We often hear or read stories about the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) companions and what they did in the service of Islam, wishing that we were with them, sharing their attitude and even doing better than at least some of them. Should we indulge in such wishful thinking? Is it right to assume that one would have done better than those who witnessed the great battle that sought to establish the Islamic message in a community that conducts all its affairs in accordance with the divine order? Al-Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad, one of the Prophet’s companions, gives us the perfect answer.
A group of people was sitting with Al-Miqdad when a man passed by and said: “Blessed be your eyes which saw God’s Messenger (peace be upon him). We would have loved to have seen what you saw and witnessed the events you witnessed.” Al-Miqdad looked displeased, which was surprising to some of his attendants who felt that the man said nothing wrong. Al-Miqdad said to the man: “Why should anyone of you wish to have been present at an event which God spared him? He cannot tell what attitude he would have taken, had he been present. Some people were contemporaries of the Prophet, but God must have thrown them in hell as they neither believed in him nor responded to his call. Should you not praise God and give thanks to Him for the fact that you have grown up knowing only your True Lord and believing in what His Messenger has given you? You have been spared the tests others endured. God’s Messenger was sent when things were at their worst, with people believing that idol worship was the best religion. He brought a criterion that distinguishes right from wrong. But at the same time, he caused a schism between father and son. A man would see his father, son or brother opting for disbelief when his own heart has been receptive to faith. He would thus be aware that whoever suffers the punishment in hell is doomed. He cannot be happy when he knows that his close relative is bound to be in hell.”
What Al-Miqdad highlights here is the fact that no one could have predicted what his response to the Prophet would have been had he witnessed the early years of Islam. To be brought up as a Muslim is a great blessing, because one learns the truth as one grows up. That the Prophet’s companions did their best in the service of Islam there is no doubt. However, they also had their moments of weakness when they felt that the task required was too heavy and they were reluctant to undertake it.
Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman was a leading figure among the Ansar. Once a man from Kufah said to him: “You saw God’s Messenger and were his companion?” Hudhayfah answered in the affirmative. The man asked him: “What did you do for him?” Hudhayfah modestly said: “We tried hard.” The man said: “Had we been there, we would not have let him walk on the ground, but rather we would have carried him on our shoulders.” Hudhayfah wanted to put the man in his place, so he told him a story of the final day of the siege of Madinah by the allied tribes of Quraysh and Ghatafan as well as the Jewish tribe of Quraydhah. That was a very hard experience for the Muslims, with a siege and a treachery by former allies that threatened an imminent pincer attack when they were very heavily outnumbered.
The last night of the siege brought very strong winds blowing over the forces hostile to Islam. The night was extremely dark and very cold. The unbelievers could not light a fire, because of the wind and rain. They were unable to cook, because their pots and pans were being turned upside down by the wind. Their tents began to collapse, and they were worried that the Muslims might attack them that very night. In this atmosphere, thoughts of departure started to creep into their minds.
Back in the Muslim camp, the Prophet stood up praying for a part of the night. He then turned to his companions and asked: “Who is willing to go and find out what our enemies are doing and come back? (To come back was a condition the Prophet attached to that particular mission). I shall pray God to make any volunteer for this mission my companion in heaven.”
Although nothing is more tempting to a Muslim than being admitted to heaven in companionship with the Prophet, the conditions that prevailed that night were far from encouraging. Hudhayfah said:
“No one volunteered because of our great fear and hunger in that very cold night. When no one answered, the Prophet called me to come forward. I then had no choice but to go. He said to me: ‘Hudhayfah, go inside the camp of those people and find out what they are doing. Do not do anything on your own initiative until you come back.’ I went into their quarters to see the wind and God’s other soldiers playing havoc in that camp. No pot or pan stood upright, no fire could be maintained and no structure stood up. Abu Sufyan then addressed his people: ‘People of the Quraysh, let everyone make sure of the person sitting next to him.’
“I took the man next to me by the hand and asked him who he was. He answered me, mentioning his name and his father’s name. Abu Sufyan then said: ‘People of the Quraysh, you realize that we cannot stay much longer. We have endured great hardship and the Jews of the Qurayzah have not fulfilled their promises to us. Indeed, we have received highly disturbing reports about their attitude. You see what these strong winds are doing to us. We cannot stay much longer in these conditions, and my advice to you is to go back home where I am going.’ He then mounted his camel, which was tied to a peg. He hit the camel, which jumped on its feet, and released itself as it stood up.
“Had it not been for the Prophet’s clear instructions to me that I must not do anything serious before I went back, I could have killed Abu Sufyan with my arrow.”
Hudhayfah then went back to the Prophet with his report. He found the Prophet praying, and sat very close to him. Continuing his prayers, the Prophet drew Hudhayfah closer to him until he was sitting between his legs and he covered him with his robe. When he finished his prayers, he listened to Hudhayfah’s report.