In the Year of Drought, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab Radi-Allahu ‘anhu, along
with a great number of Muslims, went out into a vast open area to perform Salât
for rain and supplicate Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to send down
rain. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab Radi-Allahu ‘anhu held Abbâs's Radi-Allahu
‘anhu right hand in his right hand and raised it towards the sky and
supplicated, "O Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, we used to ask You for rain
for the Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam sake while he was
alive. O Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, today, we ask you for rain for the
sake of the Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam uncle. So please
send down rain on us." The Muslim congregation did not leave until rain poured
announcing glad tidings, irrigation, and fertility.
The Companions rushed to embrace Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu and express
their affection for his blessed status saying, "Rejoice! You are now the
provider of water of the two Harâm's."
What was the man who was called the provider of water of the two Harâm's really
like? Who was this man for whose sake ` 'Umar bin Al-Khattab Radi-Allahu
‘anhu beseeched Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to send down rain, not
with- standing ` 'Umar's bin Al-Khattab Radi-Allahu ‘anhu piety,
precedence, and high station well-known to Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, His
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam and the believers? He was
Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu, the Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa
Sallam uncle. The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam held him
in great esteem. His reverence and love for him were inseparable. He always
praised his good nature saying, "He is the only one left of my family."
Abbâs Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was the most generous man of
the Quraish. Moreover, he was good to his relatives and maintained the bond of
kinship!
Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu, just like Hamza Radi-Allahu ‘anhu, was
nearly the same age as the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam,
being only two or three years older. Thus, Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa
Sallam
and his uncle Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu were of the same age and generation
as children and as young men. Being relatives was not the only bond that made
them close friends. They were tied by the bonds of age and life- time
friendship.
In addition, Abbâs's Radi-Allahu ‘anhu good nature and excellent manners
complemented the Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam standards
of judgment, for Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was excessively generous, as if
he was the sponsor of good and noble deeds towards humanity. He treasured
kinship bonds and cherished his family and relatives. He put himself, his
influence, and his money at their disposal.
Moreover, he was an extremely intelligent man. His intelligence was tinged with
craftiness. This, along with his high station among the Quraish, enabled him to
avert mischief and abuse against the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa
Sallam when he began to invite people openly to embrace Islâm.
As we have mentioned before, Hamza Radi-Allahu ‘anhu treated the
Quraish's oppression and injustice and
Abű
Jahl's
arrogance and hostility with his devastating sword. As for Abbâs Radi-Allahu
‘anhu, he treated them with a kind of intelligence and craftiness that
benefited Islâm in the same way that swords did to protect and defend its
existence and victory. A group of historians mentioned Abbâs Radi-Allahu
‘anhu among those who were last in embracing Islâm, for his Islâm was not
announced openly until the year of the Conquest of Makkah. However, others
narrated that he was foremost in submitting himself to Islâm but that he hid his
faith.
Abű
Rafi'a
,
the Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam servant, said, "I was
Abbâs's Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib Radi-Allahu ‘anhu slave when Islâm dawned on
the family of the house. Thus, Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu,
Um
Al-Fadl Radi-Allahu 'anha
and I submitted ourselves to Islâm, but Abbâs' Radi-Allahu ‘anhu hid his
Islâm." This is Abű Rafi'a statement in which he witnessed Abbâs's Ibn Abd
Al-Muttalib Radi-Allahu ‘anhu Islâm before the Battle of Badr.
Consequently, Abbâs' Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was a foremost Muslim. His
staying in Makkah despite the Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam
Hijrah was a premeditated plan which bore fruit. The Quraish neither hid their
suspicions of Abbâs's Radi-Allahu ‘anhu real intentions, nor could
they find a reason to show hostility to him, especially when he showed nothing
but adherence to their way of life and religion.
When the Battle of Badr took place, the Quraish found their golden opportunity
to unveil Abbâs's Radi-Allahu ‘anhu real allegiance. Abbâs
Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was a shrewd man who detected, at once, the evil
plots which the Quraish resorted to alleviate their anguish and loss.
If Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was able to inform the Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam in Madînah of the Quraish's plans and
preparation! they would still succeed in leading him into a battle which he did
not believe in and did not want. However, it would be a temporary success which
would soon turn into a devastating upheaval.
The two armies met in combat in the Battle of Badr. The Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam called his Companions saying, "There are men of
Banî Hishâm and of other clans of the tribe who were forced to march forth. They
do not really want to fight us. Therefore if any of you meet one of them during
the battle, I order you to spare his life. Do not kill Abű Al-Bakhtariy Ibn
Hishâm Ibn Al-Harith Ibn Assad. Do not kill Abbâs Ibn`Abd Al-Muttalib
Radi-Allahu ‘anhu, for he was forced to go forth in this battle."
Now, the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam was not favouring his
uncle Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu with a privilege, for it was neither the
occasion nor the time for privileges. Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu
‘Alaihi Wa Sallam would not intercede on his uncle's behalf - while the battle
reached the apex of atrocity and while he saw his companions struck down in the
battle of truth if he knew that his uncle was one of the disbelievers. Indeed,
if the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam had been ordered
not to even ask for Allâh's Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala forgiveness for his uncle
Abi Tâlib, despite his endless support, help, and sacrifice for Islâm, then how
could he order the Muslims who were killing their own disbelieving fathers and
brothers in the Battle of Badr to make an exception for his uncle and spare his
life? It certainly does not seem logical or feasible. The only logical
explanation is that the Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam knew his
uncle's secret and hidden allegiance and his secret services for Islâm. He also
knew that he was forced to go forth to the battle. Therefore, it was his duty to
save him as far as he was able to.
If Abű Al-Bakhtariy Ibn Al-Harith won the Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu
‘Alaihi Wa Sallam intercession although he did not hide his Islâm nor support it as
Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu did, it was because he refused to take part in
the Quraish's abuse and oppression against the Muslims. Second, he went forth to
battle out of embarrassment and compulsion. Was not a Muslim who hid his Islâm
and supported it openly and secretly in many notable situations more worthy of
this intercession? Indeed, Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was that Muslim and
that helper. Let us go back in time to prove this statement.
When 73 men and two women from a delegation of the Ansâr came to Makkah during
the Hajj season to take the oath of allegiance to the Prophet in the Second
Pledge of Al-'Aqabah and to make preparations with the Prophet for the imminent
emigration of the Muslims to Madînah, the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi
Wa Sallam informed his uncle Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu concerning all
that went on between him and the delegation and about the pledge, for he trusted
his uncle and treasured his opinion.
When it was time for the secret meeting, the Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam and his uncle Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu went
to where the Ansâr were waiting for them. Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu wanted
to test their loyalty and ability to help and protect the Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam.
Now, let us hear one of the delegation, Ka'b Ibn Mâlik Radi-Allahu 'anhu
narrate the proceedings of this meeting: We sat in the ravine waiting for the
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam until he arrived accompanied
by his uncle. Abbâs Ibn Abd Al- Muttalib Radi-Allahu ‘anhu said, "O
people of Banî Khazraj, you are well aware of Prophet Muhammad's Sallallahu
‘Alaihi Wa Sallam lineage. We have prevented our people from abusing him. He
lives here protected and supported by his people and in his own country, yet he
prefers to accompany you and emigrate to Madînah. So, on the one hand, if you
are certain that you will be capable of giving him sufficient help, protection,
and safety, then fulfil your pledge to the fullest. On the other hand, if you
intend to forsake and thwart him after he has emigrated to you, then you had
better show him your true colours now before it is too late."
As Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu uttered these decisive words, his eyes were
surveying the Ansâr's faces in order to trace and observe their reflexes and
reaction to his words. Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was not satisfied with
what he saw, for his great intelligence was a practical one that investigated
tangible and solid facts and confronted them from all their angles with the
scrutiny of a calculating expert.
Hence, he posed an intelligent question: "Describe to me your combat readiness
and war strategy." Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was astute enough and
experienced with the nature and disposition of the Quraish to realize that war
between Islâm and disbelief was inevitable, for on the one hand there was no way
that the Quraish would accept to forsake their religion, glory, and arrogance.
On the other hand, Islâm would not yield its legitimate rights to the power of
falsehood. The question was, Would the people of Madînah stand firmly behind the
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam at the outbreak of war?
Were they, technically speaking, on the same level of expertise in the tactics
of war, attack, and retreat as the Quraish were ? That was what Abbâs
Radi-Allahu ‘anhu had in mind when he asked them to describe their combat
readiness and war strategy.
The Ansâr were firm as a mass of mountain as they listened to `Abbâs
Radi-Allahu ‘anhu. No sooner had he finished asking this provocative
question than the Ansâr spoke: "By Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, we are
given to warfare. We are men of soldierly bearing. We were raised on the tactics
of war and trained to fight. We inherited excellent warfare expertise from our
fathers and grandfathers. We have learned to keep on shooting arrows until the
last one. We have learned to stab with our spears until they break. We have
learned to carry our swords and strike hard until either we or our enemy is
vanquished."
Abbâs Radi-Allahu ‘anhu was overjoyed as he said, "I can tell from what I
have just heard that you are masters of warfare, but do you have armour?" They
answered, "Of course, we have armour, shields, and helmets."
Afterwards, a great and magnificent dialogue occurred between the Prophet
Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam and the Ansâr, which we will narrate
in detail later on. That was Abbâs's Radi-Allahu ‘anhu attitude at The
Second Pledge of Al-'Aqabah. Whether he had already embraced Islâm or had not
yet taken his final decision does not change the fact that his great attitude
determined his forthcoming role in contributing to the eclipse of the power of
darkness and the imminent dawn of Islâm. Moreover, it sheds light on his
outstanding stout-heartedness.
Finally, the Battle of Hunain took place, offering more evidence of the
self-sacrifice of this quiet and compassionate man whose impressive and immortal
heroism would be projected on the battlefield only under pressing necessity.
Otherwise, this innate heroism would dwell in his innermost self, yet it would
always be lurking there.
In A.H. 8 and after Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala had enabled His Prophet
Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam and Islâm to achieve the Conquest of
Makkah, some of the influential tribes in the Arab Peninsula were enraged by the
quick victory that this new religion had achieved in such a short time.
Therefore, the
Banî
Hawaazan, Banî Thaqif, Banî Nasr, Banî Jusham,
and other tribes held a meeting and agreed to wage a decisive war against the
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam and the Muslims. Now, we
should not let the word "tribes" mislead us into underestimating the gravity of
the wars that the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam fought
throughout his life. We must not think that they were small- scale skirmishes in
the mountains. On the contrary, these tribal wars, fought at the tribes'
strongholds, were far more difficult and atrocious than ordinary wars. If we
bear this fact in mind we would not only have an accurate evaluation of the
incredible effort exerted by the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa
Sallam and his Companions, but also a correct and trustworthy one of the
value of this great victory achieved by Islâm and the believers, and an
illuminated insight into Allâh's Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala guidance that was
conspicuous in their success and victory.
As we have said, the tribes gathered in endless waves of fierce warriors. There
were 12,000 warriors in the Muslim army. Twelve thousand? Who were these
warriors ? They were those who, not a long time before, had liberated Makkah,
dragging the power of polytheism and idolatry to the last and bottomless abyss,
and had raised their flags across the horizon without rivalry or competition.
This was undoubtedly an unprecedented victory that made pride stealthily creep
into the victorious Muslims. In the final analysis, the Muslims were only human
beings. Their large numbers and great achievement in Makkah made them vulnerable
to pride. Consequently they said, "We shall not be overcome by a small group."
Their depending solely on their military power, solely and pride in their
military conquest were unrighteous sentiments that they would quickly recover
from through a painful yet curing shock which was awaiting them, for heaven was
preparing them for a much more glorious and elevated end than war. The curing
shock was a sudden large-scale defeat shortly after the two armies met in fierce
combat. The Muslims at once supplicated Allâh Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in
humiliation and submission. They perceived that there was no fleeing from Allâh
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, no refuge but with Him, and there was no power but
His. These supplications flowed throughout the battlefield, turning defeat into
victory.
Accordingly, the glorious Qur'ân Al Kareem descended addressing the
Muslims:
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