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| For Illustration Only - As'ad Ibn Zurarah the chief of Bani Najar, |
As‘ad ibn Zurarah was the son of Zurara ibn Udas and Suwad (al-Furaya) bint Rafi, both of the Malik branch of the Najjar clan of the Khazraj tribe in Madinah. As‘ad ibn Zurarah had a brother, Saad and two sisters, al-Faria and Ruwayba. Saad ibn Muadh, an important chief of the Aws tribe, was their maternal first cousin
As‘ad ibn Zurarah married Amira (Umayra) bint Sahl, also from the Malik ibn Najjar clan, and they had three daughters: al-Furaya, Habiba and Kabsha. By 620 he had become the leader of the Najjar clan.
As‘ad ibn Zurarah was a monotheist but yet he hated the Jews. As‘ad ibn Zurarah belonged to the Anshar group who met Rasulullah ﷺ in al-Aqabah to embrace Islam. Rasulullah ﷺ chose him as one of the 12 leaders.
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| For illustration only - As'ad ibn zarurah RA - leading the Anshar. |
As‘ad ibn Zurarah ibn ‘Ads was among the Ansar Sahaba (companions) of Rasulullah ﷺ. As‘ad ibn Zurarah RA was from the Banu Khazraj. As‘ad ibn Zurarah RA was one of the twelve chosen deputies during the Second pledge at al-Aqabah. Talha lived with him after the Migration to Madinah.
Long before secret meeting of the Anshar and
Rasulullah ﷺ, and the 1st Pledge of Aqaba. For quite a long time a furious war had been raging between the tribes of ‘Aws’ and ‘Khazraj’ (of Yathrib). During this time As’ad bin Zurarah one of the chiefs of Khazraj made a journey to Makkah for strengthening the power of his tribe. As‘ad ibn Zurarah RA intention was to seek military and financial assistance from Quraysh to subdue his one hundred years old enemy (i.e. the tribe of Aws).
Madinah was a divided city. The Khazraj and Aws tribes fought each other: and also raided the Jews.The Jews warned the polytheists: "A prophet will be sent soon. His day is at hand. We shall follow him and kill you by his aid as Ad and Iram perished."
Rasulullah ﷺ, and the 1st Pledge of Aqaba. For quite a long time a furious war had been raging between the tribes of ‘Aws’ and ‘Khazraj’ (of Yathrib). During this time As’ad bin Zurarah one of the chiefs of Khazraj made a journey to Makkah for strengthening the power of his tribe. As‘ad ibn Zurarah RA intention was to seek military and financial assistance from Quraysh to subdue his one hundred years old enemy (i.e. the tribe of Aws).
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| For Illustration only - The 1st Pledge of aqaba |
Owing to his old relations with 'Utbah bin Rabiyyah he stayed with him. As‘ad ibn Zurarah told him the purpose of his visit and requested him for help. His old friend (‘Utbah) however replied in these words: “Just at present we cannot accede to your request because we ourselves are in a strange fix. A man has risen from amongst ourselves. He insults our gods considers our ancestors to have been frivolous and stupid.
With his sweet words he has attracted some of our young men and has thus created a deep cleavage amongst us. Except the Haj period he spends most of his time in Sha’b (Mountain Pass) of Abu Talib. During Haj period however he emerges from there and takes his place in Hajar-i Isma’il. There he invites people to his faith.
As‘ad ibn Zurarah decided to return home without contacting other chiefs of Quraysh. However in keeping with the old Arab custom he decided to perform the pilgrimage of the House of Allah (the Ka’bah) before his departure. But ‘Utbah warned him lest while he was going round the Ka’bah he should hear the bewitching words of the new Prophet and be attracted to him. To solve this problem ‘Utbah suggested to As’ad to thrust cotton in his ears so that he might not hear the Prophet.
As‘ad ibn Zurarah slowly stepped into the Haram and began going round the Ka’bah. During the first round he glanced at the Rasulullah ﷺ and saw him sitting in Hajar-i Isma’il while a number of Hashimites were guarding him. Fearing the magic of Rasulullah ﷺ’s words he (As’ad) did not go to him.
Eventually however while going round the Ka’bah As‘ad ibn Zurarah reflected within himself and felt that he was doing a very foolish thing in avoiding Rasulullah ﷺ because people might question him about this affair on his return to Yathrib and it would be necessary for him to give them a satisfactory reply. As‘ad ibn Zurarah therefore decided to obtain first-hand information about the new religion without any further delay.
As‘ad ibn Zurarah came forward and saluted Rasulullah ﷺ with the words An’am Sabahan (Good Morning) according to the custom prevalent in the Age of Ignorance.
Rasulullah ﷺ however said to him in reply that Allah had prescribed a better form of salutation. Rasulullah ﷺ said that when two persons meet each other they should say Salamun Alaykum.
Then As‘ad ibn Zurarah requested Rasulullah ﷺ to explain and clarify to him the aims and objects of his religion. In reply Rasulullah ﷺ recited for him two verses: Rasulullah ﷺ say Let me tell you about what your Allah has commanded:
"Don’t consider anything equal to Allah; Be kind to your parents; Don’t murder your children out of fear of poverty (for We give sustenance to everyone) Don’t even approach indecency either in public or in private."
"Don’t consider anything equal to Allah; Be kind to your parents; Don’t murder your children out of fear of poverty (for We give sustenance to everyone) Don’t even approach indecency either in public or in private."
"Don’t murder for no reason anyone whom Allah has considered respectable. Thus Allah guides you so that you may think. Don’t handle the property of the orphans except with a good reason until they become mature and strong. Maintain equality in your dealings by the means of measurement and balance. (No soul is responsible for what is beyond it’s ability). Be just in your words even if the party involved is one of your relatives; and keep your promise with Allah. Thus does Allah guide you so that you may take heed."
(Surah An’am 6 152 – 153)
Which in fact draws a true picture of the mentality and ways of life of the Arabs of the age of ignorance. These two verses which mention the ailment as well as the remedy for a people who had been at logger-heads with one another for as many as one hundred and twenty years made a very deep impression on As‘ad ibn Zurarah.
Which in fact draws a true picture of the mentality and ways of life of the Arabs of the age of ignorance. These two verses which mention the ailment as well as the remedy for a people who had been at logger-heads with one another for as many as one hundred and twenty years made a very deep impression on As‘ad ibn Zurarah.
In 620 As‘ad ibn Zurarah had a legal dispute with Dhakwan ibn Abd Qays. During the pilgrimage season that summer, they both travelled to Makkah, hoping that Utbah ibn Rabiah could settle it for them. Utbah told them about Rasulullah ﷺ, "who believes he is a messenger of God." Rasulullah ﷺ was at that time looking for military allies against the Quraysh. He offered himself as a prophet to any tribe that would listen. Dhakwan, who knew of Asad's monotheism, told him, "Leave him; this is your creed!"
As‘ad ibn Zurarah embraced Islam immediately and requested Rasulullah ﷺ to send someone to Yathrib (Madinah) in the capacity of a missionary of Islam. later together with five friends, As‘ad ibn Zurarah met up with Rasulullah ﷺ just outside Makkah. On hearing that they were of the Khazraj tribe, Rasulullah ﷺ asked if they were allies of the Jews. They said they were, so he invited them to sit with him. Rasulullah ﷺ explained Islam to them and recited the Qur'an. When they heard Muhammad's message they said one to another:
"This is the very prophet of whom the jews warned us. Don't let them get to him before we do!" As‘ad ibn Zurarah was the first to accept Rasulullah ﷺ teachings and become a Muslim, and his five friends followed. Rasulullah ﷺ asked them to support him in bringing his message to his people..They told him, "No tribe is so divided by hatred and rancour as ours. Perhaps Allah will unite them through you. So let us go to them and invite them to this religion of yours; and if Allah unites them in it, then no man will be mightier than you."
They returned to Madinah as the city's first Muslims. As‘ad ibn Zurarah broke his clan's idols. They told their people about Islam, and the news spread around Madinah until Rasulullah ﷺ had been mentioned in every home.
Let's go into details of these two verses it will be sufficient to make us dispense with discussions and studies about the conditions of the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance for they abundantly clarify the extent to which chronic moral ailments were threatening the very existence of those people.
We give below the contents of those verses with very brief explanation:
- I have been sent on my Prophetic Mission to obliterate polytheism and idol-worship.
- Goodness to parents occupies the top-most place in my message.
- According to my sacred law killing of children due to fear of poverty is the worst possible deed.
- I have been appointed to restrain human beings from doing bad deeds and to keep them away from every uncleanliness whether it be open or hidden.
- My law provides that man-slaughter and bloodshed without just cause are absolutely forbidden.
- Misappropriation of property belonging to orphans is prohibited.
- My law is based on justice. Hence according to it selling under-weight is unlawful.
- I do not charge anyone with more than he can bear.
- The tongue and speech of man which are a resplendent mirror reflecting his mentality should be utilised in support of truth and reality and a person should speak nothing but the truth even though it may cause him loss.
- Be true to the covenants which you have made with Allah. This has been ordained by your Lord and it is essential for you to follow it.[4]
From the contents of these two verses and the manner in which Rasulullah ﷺ conversed with As'ad Ibn Zurara; it can very well be realised that the Arabs had developed all these base qualities and for this very reason Rasulullah ﷺ read but at the very outset these two verses for As‘ad ibn Zurarah as the aim of his mission. In the circumstances is it possible to agree to the claim made by some persons that an expansive civilisation existed for ages in all parts of Arabia?
Religion In Arabia at that time.
When Prophet Ibrahim AS hoisted the standard of the worship of Almighty Allah and raised the foundations of the Holy Ka’bah with the assistance of his son Isma’il some people gathered round him and the rays of his sun-like personality illuminated their hearts. However the extent to which this great soul could combat with idol-worship and form compressed rows of the worshippers of Allah is not known for certain.
During many periods and especially amongst the Arabs belief in the worship of God was mostly accompanied by polytheism and by the faith that idols were manifestations of the Deity. Out of their various beliefs the Holy Qur’an has mentioned one such belief saying If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth they are bound to answer:
“The Almighty the All-knowing created them (Surah al-Zukhruf, 43:9). We serve them (i.e. idols etc.) only that they may bring us nearer to God.
(Surah al-Zumar, 39:3 )
(Surah al-Zumar, 39:3 )
Saiyidina Ali Ibn Abu Talib RA, the Commander of the Faithful, describes the religious conditions of the Arab peoples in the following words:
People of those days possessed various creeds and different heresies and were divided into many sects. One group likened Allah to His creatures (and believed that He possessed limbs). Others brought about changes in His names (for example the idol-worshippers who had adopted ‘Lat’ from Allah and ‘Uzza’ from Aziz). There was also a group who pointed to those other than Him. Later He guided them through Rasulullah ﷺ and made them conversant with the knowledge of Divinity”
The enlightened people amongst the Arabs worshipped the sun and the moon. The renowned Arab historian Kalbi who died in the year 206 A.H. writes thus: “The tribe named Bani Malih worshipped the genii and the tribes of Humayr Kananah Tamim Lakham Tai Qays and Asad worshipped the sun the moon the Dabran (a star in the sign of the zodiac named Taurus) the Jupiter the Canopus the Dog-star and the Mercury respectively.
However the degraded section of the society which formed majority of the inhabitants of Arabia besides worshipping the idols of their own families and tribes worshipped another 360 idols and ascribed the daily happenings to one of them”.
The reasons for the birth of idol-worship in the areas of Makkah after the passing away of the Holy Prophet Ibrahim AS will be discussed later. However it is an admitted fact that in the early days this practice was not so perfect. In the beginning the Arabs considered the idols to be mere interceders and gradually imagined them to be possessing power.
The idols arranged round the Ka’bah were entitled to affection and respect by all tribes but the idols of the tribes were adored by a particular group only. Every tribe allocated a specified place to its idols to ensure their safety. The office of custodian of the keys of the temples in which idols were installed was hereditary and was handed down from one person to another.
Family idols were worshipped by the members of a family every day and night. While proceeding on journey they rubbed them with their bodies. While travelling they worshipped the desert stones. When they reached a halting place they selected four stones. Out of these they worshipped the most beautiful one and used the remaining three as a stand for the fire-place to cook food.
The people of Makkah had great attachment for the sanctuary. While proceeding on a journey they picked up stones from its precincts and installed and worshipped them whenever they broke the journey. Possibly these were the very ‘ansab’ (the installed ones) which have been interpreted as smooth and amorphous stones. As opposed to these were the ‘awthan’ which meant well shaped and painted idols made from hewn stones.
As regards ‘asnam’ however they were idols made with moulded gold or silver or carved out of wood.
Humility of Arabs before the idols was really surprising. They believed that by offering sacrifices they could win their good-will. And after offering sacrifice of an animal they rubbed its blood on the head and the face of the idol. They also consulted the idols in big and important matters. This consultation was through sticks on one of which they wrote ‘Do’ and on the other ‘Don’t do’. Then they stretched their hand picked up one of the sticks and acted according to the writing on it.
Together with five friends, As‘ad ibn Zurarah met up with Rasulullah ﷺ just outside Makkah. On hearing that they were of the Khazraj tribe, Rasulullah ﷺ asked if they were allies of the Jews. They said they were, so he invited them to sit with him. Rasulullah ﷺ explained Islam to them and recited the Qur'an.When they heard Muhammad's message they said one to another:
"This is the very prophet of whom the jews warned us. Don't let them get to him before we do!" As‘ad ibn Zurarah was the first to accept Rasulullah ﷺ teachings and become a Muslim, and his five friends followed. Rasulullah ﷺ asked them to support him in bringing his message to his people..They told him, "No tribe is so divided by hatred and rancour as ours. Perhaps Allah will unite them through you. So let us go to them and invite them to this religion of yours; and if Allah unites them in it, then no man will be mightier than you."
They returned to Madinah as the city's first Muslims. As‘ad ibn Zurarah broke his clan's idols. They told their people about Islam, and the news spread around Madinah until Rasulullah ﷺ had been mentioned in every home.
In
spring 623 Asad suffered from an illness, similar to diphtheria or
meningitis, that entailed a rattling in his throat.Rasulullah ﷺ visited
him in his sickness, exclaiming, "This is an evil death! The
Jews say there is no defence against it." Rasulullah ﷺ advised Asad to be
cauterised. He was burned twice in the medial arm vein and twice on
his throat, "and his neck was encircled with the cauterisation."
Asad died within days, at the beginning of Shawwal, i.e., in April 623.
Rasulullah ﷺ attended his ritual washing and had him shrouded in three layer garments; Rasulullah ﷺ walked in front of the bier and conducted the funeral prayers. Asad was said to be the first man buried at Al-Baqi'.Rasulullah ﷺ considered Asad's death a grave misfortune. Rasulullah ﷺ worried that the Jews and the hypocrites would say that Allah would not have allowed the friend of a true prophet to die, but "I have no power from Allah for myself or my friend."
Asad left his mother, three daughters, an aunt and some gold and pearl jewellery in the care of Rasulullah ﷺ. Asad's womenfolk lived as Rasulullah ﷺ's dependants among his wives,and Rasulullah ﷺ later arranged marriages for Asad's daughters.
When As'ad bin Zurarah RA died, the Banu Najjar said, "Our leader has died. Pick up for us another leader, O Messenger of Allah. "The Messenger of Allah 'alaihi wa sallam replied," I am your leader. "
Since Asad had not left any sons, the Najjar asked Rasulullah ﷺ to appoint a new leader for their clan. Rasulullah ﷺ replied, "You are my maternal uncles, and we belong together, so I will be your leader." The Najjar were pleased to have Rasulullah ﷺ as their new chief.
The First to organize Juma'at Prayer.
The demised of As'ad Ibn Zurarah RA:
Asad died within days, at the beginning of Shawwal, i.e., in April 623.
Rasulullah ﷺ attended his ritual washing and had him shrouded in three layer garments; Rasulullah ﷺ walked in front of the bier and conducted the funeral prayers. Asad was said to be the first man buried at Al-Baqi'.Rasulullah ﷺ considered Asad's death a grave misfortune. Rasulullah ﷺ worried that the Jews and the hypocrites would say that Allah would not have allowed the friend of a true prophet to die, but "I have no power from Allah for myself or my friend."
Asad left his mother, three daughters, an aunt and some gold and pearl jewellery in the care of Rasulullah ﷺ. Asad's womenfolk lived as Rasulullah ﷺ's dependants among his wives,and Rasulullah ﷺ later arranged marriages for Asad's daughters.
When As'ad bin Zurarah RA died, the Banu Najjar said, "Our leader has died. Pick up for us another leader, O Messenger of Allah. "The Messenger of Allah 'alaihi wa sallam replied," I am your leader. "
Since Asad had not left any sons, the Najjar asked Rasulullah ﷺ to appoint a new leader for their clan. Rasulullah ﷺ replied, "You are my maternal uncles, and we belong together, so I will be your leader." The Najjar were pleased to have Rasulullah ﷺ as their new chief.
Mocking of The Jews
When
he got sick, the Jews said in a mocking tone, "If Muhammad was
right, he would have gone astray." Hearing their words,
Rasulullah ﷺ
said,
"May Allah kill those Jews who say why I did not preventing his
illness, but I have no power over it, even against myself. "
As'ad bin Zurarah RA belonged to the previous generation in Islam
that Allah declared in his holy book:
"The
first ones who were first in Islam [among the Muhajirin and the
Anshar] and those who followed them well, Allah was pleased with them
and they were pleased with Allah and Allah provided for them the
heavens which flow beneath the rivers, they abide therein for ever.
That is a great victory. "
(QS.at-Taubah:
100)
The First to organize Juma'at Prayer.
As’ad
bin Zurarah was the Sahaba that initiated the blessed Jumu’ah Day
and Salaah in Madinah Munawwarah during the 12th
Year of Prophethood.
As’ad (RA) observed that the Jews and Christians had a special day of the week in which they congregated; the Jews on Saturday and the Christians on Sunday. He suggested that Muslims should also observe a day of the week in which they congregate to remember Allah (SWT), offer Salaah and worship Him. As’ad (RA) proposed Friday as this special day; he chose the name Jumu’ah and led the Muslims in prayer. Previously, during the times of ignorance, this day was referred to as the day of Arubah. Allah (SWT) revealed a verse approving of this new name and blessed day.
As’ad (RA) observed that the Jews and Christians had a special day of the week in which they congregated; the Jews on Saturday and the Christians on Sunday. He suggested that Muslims should also observe a day of the week in which they congregate to remember Allah (SWT), offer Salaah and worship Him. As’ad (RA) proposed Friday as this special day; he chose the name Jumu’ah and led the Muslims in prayer. Previously, during the times of ignorance, this day was referred to as the day of Arubah. Allah (SWT) revealed a verse approving of this new name and blessed day.
“O
you who believe, when the call for Salah (prayer) is proclaimed on
Friday, hasten for the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business.
That is much better for you, if you but know.”
(Qur’an 62:9)
(Qur’an 62:9)
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| The location where the frst Jummat Prayer organize by As'ad Ibn Zurarah RA in Madinah . |
