Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

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Rarely can one find a closer bondbetween two persons such as existed
between Muhammad theson of Abdullah and Abu Sufyan the son of
al-Harith. (This Abu Sufyan of course was not the same as Abu Sufyan
ibn Harb, the powerful Quraysh chieftain.)
Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith was born about the same time as theblessed
Prophet. They resembledeach other a great deal. They grew up together
and for a timelived in the same household. Abu Sufyan was a cousin of
the Prophet. His father, al-Harith, was the brother of Abdullah; both
were sons of Abd al-Muttalib.
Abu Sufyan was also a foster-brother of the Prophet. He was for a
short time nursed by the lady Halimah who looked after the young
Muhammad in the tough and bracing atmosphere of the desert.
In their childhood and youth, Abu Sufyan and Muhammad were close and
intimate friends. So close were they, that one might naturally have
expected Abu Sufyan to have been among the first to respond to the
call ofthe Prophet, peace be upon him,and follow wholeheartedly the
religion of truth. But this was not to be, at least not for many, many
years.
From the time the Prophet madepublic his call to Islam and first
issued the warning to members of his clan about the dangers of
continuing in their existing stateof unbelief, injustice and
immorality, the fire of envy and hatred erupted in the breast of Abu
Sufyan. The bonds of kinshipsnapped. Where once there was love and
friendship, there was now revulsion and hate. Where once there was
brotherhood, there was now resistance and opposition.
Abu Sufyan at this time was renowned as one of the best fighters and
horsemen of the Quraysh and one of their most accomplished poets. He
used both sword and tongue in the battle against the Prophet and his
mission. All his energies were mobilized in denouncing Islam and
persecuting the Muslims. In whatever battle the Quraysh fought against
the Prophet and whatever torture and persecution they meted out to the
Muslims Abu Sufyan had a part to play. He composed and recited verses
attacking and vilifying the Prophet.
For twenty years almost this rancor consumed his soul. His three
others brothers - Nawfal, Rabiah and Abdullah, had all accepted Islam
but not he.
In the eighth year after the Hijrah, however, shortly before the
Islamic liberation of Makkah,Abu Sufyan's position began to shift, as
he explains: "When the movement of Islam became vigorous and
well-established and news spread of the Prophet's advance to liberate
Makkah, the world caved in on me. I felt trapped. 'Where shall I go?'
I asked myself. 'And with whom?' To my wife and children, I said:
'Get ready to leave Makkah. Muhammad's advance is imminent. I shall
certainly be killed. I shall be given no quartershould the Muslims
recognize me.'
'Now,' replied my family, 'you must realize that Arabs and non-Arabs
have pledged their obedience to Muhammad and accepted his religion.
You are still bent on opposing him whereas you might have been the
first to support and help him.'
They continued trying to influence me to re-consider my attitude to
Muhammad's religion and to re-awaken in me affection towards him.
Eventually God opened my heart to Islam. I got up and said to
myservant, Madhkur: 'Get ready a camel and a horse for us.' I took my
son Jafar with me and we galloped with great speed towards al-Abwa
between Makkah and Madinah. I had learnt that Muhammad had camped
there. As I approached the place, I covered my face so that no one
could recognize and kill me before I could reach the Prophet and
announce my acceptance of Islam directly to him.
Slowly, I proceeded on foot while advance groups of Muslims headed
towards Makkah. I avoided their path out of fear that one of the
Prophet's companions would recognize me. I continued in this fashion
until the Prophet on his mount came into my view. Coming out into the
open, I went straight upto him and uncovered my face. He looked at me
and recognized me. But, he turned his face away. I moved to face him
once again. He avoided looking at me and again turned away his face.
This happened repeatedly.
I had no doubt - as I stood therefacing the Prophet that he would have
been pleased with my acceptance of Islam and thathis companions would
have rejoiced at his happiness. When, however, the Muslims saw the
Prophet, peace be on him, avoiding me, they too looked at me and
shunned me. Abu Bakr met me and violently turned away. I looked at
Umar ibn al-Khattab, my eyes pleading for his compassion, but I found
him even more harsh than Abu Bakr. In fact, Umar went on to incite one
of the Ansar against me.
'O enemy of God,' lashed out the Ansari, 'you are the one who
persecuted the Messenger of God, peace be on him, and tortured his
companions. You carried your hostility towards the Prophet to the ends
of the earth'.
The Ansari went on censuring me in a loud voice while other Muslims
glared at me in anger. At that point, I saw my uncle, al-Abbas, and
went to him seeking refuge.
'O uncle,' I said. 'I had hoped that the Prophet, peace be on him,
would be happy about my acceptance of Islam because of my kinship to
him and because of my position of honor among my people. You know what
his reaction has been. Speak to him then on my behalf that he may be
pleased with me.'
'No, by God,' replied my uncle. 'I shall not speak to him at all after
I have seen him turning away from you except if an opportunity
presents itself. I do honor the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be
on him, and I stand in awe of him.'
'O uncle, to whom then will you abandon me?' I pleaded.
'I do not have anything for you except what you have heard,' he said.
Anxiety and grief took hold of me. I saw Ali ibn Talib soon afterand
spoke to him about my case. His response was the sameas that of my
uncle. I went back to my uncle and said to him: 'O uncle, if you
cannot soften the heart of the Prophet towards me, then at least
restrain that man from denouncing me and inciting others against me.'
'Describe him to me,' said my uncle. I described the man to him and he
said: 'That is Nuayman ibn al-Harith an-Najjari.' He sent for Nuayman
and said to him: 'O Nuayman! Abu Sufyan is the cousin of the Prophet
and my nephew. If the Prophet is angry with him today,he will be
pleased with him another day. So leave him...' My uncle continued
trying to placate Nuayman until the latter relented and said: 'I shall
not spurn him anymore.'
"When the Prophet reached al-Jahfah (about four days journey from
Makkah), I sat down at the door of his tent. My son Jafar stood beside
me. As hewas leaving his tent, the Prophetsaw me and averted his face.
Yet, I did not despair of seeking his pleasure. Whenever he camped at
a place, I would sit athis door and my son Jafar wouldstand in front
of me... I continued in this fashion for some time. But the situation
became too much for me and I became depressed. I said to myself:
'By God, either the Prophet, peace be on him, shows he is pleased with
me or I shall take my son and go wandering through the land until we
die of hunger and thirst.'
When the Prophet came to hear of this, he relented and, on leaving his
tent, he looked more gently towards me then before. I so much hoped
that he would smile."
Eventually the Prophet relented and told Abu Sufyan, "There is now no
blame on you." He entrusted the newcomer to Islam to Ali ibn Abi Talib
saying:"Teach your cousin how to perform wudu and about the Sunnah.
Then bring him back to me." When Ali returned, the Prophet said:
"Tell all the people that the Messenger of God is pleased with Abu
Sufyan and that they should be pleased with him."
Abu Sufyan continued: "The Prophet then entered Makkah and I too
entered in his entourage. He went to the Sacred Mosque and I also
went, trying my best to remain in his presence and not separate from
him on any account...
Later, at the Battle of Hunayn, the Arabs put together an
unprecedented force against theProphet, peace be on him... Theywere
determined to deal a mortal blow to Islam and the Muslims.
The Prophet went out to confront them with a large number of his
companions. I went out with him and when I saw the great throngs of
mushrikin, I said: 'By God, today,I shall atone for all my past
hostility towards the Prophet. peace be on him, and he shall certainly
see on my part what pleases God and what pleases him.'
When the two forces met, the pressure of the mushrikin on theMuslims
was severe and the Muslims began to lose heart. Some even began to
desert and terrible defeat stared us in the face. However, the Prophet
stood firm in the thick of battle astride his mule "Ash-Shahba" like a
towering mountain, wielding his sword and fighting for himself and
those around him... I jumped from my horse and fought beside him. God
knows that I desired martyrdombeside the Messenger of God. My uncle,
al-Abbas, took the reins ofthe Prophet's mule and stood at his side. I
took up my position on the other side. With my right hand I fended off
attacks againstthe Prophet and with my left I held on to my mount.
When the Prophet saw my devastating blows on the enemy, he asked my
uncle: 'Who's this?' 'This is your brother and cousin. Abu Sufyan ibn
al-Harith. Be pleased with him. O Messenger of God.'
'I have done so and God has granted forgiveness to him for all the
hostility he has directed against me.'
My heart soared with happiness. I kissed his feet in the stirrup and
wept. He turned towards me and said: 'My brother! Upon my life!
Advance and strike!'
The words of the Prophet spurred me on and we plunged into the
positions of the mushrikin until they were routed and fled in every
direction."
After Hunayn, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith continued to enjoy the good
pleasure of the Prophet and the satisfaction of being in his noble
company. But he neverlooked the Prophet directly in the eye nor
focussed his gaze onhis face out of shame and embarrassment for his
past hostility towards him.
Abu Sufyan continued to feel intense remorse for the many and dark
days he had spent trying to extinguish the light of God and refusing
to follow His message. Henceforth, his days and nights he would spend
reciting the verses of the Quran seeking to understand and follow its
laws and profit by its admonitions. He shunned the world and its
adornments and turned to God with every fibre ofhis being. Once the
Prophet. peace be on him, saw him entering the mosque and asked his
wife: "Do you know who is this, Aishah?" "No, O Messenger of God." she
replied. This is my cousin. Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith. See, he is the
first to enter the masjid and the last to leave. His eyes do not leave
his shoelace."
When the Prophet, peace be on him, passed away, Abu Sufyan felt
intense grief and wept bitterly.
During the caliphate of Umar, may God be pleased with him, Abu Sufyan
felt his end drawing near. One day people saw him in al-Baqi, the
cemetery not far from the Prophet's mosque where many Sahabah are
buried.He was digging and fashioning agrave. They were surprised.
Three days later, Abu Sufyan waslying stretched out at home His family
stood around weeping but he said: "Do not weep for me. By God, I did
not commit any wrong since I accepted Islam." With that, he passed
away.