Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after the Hijrah, he fell ill,
News of his illness spread rapidly throughout the Arabian peninsula.
Sincere Muslims everywhere were greatly saddened by the news but for
others it was a time to disclose hidden hopes and ambitions andreveal
their real attitudes to Islam and the noble Prophet.
In al-Yamamah, Musaylamah the Imposter renounced Islam. So too did
Tulayhah al-Asadi in the land of the Asad. And in the Yemen, al-Aswad
al-Ansi also became an apostate. More than that, these three imposters
claimed that they were prophetssent to their respective peoples just
as Muhammad the son of Abdullah was sent to the Quraysh.
Al-Aswad al-Ansi was a soothsayer who practised magicarts. But he was
no minor magician or fortuneteller who dabbled in his evil arts in
obscurity. He was powerful and influential and possessed a strange
power of speech that mesmerized the hearts of his listeners and
captivated the minds of the masses with his false claims. With his
wealth andpower he managed to attract not just the masses but people
of status as well. When he appeared before people he normally wore a
mask in order to surround himself with an air of mystery, awe and
reverence.
In the Yemen at that time, a section of the people who had much
prestige and influence were the "Abna". They were the scions of
Persian fathers who ruled Yemen as part of the Sasanian Empire. Their
mothers were local Arabs. Fayruz al-Daylami was one of these Yemeni
Abna.
At the time of the appearance ofIslam, the most powerful of the Abna
was Badhan who ruled Yemen on behalf of the Chosroesof Persia. When
Badban became convinced of the truth of the Prophet Muhammad and the
Divine nature of his mission he renounced his allegiance to the
Chosroes and accepted Islam. Hispeople followed him in tiffs. The
Prophet confirmed him in his dominion and he ruled the Yemen until his
death shortly before the appearance of al-Aswad al-Ansi.
Al-Aswad's tribe, the Banu Mudh-hij, were the first to respond
positively to his claims to prophethood. With this tribal force he
mounted a raid on San'a. He killed the governor, Shahr the son of
Badhan and took his wife to himself. From San'a he raided other
regions. Through his swift and startling strikes, a vast region from
Hadramawt to at-Taif and from al-Ahsa to Aden came under his
influence.
What helped al-Aswad in deceiving the people and drawing them to him
was his guile and cunning which knew no bounds. To his followers he
alleged that an angel visited him, disclosed revelations to him and
gave him intelligence ofpeople and their affairs. What allowed him to
appear to bear out these claims were the spies he employed and
despatched everywhere, to bring him news of people and their
circumstances, their secrets and their problems, their hopes and their
fears.
Reports were brought back in secrecy to him and when he metanyone,
especially those in need,he could give the impression that he had
prior knowledge of their needs and problems. In this way he astonished
people and confounded their thoughts. He acquired a large following
and his mission spread like wildfire.
When news of al-Aswad's apostasy and his activities throughout the
Yemen reached the Prophet, peace be on him, he despatched about ten of
Iris companions with letters to those of his companions in the Yemen
whom he felt he could trust. He urged them to confrontthe blind fitnah
with faith and resolve, and he ordered them to get rid of al-Aswad by
any means possible.
All who received the Prophet's missives set about to carry out his
orders implicitly. In the forefront of these was Fayruz ad-Daylami and
those of the Abna who were with him. Let usleave Fayruz to relate his
extraordinary story:
"I and those of the Abna who were with me never for one moment had any
doubt about the religion of God. No belief in the enemy of God entered
the heart of any one of us. (In fact) we waited for opportunities to
get hold of al-Aswad and eliminate him by any means.
When we received the letters of the Messenger of God, may God bless
him and grant him peace, we felt strengthened in our mutual resolve
and each one determined to do what he could
Because of his considerable success, pride and vanity took hold of
al-Aswad al-Ansi. He bragged to the commander of his army, Qays ibn
Abd Yaghuth, saying how powerful he was. Hisattitude and relationship
towards his commander changed so much so that Qays felt that he was
not safe from Iris violence and oppression.
My cousin, Dadhawayh, and I went to Qays and informed him of what the
Prophet, peace and blessings be on him, had told us and we invited him
to "make lunch" out of the man (al-Aswad) before he could"make supper"
out of him. He was receptive to our proposal and regarded us as a
Godsend. He disclosed to us some of the secrets of al-Aswad.
The three of us vowed to confront the apostate from within (his
castle) while our other brothers would confront him from without. We
were all of the view that our cousin Dadha, whom al-Aswad had taken to
himself after the killing of her husband, should join us. We went to
al-Aswad's castle and met her. I said to her:
'O cousin, you know what harm and evil this man has visited upon you
and us. He has killed your husband and dishonored the women of your
people. He has massacred their husbands and wrested political
authority from their hands.
'This is a letter from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and
grant him peace, to us in particular and to the people of Yemen in
general in which he asks us to put an end to this fitnah. Would you
help usin this matter?' 'On what can I help you? she asked. 'On his
expulsion...' I said. 'Rather on hisassassination,' she suggested. 'By
God, I had nothing else in mind,' I said, 'but I was afraid tosuggest
this to you.' 'By Him Who has sent Muhammad with the Truth as a
bringer or' good tidings and as a warner, I have not doubted in my
religion for a moment. God has not created a man more detestable to me
than the devil (al-Aswad). By God, from the time I saw him, I have
only known him to be a corrupt and sinful person who does not promote
any truth and does not stop from committing any abominable deed.' "How
canwe go about eliminating him?' I asked.
'He is well-guarded and protected. There is not a place inhis castle
which is not surrounded by guards. There is one broken down and
abandoned room though which opens out into open land. In the evening
during the first third of the night, go there. You will findinside
weapons and a light. You will find me waiting for you...' she said.
'But getting through to a room in a castle such as this is no
easytask. Someone might pass and alert the guards and that will be the
end of us' I said. 'You are notfar from the truth. But I have a
suggestion.' 'What is it?' I asked.
'Send a man tomorrow whom you trust as one of the workers. I shall
tell him to make an opening in the room from the inside so that it
should be easy to enter.' 'That's a brilliant suggestion you have,' I
said.
I then left her and told the two others what we had decided andthey
gave their blessings to the plan. We left straightaway to getourselves
prepared. We informed a select group of believers who were assisting
us to prepare themselves and gave them the password (to signal the
time they could storm the castle). The time was to be dawn of the
following day.
When night fell and the appointed time came, I went with my two
companions to the opening in the room and uncovered it. We entered the
room and put on the lamp. We found the weapons and proceeded to the
apartment of God's enemy. There was our cousin standing at his door.
She pointed out where he was and we entered. He was asleep and
snoring. I plunged the blade in his neck and he bellowed like a bull
being slaughtered. When the guards heard this, they ran quickly to his
apartment and asked: 'What is this?'
'Don't worry. You can go. The prophet of God is receiving revelation,'
she said, and they left. We stayed in the castle untilthe break of
dawn. Then I stood on a wall of the castle and shouted:
'Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!' and went on with the adhan until I
reached': 'Ashhadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah ! (Then I added) 'Wa
ashhadu anna al Aswad al-Ansi kadh-dhab ! I testify that al-Aswad is
an imposter.'
That was the password, Muslimsthen converged on
the castle from every direction. The guards took fright
when they heard the adhan and were confronted by the
Muslims shouting Allahu Akbar.
By sunrise, the mission was accomplished. When it was full light, we
sent a letter to the Messenger of God giving him thegood news of the
death of God'senemy.
When the messengers reached Madinah they found that the Prophet, may
the blessings of God be on him, had passed awaythat very night. They
learned however that Revelation had been communicated to the Prophet
informing him of the death of al-Aswad al-Ansi the night it took
place."
Years later, the Khalifah Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to Fayruz
ad-Daylami, may God be pleased with them both, saying:
"I have heard that you are busy eating white bread and honey (meaning
no doubt that he was leading an easy life). When this my letter
reaches you, come to me with the blessings of God so that you may
campaign in the path of God."
Fayruz did as he was commanded. He went to Madinah and sought an
audiencewith Umar. Umar granted him permission. Evidently there was a
crowd waiting to see Umar and a Quraysh youth pushed Fayruz. Fayruz
raised his hand and hit the Quraysh youth on thenose.
The youth went to Umar who asked: "Who did that to you?"
"Fayruz. He is at the door," said the youth. Fayruz entered and Umar
asked: "What is this, O Fayruz?"
"O Amir al-Muminin," said Fayruz. "You wrote to me. You didn't write
to him. You gave mepermission to enter and you didn't give him
permission. He wanted to enter in my turn before me. Then I did what
you have been told."
"Al-Qisas," pronounced Umar in judgment, meaning that Fayruz had to
receive the same blow from the youth in retaliation."Must it be so?"
asked Fayruz. "Itmust be so," insisted Umar.
Fayruz then got down on his knees and the youth stood up toexact his
retaliation. Umar said to him then: "Wait a moment, young man, so that
I can tell yousomething which I heard from the Messenger of God, may
God bless him and grant him peace. Iheard the Messenger of God say one
evening: 'This night, al-Aswad al-Ansi the Imposter has been killed.
The righteous servant Fayruz ad-Daylami has killed him' Umar then
asked the youth:
"Do you see yourself taking retribution on him after you have heard
this from the Messenger of God?" "I forgive him," said the youth,
"after you have told me this from the Prophet." "Do you think," said
Fayruz to Umar, "that my escape from what I have done is a confession
to him and that his forgiveness is not given under duress?" "Yes,"
replied Umar andFayruz then declared: "I testily toyou that my sword,
my horse and thirty thousand of my money is a gift to him."
"Your forgiveness has paid off, O brother Quraysh and you have become
rich," said Umar no doubt impressed by the sense ofremorse and the
spontaneous generosity of Fayruz, the righteous.
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And Allah Knows the Best!
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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
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