Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
The Quraish left no stone unturned in in their persecution of the Muslims. At times, they suspended them from trees, and at times, they tied their feet and dragged them around. They even placed heated iron bars on their backs and stomachs. The disbelievers did all sorts of vile things to the Muslims, but not one of them wavered from the true deen. They died tolerating these hardships but they did not turn away from Islam. May Allah Ta‘ala be pleased with them and may they be pleased with Him.
These people (whose condition we discussed over the previous parts) were either slaves or foreigners residing in Makkah Mukarramah. However, even those who enjoyed family honour and social esteem were not spared from the brutal victimisation of the disbelievers. Some of them are as follows:
1. When Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) accepted Islam, his uncle, Haakim bin Abil ‘Aas, tied him with a rope and shouted at him saying, “Have you left the creed of your forefathers and embraced a new religion!” Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “By Allah! I will never ever forsake this deen and I will never abandon it.” When his uncle saw his steadfastness and commitment to deen, he released him.
2. When Hazrat Zubair bin ‘Awwaam (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) embraced Islam, his uncle wrapped him in a sack and began to suffocate him with smoke so that he would return to kufr. However, Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) would declare, “I will never return to kufr!”
3. When Hazrat Khaalid bin Sa‘eed bin ‘Aas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) embraced Islam, his father beat him so severely that that his head was injured. His father also withheld all food and drink from him.
4. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallalhu ‘anhu) and Hazrat Talhah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) embraced Islam, then Nawfal bin Khuwaylid, who was referred to as “the Lion of the Quraish”, got hold of both of them and tied them with one rope. This is why Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat Talhah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) were referred to as “Qarnain” (two people tied together with a single rope).
5. When Waleed bin Waleed, ‘Ayyaash bin Abi Rabee‘ah and Salamah bin Hishaam embraced Islam, the disbelievers of Makkah put them through such hardships that they did not even allow them to perform hijra, as hijrah would have at least brought them some respite from their difficulties. While in Madinah Munawwarah, in the Fajr Salaah, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would take their names and continue making du‘aa for their safe release from the disbelievers of Makkah. He would make du‘aa saying, “O Allah! Free Waleed bin Waleed, ‘Ayyaash bin Abi Rabee‘ah and Salamah bin Hishaam from the oppressive control of the disbelievers!”
6. When Hazrat Abu Zar Ghifaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) accepted Islam and publicly proclaimed his conversion in Musjid-ul-Haraam, the disbelievers beat him to such an extent that he collapsed to the ground unconscious. It was Hazrat ‘Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) who then came and rescued him.
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/235-236)
