Chapter 42 : The Battle of Uhud I - Prelude Flashcards
Expedition of Qarqarat Al Kudr
- One Week after the return of The Prophet and The Muslims from The Battle of Badr, they heard that Banu Saleem and Banu Ghatafan Tribes [ Pagan Desert Dwelling Tribes ] had camped in order to prepare for an attack on Madinah
- They wanted to take revenge on The Muslims because their business had been cut off [ As an Indirect Result of The Battle of Badr ] as The Caravan of Quraysh now has to divert its route as they now recognized the power of The Muslims and no longer felt safe in their original route
- Together with an army whose Flag Bearer was Imam Ali, The Prophet advanced towards the invading Tribes
- The armies of The Two Tribes had fled the area before The Muslim Army arrived
- They retreated despite the fact that they were greater in number and even left all their Tents, Belongings and Animals [ They fled in a state of Sheer Panic ]
- The Prophet sent A number of agents to collect information about the enemy’s status
- They only found A number of Camel Herders and Shepherds including A teenage boy called Yasar
- As per the suggestions of some of the companions, Yasar was given to The Prophet as a Slave
- He emancipated [ Freeing A Slave ] Yasar after a while
- After Seizing The Camels and Sheep of The Two Tribes, The Prophet and The Muslims returned to Madinah
Expedition of Sawiq
- The defeat of The Pagans in The Battle of Badr in which A number of Noblemen in Makkah were killed led them to seek revenge against The Prophet and The Muslims
- Abu Sufyan vowed not to bathe until he exacted revenge on The Muslims
- Some reports state that he also vowed not to have close relations with women and not to groom himself until he avenged those killed in Badr
- After obtaining assistance from Banu Nadir, The Makkan’s Raid one of Madinah’s Suburb’s at night
- They Kill 2 Ansar Muslims and cut down several palm trees before fleeing back to their camp
- When The Prophet hears the news, he immediately dispatches A party to capture Abu Sufyan who had already fled back to Makkah
- The Muslims never catch Abu Sufyan’s men but recover some of the Sawiq [ A type of Flour / Barley ] that The Makkans had hastily discarded to lighten their load
The Raid of Al Qaradah
- The Qaradah Raid took place A few months before The Battle of Uhud and this was an important precursor to the actual Battle of Uhud
- The Makkan’s were at A loss since The Muslims successfully attacked many of their caravans and intercepted their trade routes previously
- Therefore, they tried to find another trade route for their Caravan
- A group of Quraysh headed by Safwan Ibn Umayyah took the risk of sending A Caravan through A route Far East of Madinah using A reliable guide
- However, The Prophet got news of the plan and send Zayd Ibn Haritha with 100 Men
- News of the Trade Route leaked out through Nu’am Bin Masud Al Ashja’i who was under the influence of Alcohol [ A Muslim Man Living In Makkah Under The State of Taqiyyah Then Informed The Prophet of This News ]
- They caught up with the Caravan at A place called Al Qaradah
- Zayd trailed the Caravan and made A sudden attack on it
- The Leader of The Caravan fled without resistance, The Caravan was carrying Silver and Goods
- Zayd took The Spoils of War and arrested their guide and 2 other Prisoners and took them to Madinah
- The Goods captured was valued at 100,000 Dirhams and were distributed among the fighters and The Prophet took 1/5 as Khums and gave it to the poor
- According to Ibn Hisham, The Guide [ Named Furat ] became A prisoner of The Muslims
- He later accepted Islam out of his own will and was allowed to go free
The Death of Uthman Ibn Madh’un
- In the Year After Badr [ 3 AH ], Uthman Ibn Madh’un [ One of the most distinguished Companions of The Prophet ] passes away
- Uthman forbade the drinking of wine on himself during The Age of Ignorance before The Emergence of Islam
- He fasted the days and spent the nights worshipping
- After the burial of his children [ Mentioned below ] next to Uthman Ibn Madh’un’s grave, The Prophet said ‘ They joined their righteous predecessor Uthman Ibn Madh’un. ‘ :-
1) Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad
2) Zaynab Bint Muhammad
3) Ruqayyah Bint Muhammad
- Uthman was also one of the close companions of Imam Ali
- Imam Ali called him as his brother and named one of his sons after him
- He was The First Muhajir [ Emigrant ] to pass away in Madinah and was buried in Al Baqi Cemetery [ Jannat Al Baqi ]
The Death of Ruqayyah Bint Muhammad
- Ruqayyah at first was married to Utbah Ibn Abi Lahab but when Surat Al Masad was revealed, her husband divorced her and then she married Uthman Ibn Affan
- She took part in The Migration to Abyssinia and The Migration to Madinah
- In the opinion of Shia Scholars such as Sayid Ja’far Al Murthadha Al Amili, Ruqayyah was not the daughter of The Prophet and Khadijah
- She is believed to be the daughter of Halah [ The Sister of Khadijah ] who was raised in The Prophet’s Household and became famous as the daughter of The Prophet
Sunni View on Ruqayyah’s Death
- When The Prophet was on his way to The Battle of Badr, Ruqayyah got Typhoid and The Prophet ordered Uthman to stay with her
- Ruqayyah passed away on the day of The Muslim’s Victory in The Battle of Badr
Shia View on Ruqayyah’s Death
- Abu Basir [ One of the companions of Imam Jafar Al Sadiq ] reports A narration from Imam Jafar Al Sadiq in Al Kafi in which he asks the Imam :-
” Is there any human being who escapes the squeezing of the grave ? “
- Imam Jafar Al Sadiq replies :-
” We seek refuge from Allah from it. There are very few people who are righteous / pious / pure enough to be exempt from that squeezing of the grave. When Ruqayyah was killed by Uthman [ Domestic Abuse ], The Prophet stood by her grave and raised his head to the heavens with eyes filled with tears and said to the people ‘ I ask Allah to protect her from the squeezing of the grave. ‘ “
- We do not know regarding the authenticity of this narration. Make of it what you will. Allah knows best
The People of The Bench [ Ashab Us Suffah ]
- Since The Hijra, A number of impoverished followers have begun residing in The Mosque
- Destitute and Homeless, A stone platform is erected for their exclusive use next to The Prophet’s House
- These emigrants were known as Ashab Us Suffah and they became A permanent fixture in the community
- Because they devoted their time studying and preserving The Prophet’s Revelations, their daily needs are largely dependent on the generosity of others
The Story of Juwaybir
- The following Narration is mentioned in AI Kafi [ Volume 5, Page 34 ]
- Juwaybir was A native of Yammama where he heard about the popularity and the reputation of Islam and the advent of The Seal of The Prophets [ Means The Final Prophet ]
- Although he was an Indigent [ Poor ], Black and Short, he was Intelligent, Truth Seeking and Self Willed
- On hearing The Fame of Islam, he came directly to Madinah in order to observe closely the current circumstances
- It did not last long that he embraced Islam and was counted as one of The Muslims
- Since he had no money to meet his expenses nor did he have A house to lodge in, he was temporarily settled in The Mosque by The Prophet
- Eventually, there were some other new converted Muslims to Islam in Madinah who were Poor and Indigent like Juwaybir living in The Mosque by The Holy Prophet’s permission
- It was revealed unto The Prophet that The Mosque was not any more A Residential Place and it became necessary to transfer them somewhere else
- The Prophet chose A site outside The Mosque and made A shelter for them and shifted the homeless there
- The place was called Saffa and its inhabitants [ The Poor and The Strange ] were called The Companions of Saffa [ Ashab Us Suffah ]
- The Prophet and his Companions kept watching over their lives and needs
- One day when The Prophet had come to visit them, his eyes were casted over Juwaybir
- The Prophet thought to bring him out of this situation and make him marry and said :-
” How beautiful it would be if you marry and take A wife, establish A family and end the lonely life so that you would be satisfied with A woman and she would be of help to you in your needs both in this world and in the hereafter. “
- Juwaybir replies :-
” O Messenger of Allah ! Neither I have wealth nor possess good and handsome personality nor do I have A noble descent or lineage. Thus, who is prepared to give me his daughter ? Moreover, no one would select me as A husband and to be my wife as I am poor, short, black and ugly. Is it possible for any woman to have a conjugal life with me ? “
- The Prophet promptly informed him of his mistake and explained the following :-
” O Juwaybir ! Allah has changed the individual’s value through Islam. Many people were respected in the time of Jahiliyyah [ Pre Islamic Era ] and Islam brought them down, many people were despised and degraded but Islam elevated their status. Allah with the establishment of Islam abolished the vanity of the age of Jahiliyyah, Ignorance and The Pride relative to the familial lineage. Henceforth, people irrespective of their colour black or white, their origin Qurayshite or Non Qurayshite, Arab or Non Arab are all equal. No one is superior to another but through piety and obedience to Allah. I consider the one among the Muslims to be better than you whose virtues and deeds will be better. At present, obey as I order you ! “
- After making him courageous and confident, The Prophet gave an order for him to go to the house of Ziad Ibn Lubaid and ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage
- Ziad Ibn Lubaid was counted among The Richest and Respectable Inhabitants of Madinah and his tribe had A great consideration for him
- When Juwaybir arrived in his house, his Relatives, Tribes and A group of men surrounded him
- After taking A seat, Juwaybir paused for A moment and then raised his head and said to Ziad :-
” I have brought A message from The Prophet for you, should I tell you confidentially or publicly ? “
- Zaid replies :-
” The Prophet’s message is an honour to me. Of course you’d better tell it publicly. “
- Juwaybir replies :-
” The Prophet has sent me to ask your daughter’s hand for myself. “
- Zaid then says :-
” Did The Prophet personally talk to you about this suggestion ? “
- Juwaybir replies :-
” I say nothing on my own authority, all know me. I am not A man to lie. “
- Zaid then replies :-
” It is strange ! It is not our tradition to give our daughters in marriage to the other but to the persons of equal status from our own tribe. Go back, I will personally go to The Prophet and talk to him about the mater. “
- Juwaybir stood up and then left the house murmuring on his way :-
” I swear by Allah, What The Holy Quran and what The Prophecy of Muhammad is differs from what Ziad says. “
- All those who were nearby heard the words which Juwaybir was murmuring
- Zulfa [ Ziad’s daughter who was well known for her beauty and charm ] heard his words and came to her father to enquire about the incident and said :-
” Father, who was this man and what was he murmuring about and what did he mean by that ? “
- Zaid replies :-
” This man came to ask your hand in marriage pretending that The Prophet had sent him. “
- Zulfa replies :-
” And if The Prophet had truly sent him, thus your refusal may be considered as A rebellion against The Prophet’s orders. “
- Zaid asks :-
” In your opinion, what shall I do ? “
- To which Zulfa replies :-
” My opinion is that you should make him return immediately before he reaches the presence of The Prophet. Therefore, go to The Prophet personally and enquire into the matter. “
- Then Ziad made Juwaybir return back to his house with respect and he personally hurried to the attendance of The Prophet
- As soon as he saw The Prophet, he said :-
” O Messenger of Allah ! Juwaybir came to my house and brough such A message from you. I would like to inform you that our current custom and tradition is such that we give our daughters in marriage only to the persons of equal status with us from our tribesmen who are all your Companions and of The Ansar [ The Helpers ]. “
- The Prophet replies :-
” O Ziad ! Juwaybir is A faithful believer. Those dignities which you are talking about have been abolished nowadays, A Muslim Believer equal in dignity to A Woman Believer. “
- Ziad came back home and went directly to his daughter Zulfa and related to her all the incident which took place
- Zulfa said :-
” In my opinion, do not refuse The Prophet’s proposal. The question is concerning to me. Whoever Juwaybir may be, I should be pleased since The Messenger of Allah is plased with this matter, so do I. “
- Thus, Ziad married Zulfa to Juwaybir who paid her dowry from his own wealth and offered the bride A good trousseau [ Clothes / Linen / etc ]
- They asked Juwaybir :-
” Have you thought about A dwelling place where to take the bride ? “
- Juwaybir replied :-
” In fact, I never thought A day would come when I will have A wife and A domestic life. “
- Suddenly, The Prophet came and proposed to Juwaybir to go to Ziad’s House
- Ziad arranged A house equipped with complete furniture, prepared two suitable suits of clothes for The Groom and shifted The Bride to that house along with complete Ornaments, Jewellery, Perfume and Dresses
- The night fell, Juwaybir did not know the address of the new house provided for him
- He was guided to the new house and instructed to the Bridal Chamber
- He made A glance at the new house, all those properties ad such A beautiful Bride, suddenly he remembered his past and said to himself :-
” When I entered this city. I was A poor man and A stranger and I had nothing. Neither Wealth nor Beauty nor Familial Lineage nor Relatives. Allah bestowed upon me all these bounties through Islam. As A matter of fact, it is Islam Engendering [ Be The Cause Of ] in people such transformations which are beyond anyone’s imaginations. How grateful I must be to Allah. “
- He felt A strong sentiment of satisfaction and gratitude in his spirit regarding The Almighty Allah and went in A corner of the room and began reciting The Holy Quran and Praying to Allah
- Suddenly, he realized it was dawn when he heard The Call of The Morning Prayer
- He made A vow to fat that day to express gratitude to Allah
- When women came to visit Zulfa, they found her untouched and A Virgin
- It became obvious that Juwaybir did not approach Zulfa
- They kept the matter hidden from Ziad
- Two Nights and Two Days passed in the same manner while Juwaybir was fasting during the day and reciting The Holy Quran and Praying throughout the Night
- Little by little, it came to mind of The Bride’s Family that Juwaybir was either :-
1) Not in need of A Woman
2) He was Impotent
- At last, they exposed the matter to Ziad who informed The Prophet who then called Juwaybir and asked :-
” Don’t you have any desire for A woman ? “
- Juwaybir replied :-
” Why not, this desire is incidentally intensive for me. “
- The Prophet then ask’s :-
” Then why did you not approach your wife / bride ? “
- Juwaybir replied :-
” O Messenger of Allah ! On entering that house and finding myself amid with all those bounties, I thought how great The Almighty Allah is and has granted His Blessings to me [ An Insignificant Creature ]. So I felt A state of gratitude and servitude towards Him and said to myself ‘ It is essential to pray in order to offer Him gratitude before doing anything else. Tonight I shall go to my wife. ‘ “
- The Prophet informed Ziad of this incident
- Juwaybir and Zulfa accomplisher their marriage and lived A Most Happy Life
- Later on, A Holy Islamic War [ Jihad ] occurred in which Juwaybir took part in with the same Zeal and Enthusiasm and was Martyred under The Banner of Islam
- After his Martyrdom, there was no woman in the city having so many wooers as Zulfa had and they were ready to spend a lot of money for her
The Assassination of Ka’b Ibn Ashraf
- After The Hijra, Ka’b Ibn Ashraf [ The Jewish Leader of Banu Nadir ] became one of The Prophet’s most Vocal Critics and would write Incendiary Poetry against The Muslims
- After The Battle of Badr, Ka’b visits Makkah to encourage The Quraysh to seek revenge for their loss
- When Abu Sufyan asks Ka’b if he is more inclined to Islam or Makkan paganism, Ka’b indicates the latter
- His response is described in Surat Al Nisa :-
” “
