen. Abu Sa’eed continued: I was among those who set out along with him. When he took Zakah of camels, we asked him to allow us to ride on them so that we may relieve our camels for we noticed some weakness in our camels but he refused and said: “Your share in it is similar to that of other Muslims.” When Ali was through (with his assignment) and was set on a return journey, he appointed someone to lead us and he hastened back and he caught the Hajj. When he had concluded his Hajj, the Prophet said to him: “Go back to your companions and lead Them.”
Abu Sa’eed continued: “We had asked the person ‘Ali had appointed in his stead to allow us to ride the camels of Zakah since ‘Ali did not prohibit us directly himself. So he did. On his return, when ‘Ali discovered that the camels of Zakah had been ridden and he saw signs to that effect, he censured and reproached the person he had appointed in his place. I said: I swear by Allah that I shall take it upon myself to report to Allah’s Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) the harshness and straightening that we were subjected to. When we got back to Madinah, early in the morning, I went to Allah’s Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) with the intention of fulfilling my vow. I met Abu Bakr coming out from the presence of Allah’s Messenger. When he saw me, he stayed with me, welcomed me and asked about my affairs and I asked him about his. He asked: ‘When did you arrive?’ I said: ‘I came back last night.’ He went back with me to see the Messenger of Allah, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). He entered and said: ‘Here is Sa’d Ibn Malik Ibn Ash-Shaheed.’ Allah’s Messenger, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘Let him enter.’ When I entered, I greeted him and he returned my greeting. He turned to me and asked me about myself and my family. I quickly broached the matter: ‘O Messenger of Allah, (you should have seen) what we experienced of harshness and bad companionship.’ The Messenger of Allah, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), withdrew while I enumerated all our experience with him (i.e. ‘Ali) until when I was still in the middle of my speech, Allah’s Messenger, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), patted my thigh for I was close to him and said: ‘O Sa’d Ibn Malik Ibn Shaheed, refrain from your talk about your brother, ‘Ali, for you know that he was merely harsh for them in the path of Allah.’ I said to myself: ‘O Sa’d Ibn Malik, may your mother be bereft of you! Shouldn’t you have told me that I have engaged you in what is detestable all day? By Allah I shall never mention him with evil (again) whether secretly or openly’.”
The import of this episode is that many rumors were spread concerning his command of that army solely because of his objection to the use of the camels of Zakah and his retrieval of the garments which his deputy had given out to them. ‘Ali was excused from all that he did but the comments became rife among the pilgrims. This is why, And Allah (SWT) knows best, when Allah’s Messenger, (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) returned from his pilgrimage and he concluded his rites and on his return journey to Madinah, at Ghadeer Khumm, he rose to address the people. He absolved Ali publicly, boosted his esteem and described him with virtues in order to dissipate what the hearts of many people were entertaining concerning him.
By: Ibn Katheer
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