Muhammad `Abdul-`Aziz

We have mentioned in a previous article a part of intellectual proofs of the truthfulness of the message of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the one who contemplates the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) will find the truth overlooking from all its incidents.

For instance, the Battle of the Trench:

The battle was a severe afflictions for Muslims, and because it was hard, it was a test for the hearts to prove the faith of the believers and reveal the hypocrisy of the hypocrites.

That Battle was a fruit of the cunning and malice of the Jews. After the expelling of Banu An-Nadir from Medina, and moving to Khybar, their leaders, headed by Huyay ibn Akhtab, got out to lead the blind malice against Muslims. He went to Quraysh to stir its people against the Prophet (peace be upon him), then allied with them to eradicate Islam and Muslims. His call encountered a warm welcome from Quraysh after he had reminded them with their defeat in the Battle of Badr. Abu Sufyan said to them: "Hello and welcome, the best people to us are those who help us against Muhammad."

The Jews reached the peak in cunning and deceit when Quraysh said to them, "O Jews, you are the People of the Scripture and science; tell us about our conflict with Muhammad: Is our religion is better or his? We are the inhabitants of the House, we slaughter she camels, bring water to the pilgrims, and worship our gods, thereupon the Jews lied against themselves, their Lord, and their religion, and Quraysh and said: "By Allah, you are more entitled with that right than him because you glorify the house and worship what your forefathers used to worship."Thereupon, Allah revealed about them: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in Jibt and Tâghût and say to the disbelievers that they are better guided as regards the way than the believers (Muslims). * They are those whom Allâh has cursed, and he whom Allâh curses, you will not find for him (any) helper." [Surat An-Nisa': 51.52].

When the Jews were sure that Quraysh will participate in war, they went to Ghatafan and promised to give them the fruits of Khaybar for one year if they supported them in war, which made Ghatafan to agree. On other side, Quraysh stirred its allies as they did with the Jews of Banu Sulaym. Hence, Quraysh and its allies went out in 4.000 including 300 knights, Sulaym went out in 700, Banu Fazarah went in 1000 , Ashja` went in 400 and likewise did Ghatafan and Banu Murrah until they became 10.000 soldiers, however Muslims were 3000.

Muslims were in great distress because of those confederates because they were great in number and intended to besiege the Medina which made the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the advice of Salman Al Farisy dig the Trench around the Medina.

The matter intensified when the Jews of Qurazhah breached their truth with Muslims after they had felt the defeat of Muslims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent to them to remind them of their covenant with Muslims, but they denied the truth, then they started to prepare themselves to war.

The distress intensified more and more after the emergence of hypocrites who declared Islam by their tongues but their hearts were not filled with faith. The besiege of Medina lasted for several nights until Muslims suffered hunger and fear to the extent that they forgot about themselves.

Allah described their distress precisely saying: "When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats, and you were harboring doubts about Allâh. * There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking. * And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubts) said: “Allâh and His Messenger (peace be upon him) promised us nothing but delusions!” * And when a party of them said: “O people of Yathrib (Al-Madinah)! There is no stand (possible) for you (against the enemy attack!) Therefore go back!” And a band of them ask for permission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying: “Truly, our homes lie open (to the enemy).” And they lay not open. They but wished to flee." [Surat Al Ahzab: 10-13].

In the middle of this distress and death that was coming to Muslims from everywhere, the Prophet (peace be upon him) drew nearer and nearer to his Lord, seeking His Help, and invoking Him. He kept on supplicating: "O Allah, I beseech for Your promise and pledge." This is a proof that he was very truthful in every word he said.

As for the details of the Battle, the books of biography reported that `Amr ibn Wud, who was a brave fighter, participated in the Battle of Badr and was wounded there, therefore he did not attend the Battle of Uhud. However, he had the chance to restore his lost glory in the Battle of the Trench and to confirm his championship, so he called for fight and no one was able to fight him because fighting him meant death. Thereupon, `Ali ibn Abu Talib, the great and brave knight, intended to go to him, but the Messenger (peace be upon him) stopped him for fear that he might be killed; he said to him: "Sit, he is `Amr." `Amr kept on challenging Muslims saying: where is the Paradise which your Lord promised you? Does not anyone like Paradise? `Ali intended to go to him, but the Messenger (peace be upon him) stopped him. In the third time, he insisted, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) stopped him saying: "He is `Amr." `Ali replied: even if he is `Amr, O Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) left him for the sake of preserving the dignity of Muslims and in response to the desire of `Ali even if the situation is fearful. `Ali was still a young boy whose training did not qualify him to compete someone as `Amr. That situation made the Prophet draw nearer and nearer to Allah saying: "O my Lord, You took me `Ubaydah in the Battle of Badr, Hamzah in the Battle of Uhud, and here is my brother in Islam and my cousin `Ali, so do not leave me alone without someone to support me, indeed You are the best of inheritors."

`Ubaydah was `Ubaydah ibn al-Harith, the cousin of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who fought with Shaybah ibn Rabi`ah on the day of Badr and died later because of his wound. Hamzah was the Prophet's uncle who was killed in the Battle of Uhud. The purport is whenever the distress increases, the Prophet (peace be upon him) drew nearer and nearer to his Lord, and a clear proofs to the Truthfulness of the Prophet.

If we ponder over another incident that took place in one of the expeditions, we will find the proof to his truthfulness:

In the expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah to Al `Is, Al Mughirah ibn Mu`awiyah was captured and the Messenger (peace be upon him) delivered him chained to `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to watch him and said to her: "put an eye on that captive until I come back." However, `A'ishah engaged in chat with another woman and the captive escaped. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came back and did not find the captive, he asked `A'ishah. She said: I neglected watching him. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) got angry and said to her: "May Allah cut your hand." Then he got out to the people and commanded them to search for him until they found him. He entered upon `A'ishah and found her in a state of fear and horror, looking at her hands and turning them upside down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked her in wonder: "What are you doing `A'ishah?" She said: You supplicated Allah to cut my hand, and I was looking to my hand to see how it will be cut. Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "O Allah, I am only a human being who gets angry and feels sorry as people do, so whenever I supplicate you against anyone, make it mercy for him."

See how he feared for his wife that his supplication might befall her and supplicated to Allah to make it mercy for her, apologizing by his humanity which may lead him to anger although his anger always for the boundaries and limits of Allah. Moreover, see how `A'ishah who lives with the Messenger of Allah and knows all his conditions was sure that the supplication of the Prophet (peace be upon him) shall befall her and kept on watching her hand. Is that a strong proof to his truthfulness?

There are indications from Al Hudaybiyah, of which:

The vision of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which he saw in his sleep that he entered the Sacred House to perform `Umrah and shortening his head and standing in `Arafah with the people. It is well known that the vision of prophets are a revelation from Allah.

Therefore, when Abraham saw that he was slaughtering his son, he realized that it was a command from Allah and he had to do it regardless his feelings or emotions. He said to his son: "And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offering you in sacrifice to Allâh). So look what you think!" He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Inshâ’ Allâh (if Allâh wills), you shall find me of As-Sâbirûn (the patient)."" [Surat As-Saffat: 102]. When his son was aware of that meaning, and knows that the vision of the Prophet is a command from the Heavens, he said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Inshâ’ Allâh (if Allâh wills), you shall find me of As-Sâbirûn (the patient)."" [Surat As-Saffat: 102].

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw that he entered Makkah to perform `Umrah, he realized that was a revelation from Heavens, so he called the Companions for `Umrah.

Some of them wanted to be armed for caution, but he (peace be upon him) refused that because of his deep confidence in Allah and in His Commands, therefore he refused. He said: "We went out to perform `Umrah not for war." in spite of the enmity between Muslims and Quraysh at that time. See how he (peace be upon him) was confident of his Lord, even if the matter was only a vision; and that was a great proof to his truthfulness.

Of which:

Quraysh prevented Muslims from `Umrah, and it ended up to make agreement between the parties, which was the Treaty of Al Hudaybiyah. When they were writing the truce, Quraysh show a lot of stubbornness because they refused to write "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," and their representative said: I do not know the Most Gracious, but I know: "In the name of Allah." They also rejected the phrase of "between Muhammad the Messenger of Allah," and their representative said: If I had known that you are the Messenger of Allah, we would have not fought you, but you are Muhammad ibn `Abdullah. The matter was too difficult for Muslims until some of them took their swords out to defend the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), but the Prophet (peace be upon him) prevented them and accepted the conditions of Quraysh.

`Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Are not we Muslims?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Why would we accept such conditions?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered: "I am the servant of Allah and His Messenger, will not disobey Him, and he shall not forsake me?"

There is no weakness in that situation as some short-sightedness orientalists said, but the interpretation is clear and simple that he saw in his vision that he was performing `Umrah without engaging in wars. So, he wanted to execute the vision as he saw it as being a divine revelation which is a strong proof to his truthfulness in connection with his Lord and refutation to the claim that such situation was indicating weakness. People do not understand that before the Truce, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent `Uthman to negotiate with Quraysh, then a rumor spread that he was murdered, hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) took the pledge from the Companions to fight in the famous pledge of Ar-Ridwan in which Allah praised the Companions. Hence, there is no weakness or doubt but it is a truthfulness and faith. Therefore, when `Umar was irritated, the Prophet's saying was clear: "I am the servant of Allah and he shall not forsake me."

There is another incident:
It was reported in famous books of biography such as "Imta` Al Asma`" and others that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) knew that a group of Banu Tha`labah ibn Sa`d ibn Ghatafan and Banu Muharib ibn Khasafah ibn Qays has gathered to attack Muslims headed by Da`thur ibn Al Harith. So, the Prophet (peace be upon him) initiated attack on them by taking with him 450 fighters and camped near one of the mountains, then the sky rained heavily. The Prophet was relieving himself, rain wetted his garment, so he took off his garment and spread it on a tree branch to dry out, then he slept under the tree. Da`thur was watching him, so he sneaked to the Messenger of Allah and got out his sword and said: O Muhammad, who can protect you? He said: "Allah." Thereupon, the sword fell off his hand and was possessed by a heavy shiver. The Prophet (peace be upon him) took the sword and said: "Who can protect you now?" He said: No one. The Prophet (peace be upon him) released him. Da`thur embraced Islam and the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him his sword.

See: How he was sure and comfortable in the middle of this ordeal and facing death, and his enemy was holding the sword! He was confident that Allah will not forsake him.

Therefore, whenever he faced such situation, he drew nearer to Allah and resorting to Him. Is not that a proof to his insight and truthful faith that which had no doubt?!

المصدر : موقع الألوكة