We mentioned that the Prophet PBUH and the Quraysh had a back-and-forth until finally, the Prophet PBUH decided to send Umar RA. And he most likely chose him because of his very strong physical presence, he was intimidating, and he had the courage to walk into Makkah. But Umar said, as we mentioned, "Ya Rasulullah, I fear that the Quraysh might not accept me, as my animosity is well known, and I don't have anyone from the tribe of Bani Adi to protect me. If you wish, I will go, but if you wish, send someone more noble than I, that is Uthman ibn Affan."
The Fiqh of Umar al-Khattab RA
This shows us the true fiqh of Umar RA. There is no one more fearless than Umar — this is very well known; his entire life demonstrates how immensely brave he is. Had it been an issue of bravery, he would be at the front, "Let me go. So what whatever happens." But he is looking at the bigger picture: He is worried his animosity with the Quraysh will cause the Quraysh not to have a solid treaty with the Muslims. They know who he is, they know what he has done at Badr, Uhud, etc. So he is saying, "They might even kill me, so the purpose of sending me will be pointless. So send someone they genuinely look up to, and that is Uthman ibn Affan." And the main point about Uthman is that he is the great-grandson of Umayyah; and the Banu Umayyah have people of power still alive in Makkah, and that is Abu Sufyan.
So the Prophet PBUH agreed and sent Uthman ibn Affan RA.
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Uthman ibn Affan RA Enters Makkah
As Uthman entered Makkah, there were protectors blocking the roads to Makkah. When he came in, he crossed a road called Baldah (بلدح), and the group there stopped him, mocked him, and told him to go back, "You have no hope of getting into Makkah. We are not going to negotiate with you; there is no room for negotiation." So he was about to go back, but in that group, there was his own cousin Aban ibn Sa'id ibn al-As ibn Umayyah (أبان بن سعيد بن العاص بن أميّة). Uthman was Uthman ibn Affan ibn al-As ibn Umayyah (عثمان بن عفان بن العاص بن أميّة), thus they were first cousins. When Aban saw how the people were treating his own cousin, he got off his horse, took it to Uthman, and said, "You ride, and I will protect you in Makkah." And these were the ways the jahili Arabs gave 'visas.' You needed someone to say *they* would be your protectors; you needed someone to say, "You are under my aman (أمان - protection)." And this is what Aban did for Uthman. Then he led him into Makkah and took him to meet the leaders of the Quraysh.
Uthman met with Abu Sufyan and the other leaders. (And remember, Uthman and Abu Sufyan are direct relatives from the Banu Umayyah tribe. Abu Sufyan and Affan are first cousins, which is why in the civil war [many years later] when Uthman RA was killed, Muawiyah [Abu Sufyan's son] said, "You have to avenge the death of Uthman!" Abu Sufyan and Uthman are uncle and nephew through first cousins.) But none of them allowed the Muslims to come this year. Each one of them said the exact same phrase, "Let not the Arabs say that we were forced to let them (the Muslims) in."
Also, the Prophet PBUH told Uthman that if he is able to get into Makkah, he should meet all the Muslim converts who are in dire situations and trapped, and tell them that Allah is aware of their situation, and He will make a way out for them soon. So Uthman met these Muslims who were in chains and persecuted. This shows us there was a group of Muslims still trapped in Makkah, not out of personal choice, but by force of torture and persecution.
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It Took Much Longer Than Expected
So in the whole negotiations, it took much longer than expected —we can imagine it took multiple hours, even the better part of a whole day, and that is way beyond what anyone was expecting— and no news was coming out. So understandably, some of the sahaba got panicked. Small rumors began getting bigger and bigger, until it became almost like a solid fact. The details, we don't know; but it is self-evident: Someone must have said, "What if he's been killed?" and as it's passed along, people are saying, "Most likely he's dead," and as it passes further, it becomes, "For sure he is dead," until finally, there was this dread amongst the Muslims: "He must have been killed. Surely, if he were alive, he would have come back by now." When the rumor spread to the Prophet PBUH, he said, "We will not leave until we exact revenge upon them and fight them."
But look at the circumstances: The Muslims and their animals are tired, hungry, and thirsty, whereas the Quraysh are fresh and well-rested in their houses with an unlimited supply of food and water. Additionally, they are 3x greater in number. The Muslims, everything is limited and running out. Most importantly, they weren't prepared for battle. They had no war preparations. This was only an Umrah trip.
So when the Prophet PBUH is calling them for a battle, this really is almost certain death. You are outnumbered and outflanked. There's no chance to win. And this is why the Bay'at al-Ridwan is so important in our religion that Allah and His Messenger have both praised it immensely:
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Bay'at al-Ridwan
A crier was sent out to all the Muslims, saying, "Jibril AS has come down to the Prophet PBUH, and he is calling you to give allegiance to him!" Of course, Allah knows full well that Uthman is perfectly fine; this was a test for the believers to see if they would give their oath to the Prophet PBUH. The pledge was: to fight the Quraysh and not turn back. And this oath was eventually called the Bay'at al-Ridwan (بيعة الرضوان). "Ridwan" means pleasure. Why is it called the Pledge of Pleasure? Because Allah revealed in Surah al-Fath verse 18:
The Prophet PBUH was sitting under a tree at the time, and he took an oath of allegiance from all the people, except for one hypocrite who when the call came out hid behind his camel. Some scholars say this is the same person who was the owner of the red camel [see episode 63].
لَّقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا
"Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you [O Prophet] under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down serenity upon them and rewarded them with a victory at hand" [Quran, 48:18].The Prophet PBUH was sitting under a tree at the time, and he took an oath of allegiance from all the people, except for one hypocrite who when the call came out hid behind his camel. Some scholars say this is the same person who was the owner of the red camel [see episode 63].
When all of the sahaba had finished giving the bay'ah, the Prophet PBUH —in front of everyone— took his left hand and put it in his right hand, and said, "This is for Uthman"—he PBUH took the oath on behalf of Uthman ibn Affan RA. His left hand symbolized Uthman's RA hand.
So this is the Bay'at al-Ridwan. It shows us the bravery of the sahaba: They were unarmed, defenseless, traveling, and not having proper weapons, yet they were still willing to fight people who were fully rested, healthy, firm, and 3x their number. And that is why the people who swore allegiance to the Prophet PBUH on Bay'at al-Ridwan are given a status that is second only to Badr (as a whole group). Subhan'Allah. (Side note: Of course, above Badr are individuals, i.e., the 10 Promised Jannah. But generally, as a group, Badr is at the top. And the sahaba of Bay'at al-Ridwan are right below them.) There are many ayat and ahadith to show this; and there are many references in Surah al-Fath: Allah mentions in the Quran [48:18], "Allah is pleased with them," and, "Allah knows what was in their hearts"—this is the highest testification that none of them were cowards. Allah knew their hearts were ready to fight for His sake, "So He revealed the sakina," i.e., "serenity/peace" — and He says, "Allah's Hand is over their hand" [48:10]. Subhan'Allah. Allah is saying His own Hand was above their hands when they held the hand of the Prophet PBUH with both of their hands to take the oath. What a praise for these sahaba. What a praise and blessing; and what a great honor they had. They took the oath of allegiance from the Prophet PBUH, and Allah's Hand was above theirs too.
Then the Prophet PBUH said to them, "You are the best people on earth." And in one hadith, he said after he went back to Madinah, "No one who has given the Bay'at al-Ridwan shall ever enter the Fire of Hell"—and this is in Sahih Muslim. And Allah gave these people glad tidings that He will give them a victory at hand and many ghanima [see Quran, 48:18-19]—and we will learn in episode 68 that this victory refers to the Battle of Khaybar [7 AH]; the ghanima from this battle was the greatest financial income in the history of Islam to date —second only to the ghanima from the Battle of Hunayn [8 AH]— it changed the financial situation of the entire ummah. (Side note: Remember Surah al-Fath has nothing to do with the Conquest of Makkah [8 AH].)
Then the Prophet PBUH said to them, "You are the best people on earth." And in one hadith, he said after he went back to Madinah, "No one who has given the Bay'at al-Ridwan shall ever enter the Fire of Hell"—and this is in Sahih Muslim. And Allah gave these people glad tidings that He will give them a victory at hand and many ghanima [see Quran, 48:18-19]—and we will learn in episode 68 that this victory refers to the Battle of Khaybar [7 AH]; the ghanima from this battle was the greatest financial income in the history of Islam to date —second only to the ghanima from the Battle of Hunayn [8 AH]— it changed the financial situation of the entire ummah. (Side note: Remember Surah al-Fath has nothing to do with the Conquest of Makkah [8 AH].)
This shows us again a direct correlation: When you stand up for Allah, He will give you much more, in this dunya before the Next. We have seen this constantly throughout the seerah: In Badr [2 AH], Allah says He will give the Muslims one of two things —victory or caravan— and He ended up giving them both; and here as well, when these people showed sincerity, Allah SWT said, "Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you [O Prophet] under the tree" [Quran, 48:18].
Also, we see the great blessings of Uthman ibn Affan. No doubt, all the sahaba had such a great honor that they gave allegiance in the hand of the Prophet PBUH, but Uthman had an even higher honor because the Prophet PBUH represented Uthman with his own hand. Meaning, "If Uthman had been here, this is what he would have done. But since he is not here, let me stand in his place." Think about that. Here you have Rasulullah PBUH testifying for Uthman; so how can then anybody utter one word against him.
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Tangent: Sunni View on Uthman ibn Affan RA and Other Sahaba
But subhan'Allah, the bitterness against Uthman is nothing new. It goes back to the very earliest: the Khawarij criticized and even killed him. In Bukhari, it's narrated that one of the kharijites saw a large gathering around an old man in Makkah, so he asked them (the crowd), "Who is he?" They told him, "This is Abdullah ibn Umar." So he made his way through the crowd, and said to Ibn Umar, "O Ibn Umar, I have some questions to ask you." Ibn Umar said, "Go ahead, ask." The man: "I ask you by Allah, did Uthman turn his back and run away at Uhud?" (Side note: At this time, Uthman is the khalifa; and this kharijite is trying to find faults with Uthman. And eventually, he and his group will kill Uthman.) Ibn Umar responded: "You ask me by Allah, [so] I answer you. Yes, he did." The man: "Was Uthman absent at Badr?" Ibn Umar: "You ask me by Allah, I answer you. Yes, he was absent at Badr." The man: "Was he missing at Bay'at al-Ridwan?" Ibn Umar: "You ask me by Allah, I answer you. Yes, he was missing at Bay'at al-Ridwan." The man said, "Allahu'akbar!" and he turned around and walked away. Ibn Umar said, "Come back here," and then he explained, "As for your first question, yes, Uthman fled Uhud, but Allah testified in Surah Ali Imran that He has forgiven those who fled [see Quran, 3:155], so I testify he is forgiven. As for your second question, he was married to Ruqayyah bint Muhammad [who was deathly ill during Badr] and the Prophet PBUH [was the one who] commanded him to stay in Madinah —and he got a share of the ghanima— and he is considered a Badri. And as for your third question, Bay'at al-Ridwan only occurred because of Uthman. And the Prophet PBUH used his own hand to take the oath on behalf of Uthman. So go back now with all of this to your people."
This shows us the blessings of Uthman ibn Affan RA. And there are so many ahadith in which the Prophet PBUH said, "Should I not be ashamed and shy of he whom the angels are shy of?"—this is in Bukhari and Muslim. The Prophet PBUH is saying Uthman is such a humble, noble, modest, and shy person that even the angels are shy of him. Subhan'Allah.
1,400 sahaba participated in Bay'at al-Ridwan, and all of the famous sahaba are here. And this is one of the most explicit evidences, among millions of others, that we as Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah (أهل السنة والجماعة) believe that the sahaba are worthy of our ultimate respect. This is the cornerstone of Sunni Islam. What does Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah mean? It means the group who follow the sunnah and the jama'ah. And who are the jama'ah? Number one of them are the sahaba. This is what separates us from all other groups who don't respect the sahaba. Literally the Quran, sunnah, common sense, reason, logic, everything tells you that the sahaba have the highest maqam. Who passed down the Quran except the sahaba? Who passed down the sunnah except the sahaba? You would not have the knowledge of Islam were it not for the sahaba. One of the famous imams of the past said, "If you were to ask the Jews who are the most righteous people, they will say the 70 who accompanied Moses on Mount Sinai (al-Tur/الطور). If you were to ask the Christians who are the most righteous people, they will say the 12 disciples of Jesus. [Yet] if you were to ask that other group who are the worst, vilest scum of all of mankind, they will say those who accompanied the Prophet PBUH." Subhan'Allah. Wallahi, their belief doesn't even make logical sense. By common sense, Allah SWT will choose the best people to be around the Prophet PBUH.
Even if that group rejects hadith, what will they do with Surah al-Fath? Allah SWT said, "Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you [O Prophet] under the tree," [Quran, 48:18]—it's right there. How can they deny the Quran? And by the way, this verse, among others, is where we Sunnis get the term "radi-Allahu-anhu (رضي الله عنه - Allah be please with him)" from. It is derived directly from the Quran, referring to those who participated in the Pledge of Ridwan. And who participated in the Pledge? Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman (the Prophet's PBUH left hand), Ali, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, et al. — they were all there. So how can then anyone criticize them?
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The Tree Under Which the Pledge Was Taken
As for which tree it was, it's said that Jabir ibn Abdillah —who was still a young, 19 or 20 year-old man when he took the Pledge— said when he later became a blind old man, "If only I could see, I would show you exactly that tree we sat under." The tree is significant because Allah mentions it in the Quran [48:18] and the Prophet PBUH sat under it for a long time getting the bay'ah. So clearly, there is a lot of history attached to the tree.
Yet at the same time, it looks like the majority of sahaba really could not identify the tree. Why? Because all trees look the same. It's narrated in Sahih Bukhari that one of the Companions said, "When we got there [the next year], we tried to find the tree, but no two of us could agree which tree it was."
It's also narrated that within a decade or so after the death of the Prophet PBUH, the Bedouins and the new converts began venerating the tree and built a masjid in the vicinity. One of the tabi-tabi'un saw this masjid in the middle of nowhere outside of Makkah, so he asked the people, "What is this?" The people said, "This is where the Prophet PBUH gave the Bay'at al-Ridwan." So he went back to Makkah, and there was Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib (سعيد بن المسيب) (the student of Ibn Abbas who was one of the very knowledgeable leaders of the tabi'un) who said, "My father was of those who took Bay'at al-Ridwan, but he and his companions could not figure out which tree it was. Are you telling me these people know better than the sahaba?"
And it's authentically narrated in the Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq (مصنف عبد الرزاق) that Umar RA, news reached him that the Bedouins were venerating the tree —some of them were rubbing their backs on it for blessings— so he chastised them and commanded that the tree they were venerating be cut down and chopped.
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Tangent: The Issue of Venerating Places, Icons, and Objects
Umar RA chastised them and commanded that the tree they were venerating be cut down and chopped. And this leads us to the whole issue of venerating places, icons, and objects that some people believe to be sacred. We have a tension between ignorant, superstitious, emotional practices on the one side, and authentic, academic-knowledge-based Islam on the other. And this tension is here to this day. Look at the bulk of places around the world; in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, etc., and one finds the grave of a righteous person, people are doing sajdah to it, tawaf around it, and making du'a to it, e.g., "Ya Ali Madad," "Ya Abdul Qadir Gilani." Now, what is the grave of Abdul Qadir Gilani (عبد القادر الجيلاني) compared to the tree that the Prophet PBUH sat under for an entire day giving bay'ah to 1,400 people? Can anybody compare the grave of any righteous person with the very tree that is mentioned in the Quran? Yet Umar RA still commanded the tree be cut down, even if it wasn't the actual tree that the Prophet PBUH sat under. This shows us the difference between emotionalism and academic Islam. And who can accuse Umar RA of "insulting the Prophet PBUH"? In our times, if we try to advise our brothers against venerating seerah sites, this is what some of them will accuse us of. But wallahi, their veneration is not something the Prophet PBUH would approve of. Our religion is not based upon feelings; it's based upon what Allah and the Prophet PBUH told us.
This shows us as well, if we visit any site of early Islam, we go for historical reasons, not for what is called barakah (بركة - blessing) or tabarruk (تبرك - seeking blessing or divine favor through sacred or revered objects, people, or places). You go to take ibrah (عبرة - lesson) and to remember, "This is where the Battle of Badr took place," "This is where iqra' came down," etc. You are going so that the history of that area seeps into your heart. You don't take some sand or rock and think that it is holy.
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Quraysh Sends Back Uthman
The news of the Pledge of Ridwan reached Makkah, so —we don't know the details, but— most likely, the Quraysh must have panicked and expedited sending Uthman back. When Uthman came back and the Muslims heard he was coming, some of them said, "How lucky he is, he must have gone inside and done the tawaf." But to this, the Prophet PBUH said, "I don't think he will do the tawaf. How can he do it when we haven't?" Meaning the Prophet PBUH realized Uthman's adab and respect would never allow him to take advantage of being sent as an emissary to do the tawaf ahead of the other Muslims. Here, again, we have the defense of the Prophet PBUH for Uthman.
And subhan'Allah, we see here how eager the sahaba are to do tawaf and Umrah. They have been kicked out of Makkah, they haven't seen the Ka'bah for 6 years, and they are missing the tawaf so much that they are feeling jealous, "Uthman must have done it and not us." And when they saw him return, they surrounded him and said, "Have you satisfied yourself with the Ka'bah?" To which, Uthman replied, "What an evil thought you had of me. Did you think I would do tawaf while the Prophet PBUH is still here? Wallahi, if I stayed in Makkah for one year, I would not do tawaf until the Prophet PBUH did it before me." Again, it shows us the respect the sahaba and especially Uthman gave to the Prophet PBUH.
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The Quraysh Sends Official Delegations
According to al-Bayhaqi, when the news of the Pledge reached the Quraysh, they trembled with fear, and this was why they decided, "We need to negotiate," and so they sent an official delegation.
Initially, they sent someone by the name of Mikraz ibn Hafs (مكرز بن حفص). And it appears this was just a quick sending — they didn't think things through, in that Mikraz did not really have a plan or an agenda. When the Prophet PBUH saw Mikraz, he said to the sahaba that he was an evil man and that this was not going to work. When Mikraz approached, he and the Prophet PBUH began negotiating — but there were no agreements made. Mikraz was giving completely unacceptable conditions.
As the negotiation was completely stalled, in the distance, another delegation from the Quraysh came forth that was a final delegation that would solve the problems. There were 3 people in that delegation, and the main person from them was Suhayl ibn Amr (سهيل بن عمرو). When the Prophet PBUH saw Suhayl, he said to the sahaba, "Suhayl has come; Allah has made things easy for you now." Subhan'Allah. He is saying that through سهيل (Suhayl), سهل (sahl / ease and opening) will be reached.
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Tangent: The Concept of Good Omen in Islam
The Prophet PBUH said: through Suhayl, sahl will be reached. So here, we see another theological point. In one hadith, the Prophet PBUH said, "There is no such thing as superstitions and bad omens," and in another hadith, "Believing in omens is a type of shirk," and then he said, "But I like al-fa'l (الفأل - positive optimism/good omens)." So the sahaba asked, "What do you mean by al-fa'l?" He said, "A good word or a good phrase that someone hears" [Sahih Bukhari]. What does this mean? There are two conditions that if they are met, a good omen is recommended in our religion:
1. To read a positive sign or message into something; not a negative message
2. The message is linked to Allah SWT
If these two conditions are met, a good omen is recommended and is a part of our religion. Because a good omen is nothing other than being optimistic in Allah SWT. An example of such an omen that we can understand: If one of us is making du'a on a cloudy day, and after finishing, we look up and the skies have cleared and we see a beautiful rainbow; if we say, "This is a sign from Allah that my du'a will be answered," then there is nothing wrong with this, and in fact, it's good. Why? Because, shouldn't we already be thinking good thoughts of Allah SWT? So anything that boosts that optimism is mustahabb (recommended). Anything we read as a positive sign that makes our hearts brighter and happier is a good omen, and is allowed. It's okay and it's good — as we learn from the Prophet PBUH.
2. The message is linked to Allah SWT
If these two conditions are met, a good omen is recommended and is a part of our religion. Because a good omen is nothing other than being optimistic in Allah SWT. An example of such an omen that we can understand: If one of us is making du'a on a cloudy day, and after finishing, we look up and the skies have cleared and we see a beautiful rainbow; if we say, "This is a sign from Allah that my du'a will be answered," then there is nothing wrong with this, and in fact, it's good. Why? Because, shouldn't we already be thinking good thoughts of Allah SWT? So anything that boosts that optimism is mustahabb (recommended). Anything we read as a positive sign that makes our hearts brighter and happier is a good omen, and is allowed. It's okay and it's good — as we learn from the Prophet PBUH.
One of the examples from the seerah is the Prophet's PBUH reaction when Suhayl came. The word "Suhayl" comes from a root word that means "to make things easy." Thus, when Suhayl came, the Prophet PBUH said, "Suhayl (سهيل) has come; Allah has made things easy (سهل) for you." He derived a positive omen from Suhayl's name, that the matter will be made easy — and he linked it to Allah.
Whatever you read in a positive sign is allowed, e.g., "Insha'Allah, my problems will be solved," "Insha'Allah, my du'a will be answered," "Insha'Allah, my sickness will be cured." As for reading in negative signs, this is not allowed, e.g., if you are making du'a and you hear the sound of thunder, don't think it is a sign that Allah has rejected your du'a.
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Suhayl ibn Amr
Who is Suhayl ibn Amr?
He is the highest level delegate sent by the Quraysh to the Prophet PBUH during the Incident of Hudaybiyyah.
He is a high-profile member of the Quraysh, a senior politician, one of the members of the Nadi.
Recall after the Battle of Badr, the Prophet PBUH housed some prisoners of war from the elite members of the Quraysh — one of them was Suhayl. (Side note: And where in the history of humanity did a leader house prisoners in his house? Truly, this can be said only for the Prophet PBUH.) And recall when one of the wives of the Prophet PBUH saw someone as noble as Suhayl being a prisoner in her house, out of shock she slipped and said, "O Aba Yazid, you surrendered like this? Why didn't you die an honorable death than live like a prisoner?" She was so shocked because of the great status of Suhayl [see episode 41].
Suhayl was called khatib Quraysh (خطيب قريش) because he was a powerful orator and the most eloquent in the Nadi. When it came to debates and negotiations, he was the man. And this is why he is being chosen to negotiate with the Prophet PBUH at Hudaybiyyah. And also this is why after Badr, when Umar RA saw Suhayl captured, he said, "Ya Rasulullah, let me cut his tongue off so he doesn't speak against us again"—he has a long history of saying some very powerful things against Islam. But the Prophet PBUH said to Umar, "I am a prophet and we have not been commanded to mutilate people." So he PBUH forbade him; and then he PBUH said, "Perhaps one day, he (Suhayl) will say something that will please you."
We have quite a lot of Muslims in our time who have this black-and-white view that "If you aren't a Muslim, you got to be evil to the core." But this is simply wrong, as we learn from the seerah and from a human psychological point of view. Anybody who lives amongst non-Muslims knows that some non-Muslims are just as honest, upright, generous, kind, etc., as some of us are; and some of them would even die fighting for a noble cause. Anybody who lives amongst non-Muslims knows this. Only those who have no clue spout the radical black-and-white worldview. Here we have Suhayl — no doubt he is a kafir at this time, and he is an enemy against Allah and His Messenger, and he participated in Badr, Uhud, and Khandaq against the Muslims — but deep down, there was goodness in him. Umar RA did not recognize this, but the Prophet PBUH did. And Allah SWT says in the Quran, "O Prophet! Tell the captives in your custody, 'If Allah finds goodness in your hearts, He will give you better than what has been taken from you, and forgive you. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful'" [Quran, 8:70].
And indeed, Suhayl eventually converted. He converted after the Conquest of Makkah, i.e., right at the end of the seerah —thus there is no doubt his status is not to the status of the earlier converts; he is not a Muhajir; and Allah SWT tells us in the Quran that the status of those who converted before the Conquest is not the same as those who converted after [see Quran, 57:10]— but the books of history mention that out of all of the converts that converted after the Conquest, the most worship-minded of them was Suhayl, i.e, the most salah, the most fasting, the most zakat. And what happened after the death of the Prophet PBUH really shows his Iman: When the Prophet PBUH died, so many of the Makkans flirted with the idea of leaving Islam; commotions began and mobs gathered, so much so that the sahabi who was appointed by the Prophet PBUH to be the governor of Makkah, he feared for his life and went into hiding. (Side note: When the Prophet PBUH died, the people who lived in Makkah by and large were the brand new converts who converted after the Conquest. As we will see, none of the Muhajir lived in Makkah after the Conquest; they went back to Madinah.) Who was the one who calmed the mobs down? Who played the major role in bringing them back to their senses and bringing the governor out of hiding? Suhayl ibn Amr. He stood in front of the Ka'bah and gave them a fiery lecture; he warned and admonished them, "O people of Makkah! Do not be the last group to convert and the first group to renegade and apostatize." Subhan'Allah. How elegant is this speech.
It's also mentioned that when Suhayl, Abu Sufyan, et al., visited Umar RA in Madinah [during Umar's khilafa], they saw a line, and in that line were Bilal, Suhayb al-Rumi, Ibn Mas'ud, et al. — all the people that they once considered to be low. And Suhayl and Abu Sufyan had to wait in line while all of these sahaba went before them. At this, Abu Sufyan says to Suhayl, "I have never seen a day like this before. We are here and these slaves have been given precedence over us." And then look at what Suhayl says to Abu Sufyan, which shows his Iman: "I can see the anger in your face, but if you wish to be angry, then be angry at yourself. For they were called to Islam and we too were called to Islam, but they raced forward and we lagged behind. And the blessings they obtained in racing forward are far more than the honor of them entering the door of Umar before us now." In the Eyes of Allah, accepting Islam first is a much greater blessing — so Suhayl is saying, "Be jealous at THAT good that they have, rather than the honor they have of entering Umar's door." And then he said, "If you cannot catch up with them, the least you can do is to exert yourself in jihad fi sabiliLlah so that at least we can try to come close."
And Suhayl joined the army to fight the Romans in Syria, and he died a shaheed in 18 AH — again an amazing story. Out of the converts of the Conquest of Makkah, Suhayl was of the most righteous.
However, right now, Suhayl is still a bitter enemy, and the Quraysh have sent him to negotiate a treaty with the Prophet PBUH. And the Quraysh have very clearly told Suhayl: "Whatever you agree to, make sure that Muhammad does not enter Makkah this year, for let not the Arabs say that he had the better hand over us."
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The Sons of Suhayl ibn Amr
Suhayl had two sons who were Muslims; the both of them had given Suhayl and his family much 'trouble' and 'dishonor.' His elder son, Abdullah ibn Suhayl ibn Amr (عبد الله بن سهيل بن عمرو), was a secret convert — there were tensions between him and his father, so he didn't go public with his conversion as he realized it would cause big problems. Then when the Battle of Badr happens, he sees an opportunity to get to Madinah. How? In the very army he is meant to fight in: he volunteers and walks literally with the Quraysh under their noses as a part of the army, and then when they camp for the first time, he takes his horse, sneaks away, and he joins the ranks of the Muslims and fights against the Quraysh. Can you imagine the shame and criticisms Suhayl had to deal with in Makkah afterward? How embarrassed he must have been?
When Abdullah runs over to Madinah, his younger brother Abu Jandal ibn Suhayl (أبو جندل بن سهيل) also converts — and he clearly expresses irritation that he can't do the same (i.e., go to Madinah). And it is clear to Suhayl that Abu Jandal is a Muslim, his Islam is certain — so he tells his servants to lock him up in the dungeon, torture him, and deprive him of food and water. So Abu Jandal has been chained since the Battle of Badr up until now, the Incident of Hudaybiyyah — and that is 4½ solid years of being chained up.
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The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
Back to the story of the Incident of Hudaybiyyah: Suhayl comes as the official delegate of the Quraysh, and the Prophet PBUH and Suhayl agree to write a treaty. And here is when that famous story happened in which the Prophet PBUH called for a scribe — and Ali ibn Abi Talib was the scribe. Ali RA began writing down and the Prophet PBUH began dictating, "Come, let us write the sulh (صلح - compromise/treaty) between us." This shows us the assertiveness of the Prophet PBUH. He isn't a meek leader. Every time, he is the one saying something first. (Side note: This shows us, yes, Suhayl might have been the khatib of the Quraysh, but the Prophet PBUH is even more eloquent.) The Prophet PBUH said, "Let us start writing 'BismiLlah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)'" — but Suhayl said, "As for this phrase, I have never heard it, and I don't know who 'al-Rahman' is. So let us write it the way we are accustomed: 'Bismik'Allahum (بسمك اللهم).'" (Recall what the Prophet PBUH said publicly so that the Muslims understood what was at stake: "By Allah, no condition will the Quraysh ask of me which respects the signs of Allah except that I will give them that condition," i.e., all to avoid bloodshed [see episode 63].) So the Prophet PBUH agreed to write 'Bismik'Allahum' — and then, again, he took charge: "This is what Muhammad Rasulullah has agreed to with Suhayl ibn Amr" — and Ali wrote the words 'Rasulullah.' But by the time Suhayl hears this, he says, "As for you being Rasulullah (the Messenger of Allah), wallahi, if we believed this, neither would we prevent you from the Ka'bah, nor would we have fought you. Rather, write it the way your people knew you: Muhammad ibn Abdillah." The Prophet PBUH said, "Wallahi, I am [still] Rasulullah even if you deny it; so [go ahead,] write down 'Muhammad ibn Abdillah.'" But Ali RA said, "Ya Rasulullah, I am not going to delete 'Rasulullah'." So, it's said in one version, the Prophet PBUH took the parchment/leather and scrapped it out with his own hands. This shows us the humility of the Prophet PBUH, and also the Iman of Ali RA (amazingly, by disobeying the Prophet PBUH, he is honoring him). The Prophet PBUH understands Ali's dilemma, so he rubs it off himself.
Then the Prophet PBUH said, "The Quraysh will let the Muslims do Umrah"—notice again he is no coward; every time, he is the one forward. But Suhayl says, "As for this year, then no, we cannot do this. Rather, that will be for next year."
Then Suhayl put forth his conditions, "Not a single man from us renegades or defects over to you even if he be on your religion except that you will hand him back to us." (Note: Suhayl especially has been 'harmed': His son is on the other side, and his other son also wants to go to the other side. So he wants this condition because the Quraysh have lost a lot of people from defecting over to Madinah.) At this, the Muslims said, "Subhan'Allah! What an unfair condition! How can we return any one of the Muslims back to you while he has come to us and chosen us?!" — and a commotion began, and Ali RA did not write it.
Then Allah willed one of the most interesting and melodramatic episodes of the seerah took place. There is no denying this was the will of Allah, that right at this point in time, something happened that was so melodramatic —and this was a test for all of the Muslims— and that is the escaping of Abu Jandal RA:
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Abu Jandal ibn Suhayl RA
Recall Abu Jandal is still chained up. He has been chained for 4½ years, so he must have figured out long ago a way to get out — but even if he does escape, where would he go? He doesn't have a horse or camel — how would he leave Makkah? On top of that, he would be in chains and people would see him. What would he do? He has no way of getting to Madinah, so he might as well stay in his status quo. But now, he has heard for the last three or four days that the Muslims are camped outside (and he doesn't know his own father has gone to negotiate), so he finally gets out of the dungeon and flees, hoping to be protected by the Muslims.
And while the Prophet PBUH and Suhayl are discussing the very condition for 'renegades,' they hear the dangling of Abu Jandal's chains. And in the distance, they find Abu Jandal screaming out, "O Muslims! Yes! I found you guys, alhamdulillah!"—he doesn't know his own father is sitting there, nor does he know what is being discussed: The very condition being discussed is his freedom.
Suhayl turns to the Prophet PBUH and says, "This is the first one this condition will be applied on."
And with that very melodramatic Scheherazade ending, we will have to pause and come back insha'Allah ta'ala next week.
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, September 2021]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, September 2021]
