|
Adiyy ibn Hatim
In the ninth year of the Hijrah, an Arab
king made the first positive moves to Islam after years of
feeling hatred for it. He drew closer to faith (iman)
after opposing and combating it. And he finally pledged
allegiance to the Prophet, peace be on him, after his
adamant refusal to do so.
He was Adiyy, son of the famous Hatim
at-Taai who was known far and wide for his chivalry and
fabulous generosity. Adiyy inherited the domain of his
father and was confirmed in the position by the Tayy
people. Part of his strength lay in the fact that a
quarter of any amount they obtained as booty from raiding
expeditions had to be given to him.
When the Prophet announced openly his
call to guidance and truth and Arabs from one region after
another accepted his teachings, Adiyy saw in his mission a
threat to his position and leadership. Although he did not
know the Prophet personally, and had never seen him, he
developed strong feelings of enmity towards him. He
remained antagonistic to Islam for close upon twenty years
until at last God opened his heart to the religion of
truth and guidance.
The way in which Adiyy became a Muslim
is a remarkable story and he is perhaps the best person to
relate it. He said:
"There was no man among the Arabs
who detested God's Messenger, may God bless him and grant
him peace, more than I, when I heard about him. I was then
a man of status and nobility. I was a Christian. From my
people I took a fourth of their booty as was the practice
of other Arab kings.
When I heard of the Messenger of God,
peace be on him, I hated him. When his mission grew in
strength and when his power increased and his armies and
expeditionary forces dominated east and west of the land
of Arabs, I said to a servant of mine who looked after my
camels:
'Get ready a fat camel for me which is
easy to ride and tether it close to me. If you hear of an
army or an expeditionary force of Muhammad coming towards
this land, let me know.' One evening, my servant came to
me and said: "Yaa Mawlaya! What you intended to do on
the approach of Muhammad's cavalry to your land, do it
now." 'Why? May your mother lose
you!'
'I have seen scouts searching close to
the habitations. I asked about them and was told that they
belonged to the army of Muhammad,' he said.
'Bring the camel which I ordered you to
get ready.' I said to him. I got up then and there,
summoned my household (including) my children and ordered
them to evacuate the land we loved. We headed in the
direction of Syria to join people of our own faith among
the Christians and settle among them.
We left in too much haste for me to
gather together our entire household. When I took stock of
our situation, I discovered that part of my family was
missing. I had left my own sister in our Najd homelands
together with the rest of the Tayy people. I did not have
any means to return to her. So I went on with those who
were with me until I reached Syria and took up residence
there among people of my own religion. As for my sister,
what I feared for her happened.
News reached me while I was in Syria
that the forces of Muhammad entered our habitations and
took my sister together with a number of other captives to
Yathrib. There she was placed with other captives in a
compound near the door of the Masjid.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, passed
by her. She stood up before him and said: 'Yaa Rasulullah!
My father is dead and my guardian is not here. Be gracious
to me and God will be gracious to you.! 'And who is your
guardian?' asked the Prophet. 'Adiyy ibn Hatim.' she said.
'The one who fled from God and His Prophet?' he asked. He
then left her and walked on.
On the following day, the same thing
happened. She spoke to him just as she did the day before
and he replied in the same manner. The next day, the same
thing happened and she despaired of getting any concession
from him for he did not say anything. Then a man from
behind him indicated that she should stand up and talk to
him. She therefore stood up and said:
'O Messenger of God! My father is dead
and my guardian is absent. Be gracious to me and God will
be gracious to you.' I have agreed he said. Turning to
those about him, he instructed: likewise `Let her go for
her father loved noble ways, and God loves them.' 'I want
to join my family in Syria,' she said.
"But don't leave in a hurry,"
said the Prophet, "until you find someone you can
trust from your people who
could accompany you to Syria. If you
find a trustworthy person, let me know."
When the Prophet left, she asked about
the man who had suggested that she speak to the Prophet
and was told that he was Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be
pleased with him. She stayed in Yathrib until a group
arrived among whom was someone she could trust. So she
went the Prophet and said:
'O Messenger of God! A group of my
people have come to me and among them is one I can trust
who could take me to my family.'
The Prophet, peace be on him, gave her
fine clothes and an adequate sum of money. He also gave
her a camel and she left with the group.
Thereafter we followed her progress
gradually and waited for her return. We could hardly
believe what we heard about Muhammad's generosity towards
her in spite of my attitude to him. By God, I am a leader
of my people. When I beheld a woman in herhawdaj coming
towards us, I said: 'The daughter of Hatim! It's she! It's
she!'
When she stood before us, she snapped
sharply at me and said: 'The one who severs the tie of
kinship is a wrongdoer. You took your family and your
children and left the rest of your relations and those
whom you ought to have protected.'
'Yes, my sister,' I said, 'don't say
anything but good.' I tried to pacify her until she was
satisfied. She told me what had happened to her and it was
as I had heard. Then I asked her, for she was an
intelligent and judicious person:
"What do you think of the mission
of this man (meaning Muhammad peace be on him)?"
"I think, by God, that you should join him
quickly." she said. "If he is a Prophet, file
one who hastens towards him would enjoy his grace. And if
he is a king, you would not be disgraced in his sight
while you are as you are."
I immediately prepared myself for travel
and set off to meet the Prophet in Madinah without any
security and without any letter. I had heard that he had
said: 'I certainly wish that God will place the hand of
Adiyy in nay hand.'
I went up to him. He was in the Masjid.
I greeted him and he said: 'Who is the man? 'Adiyy ibn
Hatim,' I said. He stood up for me, took me by the hand
and set off towards his home.
By God, as he was walking with me
towards his house, a weak old woman met him. With her was
a young child. She stopped him and began talking to him
about a problem. I was standing (all the while). I said to
myself: 'By God, this is no king.'
He then took me by the hand and went
with me until we reached his home. There he got a leather
cushion
filled with palm fibre, gave it to me
said: 'Sit on this!'
I felt embarrassed before him and said:
'Rather, you sit on it.' 'No, you,' he said.
I deferred and sat on it. The Prophet,
peace be on him, sat on the floor because there was no
other cushion. I said to myself:
'By God, this is not the manner of a
king!' He then turned to me and said: 'Yes, Adiyy ibn
Hatim! Haven't you been a "Rukusi" professing a
religion between Christianity and Sabeanism?' 'Yes,' I
replied.
'Did you not operate among your people
on the principle of exacting from them a fourth, taking
from them what your religion does not allow you?'
'Yes,' I said, and I knew from that he
was a Prophet sent (by God). Then he said to me: 'Perhaps,
O Adiyy, the only thing that prevents you from entering
this religion is what you see of the destitution of the
Muslims and their poverty. By God, the time is near when
wealth would flow among them until no one could be found
to take it.
'Perhaps, O Adiyy, the only thing that
prevents you from entering this religion is what you see
of the small number of Muslims and their numerous foe. By
God, the time is near when you would hear of the woman
setting out from Qadisiyyah on her camel until she reaches
this house, not fearing anyone except Allah.
'Perhaps what prevents you from entering
this religion is that you only see that sovereignty and
power rest in the hands of those who are not Muslims. By
God, you will soon hear of the white palaces of the land
of Babylon opening up for them and the treasures of
Chosroes the son of Hormuz fall to their lot.'
'The treasures of Chosroes the son of
Hormuz?' I asked (incredulously). 'Yes, the treasures of
Chosroes the son of Hormuz,' he said. Thereupon, I
professed the testimony of truth, and declared my
acceptance of Islam."
One report says that when Adiyy saw the
simplicity of the Prophet's life-style, he said to him:
"I testify that you do not seek high office in this
world nor corruption," and he announced his
acceptance of Islam. Some people observed the Prophet's
treatment of Adiyy and said to him:
"O Prophet of God! We have seen you
do something which you have not done to any other."
"Yes," replied the Prophet. "This is a man
of stature among his people. If such a person come to you,
treat him honorably."
Adiyy ibn Hatim, may God be pleased with
him, lived for a long time. He later said: "Two of
the things (which the Prophet spoke of) came to pass and
there remained a third. By God, it would certainly come to
pass. "I have seen the woman leaving Qadisiyyah on
her camel fearing nothing until she arrived at this house
(of the Prophet in Madinah).
"I myself was in the vanguard of
the cavalry which descended on the treasures of Chosroes
and took them. And I swear by God that the third event
will be realized." Through the will of God, the third
statement of the Prophet, on him be choicest blessings and
peace, came to pass during the time of the devout and
ascetic Khalifah, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz. Wealth flowed
among the Muslims so much so that when the town-criers
called on people throughout the Muslim domain to come and
collect Zakat, no one was found in need to respond.
|
