The Prophet (peace be upon him) established a rule in the Muslim community making it coherent and closely knit where any individual could give a pledge on its behalf and the whole community would honor that pledge. This was stipulated in what is known as the Madinah Document, which was the first written constitution in human history. He even made a further departure from Arabian tradition, extending this to women, because under Islam, men and women are equal enjoying the same status.
At the time when Makkah fell to Islam, the unbelievers of the Quraysh were in great fear, although the Prophet had pledged that everyone who stayed indoors would be safe. Still some of them who had been outspoken, or more determinedly active, in their hostility to Islam were unsure of their safety and feared that they would come to grief. Two of these, Al-Harith ibn Hisham and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabeeah, managed to seek refuge with Umm Hani’ bint Abu Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and Ali’s sister, as they were related to her husband. She gave them her pledge of protection. Soon afterward her brother, Ali, came in and looked at the two unbelievers before he pulled out his sword and jumped toward them. She stood up shielding them, and she spoke to him in anger, saying: “You among all people would do this to me?” He said: “How can you give protection to idolaters?” He then went out.
Umm Hani’ went straight to the Prophet and said: “Messenger of God! I have been in great trouble with my mother’s son. I could hardly escape him. I extended protection to two of my husband’s relatives, who are still idolaters, but he jumped at them trying to kill them.” The Prophet said: “He cannot do that. We protect those to whom you have extended protection. They are certainly safe.” She went back to them and told them. Both returned home, knowing that no one would take any action against them.
Some time later, the Prophet was told by some of his companions that the two men were attending their normal circle, wearing their best clothes and enjoying themselves. The Prophet said: “No one can trouble them. We have given them a pledge of safety.”
But how did they feel during those days? They saw that people around them were joining Islam in scores. They realized that their old beliefs were false. And they saw the sort of community Islam has forged out, where love and brotherhood constituted the central social tie among all Muslims. Could they keep up their opposition to Islam, even though it might be a muted opposition? They were men of intelligence and they could easily see that Islam was the true religion. Al-Harith reports: “I felt too embarrassed that the Prophet should see me. I was aware that he only saw me with the unbelievers in all battles, but I also remembered that he was most kind and compassionate. Therefore, I went close to the mosque so that I might see him. I saw him as he was inside the mosque and he looked at me with a beaming face. He stopped waiting for me to join him. As I drew close to him, I greeted him and declared my belief in Islam. He said: ‘All praise be to God that He has guided you. A person like you cannot be oblivious of the truth of Islam.’”
Another former opponent of Islam was Al-Nudayr ibn Al-Harith of the Abd Al-Dar clan, who is described by some of his own people as a man of great knowledge. In his later years, Al-Nudayr used to say: “All praise is due to God who has been kind to us, guiding us to accept Islam, and honored us by sending Muhammad as His Messenger. All praise is due to Him that we have not died like our fathers of old.”
Remembering his old days, Al-Nudayr said: “I used to be with the Quraysh forces in every campaign, until the year when the Prophet entered Makkah without a fight. He then marched to Hunayn to fight the Hawazin tribe. We went out with him intending that if the going were against him, we would lend a hand to his opponents. But we could not do that. He went back after achieving victory and reached Al-Jiirranah. I still nurtured these thoughts when I saw the Prophet meeting me with a delighted face. He said: ‘Nudayr! Shall I tell you of something that is much better for you than what you wished to do on the day of the Battle of Hunayn?’ I moved quickly to him, and he said to me: ‘It is time that you should see the reality of the attitude you used to take.’ I said: ‘I might indeed see.’ He prayed: ‘My Lord! Increase his firmness.’ By God who sent him with the message of the truth, my heart is as firm in belief and in supporting the truth as solid stone.’
Al-Nudayr went back home. Some time later, a man came to him and said: ‘God’s Messenger has ordered that you be given a gift of one hundred camels. I hope you will grant me a portion of it, as I have a debt which I need to repay.’ Al-Nudayr felt that he did not want to take the gift. He thought that the Prophet wanted to strengthen his commitment to Islam, and to win his heart over. He said: ‘I do not want to be bribed for becoming a Muslim.’” However, he kept reflecting that he neither requested nor hinted that he would like to have such a gift. Therefore, he took the camels and gave ten of them to the man who gave him the news.
We see here an example of the sensitivity reflected by the early Muslims. Al-Nudayr thought of the gift as though it was a bribe, or that the Prophet might have felt that he needed to win him over in a more committed way. However the realization that he never hinted that he would welcome such a gift made him take the Prophet’s gift. Anyone who refuses the Prophet’s gift for no real reason is sure to offend him. Al-Nudayr did not wish to offend the Prophet so soon after becoming a Muslim. He took the gift and was generous to the man giving him news of it.
These very generous gifts the Prophet gave to yesterday’s opponents of Islam were meant to replace their old hatred of the new faith with genuine love of it. Nothing could strengthen the resolve to follow the truth of such people better than making them feel that they were truly part and parcel of the Muslim community. We have seen several of these speaking about their change of heart after receiving such gifts. Yet the Prophet describes these rich gifts as a “trifling of this world’s comforts.” It is an apt description for this whole world is nothing when compared with the world beyond.
