Summary of Sira
Night and day, openly and secretly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would call people to Islam no matter where he was and what he was doing. No one could deter him, nor rebuke him, nor stop him. He ﷺ would follow people wherever they went, in their meeting places, their assemblies, at their caravans during the proper seasons, at the places where the pilgrims gathered. He called everyone to Islam: freemen and slaves, weak and strong, rich, and poor.
The polytheists and disbelievers of Quraysh had been persecuting him and his followers; the most ruthless of people towards him was his own paternal uncle, Aboo Lahab and his wife, Umm Jameel Arwaa bint Harb ibn Umayyah, the sister of Aboo Sufyaan, and the one who carried the firewood. His paternal uncle, Aboo Taalib ibn Abdul-Mutallab was compassionate and good towards him; he protected him and advocated for him. Despite this being against the wishes of his peers from Quraysh, and even though he remained upon their religion. His persistence upon the religion of his people was a wisdom only known to Allah, and a means to protect the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ. Had Aboo Taalib accepted Islam, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would have never found a footing with Quraysh nor been able to say anything to any of them. Nor would Quraysh have ever had any amount of respect or reverence for him ﷺ.
The biographical scholars have narrated that Quraysh said to Aboo Taalib: “This son of your brother (i.e., your nephew) has disturbed and annoyed us in our assemblies and our places of worship; so, stop him!” Aboo Taalib then turned to one his sons and said: “Oh Aqeel! Go, and get me Muhammad!” He then returned with him at midday when the sun was at its hottest. When he came to him, Aboo Taalib said to him: “The tribe of your paternal uncle has come to me and claimed that you are disturbing and annoying them in the gatherings and places of worship; so, desist from this.” Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned his gaze towards the sky and said: “Do you see this sun?” They said: “Yes, of course”. The Prophet ﷺ then continued: “I am as incapable of leaving this affair as you are incapable of igniting a single flame upon its surface.” Aboo Taalib then said to Quraysh: “I swear by Allah, the son of my brother has never ever lied, so go back, (i.e., I cannot fulfill your request).
Umm Salamah, may Allah be well pleased with her, said: “Living in Makkah had become too difficult for us (lit. Makkah became tight for us), and the companions of the Messenger of Allah were constantly being harassed, may Allah be well pleased with all of them, were being tortured, and they contemplated how difficult it was to practice their religion. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not able to protect them, but he was being protected by his paternal uncle (Aboo Taalib) and his people, and he was not experiencing the same difficulties that his companions were. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them: ‘verily in Abyssinia is a king who does not oppress anyone; go to him until Allah gives you respite and a way out from the difficulties you are in.’ Thus, a group of them then went to Abyssinia until we all met there, and we found that we had gone from the best of lands to the best of neighbors, he safeguarded our religion (in that land) and we did not fear from him oppression of any sort.”
It has been said that they made their exit to Abyssinia in the month of Rajab in the fifth year of since the beginning of the Prophet’s mission. In total, 16 Muslims left, 12 men and 4 women; ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan along with his wife Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were the first people to immigrate to Abyssinia.
Towards the end of the 6th year since the beginning of the Prophet’s mission, Hamzah ibn Abdul-Mutallab (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islam. He did so because Aboo Jahl had passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and had insulted in him while he was sitting by as-Safaa, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained silent and did not respond. Then Aboo Jahl struck him on the head with a rock, causing him to bleed. Aboo Jahl then left and went to sit at the gathering place of Quraysh near the Ka’bah. The bondswoman of Abdullah ibn Jud’aan who lived by as-Safaa had seen everything.
Hamzah was returning from the hunting grounds, wearing his bow when the bondswoman informed him of what had happened and what Aboo Jahl had done. He then became very angry and left running, not stopping for anyone, promising that if he met Aboo Jahl that he would assail him. When he finally arrived at the Ka’bah, he stood over Aboo Jahl and said to him: “You filthy low-life! (lit. oh you who’s anus whistles with the sound of farting!) You dare insult my nephew while I am upon his religion!” He then struck him with his bow and gave him a nasty gash on his head. Then some men from Banoo Makhzoom- representing Aboo Jahl -and some men from Banoo Haashim representing Hamzah- rushed each other, but Aboo Jahl then said: “Leave Aboo Imaarah (Hamzah)! For verily I insulted his nephew in a most heinous way.”
Ibn Ishaaq reported: “Then Hamzah went back to his quarters where Satan whispered to him: “you are the master of Quraysh, and you dare to follow that juvenile and leave the religion of your fathers; verily death seems better for you than what you have done.” Then Hamzah blamed himself and said: “What have I done? Oh Allah! If what I have done is correct then make my heart at peace with it, and if not then find me a way out.” He then spent the night in agony amongst satanic misgivings, and when he woke-up, he made his way to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said to him: “Oh nephew! Verily I have fallen into a situation which I know not how to get myself out of and have stood my ground upon something which I do not fully understand. Have I acted correctly or was extreme error? Answer me and tell me something, for verily I have longed that you speak to me, oh nephew.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then drew close to him, reminded him, and entreated him to what was right, he gave him glad tidings and put fear into his heart (about following polytheism), until Allah placed faith in Hamzah’s heart through the words of the Prophet, ﷺ. Hamzah then said: I bear witness that you are Truthful and that you bear a true declaration. Go, my nephew, and expound your religion out in the open. For by Allah, I would not wish that the sky continues to shade while I am still upon my previous religion.”
Hamzah’s acceptance of Islam began with him refusing to show contempt for his master. And the Muslims have since prided themselves through the Islam of Hamzah, may Allah be well pleased with him.
It had reached the migrants to Abyssinia that Quraysh had entered Islam, thus, they returned to Makkah in the month of Shawwal of that same year they had left. However, when they were within a day travel away from Makkah, they realized how grave the situation truly was! Accordingly, some of them returned to Abyssinia, while others entered in secret or entered under the protection of someone else from Quraysh. Trials and tribulations only became worse for them and the other Muslims at the hands of Quraysh, and their tribes gave up on them and oppressed them. It was very difficult for Quraysh to hear that the Najaashi was a very gracious host for the refugees. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then saw it as incumbent that he council his Companions to migrate to Abyssinia once again; and the Muslims got ready to do so. Quraysh tried to stop their attempts at leaving a second time, but the Muslims were much quicker than them. They managed to reach the lands of Abyssinia and the Najaashi before they caught up with them. Amongst those who migrated, 83 were men, and 18 or 19 were women.
In response, Quraysh dispatched ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and Abdullah ibn Rabee’ah before they had accepted Islam, in hopes that they could bring them back. They also sent with them sumptuous gifts for the Najaashi and the members of his clergy. When they appeared before the Najaashi they gave him the gifts and then said to him: “Esteemed king, there have come to your lands, lowly slaves, they have forsaken the religion of their peoples and they have not entered into your religion, rather they have come with a religion that they have innovated themselves, which neither we nor you know anything about. The nobles, fathers, uncles, and families of our peoples have sent us to them in order to bring them back. For they are more watchful over them and are more knowledgeable regarding what wrongs they have committed and have more right to admonish them.” The Najaashi’s clergymen then said: “O King! They have told the truth. Deliver those people to them and they will take them back to their families and their lands.” The Najaashi then had the Muslims sent for and brought before him, who had all agreed to speak the truth no matter what was to happen. The Najaashi then said to them: “What is this religion which has caused you to leave your people? And why do not accept my religion or any other religion for that matter? Ja’faar ibn Abee Taalib, who was the representative of the Muslims then answered: “Oh king, we were a people stuck in ignorant ways, we worshiped idols, and ate carrion, and committed all sorts of enormities; we cut off family ties, and we were bad to our neighbors, and the strong preyed on the weak.” He then proceeded to enumerate all of the good things which the Prophet had brought to them, ﷺ. Then he added: “so we have deemed what he says to be the truth and we have believed in the message he has brought, and we have followed him regarding what he has brought of the religion of Allah. So now, we only worship Allah and we do not associate partners with Him in anything, we have forbidden for ourselves that He has forbidden, and we enjoy that which He has made permissible. Our peoples then made themselves enemies to us, they tortured and tormented us because of our religion so that they may try and return us to the worship of idols; or that we may return to committing the enormities and sins we used to commit. When they had oppressed and repressed us and made our life difficult and tried to come between us and our religion, we came to your land and chose you over others, longing to be by your side, and hoping to never be oppressed here, O king.” Al-Najaashi then said: “Do you have anything with you that which has come to you regarding Allah?” Ja’faar then responded: “Yes,” and he then proceeded to recite ayaat from Surat Maryam. Then al-Najaashi wept until his beard became soaked, and his scroll-bearers also wept until they had soaked the scrolls they were carrying when they heard what was being recited. Najaashi then said to them: “Verily, there is no difference between this and what Jesus has brought; it has come from the same source. Go! By Allah, I shall never hand them over to you two or allow anyone to harm them. ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and his friend could not believe what they were hearing, and they began to leave.
‘Amr ibn al-Aas then said to Abdullah ibn Abee Rabee’ah: I swear by Allah that I shall come back tomorrow with what shall uproot them!” ‘Abdullah responded: “No, do not do that, for they still have a sanctity despite the fact that they’ve opposed our ways.” But ‘‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas insisted, and the next day he came to the Najaashi and said to him: “Oh King! These people believe something regarding Jesus, the son of Maryam something which shall dismay you!” The Najaashi then had them sent for and asked them to explain themselves regarding what they believe regarding the Messiah!” So, the Najaashi had them sent for and asking that they tell him about their belief regarding the Messiah; they were all terrified, but they had all agreed that they would tell the truth no matter what happened as a consequence. When they were finally brought before him and he asked them, Ja’faar responded: “We say regarding him that which our Prophet ﷺ has brought to us that he is a Servant of Allah and His Messenger, His spirit and His word, which He breathed into the womb of Maryam the Virgin Maiden.” The Najaashi then took a stick, drew a line across the floor, and said: “By Allah Jesus, the son of Maryam is nothing beyond this line which you have mentioned.” His clergymen then all snorted, and the Najaashi then said: “Even if you disagree!” And he said to the Muslims: “Go. For you are safe in my lands”. “Whosoever insults you has sinned, whosoever insults you has sinned, whosoever insults you has sinned; I would hate that I had a mountain of gold and that I have annoyed or caused harm to a single one of you.” Then he said to his courtiers: “Give them back their gifts I have no need for them! For by Allah, Allah never took a bribe from me when He returned to me my kingdom, so why should I ever take one now?! Whatever people obey me in, I shall obey them (i.e., and protect them).
Umm Salamah then said: “the two-‘‘Amr and Abdullah-left the presence of the king denigrated and rejected; and we stayed with the king, the best of neighbors in the best of abodes.”
One day, Umar ibn al-Khattaab went out wearing his sword intending to kill the Prophet ﷺ. A man met him on the way and said to him: “Where are you going, Umar?” He responded: “I want to kill Muhammad!” The man then said to him: “How would you protect yourself from Banoo Haashim and Banoo Zuhrah after you had killed Muhammad?” Umar then retorted: “I see that you have inclined (towards Muhammad) and have left your religion!” The man then responded again: “O Umar! Shall I not direct you towards what is truly incredible? Your sister and brother-in-law have both embraced Islam and have left the religion that you are upon.”
Umar then marched over to them, and with them was Khabbaab ibn al-Art, who was holding a page which contained Surah Ta Ha and was reading it to them. When Khabbaab heard the faint sound of Umar, he quickly hid in the house, while Faatimah - Umar’s sister - hid the page that Khabbab was reading from. Umar had heard Khabbaab reading when he had approached his sister’s house, and when he entered the house, he said: “What was that murmuring I heard here?” His sister and her husband responded: “We were speaking to each other.” Umar then said: “I heard that you had both converted to Islam” to which his brother-in-law responded: “Oh Umar! Have you ever considered that the truth be elsewhere than in your religion?” Umar then attacked him and dealt him a vicious blow; then his sister got him off her husband at which point Umar slapped her which bloodied her face. (Faatimah) then yelled out angrily: “The truth is in other than your religion! I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!” Then Umar began to feel despair (at what he had done) and saw that he had hurt his sister to the point of bleeding, he became regretful and ashamed. He then said: “Bring me that piece of writing you were reading from so that I may read it” His sister then yelled at him: “You are filthy! Only those who are pure can touch it! Go and wash.” Umar then went and did just that, then he took the piece of parchment and read: “By the Name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” upon which he commented by saying: such good and immaculate names!” Then he continued to read: {Taha…” Until he had read where Allah has said: “Verily I am Allah! There is no god other than Me! So worship Me (alone) and establish the prayer in order to remember Me!} Umar then said: “How wonderful and noble are these words! Direct me to Muhammad.” He then went to the Prophet ﷺ and accepted Islam at his hands. Then he went out with the Muslims in two ranks until they reached the Mosque. When Quraysh saw him with them, they felt a dark pall, the likes of which they had never felt before
Quraysh would warn people against listening to the Prophet, ﷺ. When Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsy -a very intelligent and noble man, and a poet as well- arrived at Makkah, some men from Quraysh approached him and said to him: “O Tufayl! You have come to our lands (and you are welcome), but amongst us is a man whose affair has become great, but he has caused great dissension amongst us; he speaks like a sorcerer whose words separate a man from his father, his brother, and his wife. We fear for you and your people that which has come upon us. Do not dare to speak to him nor listen to him!”
He then said: “By Allah, they kept warning me until I decided to never hear a word of his; thus, I stuffed my ears full of cotton, out of fear that anything of what they said would happen to me. I did not want to hear him, but when I went to the Mosque, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was there praying by the Ka’bah. So, I stood by him, not too far, and Allah refused to allow that I not hear anything of what the Prophet ﷺ had to say. I heard good things from him, and I said to myself: “May my mother be bereft of me! For I swear by Allah, that I am an intelligent man, a poet! I do not confound truth and falsehood together (lit. the good and the ugly). What then is keeping me from listening to the words that this man is saying? If what he is bringing forth is something good, then I shall accept it; and if it is something bad then I shall leave it.”
(Tufayl continues): “So I stayed there until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ left to go back to his house, and so I followed him, until he went in, and I followed him there too. I said: “Oh Muhammad! Your people said to me such-and-such (preventing me from meeting you or listening to what you have to say). By Allah, they did not stop until they had scared me so much, that I had plugged up my ears with cotton, so that I wouldn’t be able to hear what you said. But then Allah willed it so that I should hear what it is that you are claiming, and I heard from you a goodly word. I entreat you then, present to me your affair.” So, (the Prophet ﷺ) then presented to me Islam and recited the Quran to me as well. And by Allah, I had never heard more exquisite words, nor something more just and right. Upon that, I accepted Islam and bore witness to the truth. Then I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah! I am a man who is followed and obeyed by his people, and I am returning to them, and I shall call them to Islam. So please pray to Allah that He gives me a sign (or a miracle) to which I am calling them to.” And then the Prophet ﷺ said: “Oh Allah give him a sign.’”
Tufayl continues narrating his story: “Then I returned to my people and had reached an opening in the mountains which led me to the place where water is gathered. All of a sudden, a light appeared between my eyes, which looked like a lamp had been lit. And I said: “O Allah! Please place else where than in my face! For verily I fear that people think that it is some sort of disfigurement that happened to me because I have abandoned their religion.” So, the light went to the pommel of my whip, and the people at the watering-place saw that light as some sort of suspended candle, all the while I am descending towards them from the mountain pass, until I came to them and was not amongst them. When I got there, my father came to me, and he was an elderly man, so I said to him: “Get away from me!” For I am not from you nor are you from me! And he responded to me: “Why is that my son?” I said: “I have accepted Islam and have followed the religion of Muhammad ﷺ.” At which he replied: “My son, my religion is your religion.” Then I said to him: “go now and wash yourself and purify your clothes, then come back. I shall teach you what he has taught me.” And he went and washed and purified his clothes, and when he came back, I presented to him Islam, which he then accepted.”
“Then my wife came to me, and I said to her: “get away from me! I am not from you, and you are not from me!” She responded: “Why!? May my father and mother be your ransom.” Then I said: “Islam has separated us; I have followed the religion of Muhammad ﷺ.” To which she responded: “My religion is your religion.” I instructed her: “go and purify yourself,” which she did. Then she came back, and I presented to her Islam, which she then accepted. Then I turned my attention to calling the entire tribe of Daws to Islam, but they were slow in coming. I went back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Makkah and said to him: “Oh Prophet of Allah! The people of Daws have been overcome with fornication, vain play, and what other people may think of them, so ask Allah to guide them.” Then the Prophet ﷺ said: “Oh Allah, guide the people of Daws to Islam. Now go back (Tufayl) to your people and be kind to them.” I continued to call the tribe of Daws to Islam until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ migrated to al-Madeenah, and the battles of Badr, Uhud, and of the Trench all came to pass. Then I went back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with those of my people who had accepted Islam, and he, ﷺ was at Khaybar. I arrived at al-Madeenah and with me were 70 or 80 families from Daws, then we met up with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Khaybar and he gave us a share (of the spoils of war).”
Tufayl (may Allah be well pleased with him) stayed with the Prophet ﷺ until the conquest of Makkah. He, may Allah be well pleased with him, also stayed in al-Madeenah until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away. When the Arabs apostatized, he went out with the Muslims and fought with them until they were rid of Tulayhah, and all of Najd was under control. Then he went out to Yamaamah with the Muslims and was martyred there as well.
When Quraysh had all resolved that they would kill the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Banoo Abdul-Mutallab had all agreed that they would enter him into their quarters and protect him there. Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be well pleased with him): “The Prophet ﷺ said from tomorrow shall be the day of slaughter and he was at Mina. ‘We are descending tomorrow upon the valley of Banee Kinaanah; as they have agreed on disbelief.’” Meaning, the place where stones are thrown at Minaa (al-Muhassab). What happened was that Banoo Kinaanah and Quraysh agreed to join forces against the tribe of Banoo Haashim and Banoo Abdul-Mutallab or simply Banoo al-Muttalab. They agreed that none of them would marry anyone from them, nor do business with them until they deliver to them the Prophet ﷺ so, they all entered the quarters: the Muslims and the disbelievers among the Hashemites. The polytheists had all agreed that they would not sit with them, nor mix with them, do business with them, nor enter their homes, until they hand over the Prophet ﷺ in order that he may be executed. They wrote all of this down on a piece of parchment (which they had hung on the Ka’bah).
The tribe of Banoo Haashim stayed in their quarters for a total of 3 years. And during that period, the trials, tribulations, and famine became severe. At the end of the third year, men from Quraysh began to decry what the rest of their tribe were doing, and they had all agreed that they would rescind what was in the agreement that had been hung in the Ka’bah. The Prophet ﷺ then informed them that only the words of disbelief and oppression remained in that document. By that, the boycott ended.
After the oppressive embargo had lasted for 2 or 3 years upon the kinsfolk of Aboo Taalib, the embargo was lifted, and the parchment was torn. This happened because the people of Quraysh were divided between those who approved the embargo and those who despised it. The one who led the efforts to end this embargo was Hishaam ibn ‘Amr, from the tribe of Banee ‘Aamir ibn Lu’ayy; he used to secretly bring food to them in their quarters during the cover of the night. One day, he went to see Zuhayr ibn Abee Umayyah al-Makhzoomee, whose mother was ‘Aatikah bint Abdul-Mutallab and said to him: “Oh Zuhayr, are you satisfied with eating and drinking whilst your maternal uncles are enduring the suffering that you are aware of?” Zuhayr responded: “Woe to you! What am I supposed to do, and I am only one man, alone?” I swear by Allah that if another man were with me, I would stand up and nullify the boycott.” Hishaam then said to him: “You have found another man…” Zuhayr asked: “and who is that man?” Hishaam said: “me”; and then Zuhayr added: “we need a third”. Hishaam then went to see al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adee and reminded him of the connection that Banoo Haashim and Banoo al-Muttalib have with Banoo ‘Abdu Manaaf. He then chastised his agreeing with Quraysh to enact the oppressive boycott. Al-Mut’im then said: “Woe to you! What am I supposed to do? I am only one man.” Hishaam then said to him: “you have found a second one”. Al-Mut’im then said: “and who is that?” Hishaam responded: “me”, but Mut’im then said: “we need a third” to which Hishaam replied: “I already found one.” But al-Mut’im then said: “who is he?” Hishaam responded: “Zuhayr ibn Abee Umayyah”; but al-Mut’im said: “we need a fourth”. So Hishaam then went to see Aboo al-Bakhtaree ibn Hishaam and told him the same thing he told the other two. But Aboo’l-Bukhtaree then asked him: “Is there anyone who will help with this?” He said: “yes”, so Aboo al-Bakhtaree asked: “who?” Hishaam responded: “Zuhayr ibn Abee Umayyah, al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adee, and I myself am with you. But al-Bakhtaree said: “we need a fifth,” so Hishaam then went to Zam’ah ibn al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad, and he told him the same he had told the others, and he mentioned the family ties that he has with those being oppressed and their rights they have with him. Zam’ah then said: “Is there anyone else taking part in this thing that you are calling me to?” Hishaam said: “yes”, and he proceeded to name the people that were with him.
They then all met together at al-Hajoon, and they all pledged that they would stand up against the embargo. Zuhayr then stood and said: “I am the one who brought you all together (on this matter), so I should be the one to stand up first and speak up. The next day, when everyone went to their places of gathering, Zuhayr went to the Ka’bah wearing a good robe and made tawaf seven times. Then he came towards the people and said: “Oh people of Makkah! How come we eat food and wear clothes whilst Banoo Haashim are perishing! No one sells nor buys anything from them! By Allah, I will not sit until that oppressive and divisive parchment is torn to pieces!”
Aboo Jahl, who was off to the side of the Mosque, retorted: “You lie! By Allah! It will not be torn!” Zam’ah ibn al-Aswad then said: “I swear by Allah that you are the biggest liar! We were never pleased with it the moment it was written!” Then Aboo al-Bakhtaree said: “Zam’ah is telling the truth. We are not pleased with what has been written in that parchment, nor do we approve of it.” Al-Mut’im ibn Adee then added: They have both told the truth, and whosoever says differently is a liar! We free ourselves in front of Allah and from what has been written therein.” Hishaam ibn ‘Amr said something similar as well. Aboo Jahl then said: “This was decided upon overnight, and you have discussed it in other than this place.”
Aboo Taalib had been sitting in another part of the Mosque, and he came to them only because he had been informed that Allah had informed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about what was happening with the parchment, and that He had sent termites to eat up every single part of the parchment which mentioned alienation and oppression except for where it mentioned the Name of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Aboo Taalib went to Quraysh and told them his nephew had told him such-and-such, and if he is lying then we have freed ourselves from between the two of you. But if he is truthful, then you shall relinquish us from your alienation and boycott.”
Quraysh then said: “You have spoken fairly”. After the people and Aboo Jahl exchanged words, al-Mut’im went to the parchment in order to tear it up, but he had found the termites had already eaten it except for the part where it said: “O Allah! By Your Name.” They had not touched the part of the document which mentioned Allah’s Name. The document was then nullified, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and those with him came out from the quarters of the Banoo Haashim. On that day the polytheists had seen the greatest of signs that testified to his prophethood, however, they were as Allah described them: {And when they are shown a sign, they still deny it and say “this is but ceaseless magic”}. They neglected this sign and they only increased in their disbelief.
She is Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn ‘Abdul-Uzza ibn Qusay ibn Kilaab; of the best women of this Earth. Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah! This is Khadeejah coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (i.e. Allah) and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of palaces in Paradise made from ornamental threads in which there is no tumult nor any distress.”
Khadeejah was the first to have believed in the Prophet ﷺ while everyone else had disbelieved; she protected him while everyone else rejected him. She attested to what he said as being the truth, while everyone else was giving him the lie. Allah gave him ﷺ through her, sons: al-Qaasim, al-Tayyib, and al-Taahir, who all died when they were infants; as well as daughters: Ruqayyah, Zaynab, Umm Kalthoom, and Faatimah.
She died, may Allah be well pleased with her, in the same year in which Aboo Taalib died. After their death, the calamities descended upon the Prophet ﷺ. Khadeejah was a faithful counsellor for Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ would turn to her for comfort and consultation.
Khadeejah, may Allah be well pleased with her, died three years before the departure of the Prophet ﷺ to al-Madeenah. Then approximately two years passed until he ﷺ married ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who was a girl of six years at that time. Then he consummated the marriage and took her in when she turned nine. Khadeejah (may Allah be pleased with her) died in Makkah and was buried at al-Hajoon.
The Prophet ﷺ went to al-Taa’if, a city 60 miles away from Makkah; he went there walking on his feet and came back that way as well. Zayd ibn Haarithah, his servant, was with him as well. Every tribe they passed by on their way to al-Taa’if, he ﷺ would call them to Islam, but not a single person of those tribes answered the call. When they finally arrived at al-Taa’if, the Prophet ﷺ went directly to its leaders and called them to Islam, but nobody responded to him. He stayed amongst the people of al-Taa’if for a total of ten days during which he ﷺ called every noble and leader among them to Islam. However, they said to him: “Get out from our lands!”, and they asked their riffraff and their slaves to goad and taunt him. On his way out of al-Taa’if, they insulted and yelled at him until a large gathering of people gathered around him. Two rows of people stood on either side of him ﷺ throwing rocks and insulting him; they pelted his ankles until his sandals were filled with blood.
Zayd ibn Haarith was trying to protect him with his own body until he suffered a head injury from the rocks. The people did not stop until he sought refuge in a walled garden belonging to ‘Utbah and Shaybah, the sons of Rabee’ah, which is 3 miles away from al-Taa’if. Then, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ made his way back to Makkah feeling downtrodden and broken hearted. When he reached Qarn al-Manaazil (i.e., the Miqaat for the people of Najd and surrounding areas), Allah, Exalted be He, sent Jibreel with the Angel of the Mountains so that the Prophet ﷺ may order him to push the two mountains towering over Makkah in order to crush its people. But the Prophet ﷺ refused saying: “Rather, I hope that one day Allah, the Mighty and Majestic brings forth from their loins a generation who will worship Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, without associating with Him anything.” This answer is an indication of the Prophet’s ﷺ unique personality, and his immense and noble character.
After the Prophet ﷺ left al-Taa’if and made his way back to Makkah, he rested under a palm tree. During the night, he had gotten up to pray when a group of jinn passed by him, which were mentioned by Allah, the Most High (in the Quran); they were seven jinn in total from Nasaybeen. They listened to the Messenger of Allah’s ﷺ recitation, and when he had finished praying, they returned to their peoples announcing to them what they had heard. They believed in what they heard and had accepted it.
They were the ones Allah mentioned in the Quran when He said: {˹Remember, O Prophet˺ when We sent a group of jinn your way to listen to the Quran. Then, upon hearing it, they said ˹to one another˺, “Listen quietly!” Then when it was over, they returned to their fellow jinn as warners. They declared, “O our fellow jinn! We have truly heard a scripture revealed after Moses, confirming what came before it. It guides to the truth and the Straight Way. O our fellow jinn! Respond to the caller of Allah and believe in him, He will forgive your sins and protect you from a painful punishment. And whoever does not respond to the caller of Allah will have no escape on earth, nor will they have any protectors against Him. It is they who are clearly astray.} (Al-Ahqaaf, 29 to 32)
After several months, a second delegation came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ longing to see the Beloved Prophet ﷺ and longing to hear the words of the Lord of the Worlds.
Aboo Taalib was the paternal uncle of the Prophet ﷺ the man who took care of him when he was young, supported him when he grew older, and defended him when he was calling people to Islam. When he became severely ill, the Prophet ﷺ went to visit him whilst Aboo Jahl was there as well. He ﷺ said: “O Uncle, say: “There is no god but Allah, a statement by which I shall intercede on your behalf in front of Allah.”
Aboo Jahl and Abdullah ibn Abee Umayyah then said: “O Aboo Taalib! Would you prefer (anything else) over the religion of Abdul-Mutallab?” And they did not quit speaking to him until he said: “…[I am] upon the religion of Abdul-Mutallab,” to which the Prophet ﷺ responded: “I shall ask for your forgiveness until I am prevented from doing so.” Then it was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ {It is not ˹proper˺ for the Prophet and the believers to seek forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were close relatives, after it has become clear to the believers that they are bound for the Hellfire} (Surah Tawbah, 113) and then it was revealed: {You surely cannot guide whoever you like ˹O Prophet˺, but it is Allah Who guides whoever He wills, and He knows best who are ˹fit to be˺ guided.} (Surah al-Qasas, 56).
Aboo Taalib had been the fortress within which the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge and protection from the attacks of the arrogant leaders and riffraff from amongst Quraysh. However, he remained upon the religion of his forefathers, and failed in accepting Islam.
After the death of the Mother of the Believers, Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be well pleased with her), who was one of the greatest blessings that Allah placed in the Prophet’s life, he ﷺ married Sawdah bint Zam’ah ibn Qays ibn Abdu Shams ibn Abdu Wudud ibn Nasr ibn Maalik ibn Hisl ibn ‘Aamir ibn Lu’ayy al-Qurashiyyah.
He ﷺ married her in Makkah before the Hijrah and was amongst the early people who entered Islam. She was amongst the people who travelled in the second immigration to Abyssinia when she was still married to Al-Sakraan ibn ‘Amr, who entered Islam and travelled with her, at that time. He died there or after their return to Makkah.
After she had completed her waiting period, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked for her hand in marriage; and she was the first woman he married after the death of Khadeejah, and she was in the 6th decade of her life, (i.e., she was in her sixties) when she got married. When the Prophet ﷺ intended to divorce her, she changed his mind by gifting her night with him to ‘Aishah (may Allah be well pleased with her) and so he ﷺ kept her. She did not bare him ﷺ any children, until the very day he ﷺ died.
When Allah, Exalted be He, wanted to make His religion to become apparent, to strengthen His Prophet ﷺ and, to put into effect what He had promised him, he ﷺ approached the Arab tribes during the Hajj season and spoke to them about Islam, just as he would do every year.
Whilst he was at al-‘Aqabah, he ﷺ met with a group of men from al-Khazjraj whom Allah wanted good for them. He ﷺ said to them: “Who are you?” They said: “A group of men from the Khazraj.” He ﷺ then said: “Are you from those who have allies with the Jews?” They said: “Yes” So then he ﷺ said: “Will you not sit with me so that I may speak with you for a moment?” They said: “Of course.” They all sat together, and he ﷺ called them to worship Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and presented to them Islam, and recited to them the Quran. Allah facilitated for them to enter Islam because the Jews lived in their lands, and they would threaten them with the approaching arrival of a Prophet whom they shall all follow and then with whom they shall slay all the Arabs and cause them to disappear like Iram. [i.e., they already had knowledge that a Prophet will emerge]. For this reason, when the Prophet ﷺ spoke to them and called them to Allah, they said to themselves: “O people! Know, by Allah, that this is the Prophet that the Jews keep threatening us with, do not let them reach him before we do!” As a result, the Khazraj that were there all accepted what he ﷺ called them to, and they said to him ﷺ: “Verily, we have left our people and there is enmity amongst them like no other. I hope that Allah gathers them all together through you. We shall go forth and call them to your matter (i.e., to Islam), and we shall present to them that which you have presented to us (i.e., Islam) and we accepted. If Allah gathers them together under you, then there shall be no man more powerful than you.”
Then they left to return to their lands, having believed and attested to Islam. When they came back to al-Madeenah to their people, they mentioned to them the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and called them to Islam until it had become widespread amongst them. Thus, it came to pass that not a single house of the houses of the Ansaar went without mentioning the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ married ‘Aaishah al-Siddeeqqah (may Allah be well pleased with her) when she was a girl, six years of age. He ﷺ consummated the marriage and began living with her in al-Madeenah in the month of Shawwaal in the first year of the Hijrah when she was a girl nine years of age. She was his most favored and most beloved of wives, and she was the only virgin that the Prophet ﷺ married.
