As the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to approach tribal delegations during the pilgrimage season, year after year, people far and wide in Arabia heard of Islam. Some of them were inclined to accept the message of Islam, but often they were held back by different considerations. One of these with willing individuals to accept Islam was the tribe of Abs. They report that the Prophet came to them as they encamped in Mina, close to the place of the Jamrah, where the Kheef mosque is located. He was on his she-camel, with Zayd ibn Harithah behind him. The reporter says: “He explained his message to us and called on us to believe, but we did not give him a positive response. It was not destined that we should receive the goodness of accepting his message. Yet we had already heard of him and what he requested the other tribes to do. Nevertheless, when he addressed us we were negative.”
One man among them, Maysarah ibn Masrooq said to them: “I swear that if we were to believe this man and take him with us to our place, we will be doing well. I can swear that his cause will be triumphant and it will spread far and wide.” His people said to him: “Leave us alone. Do not try to expose us to risks that we cannot take.”
Listening to this dialogue, the Prophet hoped to persuade Maysarah to accept Islam. He spoke to him alone. Maysarah replied: “What you say is certainly good and enlightening. But my people oppose me. A person can only be strong when supported by his people. Otherwise, he is less likely to find support with those who are less close to him.”
Maysarah thus made his own position clear. He was not prepared to take a decision on his own.
He wanted to be with his people, even though he realized that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was preaching a true message from God that was certain to triumph. Therefore the Prophet left him.
When those people finished their business in Makkah, they left going back to their people. As they were approaching Fadak, Maysarah said to them: “Let us go into Fadak, where Jews live. We can ask them about the man from the Quraysh.” They dropped in to Fadak and asked the Jews about him. Some Jewish rabbis brought out a book and referred to what it says about God’s final messenger. They read to their questioners his description in their books: “ ‘An unlettered Arab prophet who rides a camel, is satisfied with a small piece of bread for food, neither tall nor short, with hair that is neither curly not flat, and eyes that have some reddishness, and he is white with a red tinge.’ If this is your man, then follow him and accept his religion. We, the Jews, will envy him and refuse to follow him. There will be some encounters between him and us which will bring us much grief. All the Arabs will either follow him or fight him. So make sure of being among his followers.”
On hearing this, Maysarah said to his people: “This is now a clear issue.” Some of them said: “We will go back next pilgrimage season and meet him.” They went to their place, but their tribesmen refused their suggestion. Therefore, none of them accepted Islam.
Years went by, and the Prophet immigrated to Madinah. By the end of his mission, when he was on his farewell pilgrimage, he recognized Maysarah as he met him. Maysarah said to him: “Messenger of God! I was always keen to follow you ever since you visited us in our camp, but God has willed my acceptance of Islam to be delayed. Most of the people who were with me at the time have died. What will be their position on the Day of Judgment?” The Prophet said: “Anyone who dies following a religion other than that of Islam, i.e. self-surrender to God, will be in hell.” Maysarah said: “All praise be to God for saving me.” He became a good Muslim, and Abu Bakr accorded to him a position of respect.
It seems that reference to the Jews to confirm whether Muhammad was a true prophet was done by several Arab tribes. The Jews lived in several areas in Arabia, such as Yathrib, which was later called Madinah, Khaybar, Fadak and Wadi Al-Qura. The Arabs recognized that the Jews had knowledge that was not available to them, particularly what is recorded in their scriptures. Hence, when the Quraysh felt that they needed advice about Muhammad’s message, they sent two of their number to Madinah to ask the Jews about Muhammad. Yet another incident of seeking Jewish advice involved the tribe of Kindah.
The Prophet visited the Kindah pilgrims in their quarters at Ukaz. None of the Arab delegations were more gentle and kindly in their response to his approach. When the Prophet realized that, he continued to speak to them, outlining the main principles of his message. He said to them: “I am calling on you to believe in God alone, who has no partners, and I am asking you to defend me as you defend your own people. If I attain victory, you have all the choice you need.”
Most of them appreciated what he said, expressing their admiration, but they nevertheless said: “We still worship what our forefathers worshipped.” The youngest man among them appealed to them: “My people! Be the first to follow this man before some other tribe beat you to him. The people who have scriptures have always been telling us that a prophet will be sent in the Haram area near the Kaaba and that the time is ripe for him to come.” But there was a one-eyed man among them who said: “Listen to what I have to say. This man’s clan are driving him out and you wish to take him to yourselves! By so doing, you will be targeted by all Arabs. Do you want to do that? Certainly not.”
The Prophet left them with a sad feeling. Those pilgrims went back to their people and reported what happened to them. A Jewish man who listened to their report said to them: “By God, you have made a big mistake. Had you taken this man, you would have gained supremacy over all Arabs. We find his description in our scriptures.” The people who met the Prophet described him to the Jewish man, and he confirmed that he was the one described in the Torah. He then said to them: “We learn that he begins his mission in Makkah and that he immigrates to Yathrib.”
The people decided that they would be going to do the pilgrimage again the following year in order to meet the Prophet. However, one of their chiefs prevented them from traveling, and none went to pilgrimage that season. The Jew later died, and he was heard on his deathbed declaring that Muhammad was the true prophet and that he believed in his message.
