1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,469 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:05,469 --> 00:00:07,469 A summary of the book: 3 00:00:07,469 --> 00:00:11,470 "Ramadan: Events and Lessons." 4 00:00:11,470 --> 00:00:17,010 The arrival of the delegations of Thaqif and Himyar 5 00:00:17,010 --> 00:00:19,010 to declare their Islam. 6 00:00:19,010 --> 00:00:22,899 The time was Ramadan 7 00:00:22,899 --> 00:00:28,210 of the ninth year after the Hijrah. 8 00:00:28,210 --> 00:00:31,210 The conquest of Mecca had a resounding echo 9 00:00:31,210 --> 00:00:34,299 and a profound impact among the Arabs. 10 00:00:34,299 --> 00:00:37,299 Entering Mecca, cleansing it of idols, 11 00:00:37,299 --> 00:00:40,299 and ruling it by the law of Islam 12 00:00:40,299 --> 00:00:43,299 was a long-awaited moment for the people 13 00:00:43,299 --> 00:00:46,299 who had not yet accepted Islam, 14 00:00:46,299 --> 00:00:49,299 whose implicit attitude was: 15 00:00:49,299 --> 00:00:52,530 "Let us wait and see how Muhammad fares with his own people." 16 00:00:52,530 --> 00:00:55,530 Thus, when the dawn of conquest gleamed in the sky of Mecca 17 00:00:55,530 --> 00:00:58,530 and the glad tidings of glory and empowerment appeared 18 00:00:58,530 --> 00:01:01,530 on its horizons in favor of the Muslims, 19 00:01:01,530 --> 00:01:04,530 falsehood was dispelled at that moment 20 00:01:04,530 --> 00:01:07,530 from those people, 21 00:01:07,530 --> 00:01:10,530 and they came forward pledging allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 22 00:01:10,530 --> 00:01:13,530 in Islam, in groups and individually. 23 00:01:13,530 --> 00:01:16,750 So in Ramadan of the ninth year 24 00:01:16,750 --> 00:01:19,750 of the Hijrah, 25 00:01:19,750 --> 00:01:22,750 right after the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 26 00:01:22,750 --> 00:01:25,750 from Tabuk, 27 00:01:25,750 --> 00:01:28,750 two delegations reached Medina to declare their acceptance of Islam 28 00:01:28,750 --> 00:01:31,780 on behalf of their respective peoples. 29 00:01:31,780 --> 00:01:34,780 The first delegation was that of Thaqif, 30 00:01:34,780 --> 00:01:37,780 and the second was that of the kings of Himyar. 31 00:01:37,780 --> 00:01:41,140 First: 32 00:01:41,140 --> 00:01:44,390 The Delegation of Thaqif. 33 00:01:44,390 --> 00:01:47,390 Thaqif suffered two heavy, consecutive blows. 34 00:01:47,390 --> 00:01:50,390 The first was the Muslims' conquest of Mecca, 35 00:01:50,390 --> 00:01:53,390 which in itself was 36 00:01:53,390 --> 00:01:56,390 a severe psychological shock to them. 37 00:01:56,390 --> 00:01:59,390 The second was the Battle of Hunayn, 38 00:01:59,390 --> 00:02:02,390 in which they, along with the other allied tribes 39 00:02:02,390 --> 00:02:05,390 allied with them, suffered a major military 40 00:02:05,390 --> 00:02:08,389 and economic loss. 41 00:02:08,389 --> 00:02:11,389 Then the power of the Muslims became clearly evident to them as well 42 00:02:11,389 --> 00:02:14,389 when remnants of their forces fled 43 00:02:14,389 --> 00:02:17,389 to al-Ta'if and fortified themselves there, 44 00:02:17,389 --> 00:02:20,389 whereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pursued them 45 00:02:20,389 --> 00:02:23,389 with a host of Muslims 46 00:02:23,389 --> 00:02:26,389 and besieged them for more than a month, 47 00:02:26,389 --> 00:02:29,460 before turning back from them to Medina. 48 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:32,460 Before the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached 49 00:02:32,460 --> 00:02:35,460 Medina, Urwah 50 00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:38,460 ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi caught up with him and embraced Islam. 51 00:02:38,460 --> 00:02:41,460 He then sought permission from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 52 00:02:41,460 --> 00:02:44,460 to return to his people, Thaqif, 53 00:02:44,460 --> 00:02:47,520 to call them to Islam. 54 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,520 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him: 55 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,520 "They will kill you." 56 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,520 That was because the Prophet of Allah knew 57 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,520 their fierce pride and refusal to submit. 58 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,520 But Urwah said, "I am dearer to them 59 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,520 than their own firstborn children," for he was 60 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,550 beloved and obeyed among them. 61 00:03:08,550 --> 00:03:11,550 Yet a person may be deceived by people's love for him 62 00:03:11,550 --> 00:03:14,550 when he agrees with what they desire 63 00:03:14,550 --> 00:03:17,550 and does not oppose what they dislike, 64 00:03:17,550 --> 00:03:20,550 unaware that opposing them in such matters 65 00:03:20,550 --> 00:03:23,550 may reveal aspects of people's character 66 00:03:23,550 --> 00:03:26,740 and actions that he never expected from them. 67 00:03:26,740 --> 00:03:29,740 Nevertheless, Urwah returned to Thaqif, 68 00:03:29,740 --> 00:03:32,740 eager for their acceptance of Islam and committed to conveying the message to them. 69 00:03:32,740 --> 00:03:35,810 When he reached them, 70 00:03:35,810 --> 00:03:38,810 he informed them of his new religion 71 00:03:38,810 --> 00:03:41,810 and called them to it, 72 00:03:41,810 --> 00:03:44,810 but they gave him no respite and shot arrows at him 73 00:03:44,810 --> 00:03:47,810 until they killed him (may Allah be pleased with him). 74 00:03:47,810 --> 00:03:50,810 Thus it transpired just as the Messenger of Allah 75 00:03:50,810 --> 00:03:53,939 (peace be upon him) had foretold. 76 00:03:53,939 --> 00:03:56,939 This informs us that popular affection 77 00:03:56,939 --> 00:03:59,939 should not be relied upon nor depended upon, 78 00:03:59,939 --> 00:04:02,969 for a single stance in which the beloved figure opposes 79 00:04:02,969 --> 00:04:05,969 the public's desires 80 00:04:05,969 --> 00:04:09,030 may turn their love for him into intense hostility. 81 00:04:09,030 --> 00:04:12,030 Therefore, a believer should always maintain his focus on pleasing Allah 82 00:04:13,030 --> 00:04:16,029 and act among people in accordance with that, 83 00:04:16,029 --> 00:04:19,029 without caring much about people's approval 84 00:04:19,029 --> 00:04:22,029 or disapproval, 85 00:04:22,029 --> 00:04:25,029 for such feelings are swift to change in them. 86 00:04:25,029 --> 00:04:28,259 A few months after the killing of Urwah, Thaqif 87 00:04:28,259 --> 00:04:31,259 deliberated among themselves 88 00:04:31,259 --> 00:04:34,259 and concluded that they had no power 89 00:04:34,259 --> 00:04:37,259 to fight the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 90 00:04:37,259 --> 00:04:40,259 and the Arabs who were with him, 91 00:04:40,259 --> 00:04:43,259 even though they were a formidable and powerful tribe. 92 00:04:43,259 --> 00:04:47,379 So they sent a delegation to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), 93 00:04:47,379 --> 00:04:50,379 among whom was Uthman ibn Abi al-Aas, 94 00:04:50,379 --> 00:04:53,379 who was the youngest of the group, 95 00:04:53,379 --> 00:04:56,379 seeking to pledge allegiance and accept Islam. 96 00:04:56,379 --> 00:04:59,379 This was a wise decision on their part, 97 00:04:59,379 --> 00:05:02,379 and better for them in their worldly life and the Hereafter, 98 00:05:02,379 --> 00:05:05,379 for praiseworthy courage 99 00:05:05,379 --> 00:05:08,509 is that which is accompanied by sound judgment. 100 00:05:08,509 --> 00:05:11,509 That delegation remained in Medina, 101 00:05:11,509 --> 00:05:14,509 negotiating with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 102 00:05:14,509 --> 00:05:17,509 regarding conditions they sought to stipulate, 103 00:05:17,509 --> 00:05:20,509 including that he permit them to commit fornication, 104 00:05:20,509 --> 00:05:23,509 drink wine, and consume usury, 105 00:05:23,509 --> 00:05:26,509 that he leave them their idol al-Lat, 106 00:05:26,509 --> 00:05:29,509 exempt them from performing the prayer, 107 00:05:29,509 --> 00:05:32,540 and that they not demolish their idols with their own hands. 108 00:05:32,540 --> 00:05:35,540 But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) refused 109 00:05:35,540 --> 00:05:38,540 and accepted none of that from them, 110 00:05:38,540 --> 00:05:41,540 except that he exempted them from destroying their idols 111 00:05:41,540 --> 00:05:44,540 with their own hands. 112 00:05:44,540 --> 00:05:47,639 So he sent Abu Sufyan and al-Mughirah for that purpose. 113 00:05:47,639 --> 00:05:50,639 During the days that the delegation remained 114 00:05:50,639 --> 00:05:53,639 in Medina, Uthman ibn Abi al-Aas 115 00:05:53,639 --> 00:05:56,639 (may Allah be pleased with him) was the most eager among the delegation 116 00:05:56,639 --> 00:05:59,639 to gain understanding of the religion (fiqh) and listen to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). 117 00:05:59,639 --> 00:06:02,639 He listened extensively to the Messenger of Allah 118 00:06:02,639 --> 00:06:05,639 and memorized what he could of the Qur'an. 119 00:06:05,639 --> 00:06:08,639 When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) observed 120 00:06:08,639 --> 00:06:11,639 that deep eagerness in him, 121 00:06:11,639 --> 00:06:14,639 he appointed him as the leader in prayer for his people 122 00:06:14,639 --> 00:06:17,639 and imparted several counsels to him. 123 00:06:17,639 --> 00:06:20,740 In the course of this delegation's negotiations 124 00:06:20,740 --> 00:06:23,740 with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 125 00:06:23,740 --> 00:06:26,740 concerning those sins, 126 00:06:26,740 --> 00:06:29,740 there is a clear indication of their strong attachment to them. 127 00:06:29,740 --> 00:06:32,740 Yet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) refused to accept 128 00:06:32,740 --> 00:06:35,740 their Islam and pledge of allegiance 129 00:06:35,740 --> 00:06:38,740 except on condition of abandoning them all, 130 00:06:38,740 --> 00:06:41,740 because he wanted from them a pure Islam 131 00:06:41,740 --> 00:06:44,740 untainted by those sins, 132 00:06:44,740 --> 00:06:47,740 one with which Allah Almighty is pleased. 133 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:50,740 As for selective Islam, 134 00:06:50,740 --> 00:06:53,740 which follows personal whims and desires, 135 00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:56,740 it is not a complete Islam. 136 00:06:57,740 --> 00:07:00,740 For how can it be true Islam 137 00:07:00,740 --> 00:07:04,060 when there is no prayer in it? 138 00:07:04,060 --> 00:07:07,060 So that delegation returned to Thaqif 139 00:07:07,060 --> 00:07:10,060 after fasting the remainder of Ramadan with the Muslims, 140 00:07:10,060 --> 00:07:13,060 having pledged allegiance to Islam 141 00:07:13,060 --> 00:07:16,060 with all that Islam entails, without selecting 142 00:07:16,060 --> 00:07:19,310 among its rulings. 143 00:07:19,310 --> 00:07:22,310 When they arrived, al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah 144 00:07:22,310 --> 00:07:25,310 (may Allah be pleased with him) took a pickaxe and demolished the idol, 145 00:07:26,310 --> 00:07:29,310 then collected its wealth and jewelry. 146 00:07:29,310 --> 00:07:32,310 He then sent word to Abu Sufyan, 147 00:07:32,310 --> 00:07:35,310 saying to him that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 148 00:07:35,310 --> 00:07:38,310 had commanded them to settle 149 00:07:38,310 --> 00:07:41,310 the debts of Urwah ibn Mas'ud 150 00:07:41,310 --> 00:07:44,310 and his brother al-Aswad ibn Mas'ud, 151 00:07:44,310 --> 00:07:47,310 the father of Qarib ibn al-Aswad, 152 00:07:47,310 --> 00:07:50,379 from the wealth of the idol. 153 00:07:50,379 --> 00:07:53,379 So he settled their debts from it. 154 00:07:53,379 --> 00:07:56,379 Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded 155 00:07:56,379 --> 00:07:59,379 that 156 00:07:59,379 --> 00:08:02,379 to reconcile the heart and honor the son of al-Aswad, 157 00:08:02,379 --> 00:08:06,370 Qarib ibn al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him). 158 00:08:06,370 --> 00:08:09,620 Second: The Delegation of the Kings of Himyar. 159 00:08:09,620 --> 00:08:12,620 News had spread among all the Arabs 160 00:08:12,620 --> 00:08:15,620 of the victory of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 161 00:08:15,620 --> 00:08:18,620 over Quraysh and other tribes 162 00:08:18,620 --> 00:08:21,620 surrounding Mecca and Medina. 163 00:08:21,620 --> 00:08:24,620 In fact, the strength of the Muslims had grown to such an extent 164 00:08:24,620 --> 00:08:27,620 that they reached the point of engaging the Roman 165 00:08:27,620 --> 00:08:30,620 Empire at Mu'tah, 166 00:08:30,620 --> 00:08:33,620 and subsequently preparing to fight them at Tabuk. 167 00:08:33,620 --> 00:08:36,620 This was something that had never crossed 168 00:08:36,620 --> 00:08:39,620 the minds of the Arabs at that time. 169 00:08:39,620 --> 00:08:42,659 Among those who received these reports 170 00:08:42,659 --> 00:08:45,659 were the Arabs of Yemen in the south of the Peninsula, 171 00:08:45,659 --> 00:08:48,659 who realized then that nothing was 172 00:08:48,659 --> 00:08:51,659 better or more paramount than submission 173 00:08:51,659 --> 00:08:54,659 and responding to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). 174 00:08:54,659 --> 00:08:57,750 Thus, the kings of Himyar sent, 175 00:08:57,750 --> 00:09:00,750 in the month of Ramadan of the ninth year of the Hijrah, 176 00:09:00,750 --> 00:09:03,750 a letter to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 177 00:09:03,750 --> 00:09:06,750 informing him of their acceptance of Islam 178 00:09:06,750 --> 00:09:09,750 and their renunciation of polytheism and its adherents. 179 00:09:09,750 --> 00:09:12,750 They were al-Harith ibn Abd Kulal, 180 00:09:12,750 --> 00:09:15,750 Nu'aym ibn Abd Kulal, 181 00:09:15,750 --> 00:09:18,750 al-Nu'man, ruler of Dhu Yazan, 182 00:09:18,750 --> 00:09:21,779 Ma'afir, and Hamdan. 183 00:09:21,779 --> 00:09:24,779 They dispatched the letter with Zur'ah Dhu Yazan 184 00:09:24,779 --> 00:09:27,779 and Malik ibn Murrah al-Rahawi. 185 00:09:27,779 --> 00:09:30,779 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied to them 186 00:09:30,779 --> 00:09:33,779 with a letter praising Allah Almighty 187 00:09:33,779 --> 00:09:36,779 for their acceptance of Islam, 188 00:09:36,779 --> 00:09:39,779 in which he explained to them several Islamic rulings 189 00:09:39,779 --> 00:09:42,779 such as zakat, spoils of war, and the jizyah tax, 190 00:09:42,779 --> 00:09:45,779 and outlined the rights of the believers 191 00:09:45,779 --> 00:09:48,909 as well as those under a covenant. 192 00:09:48,909 --> 00:09:51,909 Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) dispatched 193 00:09:51,909 --> 00:09:54,909 a group of his Companions, appointing as their leader 194 00:09:54,909 --> 00:09:57,909 Mu'adh ibn Jabal, 195 00:09:57,909 --> 00:10:00,909 placing him over the upper province toward Aden, 196 00:10:00,909 --> 00:10:03,940 between al-Sukun and al-Sakasik. 197 00:10:03,940 --> 00:10:06,940 He served as a judge, a commander in times of war, 198 00:10:06,940 --> 00:10:09,940 an administrator responsible for collecting charity and the jizyah, 199 00:10:09,940 --> 00:10:12,940 He entrusted him with leading them in the five daily prayers. 200 00:10:12,940 --> 00:10:15,940 And he dispatched Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) 201 00:10:15,940 --> 00:10:18,940 over the lower region: 202 00:10:18,940 --> 00:10:21,940 Zabid, Ma'rib, Zama', and the coastal plain. 203 00:10:21,940 --> 00:10:24,940 He instructed them: "Make things easy, and do not make them difficult. 204 00:10:24,940 --> 00:10:27,940 Give glad tidings, and do not drive people away. 205 00:10:27,940 --> 00:10:30,940 Cooperate with each other, and do not differ." 206 00:10:30,940 --> 00:10:34,100 Mu'adh remained in Yemen 207 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:37,100 until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed away. 208 00:10:38,100 --> 00:10:41,100 As for Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), 209 00:10:41,100 --> 00:10:44,100 he came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) 210 00:10:44,100 --> 00:10:47,100 during the Farewell Pilgrimage. 211 00:10:47,100 --> 00:10:50,419 This noble stance by the kings of Himyar 212 00:10:50,419 --> 00:10:53,419 is a virtue among their virtues 213 00:10:53,419 --> 00:10:56,419 and a meritorious legacy among their legacies, 214 00:10:56,419 --> 00:10:59,419 for they declared their Islam 215 00:10:59,419 --> 00:11:02,419 and severed ties with polytheism and the polytheists, 216 00:11:02,419 --> 00:11:05,419 without war, stubbornness, or conditions— 217 00:11:05,419 --> 00:11:08,419 unlike what Thaqif did— 218 00:11:08,419 --> 00:11:11,419 and they facilitated the mission of the envoys of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent 219 00:11:11,419 --> 00:11:14,419 to them, including Mu'adh, Abu Musa, 220 00:11:14,419 --> 00:11:17,419 Khalid, and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them). 221 00:11:17,419 --> 00:11:21,539 And in this event 222 00:11:21,539 --> 00:11:24,539 there are lessons: First, 223 00:11:24,539 --> 00:11:27,539 the importance of exercising sound judgment and wisdom, 224 00:11:27,539 --> 00:11:30,539 prioritizing them over being deceived by mere force. 225 00:11:30,539 --> 00:11:33,700 Second, demonstrating the impact... 226 00:11:34,700 --> 00:11:37,700 Third, 227 00:11:37,700 --> 00:11:40,860 true Islam requires 228 00:11:40,860 --> 00:11:43,860 a person to accept it in its entirety, 229 00:11:43,860 --> 00:11:46,860 not to select only what accords with his desires 230 00:11:46,860 --> 00:11:49,860 while abandoning the rest. 231 00:11:49,860 --> 00:11:53,090 Fourth, 232 00:11:53,090 --> 00:11:56,090 acquiring understanding of the religion and eagerness for knowledge 233 00:11:56,090 --> 00:11:59,090 is the path to praiseworthy leadership. 234 00:11:59,090 --> 00:12:02,470 Fifth, 235 00:12:02,470 --> 00:12:05,470 the validity of sending teachers and guides 236 00:12:05,470 --> 00:12:08,470 to instruct people and grant them understanding of Allah's religion. 237 00:12:08,470 --> 00:12:13,620 Ramadan: Events and Lessons.