Islamic State Part 7: Establishing The Islamic State and The Society, The Preparation For Fighting and The Outbreak Of Fighting
Establishing The Islamic State
The Messenger of Allah (saw) eventually arrived in Madinah and was greeted by a huge number of its people, Muslims, polytheists and Jews alike. They were all eager to witness his awesome presence and he soon came to be surrounded by the Muslims who were all anxious to serve him and to offer him comfort and hospitality. They were ready to offer themselves to him (saw) and to the deen he had brought to them, they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of the Message of Islam. Everyone wanted the Messenger of Allah (saw) to lodge with him, but he (saw) left the reins of his she-camel free until it knelt by the storehouse of Sahl and Suhayl, sons of ‘Amr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) subsequently bought it and built a Masjid and his houses around it. The building of the Masjid and the houses turned out to be an easy task, they were very modest and cheap to construct. The Masjid comprised of a large courtyard with its walls composed of bricks and soil. One part of the ceiling was covered in palm tree branches and the remainder left uncovered. Part of the Masjid served as shelter to the poor who did not have a home. The Masjid was never lit except during the ‘isha’ prayer, when torches of hay were used to illuminate it.
The houses of the Messenger of Allah (saw) were just as simple and modest as the Masjid itself except that they were more illuminated. Allah’s Messenger (saw) lodged with Abi Ayub Khalid ibn Zayd al-Ansari while the Masjid and houses were being built and he moved in as soon as they were ready. He (saw) thought about the new life that he had sought, the way that the da‘wah had moved from one stage to another, from the stage of culturing through the stage of interaction with the non-Islamic society to that of the eventual implementation of the rules of Islam on people. He (saw) thought about the new era which had dawned moving him away from calling for Islam and enduring aggression towards the phase of rule, authority and the force that was now able to protect and defend the Message of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the building of the Masjid from the very first day and it was utilised for salah (prayers), meetings, consultation and a place where he looked after the people’s affairs and from where he judged between them. He (saw) appointed Abu Bakr and ‘Umar as his two assistants, saying, "My two assistants on Earth are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar."
In their response the Muslims gathered around the Messenger of Allah (saw), they would always approach him for guidance and advice in all matters. He (saw) thus performed the duty of the Head of State, the Judge and the Commander-in-Chief of the army. Therefore he (saw) looked after the affairs of the Muslims, settled their disputes and appointed leaders to the army divisions, eventually sending them outside Madinah on military campaigns and missions.
Allah’s Messenger (saw) founded the Islamic State from the very first day he arrived in Madinah and began to structure it by forming the society on a solid foundation as well as by gathering the appropriate force in order to be able to protect the State and convey the Message. With this accomplished, he (saw) could begin to remove the material obstacles that stood in the way of the spreading of Islam.
Establishing The Society
Allah (swt) has endowed the human being with the instinct of survival. One of the features of the survival instinct is for people to gather and live together, so the co-existence of people is a natural human disposition. However, this does not transform them into a society, simply a group, and they would remain a group unless they developed relationships that brought them a common interest and protected them from common threats. Only if such relationships that brought them common interests existed would they then become a society. However, these relationships would not make them a single society unless their viewpoint towards these relationships were united, once their thoughts had become united; and once their approval and disapproval towards these relationships became united when their feelings had become united, including their ways of dealing with problems that inevitably arise. Therefore, it is essential to look into the thoughts and feelings that dominate a society before forming an opinion about it, for they alone can determine and distinguish one society from another. On this basis, let us shed some light on the society of Madinah once the Messenger of Allah (saw) had arrived there.
At the time three groups lived in Madinah; the Muslims (Muhajireen and Ansar), who formed the biggest groups; the polytheists, from the Aus and Khazraj who did not embrace Islam; and a third group were the Jews who themselves were divided into four sections; one inside Madinah who were Banu Qaynuqa’, and the other three outside Madinah, they were Banu Nadir, Khaybar and Banu Qurayzah. Even before Islam the Jews formed their own separate society from that of the society in Madinah. This was so because their concepts and emotions were different, as were the ways by which they conducted their affairs. The result of this was that the Jews were never part of the general society of Madinah even though they lived in and around the city. And as for the disbelievers, they constituted a minority and were overwhelmed by the Islamic atmosphere dominating Madinah. So their yielding to the Islamic concepts and emotions and to the rules of Islam was inevitable even if they did not embrace Islam. The Muhajireen and the Ansar were united by the Islamic ‘aqeedah. Islam harmonised them, thus their concepts and emotions were the same - organising their lives and relationships on the basis of Islam was simply the only natural and inevitable outcome.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) began organising the relationships of the Muslims on the basis of the Islamic ‘aqeedah. He (saw) invited them to form a brethren, a brethren that would have a tangible effect on their relationships between each other in their business dealings and life’s affairs. It was with this policy in mind that he (saw) instituted his brotherhood with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, his uncle Hamzah became the brother to his servant Zayd, and Abu Bakr and Kharijah ibn Zayd became brothers after a similar fashion. He (saw) then invited the Muhajireen and Ansar to form a similar brotherhood, so ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and ‘Utbah ibn Malik al-Khazraji became brothers to each other, as did Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah and Abu Ayub al-Ansari, and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf and Sa’d ibn al-Rabi’i. This brotherhood had its material effect as well, for the Ansar had shown a great deal of generosity towards their brethren, the emigrants, which made the ties between them all the stronger. The Ansar offered them money and properties and shared everything with them, they traded and farmed together. The traders amongst the emigrants turned their hand to commerce, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf used to sell butter and cheese, and others who were business minded did likewise. As for those who did not take up trading they went into farming, like Abu Bakr and ‘Ali who worked the lands given to them by the Ansar. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Whoever owns a piece of land should farm it or give it to his brothers." So the Muslims worked to earn their living. There was, though, a small group of Muslims who had no money, could find no work and had nowhere to live. They were the needy, being neither emigrants nor Ansar. These were the Arabs who came to Madinah and who had embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) took them into his care and housed them in the covered part of the Masjid, where they became known as the Ahl al-Suffah. They lived off the wealthy Muslims whom Allah (swt) had provided for generously. By doing so, Allah’s Messenger (saw) managed to stabilise the Muslims’ way of life and determine their relationships with each other on a solid footing. The Messenger of Allah (saw) thus established the society in Madinah on a solid foundation that stood in the way of disbelief and which was able to resist the conspiracies of the hypocrites and Jews. The Islamic society remained united throughout, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) became reassured by this unity among the Muslims.
As for the polytheists, they never produced any lasting effect on the structure of the society. At first they submitted to the Islamic rules and then they waned only to eventually vanish.
The Jews, who were to suffer the same fate, remained always a society apart, different from other societies even before Islam. When Islam’s authority was established in Madinah differences deepened and the need to establish relations between the Muslims and the Jews on a specific basis became a necessity, so the Messenger of Allah (saw) determined the Muslims’ position towards the other members of the society. In the light of this the Messenger of Allah (saw) wrote a document concerning the Muhajireen and the Ansar in which he made an agreement with the Jews establishing them in their religion and their property, and in which he stated their reciprocal obligations. He (saw) began the document as follows, "This is a document from Muhammad the Prophet, governing the relations between the believing Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and fought alongside them. They are one Ummah to the exclusion of all people." He (saw) then mentioned how the relationship between the believers was to be constituted, he also mentioned the Jews during his talk concerning the relations between the believers, he (saw) said, "A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an disbeliever, nor shall he aid an disbeliever against a believer. Allah’s covenant amongst them is one, the least of them is responsible. Believers are friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders. To the Jews who follow us belong help and equality. They shall not be wronged nor shall their enemies be aided. The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made when believers are fighting in the way of Allah. Conditions must be fair to all." The Jews mentioned in this document were the ones who wanted to become subjects of the Islamic State, it was not addressed to the Jewish tribes living on the outskirts of Madinah. Thus any Jew wanting to become a subject of the State would enjoy the same rights and receive the same treatment, for he would then be considered a dhimmi (people of the covenant). As for the Jewish tribes mentioned in the document, they were referred to in the latter part of the document and included the Jews of Banu ‘Auf and the Jews of Banu al-Najjar and so on.
Their position vis-ˆ-vis the Islamic State was fixed by the document. It was clearly determined that their relationship with the Muslims would be based on the Islamic rule, that it would be subject to the authority of Islam and to safeguarding the interests of the State. Some of the points mentioned in the document were:
The document of Allah’s Messenger (saw) determined the position of the Jewish tribes neighbouring Madinah. It imposed on them the condition that they were not to go out of Madinah without his (saw) permission, i.e. the State’s permission. They were forbidden from violating the sanctuary of Madinah by war or by helping in a war, they were also forbidden from helping Quraysh or those who helped Quraysh and were bound by the conditions of the covenant to refer any dispute arising about the content of the document to the Messenger of Allah (saw). The Jews agreed to the conditions laid out in the document and all those tribes mentioned in it signed to that effect; they were Banu ‘Auf, Banu al-Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa’ida, Banu Jushm, Banu al-Aus and Banu Tha’labah. Banu Qurayzah, Banu al-Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa’ did not sign at the time, but did so at a later date, and they all willingly submitted to the conditions laid down in the document. By signing this document the Messenger of Allah (saw) firmly fixed the relationships within the fledgling Islamic State. The relationship between the State and the neighbouring Jewish tribes was also firmly established on a clear and specific basis. In both instances though, it was Islam that would be the judge and arbiter. It was at this stage that Allah’s Messenger (saw) became reassured knowing that the Islamic society was now properly founded and that he was to a certain degree safe from any immediate acts of treachery by the Jews, so he (saw) began the task of removing the material obstacles that stood in the way of the Message of Islam by preparing for war.
The Preparation For Fighting
When the Messenger of Allah (saw) was assured that the Islamic society was set on a solid foundation, and once he had signed treaties with the neighbouring Jewish tribes, he set about preparing the grounds in Madinah for jihad, for it is the duty of the Islamic State to implement Islam in the whole of the land under its rule and to convey the Message of Islam beyond its borders. Conveying the Message of Islam is by no means comparable to missionary work, it instead comprises the inviting of mankind to Islam, culturing them with its concepts and rules, and the removal of any material obstacle that stands in the way of the Message through the employment of a force capable of doing so.
Quraysh had always represented a material obstacle barring the progress of the Message of Islam, a task force thus had to be prepared to overcome it. Bearing this in mind and with the objective of spreading Islam outside Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (saw) began building his army. He (saw) took several deliberate steps by organising some expeditions designed to challenge Quraysh and frighten both the hypocrites and the Jews in Madinah and the nearby surroundings. In four months he (saw) dispatched three units outside Madinah. He sent Hamzah to the sea-shore in the neighbourhood of al-’Is at the head of thirty riders from the emigrants, none of the helpers took part. Hamzah met Abu Jahl ibn Hisham with three hundred riders on the shore and was about to fight him when Majdi ibn ‘Amr al-Juhani intervened between them so the people separated without fighting. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Muhammad ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith with sixty riders from the Muhajireen, there not being a single one of the Ansar among them. He encountered Abu Sufyan at the head of more than two hundred riders in the valley of Rabigh. Again no fighting took place except that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas shot an arrow on that day. Allah’s Messenger (saw) also sent Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas with twenty riders towards Makkah, but they returned without fighting. These expeditions helped create an atmosphere of war in Madinah, and they also served to frighten the life out of Quraysh who began to seriously feel the threat coming from Allah’s Messenger (saw). He (saw) did not stop at that, but went out raiding himself. Twelve months after his arrival in Madinah he (saw) went forth on a raid looking for Quraysh and Banu Damrah until he reached Waddan. He (saw) did not meet Quraysh that day, instead Banu Damrah made peace with him. After that the Messenger of Allah (saw) went raiding at the head of a contingent of two hundred riders from the Muhajir and Ansar until they reached Buwat in the neighbourhood of Radwa. They were making for a caravan composed of two thousand five hundred cattle protected by one hundred fighters led by Umayyah ibn Khalaf. But he (saw) failed to intercept the caravan due to the fact that it had traversed a different route than the one normally used. Three months after returning from the expedition to Buwat, Abu Salmah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad was left in charge of Madinah and the Messenger of Allah (saw) undertook another raid at the head of two hundred plus Muslims until he reached al-’Ushayrah in the valley of Yanbu’ where he stopped during the month of Jumada al-Ula and resided until some days of Jumada al-Akhirah had passed. This was in the second year of Hijrah. The reason for his camping there was that he (saw) was waiting for a caravan headed by Abu Sufyan, but once again he missed his target. It was not entirely a wasted effort though, because the Messenger of Allah (saw) gained from his trip a peace treaty with Bani Mudlaj and their allies from Bani Damrah.
He (saw) had only been back in Madinah for ten days when Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fahri raided the pasturing camels of Madinah. Allah’s Messenger (saw) went out in search of him, Kurz being one of the allies of Quraysh. Allah’s Messenger (saw) reached the valley of Safwan in the neighbourhood of Badr, but Kurz escaped him and could not be overtaken. This was the first raid of Badr.
That is how Allah’s Messenger (saw) began defying Quraysh with his army, by roaming the Peninsula and sending out expeditions. Although no fighting took place, Allah’s Messenger (saw) achieved considerable gains which paved the way for still greater battles, since these raids served as military exercises for the Muslim army and prepared them for war. They also sent shivers down the spines of the Jews and the hypocrites of Madinah and discouraged them from entertaining any thoughts about causing trouble. He (saw) succeeded in demoralising Quraysh by defying them whilst boosting the morale of the Muslims a great deal. He (saw) also formed and enforced a blockade on the caravans of Quraysh on their way to al-Sham by signing treaties with the tribes encamped between Madinah and the Red Sea coast, such as Banu Damrah, Banu Mudlaj and others.
The Outbreak Of Fighting
The Messenger of Allah (saw) settled in Madinah, where he at once began to implement Islamic rules on the society. It was at this time that the Revelation concerning legislation descended. He (saw) strengthened the fundamentals of the Islamic State and built the society on the basis of Islam and its systems. He (saw) created a brotherhood amongst the Muslims and it was then that Islam came to life as a rule and as a Shari’ah adopted by a society that took on the task of spreading its Message. The number of Muslims increased substantially and they became a force to be reckoned with, individuals and groups alike embraced Islam every other day, Jews and disbelievers included.
Once the Messenger of Allah (saw) was confident about the status of Islam in Madinah he began to think about spreading the Message outside to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. However, he knew that Quraysh formed a formidable obstacle in the way of the da‘wah, a material obstacle where the means of persuasive discussion would fall on deaf ears. Therefore, the obstacle would have to be overwhelmed by force. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was unable to remove this material obstacle when he was in Makkah because Islam did not have a State, capable of generating the required material force necessary to cancel out that obstacle. However, since the establishment of the Islamic State, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was able to work to remove such material obstacles by the considerable means that were now at his disposal. With the means to enforce such a policy now available to him, all he (saw) had to do was to prepare the army, build up the war fervour and adopt a new policy to spread the da‘wah. This is the reason why he (saw) initiated expeditions and raids, some of which he took part in personally, so as to defy Quraysh with a show of force.
The last expedition was that of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh which served as an introduction to the battle of Badr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh out with a group of Muhajireen during the month of Rajab in the second year of Hijra. He (saw) wrote him a letter, and ordered him not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days whereupon he should act on its instructions, but he should not put pressure on any of his companions. When ‘Abdullah had traveled for two days he opened the letter and read it, this is what it said, "When you have read this letter of mine, proceed until you reach Nakhlah between Makkah and Ta’if. Lie there for Quraysh and find out for us what they are up to." He told his companions about the letter and the task assigned to him, he also informed them about Allah’s Messenger’s instructions not to put any pressure on anyone. They all agreed to continue and so he proceeded with his companions. They traveled together as a group until Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan became separated when they went to look for the camel that they had been riding on in turns and which had become lost. Eventually they were to fall prisoners to Quraysh. ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh camped in Nakhlah watching out for Quraysh and while there one of their caravans carrying merchandise passed by. ‘Abdullah and his companions took council among themselves to decide what to do because this was the last day of the sacred month of Rajab and Allah’s Messenger (saw) had not issued any instructions about fighting. They said to each other, "By Allah, if you leave them alone tonight they will get into the sacred area and will be safe from you; and if you kill them, you will kill them in the sacred month." At first they were hesitant and feared to attack them. Then they encouraged each other and decided to fight. One of the Muslims shot the leader of the caravan ‘Amr ibn al Hadrami and killed him. The Muslims took two prisoners and escorted the caravan to Madinah. When they came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) he said to them, "I did not order you to fight in the sacred month." Then he (saw) retained the caravan and the two prisoners refusing to take anything from them. That was the conclusion of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s expedition whom the Messenger of Allah (saw) had sent to watch Quraysh, but which had instead fought, killed, and imprisoned some of their men and taken the caravan as booty during the sacred month. So what would be the Islamic verdict on this action? This was what concerned Allah’s Messenger (saw) and hence that is the reason why he held the prisoners and the booty in suspense, to wait for the verdict from Allah (swt) on the matter. Quraysh grabbed the opportunity of using the issue as a source of propaganda and scandal against Islam and Muhammad (saw). They trumpeted among all the Arabs that Muhammad (saw) and his companions had violated the sacred month, shed blood, seized properties and imprisoned people. Arguments arose in Makkah between Quraysh and the Muslims who had remained there, in reply the Muslims said that their brothers had attacked the caravan in Sha’ban and not Rajab, but their response was not convincing and failed to quell the propaganda launched by Quraysh against Islam. The Jews took up the argument as well and began disgracing and slandering ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s action. The propaganda took its toll on the Muslims, meanwhile Allah’s Messenger (saw) kept silent awaiting the Revelation and Allah’s verdict on the affair until Allah (swt) revealed in surah al-Baqarah, "They will ask you concerning fighting in the sacred month. Say, fighting therein is a grave offence, but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the sacred Masjid and drive out its people therefrom. Tumult and oppression are worse than killing. Nor will they cease to fight you until they turn you back from your deen if they can." [TMQ 2:217]
When this verse was revealed the Muslims rejoiced and Allah’s Messenger (saw) then proceeded to distribute the booty from the caravan and exchange the two prisoners for Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan. These verses came as a slap in the face of Quraysh’s propaganda against Islam. The Qur’an answered Quraysh, who had asked you, was not fighting in the sacred month a grave sin, but keeping people back from the way of the sacred Masjid and driving its people away from it was far more serious than fighting and killing in the sacred month. Quraysh’s actions of oppressing the Muslims for their deen by threatening, torturing and persecuting them was far worse than fighting and killing in the sacred month, or any other month for that matter. Quraysh had ceaselessly fought them in an attempt to turn them back from their deen, therefore the Muslims were entitled to fight Quraysh in the sacred month and nothing could be held against them. It was Quraysh who were committing the graver offence by standing in the way of the Islamic da‘wah, by keeping people back from the way of Allah, by disbelieving in Allah, driving out the people of the sacred Masjid and persecuting the Muslims. They deserved to be fought in any and every month, sacred or otherwise. The fight that ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh initiated against Quraysh was therefore neither a disgrace to him nor to the Muslims. Thus the expedition of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh was a turning point in the history of Islam. It marked a profound change of policy in the way that the Islamic da‘wah was to be conducted. Waqid ibn ‘Abdullah al-Tamimi shot the leader of the caravan and killed him, that was the first blood the Muslims shed in the way of Allah (swt). Until the verses of jihad were revealed commanding the Muslims to fight anytime and anywhere, armed combat during the sacred months had been unauthorised, from that time on though the rules were different. Thus the previous prevention against fighting in the sacred months was abrogated by the generality of the verses of fighting.
Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir
The Messenger of Allah (saw) eventually arrived in Madinah and was greeted by a huge number of its people, Muslims, polytheists and Jews alike. They were all eager to witness his awesome presence and he soon came to be surrounded by the Muslims who were all anxious to serve him and to offer him comfort and hospitality. They were ready to offer themselves to him (saw) and to the deen he had brought to them, they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of the Message of Islam. Everyone wanted the Messenger of Allah (saw) to lodge with him, but he (saw) left the reins of his she-camel free until it knelt by the storehouse of Sahl and Suhayl, sons of ‘Amr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) subsequently bought it and built a Masjid and his houses around it. The building of the Masjid and the houses turned out to be an easy task, they were very modest and cheap to construct. The Masjid comprised of a large courtyard with its walls composed of bricks and soil. One part of the ceiling was covered in palm tree branches and the remainder left uncovered. Part of the Masjid served as shelter to the poor who did not have a home. The Masjid was never lit except during the ‘isha’ prayer, when torches of hay were used to illuminate it.
The houses of the Messenger of Allah (saw) were just as simple and modest as the Masjid itself except that they were more illuminated. Allah’s Messenger (saw) lodged with Abi Ayub Khalid ibn Zayd al-Ansari while the Masjid and houses were being built and he moved in as soon as they were ready. He (saw) thought about the new life that he had sought, the way that the da‘wah had moved from one stage to another, from the stage of culturing through the stage of interaction with the non-Islamic society to that of the eventual implementation of the rules of Islam on people. He (saw) thought about the new era which had dawned moving him away from calling for Islam and enduring aggression towards the phase of rule, authority and the force that was now able to protect and defend the Message of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the building of the Masjid from the very first day and it was utilised for salah (prayers), meetings, consultation and a place where he looked after the people’s affairs and from where he judged between them. He (saw) appointed Abu Bakr and ‘Umar as his two assistants, saying, "My two assistants on Earth are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar."
In their response the Muslims gathered around the Messenger of Allah (saw), they would always approach him for guidance and advice in all matters. He (saw) thus performed the duty of the Head of State, the Judge and the Commander-in-Chief of the army. Therefore he (saw) looked after the affairs of the Muslims, settled their disputes and appointed leaders to the army divisions, eventually sending them outside Madinah on military campaigns and missions.
Allah’s Messenger (saw) founded the Islamic State from the very first day he arrived in Madinah and began to structure it by forming the society on a solid foundation as well as by gathering the appropriate force in order to be able to protect the State and convey the Message. With this accomplished, he (saw) could begin to remove the material obstacles that stood in the way of the spreading of Islam.
Establishing The Society
Allah (swt) has endowed the human being with the instinct of survival. One of the features of the survival instinct is for people to gather and live together, so the co-existence of people is a natural human disposition. However, this does not transform them into a society, simply a group, and they would remain a group unless they developed relationships that brought them a common interest and protected them from common threats. Only if such relationships that brought them common interests existed would they then become a society. However, these relationships would not make them a single society unless their viewpoint towards these relationships were united, once their thoughts had become united; and once their approval and disapproval towards these relationships became united when their feelings had become united, including their ways of dealing with problems that inevitably arise. Therefore, it is essential to look into the thoughts and feelings that dominate a society before forming an opinion about it, for they alone can determine and distinguish one society from another. On this basis, let us shed some light on the society of Madinah once the Messenger of Allah (saw) had arrived there.
At the time three groups lived in Madinah; the Muslims (Muhajireen and Ansar), who formed the biggest groups; the polytheists, from the Aus and Khazraj who did not embrace Islam; and a third group were the Jews who themselves were divided into four sections; one inside Madinah who were Banu Qaynuqa’, and the other three outside Madinah, they were Banu Nadir, Khaybar and Banu Qurayzah. Even before Islam the Jews formed their own separate society from that of the society in Madinah. This was so because their concepts and emotions were different, as were the ways by which they conducted their affairs. The result of this was that the Jews were never part of the general society of Madinah even though they lived in and around the city. And as for the disbelievers, they constituted a minority and were overwhelmed by the Islamic atmosphere dominating Madinah. So their yielding to the Islamic concepts and emotions and to the rules of Islam was inevitable even if they did not embrace Islam. The Muhajireen and the Ansar were united by the Islamic ‘aqeedah. Islam harmonised them, thus their concepts and emotions were the same - organising their lives and relationships on the basis of Islam was simply the only natural and inevitable outcome.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) began organising the relationships of the Muslims on the basis of the Islamic ‘aqeedah. He (saw) invited them to form a brethren, a brethren that would have a tangible effect on their relationships between each other in their business dealings and life’s affairs. It was with this policy in mind that he (saw) instituted his brotherhood with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, his uncle Hamzah became the brother to his servant Zayd, and Abu Bakr and Kharijah ibn Zayd became brothers after a similar fashion. He (saw) then invited the Muhajireen and Ansar to form a similar brotherhood, so ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and ‘Utbah ibn Malik al-Khazraji became brothers to each other, as did Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah and Abu Ayub al-Ansari, and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf and Sa’d ibn al-Rabi’i. This brotherhood had its material effect as well, for the Ansar had shown a great deal of generosity towards their brethren, the emigrants, which made the ties between them all the stronger. The Ansar offered them money and properties and shared everything with them, they traded and farmed together. The traders amongst the emigrants turned their hand to commerce, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf used to sell butter and cheese, and others who were business minded did likewise. As for those who did not take up trading they went into farming, like Abu Bakr and ‘Ali who worked the lands given to them by the Ansar. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Whoever owns a piece of land should farm it or give it to his brothers." So the Muslims worked to earn their living. There was, though, a small group of Muslims who had no money, could find no work and had nowhere to live. They were the needy, being neither emigrants nor Ansar. These were the Arabs who came to Madinah and who had embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) took them into his care and housed them in the covered part of the Masjid, where they became known as the Ahl al-Suffah. They lived off the wealthy Muslims whom Allah (swt) had provided for generously. By doing so, Allah’s Messenger (saw) managed to stabilise the Muslims’ way of life and determine their relationships with each other on a solid footing. The Messenger of Allah (saw) thus established the society in Madinah on a solid foundation that stood in the way of disbelief and which was able to resist the conspiracies of the hypocrites and Jews. The Islamic society remained united throughout, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) became reassured by this unity among the Muslims.
As for the polytheists, they never produced any lasting effect on the structure of the society. At first they submitted to the Islamic rules and then they waned only to eventually vanish.
The Jews, who were to suffer the same fate, remained always a society apart, different from other societies even before Islam. When Islam’s authority was established in Madinah differences deepened and the need to establish relations between the Muslims and the Jews on a specific basis became a necessity, so the Messenger of Allah (saw) determined the Muslims’ position towards the other members of the society. In the light of this the Messenger of Allah (saw) wrote a document concerning the Muhajireen and the Ansar in which he made an agreement with the Jews establishing them in their religion and their property, and in which he stated their reciprocal obligations. He (saw) began the document as follows, "This is a document from Muhammad the Prophet, governing the relations between the believing Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and fought alongside them. They are one Ummah to the exclusion of all people." He (saw) then mentioned how the relationship between the believers was to be constituted, he also mentioned the Jews during his talk concerning the relations between the believers, he (saw) said, "A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an disbeliever, nor shall he aid an disbeliever against a believer. Allah’s covenant amongst them is one, the least of them is responsible. Believers are friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders. To the Jews who follow us belong help and equality. They shall not be wronged nor shall their enemies be aided. The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made when believers are fighting in the way of Allah. Conditions must be fair to all." The Jews mentioned in this document were the ones who wanted to become subjects of the Islamic State, it was not addressed to the Jewish tribes living on the outskirts of Madinah. Thus any Jew wanting to become a subject of the State would enjoy the same rights and receive the same treatment, for he would then be considered a dhimmi (people of the covenant). As for the Jewish tribes mentioned in the document, they were referred to in the latter part of the document and included the Jews of Banu ‘Auf and the Jews of Banu al-Najjar and so on.
Their position vis-ˆ-vis the Islamic State was fixed by the document. It was clearly determined that their relationship with the Muslims would be based on the Islamic rule, that it would be subject to the authority of Islam and to safeguarding the interests of the State. Some of the points mentioned in the document were:
- The close friends of the Jews are as themselves. None of them shall go out except with the permission of Muhammad (saw).
- Yathrib shall be a sanctuary for the people of this document.
- If any dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise, it must be referred to Allah and to the Messenger of Allah.
- Quraysh and their helpers shall not be given protection.
The document of Allah’s Messenger (saw) determined the position of the Jewish tribes neighbouring Madinah. It imposed on them the condition that they were not to go out of Madinah without his (saw) permission, i.e. the State’s permission. They were forbidden from violating the sanctuary of Madinah by war or by helping in a war, they were also forbidden from helping Quraysh or those who helped Quraysh and were bound by the conditions of the covenant to refer any dispute arising about the content of the document to the Messenger of Allah (saw). The Jews agreed to the conditions laid out in the document and all those tribes mentioned in it signed to that effect; they were Banu ‘Auf, Banu al-Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa’ida, Banu Jushm, Banu al-Aus and Banu Tha’labah. Banu Qurayzah, Banu al-Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa’ did not sign at the time, but did so at a later date, and they all willingly submitted to the conditions laid down in the document. By signing this document the Messenger of Allah (saw) firmly fixed the relationships within the fledgling Islamic State. The relationship between the State and the neighbouring Jewish tribes was also firmly established on a clear and specific basis. In both instances though, it was Islam that would be the judge and arbiter. It was at this stage that Allah’s Messenger (saw) became reassured knowing that the Islamic society was now properly founded and that he was to a certain degree safe from any immediate acts of treachery by the Jews, so he (saw) began the task of removing the material obstacles that stood in the way of the Message of Islam by preparing for war.
The Preparation For Fighting
When the Messenger of Allah (saw) was assured that the Islamic society was set on a solid foundation, and once he had signed treaties with the neighbouring Jewish tribes, he set about preparing the grounds in Madinah for jihad, for it is the duty of the Islamic State to implement Islam in the whole of the land under its rule and to convey the Message of Islam beyond its borders. Conveying the Message of Islam is by no means comparable to missionary work, it instead comprises the inviting of mankind to Islam, culturing them with its concepts and rules, and the removal of any material obstacle that stands in the way of the Message through the employment of a force capable of doing so.
Quraysh had always represented a material obstacle barring the progress of the Message of Islam, a task force thus had to be prepared to overcome it. Bearing this in mind and with the objective of spreading Islam outside Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (saw) began building his army. He (saw) took several deliberate steps by organising some expeditions designed to challenge Quraysh and frighten both the hypocrites and the Jews in Madinah and the nearby surroundings. In four months he (saw) dispatched three units outside Madinah. He sent Hamzah to the sea-shore in the neighbourhood of al-’Is at the head of thirty riders from the emigrants, none of the helpers took part. Hamzah met Abu Jahl ibn Hisham with three hundred riders on the shore and was about to fight him when Majdi ibn ‘Amr al-Juhani intervened between them so the people separated without fighting. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Muhammad ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith with sixty riders from the Muhajireen, there not being a single one of the Ansar among them. He encountered Abu Sufyan at the head of more than two hundred riders in the valley of Rabigh. Again no fighting took place except that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas shot an arrow on that day. Allah’s Messenger (saw) also sent Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas with twenty riders towards Makkah, but they returned without fighting. These expeditions helped create an atmosphere of war in Madinah, and they also served to frighten the life out of Quraysh who began to seriously feel the threat coming from Allah’s Messenger (saw). He (saw) did not stop at that, but went out raiding himself. Twelve months after his arrival in Madinah he (saw) went forth on a raid looking for Quraysh and Banu Damrah until he reached Waddan. He (saw) did not meet Quraysh that day, instead Banu Damrah made peace with him. After that the Messenger of Allah (saw) went raiding at the head of a contingent of two hundred riders from the Muhajir and Ansar until they reached Buwat in the neighbourhood of Radwa. They were making for a caravan composed of two thousand five hundred cattle protected by one hundred fighters led by Umayyah ibn Khalaf. But he (saw) failed to intercept the caravan due to the fact that it had traversed a different route than the one normally used. Three months after returning from the expedition to Buwat, Abu Salmah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad was left in charge of Madinah and the Messenger of Allah (saw) undertook another raid at the head of two hundred plus Muslims until he reached al-’Ushayrah in the valley of Yanbu’ where he stopped during the month of Jumada al-Ula and resided until some days of Jumada al-Akhirah had passed. This was in the second year of Hijrah. The reason for his camping there was that he (saw) was waiting for a caravan headed by Abu Sufyan, but once again he missed his target. It was not entirely a wasted effort though, because the Messenger of Allah (saw) gained from his trip a peace treaty with Bani Mudlaj and their allies from Bani Damrah.
He (saw) had only been back in Madinah for ten days when Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fahri raided the pasturing camels of Madinah. Allah’s Messenger (saw) went out in search of him, Kurz being one of the allies of Quraysh. Allah’s Messenger (saw) reached the valley of Safwan in the neighbourhood of Badr, but Kurz escaped him and could not be overtaken. This was the first raid of Badr.
That is how Allah’s Messenger (saw) began defying Quraysh with his army, by roaming the Peninsula and sending out expeditions. Although no fighting took place, Allah’s Messenger (saw) achieved considerable gains which paved the way for still greater battles, since these raids served as military exercises for the Muslim army and prepared them for war. They also sent shivers down the spines of the Jews and the hypocrites of Madinah and discouraged them from entertaining any thoughts about causing trouble. He (saw) succeeded in demoralising Quraysh by defying them whilst boosting the morale of the Muslims a great deal. He (saw) also formed and enforced a blockade on the caravans of Quraysh on their way to al-Sham by signing treaties with the tribes encamped between Madinah and the Red Sea coast, such as Banu Damrah, Banu Mudlaj and others.
The Outbreak Of Fighting
The Messenger of Allah (saw) settled in Madinah, where he at once began to implement Islamic rules on the society. It was at this time that the Revelation concerning legislation descended. He (saw) strengthened the fundamentals of the Islamic State and built the society on the basis of Islam and its systems. He (saw) created a brotherhood amongst the Muslims and it was then that Islam came to life as a rule and as a Shari’ah adopted by a society that took on the task of spreading its Message. The number of Muslims increased substantially and they became a force to be reckoned with, individuals and groups alike embraced Islam every other day, Jews and disbelievers included.
Once the Messenger of Allah (saw) was confident about the status of Islam in Madinah he began to think about spreading the Message outside to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. However, he knew that Quraysh formed a formidable obstacle in the way of the da‘wah, a material obstacle where the means of persuasive discussion would fall on deaf ears. Therefore, the obstacle would have to be overwhelmed by force. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was unable to remove this material obstacle when he was in Makkah because Islam did not have a State, capable of generating the required material force necessary to cancel out that obstacle. However, since the establishment of the Islamic State, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was able to work to remove such material obstacles by the considerable means that were now at his disposal. With the means to enforce such a policy now available to him, all he (saw) had to do was to prepare the army, build up the war fervour and adopt a new policy to spread the da‘wah. This is the reason why he (saw) initiated expeditions and raids, some of which he took part in personally, so as to defy Quraysh with a show of force.
The last expedition was that of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh which served as an introduction to the battle of Badr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh out with a group of Muhajireen during the month of Rajab in the second year of Hijra. He (saw) wrote him a letter, and ordered him not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days whereupon he should act on its instructions, but he should not put pressure on any of his companions. When ‘Abdullah had traveled for two days he opened the letter and read it, this is what it said, "When you have read this letter of mine, proceed until you reach Nakhlah between Makkah and Ta’if. Lie there for Quraysh and find out for us what they are up to." He told his companions about the letter and the task assigned to him, he also informed them about Allah’s Messenger’s instructions not to put any pressure on anyone. They all agreed to continue and so he proceeded with his companions. They traveled together as a group until Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan became separated when they went to look for the camel that they had been riding on in turns and which had become lost. Eventually they were to fall prisoners to Quraysh. ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh camped in Nakhlah watching out for Quraysh and while there one of their caravans carrying merchandise passed by. ‘Abdullah and his companions took council among themselves to decide what to do because this was the last day of the sacred month of Rajab and Allah’s Messenger (saw) had not issued any instructions about fighting. They said to each other, "By Allah, if you leave them alone tonight they will get into the sacred area and will be safe from you; and if you kill them, you will kill them in the sacred month." At first they were hesitant and feared to attack them. Then they encouraged each other and decided to fight. One of the Muslims shot the leader of the caravan ‘Amr ibn al Hadrami and killed him. The Muslims took two prisoners and escorted the caravan to Madinah. When they came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) he said to them, "I did not order you to fight in the sacred month." Then he (saw) retained the caravan and the two prisoners refusing to take anything from them. That was the conclusion of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s expedition whom the Messenger of Allah (saw) had sent to watch Quraysh, but which had instead fought, killed, and imprisoned some of their men and taken the caravan as booty during the sacred month. So what would be the Islamic verdict on this action? This was what concerned Allah’s Messenger (saw) and hence that is the reason why he held the prisoners and the booty in suspense, to wait for the verdict from Allah (swt) on the matter. Quraysh grabbed the opportunity of using the issue as a source of propaganda and scandal against Islam and Muhammad (saw). They trumpeted among all the Arabs that Muhammad (saw) and his companions had violated the sacred month, shed blood, seized properties and imprisoned people. Arguments arose in Makkah between Quraysh and the Muslims who had remained there, in reply the Muslims said that their brothers had attacked the caravan in Sha’ban and not Rajab, but their response was not convincing and failed to quell the propaganda launched by Quraysh against Islam. The Jews took up the argument as well and began disgracing and slandering ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s action. The propaganda took its toll on the Muslims, meanwhile Allah’s Messenger (saw) kept silent awaiting the Revelation and Allah’s verdict on the affair until Allah (swt) revealed in surah al-Baqarah, "They will ask you concerning fighting in the sacred month. Say, fighting therein is a grave offence, but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the sacred Masjid and drive out its people therefrom. Tumult and oppression are worse than killing. Nor will they cease to fight you until they turn you back from your deen if they can." [TMQ 2:217]
When this verse was revealed the Muslims rejoiced and Allah’s Messenger (saw) then proceeded to distribute the booty from the caravan and exchange the two prisoners for Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan. These verses came as a slap in the face of Quraysh’s propaganda against Islam. The Qur’an answered Quraysh, who had asked you, was not fighting in the sacred month a grave sin, but keeping people back from the way of the sacred Masjid and driving its people away from it was far more serious than fighting and killing in the sacred month. Quraysh’s actions of oppressing the Muslims for their deen by threatening, torturing and persecuting them was far worse than fighting and killing in the sacred month, or any other month for that matter. Quraysh had ceaselessly fought them in an attempt to turn them back from their deen, therefore the Muslims were entitled to fight Quraysh in the sacred month and nothing could be held against them. It was Quraysh who were committing the graver offence by standing in the way of the Islamic da‘wah, by keeping people back from the way of Allah, by disbelieving in Allah, driving out the people of the sacred Masjid and persecuting the Muslims. They deserved to be fought in any and every month, sacred or otherwise. The fight that ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh initiated against Quraysh was therefore neither a disgrace to him nor to the Muslims. Thus the expedition of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh was a turning point in the history of Islam. It marked a profound change of policy in the way that the Islamic da‘wah was to be conducted. Waqid ibn ‘Abdullah al-Tamimi shot the leader of the caravan and killed him, that was the first blood the Muslims shed in the way of Allah (swt). Until the verses of jihad were revealed commanding the Muslims to fight anytime and anywhere, armed combat during the sacred months had been unauthorised, from that time on though the rules were different. Thus the previous prevention against fighting in the sacred months was abrogated by the generality of the verses of fighting.
Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir
posted by Alien Alienated at 9:27 PM
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