The conquest of Makkah, 20 Ramadan - II

Abu Sufyaan honored
Al-'Abbaasappeared before the Prophet of Allaah, sallalahu alayhi wa
sallam, and submitted, "Abu Sufyaan is a person who loves honor, so
would you please give him some special honor." At this he,sallalahu
alayhi wa sallam, said, "He who enters the Sacred Mosquewill be safe,
he who enters the house of Abu Sufyaan will be safe, and he who shuts
his doors upon himself will be safe." Abu Sufyaan felt elated.
The army on the move surged like an ocean. Different tribes had passed
by with their tribal colors. Abu Sufyaanascended a raised spot
towitness the spectacle of the Muslim troops on the march and hurried
back to Makkah ahead of all toannounce: "He who enters the Sacred
Mosqueor my house will be safe."The Prophet of Allaah, sallalahu
alayhi wa sallam, wanted to avoid bloodshed at all costs. Hisexit from
Makkah in a state of helplessness and then his victorious and glorious
return must have been on his mind. This day he made a triumphant entry
into Makkah with his head lowered giving thanks to Allaah The
Almighty. He, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, then circumambulated the
Ka'bah seven times mounted on his animal and then cleared the Ka'bah
of idols. He then took the keys of the Ka'bah from 'Uthmaan Ibn
Talhah, and entered the Ka'bah and prayed toAllaah The Exalted.
Following this the Prophet of Allaah, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam,
stood at the door of the Ka'bah, holding its frame, while the Quraysh
arranged themselves in front of him in the courtyard filled with fear
and shame.
Historic Address of the Prophet:
The Prophet said addressing them:"None hasthe right to be worshipped
but Allaah. He has fulfilled His Promise and help to His slave. He has
alone overthrown all the Confederates. All the rites, privileges and
claims to retaliation and blood compensation are beneath my feet
except the custody of the Ka'bah and the giving water to the pilgrims.
Even cutting down agreen tree is not valid within the sanctuary. O you
people of the Quraysh, Allaah has abolished thehaughtiness of paganism
and thepride of lineage. Man comes fromAadam and Aadam came from clay.
Allaah the Almighty Says)what means(:'O mankind, indeed We have
created you frommale and female and made you peoples and tribes that
you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight
of Allaah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allaah is Knowing and
Acquainted'.]Quran, 49:13[
O Quraysh! what do you think I am about to do with you?""We hope for
the best," they replied, "You are a noble brother, son of a noble
brother." The Prophet of Allaah said in reply,"I say to you what
Yoosuf )Prophet Joseph( said to his brothers:'Have no fear this day,
go your way for you are all free'."
The address being over, the Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, went
up toMountSafaand sat down to take the oath of allegiance to Allaah
and His Messenger from the people. After finishing with men, he
deputed 'Umar to take the oath from the women, and he kept seeking
forgiveness of Allaah for them. Safwaan ibn Umayyah fled toYemenfor
fear of life. Umayr ibn Wahb from his tribe sought safety for him and
he was granted immunity. Safwaan was the man who had resisted the
entry of the Muslims into Makkah and fled from Makkah after the
conquest; so did 'Ikrimah Ibn Abu Jahl, and he too was granted safety.
Both of them had the pleasure of coming to the fold of Islam after the
battle of Hunayn.
The Truth came and Falsehood vanquished
Destruction of idols installed in the Ka'bah meant the destruction of
the idols all overArabia. Likewise, the entry of theQuraysh into Islam
implied the whole Arabiacoming to the fold of Islam, for all eyes were
fixed on the Quraysh of Makkah to see whether they accepted Islam or
not.
After the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam,
announced throughout the land that nobody becoming a Muslim was
allowed to keep an idol in his house.Following this he sent a few
parties to destroy idols installed in the area around Makkah. He sent
Khaalid ibn Al-Waleedat the head of thirty soldiers to break 'Uzzaa,
the idol of Banu Kinaanah and to pull down its temple. Khaalid ibn
Al-Waleed went and broke 'Uzzaa to pieces and razed its temple to the
ground. 'Amr ibn Al-'Aaswas sent to destroy Suwaa', the idol of Banu
Huthayl. When 'Amr ibn Al-'Aas reached the spot, the priest said,"How
will you be able to overpower it?" 'Amr said,"Just watch." Saying this
he entered the temple and broke the idol to pieces. Sa'd ibn Zayd was
sent to Qadeed to destroyManat. The priests were sure the Muslims
would fail in their task but they saw with their own eyes the
believers break the idols and pull the temple down. All idols and
temples were destroyed.
The first priority being completed, the Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa
sallam, resumed his mission of preaching Islam through Muslim
missionaries and sent them near and far.

The conquest of Makkah, 20 Ramadan - I

According to the terms ofthe treaty of Hudaybiyah,the Arab tribes were
given the option to join either of the parties with which they desired
to enter into treaty alliance,the Prophet's sallalahu alayhi wa
sallam, or the Quraysh's. As a consequence, Banu Bakr joined the
Quraysh, and Khuzaa'ah joined the Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam.
According to the Treaty they could not attack one another for a period
of ten years. But Banu Bakr developed an evil scheme against Banu
Khuzaa'ah and they planned to take revenge on their rivals. The
Quraysh of Makkah should have held Banu Bakr back from implementing
their plan against Banu Khuzaa'ah making them uphold the Treaty.
Instead of preventing them, the Quraysh, totally at variance with
their obligation to the Treaty, came out in the open lending full and
active support to Banu Bakr with men and material. They broke their
covenant to the extent that Safwaan ibn Umayyah, 'Ikrimah ibn Abu
Jahl, and Suhayl ibn 'Amr joined the fighting along with Banu Bakr.
The combined attack of Banu Bakr and the Quraysh inflicted on
BanuKhuzaa'ah a heavy loss of20 or 30 men. Being caught by a surprise
attack at night while theywere asleep, they found no where to take
refuge except at the House of Allaah, the Ka'bah, and even some of
them were killed there )this was alsoa breach of trust as the Ka'bah
was a sanctuary for all(.
A Few days after the incident Budayl ibn Warqa' and 'Amr ibn Saalim
came to Al-Madeenah and put their complaint before the Prophet,
sallalahu alayhi wa sallam. 'Amr ibn Saalim told his tale ofwoe in a
poem filled withgloom and grief at their being brutally attacked and
killed.
The Prophet of Allaah, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, consoled them
saying,"You will be helped."Atthe time of their departure from
Al-Madeenah the Messenger of Allaah, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam,
remarked: "Abu Sufyaan has set out from Makkah to seek an extension in
the durationof Peace Treaty and get itconsolidated, but his mission
will end in failure."
When the Makkans foundtime to think over the consequences of their
misconduct, they were struck by fear. They sent Abu Sufyaan to renew
the Peace Treaty. The Messenger of Allaah, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam,
ordered the Muslims, on the other hand, to make preparations for the
ensuing battle and to keep it a top secret. On the way back to Makkah,
Budayl ibn Warqa' and his group came across Abu Sufyaan who was
heading for Al-Madeenah. "Where have you been?" asked Abu Sufyaan. "I
was only up in this valley," Budayl replied. Abu Sufyaan was under the
impression that the Prophet was unaware of the attack against Banu
Khuzaa'ah that had just occurred. Hewas determined to get the Peace
Treaty renewed as soon as possible.
Abu Sufyaan in Al-Madeenah
Abu Sufyaan came to Al-Madeenah and went tothe house of his daughter
Umm Habeebah)wife of the Noble Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam(.
But as he went to sit on the apostle's carpet she folded it up. "My
daughter," said he, "Do you think that the carpet is too good for me
or am I too good for the carpet." She replied, "It isthe apostle's
carpet and you are an unclean polytheist."
Being disgusted at the curt reply of his daughter, Abu Sufyaan stepped
out of her room and went to the Noble Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa
sallam, but he, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, was well aware ofhis
tricks and did not hold him any assurance. He then approached Abu
Bakrbut he declined to interfere. He contacted'Umaralso to intercede
but he made a point-blank refusal. At last he saw 'Ali ibn Abi
Taalibin this connection, but he also regretted his inability to do
anything for him.
Preparations for the Attack onMakkah
Immediately after the departure of Abu Sufyaan, the Prophet, sallalahu
alayhi wa sallam, asked the Companions to march on Makkah. In spite of
the massive size of the military preparations, theCompanions did not
know the target of attack. It was simply because the Messenger
ofAllaah, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, wanted the Makkans to be caught
unaware.
However, a Companion ofthe Prophet, Haatib ibn Abu Balta'ahinformedthe
Quraysh of the impending Muslim attack,in a letter sent through a
woman. Allaah The Almighty inspired His Messenger with this. He,
sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, sent 'Ali and Az-Zubayr ibn
Al-'Awwaamimmediately after the woman with the description of her
features. They caught herafter a hard chase, searched her belongings
but the letter remained hidden. However, 'Ali wasquite sure about the
letter because he knew the Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, would
not say anything that wasn't absolutely true. When 'Ali threatened her
with dire consequences, she drew out the letter from her hair and
handed it over to them. The letter was from Haatib ibn Abu Balta'ahto
the Quraysh. The letter along with the woman was brought to the
Messenger of Allaah. Haatib was sent for and was asked for an
explanation. He said,"Since my relatives were still in Makkah and in
danger, I wished to oblige the Makkans by informing them about the
ensuing Muslim attack so that my relatives would remain safe from
them." Having heard this, 'Umar lost his temper and said, "O Messenger
of Allaah! Allow me to cut his head off." But the Prophet, sallalahu
alayhi wa sallam, forgave him and told 'Umar that Haatib was truthful
in his claim, and Allaah would forgive him due to his partaking in the
battle of Badr.
March to Makkah
On Ramadan 11, 8 AH, theProphet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, set out
from Al-Madeenah at the head of a ten-thousand-man army of the
Companions. The failure of Abu Sufyaan's mission had disheartened the
Qurayshand they were in the dark about the plans of the believers. The
Prophet's march to Makkah was very swift. They came across his uncle
Al-'Abbaas ibn aAbdul-Muttalibon the way who, along with his wife and
children, was moving to Al-Madeenah after they had embraced Islam. The
Messenger of Allaah took Al-'Abbas to Makkah and sent his family to
Al-Madeenah. Marching quickly, the Muslim army reached Marruaz-Zahraan
at a distance of 8 miles from Makkah. TheMakkans were still unaware of
the presence of Muslim troops even though they were so close to
Makkah. They encamped at that place. The Makkans came to know of the
Muslim forceonly from the shepherds who went back in the night.
Informed of this, Abu Sufyaan came out to look into the matter. The
Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, had already deputed 'Umarat the
head of a patrol party to ward off a night attack.
Al-'Abbaas ibn Abdul-Muttalib was anxious about the safety of his
people and wanted themto accept Islam and be safe. He came out mounted
on the mule of the Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, in the night
and moved towards Makkah. As per the order of the Messenger of Allaah,
sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, the entire Muslim army had, in separate
groups of one thousand each, lit their campfires.
When Abu Sufyaan witnessed the blazing campfires spread over a vast
area, he was shocked and stunned to the core to think how such a large
army had been collected.
Al-'Abbaas recognized the voice of Abu Sufyaan even in the dark night
and sounded back that the army belonged to theProphet, sallalahu
alayhi wa sallam, and was readyto invade Makkah the next morning. Abu
Sufyaan was left more confounded at this disheartening news. He, in a
state of utmost bewilderment, drew nearAl-'Abbaas to seek his counsel
at this juncture. Al-'Abbaas said to him,"Ride on the back of this
mule and I will bring you to the Prophet, sallalahu alayhi wa sallam,
for he alone can give you protection." Abu Sufyaan got on the mule
without a moment's delay. 'Umar recognized Abu Sufyaan and wanted to
kill him at once, but Al-'Abbaas spurred the mule and quickly went
into the camp of the Prophet. 'Umar came chasing him and said, "O
Prophet of Allaah! Command me to kill this disbeliever, for he has
come under our control without any condition." Al-'Abbaassaid, "I have
already given him protection." But 'Umar sought permission once again.
Al-'Abbaas replied to him with a pinch of taunt,"'Umar'! You would not
have insisted on his being killed had he belonged to your
family."Thereupon 'Umar said, "OAl-'Abbaas! I felt more happy on your
accepting Islam than I would have been had my father doneso because I
found the Prophet eager for your becoming a Muslim." After this
exchange between the two, the Prophet of Allaah, sallalahu alayhi wa
sallam, enjoined, "Well, Abu Sufyaan is given respite for a night."
Following this he asked Al-'Abbaas to keep Abu Sufyaan in his own
camp.And next morning Abu Sufyaan appeared beforethe Prophet,
sallalahu alayhi wa sallam, and confessed Islam.
To be continued

Dought n clear, - She is an author who writes stories and articles in English, and isasking about the ruling on writing and receiving payment for it

Allah has given me a great gift, and I write stories and articles in
English. Hence I have taken this as a profession. My writings are not
always about Islam; rather I write different things about various
subjects, but I am always careful to avoid that which is haraam. Is
the money that I get for these writings halaal? I write these things
on the basis of my conviction that the Muslims should excel in all
areas of life, and so that everyone who reads my writings will know
that we are not a backward ummah as some people think.
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with writing stories if you adhere to the
shar'i conditions that make it permissible to write them and publish
them. These conditions includethe following:
1.
They should not contain anything that is contraryto sharee'ah, or
matters that Islam came to oppose and warn against. Such things
include shirk (association of others with Allah), innovation and evil
words, deeds and behavior.
2.
They should not contain lies about historical events or real
incidents. If it is a story based on imagination, then there is
nothing wrong with that, as al-Hareeri did in hisMaqaamaat, in whichhe
made up a fictional character called al-Haarith ibn Hsmmaam.
Al-Hareeri said in the introduction to hisMaqaamaat: I hope that I am
not going to be, in what I have written, like one who is putting
himself in trouble or be like losers, those who strove in misguidance
in this life, thinking that they were doing well. However, there are
somesmart people who turn ablind eye and do not comment on my
writings, and others who like me and defend me. Yet there are ignorant
people who are not prominent at all, who criticise me and suggest that
what I write is haraam. But anyone who examines what I have written of
theseMaqaamaatwill realise that they are beneficial and that they tell
stories about animate beings and inanimate things. No one has ever
heard of anyone who rejected such stories or regarded their writers as
sinners at all. If deeds are but byintentions, then what is wrong with
one who writes stories, intending thereby to highlight some issues,
for the purpose of promoting good morals, and his intention was never
to tell lies? Isn't he, in that case, like a teacher who teaches good
manners and guides people to thestraight path?
End quote fromMaqaamaat al-Hareeri, p. 17, 18
Shaykh Muhammad Rasheed Rida (may Allah have mercy on him) commented
by noting: He says that he never heard of anyone among the scholars of
the ummah up to his time forbidding such stories which speak of
animals, such asKaleelah wa Dimnah, and so on, because the intention
behind them was to exhort and teach something good. And wehave never
heard of any of the scholars after his time saying that it is haraam
to read hisMaqaamaat. But some popular figures came up with this view
and had the audacity to declare haraam that which Allah and His
Messenger did not prohibit, and which none of the scholars of Islam
declared to be haraam.
End quote fromMajallat al-Minaar, 14/828-830, in a fatwa
entitledTamtheel al-Waqaa'i' at-Taareekhiyyah wa'l-Khayaaliyyah
li'l-I'tibaar.
3.
They should have sublime aims and great meanings.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)
was asked: Some literary authors write stories that teach moral
lessons in a very attractive style, which have a great impact on
readers' hearts, but it is all imaginary. What is the ruling on that?
He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied:
There is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with thatif
it deals with spiritual or moral or social problems, because there is
nothing wrong with giving likenesses by telling fictional stories. In
fact some of the scholars have stated thatsome of the likenesses given
in the Holy Qur'an did not refer to real events; rather Allah
gavethese as examples (to teach a lesson), such as when He, may He be
exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
"And Allah puts forward (another) example of two men, one of them
dumb, who has no power over anything (disbeliever), and he is a burden
to his master, whichever way he directs him, he brings nogood. Is such
a man equal to one (believer inthe Islamic Monotheism) who commands
justice, and is himself on a Straight Path?"
[an-Nahl 16:76].
So I do not think that there is anything wrong with that, because the
purpose is to warn others. But if it so happens that a person has
knowledge of what is in the Qur'an and Sunnah, then he quotes verses
in his writings that deal with problems, and he explains them and
gives likenesses for them, this is something good. The same applies to
quoting some hadeeths and explainingthem and giving likenesses for
them. This is undoubtedly good.
End quote fromFataawa 'ala ad-Darb, tape no. 358
See also the answer to question no. 4505
In the answer to question no. 159960you will find a detailed fatwa
from Shaykh al-'Uthaymeen, in which it says that it is permissible to
earn an income from writing such stories, if they are worldly stories.
We do not think that it makes a difference whether the stories
fromwhich you earn an income are worldly or religious. What has
beensaid about it being permissible to write stories and earn income
from them may be said about writing articles and earning income from
that.
We ask Allah to guide your pen and to benefit the Muslims through you.
And Allah knows best.

Dought n clear, - The wisdom behind limiting divorce (talaaq)to three

I do not know why Islamdoes not allow the man to marry his wife again
if he has divorced her then he wants to take her back. The Qur'an
states that she has to marry another man first,then only after that
can the first husband marry her again. That does notseem logical to
me; rather I think it is harsh.
Praise be to Allah.
What the individual must do is obey the commands of Allah, may He be
exalted, and be certain that He is the most wise of judges; His
command cannot be rejected and His rule cannot be overturned. There is
wisdom and goodness in all His rulings, and they are in our best
interests.
"And who is better in judgement than Allah fora people who have firm Faith?"
[al-Maa'idah 5:50].
Because He, may He be glorified, is the Creator of His slaves, He
knows best what is in their interests. He, may He be glorified, has no
need ofHis slaves, is far above any injustice, and is mostmerciful to
His creation. As He is like that, His rulings must be the ultimate in
justice, wisdom and compassion.
The individual may know the wisdom behind the commands and
prohibitions, or he may be unaware of it, but he is enjoined to obey
in all circumstances, because this is the state of the weak slave
before the Almighty Lord and Sovereign. If he disputesthe wisdom of
his Creator (in a particular ruling), he has gone beyond the bounds of
faith and true servitude to Allah, as He, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger
have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their
decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed
strayed in a plainerror"
[al-Ahzaab 33:36]
"Butno, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O
Muhammad SAW) judge in all disputes between them, and find in
themselves no resistanceagainst your decisions, and accept (them) with
full submission"
[an-Nisa' 4:65].
There is nothing to prevent the individual from asking and lookingfor
the wisdom behind rulings, in order to increase his faith and
certainty.
The one who ponders the issue of divorce will become certain of the
mercy and wisdom of Allah. Divorce is painful and harmful for the
woman, hence the Lawgiver is very strict about it and has restricted
it so that people will not be heedless about it.
If the man, every time hedivorced his wife, was able to make a new
marriage contract with her and take her back, a man might divorce his
wife dozens of times, and each time he would be harming her and
breaking her heart, thenpeople of goodwill would try to reconcile
between them, or the woman might feel sorry for her children, so she
goes back to her husband. This is obviously unfair and unjust to her.
But if the husband knows that the third divorce will make his wife
irrevocably divorced from him, in the sense that he will not be able
to take her back until after she has married another man who then dies
or divorces her, but he maynot die or divorce her, then he would be
afraid of divorce and would keep away from it, and he would not resort
to it except in cases of necessity or urgent need. In that there is
mercy for the wife and protection for the family, and it prevents
people being heedless about the matter or toying with it.
There is also another kind of wisdom behind it, which is that the man
may be hasty in divorcing the first time, then he may regret it and
take his wife back. Then if he divorces her asecond time, he will be
doing so with insight and knowledge. Then if he divorces her a third
time, that – in most cases– will indicate that they cannot live a
stable life together, so there is no point in carrying on with this
miserable life, and perhaps separation will be a relief and mercy for
both of them, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"But if they separate (bydivorce), Allah will provide abundance for
everyone of them from His Bounty. And Allah is Ever All-Sufficient for
His creatures need, All-Wise"
[an-Nisa' 4:130].
The scholars have commented on the wisdom behind making divorce three times:
At-Taahir ibn 'Aashoor (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The wisdom behind this great legislation is to deter husbands from
taking their wives' rightslightly and making them like toys in their
houses. So the husband is given the first divorce as a mistake, the
second as a test and the third as a separation, as the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in the hadeeth
about Moosa and al-Khidr: "Thefirst time was due to forgetfulness on
the partof Moosa, the second time led to the stipulation of a
condition, and the third time was deliberate. Hence al-Khidr said to
him after the third time:'This is the parting between me and you'
[al-Kahf 18:78]."
End quote fromat-Tahreer wa't-Tanweer, 5/415
Ibn al-Humaam al-Hanafi(may Allah have mercy on him) said: He may have
false feelings that he does not need her (his wife) any more, or that
there is a need to leave her, then this idea may take hold of the
individual, but when thedivorce takes place, he may regret it and feel
distressed and become impatient (to take her back). Therefore Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted, ordained that divorce may be done
three times, so that he might test himself the first time. Then if the
reality of divorce confirms his feelings, he may persist until the
'iddah ends. Otherwise he can try to redeem thesituation by taking her
back, then if he again feels as he did the first time and that feeling
becomes so overwhelming that he divorces her again, he will have
another opportunity to think about it after the seconddivorce. Then by
the time he issues the third divorce, he will be very certain of what
he wantsto do, and after the thirddivorce there are no more excuses.
End quote fromSharh Fath al-Qadeer, 3/465
And Allah knows best.