Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Nadr bin Haarith was also one of the leaders of the Quraish. He would often travel to Persia for business. On his travels, he would purchase stories and historical accounts of the non-Arab monarchs. He would then relate these stories to the Quraish and would say to them, “Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) relates the incidents of ‘Aad and Thamud to you, but I will share with you the legends of Rustam, Asfandiyaar and the Persian monarchs.” People would enjoy listening to these tales (similar to the novels of today). Hence, they would listen to these tales and fables instead of listening the Qur’aan Majeed.
Nadr also purchased a singing slave girl and would make people listen to her melodious voice. Whenever he learnt of anyone being inclined towards Islam, he would take this slave girl to him and bid her to entertain him with food, drink and music. He would then ask him, “Is this better or that which Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) invites you to by instructing you to perform salaah, fast and wage jihaad against the enemies of Allah Ta‘ala?”
Upon this, the following verses were revealed:
وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یَّشۡتَرِیۡ لَہۡوَ الۡحَدِیۡثِ لِیُضِلَّ عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍ ٭ۖ وَّ یَتَّخِذَہَا ہُزُوًا ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ مُّہِیۡنٌ ﴿۶﴾ وَ اِذَا تُتۡلٰی عَلَیۡہِ اٰیٰتُنَا وَلّٰی مُسۡتَکۡبِرًا کَاَنۡ لَّمۡ یَسۡمَعۡہَا کَاَنَّ فِیۡۤ اُذُنَیۡہِ وَقۡرًا ۚ فَبَشِّرۡہُ بِعَذَابٍ اَلِیۡمٍ ﴿۷﴾
And among the people there are those who purchase idle tales (tales that distract people from Allah) to mislead people from the path of Allah, without knowledge, and he takes this (path of Allah or the Qur’aan Majeed) as a form of mockery. For such people there is a humiliating punishment (in Jahannum). And when our verses are recited to him, he turns away in arrogance as though he has not heard them, as if there is deafness in his ears. So offer him glad tidings of an agonizing punishment.” (Surah Luqmaan v. 6-7)
Note: Entertaining people with food, drink and singing girls to attract them to their religion is an old strategy of the people of falsehood. The Christians in particular are exceedingly skilful in this, and in emulation of them, the Aryans of India (a modern, fanatical Hindu sect) also adopted this approach. Those whom Allah Ta‘ala has given a little bit of intellect will well realise that this is not the approach of those who worship Allah Ta‘ala, but rather the approach of those who worship their desires – may Allah Ta‘ala protect us all.
Nadr bin Haarith was captured in the Battle of Badr, and on the instruction of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he was executed by Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/219-220)
