Part of Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (series completed)
· Lesson 50 of 58
Treasures of biography | Sheikh Othman Al-Khamis | Episode (50) | A beautiful strange story
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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Treasures of the Prophetic biography.
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The story of Abu Muhammad al-Mayurqi.
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It is a remarkable story, quite similar to this one.
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Abu Muhammad 'Abdullah al-Mayurqi relates it to us.
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"Al-Mayurqi" refers to Majorca, in Spain.
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He was formerly a Christian who embraced Islam.
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He recounted the story of his conversion,
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saying:
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"When I reached six years of age,
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my father entrusted me to a instructor among the priests.
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I read the Gospel under his tutelage,
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until I had memorized more than half of it over a period of two years.
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Then I spent six years learning the language of the Gospel and logic.
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After that, I traveled from my hometown to the city of Lleida in Catalonia,
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which was the seat of learning among the Christians.
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I took up residence in a church belonging to an elderly priest of great prestige among them,
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named Nicolau Martí.
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His standing among them in knowledge, devotion, and asceticism was exceedingly high—
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unmatched in his time by any of the adherents of Christianity.
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Inquiries regarding their religion used to pour in to him from all horizons,
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from kings and commoners alike.
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These inquiries were accompanied by numerous lavish gifts,
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as everyone sought his blessing and hoped he would accept their offerings,
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considering it an honor.
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I studied foundational theology and legal rulings under this priest,
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and I continually sought his favor through my service and by fulfilling many of his duties,
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until he made me one of his closest confidants.
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My dedicated service and closeness to him eventually reached a point
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where he handed over to me the keys to his residence,
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as well as the storerooms for his food and drink;
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all of it was placed under my management.
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He made no exception to this,
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save for the key to a small room
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inside his private residence,
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in which he used to retreat by himself.
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I remained with him, continuing my studies under his guidance and serving him as mentioned, for ten years.
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Then, one day, he was stricken with an illness,
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causing him to miss the assembly of his fellow scholars.
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The members of the assembly waited for him,
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discussing various scholarly issues among themselves,
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until their conversation led them to the word of Allah Almighty,
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delivered on the tongue of Jesus,
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that there would come after him a prophet
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named the Paraclete.
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They engaged in a debate to identify this prophet,
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asking who among the prophets he might be.
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Each of them offered an opinion according to his knowledge and understanding,
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and their debate on the matter grew intense,
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leading to lengthy arguments.
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Ultimately, they departed without reaching any definitive conclusion on the issue.
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I then went to the lodging of the master scholar who led the aforementioned lesson,
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and he asked me:
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'What was the topic of your debate today in my absence?'
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I informed him of their disagreement regarding the name Paraclete,
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telling him that so-and-so had answered with such-and-such,
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and so-and-so had answered with another view,
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detailing their responses to him.
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He said to me:
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'And how did you answer?'
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I replied:
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'I offered the answer of Judge So-and-So
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from his commentary on the Gospel.'
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He said to me:
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'You did not fall too short and came close;
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so-and-so was mistaken,
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and so-and-so was nearly correct.'
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'Abdullah al-Mayurqi continues:
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When he said to me,
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'So-and-so was mistaken,
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and so-and-so came close,
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but the truth is entirely different from all of that,
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because the interpretation of this noble knowledge
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is known only to those deeply rooted in knowledge,
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and you have attained only a small fraction of knowledge,'
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I quickly fell to his feet and kissed them,
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saying to him: 'O my master,
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you know that I traveled to you from a distant land,
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and I have been in your service for ten years,
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acquiring from you an unquantifiable amount of knowledge.
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Perhaps, out of your gracious benevolence,
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you might bestow upon me the knowledge of this name.'
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The old scholar wept and said to me:
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'O my son,
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by Allah, you are indeed very dear to me
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because of your service to me and your devotion to my company.
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In knowing this noble name
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there is immense benefit,
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but I fear for you;
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for if that knowledge becomes apparent from you,
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the Christian populace will slay you.'
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I said to him: 'O my master,
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by Allah the Almighty,
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and by the truth of the Gospel and the one who brought it,
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I shall not utter a single word of what you entrust to me
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except by your command.'
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He said to me:
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'O my son,
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when you first came to me, I asked you about your homeland,
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whether it was close to the Muslims,
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and whether they raided you or you raided them,
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in order to test the extent of your aversion to Islam.
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Know, my son,
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that the Paraclete
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is one of the names of their Prophet, Muhammad,
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unto whom was revealed the fourth scripture,
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mentioned on the tongue of Daniel, peace be upon him.'
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I said to him: 'O my master,
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what then do you say regarding the religion of these Christians?'
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He said to me:
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'O my son,
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had the Christians remained upon the original religion of Jesus,
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they would have been upon the religion of Allah.'
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He added that Jesus and all the prophets
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followed the religion of Allah,
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'but they altered it and fell into disbelief.'
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I asked him:
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'O my master,
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how can one find salvation from this predicament?'
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He replied:
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'O my son,
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by entering the religion of Islam.'
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I asked him:
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'Will one who enters it be saved?'
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He said to me: 'Yes,
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he will be saved in this world and the Hereafter.'
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So I said:
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'O my master,
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a wise person chooses for himself only the best of what he knows;
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since you know the superiority of the religion of Islam,
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what prevents you from embracing it?'
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He said to me:
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'O my son,
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Allah did not disclose to me the reality of what I have told you regarding the virtue of Islam
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and the honor of the Prophet of the Muslims
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except in my old age and after my body had grown feeble.
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Yet we have no excuse;
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rather, it remains an established proof against us.
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Had Allah guided me to this while I was your age,
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I would have abandoned everything and entered the religion of truth.
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But love of the world is the root of all sin;
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and you see the status I hold among the Christians—
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the high prestige, honor, luxury,
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and abundant worldly possessions.
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Were the slightest inclination toward the religion of Islam to appear from me,
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the common folk would kill me in the shortest time.
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Suppose I were to escape and reach the Muslims,
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and say to them:
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"I have come to you as a Muslim."
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They would say to me:
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"You have benefited only yourself by entering the religion of truth,
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so do not confer a favor upon us by embracing a religion
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through which you saved yourself from the punishment of Allah."
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I would then remain among them as a destitute old man,
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ninety years of age,
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unable to understand their language while they do not recognize my true worth,
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and I would die among them of hunger.
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Whereas I—praise be to Allah—am upon the religion of Jesus
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and upon that which he brought;
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Allah knows that of me.'
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I said to him:
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'O my master,
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do you advise me to travel to the lands of the Muslims
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and enter their religion?'
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He said to me:
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'If you are wise and seeking salvation,
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hasten to do so,
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and you will gain both this world and the Hereafter.'
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Now, regarding his statement:
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'I am, praise be to Allah, upon the religion of Jesus,'
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he was lying to himself,
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because he had also said:
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'They altered it and fell into disbelief'—
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unless he was secretly a Muslim concealing his Islam,
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affirming monotheism, disbelieving in the Trinity,
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and hiding his belief in Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Then the priest said to me:
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'However, my son,
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this matter was not witnessed by anyone else with us,
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so conceal it to the utmost of your ability.
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For if anything of it should be exposed about you,
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the common folk will slay you instantly,
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and I will be unable to benefit you.
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Nor will it benefit you to report this from me,
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for I will deny it,
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and my word will be believed against you,
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while your word will not be believed against me.'
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Thereupon, I made preparations for the journey,
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until I subsequently traveled to Tunis,
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where I entered the religion of Allah, Blessed and Exalted.
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Regarding this word, 'Paraclete',
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Ustadh 'Abd al-Wahhab al-Najjar says:
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'I sat with Dr. Carlo Nallino
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and said to him:
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"Dr.,
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what is the meaning of Paracletos?"
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He replied to me saying:
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"The priests say
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"Indeed, this word means 'the Comforter.'"
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So I said to him,
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"I am asking Dr. Carlo Nallino,
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holder of a doctorate
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in Ancient Greek literature;
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I am not asking a priest."
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So he said,
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"Its meaning is 'the one who is greatly praised.'"
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So I said to him,
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"Does that correspond to the superlative form
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derived from praise (*ḥamd*)?"
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He said, "Yes."
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I said,
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"Indeed, among the names of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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is Aḥmad."
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Thereupon he said to me,
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"My brother, you possess much knowledge!"
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and then he fell silent.
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Ibn 'Abbās said regarding the delegation of Najrān:
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The Christians of Najrān and the Jewish rabbis gathered
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before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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and began arguing with one another.
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The rabbis said,
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"Abraham was nothing but a Jew!"
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While the Christians said,
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"He was nothing but a Christian!"
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So Allah (blessed and exalted be He) revealed:
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"O People of the Book!
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Why do you argue concerning Abraham,
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“O People of the Scripture! Why will ye argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye then no sense?” (3:65)
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except after him?
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Do you not then understand?
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Here you are!
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You have argued about that of which you have knowledge;
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“Lo! ye are those who argue about that whereof ye have some knowledge: Why then argue ye concerning that whereof ye have no knowledge? Allah knoweth. Ye know not.” (3:66)
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and Allah knows,
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while you do not know.
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“Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters.” (3:67)
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nor a Christian,
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“Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters.” (3:67)
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and he was not of the polytheists.
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“Lo! those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who believe (with him); and Allah is the Protecting Guardian of the believers.” (3:68)
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are those who followed him,
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“Lo! those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who believe (with him); and Allah is the Protecting Guardian of the believers.” (3:68)
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and Allah is the Guardian of the believers."
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“Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is.” (3:59)
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“Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is.” (3:59)
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"Be!" and it is.
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“(This is) the truth from thy Lord (O Muhammad), so be not thou of those who waver.” (3:60)
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“And whoso disputeth with thee concerning him, after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, say (unto him): Come! We will summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then we will pray humbly (to our Lord) and (solemnly) invoke the curse of Allah upon those who lie.” (3:61)
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"Say: 'Come, let us call our sons
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and your sons, our women
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and your women,
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our women
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and your women,
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and ourselves
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and yourselves,
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then let us pray humbly
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and invoke solemnly,
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invoking the curse of Allah
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upon the liars.'"
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So the Prophet (peace be upon him) challenged them
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to the mutual imprecation (*mubāhalah*),
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and they initially agreed to the mutual imprecation.
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So the Prophet (peace be upon him) summoned
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'Alī, Fāṭimah,
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al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn (may Allah be pleased with them)
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to perform the mutual imprecation with them.
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But when they saw the truthfulness of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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and that he truly intended to execute the imprecation,
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they said to him,
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"Rather, send with us someone who will teach us
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this religion."
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And Sharahbīl said to his two companions,
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"You both know well
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that whenever this entire valley gathers—
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its upper part and its lower part—
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they neither issue forth nor decide
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except upon my counsel.
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And by Allah, I foresee
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a momentous matter approaching!
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By Allah, if this man is
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a king who has been dispatched,
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then we would be the first of the Arabs to defy him to his face
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and reject his authority,
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and his resentment will never leave his chest
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nor the chests of his people
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until he afflicts us with a devastating calamity,
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especially since I am the closest of the Arabs to them in neighborly proximity.
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On the other hand, if this man is—"
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Then the man said: "—a messenger sent as a prophet,
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and we invoke curses upon him,
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then there will not remain upon the face of the earth
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a single hair or fingernail of ours
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but that it will perish!"
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His two companions said to him,
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"So what is your opinion?
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Matters have become critical,
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so give us your counsel."
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He said, "My counsel
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is that I appoint him as arbiter over me;
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for I see a man who would never judge
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unjustly or tyrannically."
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They said to him, "The choice is yours."
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So he met the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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and said,
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"I have seen a better course
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than engaging in mutual imprecation with you."
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He asked, "And what is that?"
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He replied, "Your judgment today until nightfall,
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and your night until morning;
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whatever you decree concerning us,
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it shall be binding and permissible."
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
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"Perhaps behind you
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is someone who will criticize or overrule you?"
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He said,
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"Ask my two companions."
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So he asked them both,
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and they replied,
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"The valley neither issues forth nor decides
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except upon the counsel of Sharahbīl."
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Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
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"A disbeliever,
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yet granted divine accord (*muwaffaq*)."
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So the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned
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and did not perform the mutual imprecation with them.
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He wrote a lengthy decree for them
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and then sent
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Abū 'Ubaydah 'Āmir Ibn al-Jarrāḥ
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to instruct them in the religion of Allah
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(blessed and exalted be He).
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He had previously said to them,
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"I will surely send with you
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a trustworthy man, truly trustworthy."
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So he sent Abū 'Ubaydah
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and said, "This is the trustworthy man of
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this Ummah."
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*Treasures of the Seerah*
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The Delegation of the Tribe of
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Sa'd Ibn Bakr
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On the authority of Ibn 'Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father),
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who said: The tribe
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of Sa'd Ibn Bakr sent
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Ḍimām Ibn Tha'labah
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as an envoy to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
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So he came to him,
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made his camel kneel
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at the gate of the mosque, hobbled it,
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and then entered
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upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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while he was in the mosque sitting among
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his Companions.
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He said, "Which of you is
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the son of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib?"
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—And this was characteristic of the Bedouins' roughness.
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So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied,
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"I am
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the son of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib."
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He asked, "Muḥammad?"
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He said, "Yes."
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He said,
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"O son of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib!
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I am going to ask you and be stern with you
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in my questioning,
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so take no offense in your heart."
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He (peace be upon him) said,
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"I shall take no offense in my heart;
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ask whatever seems fit to you."
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So he said,
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"I adjure you by Allah, your God,
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the God of your family,
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the God of those before you,
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and the God of those who will come after you:
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Has Allah sent you
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to us as a messenger?"
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He said,
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"O Allah, yes!"
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He said,
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"I adjure you by Allah, your God,
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the God of your family,
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the God of those before you,
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and the God of those who will come after you:
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Has Allah commanded you
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that we worship Him alone and not associate
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anything with Him,
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and that we cast off these idols
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that our forefathers used to worship?"
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He (peace be upon him) said,
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"O Allah, yes!"
17:16
Then he proceeded to mention
17:18
the obligatory duties of Islam, one obligation
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after another:
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prayer, zakat, Hajj,
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and fasting,
17:26
asking him about each in this manner.
17:28
Then he said,
17:30
"I bear witness that there is no god
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except Allah,
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and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant
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and His Messenger;
17:38
and I shall fulfill these obligations,
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abstain from what you have forbidden me,
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and add nothing nor diminish anything."
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Then he turned away toward his camel.
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Thereupon
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the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
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"If the man with the two braids speaks the truth,
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he will enter Paradise."
17:54
In another narration,
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this man said,
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"By Allah, I will not add anything to these,
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nor will I subtract anything from them."
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Thereupon, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
18:04
"By Allah, he will succeed if he is truthful."
18:06
Then Dhimam
18:08
returned to his people,
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and they gathered around him.
18:12
The very first thing he uttered was:
18:14
"Wretched are al-Lat and al-'Uzza!"
18:16
They exclaimed,
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"Hold your tongue, O Dhimam!
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Beware of vitiligo, madness, and leprosy!"
18:22
He replied,
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"Woe to you! Indeed, they
18:26
can neither harm nor benefit anyone!
18:28
Allah has truly sent a Messenger
18:30
and revealed a Book to him,
18:32
delivering you through it
18:34
from the state you were in.
18:36
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
18:38
and that Muhammad
18:40
is His servant and His Messenger.
18:42
I have come to you from him
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with what he has commanded you to do
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and what he has forbidden you from."
18:48
By Allah, before the evening of that very day arrived,
18:50
not a single man
18:52
or woman in his settlement remained except that they had embraced Islam.
18:54
This is among the blessings
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that some individuals bring to their people:
18:58
they embrace Islam through the virtue of
19:00
their preaching to them,
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or their people's love for them,
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or their sincere counsel to them,
19:06
or other such reasons.
19:18
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) departed
19:20
from al-Ji'ranah,
19:22
he dispatched several expeditions.
19:24
He prepared an expedition
19:26
and placed Qays ibn Sa'd
19:28
ibn 'Ubadah in command of it,
19:30
binding a white banner for him,
19:32
handing him a black flag,
19:34
and assembling under his command
19:36
four hundred of the Muslims.
19:38
The Prophet
19:40
(peace be upon him) ordered him
19:42
to march into an area of Yemen
19:44
inhabited by Suda',
19:46
a clan of Kahlan
19:48
from Qahtan.
19:50
Then a man from them
19:52
came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
19:54
named Ziyad
19:56
ibn al-Harith,
19:58
who had learned that the army was going to raid his people.
20:00
He said to the Messenger of Allah
20:02
(peace be upon him):
20:04
"O Messenger of Allah,
20:06
I have come to you as an envoy
20:08
representing those I left behind.
20:10
So call back the army,
20:12
and I guarantee you my people."
20:14
Thus the Messenger (peace be upon him) recalled
20:16
Qays ibn Sa'd,
20:18
and the man of Suda' returned to his people.
20:20
Afterwards, there came to the Messenger of Allah
20:22
(peace be upon him)
20:24
fifteen men from them.
20:26
Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah said,
20:28
"O Messenger of Allah,
20:30
let them stay with me."
20:32
So they stayed with him,
20:34
and he welcomed them, honored them,
20:36
and provided them with clothes.
20:38
He then brought them to the Messenger of Allah
20:40
(peace be upon him),
20:42
and they pledged allegiance to him upon Islam.
20:44
They said,
20:46
"We guarantee for you those who are behind us
20:48
among our people."
20:50
They then returned to their people,
20:52
and Islam spread among them,
20:54
so much so that there joined the Messenger (peace be upon him)
20:56
from them
20:58
one hundred men during the Farewell Pilgrimage.
21:00
There were also other delegations
21:02
that arrived to meet the Messenger
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(peace be upon him),
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but what we have mentioned
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regarding these delegations is sufficient.
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Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).