Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam

Muhammad The Prophet of Islam

1985 5 May 16-18 Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam (1133)

Part I, Chapter V (contd.)

The historian Ibn Hisham describes the beginning of the Prophet Mohammad’s mission in the following words:

“When Mohammad was about to be chosen for prophethood, it became his habit to wander far from town, out of sight of all traces of human population. There he would lose himself in the valleys and mountains of the desert surrounding Mecca.”

Abdullah Ibn Zubair says that the Prophet used to spend one month of every year in the natural surroundings of the Cave of Hira. In one poem attributed to Abu Talib, he talks about his nephew “ascending and descending to and from Hira” (Ibn Hisham),

When the Prophet was moved to seek out the reality of life, he would then leave the world of humans and take himself to the world of nature – the world of mountains and lonely sands. Thus a righteous soul seeks to leave the world of human activity for the world of divine activity. The desert terrain is ideal for this task.

In order to understand Islamic geography, the Romanian Orientalist Konstan Virgil George (B. 1916), himself traveled to Arabia. He writes in his book, The Prophet of Islam:

“Until one has spent some time in the wilds of Arabia and the Middle East, one cannot begin to understand how the vastness and tranquility of the desert expands the human intellect and fortifies the imagination. There is a great difference between European and Arabian plants. There is no plant in the arid reaches of the desert that does not exude a sweet fragrance; even the acacia trees of this land are aromatic. The desert stretches for 3,000,000 square kilometres. Here it is as though man comes into direct contact with God.

“Other countries are like buildings in which massive walls obstruct one’s view; but there is nothing blocking one’s vision of reality in the vast open reaches of Arabia. Wherever one looks, one sees endless sands and fathomless sky. Here, there is nothing to stop one from consorting with God and His angels.”

In the Period of Ignorance prior to Islam, some people of Arabia entered into a pact among themselves. Termed “Hilf-e-Fudhool”, the aim of this pact was to curb plunder and oppression. Three men were responsible for this initiative: Fadhl Ibn Fudhala, Fadhl Ibn Wada’a and Fudhail Ibn Harith. The pact was called Hilf-e-Fudhool (Pact of the Fadhals) after them – all three of them bearing similar names. It remained in force during their lifetimes, to be remembered only by their names afterwards. Zubair Ibn Abdul Muttalib has made mention of this pact in some poems:

“The Fadhals made a solemn pact That no oppressor would be able to operate in Mecca. They made a promise, and agreed among themselves, That the citizens of Mecca, and those who came from elsewhere, would be safe”. (Raudh-ul-Anf by Suhaili).

Following the attack on Mecca by Abraha’s army of elephants in the year of the birth of the Prophet, there was a civil war in Arabia. This war was called “Harb-ul-Fujar” (War of Sinners), for it was fought during the Sacred Months when fighting was prohibited. It was during this period that a member of the Yemenese Zubaid tribe brought some merchandise to Mecca. A Quraishi chieftain, Aas Ibn Wa’il Sahmi, bought the goods but did not pay the required price. The Yemenese pleaded his case before the Meccan public in an eloquent and heart-rending manner; and soon his plight became well-known. Some sympathizers of the Banu Hashim and Banu Tameem, aroused by this incident, gathered in the house of Abdullah Ibn Jud’aan, under the auspices of Zubair Ibn Abdul Muttalib, to discuss the matter. They decided to revive the Hilf-e-Fudhool and vowed among themselves to take the side of the wronged person and ensure that he was paid his rightful due. Some people then went to Aas Ibn Wa’il, took the merchandise from him, and returned it to the owner.

This pact was made at the beginning of the Prophet’s life. Though contracted by the Arabs before Islam, it met with his approval. “I myself was present in the house of Abdullah Ibn Jud'aan when the contract was made,” he once said. “Even after the advent of Islam, if I had been invited to be present on such an occasion, I would have accepted. They vowed to ensure that every person should be paid his rightful due, and that no tyrant should have the upper hand over the weak” (Seerat Ibn Kathir).

Ibn Hisham has recorded some incidents in this connection which show that latter-day Arabs continued to be influenced by the Hilf-e-Fudhool. Waleed Ibn Utba was Amir Muawiya’s nephew. When the latter became Commander of the Faithful, (41 AH), Waleed was placed in charge of Medina. During this period he had a dispute with Husain Ibn Ali over some land in a village by the name of Dhul-Marwa. When Waleed attempted to occupy the land by force, Husain reacted with these words:

“By God, either you will do me justice or I will take my sword, stand up in the Prophet's mosque, and invoke the Hilf-e-Fudhool.”

Abdullah Ibn Zubair was present at the time, and echoed Husain’s words. “I also swear by God,” he said, “that if Husain has recourse to Hilf-e-Fudhool then I will take up my sword in his defence. Either Husain will be given his rightful due, or we will both give our lives.” Miswar Ibn Makhrama Zuhri, and Abdullah Ibn Uthman Tayimi after him, heard about the matter and made the same resolve. When Waleed Ibn Utba was informed, he handed over Husain’s rightful share of the land (Seerat Ibn Hisham, Vol. l, p 146).

These events show that the Islamic method of countering discord and victimization in society is one based on Hilf-e-Fudhool. Responsible people in society should commit themselves to take immediate action when one person wrongs another. They should take the side of the oppressed, exerting all their power to compel miscreants to cease persecuting others and right their wrongs.

Muslim society is in particular need of such an arrangement today. Cases of the powerful oppressing the weak, the rich exploiting the poor, the resourceful victimizing the helpless, are commonplace. People see all this and remain indifferent to the plight of persecuted sections of the community. Responsible people in society show no interest in settling individual cases of injustice. They are only too willing to make speeches and hold rallies to promote their image as servants of the people and apostles of peace and harmony; but if they were really working for peace, harmony and justice, they would not just talk about it: they would take positive steps to assist those who had been wronged. If a person is injured, one rushes him to hospital; one does not hold a “help the injured” conference.