Threatening Letter from the Quraish to the Idolaters of Madinah — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 2
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Threatening Letter from the Quraish to the Idolaters of Madinah.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: I – Early Establishment of Madinah and Foundation of the Islamic Government
Pages: Book pp. 27–29 (PDF pp. 51–53)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Division of Society in Madīnah and Treaty with the Jews] | Next: [Threat of Abu Jahl] »
Historical Account
companions. The letter stated, ‘Relinquish your protection of Muḥammadsa, or else.’ As such, the letter read as follows:
اِنَّكُ مْ اٰوَیْتُمْ صَ احِ بَنَا وَاِنَّا نَقْسِ مُ بِاللّٰهِ لَتُقَاتِلُنَّهٗ اَوْ لَتُخْ رِجَ نَّهٗ اَوْ لَنَسِ یْرَنَّ اِلَیْكُ مْ بِاَجْ مَعِنَا
حَ تّٰی نَقْتُلَ مُقَاتِلَتَكُ مْ وَنَسْ تَبِیْحَ نِسَ اءَكُمْ
“You have given protection to an individual of ours (i.e., Muḥammadsa), and we swear in the name of Allāh that you shall either leave him and declare war against him, or in the least, exile him from your city. If not, we shall gather our entire army and attack you; and we shall kill your men and take your women in to our own possession, making them lawful unto ourselves.”
[Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Kharāji Wal-Imārah, Bābu Fī Khabarin-Naḍīr, Ḥadīth No. 3004]
When this letter reached Madīnah, ‘Abdullāh and his companions, who already harboured deep enmity in their hearts against Islām, prepared to wage war against the Holy Prophetsa. When the Holy Prophetsa was informed of this, he immediately met these people and explained to them that:
“If you wage war against me, in fact it is you who shall suffer. For your own brethren and kindred would be your opponents. In other words, the Muslims from among the Aus and Khazraj will side with me in all circumstances. Hence, waging war against me only means that you would be taking up the sword against your very own sons, brothers, and fathers. Now you decide for yourself.”
‘Abdullāh and his companions, who still vividly remembered the bloodshed of the Battle of Bu‘āth, understood, and refrained from carrying out this intention. When the Quraish failed in this plan, after some time, they sent a similar letter to the Jews of Madīnah. However, mention of this shall follow ahead its appropriate place. In actuality, the purpose of the Quraish was to wipe out all traces of Islām from the face of the earth. Distressed by the persecution of the Quraish, when the Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, they pursued them there as well. They exerted their utmost effort to convince the pure-hearted Negus to hand over these oppressed and exiled Muslims to the Makkans. Then, when the Holy Prophetsa migrated to Madīnah, the Quraish
[Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Kharāji Wal-Imārah, Bābu Fī Khabarin-Naḍīr, Ḥadīth No. 3004]
pursued him and left no stone unturned in trying to arrest him. Now they discovered that the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions had reached Madīnah, and Islām was quickly spreading there. Therefore, they instigated the people of Madīnah to annihilate Islām by waging war against the Holy Prophetsa, or to exile him from Madīnah by relinquishing their protection of him. By this letter of the Quraish, a custom of Arabia is also brought to light, whereby in war, they would kill the men, but the women would be taken as possession, and considered lawful for them. Moreover, with regards to the Muslims, their intentions were far more treacherous. The reason being that if this was the punishment they had prescribed for those who had only given protection to the Muslims, undoubtedly, their plans for the Muslims themselves must have been far more severe.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2)
Section: I – Early Establishment of Madinah and Foundation of the Islamic Government | Navigation: « Previous: [Division of Society in Madīnah and Treaty with the Jews] | Next: [Threat of Abu Jahl] »