Muhammad (PBUH) The Human Being Part 2
Another chapter in the life of Muhammad (pbuh) :)
All authorities agree in ascribing to young Muhammad such correctness of manners and purity of morals as were rare among the people of Mecca. The fair character and the honorable bearing of the unobtrusive youth won the approbation of the citizens of Mecca, and by common consent he received the title of "Al Ameen," The Faithful.
The ‘Sacrilegious’ Wars:
Muhammad (pbuh) was hardly fifteen when the ‘sacrilegious’ wars — which continued with varying fortunes and considerable loss of human life for a number of years — broke out between the tribe of Quraysh and the tribe of Banu Kinana on the one side and Qais ‘Ailan tribe on the other. It was thus called because the inviolables were made violable, the prohibited months being included. Harb bin Omaiyah, on account of his outstanding position and honourable descent, used to be the leader of Quraish and their allies. In one of those battles, Muhammad (pbuh) attended on his uncles but did not raise arms against their opponents. His efforts were confined to picking up the arrows of the enemy as they fell, and handing them over to his uncles.
Al-Fudoul Confederacy:
At the conclusion of these wars, when peace was restored, people felt the need for forming confederacy at Makkah for suppressing violence and injustice, and vindicating the rights of the weak and the destitute. Representatives of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza, Zahrah bin Kilab and Taim bin Murra were called to meet in the habitation of an honourable elderly man called ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an At-Taimy to enter into a confederacy that would provide for the above-mentioned items. Muhammad witnessed this league and commented on it, with very positive words: "I witnessed a confederacy in the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an. It was more appealing to me than herds of cattle. Even now in the period of Islam I would respond positively to attending such a meeting if I were invited."
In fact, the spirit of this confederacy and the course of deliberations therein marked a complete departure from the pre-Islamic tribal-pride.
The story that led to its convention says that a man from Zubaid clan came as a merchant to Mecca where he sold some commodities to Al-‘As bin Wail As-Sahmy. The latter by hook or by crook tried to evade paying for the goods. The salesman sought help from the different clans in Quraish but they paid no heed to his earnest pleas. He then resorted to a mountain top and began, at the top of his voice, to recite verses of complaint giving account of the injustices he sustained.
Those are the poetry verses in which he sumed up his plight :
"Who amongst the good men will help a wronged man with his goods?! in the center of Mecca where he isaway from his home & his family ?! .
He is also a pilgrim who hasn't even finished his pilgrimage! . Are there any good men in this holy place willing to help him out?! .
The honor belongs to those who are noble & sound honor is not for that who is a liar & a traitor!."
Az-Zubair bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib heard of him and made inquiries into the matter.
He Said :
" I swear that that we all will make a confederacy to solve this problem even if the wrong one is one of our fellow Meccans.
we will call this Al-Fodoul (virtuous) confederacy If we reached a decision with which we help our stanger fellow who asked for our assistance.
We help every stranger who asks for help cause we refuse injustice & we fight all the disgrace of the injustice. "
And also Said :
" The (virtuous) confederacy swore & pledged that there will no place for injustice in Mecca.
It's a matter upon which they gave their word! so from now on, the fellow Meccans & the strangers alike are fully protected (from anyact of injustice)"
Consequently, the parties to the aforesaid confederacy convened their meeting and managed to force Az-Zubaidy’s money out of Al-‘As bin Wa’il.
At the meeting, various chiefs and members of tribes pledged to:
Among the members who agreed to the terms of the pact was the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Later on, after proclaiming Islam, Muhammad still acknowledged the validity of the pact, ignoring the fact that most of the members were non-Muslim.[4] Abu Bakr is also said to have agreed to this pact.This presumption is based on the fact that Abdullah ibn Ja'dan, whose house was the venue for this pledge, was Abu Bakr's fellow clansman. Amongst the clans, Banu Hashim, Banu Zuhra and Banu Taym participated in its formation. Neither the Banu Nawfal, nor the powerful Banu Umayya took part in it.
That pact also marked the beginning of some notion of justice in Mecca, which would be later repeated by Muhammad when he would preach Islam. Another aspect of the pact was that it would open up the Meccan market to Yeminite merchants, who were hitherto excluded.
Because of Muhammad's role in its formation, the alliance plays a significant role in Islamic ethics. According to Anthony Sullivan, the pact represents Islam's interest in human rights and protection of such rights. Muhammad, later as a Muslim, accepted the substance of the agreement made by primarily non-Muslims. Tariq Ramadan draws three principles from this:
All authorities agree in ascribing to young Muhammad such correctness of manners and purity of morals as were rare among the people of Mecca. The fair character and the honorable bearing of the unobtrusive youth won the approbation of the citizens of Mecca, and by common consent he received the title of "Al Ameen," The Faithful.
In his early years, Muhammad was not free from the cares of life. He had to watch the flocks of his uncle, who, like the rest of the Bani Hashim, had lost the greater part of his wealth.
From youth to manhood he led an almost solitary life. The lawlessness rife among the Meccans, the sudden outbursts of causeless and bloody quarrels among the tribes frequenting the Fair of Okadh (The Arabian Olympia), and the immorality and skepticism of the Quraish, naturally caused feelings of pity and sorrow in the heart of the sensitive youth. Such scenes of social misery and religious degradation were characteristic of a depraved age.
The ‘Sacrilegious’ Wars:
Muhammad (pbuh) was hardly fifteen when the ‘sacrilegious’ wars — which continued with varying fortunes and considerable loss of human life for a number of years — broke out between the tribe of Quraysh and the tribe of Banu Kinana on the one side and Qais ‘Ailan tribe on the other. It was thus called because the inviolables were made violable, the prohibited months being included. Harb bin Omaiyah, on account of his outstanding position and honourable descent, used to be the leader of Quraish and their allies. In one of those battles, Muhammad (pbuh) attended on his uncles but did not raise arms against their opponents. His efforts were confined to picking up the arrows of the enemy as they fell, and handing them over to his uncles.
Al-Fudoul Confederacy:
At the conclusion of these wars, when peace was restored, people felt the need for forming confederacy at Makkah for suppressing violence and injustice, and vindicating the rights of the weak and the destitute. Representatives of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza, Zahrah bin Kilab and Taim bin Murra were called to meet in the habitation of an honourable elderly man called ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an At-Taimy to enter into a confederacy that would provide for the above-mentioned items. Muhammad witnessed this league and commented on it, with very positive words: "I witnessed a confederacy in the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an. It was more appealing to me than herds of cattle. Even now in the period of Islam I would respond positively to attending such a meeting if I were invited."
In fact, the spirit of this confederacy and the course of deliberations therein marked a complete departure from the pre-Islamic tribal-pride.
The story that led to its convention says that a man from Zubaid clan came as a merchant to Mecca where he sold some commodities to Al-‘As bin Wail As-Sahmy. The latter by hook or by crook tried to evade paying for the goods. The salesman sought help from the different clans in Quraish but they paid no heed to his earnest pleas. He then resorted to a mountain top and began, at the top of his voice, to recite verses of complaint giving account of the injustices he sustained.
Those are the poetry verses in which he sumed up his plight :
He is also a pilgrim who hasn't even finished his pilgrimage! . Are there any good men in this holy place willing to help him out?! .
The honor belongs to those who are noble & sound honor is not for that who is a liar & a traitor!."
Az-Zubair bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib heard of him and made inquiries into the matter.
He Said :
" I swear that that we all will make a confederacy to solve this problem even if the wrong one is one of our fellow Meccans.
we will call this Al-Fodoul (virtuous) confederacy If we reached a decision with which we help our stanger fellow who asked for our assistance.
We help every stranger who asks for help cause we refuse injustice & we fight all the disgrace of the injustice. "
And also Said :
" The (virtuous) confederacy swore & pledged that there will no place for injustice in Mecca.
It's a matter upon which they gave their word! so from now on, the fellow Meccans & the strangers alike are fully protected (from anyact of injustice)"
Consequently, the parties to the aforesaid confederacy convened their meeting and managed to force Az-Zubaidy’s money out of Al-‘As bin Wa’il.
At the meeting, various chiefs and members of tribes pledged to:
- respect the principles of justice, and
- collectively intervene in conflicts to establish justice.
Among the members who agreed to the terms of the pact was the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Later on, after proclaiming Islam, Muhammad still acknowledged the validity of the pact, ignoring the fact that most of the members were non-Muslim.[4] Abu Bakr is also said to have agreed to this pact.This presumption is based on the fact that Abdullah ibn Ja'dan, whose house was the venue for this pledge, was Abu Bakr's fellow clansman. Amongst the clans, Banu Hashim, Banu Zuhra and Banu Taym participated in its formation. Neither the Banu Nawfal, nor the powerful Banu Umayya took part in it.
That pact also marked the beginning of some notion of justice in Mecca, which would be later repeated by Muhammad when he would preach Islam. Another aspect of the pact was that it would open up the Meccan market to Yeminite merchants, who were hitherto excluded.
Because of Muhammad's role in its formation, the alliance plays a significant role in Islamic ethics. According to Anthony Sullivan, the pact represents Islam's interest in human rights and protection of such rights. Muhammad, later as a Muslim, accepted the substance of the agreement made by primarily non-Muslims. Tariq Ramadan draws three principles from this:
- Islam embraces values derived from the human conscience, that are outside of the Islamic tradition. This is because Muhammad had acknowledged a pact before revelation, in the pre-Islamic era.
- Islam acknowledges the righteousness of non-Muslims. In this case, the non-Muslims had defended justice and the oppressed.
- Islam, instead of building allegiance to a closed community, requires allegiance to a set of universal principles. The message of Islam is not a closed value system, or at variance or conflict with other value systems.
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