‘GREATER PUNISHMENT’

‘GREATER PUNISHMENT’ mind. Instead, he found himself in a state of uncertainty, doubting his faith. In the case of Abdullah bin al-Ziba’ra as well, the Prophet did not offer a reward for his capture or instruct his Companions to kill him wherever he was found. On the contrary, efforts were made by the Muslims to awaken his dormant conscience. One incident mentioned in the books is when the Muslim poet Hassan bin Thabit Al-Ansari composed poems to stir his conscience. These poems were sent to Abdullah bin al-Ziba’ra. One couplet stated, “You should not lose someone like the Messenger; your hatred for him has taken you to a far-off place like Najran, where you are isolated and living a dishonourable life.” This couplet struck Abdullah bin al-Ziba’ra’s conscience like an arrow. Subsequently, he left Najran and returned to Madinah, where he accepted Islam under the guidance of the Prophet. (Ibn S’ad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 1, p. 391) After embracing Islam, he openly acknowledged his past mistakes through his poetry. Previously, he had mocked the Prophet, but now he composed poems praising the Prophet and his message. Some of his poems are recorded in Ibn Hisham’s book (Al-Sirah, Vol. 2, p. 418). The conscience lies dormant within every human being. Our primary task is to awaken the conscience, as the early believers did. If killing someone is an act of revenge, then awakening a person’s conscience is an act of goodwill. Undoubtedly, the act of goodwill is far superior to the act of vengeance.