A Wise And Great Stance

In the eighth year of Hijrah (= Migration to Medina), and after the conquest of Makkah, Muslims under the leadership of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) had to face the fighters of Taif, who consist of men from the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif. These tribes called for a gathering to discuss how to react to the triumph of Muslims who had already recovered Makkah. They decided to fight against the Muslims. The gathering was presided by Malik bin Auf from Hawazin, who asked the fighters to take with them their families and wealth, mainly camels and sheep. They started encampment at a valley called Awtas, half-way between Makkah and Taif.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) marched to Hunain, near Awtas. His army consisted of twelve thousand soldiers; ten from Medina and two thousand who joined them from Makkah. This army reached a narrow and steep side in the valley of Hunain. As they seemed over-confident with their number, they said: “We will not be defeated today because of deficiency in our numbers”.  Although the Hawazin and Thaqif were only about three thousand, the Muslims were taken in a severe ambush by Hawazin. The situation became so alarming, that the Mulims’ lines were shattered in a few hours of fighting; they ran for their lives in every direction, as recorded by God in the Qur’an: “God has already helped you on many fields, and on the day of Hunain, when your vast numbers were pleasing to you; but it availed you nothing and the earth, for its breadth it was straitened for you, then you turned back, retreating” (9:25).

But the Prophet (peace be upon him), just as it happened in Uhud three years earlier, held his ground with a few Muslims around him. He asked Al-‘Abbas, his uncle who had a strong voice to shout at the top of his voice and call his people: “O Ansar! O comrades of the Pledge of Ridwan!” They answered: Here we are O Prophet! Here we are O Prophet! About a hundred of the Ansar dismounted their fleeing camels, which they could not control. They all came and joined the very close companions, and gathered around the Prophet. Among them were Abubakr, Omar, Ali, Al-Abbas, Usamah bin zaid, Abusufyan bin Alharith.

Now that the tiny minority of Muslims came back and joined the Prophet (peace be upon him) with renewed belief and motivation, they charged the enemy, and the fortunes of the battle were reversed, and God helped them: “Then God sent down His (gift of) inner peace upon His messenger and upon the believers, and sent down legions which you could not see, and chastised those who were bent on denying the truth: for such is the recompense of all who deny the truth” (9:26).

When they were sincere and steadfast, although less in number, God helped them. So they reversed the outcome of the battle and won it, as God recounted the sincerity and steadfastness of the fighters of Bani Israel under the leadership of Talut: “How often a little company has overcome a numerous company by God’s leave, and God is with those who are patient” (2:249).

Now we will come to see the wise and great stance of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) when distributing the war spoils:

The accumulated spoils of the battle of Hunain were huge. The tribes of Hudhayl, Thaqif and their allies were among the richest in Arabia. What Muslims gained from this battle was tremendous spoils. According to the historians there were: twenty-four thousand camels, more than forty thousand heads of sheep, four thousand ounces of silver, and six thousand captives, men, women and children.

Before leaving the battlefield the Prophet (peace be upon him) distributed the bulk of the war spoils. He gave large portions of it to the “freed ones” from Quraysh (those who used to be his grimmest enemies but surrendered at the conquest of Makkah), but gave nothing to the Ansar and Muhajireen.

Abusufyan bin Harb, who was among the most esteemed personalities of Makkah, and who had just become Muslim after the conquest of Makkah was treated with great generosity; he was given a hundred camels and forty ounces of silver. He also asked for a gift for his son Yazid, and he was given another hundred camels and forty ounces of silver for him. Then he asked for his son Mu’awiyah, and he was given another hundred camels and forty ounces of silver.

Hakeem bin Hazm was given a hundred camels. He asked again and got another hundred camels. Suhayl bin ‘Amr, (who was the chief negotiator of the Quraysh at Hudaybiyah) received a hundred camels. And the Prophet gave tremendous wealth to some other personalities of Makkah who just became Muslims. The Prophet also distributed some of the spoils of considerable shares among the heads of the Bedouin tribes, that fought with the Muslims. However, nothing was given either to the Ansar or the Muhajireen, who felt unfairly treated. Especially among the Ansar, feelings of bitter indignation were running high.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) heard about the murmurings and resentments of the Ansar, so he called them for a meeting. When they were assembled in his council, he said to them: “O men of the Ansar, what is this statement I have heard of you? And what is this resentment in your hearts against me? Did I not find you poor, and God made you rich? Were you not enemies of one another, and God softened your hearts towards each other, and gave you peace and reconciliation?”

The Ansar answered: “Yes indeed, God and His Messenger are most kind and generous”.

The Prophet continued: “Are you angry with me, because of these trivialities of this world (meaning spoils), which I gave to these people (= the new Muslims) hoping to win over their hearts to Islam, while entrusting you to your faith and conviction? Are you not satisfied that men should take away flocks and herds, while you take back with you the Messenger of God? By Him, in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, but for the migration (the hijrah), I should like to have been one of the Ansar myself! If all men take one way, and the Ansar another, I will take the way of the Ansar, may God give mercy to the Ansar, their sons, and their sons’ sons!” The people wept until tears ran down their beards, as they said: “We are indeed satisfied with the Messenger of God as our lot and portion, O Messenger of God!”.

This wise stance that the Prophet has taken in the way he distributed the war spoils, in his dealing with the newly surrendered to God, and with those who were already firmed in their faith, was indeed great and remarkable!

To Everyone His Own Merit

                      “Ask your Lord to forgive you (your sins), and

                      then turn towards Him in repentance (so that)

                      He will grant you a goodly enjoyment of life (in

                      this base world) until a term set (by Him is

                      fulfilled); and (in the life to come) He will

                      bestow UPON EVERYONE POSSESSED OF MERIT

                      (a full reward for) HIS MERIT; but if you turn

                      away, then, verily, I dread for you the

                      chastisement of an awful Day” (Qur’an,11:3).

Everyone in this life does his/her own deeds, which differ in fact and quality, as people’s capacities. Each person deserves praise or blame, reward or penalty accordingly. In this (base) life, however, often justice is not served. This fact is observed perfectly by God, the Just, Who postpones the equity for the Day of Judgment, where He will grant everyone worthy, the full reward for his/her merit.

It is the duty of everybody to beware that their behavior or action, does not transgress God’s bound or other people’s dignity. More than that, it is recommended for everyone not to retaliate for each bad action from others, because everyone is at risk of doing unjust deeds intentionally or unintentionally.

God says: “And the requital of an evil deed is an evil deed like it; but whoever pardons and reconciles, his reward will be with God; truly, He does not like wrongdoers” (42:40). And because God observes everyone’s behavior and actions, it is necessary for believers to ask God for forgiveness, and to return to Him in repentance.

God reminds all of us of a great event, which tends to be forgotten during our everyday life: that everyone is bound to death. “Every human being is bound to death; and you will be REQUITED on whatever you have done IN FULL only on the Day of Resurrection, whereupon he that shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into Paradise will indeed have gained a triumph: for the life of the (base) world is nothing but an enjoyment of self-delusion” (3:185).

On the Day of Resurrection, God says: “On that Day will people come forward, cut off from one another, to be shown their (past) deeds. So whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it” (99:6-8). But many people today, even among the so-called believers, do not heed all these warnings, that is why we find many of them supporting tyrants who kill millions of people, torture thousands and expel millions out of their homes, while God says: “And do not incline towards, or rely upon, those who are bent on evildoing lest the fire (of the Hereafter) touch you: for (then) you would have none to protect you from God, nor would you ever be succored (by Him)” (11:113).

Therefore, when we realize that everyone might commit a sin or shortening towards God, or towards people, we should from time to time make a reassessment, return to God in repentance, ask forgiveness from Him, and from whomever we may have wronged.

To conclude, let us follow God’s advice:

“Indulge (people) with forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant” (7:199).

God’s Signs & The Ability To Observe Them

                             “Do they not contemplate the Qur’an? Or

                             are there locks upon their hearts?”

                                                   (Qur’an, 47:24)

Every verse or group of verses in the Qur’an are called ayah (pl. ayat), which means sign. The verse is called a sign, because it is regarded as an indication or evidence of the truth contained in the Qur’an.

Moreover, there are many verses in the Qur’an calling human beings to observe intensely all of God’s creation in the heavens and on earth, which are no other than clear signs, so that they may recognize God as the Creator and the Sustainer, and the only Lord to submit to:

“Do, then, they never gaze at the rain clouds, how they are formed? And at the sky, how it is raised aloft? And at the mountains, how firmly they are reared? And at the earth, how it is spread out” (88:17-20).

“And among His signs is that He created you out of dust, then lo! you are human beings, spreading. And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you might find peace by their side, and He ordained between you affection and mercy; surely in that there are signs for a people who reflect. And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the differences of your tongues and your colors; surely in that there are signs for all who are possessed of (innate) knowledge. And among His signs is your sleep, at night or in daytime, as well as your (ability to go about in) quest of some of His bounties: in this, behold, there are signs indeed for people who (are willing to) listen!” (30:20-23).

So there are two kinds of God’s signs: the one kind is everywhere in the universe, and the other kind is found in the Qur’an, and which, in fact, urges human beings to contemplate God’s signs in the universe, in order to reach the truth. Reaching the truth means to know and be aware of where they come from, what their role is during their life and what their fate is after death.

It is interesting to read what the Qur’an itself tells us about the reaction of the audience while listening to the Prophet (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) reciting verses of it to them. Certainly, some people attentively used their ears and hearts and reflected on what they heard, then submitted to God, while others listened but disdained using their ears heartily: “And there are some of them who (seem to) listen while We have laid over their hearts veils which prevent them from grasping the truth, and into their ears deafness. And if they were to see every sign, they would not believe in it, so that when they come to you to argue with you, the disbelievers say: this is nothing but the fables of the ancients” (6:25).

This verse talks about those who listen to the recitation of the Qur’an without their heart for reflection and contemplation, hence, God punishes them by “laying veils over their hearts”.

What is expected from whoever wants to understand and to benefit from God’s signs is to listen (with their hearts): “Only they who listen (with their hearts) can respond to a call; and as for the dead (of hearts), God (alone) can raise them (from the dead), and then to Him they will be returned” (6:36).

Indeed, God is swift in retribution, He lays veils over the hearts of those who do not use them in a very important occasion, as for instance, in contemplating God’s revelation: “Verily, your Lord is swift in retribution, yet, behold, He is indeed Much-forgiving, a Dispenser of grace” (6:165).

Each of the human faculties was given by God for a good purpose and should be used properly, because there is a responsibility behind it: “And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed the hearing, and the sight, and the heart – each of these it will be questioned” (17:36). Therefore, while facing the unbelievers, the Prophet was ordered to recite this revelation: “Say: Have you considered if God were to seize your hearing and your sight, and set a seal upon your hearts, what deity but God is there that could bring it all back to you? Behold, how many facets We give to Our verses – and yet they turn away in disdain” (6:46).

Everybody has already been given the gift of hearing, sight and heart to use properly. But some people are lazy and heedless, so they will be rewarded consequently. God has

told us this clearly: “And indeed We have destined for Hell many among Jinn and Mankind: they (who) have hearts with which they fail to grasp the truth, and they have eyes with which they fail to see, and they have ears with which they fail to hear. They are like cattle – nay, they are even further astray. Those – they are the heedless” (7:179).

After all that, the Prophet (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) was ordered by God to recite: “Say: I will give you just one counsel: that you rise up for God in twos and individually, and reflect: there is no madness in your fellow (=the Prophet); he is only a warner to you before (the befalling of) a severe chastisement” (34:46).

This last verse was revealed to nullify the unbelievers’ accusation of the madness of the Prophet, who came to bring them great signs in the Qur’an, that came from God, the Lord of the universe.

And there is also in the Qur’an another defense for the great Prophet Muhammad (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) when the disbelievers accused him of being all ear, God says: “And among those (enemies of the truth) there are such as malign the Prophet by saying: He is all ear. Say: Yes, he is all ear, (listening) to what is good for you. He believes in God, and trusts the believers, and is (a manifestation of God’s) Grace towards such of you as have (truly) attached to faith. And for those who malign God’s messenger – grievous suffering awaits them (in the life to come)” (9:61).