CHAPTER 3: THOSE OF HIGH SOCIAL STATUS – PART 4
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, found excuses for their behaviour and was forbearing with regard to their manners, and called for forgiving their mistakes:
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, encouraged pardoning Muslims of rank if they err, because, as it was said: every noble breed has a misstep, every scholar has an error, and every sharp sword fails to cause injury sometimes.
Abu Ad-Darda’ (a Companion) said:
“There was an argument between Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and Abu Bakr made ‘Umar angry, so ‘Umar left him. Abu Bakr then followed him, asking ‘Umar to forgive him, but he did not, until he shut his door in Abu Bakr’s face. Then Abu Bakr went to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. While I was sitting with the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, Abu Bakr came, lifting up one corner of his garment until his knee showed. The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Your Companion has had a quarrel.” Abu Bakr greeted him and said: “O Messenger of Allah! There was something (i.e. an argument) between me and the son of Al-Khattaab and I talked to him harshly and then regretted that, and requested him to forgive me, but he refused to do that. So I came to you.” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said three times: “May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr.”
Then ‘Umar regretted (that he did not forgive him), and he went to Abu Bakr’s house and asked if Abu Bakr was there. They replied that he was not. So he came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and greeted him, and the face of the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, changed (due to anger). Upon seeing this, Abu Bakr knelt down on his knees and said: “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I was more unjust (than him).” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Allah sent me to you, but you said: ‘You are telling a lie,’ while Abu Bakr said: ‘He has said the truth,’ and he consoled me with himself and his money.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then said twice, “Won’t you then give up harming my Companion?” After that nobody harmed Abu Bakr.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (3661).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, honoured them, and would order his Companions to do the same:
Jaabir ibn `Abdullaah (a Companion) said: “Jareer ibn `Abdullaah Al-Bajali [a chief among his people] entered wherever the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was sitting with his Companions. When he entered, everyone withheld their seats and did not move and make space for him. At that, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, took his cloak off and threw it to him, saying: ‘Sit on this.’ Jareer put it on his chest and face, then kissed it and rubbed it on his eyes, saying: ‘May Allah honour you as you have honoured me,’ then placed it on the back of the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Then the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Whoever believes in Allah and that Last Day should honour someone who is honourable.’” (Reported by Al-Haakim in his book Al-Mustadrak (7791).)
Ibn `Umar (a Companion) said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘If someone honourable comes to you, then honour them.’” (Reported by Ibn Maajah (3712).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, acted in a good manner towards them, even if they were captives, just to preserve their status and out of hope that they would accept Islam:
Abu Hurayrah said:
“The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sent some horsemen in the direction of Najd, and they brought back a man from Banu Haneefah. They did not know who he was until they went to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he told them: ‘Do you know who you have captured? This is Thumaamah ibn Uthaal Al-Hanafi (he was the chief of the people of Yamamah), so be good to him while he is a captive.’
They then tied him to a pole in the mosque (and the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went back to his family and said: ‘Gather whatever food you have, then send it to me.’ He also ordered that a she-camel be brought close to him by day and by night so that he could milk it.)
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then went to Thumaamah and said: ‘What is your situation O Thumaamah?’ He replied: ‘I have only what is righteous (to say), O Muhammad. If you were to kill me, you would kill someone worthy of being killed [because he killed someone, so killing him would be a fair judgement], if you are kind, you would be kind to someone grateful, also, if you want money, then ask and you will be given whatever it is you want.’ Allah’s Messenger, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, left him for two days and then went to him and said: ‘What is your situation, O Thumamah.’ Thumaamah repeated the same thing again to him. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then left him alone until the next day and repeated whatever he said in the first day, and Thumaamah responded the same way.
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then said: ‘Free Thumaamah.’ When they freed him, he went to a date-palm tree close to the mosque and bathed, then entered the mosque and said: ‘I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. O Muhammad, by Allah, there was no one on the face of the earth whose face I hated more than your face, and now it has become the most beloved face to me; by Allah there was no religion more hated by than your religion, and now it is the most beloved religion to me; by Allah, there was no city more hated by me than your city, and now it is the most beloved city to me. Your horsemen captured me while I was on the way to performing `Umrah, so what do you think?’
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, gave him glad tidings and ordered him to continue with his `Umrah. When he went to Makkah, `someone said to him, ‘You have become a Sabian,’ to which he replied: ‘Rather, I have accepted Islam with Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and by Allah, no piece of wheat will come to you from Al-Yamamah until the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, gives permission for it to come here.’” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (4372) and Muslim (1764). The text between brackets is an addition from the book As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah (2/638) by Ibn Hishaam.)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would never prevent them from sitting with him:
Jareer said: “Since I became Muslim, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, never forbade me from sitting with him privately or from entering his home, and anytime he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saw me, he smiled in my face. I complained to him once that I cannot remain firm and upright on a horse, so he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, struck my chest and said: ‘O Allah, make him firm and make him a rightly guided person who also guides others.’” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (3036) and Muslim (2475).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, praised their good characteristics and attributes:
Jareer said: “When I approached Madinah, I made my camel kneel, took out my luggage, and put my garment on, then entered Madinah, and found the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, delivering a sermon, and while he was doing so, everyone was staring severely at me. I said to the person beside me, ‘O slave of Allah, has the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, mentioned me?’ he said: ‘Yes, he previously mentioned you in the best way possible, and said: ‘One of the best of Yemen will enter from that door or that gate; he possesses angelic beauty.’ So I thanked Allah for what He has favoured me with.” (Reported by Ahmad (18698).)
Ibn Is-Haaq (a scholar) said:
“A delegation from Tay’ approached the Messenger of Allah, and Zayd Al-Khayl was with them, and he was their chief. When they reached the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he spoke to them and called them to Islam. They accepted Islam and were good Muslims. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘There has not been a man among the Arabs described to me except that I found that he was less virtuous than what he was described to me as being, except Zayd Al-Khayl, for I found that he was not given his due when described to me.’
Then, the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, named him Zayd Al-Khayr (Khayr means goodness and bounteousness, while Khayl means horse; the meaning of his name became Zayd the Good or Bounteous rather than Zayd the Horse), and he gave him a piece of land in the area of Fayd, and some other pieces of land and gave him a deed showing his possession of those lands.
He left the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, on the way to his people, and the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘If only Zayd is saved from the fever of Madinah.’
When Zayd reached an oasis in Najd called Fardah, he died from his fever.” (Ibn Hisham (4/220), and Zaad Al-Ma`aad (3/616).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to Ashaj `Abd Qays, and he was the delegate general, and leader of the tribe of `Abd Qays: “You have two qualities that Allah loves, Hilm and Anaah.” (Reported by Muslim (17) on the authority of Ibn `Abbaas.)
An-Nawawi said: “Hilm refers to having a sound clemency, and Anaah refers to the fact that he always made certain before acting on anything, and was never hasty. The reason that the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that was because when the delegation reached Madinah, they hurried to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but Al-Ashaj stayed back and gathered their riding beasts, tied his camel, made himself presentable, then went to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. At that time, the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, drew him close and made him sit beside him, and said to him: ‘You have two qualities that Allah loves: sound clemency and patience.’” (The explanation of An-Nawawi on the book of Muslim (1/189).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would sometimes enter in their security or protection:
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, left the people of Taif after they did not answer his call, which comprised of believing him and helping him. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, turned to Hiraa’, then sent to Al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq, asking for his protection, but he said: “I am an ally of the Quraysh, and an ally cannot protect the enemy of their ally.” Then the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sent to Suhayb ibn `Amr asking for his protection, and he said: “The offspring of `Aamir do not grant protection to the offspring of Ka`b.” Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sent to Al-Mut`im ibn `Adiyy, who accepted his plea, and granted him protection.
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went to him and spent the night at his home. The next morning, he and his six or seven sons went with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, carrying their swords, and entered the Mosque in that manner. Al-Mut`im said to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “Circumambulate the Ka’bah,” w
Abu Sufyaan approached and said to Mut`im, “Are you granting protection, or are you following someone else’s promise of protection?” He replied: “No, rather, I am giving the promise of protection.” Abu Sufyaan said: “Then we will honour your promise,” and sat with him while the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was circumambulating the Ka’bah, and when he finished, they left together, and Abu Sufyaan went back to his gathering.
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, stayed for a few days then was granted permission to migrate to Madinah, and after he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, migrated, Al-Mut`im did not live long after him, making Hassaan ibn Thaabit say, “By Allah, I will bemoan him,” and wrote some poetry about him. (As-Seerah by Ibn Hishaam (1/381).)
That is why the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said with regard to his captives on the Day of Badr: “Had Al-Mut`im ibn `Adiyy been alive, and interceded with me on behalf of these putrid individuals, I would have given them to him.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (3139).)
By Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid
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