Part of Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (series completed)
· Lesson 10 of 58
Treasures of biography | Sheikh Othman Al-Khamis | Episode (10) | Hamza and Omar, may God be pleased with them, converted to Islam
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Transcript
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Treasures of the Seerah.
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The Conversion of Hamzah and 'Umar,
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May Allah be pleased with them both.
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Divine victory came from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, through the conversion of two men.
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As for the first,
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he was Hamzah,
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the paternal uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
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and his foster brother,
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for Thuwaybah, the freed slave of Abu Lahab, had breastfed them both.
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The reason for his conversion
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was that Abu Jahl, the enemy of Allah,
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passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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while he was near al-Safa,
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and he abused and insulted him,
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while the Messenger of Allah
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remained silent and did not speak to him.
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Then Abu Jahl stood up,
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picked up a stone,
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and struck the Prophet's head with it,
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fracturing his skull so severely that blood poured forth.
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He then walked away to the assembly of Quraysh
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and sat with them.
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A freed bondwoman belonging to 'Abdullah ibn Jud'an had witnessed that.
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So when Hamzah returned from hunting, carrying his bow slung over his shoulder,
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this bondwoman approached him
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and told him what she had seen,
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and what Abu Jahl had done
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to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
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Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) was filled with rage;
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he was a formidable man,
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in the prime of his youth,
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and among the bravest of Quraysh at that time,
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and Muhammad was his nephew.
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So he set out swiftly
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until he reached Abu Jahl.
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Upon entering,
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he stood towering over his head and said to him:
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"Do you dare revile my nephew when I follow his religion?!"
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He then cursed him and struck him with his bow,
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inflicting a terrible, hideous gash on his face.
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Men from the Banu Makhzum—Abu Jahl’s clan—rose in anger,
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and men from Banu Hashim rose in defense of Hamzah,
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until it was on the verge of turning into
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an all-out battle between the two clans.
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But Abu Jahl intervened, saying:
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"Leave Abu 'Umarah alone,
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for indeed, I reviled his nephew
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most abhorrently."
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Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) recounted:
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"When I left,
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I began to reflect upon the matter,
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and I said to myself:
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'How could I say, "I follow his religion,"
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when I have not yet embraced Islam?!'"
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But it was not long before Allah,
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the Blessed and Exalted, opened his heart to Islam.
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So he went to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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and said:
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"O son of my brother,
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I have said such-and-such,
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so what should I do?"
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Thereupon, the Prophet prayed for him
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that Allah would open his heart to Islam,
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and Allah, Exalted and Majestic, expanded his chest, and he embraced Islam.
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His conversion was a great victory for the believers.
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The second victory
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was 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.
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For it has been authentically established
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that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
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"O Allah, strengthen Islam
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with whichever of these two men is more beloved to You:
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with Abu Jahl or with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab."
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And the more beloved of the two to Him was 'Umar.
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There are multiple narrations regarding the story of his conversion,
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but the one closest to authenticity
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is that 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
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"I went out to intercept the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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before I embraced Islam,
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and I found that he had preceded me to the mosque.
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So I stood behind him,
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and he began reciting Surah al-Haqqah.
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The Prophet went on reciting,
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and I listened, captivated by its exquisite composition.
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I said to myself:
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'By Allah, he is a poet, just as Quraysh say!'
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Then he recited:
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'That this is indeed the word of an honored messenger,
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“It is not poet's speech - little is it that ye believe!” (69:41)
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Little do you believe!'
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Then I said to myself: 'A soothsayer!'
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Whereupon he recited:
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'Nor is it the word of a soothsayer;
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Little do you take heed!
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It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.'
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At that moment, Islam penetrated my heart."
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When 'Umar embraced Islam,
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he approached a man known as Jamil ibn Ma'mar,
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who was notorious for spreading talk,
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unable to keep any secret.
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'Umar said to him:
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"I wish to tell you something."
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He asked: "And what is that?"
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'Umar replied:
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"I have embraced Islam."
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The man immediately jumped up
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and shouted at the top of his voice:
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"Ibn al-Khattab has apostatized!"
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while 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was chasing behind him, saying:
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"He lies!
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Rather, I have embraced Islam!"
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The people rushed at 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),
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beating him while he fought back against them,
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and this continued until the sun rose high in the sky.
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Some narrations even mention
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that they beat him until he fell unconscious from the severity of their blows.
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On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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"We were never able to pray at the Ka'bah
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until 'Umar embraced Islam."
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He also said:
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"We have never ceased to enjoy honor and dignity ever since 'Umar embraced Islam."
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Treasures of the Seerah:
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The Testimony of Enemies.
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Al-Akhnas ibn Shariq went to visit Abu Jahl
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and said to him:
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"I am going to ask you something, so be truthful with me,
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for there is no one here to overhear us."
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Abu Jahl replied:
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"Ask whatever you wish."
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He asked:
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"Is Muhammad truthful, or is he a liar?"
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Abu Jahl said:
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"Woe to you!
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By Allah, Muhammad is indeed truthful,
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and Muhammad has never lied in his entire life!
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But if Banu Qusayy claim both the providing of water, the feeding of pilgrims, and now prophethood,
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what then remains for the rest of Quraysh?
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We and the clan of Banu 'Abd Manaf have always rivaled one another for nobility:
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they fed others, so we fed others;
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they gave generously, so we gave generously;
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they bore debts and burdens, so we bore debts and burdens;
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until, when our knees met side by side
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and we ran neck and neck like racehorses,
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they declared: 'A prophet has arisen from among us!'
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How could we ever match that?!
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No, by Allah, we will never believe in him!"
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It is truly as the saying goes:
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"True pride is that to which even enemies bear witness."
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Treasures of the Seerah:
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'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah Attempts to Negotiate with the Prophet.
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'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah was sitting in the assembly of Quraysh,
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while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was sitting alone in the mosque.
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'Utbah said:
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"O assembly of Quraysh!
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Shall I not go to Muhammad and speak with him,
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presenting certain offers to him so that he might accept some of them,
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so that we may give him whatever he desires, and he will cease bothering us?"
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They replied:
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"Certainly, O Abu al-Walid!
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Go to him and speak with him."
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So 'Utbah rose and went to him,
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sat down beside him, and said:
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"O son of my brother,
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you know well the esteemed standing you hold among us,
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yet you have brought a momentous, divisive matter to your people:
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with it, you have shattered their unity,
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insulted their intellect,
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disparaged their deities and their religion,
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and declared their deceased ancestors to be disbelievers.
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So listen to me while I present some proposals to you;
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consider them, so that you may perhaps accept some of them."
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
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"O Abu al-Walid,
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speak, and I will listen."
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He said:
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"O son of my brother,
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if what you seek by this enterprise is wealth,
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we will gather so much of our wealth for you
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that you will become the wealthiest among us.
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If you seek prestige and nobility,
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we will make you our chieftain, deciding no matter without your consent.
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If you seek royal dominion,
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we will crown you king over us.
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And if what comes to you is a spirit possession or vision that you perceive,
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which you cannot repel from yourself,
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we will seek medical treatment for you
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and spend our fortunes until we have you cured;
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for sometimes a spirit overpowers a person until he is treated."
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He continued speaking while the Prophet remained silently listening.
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When he finished,
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the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him:
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"Have you finished, O Abu al-Walid?"
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He said: "Yes."
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He said: "Then listen to me."
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He said: "I will."
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Then the Prophet recited:
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"Ha, Meem.
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“A revelation from the Beneficent, the Merciful,” (41:2)
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“A Scripture whereof the verses are expounded, a Lecture in Arabic for people who have knowledge,” (41:3)
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A bringer of good tidings and a warner...
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“Good tidings and a warning. But most of them turn away so that they hear not.” (41:4)
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“And they say: Our hearts are protected from that unto which thou (O Muhammad) callest us, and in our ears there is a deafness, and between us and thee there is a veil. Act, then. Lo! we also shall be acting.” (41:5)
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“And they say: Our hearts are protected from that unto which thou (O Muhammad) callest us, and in our ears there is a deafness, and between us and thee there is a veil. Act, then. Lo! we also shall be acting.” (41:5)
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So work; indeed, we are working."
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When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, reached
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the place of prostration in Surah Fussilat,
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“But if they are too proud - still those who are with thy Lord glorify Him night and day, and tire not.” (41:38)
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"and they do not grow weary,"
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he prostrated, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Then he raised his head and said,
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"You have heard, O Abu al-Walid, what you have heard."
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"So, it is up to you."
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, never spoke any human speech thereafter,
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but rather recited to him the words of the Lord of all mankind, glory be to Him and Exalted.
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In some narrations,
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it is mentioned that when the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, reached [that point],
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“But if they turn away, then say: I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt (which fell of old upon the tribes) of A'ad and Thamud;” (41:13)
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'Utbah stood up and placed his hand over the mouth of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and said, "I adjure you by Allah and by our kinship!"
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Meaning: "Do not do this."
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"Do not call upon Allah against us to send down a thunderbolt upon us."
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Then 'Utbah went to his companions,
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and they said to one another as they saw him approaching,
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"We swear by Allah, Abu al-Walid has returned to you with a face different from the one he left with."
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When he sat with them, they asked,
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"What news do you bring, O Abu al-Walid?"
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He said,
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"I have heard speech, and by Allah, I have never heard anything like it before."
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"By Allah, it is neither poetry, nor sorcery, nor divination."
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"O assembly of Quraysh,"
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"obey me and follow my advice in this matter,"
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"and leave this man alone to his affairs."
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"Stay away from him."
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"For by Allah, this speech I have heard from him will have a momentous outcome."
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"If the Arabs overcome him,"
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"then you have been spared by others."
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"But if he prevails over the Arabs,"
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"then his kingdom is your kingdom,"
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"and his honor is your honor,"
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"and you will be the happiest of people because of him."
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They replied,
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"By Allah, O Abu al-Walid, he has bewitched you with his tongue."
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He said,
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"This is my opinion; do as you see fit."
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Treasures of the Prophetic biography (Seerah)
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The Boycott
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After 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah left the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and said what he said,
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Quraysh saw that there must be a solution to this problem they were facing.
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They decided upon a total boycott of the Banu Hashim.
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They gathered and formed an alliance against the Banu Hashim,
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and agreed
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not to intermarry with them,
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not to trade with them,
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not to sit with them,
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and not to speak to them.
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They wrote a document containing covenants and pledges
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that they would never accept any reconciliation from the Banu Hashim,
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and that no pity would move them,
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until they handed over the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for them to kill him.
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This pact was finalized,
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and the document was hung inside the Ka'bah.
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The Muslims and the Banu Hashim—both the believers and the disbelievers among them—withdrew,
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as did the Banu al-Muttalib—both the believers and the disbelievers among them—
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to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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except for Abu Lahab,
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the uncle of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and some of the Banu al-Muttalib.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and those with him went out to a valley known as the Shi'b of Abu Talib.
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This boycott lasted for three years.
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The siege intensified upon the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and those with him,
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until they suffered great hardship,
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and were driven to eating leaves and leather.
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The strange thing about this boycott is
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that the disbelievers of the Banu Hashim and the disbelievers of the Banu al-Muttalib
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went out with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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This shows us that tribal loyalty among the Arabs was strong and influential.
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If someone were to ask,
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"The Banu Hashim went out with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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because they are his cousins,"
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"then what about the Banu al-Muttalib?"
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"And why did the Banu 'Abd Shams and the Banu Nawfal not go out?"
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"Even though 'Abd Shams, Nawfal, Hashim, and al-Muttalib"
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"were all brothers,"
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"their father being 'Abd Manaf."
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The answer is that the bond between the Banu al-Muttalib and the Banu Hashim
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was stronger than the bond between the Banu Hashim and the Banu 'Abd Shams or the Banu Nawfal,
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and likewise stronger than the bond between the Banu al-Muttalib and 'Abd Shams or Nawfal.
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This was a long-standing relationship.
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For Jubayr ibn Mut'im said:
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"On the day of Khaybar,"
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"the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, allocated the share of the near of kin to the Banu Hashim and the Banu al-Muttalib,"
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"and left out the Banu Nawfal and the Banu 'Abd Shams."
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"So 'Uthman ibn 'Affan and I went to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,"
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"and said, 'O Messenger of Allah,'"
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"'these are the Banu Hashim,'"
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"'we do not deny their merit due to the position Allah has placed you among them,'"
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"'but what of our brothers from the Banu al-Muttalib?'"
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"'You gave to them and left us out, even though our kinship is the same.'"
15:58
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied,
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"'We have never been separated, neither in the Jahiliyyah nor in Islam.'"
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"'We and they are one and the same.'"
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And he interlaced his fingers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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The Arabs in the Jahiliyyah before Islam,
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and even before the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
16:21
used to call Hashim and al-Muttalib 'the two full moons.'
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And they called 'Abd Shams and Nawfal 'the two bright ones.'
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During these three years, Abu Talib
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feared for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he might be assassinated.
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So the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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whenever he wanted to sleep,
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Abu Talib would let him sleep for a while,
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then wake him up and change his place,
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so that someone else would sleep in his spot.