OCCASION OF THE REVELATION (VERSE NO. 30)

      Commentators have narrated that the first of the above verses (NO.30) was revealed in the occasion of HUDAYBEYEH PEACE TREATY, which occured on 6 A.H.

      In that treaty when the prophet dictated to Hazrat Imam Ali to write the document in the name of Allah the Merciful, the idolaters rejected, saying:ِ ``We do not know who the Merciful, (RAHMÄN) is! There also was a hot controversy about the title of, Mohammad (AS)''. The pagans insisted to remove the title of, ©MESSENGER OF GOD¨. They said:ِ ``If we knew you to be the Messenger of God, we would not fight against you.'' To this effect some of the prophet's disciples became very angry with the heathens and asked the prophet to permit them to wage a sacred war against the Meccans. So the situation in HUDAYBEYEH became very critical, and the prophet through an amazing management succeeded to extinguish the burning fire that was almost kindled. The peace treaty of HUDAYBEYEH is an important event in the history of Islam, that Qurän has referred to in variouse verses, among which this is one.

 

MORE ABOUT HUDAYBEYEH PEACE TREATY

      (Owing to the importance of the incident of HUDAYBEYEH, for the kind notice of our dear readers, we give more detail about the event. I have quoted the following narration from the important references like: 1) SEEREH-IBN-HESHÄM. 2) KÄMIL-IBN-ASIR, V2:138 and BOHAR-AL-ANVÄR, V20:353.

      On the 13th of march 628 A.D.= ZILQAAD 6.AH. the prophet set out along with a party of 1400 men to perform the rites of the Lesser Pilgrimage, (UMREH). In order to show to all, that his only object of the journey is the pilgrimage, the prophet and all his followers wore the white GARB of the which is named, ©EHRÄM¨. They also separated and marked several camels to be sacrificed as one of the rituals. They made for Mecca, and travelled as far as Esfan, a place between JOHFEH and MECCA.

      When the Meccans were informed of Mohammad's approach in accompany with what they took it for a large army, and ready for a surprise attack; they were agitated and called for an emergency mobilization, and immediately prepared a good defensive force. A battalion of their armed forces wore clothes made out of leopard's skin, which to them it meant, ©defence up to death¨! They also took with them their wives and children as a vowe not to turn their back to Muslims in the fight. Then they sent a cavalry of 200 warriors commanded by Khalid-ibn-Valid. to bar the way and not let Mohammad and Muslims to enter Mecca.

      When the prophet was informed of their preprations, he said:ِ       ``Woe is unto GHORAISH! War has eaten these people! Why do they not leave me alone with the rest of Arabs? Then if the Arabs destroyed me they lose nothing. If I vanquished them no harm is done to GHORAISH. Upon my Lord I will fight for the cause of Allah so long as I live; either to win or to die on it.''

      Then, Aslam who was well acquainted with the round about and the ways to Mecca, by the order of the prophet, led Muslims through some zigzags, and unusual ways across the hilly county, to a plane at

the north edge of the SACRED TERRITORY. (HARAM) called HUDAYBEYEH, one day of march to the north of Mecca.

      There in the Hudaybeyeh, at once the camels stopped going forward inspite of being threatened and encouraged! Muslims said the poor creatures were thoroughly exhausted, but the prophet said:ِ ``No! Not so as you think. Rather He who prevented the elephants of ABRAHA to approach the house of God has halted the camels. We shall station here. To-day I will observe our bonds of relationship by considering all the enemy's request.''

      Then delegations and messengers were sent and exchanged between two parties, Meccan beat KHARASH-IBN-OMAYEH, the prophet's representative to them savagely and wounded him harshly, but the prophet showed patience. After that, GHORAISH sent a cavalry of fifty soldiers on patrol about the camp of Muslims in order to kidnap some believers to keep them as hostages! But Muslims were in full attention, and captured all of them and took them to the prophet hands tied. To show his good will to Ghoraish, the prophet pardoned them all and let them free to go back. This gentle behaviour of the prophet had a very good effect on both friend and foe.

      Following the release of the cruising group of the enemy, the prophet ordered OMAR-IBN-KHATTÄB to go to Mecca, and have a talk with the idolaters. Omar refused to obey the prophet with the objection that he had not an influential family in Mecca to support him in hazards. Omar then nominated OTHMÄN-IBN-AFFAN his simple hearted friend to go on that errand!

      OTHMÄN, accepted the dangerous task, and at first he went to one of his influential relatives named ABÄN-IBN-SAEED and sought his refuge. He then conveyed the prophet's message to the pagans which they strictly rejected. For having the respite of ABÄN the idolater gave the permission of performing the rites of HAJJ, but when he refused their favour, saying:ِ ``Without the prophet, I won't do it!'' His denial made the idolaters very angry. So they beat him hardly and put him in a jail! Then a rumour spread everywhere, that Ghoraish had killed OTHMÄN who was the prophet's minister. The believers said, ``If that be true we won't leave here until we avenge him and punish the pagans.''

      Then the prophet stood at the shade of a big tree that was there, and Muslims came to him one by one and pledged to fight over for his cause till the last beat of their heart. The oath of fealty was taken under that tree with much enthusiasm, any great sincerity. This was a wonderful demonstration of faith in that critical occasion. So the following verse of Qurän revealed to that effect:ِ Q S 48:18ِ19

      ``Allah was pleased with the believers when they took an oath of fealty to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, and so He sent down tranquility to them, and He rewarded them with a near victory, and with many gains that they shall acquire besides. Mighty is Allah and wise.''

      In the Islam's history this is known as the, PLEDGE OF PLEASURE OR THE, PLEDGE OF UNDER THE TREE.

      When GHORAISH heard of the pledge they trembled with fear and soon after they sent SOHAIL-IBN-AMR with full authority on an embassy to negotiate on a peace treaty. The prophet who was indeed a peaceful kind and compassionate man welcomed Sohail and after a long meeting and discussion both parties compounded and agreed on the following articles:ِ

1- The two parties were to abandon all sorts of hostilities against each other for a period of 10 years.

2- Muslims performance of the rites of pilgrimage was to be postponed for the next year.

3- Mohammad had to send back any Meccans who would come to him without the consent of his protector or guardian. This term did not include the free Muslims.

4- All the tribes and individuals were free to enter into alliance with either of the two parties.

Mohammad (AS) himself was illiterate and therefore at the prepration of the above peace document HAZRAT IMAM ALI (AS) was the clerk who wrote whatever the prophet dictated.

      When he began to write the peace pact in the name of Allah the Merciful, the pagans objected saying we know not who the Merciful is! So they wrote it in the name of Allah. Then the prophet told HAZRAT IMAM ALI to write:ِ

      ``This is an agreement between Mohammad the Messenger of God and SOHAIL-IBN-OMAR.''

      Sohail objected and said:ِ ``Had we recognized you as a Messenger of God, we would not have so much troubles with you, therefore blot out your title from the compact and just write down:ِ From MOHAMMAD-IBN-ABDULLAH. The prophet said to HAZRAT ALI (AS); write it as they want. But Imam Ali said to the prophet:ِ It is indeed very painful and difficult for me to erase the title of truth from your name, that I have not the least amount of doubt that you are God's Messenger. So I beg you to exempt and excuse me from erasing your title.''

      So the prophet blotted off his title of; ©MESSENGER OF GOD¨ with his own hand, and then sighed and said to HAZRAT ALI (AS):ِ ``O, Ali! There will come a time when the same thing will happen to you, and you shall be compelled to blot out your title too!''

      This prediction was realized in the Battle of Seffain, when HAZRAT ALI was compelled to erase his rightful and legitimate title of AMIR-AL-MOAMENIN the detail of which is to be read in all the history books of Islam.

 

 

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

 

 

(OCCASION OF REVELATION (VERSE NO. 31)

      A group of the idolaters had a meeting held in front of KAABEH to discuss their problems with Mohammad (AS) who ridiculed their idols and claimed to be the Messenger of God. They asked the prophet to take part in that meeting, and to answer some questions they had.

      With the hope of guiding them out of that spiritual darkness they were in, the prophet went to them, and after some arguments they said to Mohammad (AS):ِ

      ``If you really want us follow you and be a good Muslim, then move the mountains by your Holy Qurän, and make spirings of water to gush out of them; in order to prepare enough farm lands for all of us.'' They then added:ِ ``Have you not cited in your Qurän that the mountains obeyed David and the winds were subservient to Solomon, and Jesus Christ raised the dead!? If you are a truthful prophet, then raise up our fore grand father, GHASI-IBN-CLUB so that we may ask him if you are right.''

      Then the above verse (NO.31) was sent down in answer to them saying:ِ

      ``Whatever you do for them they will not believe you; even if you bring down to them a Qurän by which the mountains could be moved, or the earth could be rent asunder, or through it the deads could be raised to speak with them, they would not believe you inspite of all that and more!''

      In God's infinite power, things like moving the mountains, and raising the deads to speak is more than easy, but God always knows better what is to be done and what is not to be done. He is not waiting for His poor creatures to dictate to Him what to do or how to do a work. Those who believe in Him are sure enough that God will arrange things and order His world for the best. After all; the duty of a Messenger of God, is to convey God's Message, and warn people against evil deeds, and to prove to them that evil has its eventual evil consequences, although man may not see that for a certain time.

      Truth is light and behaves like light. If you throw some ashes upon a bright point on which the sun shines, you won't be able to conceal the light by your handful of ashes because the light will jump upon your ashes. So is the case with Mohammad's truth. He found it not necessary to do the work of a tractor in moving the mountain or digging a well to gush water out. He was the last of the prophets and the Message that had been revealed before him through the successive apostles that were sent to mankind one after another. Therefore the advent of prophet Mohammad (AS) was the stepping-stone for the unification of the world, and God's will be done.

 

WHY THE STRESS FALLS SO MUCH ON AL - RAHMÄN (THE MERCIFUL?)

      Arabs did not like the word Merciful to be attributed to God, and it was not customary among them to call Allah with such attributes. On the contrary the prophet always gave special emphasis to this name (AL-RAHMÄN) because he believed that God's Mercy covers all His creatures and includes all, be they believers or unbelievers! He naturally wondered why the people believed not in a Lord whose Mercy embraces all His creatures and is something general.

      Another point to note here is that; some people by reference to the above verse (NO.31), say; that the prophet Mohammad (AS) has had no miracle other than Qurän! We have repeatedly mentioned in this our book that a miracle is to uncover the face of a truth, and it is not a play-toy or a boasting means in the hands of a prophet. Such childish miracles that the obstinate pagans asked for, like turning the mountains into gold and silver or moving them forward and backward were only objections for hiding their feeling of disapproval and opposition, which was supported by mere ignorance. Had he turned the mountains into gold for them, gold would become cheaper than stone or soil.

      The last verse (NO.32) is a good support for the idea that the pagans were only scoffing at the prophet by asking for such miracles:ِ

      ``And the Messengers before you, too, were scoffed at....''