Prejudice could not prevent them from knowing the truth when they saw it

Prejudice could not prevent them from knowing the truth when they saw it

1985 10 October 5 Prejudice could not prevent them from knowing the truth when they saw it (294) A few years before the emigration of Muslims from Mecca to Medina, when the message of Islam was just reaching Medina, the Prophet sent Mus’ab ibn Umair to that city in 621. He quietly communicated to its people the message of Islam and recited the Quran to them. Sa’ad ibn Mu’az who was chief of the Medinan tribe of Banu Abdul Ashhal, was considerably disconcerted when he heard about Mus’ab’s activities. One day he took a spear and went out in search of him. He found him near a well outside the city, talking to a gathering about Islam. Sa’ad ibn Mu’az approached and spoke to them angrily, saying: “Who has brought this stranger here to send us poor people astray. Do you want to bring something we deplore into our homes? I don’t want to see you people gathered here again.” Asad ibn Zurara who belonged to his tribe, had accepted Islam and spoke up. “Cousin,” he said, “hear what he has to say. If it’s unreasonable, reject it, and if it’s reasonable, accept it.” Sa’ad ibn Mu’az mellowed somewhat at these words, and asked what it was that Mus’ab was talking about. In reply Mus’ab recited to him the first few verses of Surah Zukhruf. On hearing the Quran, Sa’ad’s anger was quelled, and he began thinking along entirely different lines. In a few days he himself accepted Islam, and started preaching to the Banu Abdul Ashhal tribe. This is how he addressed his tribes’ people: “If anyone, old or young, man or woman, has any doubt in this matter, he or she should produce something we can consider better guidance, and we will accept it. But, by God, something has come our way before which we can only bow our heads.