The Prophet Muhammad a Mercy To the World

Kindness To Captives

When Imam Ali conquered the Jewish fortress of Khaybar, among the captives he took was Safiyyah the daughter of Huyyay ibn Akhtab. He summoned Bilal and put her in his custody and said to him: 'O Bilal, only give her over to the Apostle of God until he does as he sees fit with her. Bilal took her and on the way to the Apostle of God they passed by the dead and Safiyyah almost died of grief. When the Apostle of God heard of this he said to Bilal: 'Have you been stripped of mercy O Bilal?'

Then he offered her Islam and she accepted and he freed her, and he offered to marry her which she accepted. She was a well mannered woman and whenever she wanted to mount a camel and the Apostle of God bent to help her mount she would refuse. He saw a green mark near to her eye and asked her about it. She said: 'O Apostle of God, before you came to us I saw in a dream the moon and it was as if it had left its place and descended into my lap. I told my husband this and he struck my face and my eye became green. He said: 'This means nothing other than that you desire the king of the Hijaz.' i.e. the Prophet.

The Protectorate

When Imam Ali had conquered the important fortresses of Khaibar and killed Marhab and his brother Yasir and up to one hundred other Jewish braves while they had only killed fifteen of the Muslims, the Jews were frightened and sought refuge by way of secret tunnels in the last castle that remained in their hands wherein was their wealth and their foodstuffs.

The Apostle laid siege to the castle and one of the Jews went to him and said: 'O Muhammad, will you grant me the security of myself, my family and my possessions and sons if I show you how to conquer the castle?'

The Apostle of God said: 'Yes you are safe.'

He said: 'You should order that this place be dug for it is where the water of the castle runs. Then you must block the channel and the castle will be without water and they will surrender.' The Apostle of God refused his suggestion and said: 'God will bring about another way.'

When the siege tightened on the Jews and they realised that they would not be able to resist or fight, their leader Ibn Abil- Haqiq sent word to the Apostle of God that they wished to negotiate and asked whether he could descend and speak with him.

The Apostle of God agreed and Ibn Abil-Haqiq descended and made a treaty with the Apostle of God on condition that none in the fortress would be harmed and that the fighters would leave Khaybar, with their woman and children and they would leave the land, animals, wealth and weapons to the Apostle of God.

The Jews Enter Islam

When the people of Khaybar descended from their forts under the peace treaty and prepared to leave the land, they came to the Apostle of God with a proposal and said: 'O Muhammad, let us remain in this land and you will have one half of the crop for we know the land best and have lived here longest.'

The Apostle of God agreed on the condition that if he wished to expel them he could and if he wished that they remain they would remain. When the crops matured, he sent Abdullah ibn Rawahah to collect the half share from them. When he came he gave them an evaluation for the crop and said: 'Either you take the crop and give us half the price or we take the crop and give you half the price.'

The Jews said: 'This is justice; by this the heavens and the earth were established.' After this they entered Islam because of what they had seen of the justice of Islam and the ethics of the Apostle of God.

It is said that when the wealth of Khaybar was divided up the Muslims were satiated and they found a comfort hitherto unknown. One of them said: 'We never ate our fill until we conquered Khaybar. Another said: 'When Khaybar was conquered we said: 'Now we will eat our fill of dates.'

Forgiveness Not Revenge

When a state of calm reigned and the Apostle of God had finished with Khaybar, the Jewess Zainab daughter of al- Harith ibn Salam ibn Mushkam, the niece of Marhab gifted the Apostle of God a roast sheep. She had asked: 'Which part of the sheep is most liked by the Apostle of God. They said to her: 'The shoulder.' So she put a great deal of poison there and poisoned the rest of the sheep.

Then she brought the sheep to him and placed it before him. He took the shoulder and took a bite from it and then spat it out. Bishr ibn Barra' ibn Ma'mur was with him and he also took a bite and swallowed it.

The Apostle of God said: 'Lift your hands, for the shoulder of this sheep is telling me that it has been poisoned.' Then the Jewess was summoned and she confessed. The Apostle of God said to her: 'What made you do this?'

She said seeking an excuse for what she had done: 'You did something to my people that I could not forgive. So I said: 'If he is a Prophet he will be informed, and if he is a king then we will have been relieved of him.' The Apostle of God overlooked her transgression. Then when she saw the conducts and morals of the Apostle of God she entered Islam and said: 'Now I know that you are a Prophet of God and I bear witness to you and who is with you that I will follow your religion. I bear witness that there is no deity but God and that you, Muhammad, are the Apostle of God.'

A Jew's Word was Enough

The Apostle of God remained in Medina after his return from Khaybar until the month of Shawwal in the seventh year of the Hijrah. During this time he sent some sorties to consolidate the security of Medina and to warn those who still considered attacking the Muslims and also to deliver the message of Islam and explain its high-minded rules and teachings to them.

One such sortie was that of Osamah ibn Zaid. The Apostle of God sent him with some horsemen to a Jewish village said to be named al-Harqah to invite them to Islam. A Jewish man named Mardas ibn Nuheik approached the horsemen saying: 'Peace be upon you. I testify that there is no deity but God and that Muhammad is the Apostle of God.' But when Osamah ibn Zaid passed by him he speared Mardas and killed him.

When Osamah returned to the Apostle of God and told him of this the Prophet said: 'You killed a man who testified that there is no deity but God and that I am the Apostle of God?'

Osamah said: 'O Apostle of God, he only said that to save himself from death.' The Apostle of God said: 'You did not lift the cover from his heart! You neither accepted what his tongue was saying nor did you know what was in his mind!'

In this regard God revealed: eAnd do not say to those who offer you a greeting of peace: you are not a believerf 140 Then the Apostle of God sent compensation to the family of Mardas ibn Nuheik.

The Bearer of the White Banner

The Apostle of God had sent al-Harith ibn 'Omeir al-Azdi with a letter to the king of Busra the absolute ruler of greater Syria in which he invited him to Islam. When he stopped at Mu'tah the king's agent Sharhabil ibn 'Amr al-Ghasani arrested him and when he knew that he was the Prophet's messenger to the king he went against the prevailing customs of the time and killed him. No other messenger of the Apostle of God was killed despite the vast number he sent from Medina to kings and leaders after the treaty of Hodaybiyah.

When the news of the death of al-Harith reached the Apostle of God he was very saddened, and gathered the Muslims and told them that al-Harith had been killed as well as the group of missionaries. They made haste and left Medina and made camp at al-Jarf. The Apostle of God led them in the noon prayer, and then gave a sermon and advised them saying: 'I enjoin upon you the fear of God. Fight in the name of God and in the way of God. Fight those who disbelieve in God, and do not use treacherous means and do not plunder. Do not kill children or women or old people, and do not cut down any date palms or trees and do not destroy any buildings.'

Then the Apostle of God raised a white banner and handed it to Ja'far ibn Abi Talib whom he appointed as the commander of the squadron, and said: 'When you meet your enemy the 140 The Holy Qur'an: The Women (4): 94.

Polytheists then invite them to one of three things and whichever of them they choose then accept it from them and stay your hands from them: Invite them to Islam and if they agree then accept it from them and leave them be. Then invite them to leave their abode for the abode of the Muhajirun. If they accept, then inform them that they have the rights and responsibilities of the Muhajirun (the emigrants)141. If they enter into Islam and prefer to remain in their abode then they will be treated as the Bedouin Muslims; God's rule will be in force amongst them but they will have no rights over the spoils or booty until they fight along side the Muslims. If they refuse (these two options) then call them to pay the Jizyah tax142 and if they do so then accept it from them and stay your hands from them. If they refuse all this then seek the aid of God and fight them.

The Prophet Forgives the Traitor

The Apostle of God told the Muslim community that he was going to Mecca and ordered them to prepare for the journey. He said: 'O God, keep the spies and news from the Quraysh so that we can surprise them in their lands.' Hatib ibn Balta'ah wrote a letter to the people of Mecca informing them that the Apostle of God was coming to them and gave the letter to a woman whose name was Sarah with ten Dinars for her to take the letter to the people of Mecca.

Sarah was the servant of Abu Amr ibn Sayfi ibn Hisham. She had come to the Apostle of God from Mecca to Medina. The 141 This is for them to go to the 'centres-of-excellence' to learn about the teachings of Islam. 142 And hence to live under the protectorate.

Apostle of God had said to her: 'Have you come as a Muslim?' She said: 'No.'

He said: 'Have you come as an emigrant?' She said: 'No.' He said: 'What have you come for?'

She said: 'You have been my family and patrons. But my patrons have gone and I am in dire need. So I have come to you so that you may give to me and clothe me and provide a mount for me.'

He said: 'Where do you stand amongst the young Polytheists?' She had been a singer, who used to sing for the fighters of Quraysh to boost their morale, during their battles with the Prophet.

She said: 'They have not asked me for anything else since the battle of Badr.' So the Apostle of God urged the Bani Abdul-Muttalib to clothe her and provide her with a mount and with funds which they did. While the Apostle of God was preparing to conquer Mecca, Hatib came to her and gave her the letter and ordered her to take it by a little known route. When Sarah left with the letter, Gabriel descended upon the Apostle of God and told him of this.

The Apostle of God summoned Imam Ali and said to him:

'One of my companions has written a letter to the people of Mecca telling them of our plans. I have already asked God to hide our news from them. The letter is with a woman who has

taken it by a different road. So take your sword and catch up with her and take the letter from her. Then let her go and return to me with it. Then he summoned al-Zubeir and said to him: 'Go with Ali ibn Abi Talib on this errand.' So they went and when they caught up with her al-Zubeir said to her: 'Where is the letter you have with you?' But she denied it and swore an oath and wept.

Al-Zubeir said turning to Imam Ali: 'I do not see that she has a letter with her O Abu al-Hasan, so let us return to the Apostle of God and inform him of her innocence.'

Imam Ali said: 'The Apostle of God informs me that she has a letter with her and orders me to take it from her and you tell me that she has no letter with her!'

Then he drew his sword and stepped towards her and said:

'By God you will either produce the letter or I will strike your neck with this sword.' When she saw this earnestness she said: 'If I must do this then at least turn your face away from me O Son of Abu Talib.' So he turned his face from her and she opened her veil and took out the letter from her hair. Then Imam Ali took it and went with it to the Apostle of God.

The affair of Hatib being as it was warranted that public opinion be turned against him so that others who were considering acting in a similar manner would be prevented. Perhaps for this reason we see that the Apostle of God ordered that congregational prayers be held and then he ascended the pulpit and took the letter in his hand and said: 'O people, I have asked God to keep information about us from the Quraysh, but a man from amongst you has written to the people of Mecca and told them of our news. So let the owner of the letter rise or revelation will expose him.'

No-one rose so he repeated it and then Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah rose and said: 'O Apostle of God, I wrote the letter but I have not become a hypocrite after my Islam nor have I become a doubter after my certainty.' The Apostle of God said: 'Then what made you write the letter?'

Hatib said seeking an excuse: 'O Apostle of God, I have a family in Mecca but I do not have a tribe that will defend my family, so I wanted to have influence with the people there so that God might defend my family and property. All of the Muhajirin have a tribe there to defend their families and wealth.'

So the Apostle of God excused him and forgave him and said to his companions: 'Do not say anything but kind words to him.' One of the companions said: 'O Apostle of God, let me strike the neck of this hypocrite. He has betrayed God and His Apostle.' The Apostle of God said: 'Leave him.' And he stopped him from attacking Hatib.

Then God revealed the following verses about Hatib:

eO ye who believe, do not take my enemy and your enemy as allies offering them your lovef until the verse: eOf no profit to you will be your relatives and your children on the Day of Resurrection: He will judge between you, and God sees well all that you do f 143

[Hatib was forgiven despite his treacherous behaviour, betraying some of the most sensitive secrets at times of war, thus blatantly undermining national security . . .]

Before Entering Mecca

Then the Apostle of God ordered al-'Abbas to hold Abu Sufyan [one of the prominent leaders of Quraysh who instigated many wars against the prophet] where the valley narrowed at the front of the mountain where the soldiers of God would pass by him. This he did and the tribes passed by him under their banners.

Al-Abbas relates: 'Every time a tribe passed by, Abu Sufyan would say to me: 'O Abbas, who are they?'

I would say: 'Salim.'

He would say: 'What have I to do with Salim'

Then another tribe would pass by and he would say: 'O Abbas, who are they?'

I would say: 'Muzaynah.'

He would say: 'What have I to do with Muzaynah' Not a tribe would pass but he would ask me about them and I would inform him of them and he would say: 'What have I to do with such and such a tribe.'

Then the Apostle of God passed by with his detachments including the Muhajirun and the Ansar with eyes of steel. 143 The Holy Qur'an: The Woman Examined (60): 1-3. He said: 'O Abbas, who are they?!'

I said: 'That is the Apostle of God with the Muhajirun and the Ansar.' He said: 'No-one has any capability or power over them.' Then he said: 'I swear, O Abu al-Fadl, the kingdom of your nephew has become great indeed.' I said: 'O Abu Sufyan, this is the Prophethood, (not kingdom).'

Abu Sufyan said: 'Indeed.' Then I said: 'Your people are safe.'

The banner of the Ansar was with Sa'ad ibn 'Ibadah and when he passed by Abu Sufyan he said to him: 'Today is the day of slaughter, today the women will be captured. O tribes of Aws and Khazraj, this is your revenge for the day of the mountain (Ohud).' Abu Sufyan heard him and kept it to himself until the Apostle of God passed by him when he said: 'Do you know what Sa'ad ibn 'Ibadah has said? He has said such and such.'

The Apostle of God said: 'What he has said is of no consequence.' Then he sent someone to Sa'ad and took the banner from him and passed it to Imam Ali and said: 'Enter with kindness.' Imam Ali took the banner and began to proclaim: 'Today is the day of mercy, today the honour of the women will be protected.' Then the Apostle of God turned to Abu Sufyan and said to him: 'O Abu Sufyan, proceed to Mecca and let them know of the sanctuary.'

So Abu Sufyan went until he reached the Quraysh and shouted at the top of his voice: 'O people of Quraysh, Here is Muhammad come with such that you cannot contend with. Whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan has sanctuary and whoever enters the sacred quarter [around the Ka'bah] has sanctuary.' They said: 'God slay you! Your house will not save us.' He said: 'And whoever bolts his door has sanctuary.' So the people left for their houses and for the mosque and the Apostle of God proceeded and entered Mecca from the heights.