Prophet Muhammad and the Emperor Heraclius were contemporaries. Born only 5 years apart, they both lived into their sixties. The reign of Heraclius was marked by ups and downs in military success. In 609CE, when he was 40, Muhammad received the first revelations that marked the beginning of his prophetic mission. In 610CE Heraclius deposed Procus as Emperor and took his place, but the beginning of his reign was marked by the defeat of his armies in Palestine and Turkey between 614 and 619CE. These defeats, and the subsequent victory the Romans would enjoy, were mentioned in the Quran at the time:
“The Romans have been defeated in the nearer land; and they, after their defeat, will be victorious. Within three to nine years.” (Quran 30:2-4)
The reconquest by the Romans of the lands ceded to Khosrau started in 625 and ended in triumph in 627CE. The following year, Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, sent a letter to Heraclius by the hand of Dihya al-Kalbi, by way of the governor of Bostra al-Sham, in Syria.
One morning, Heraclius got up in a sad mood. Some of the priests asked him why.
Being one who practiced astrology, Heraclius had been attempting to map out the future.
In reply to the enquiry, he said, “Last night I was looking at the stars, and I saw that a leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (and would conqueror all before him). Who are they who practice circumcision?”
The priests replied, “Except the Jews nobody practices circumcision, and you needn’t be afraid of them; just issue orders to kill every Jew present in the country.”
While they were discussing it, a messenger sent by the King of Ghassan [ a vassal state of the Roman empire in Greater Syria administered by an Arab king loyal to Byzantium] to convey the news of the Messenger of God to Heraclius was brought in.
Having heard the news, Heraclius ordered the priest check whether the messenger from Ghassan was circumcised. After having him physically examined, they reported that the man was circumcised. Heraclius then asked the messenger about the custom of the Arabs. The messenger replied, “Arabs also practice circumcision.”
When he heard this, Heraclius said, “The reign of the Arabs has began and their kingdom is about to become manifest.”
In 629CE, Heraclius re-conquered Jerusalem triumphantly bearing what was said to be the original cross venerated by the Christians, and which the Khosrau II had taken as booty 15 years previously. While resident there, the letter Muhammad had sent, perhaps a year earlier, came to his hand. When he read it, he enquired about the presence of someone from the author’s people in the territory he controlled, and was told of Abu Sufyan’s trade caravan from Mecca, which was trading nearby. He, with his companions, was summoned to the Emperor’s court in Jerusalem, appearing before Heraclius who had his Byzantine Grandees around him.
Heraclius called for his interpreter so as to question them, commanding him to ask who among them was the closest in kinship to the man who claimed to be a prophet.
Abu Sufyan replied, “I am the nearest relative to him (in this group).”
Heraclius asked, “And what is the relationship between you and him?”
Abu Sufyan said, “He is my (distant) cousin on the spear side.”
Heraclius said, “Bring him closer!” and had Abu Sufyan’s companions placed behind him, at his shoulders. Then he ordered his interpreter, “Tell his companions that I am going to question him about the man who claims to be a prophet, so if he tells a lie, immediately repudiate it as a lie.”
“How is the lineage of this man among you?” the Roman Emperor continued.
“He is of noble descent.” Abu Sufyan replied.
Heraclius further enquired, “Has anybody among you ever previously claimed the same as he does?” “Was he prone to lying before he claimed what he has claimed?” “Was anybody among his ancestors a king?”
To each question Abu Sufyan could only answer, “No.”
“Do the highborn or the humble among his people listen to him?”
Abu Sufyan replied, “The powerless, rather than the highborn, follow him.”
He said, “Are they increasing or decreasing in number?”
“They are increasing,” was the reply.
He then asked, “Does anybody among those who embrace his religion turn away discontent and renounce it after a while?”
“No.”
Heraclius said, “Does he break his covenants?”
The caravan leader replied, “No. We have a truce with him now, but we fear he may betray us.”
The questioning relentlessly continued: “Have you ever fought each other?”
“Yes.”
“How do the battles turn out?”
“Sometimes he wins the battles and sometimes we win them.”
“What does he order you to do (when he preaches)?
“He tells us to worship God alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all the idols that our ancestors have taught us to worship. He orders us to pray, give charity, be chaste, fulfill promises and discharge our trusts to kith and kin.”
Abu Sufyan was to later admit that he would have lied about the Prophet if he hadn’t been afraid of the shame of having his colleagues (listening behind him) spread reports that he was a liar. So he answered as truthfully as he could. He also mentioned the part that he had feared betrayal from Muhammad and those he led because it presented the best opportunity he had to slip in a negative statement against him.
After he had finished interrogating Abu Sufyan about the Prophet, Heraclius decided to tell him what he had learned from the interview. His interpreter conveyed his analysis.
He said: “I asked you about his lineage among you, and you stated that he was of sound lineage. Indeed, all the Messengers of God come from sound lineages among their respective peoples.
“Then I asked if anybody had claimed what he claims before him among your tribe, and your reply was that none had. If you had said others had made such a claim, I would have assumed he was following that which had been said before him.
“I further asked if you had found him a liar before he said what he said, and you said that you had not. I know that a person who does not lie about other men would never lie about God.
“And I asked you if any of his ancestors had been a king. If your reply had been an affirmative, I would have thought that the man was seeking to restore his ancestral kingdom.
“Then I enquired whether the highborn or the humble followed him, and you told me his followers were mainly humble people. Indeed, they are invariably the followers of Messengers.
“Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing, and you informed me that they were increasing. And so it is with true faith until it is complete.
“I further asked you whether there was anybody who embraces the religion he teaches who turns away discontent and renounces it after a while. Your reply was in the negative, which is how true faith is, when the delight of it mixes completely with their hearts.
“And I asked you whether you fought one another, to which you replied affirmatively, adding that the fortunes of war were sometimes in his favor and sometimes in yours. So it is with all Messengers, but the final victory will be with him.
“I asked you whether he is ever treacherous, and you said he is not. So it is with all the Messengers; they never act treacherously.
“Then I asked you what he enjoins upon you in the religion he preaches. You stated that he orders you to worship God alone, and not associate any thing with Him, and not worship the idols of your ancestors. And that he enjoins you to pray and give charity, to be chaste, fulfill covenants and discharge trusts. And this is the description of what a prophet does.”
Thus did The Byzantine Caesar acknowledge the prophethood of the Messenger of God.
After Heraclius had confirmed that he believed Muhammad to be a prophet, he said:
“I knew that he was going to appear, but I did not know that he would be from among you. If what you have said is true, he will rule the very ground beneath my feet; if I knew I would definitely see him in person, I would undertake the journey to meet him; and if I were with him, I would wash his feet.”
It is apparent that he ‘knew’, or at least suspected, that a powerful prophet had arisen among the Arab people. It was at this stage that he asked for the letter he had received from the Messenger of God so as to read it aloud to the assembly:
{In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
This letter is from Muhammad the slave of God and His Messenger to Heraclius, the ruler of the Byzantines.
Peace be upon him who follows the right path.
I am writing this invitation to call you to Islam. If you become a Muslim you will be safe - and God will double your reward, but if you reject this invitation of Islam you will bear the sin of having misguided your subjects. Thus do I urge you to heed the following:
“O People of the Scriptures! Come to a word common to you and us that we worship none but Allah and that we associate nothing in worship with Him, and that none of us shall take others as Lords beside Allah. Then if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.”
Muhammad, the Messenger of God}
When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the letter, there was a great hue and cry in the Royal Court, so the Meccans were ejected. Abu Sufyan wondered aloud to his companions, “The affairs of ibn abi-Kabsha (the Prophet] have become so prominent that even the King of the Bani-Asfar (the fair skinned ones) fears him.”
Meanwhile, Heraclius had written a letter to a friend in Rome concerning the letter he had received whose knowledge he trusted as comparable to his own. Then he left Jerusalem for Homs (Emesa in Roman times) in Syria, where he awaited the reply.
When he received the reply from his friend, he saw that the man agreed that the signs portended the appearance of a new leader, and that the leader was the expected prophet. On that, Heraclius invited all the Grandees of Byzantium to assemble in his palace at Homs.
When his Grandees had assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and said, “O Byzantines! If success is your desire and if you seek right guidance and want your Empire to remain, then give a pledge of allegiance to the emerging Prophet!
On hearing this invitation, the Grandees of the Church ran towards the gates of the palace like a herd of wild asses, but found the doors closed. Heraclius, realizing their hatred towards Islam, lost hope that they would ever embrace Islam, and he ordered that they should be brought back to the audience room. After they returned, he said, “What I have just said was simply to test the strength of your conviction, and I have seen it.
The people prostrated before him and became pleased with him, and Heraclius turned away from faith.
A legend has grown up around the events at Homs. It is said that Heraclius first suggested that his bishops embrace Islam, but when they refused, he suggested that the Empire pay tribute to the Prophet of Islam. When they refused this in turn, he suggested making peace with the Muslims and agreeing to a pact of non-belligerence. When this too was refused, he left Syria for Byzantium, and gave up all interest in preserving the Empire south and east of Antioch – never taking the field against the Muslim advance in person, and sending incompetent generals as the defenders of his Middle Eastern lands. What is certain is that he treated the letter and the claim to prophethood therein seriously, and he made every effort to sway his people before turning back.
Many may think that Heraclius secretly became Muslim, for he sought to establish whether Muhammad’s prophetic claim was true by considering his background, motivations, and effects on his people; his character, accomplishments and message. Judging from his reply to Abu Sufyan and the invitation to his pillars of society in Homs, he seems to have been convinced that Muhammad was genuine. Perhaps his heart was swayed towards the monotheism expressed by Muhammad in his letter, and he certainly tried to follow his advice to avoid the sin of misguiding those he ruled. His subjects, however, proved too strong in their rejection, and he capitulated to their pressure, unable to submit to this new faith because he feared the rebellion of the people. For this reason, like the uncle of the Prophet, Abu Talib, who believed that Muhammad was a prophet and guarded him throughout his latter life until death but still did not submit to Islam due to the shame brought on by his peers, Heraclius died as a disbeliever in Islam and the Prophet of God.
To be continued....
Friday 24 March 2017
Friday 17 March 2017
THE STORY OF AN EARLY CHRISTIAN: WARAQAH SON OF NAWFAL
Waraqah son of Nawfal was related to Khadeejah daughter of Khuwaylid, the wife of Prophet Muhammad. Waraqah was a respected man of his time and a well-known Christian scholar. He was also one of those who used to translate Christian holy texts into Arabic. Khadeejah brought the Prophet to Waraqah after the Prophet received his first revelation in the cave of ‘Hiraa.
The revelation had left the Prophet shaken and terrified. He had rushed home to his wife, overwhelmed by the experience. Khadeejah calmed him down and took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal. Khadeejah said:
"O son of my uncle, listen to what your nephew says"
After the Prophet related the whole incident to him, Waraqah said:
“This is the Namoos (Gabriel = the Holy Spirit) that used to come to Moses.”
Waraqah told the Prophet of the calamities that he would face from the first day of his Prophethood.
He said: “Would that I were a young man, would that I would be alive when your people expel you.”
The Messenger of God said: “Will they expel me?”
He said: “Yes. No man has ever come with that which you have brought but he was faced with hostility. If I live to see that day, I will support you strongly…”
Waraqah was a learned man. He was a believer in Jesus and a monotheist.
He understood the features of the revelation in the account that the Prophet gave him. Furthermore, Waraqah fully and sincerely supported Muhammad (pbuh) even though he had not yet become a prophet. He believed that Muhammad was the last awaited prophet.
Waraqah encouraged Muhammad (pbuh) to be patient if his people persecuted him and expelled him. He also encouraged him to continue his call, without ever doubting that God The Almighty would protect him from the polytheists of the Quraysh.
When the Prophet's Companions were not certain whether Waraqah was to be regarded as a believer, the Prophet said:
“Do not revile Waraqah, for I saw that he will be in the Garden (Paradise), or will have two gardens.”
Peace be upon those who acknowledge the truth from their Lord.
The revelation had left the Prophet shaken and terrified. He had rushed home to his wife, overwhelmed by the experience. Khadeejah calmed him down and took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal. Khadeejah said:
"O son of my uncle, listen to what your nephew says"
After the Prophet related the whole incident to him, Waraqah said:
“This is the Namoos (Gabriel = the Holy Spirit) that used to come to Moses.”
Waraqah told the Prophet of the calamities that he would face from the first day of his Prophethood.
He said: “Would that I were a young man, would that I would be alive when your people expel you.”
The Messenger of God said: “Will they expel me?”
He said: “Yes. No man has ever come with that which you have brought but he was faced with hostility. If I live to see that day, I will support you strongly…”
Waraqah was a learned man. He was a believer in Jesus and a monotheist.
He understood the features of the revelation in the account that the Prophet gave him. Furthermore, Waraqah fully and sincerely supported Muhammad (pbuh) even though he had not yet become a prophet. He believed that Muhammad was the last awaited prophet.
Waraqah encouraged Muhammad (pbuh) to be patient if his people persecuted him and expelled him. He also encouraged him to continue his call, without ever doubting that God The Almighty would protect him from the polytheists of the Quraysh.
When the Prophet's Companions were not certain whether Waraqah was to be regarded as a believer, the Prophet said:
“Do not revile Waraqah, for I saw that he will be in the Garden (Paradise), or will have two gardens.”
Peace be upon those who acknowledge the truth from their Lord.
Friday 10 March 2017
THE STORY OF AN EARLY CHRISTIAN: BAHEERAH THE MONK
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had many champions among the early Christians, and they, having read about the emergence of a new prophet in their religious books, were quite supportive of him.
The first of these Christians was a monk called Baheerah, who the Prophet met as a boy of twelve. This was when the Prophet was travelling with his uncle Abu Taalib, in a merchant caravan heading to Ash-Shaam. The caravan stopped near Baheerah’s house for the travelers to rest.
Baheerah had studied ancient scriptures and religious texts from which he had learnt of the coming of a final prophet. He was convinced that this prophet would appear in his own lifetime, and his anticipation increased every time a caravan of Arab merchants passed by where he lived. Therefore, he was struck and awed at the arrival of a caravan from Mecca which, to his amazement, was shaded by a cloud hovering closely above them. The cloud moved as the caravan moved, and did not go any further when they stopped. It appeared as though it were providing shade for one person or all those in the caravan. When he also noticed that a tree lowered its branches over the caravan to provide further shade, he immediately realized that there must be someone extraordinary in the caravan.
Baheerah invited all the travelers from the caravan to a meal in his house, but none of their features had the traits of the awaited prophet. He inquired if there was anyone who had not joined the meal. It was then that he received news that a young boy, Muhammad, had been left outside to guard the caravan. Baheerah could not wait to see the boy, and when he did, he realized that this was the awaited prophet who carried all the signs that he was supposed to have, as described in the religious books that Baheerah had studied. When the caravan was going to leave, Baheerah told Abu Taalib, the uncle of the Prophet to take the boy back to Mecca as soon as possible, in order to guard him against those who might try to harm him.
Here was a Christian monk who did not forge facts or hide them, but was honest enough to know and acknowledge the truth of what he had seen: that the last prophet had indeed been born but had not yet embarked on his mission.
Peace be upon those who acknowledge the truth from their Lord.
The first of these Christians was a monk called Baheerah, who the Prophet met as a boy of twelve. This was when the Prophet was travelling with his uncle Abu Taalib, in a merchant caravan heading to Ash-Shaam. The caravan stopped near Baheerah’s house for the travelers to rest.
Baheerah had studied ancient scriptures and religious texts from which he had learnt of the coming of a final prophet. He was convinced that this prophet would appear in his own lifetime, and his anticipation increased every time a caravan of Arab merchants passed by where he lived. Therefore, he was struck and awed at the arrival of a caravan from Mecca which, to his amazement, was shaded by a cloud hovering closely above them. The cloud moved as the caravan moved, and did not go any further when they stopped. It appeared as though it were providing shade for one person or all those in the caravan. When he also noticed that a tree lowered its branches over the caravan to provide further shade, he immediately realized that there must be someone extraordinary in the caravan.
Baheerah invited all the travelers from the caravan to a meal in his house, but none of their features had the traits of the awaited prophet. He inquired if there was anyone who had not joined the meal. It was then that he received news that a young boy, Muhammad, had been left outside to guard the caravan. Baheerah could not wait to see the boy, and when he did, he realized that this was the awaited prophet who carried all the signs that he was supposed to have, as described in the religious books that Baheerah had studied. When the caravan was going to leave, Baheerah told Abu Taalib, the uncle of the Prophet to take the boy back to Mecca as soon as possible, in order to guard him against those who might try to harm him.
Here was a Christian monk who did not forge facts or hide them, but was honest enough to know and acknowledge the truth of what he had seen: that the last prophet had indeed been born but had not yet embarked on his mission.
Peace be upon those who acknowledge the truth from their Lord.
Friday 3 March 2017
THE STORY OF AN EARLY CHRISTIAN: SALMAN THE PERSIAN PART 2
THE FIGHT AGAINST PERSECUTION
Today we are going to see how Salman as an early ex-Christian followed both Jesus and Prophet Muhammad throughout his life.
Salman was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing Muslim State. Towards the end of the fifth year after the Hijrah (The Migration), Prophet Muhammad got intelligence that a massive Quraysh army of about ten thousand strong, including a large cavalry force, had set out from Mecca in another major attempt to finish off the Muslims. They were to be joined by the Jews of Khaybar and other powerful Arab tribes like the Banu Asad and the Banu Ghatafan in a mighty alliance.
The Muslims had only a week to make preparations to defend themselves. The Prophet alerted the people, urged them to be steadfast and, as he had done before, summoned them to a consultation to discuss how to meet the grave threat. It is said that after several ideas were put forward, Salman eventually rose up and said:
"O Messenger of Allah, in Persia when we fear an attack of cavalry, we would surround ourselves with a trench, so let us dig a trench about us now."
The stunning suggestion was accepted. The course of the trench or khandaq was carefully planned with Salman advising on the width and depth. The Prophet made each section of the community responsible for a part of the trench. It was a massive undertaking. The work was strenuous and everyone, including the Prophet, dug and shifted the earth and boulders while chanting to keep their morale and spirits high. Salman being fit and strong and used to such hard labour is said to have done the work of ten men. While each section of the Muslims sought to claim Salman as its own, the Prophet was moved to say, "Salman is one of us, the people of (my) household."
The khandaq was completed in six days and not a moment too soon. The army of the Quraysh and their allies advanced and when they saw the Muslims camped outside the city, they were encouraged in their hope of putting an end to them as quickly as possible. When they drew nearer, however, they were amazed to see the broad trench that lay between them and the Muslim defenders on the other side. When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Meccans, saw the trench, he said, "This stratagem has not been employed by the Arabs before."
In the following days, the Quraysh made several attempts to breach the trench, but they all ended in failure. A long siege followed in which the Muslims' endurance was sorely tested, while they manned the trench day and night. In the end, the Quraysh and their allies had to withdraw in disarray. The strategy of the trench, the steadfastness of the Muslims and, above all, God's help saved the city and the Muslims from annihilation.
Jesus (peace and blessings of God be upon him) was never against fighting if it is done to eliminate injustice and iniquities of the society. Most people, especially the Muslims, Christians and Jews believe that when Jesus returns to earth at the end of time he will himself defeat the forces of evil and he alone has the power granted to him by God to defeat the Anti-Christ. He will unite and gather believers together from the ends of the earth. His rule will make people return to the fundamentals of faith and Law. He will be a leader who will fight God’s war against the disbelievers, and that this war will be followed by a peaceful hegemony in which God’s Law will prevail throughout the world. This event is envisioned to be just around the corner!
SINS FALL AWAY JUST AS LEAVES FALL AWAY
Salman continued in the service of the Prophet and stayed close to him in the few eventful years that followed. A better opportunity to acquire knowledge and wisdom could not be found. In every event, in every meeting, in every journey - there was something to be learned. The Prophet, for example, was once with Salman and another person under a tree. He took a dry branch from the tree and shook it and the leaves fell. He asked Salman:
"Salman, aren't you going to ask me why I have done this?"
"Why have you done this?" inquired Salman and the Prophet replied:
"When a Muslim make Ablution and does it well, then performs the five (daily) prescribed Prayer, his sins fall away just as these leaves fall away."
And then he recited the verse of the Quran: "And establish prayer at both ends of the day and during the early watches of the night. Indeed, good deeds drive away evil deeds. This is a reminder to those who are mindful (of God)." (Chapter Hud, 11:114)
Salman practiced what he learned. It is related that he was once with a group of Muslims engaged in dhikr or the remembrance of Almighty God. The Prophet passed by and so they stopped. He asked:
"What have you been saying?"
"We are remembering Allah, O Messenger of Allah."
"Go on saying (your words of remembrance)," encouraged the Prophet, "for indeed I saw grace and mercy descending upon you and I dearly love to share this with you." Then he said:
"Praise be to Allah Who has made such people among my Ummah with whom I am commanded to find calmness and patience in myself."
Salman proved to be a keen student and was regarded as one of the foremost scholars among the Muslims after the passing of the Prophet. It is related that when the well-known companion of the Prophet, Mu'adh ibn Jabal, was on his deathbed, a man who came to visit him began to weep.
"Why do you weep?" asked Mu'adh.
"Because of the knowledge that I would have gained from you," replied the man.
"Don't cry," said Mu'adh comfortingly, "for when I die, seek knowledge from four persons: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, 'Abdullah ibn Salam, Salman and Abu-d Darda."
As a scholar, Salman was noted for his vast knowledge and wisdom. 'Ali said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise. And Ka'b al-Ahbar said, "Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdom - an ocean that does not dry up."
LIVING BY THE SCRIPTURES
Salman had a knowledge of both the Christian scriptures and the Quran in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Salman translated parts of the Quran into Persian during the lifetime of the Prophet. He was thus the first person to translate the Quran into a foreign language.
Salman was keen to pass on his knowledge. It is related that while he was in a mosque in Ctesiphon, about a thousand people gathered about him. He told them to sit down and started to recite from Chapter Joseph in the Quran. They began to disperse until there were just about one hundred left. He became upset and said, "It is pleasant talk you want! But when I read the Book of Allah for you, you go away!"
In carrying out the instructions of the Prophet, he remained faithful and thorough. As the commander of a Muslim army besieging a castle in Persia, he was urged by his men to plunge immediately into attack.
"O Abu 'Abdullah!" they said, "shall we not attack them?"
He replied, "Let me invite them to Islam as I have heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying, 'Invite them (to Islam).'"
Salman then addressed the besieged, saying:
"I am a man from among you, a Persian. Do you see the Arabs obeying me? If you accept Islam, you will have what we have and you will be up against what we are up against. If you do not accept Islam, you can come under the protection of the Muslims on payment of the jizyah (military exemption tax)."
The Persians refused both these options and said to Salman, "We will fight you."
The Muslim forces called on Salman to attack them forthwith but he continued to invite them to Islam for three days. Only when they remained obstinate, did he give the command to attack and they conquered the fortress.
There are other examples of the wisdom and correct behaviour of Salman. It is related that he was once with a military post. Some distance away, a person began to recite the Quran from Chapter Maryam. A Jew listening to the recitation started to defame Mary and her son, Jesus. The Muslims became incensed and set upon the Jew, beating him so badly as to draw blood. The Jew went to Salman and complained, for it had become known that anyone who was wronged or unjustly treated could go to Salman. Salman went to those who had beaten the Jew and asked:
"Why did you beat up this man?"
"We were reading Chapter Maryam and he vilified Mary and her son," they replied.
Salman reprimanded the Muslims and urged them to exercise restraint and treat the protected people (ahl al-dhimmah) with honor. He quoted the Quanic verse: "Do not revile those whom they invoke instead of Allah lest they revile Allah out of spite and in ignorance." (Surah al-An'am, 6:108)
See how Salman followed the Scriptures! This event is a good lesson for all the modern-day Muslims who practice terrorism, murder innocent lives and commit suicide bombings in the name of religion!
SALMAN THE MUSLIM REMINDS US OF JESUS!
Salman became known as "Salman the Good". He was a scholar who lived a rough and ascetic life. He had one cloak that he wore and on which he slept. He would not seek the shelter of a roof but often stayed under a tree or against a wall. A man once said to him:
"Shall I not build you a house in which to live?"
"I have no need of a house," he replied.
The man persisted and said:
"I know the type of house that if you stand up in it, its roof will hurt your head and if you stretch your legs the wall will hurt them."
Later, as a governor of al-Mada'in (Ctesiphon) near Baghdad, Salman received a stipend of five thousand dirhams. This he would distribute as charity. He lived from the work of his own hands. When some people came to al-Mada'in and saw him working in the palm groves making baskets, they were amazed.
"You are the amir (=king) here and your sustenance is guaranteed and you do this work!"
"I like to eat from the work of my own hands," he replied.
Once Salman was being pressed to eat a little more from the food he was served but he insisted, "This is enough for me. This is enough for me. I have heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying, 'The one who fills his stomach the most in this world will be the hungriest in the Hereafter. O Salman, the world is but a prison for the believer and paradise for the disbeliever.'"
Salman, however, was not extreme in his asceticism. It is related that he once visited Abu-d Darda' with whom the Prophet had joined him in brotherhood. He found Abu-d Darda's wife in a miserable state and he asked:
"What is the matter with you?"
"Your brother has no need of anything in this world," she replied.
When Abu-d Darda' came, he welcomed Salman and gave him food. Salman told him to eat but Abu-d Darda' said:
"I am fasting."
"I swear to you that I shall not eat until you eat also."
Salman spent the night there as well. During the night, Abu-d Darda' got up to pray but Salman got hold of him and said:
"O Abu-d Darda', your Lord has a right over you. Your family has a right over you and your body has a right over you. Give to each its due."
In the morning, they prayed together and then went out to meet the Prophet. The Prophet supported Salman in what he had said.
Salman and Abu-d Darda' remained close friends. When apart, they often wrote to each other offering advice and support. Abu-d Darda' once wrote to Salman requesting him to make haste and return to the "holy land". Salman wrote back to him saying, "Surely the earth does not make anyone holy. It is only man's deeds which make him holy."
Salman, because of the influential household in which he grew up, might easily have continued to live a life of ease and luxury in the sprawling Persian empire of his time. His search for truth however led him, even before the Prophet had appeared, to renounce a comfortable and affluent life and even to suffer the indignities of slavery. According to the most reliable account, he died in the year 35 AH, during the caliphate of Uthman, at Ctesiphon.
Peace be upon those who acknowledge the truth from their Lord.
Today we are going to see how Salman as an early ex-Christian followed both Jesus and Prophet Muhammad throughout his life.
Salman was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing Muslim State. Towards the end of the fifth year after the Hijrah (The Migration), Prophet Muhammad got intelligence that a massive Quraysh army of about ten thousand strong, including a large cavalry force, had set out from Mecca in another major attempt to finish off the Muslims. They were to be joined by the Jews of Khaybar and other powerful Arab tribes like the Banu Asad and the Banu Ghatafan in a mighty alliance.
The Muslims had only a week to make preparations to defend themselves. The Prophet alerted the people, urged them to be steadfast and, as he had done before, summoned them to a consultation to discuss how to meet the grave threat. It is said that after several ideas were put forward, Salman eventually rose up and said:
"O Messenger of Allah, in Persia when we fear an attack of cavalry, we would surround ourselves with a trench, so let us dig a trench about us now."
The stunning suggestion was accepted. The course of the trench or khandaq was carefully planned with Salman advising on the width and depth. The Prophet made each section of the community responsible for a part of the trench. It was a massive undertaking. The work was strenuous and everyone, including the Prophet, dug and shifted the earth and boulders while chanting to keep their morale and spirits high. Salman being fit and strong and used to such hard labour is said to have done the work of ten men. While each section of the Muslims sought to claim Salman as its own, the Prophet was moved to say, "Salman is one of us, the people of (my) household."
The khandaq was completed in six days and not a moment too soon. The army of the Quraysh and their allies advanced and when they saw the Muslims camped outside the city, they were encouraged in their hope of putting an end to them as quickly as possible. When they drew nearer, however, they were amazed to see the broad trench that lay between them and the Muslim defenders on the other side. When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Meccans, saw the trench, he said, "This stratagem has not been employed by the Arabs before."
In the following days, the Quraysh made several attempts to breach the trench, but they all ended in failure. A long siege followed in which the Muslims' endurance was sorely tested, while they manned the trench day and night. In the end, the Quraysh and their allies had to withdraw in disarray. The strategy of the trench, the steadfastness of the Muslims and, above all, God's help saved the city and the Muslims from annihilation.
Jesus (peace and blessings of God be upon him) was never against fighting if it is done to eliminate injustice and iniquities of the society. Most people, especially the Muslims, Christians and Jews believe that when Jesus returns to earth at the end of time he will himself defeat the forces of evil and he alone has the power granted to him by God to defeat the Anti-Christ. He will unite and gather believers together from the ends of the earth. His rule will make people return to the fundamentals of faith and Law. He will be a leader who will fight God’s war against the disbelievers, and that this war will be followed by a peaceful hegemony in which God’s Law will prevail throughout the world. This event is envisioned to be just around the corner!
SINS FALL AWAY JUST AS LEAVES FALL AWAY
Salman continued in the service of the Prophet and stayed close to him in the few eventful years that followed. A better opportunity to acquire knowledge and wisdom could not be found. In every event, in every meeting, in every journey - there was something to be learned. The Prophet, for example, was once with Salman and another person under a tree. He took a dry branch from the tree and shook it and the leaves fell. He asked Salman:
"Salman, aren't you going to ask me why I have done this?"
"Why have you done this?" inquired Salman and the Prophet replied:
"When a Muslim make Ablution and does it well, then performs the five (daily) prescribed Prayer, his sins fall away just as these leaves fall away."
And then he recited the verse of the Quran: "And establish prayer at both ends of the day and during the early watches of the night. Indeed, good deeds drive away evil deeds. This is a reminder to those who are mindful (of God)." (Chapter Hud, 11:114)
Salman practiced what he learned. It is related that he was once with a group of Muslims engaged in dhikr or the remembrance of Almighty God. The Prophet passed by and so they stopped. He asked:
"What have you been saying?"
"We are remembering Allah, O Messenger of Allah."
"Go on saying (your words of remembrance)," encouraged the Prophet, "for indeed I saw grace and mercy descending upon you and I dearly love to share this with you." Then he said:
"Praise be to Allah Who has made such people among my Ummah with whom I am commanded to find calmness and patience in myself."
Salman proved to be a keen student and was regarded as one of the foremost scholars among the Muslims after the passing of the Prophet. It is related that when the well-known companion of the Prophet, Mu'adh ibn Jabal, was on his deathbed, a man who came to visit him began to weep.
"Why do you weep?" asked Mu'adh.
"Because of the knowledge that I would have gained from you," replied the man.
"Don't cry," said Mu'adh comfortingly, "for when I die, seek knowledge from four persons: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, 'Abdullah ibn Salam, Salman and Abu-d Darda."
As a scholar, Salman was noted for his vast knowledge and wisdom. 'Ali said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise. And Ka'b al-Ahbar said, "Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdom - an ocean that does not dry up."
LIVING BY THE SCRIPTURES
Salman had a knowledge of both the Christian scriptures and the Quran in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Salman translated parts of the Quran into Persian during the lifetime of the Prophet. He was thus the first person to translate the Quran into a foreign language.
Salman was keen to pass on his knowledge. It is related that while he was in a mosque in Ctesiphon, about a thousand people gathered about him. He told them to sit down and started to recite from Chapter Joseph in the Quran. They began to disperse until there were just about one hundred left. He became upset and said, "It is pleasant talk you want! But when I read the Book of Allah for you, you go away!"
In carrying out the instructions of the Prophet, he remained faithful and thorough. As the commander of a Muslim army besieging a castle in Persia, he was urged by his men to plunge immediately into attack.
"O Abu 'Abdullah!" they said, "shall we not attack them?"
He replied, "Let me invite them to Islam as I have heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying, 'Invite them (to Islam).'"
Salman then addressed the besieged, saying:
"I am a man from among you, a Persian. Do you see the Arabs obeying me? If you accept Islam, you will have what we have and you will be up against what we are up against. If you do not accept Islam, you can come under the protection of the Muslims on payment of the jizyah (military exemption tax)."
The Persians refused both these options and said to Salman, "We will fight you."
The Muslim forces called on Salman to attack them forthwith but he continued to invite them to Islam for three days. Only when they remained obstinate, did he give the command to attack and they conquered the fortress.
There are other examples of the wisdom and correct behaviour of Salman. It is related that he was once with a military post. Some distance away, a person began to recite the Quran from Chapter Maryam. A Jew listening to the recitation started to defame Mary and her son, Jesus. The Muslims became incensed and set upon the Jew, beating him so badly as to draw blood. The Jew went to Salman and complained, for it had become known that anyone who was wronged or unjustly treated could go to Salman. Salman went to those who had beaten the Jew and asked:
"Why did you beat up this man?"
"We were reading Chapter Maryam and he vilified Mary and her son," they replied.
Salman reprimanded the Muslims and urged them to exercise restraint and treat the protected people (ahl al-dhimmah) with honor. He quoted the Quanic verse: "Do not revile those whom they invoke instead of Allah lest they revile Allah out of spite and in ignorance." (Surah al-An'am, 6:108)
See how Salman followed the Scriptures! This event is a good lesson for all the modern-day Muslims who practice terrorism, murder innocent lives and commit suicide bombings in the name of religion!
SALMAN THE MUSLIM REMINDS US OF JESUS!
Salman became known as "Salman the Good". He was a scholar who lived a rough and ascetic life. He had one cloak that he wore and on which he slept. He would not seek the shelter of a roof but often stayed under a tree or against a wall. A man once said to him:
"Shall I not build you a house in which to live?"
"I have no need of a house," he replied.
The man persisted and said:
"I know the type of house that if you stand up in it, its roof will hurt your head and if you stretch your legs the wall will hurt them."
Later, as a governor of al-Mada'in (Ctesiphon) near Baghdad, Salman received a stipend of five thousand dirhams. This he would distribute as charity. He lived from the work of his own hands. When some people came to al-Mada'in and saw him working in the palm groves making baskets, they were amazed.
"You are the amir (=king) here and your sustenance is guaranteed and you do this work!"
"I like to eat from the work of my own hands," he replied.
Once Salman was being pressed to eat a little more from the food he was served but he insisted, "This is enough for me. This is enough for me. I have heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying, 'The one who fills his stomach the most in this world will be the hungriest in the Hereafter. O Salman, the world is but a prison for the believer and paradise for the disbeliever.'"
Salman, however, was not extreme in his asceticism. It is related that he once visited Abu-d Darda' with whom the Prophet had joined him in brotherhood. He found Abu-d Darda's wife in a miserable state and he asked:
"What is the matter with you?"
"Your brother has no need of anything in this world," she replied.
When Abu-d Darda' came, he welcomed Salman and gave him food. Salman told him to eat but Abu-d Darda' said:
"I am fasting."
"I swear to you that I shall not eat until you eat also."
Salman spent the night there as well. During the night, Abu-d Darda' got up to pray but Salman got hold of him and said:
"O Abu-d Darda', your Lord has a right over you. Your family has a right over you and your body has a right over you. Give to each its due."
In the morning, they prayed together and then went out to meet the Prophet. The Prophet supported Salman in what he had said.
Salman and Abu-d Darda' remained close friends. When apart, they often wrote to each other offering advice and support. Abu-d Darda' once wrote to Salman requesting him to make haste and return to the "holy land". Salman wrote back to him saying, "Surely the earth does not make anyone holy. It is only man's deeds which make him holy."
Salman, because of the influential household in which he grew up, might easily have continued to live a life of ease and luxury in the sprawling Persian empire of his time. His search for truth however led him, even before the Prophet had appeared, to renounce a comfortable and affluent life and even to suffer the indignities of slavery. According to the most reliable account, he died in the year 35 AH, during the caliphate of Uthman, at Ctesiphon.
Peace be upon those who acknowledge the truth from their Lord.
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