CHAPTER 31: IYAS IBN MU‘ADH’S ACCEPTANCE OF ISLAM
IYAS IBN MU‘ADH’S ACCEPTANCE OF ISLAM
Ibn Ishaq related from Mahmood Ibn Labeed who narrated: Abul-Haisar Anas Ibn Rafi‘ arrived in Makkah with youngsters from Banu ‘Abdul-Ashhal. Among them was Iyas Ibn Mu‘adh seeking alliance from the Quraish against their people from the Khazraj. When Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, heard of them, he approached them and sat to discuss with them. He said: “Do you wish for something better than what brought you?” “What is that?” they asked. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “I am a Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to His servants. I invite them to worship Allah and not to associate any partner with Him. And He has revealed to me the Qur’an.” He explained Islam to them and recited the Qur’an to them.
The narrator continued: Then Iyas Ibn Mu‘adh, a young boy, rose and said: “O people, by Allah, this is better than what brought you here in the first place.” Abul-Haisar Anas Ibn Rafi‘ took a handful of dust and threw it at the face of Iyas Ibn Mu‘adh. He said: “Leave us alone. By my order, we have come for other than this.” Then Iyas kept quiet and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rose to leave and they also returned to Madinah. Then the war of Bu’ath broke out between the Aws and Khazraj. It was not long thereafter before Iyas died. Mahmood Ibn Labeed said: I was informed by those who came to me from people that they never ceased to hear him say: La ilaha ill-Allah (there no deity worthy of worship besides Allah); Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest); Alhamdulillah (praise belongs to Allah) and Subhanallah (glory be to Allah) until he died. They did not have a doubt that he died a Muslim. Since he heard what he heard from Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at that sitting, he had developed the consciousness of Islam.
I say: That was in the Battle of Bu’ath and Bu’ath is a place in Madinah where the battle took place in which a large number of the noblemen and elite among the Aws and Khazraj were killed leaving only very few older men.
Imam Al-Bukhari related in his Saheeh that ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The day of Bu’ath (i.e. day of fighting between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Aws and Khazraj) was brought about by Allah for the good of His Messenger so that when he reached (Madinah), the tribes of Madinah had already been divided and their
chiefs had been killed.”
Abu Zur‘ah Ar-Razi said in his Book Dala’il An-Nubuwwah: It is narrated from Mu‘adh Ibn Rifa‘ah Ibn Rafi‘ from his father from his grandfather that he went out along with the son of his maternal aunt, Mu‘adh Ibn ‘Afra’ until they arrived in Makkah. When they descended from Thaniyyah, they saw a man sitting under a tree. This was before
the departure of the six individuals from the Ansar.
He continued: When we saw him, we decided to speak to him. We said, let us approach this man so that we may put our camels in his charge till we finish circumambulating the Ka‘bah. We went to him and greeted in the manner of the time of ignorance and he returned our greeting in the manner of Islam. And we had heard something about the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. We immediately abhorred it. We asked: “Who are you?” he said, “a light.” We alighted and asked him: “Where is that man who claims what he has claimed and said what he has said?” he said, “I am the one.” We said: “Let’s hear you present Islam.” He began presenting Islam by asking: “Who created the heavens, the Earth and the mountain?” “Allah created them,” we said. “Who created you?” he asked again. “Allah,” we replied. “Who fashioned these effigies that you worship?” he asked and we replied, “We.” He asked again: “Is the Creator more deserving of being worshipped or the created being?” We responded: “The Creator.” “Then you are more deserving of being worshipped than what you have fashioned and Allah is more deserving of being worshipped than anything you have fashioned. I am inviting you to the worship of Allah and to testify that none deserves to be worshipped in truth except Allah and that I am a Messenger of Allah and to connect ties of kinship and to abandon wrongdoing even though that infuriates the people.” We said: “Even if what you are inviting to is falsehood still it is one of the loftiest matters and meritorious manners.” He took hold of our riding animals and we proceeded until we reached the Ka‘bah. Mu‘adh Ibn ‘Afra’ sat with him.
(He continued): I circumambulated the Ka‘bah and I dedicated one of the seven arrows to him. I faced the Ka‘bah and hit the arrow against it. I said: “O Allah if what Muhammad is calling to is true then let his arrow come out seven times.” When I hit it, it came out seven times. I cried out loud: “I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!” People gather around me. They said: “You are insane and a juvenile.” I said, “Rather, I am a Muslim.” Then I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at the upper part of Makkah. When Mu‘adh saw me he said: “Rafi‘ has returned with a (radiance in his) face different from the one he went with.” I came and I accepted Islam. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, taught us Soorah Yoosuf and “Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists).” (Soorah Al-‘Alaq 96:1) Then we returned to Madinah. When we got to ‘Aqeeq, Mu‘adh said: “I do not like that we proceed in the night, so let us spend the night till morning before we proceed.” I said: “Spend the night with the goodness that I have acquired? I shall not do that.” Usually, whenever Rafi‘ returned from a journey, he would give his people gifts.” Its text and chain are hasan.
By Ibn Katheer
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