In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Treasures of the Seerah.
Every son of Adam makes mistakes.
Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah was one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
He committed a major mistake.
He wrote a letter to Quraysh informing them of the Messenger of Allah's march toward them.
Then he gave it to a woman named Sarah,
and offered her a reward on the condition that she deliver it to Quraysh.
So she hid it in the braids of her hair.
News from heaven came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) regarding what Hatib had done.
So the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent 'Ali ibn Abi Talib,
Al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam, and Al-Miqdad ibn 'Amr after this woman.
He said to them, "Depart until you reach Rawdat Khakh,
for there is a woman riding a camel there carrying a letter to Quraysh."
They departed until they found the woman at the very location informed by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
They stopped her and asked her, "Do you have a letter with you?"
She replied, "I have no letter with me."
So they searched her saddlebags, but found nothing.
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her, "I swear by Allah,
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not lie, nor did we lie.
By Allah, you will either produce the letter or we will strip off your clothes!"
And this action was permissible.
That is because when a matter reaches such gravity,
and they knew with absolute certainty—as conveyed by the Prophet (peace be upon him)—
it became permissible for them to strip her of her clothes if it became imperative.
For even though doing so was a harm,
the harm that would result from her delivering that letter was far greater.
Among the principles of fiqh is:
warding off the greater of two harms if committing one of them is unavoidable.
So when she saw 'Ali's resolve,
she said, "Turn away from me," so he turned away.
She unbraided her hair and drew out the letter,
then handed it to him.
He brought it to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Inside it was written:
"From Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah to Quraysh,"
informing them of the march of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) summoned Hatib and said,
"What is this, O Hatib?"
He replied,
"Do not rush to judgment against me, O Messenger of Allah!
By Allah, I am a believer in Allah and His Messenger,
I have not apostatized nor changed my faith.
However, I was a man attached to Quraysh as an ally,
but I was not one of their own kin.
Yet I have family, clan, and children among them,
and I have no blood relatives among them to protect them.
Whereas those with you have relatives there who protect their families.
So since I lacked that protection, I wanted
to do them a favor so that they might protect my kin."
Hatib offered his apology,
saying,
"I have children and relatives in Mecca,
and I am not originally from Mecca.
So I feared for my children and relatives who are there.
I thought that if Quraysh knew I sent this letter,
they might refrain from harming or persecuting my family."
In another narration, he said:
"I knew that Allah would make His Messenger victorious and complete His affair for him,"
meaning that this letter would neither advance nor delay the outcome.
At that moment, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said,
"O Messenger of Allah!
Let me strike his neck,
for he has betrayed Allah and His Messenger!"
In another narration, he said:
"O Messenger of Allah!
Hatib has committed hypocrisy!"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
"He was present at Badr!
And what do you know, O 'Umar?
Perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr and said:
'Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you.'"
Tears welled up in the eyes of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said,
"Allah and His Messenger know best."
Thus, Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah's past interceded for him,
because he possessed precedence in Islam alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
He had witnessed Badr, Uhud, Al-Khandaq,
and other major battles with the Prophet (peace be upon him).
He had migrated and left behind his family and children for the sake of Allah.
So this mistake was among those forgiven by Allah
in light of that great service he had rendered for Allah and His Messenger.
Regarding 'Umar's statement that Hatib had committed hypocrisy,
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"If a man attributes hypocrisy or disbelief to a Muslim
based on personal interpretation and out of anger for the sake of Allah, His Messenger, and His religion,
rather than out of caprice or personal motive,
he does not become a disbeliever."
And regarding Hatib, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, revealed His words:
“O ye who believe! Choose not My enemy and your enemy for allies. Do ye give them friendship when they disbelieve in that truth which hath come unto you, driving out the messenger and you because ye believe in Allah, your Lord? If ye have come forth to strive in My way and seeking My good pleasure, (show them not friendship). Do ye show friendship unto them in secret, when I am Best Aware of what ye hide and what ye proclaim? And whosoever doeth it among you, he verily hath strayed from the right way.” (60:1)
﴿extending secret affection to them﴾
﴿while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth.﴾
“O ye who believe! Choose not My enemy and your enemy for allies. Do ye give them friendship when they disbelieve in that truth which hath come unto you, driving out the messenger and you because ye believe in Allah, your Lord? If ye have come forth to strive in My way and seeking My good pleasure, (show them not friendship). Do ye show friendship unto them in secret, when I am Best Aware of what ye hide and what ye proclaim? And whosoever doeth it among you, he verily hath strayed from the right way.” (60:1)
“O ye who believe! Choose not My enemy and your enemy for allies. Do ye give them friendship when they disbelieve in that truth which hath come unto you, driving out the messenger and you because ye believe in Allah, your Lord? If ye have come forth to strive in My way and seeking My good pleasure, (show them not friendship). Do ye show friendship unto them in secret, when I am Best Aware of what ye hide and what ye proclaim? And whosoever doeth it among you, he verily hath strayed from the right way.” (60:1)
﴿and seeking My pleasure.﴾
﴿You confide affection to them in secret,﴾
“O ye who believe! Choose not My enemy and your enemy for allies. Do ye give them friendship when they disbelieve in that truth which hath come unto you, driving out the messenger and you because ye believe in Allah, your Lord? If ye have come forth to strive in My way and seeking My good pleasure, (show them not friendship). Do ye show friendship unto them in secret, when I am Best Aware of what ye hide and what ye proclaim? And whosoever doeth it among you, he verily hath strayed from the right way.” (60:1)
“O ye who believe! Choose not My enemy and your enemy for allies. Do ye give them friendship when they disbelieve in that truth which hath come unto you, driving out the messenger and you because ye believe in Allah, your Lord? If ye have come forth to strive in My way and seeking My good pleasure, (show them not friendship). Do ye show friendship unto them in secret, when I am Best Aware of what ye hide and what ye proclaim? And whosoever doeth it among you, he verily hath strayed from the right way.” (60:1)
﴿If they gain dominance over you, they would be your enemies﴾
“If they have the upper hand of you, they will be your foes, and will stretch out their hands and their tongues toward you with evil (intent), and they long for you to disbelieve.” (60:2)
“Your ties of kindred and your children will avail you naught upon the Day of Resurrection. He will part you. Allah is Seer of what ye do.” (60:3)
“Your ties of kindred and your children will avail you naught upon the Day of Resurrection. He will part you. Allah is Seer of what ye do.” (60:3)
﴿And Allah is All-Seeing of whatever you do.﴾
Allah, Blessed and Exalted, clearly delineated the truth
that Muslims must adhere to in their lives.
Treasures of the Seerah.
The Departure of the Army.
The army of the Prophet (peace be upon him) set out in the month of Ramadan,
after ten days had passed,
from Medina toward Mecca—may Allah, Blessed and Exalted, honor it—
comprising ten thousand of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
Among them were one thousand from Banu Sulaym,
one thousand from Muzaynah,
four hundred from Ghifar,
four hundred from Aslam,
and many contingents from Qays, Asad, Tamim, and others,
alongside the Muhajirun and the Ansar from the Aws and Khazraj.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached Al-Juhfah,
his uncle Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib met him,
having set out as a Muslim, migrating for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.
So he joined the march with the Prophet (peace be upon him).
When he reached Al-Abwa',
he was met by his cousin Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
and his paternal aunt's son 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah,
the brother of Hind bint Abi Umayyah—
Umm Salamah,
Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her).
And 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah was the very person who had been with Abu Jahl
when he prevented Abu Talib from uttering the testimony of Islam,
saying, "Will you abandon the creed of 'Abd al-Muttalib?"
They both came as Muslims, but he turned away from them
because of the severe hostility and harm he had suffered from them.
As for Abu Sufyan,
he used to lampoon the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his poetry.
So Umm Salamah said to him,
"O Messenger of Allah!
Let not your cousin and your aunt's son be the most wretched of people through you."
Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith went to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and said to him,
"O 'Ali!
I have come as a Muslim, migrating for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.
Why does the Messenger of Allah treat us like this?"
'Ali replied,
"Do you not know what you did to the Messenger of Allah?
You used to lampoon him and cause him harm!"
He said,
"So what should I do?"
Here, 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) alerted him to an important matter,
which demonstrates his intelligence and deep insight.
He said to him,
"Go to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) directly from his front and say to him:
“They said: By Allah, verily Allah hath preferred thee above us, and we were indeed sinful.” (12:91)
﴿'By Allah, Allah has indeed preferred you over us, and we have certainly been sinful.'﴾"
Meaning: just as the brothers of Joseph said to Joseph.
So Abu Sufyan came to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
faced him directly, and said:
“They said: By Allah, verily Allah hath preferred thee above us, and we were indeed sinful.” (12:91)
﴿"By Allah, Allah has indeed preferred you over us, and we have certainly been sinful."﴾
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied just as his brother Joseph had said:
“He said: Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.” (12:92)
“He said: Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.” (12:92)
Abu Sufyan then recited:
"By your life, the day I bore a banner
so the horsemen of Al-Lat might vanquish the horsemen of Muhammad,
I was like a traveler wandering blind in the darkest night;
but now is the time I am guided and find the right path.
A guide other than my own ego guided me, and directed me
to Allah—he whom I had banished with every drive."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) patted his chest and said,
"You indeed banished me with every drive!"
Hassan ibn Thabit, the poet of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
had previously answered Abu Sufyan
when he lampooned the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say to Hassan,
"The Holy Spirit will continue to support you as long as you defend Allah and His Messenger."
And this is Hassan's poem
in which he answered Abu Sufyan when he lampooned the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
"May we lose our horses if you do not see them
stirring up dust, their promised meeting place at Kada'!
They contend with us for the reins, ascending,
bearing upon their shoulders thirsty spears.
Our noble steeds remain charging forward,
while women wipe dust from them with their veils.
So if you turn away from us, we shall perform 'Umrah,
the victory will come, and the veil will be lifted.
Otherwise, endure the striking of a day
in which Allah grants glory to whomever He wills.
And Gabriel, the Messenger of Allah, is among us,
and the Holy Spirit has no equal!
And Allah said: 'I have sent a Servant
who speaks the truth; in his action is trial.'
I bore witness to him, so rise and believe him!
But you said: 'We will not rise, nor do we wish to.'
And Allah said: 'I have dispatched an army—
they are the Ansar, whose nature is battle.'
Every day, against Ma'add, we have
exchange of insults, warfare, or lampooning.
So we pass judgment through verses in our method,
and we strike when blood mingles on the field.
Now convey from me to Abu Sufyan
a penetrating message, for the secret is now fully exposed:
that our swords have left you as a slave,
and the masters of Banu 'Abd al-Dar are now female bondservants!
You lampooned Muhammad, so I answered on his behalf,
and with Allah lies the reward for that!
Do you lampoon him when you are not his equal?
May the worst of you be a ransom for the best of you!
You lampooned a blessed, righteous, upright man,
the trustworthy one of Allah, whose nature is fidelity.
Is one among you who lampoons the Messenger of Allah
equal to one who praises and supports him?
For my father, his father, and my own honor
"May my honor serve as a shield for Muhammad’s honor among you!
My tongue is a sharp sword without fault,
And my sea cannot be rendered murky by buckets."
This was the poet of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, defending him.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to say:
"By Him in Whose Hand is my soul,
His words are more piercing to them than the strike of arrows."
Treasures of the Prophetic biography.
"Fasting during travel is not part of righteousness."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered Mecca while fasting,
Until he reached a place called Al-Kadid,
Whereupon he broke his fast, and the people broke their fast with him.
Ibn 'Abbas said:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, fasted during travel and also broke his fast;
So whoever wishes may fast, and whoever wishes may break the fast."
And such is the Sunnah:
When a person travels,
They have the choice between fasting and breaking the fast.
However, if there is severe hardship,
Then fasting becomes prohibited and impermissible.
That is why, when the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw—
He saw a man around whom people had gathered,
Who was being shaded from the heat.
He asked, "What is the matter with him?"
They replied, "He is a fasting man."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"It is not part of righteousness to fast while traveling."
Treasures of the Prophetic biography.
The acceptance of Islam by Abu Sufyan, Sakhr ibn Harb.
Al-'Abbas said:
"By Allah, I was riding the mule of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
When I overheard the conversation of Abu Sufyan and Budayl ibn Warqa',
Who had come out from Mecca scouting for news.
For indeed, they expected the arrival of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
But they did not know when he would arrive.
Abu Sufyan said:
'I have never seen such campfires or such a vast army as tonight.'
Budayl replied:
'By Allah, this must be the tribe of Khuza'ah,
Roused by war.'
Abu Sufyan said:
'Khuza'ah is too small and lowly to have campfires and an army of this scale!'
So I recognized his voice
And called out, 'O Abu Hanzalah!'
Abu Sufyan said:
'Is that Abu al-Fadl?'
I replied, 'Yes.'
He asked, 'What is the news with you?'
Al-'Abbas said:
'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!
Here is the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, among the people—
And by Allah, what a woeful morning awaits Quraysh!'
Abu Sufyan asked:
'What is the way out then? May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!'
[Repeated phrase]
Al-'Abbas said:
'By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, gains power over you,
He will surely strike off your head.'
Now, if someone were to ask:
'Why did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, not execute him earlier in Medina when he came to him as an envoy?'
The answer is:
Because he was an emissary,
And emissaries are not killed.
Al-'Abbas continued:
'Ride behind me,
So I can take you to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And secure protection for you.'
So Abu Sufyan rode behind him,
While his companion, Budayl ibn Warqa', turned back.
Al-'Abbas said:
'Whenever I passed by one of the campfires of the Muslims,
They would ask, "Who is this?"
But when they saw the mule of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and me riding it,
They would say:
"It is the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, on his mule."
Until I passed by the fire of 'Umar.
'Umar asked, "Who is this?"
And he stood up and came toward me.
But when he saw Abu Sufyan with me,
He exclaimed:
"Abu Sufyan! The enemy of Allah!
Praise be to Allah Who has delivered you into our hands without any treaty or covenant!"
Then 'Umar rushed hastily toward the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
So Al-'Abbas spurred the mule,
Saying:
"And I outpaced 'Umar,
Dismounted quickly from the mule,
And entered upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
Then 'Umar entered
And said:
"O Messenger of Allah!
This is Abu Sufyan;
Let me strike off his head!"
I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
I have already granted him protection."
Then I sat beside the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Held his head, and said:
"By Allah, no one shall whisper to him tonight without my involvement!"
When 'Umar persisted in pressing his demand regarding him,
I said:
"Gently, O 'Umar!
By Allah, if he were from the men of Banu 'Adi, you would not have said something like this!"
'Umar replied:
"Gently, O 'Abbas!
By Allah, your acceptance of Islam was dearer to me than the acceptance of Islam by Al-Khattab, had he embraced Islam.
And that was only because I knew that your Islam was dearer to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, than the Islam of Al-Khattab."
Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Take him with you, O 'Abbas"—
Meaning, take Abu Sufyan—
"And bring him to me in the morning."
So he took him with him.
When morning came,
He brought him early to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When the Messenger, peace be upon him, saw him, he said:
"Woe to you, O Abu Sufyan!
Has the time not yet come for you to know that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah?"
Abu Sufyan replied:
"May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!
How forbearing, noble, and maintaining of family ties you are!
By Allah, I thought that if there were any deity alongside Allah,
It would have availed me in some way."
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Woe to you, O Abu Sufyan!
Has the time not yet come for you to know that I am the Messenger of Allah?"
He replied, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!
How forbearing, noble, and maintaining of family ties you are!
As for this point, I still have some hesitation in my heart about it."
Al-'Abbas said:
"Woe to you! Embrace Islam,
And testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,
And that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,
Before your head is struck off!"
So Abu Sufyan embraced Islam
And bore the testimony of truth.
Al-'Abbas said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
Abu Sufyan is a man who loves prestige,
So grant him a special distinction."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Yes:
Whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan shall be safe,
Whoever locks their door behind them shall be safe,
And whoever enters the Sacred Mosque shall be safe."
Treasures of the Prophetic biography.