Lessons to be Learned from the Conquest of Makkah
3- ‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl Embraces Islam
‘Abdullaah bin Az-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, said that
Umm Hakeem, the wife of ‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl said, “O Messenger of Allah, ‘Ikrimah has fled from you to Yemen out of fear that you would kill him. Please grant him security.” “He is secure,” promised the Prophet .
Umm Hakeem set out immediately in search of ‘Ikrimah. Accompanying her was a Roman slave. When they had gone quite far, he tried to seduce her but she managed to put him off until she reached a settlement of Arabs called ‘Akk. She sought their help against him. They tied him up and kept him. Umm Hakeem continued on her way until she finally found ‘Ikrimah on the coast of the sea in the region of Tihaamah. He was negotiating transport with a Muslim seaman who was saying to him, “Be pure and sincere, and I will transport you.” “What should I say?” asked ‘Ikrimah. “Say, I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah,” answered the seaman. “I have fled from this very thing,” said ‘Ikrimah. At this point, Umm Hakeem came up to ‘Ikrimah and said, “I have come to you from the most generous of men, the most righteous of men, the best of men [i.e. the Prophet Muhammad]. Do not destroy yourself. I have asked Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, for safety for you. This he has granted.” “Have you spoken to him?” asked ‘Ikrimah. “Yes, I have spoken to him, and he has granted you safety,” she assured him and he returned with her.
She told him about the attempt of his Roman slave to dishonor her and ‘Ikrimah went directly to the Arab settlement where he lay bound and killed him, while he had not yet become a Muslim. When ‘Ikrimah approached Makkah, the Prophet said to his Companions: “‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl will come to you a believer and an immigrant, so do not curse his father. Cursing the dead hurts the living, and does not reach the dead.”
‘Ikrimah wanted to have intercourse with his wife, but she vehemently refused and said, “I am a Muslim, and you are a disbeliever.” ‘Ikrimah was stunned and said, “Nothing can stop you from being with me except a great matter.”
Seeing ‘Ikrimah, the Prophet got up and laying down his outer clothes greeted him enthusiastically. The Prophet sat down with ‘Ikrimah standing beside his veiled wife in front of the Prophet . “O Muhammad,” said ‘Ikrimah, “Umm Hakeem has told me that you have granted me safety.” “That is right,” said the Prophet : “You are safe.” “To what do you call?” asked ‘Ikrimah. “I call you to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah and that I am the slave of Allah and His Messenger, to perform prayer, and pay Zakah [obligatory charity].” The Prophet then listed the other obligations of Islam. “By Allah,” responded ‘Ikrimah, “You have only called to what is true, and you have only commanded that which is good. You lived among us before the beginning of your mission and then you were the most truthful and the most righteous of us.” ‘Ikrimah said, “I testify that there no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”
The Prophet was delighted to hear that, and ‘Ikrimah asked him to teach him something to say. Thus, the Prophet then instructed him to say: “I testify that there no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.” “What next?” asked ‘Ikrimah. The Prophet added: “Say, I call on Allah and those present here to witness that I am a Muslim who is a Mujaahid and an immigrant.” ‘Ikrimah repeated these words, and the Prophet told him that he would grant him anything he requested that day. ‘Ikrimah then said, “I request you to seek Allah’s forgiveness for me for all the hostility I directed against you, every expedition or battle I launched against you, and for whatever insults I expressed in your presence or absence.” The Prophet replied: “O Allah, forgive him for all the hostility he directed against me and for all the expeditions he mounted wishing to put out Your light. Forgive him for whatever he has said or done in my presence or absence to dishonor me.” ‘Ikrimah said, “Now, I am content, Messenger of Allah. I promise that whatever I have spent obstructing the way of Allah, I shall spend twice as much in His Cause, and whatever battles I have fought against the Way of Allah, I shall fight twice as hard for His way.” From that day on, he did well in fighting until he was martyred.
The Prophet returned his wife to him under their original marriage after he embraced Islam.
The Prophet treated ‘Ikrimah in a very gentle and loving manner, which was enough to attract him to Islam. The Prophet hurriedly stood up for him without wearing his full clothes, smiled at him and welcomed him wholeheartedly. In another narration, the Prophet said to him: “Welcome to the immigrant rider!” This situation touched the heart and emotions of ‘Ikrimah, and, then he embraced Islam.
Also, the stance and actions of Umm Hakeem bint Al-Haarith bin Hishaam, may Allah be pleased with her, greatly contributed to her husband's embracing Islam. She obtained safety for him from the Prophet and risked her life in the hope that Allah The Almighty would guide him to Islam as He had guided her. When her husband wanted to have intercourse with her, she refused because he was a disbeliever and she was a Muslim. All this made him realize that Islam is a great religion. In doing so, Umm Hakeem created the first spark in the mind of ‘Ikrimah to think about Islam, then, he sincerely announced it in front of the Prophet . He did not request any worldly gain in return for embracing Islam; instead, he asked him to seek forgiveness of Allah The Almighty for all his past sins.
Moreover, he swore in the presence of the Prophet that he would spend in the cause of Allah The Almighty twice as much as he had spent in the pre-Islamic era, and that he would fight in the cause of Allah twice as much as he had fought in the pre-Islamic era. ‘Ikrimah, may Allah be pleased with him, fulfilled his promise; he proved to be one of the most courageous leaders who fought in the cause of Allah during the wars against the apostates, and then in the conquests of Ash-Shaam (greater Syria) until he was martyred in the Battle of Al-Yarmook after he dedicated his life and property to the cause of Allah The Almighty.
4- Examples of the Humility of the Prophet
The Conversion of the Father of Abu Bakr to Islam
Asmaa’ bint Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, may Allah be pleased with her and her father, said
When the Prophet entered Makkah and sat in the Masjid, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, brought his father to him. Seeing that, the Prophet said: “You should have left the old man at home such that I would have gone to him.” Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “O Messenger of Allah! He should go to you, not you come to him.” The Prophet let the old man sit before him, rubbed his chest and asked him to embrace Islam. The old man did. The head of Abu Bakr’s father was covered with white hair, so the Prophet said: “Dye his hair a different color.”
It was narrated that the Prophet congratulated Abu Bakr on his father's conversion to Islam.
This narration teaches us a form of noble behavior that was enjoined by the Prophet ; which is to respect and venerate the elderly. This is affirmed by the saying of the Prophet: “He is not of us who does not esteem our elderly and show mercy to our youngsters.” [At-Tirmithi] Also, the Prophet said: “It is out of reverence to Allah to respect an aged, grey-haired Muslim.” [Abu Daawood]
The Prophet initiated the virtue of honoring the relatives of afflicted Muslims, being generous and giving to people and those who entered Islam early. That was to show gratitude to them for the services they offered to Islam and the Muslims and for their support to the call of Allah The Almighty.
5- Example of the Pardoning and Forbearance of the Prophet
Fadhaalah bin ‘Umayr Embraces Islam
Fadhaalah bin ‘Umayr bin Al-Mulawwah Al-Laythi wanted to kill the Prophet while he was circumambulating the Ka‘bah in the year of the Conquest of Makkah. When Fadhaalah approached, the Prophet asked: “Are you Fadhaalah?” He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet asked: “What have you been thinking of?” “Nothing,” Fadhaalah replied, “I have been mentioning Allah The Almighty.” The Prophet laughed and asked him to seek forgiveness from Allah The Almighty and then put his palm on the chest of Fadhaalah, which was strangely soothed.
Fadhaalah would later say, “By Allah, he [the Prophet] did not withdraw his palm from my chest until he had become the dearest person to me.” He added, “When I was returning to my family, a woman whom I used to converse with asked me to continue our conversations, but I refused.”
Da‘wah-Related Incidents and a Distinguishing Ability to Deal with People -I