Ikrama
RA is Granted Amnesty on the Request of his Wife.
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| Illustration Only- Ikramah RA. |
Abdullah
bin Zubair RA, narrates that on the day that Makkah was conquered,
Ummu Hakeem bint Haarith bin Hisham accepted Islam. She was the wife
of Ikramah bin Abi Jahal and therefore said: "0! Rasulullah!
Ikramah has run away from you to .Yemen, fearing that you would
execute him. Would you please grant him amnesty." Rasulullah SAW
said, "He has amnesty."
Umm
Hakem therefore left in search of Ikramah in the company of her Roman
slave. The slave tried to seduce her and she continuously gave him
hope until they reached a tribe of the Uk from whom she sought
assistance. The people caught him and tied him up. She eventually
managed to catch up with Ikramah who had already reached one of the
Tihama coasts where he had boarded a ship. One of the sailors said to
him,
"Recite
the words of sincerity." the sailor ask him.
"What
should I say, "He replied, "Say that there is none worthy
of worship but Allah."
Ikramah
said to him, "It is from this that I am fleeing." As they
spoke, Umm Hakeem arrived add started waving a cloth (to attract
their attention) as she shouted, "0 my cousin! I have come to
you from he who best maintains family ties, who is the most pious of
people and the best of people. Do not destroy yourself." He
waited for her until she caught up with him. She then said to him, "I
have secured amnesty for you from Rasulullah SAW."
"Have
you really?" he asked. "Yes," she replied, "I
spoke to Rasulullah SAW and he granted you amnesty." Ikramah
then returned with Umm Hakeem when she informed him about the details
of her experiences with the Roman slave. (In a fit of rage) He killed
the slave but had not yet accepted Islam.
Ikramah
Accepts Islam and Testifies to the Perfect Excellence of
Rasulullaah SAW. When Ikramah drew close to Makkah, Rasulullah SAW
said to the Sahabah RA,"Ikramah the son of Abu Jahal is coming
to you as a Mu'min and a Muhaajir so do not curse his father because
cursing the dead only hurts the living without ever reaching the
dead." Ikramah kept making efforts to cohabit with his wife
but she refused saying, 'You are Kaafir while I am a Muslim."
Ikramah remarked, "That which prevents you from me must be
something very great."
When
Rasulullah SAW, saw Ikramah, he hastened towards him without
wearing his upper shawl out of happiness at seeing Ikramah.
Rasulullah then sat down while Ikramah stood before him alongside
his wife who donned a veil. Ikrama said, "0 Muhammad! This lady
has informed me that you have granted me amnesty.
Rasulullah
SAW responded by saying, "She has spoken the truth. Your safety
is assured." Ikramah then asked, "Towards what do you
invite?"
Rasulullah
SAW replied. ''I invite,you to testify that that there is no worthy
of worship but Allah and that I am Allah's Rasul. I also invite you
towards establishing solah and paying zakah." Rasulullah SAW
then mentioned several other things that he was to do. Ikrama said,
"By Allah! You have invited to nothing but the truth and
excellent and beautiful actions. By Allah! Even before you started
inviting towards your invitation, you had been the most truthful of
us and the most righteous. I testify that there is none worthy of
worship but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's servant and Rasul."
This
pleased Rasulullaah tremendously.
Ikramah
RA then asked, "0 Rasulullaah SAW ! Teach me the best thing to
say." Rasulullah SAW told him to say:
"I
testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allaah and that
Muhammad
! is Allah's servant and messenger"
Ikramah
RA then asked what else he could say. Rasulullah SAW told him to
say, "I make Allah and all present witness to the fact that I am
a Muslim, Mujaahid and Muhaajir." Ikramah RA then said what
Rasulullah SAW told him.
The
Da'wah that Rasulullah SAW gave to Ikramah RA
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| Illustration Only: Ikramah during the Battle of Yarmuk |
Rasulullah
SAW then said to Ikramah RA, “I shall grant you anything you ask
for if I am able to." Ikramah RA asked, "I ask you to seek
forgiveness from Allah for every type of enmity I have shown towards
you, for every journey I have undertaken to oppose you, for every
battle I have fought against you and for every harsh word I have said
in your face or behind your back."
Rasulullah
SAW made du'a , "0 Allah! Forgive him for every type of enmity
he has displayed and for every journey he undertook to any place with
the intention of extinguishing Your light. Also forgive him for every
defamatory remark he has made in my face or behind my back”.
Ikramah
RA remarked, "I am pleased, 0 Rasulullah." Ikramah then
went on to say, "0 Rasulullah SAW! I swear by Allah SWT that
every expense I bore opposing the Deen of Allah, I shall spend double
that amount in the path of Allah. I swear also that every battle 1
fought opposing the Deen of Allaah, I shall fight double the number
of battles in the path of Allah." (True to his word).
Ikramah
RA exerted every effort to fight in Jihad until he was martyred.
Rasulullah SAW upheld the
marriage
of Ikramah to his wife without renewing the Nikah.
Waaqidi
has narrated that during the Battle of Hunayn (when the Muslims were
suffering a temporarily defeat at the beginning), Suhayl bin Amr
remarked;
"The
Muslims have never before experienced the likes of these two tribes
(the Thaqeef and Hawaazin) before." To this, Ikramah RA
responded by saying, "One should not speak like this. Everything
lies in the control of Allah SWT , and Rasulullah SAW has no control
over things. If he is defeated today, tomorrow shall hold promising
results."
Suhayl
mocked, "By Allah! It was not long before this that you opposed
Rasulullah SAW!".
Ikramah
RA then replied by saying, "By Allah! All our previous efforts
have been futile. Considering ourselves to be intelligent people, we
used to worship stones that could neither harm nor give any benefit."
(2)
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Zubair RA also narrated their incident but in
has fewer words.
He
says that when Ikramah RA reached the door of Rasulullah SAW.
Rasulullah SAW was so overjoyed at his arrival that he jumped up into
a standing position.
A
narration of Urwah bin Zubair RA quotes from Ikramah when he met
Rasulullah SAW that he said, "0 Muhammad! This woman has
informed me that you have granted me amnesty." Rasulullah SAW
replied, "Indeed. You have been granted amnesty."
Ikramah
, then said, "I testify that there is none worthy of worship but
the one Allah Who has no partner and that Muhammad is Allah's servant
and Rasul. I also would testify that you are the best of people, the
most truthful person and one who best fulfills his promises."
Ikramah RA says that out of embarrassment, his head was bowed as he
said this.
He
then said, "0 Rasulullah! Do seek forgiveness from Allah for
every type of enmity 1 displayed towards you and for every journey I
undertook to promote Shirk." Rasulullah SAW made the following
du'aa, "0 Allaah! Forgive Ikramah for all the enmity he
displayed towards me and for every journey he undertook with the
intention of preventing people from the Deen." Ikramah RA then
said, "0 Rasulullah! teach me the best that you know so that I
may learn it (and practise)." Rasulullah SAW advised him that
together with striving in the path of Allah SWT he should recite:
"1
testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and that
Muhammad
@ is Allaah's servant and Rasul"
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| This is where the Battle of Yarmuk took place. Ikramah RA participate in this battle. |
Ikramah
RA went on to say, "0 Rasulullah I swear by Allah that every
expense I bore to oppose the Deen of Allah, I shall spend double that
amount in the path of Allah. I swear also that every battle I fought
opposing the Deen of Allah, I shall fight double the number of
battles in the path of Allah."
Ikramah
RA strives in Jihaad and Ikramah achieved his martyrdom
Ikramah
RA continued fighting in Jihad and in turn he was martyred in the
Battle of Ajnaaden during Khilafah Saidina Abu Bakr RA. Rasulullah
SAW appointed lkramah RA to collect the zakah of the
Hawaazin
tribe during the year that Rasulullah SAW performed'the farewell
Hajj.
When
Rasulullah SAW passed away, Ikramah RA was in a place called
Tabaalah (in Yemen)
Ikramah RA was once the enemy of Islam, embraced Islam and died as a martyr.
Ikrimah was the son of the infamous opponent of Islam — Abu Jahl. He fought against Muslims and remained an enemy of Islam for a long time. He attended the Battle of Badr where his father was killed. After his father’s death Ikrima returned to Makkah and became more aggressive against Islam. He took part in the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Trench against Muslims.
Almighty Allah gave strength to Muslims and Rasulullah SAW led a campaign against Makkah. He adopted a strategy of surrounding the city from all sides so that the city could be protected against any onslaught by the Quraish. Rasulullah SAW advised his commanders not to fight in the sacred sanctuary. But Ikrimah was in a different mood. He raised an army and attacked the contingent of Muslim commander Khalid bin Waleed. As a result Ikrimah lost four fighters and fled.
Soon afterward Makkah witnessed a different scene. Rasulullah was standing at the door of the Holy Kaaba. Hundreds of idols in and around the Kaaba were smashed and Bilal bin Rabah was calling Adhan from the rooftop of the Kaaba. Thousands of Quraish who were staunch enemies of Islam were expecting revenge from the Muslims — mass execution for their decade-long crimes. Suddenly Rasulullah SAW declared, “Go back you all are free.” The pagans of Makkah were astonished to hear those words. They had never experienced such magnanimity and generosity in their history. Only six people were to be executed for their crimes and Ikrimah was one of them.
The people realized the greatness of Islam and came to Rasulullah SAW ) to embrace the new religion. But Ikrimah was not among them. He fled from Makkah to save his life and headed toward the seashore. He remembered his crimes and thought that nobody could save his life. Even the staunch enemies of Islam like Amr Ibnal Aas and Abu Sufyan had embraced Islam and received great favor from Rasulullah SAW.
When thousands of Makkans embraced Islam within a few days, a group of women came to Rasulullah SAW and said, “We have come to embrace Islam.” When a lady lifted her veil — she was Hind bint Utba, the one who had hired a slave to kill Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib RA (the uncle of the Prophet) and chewed his liver after his murder. She spoke bluntly, “You were the most hated person for me in the past but today you are the most loved one.” Rasulullah SAW welcomed her into the fold of Islam and prayed for her forgiveness.
The next woman was Umm Hakim, wife of Ikrimah. She wanted to embrace Islam and she was welcomed by Rasulullah SAW. Then she said, “My husband Ikrimah fled the city fearing for his life. Would you be kind enough to pardon him and grant him amnesty?” To her surprise Rasulullah SAW said, “He is granted security.” She burst with joy and ran toward the coast looking for her husband. She located him and conveyed to him the great news saying, “I have come from the noblest and the most gentle and honorable person…He has pardoned you and promised amnesty for you.” Ikrimah could not believe it and asked, “Did you personally ask him and he told you so.” She said, “Yes.” Ikrimah then returned to Makkah with his wife Umm Hakim.
Before Ikrimah came, Rasulullah SAW told those present there, “Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl is coming to you. Don’t curse his father because the cursing of a dead hurts a living person and does not reach the dead.” When Ikrimah reached Rasulullah SAW welcomed him. Ikrimah said, “O Prophet of Allah, Umm Hakim told me that you have granted me amnesty.” He replied, “She is right and you have full security now.” Ikrimah then recited the Kalima and became a Muslim. He requested Rasulullah SAW to pray for the forgiveness of his past deeds. Then he said, “O Rasulullah !, whatever money I have spent in preventing people from coming to the way of Allah, I will spend double the amount in inviting people to the right path. And whatever battles I have fought against Islam I will fight twice that number for the sake of Islam.”
Ikrimah RA participated in all the battles after his conversion to Islam. During the Battle of Yarmouk in Syria he entered deep into the enemy ranks. Khalid bin Waleed, who was the commander, advised him not to go deep into the enemy ranks as his death would be a great loss for Muslims. He replied, “O Khalid! you preceded me in Islam. Let me atone for the past sins. I fought much against Rasulullah in the past, should I now be afraid of the Romans. No, it will never happen.”
He called on the Muslims to launch a fierce attack and finally Allah Almighty gave victory to Muslims. The battlefield was littered with corpses. Historian Baladhuri reported that 70,000 enemy combatants were killed and 3,000 Muslims were martyred in the Battle of Yarmouk.
There great Muslim fighters Harith bin Hisham RA, Ayyash bin Abi Rabiah RA , (cousin of Khalid bin Waleed) and Ikrimah RA bin Abu Jahl were wounded. Harith cried for water, when it was brought to him, he saw Ikrimah looking at it. He asked the person to give water first to Ikrimah, but when it was brought to Ikrimah, he saw Ayyash RA looking at it. He said, “Give it first to Ayyash.” But when the water was brought to Ayyash, he died before drinking it. Then the person turned toward Ikrimah RA and Harith RA to give them water, but both had passed away.
(
1 ) Ibn Zanjway in KitaabulAmwaalasquoted in lsaaba (vo1.2 Pg.93).
- Bayhaqi (Vo1.9 Pg.118).
(1)
The Muslims shall either win victory or at least they shall learn
that they ought to place all their
trust
in Allaah rather than in their superior numbers.
(2)
Waaqidi and Ibn A s a a b q s quoted in Kantul Ummaal (Vo1.7 Pg.75)
