Chapter 7 — the Rebellion
The Historical Circumstance that Helped the Rebellion
Prevail and the Legality Retreat
A. the Clans of Quraish
The Quraish consist of twenty five clans.
131 The best and the most honorable clan is the sons of HashimbnAbd Menaf.
132 They are directly followed by the sons of AbdulMuttelibbnAbd Menaf,... AlHarithbnAbd Menaf,..., UmayabnAbd ShamsbnAbd Menaf and NawfelbnAbd Menaf respectively. The Hashemites are the celebrities of Quraish. They succeeded their father in management. They are named ‘AlMujebbirun — The healers’. They are regarded as the foremost in holding peace treaties with the kings of that time. Hashim held a peace treaty with the kings of Syria. Abd Shams held an alike one with Nejashi, the king of Abyssinia. Nawfel held an alike one with the kings of Persia. AbdulMuttelib held an alike one with the kings of Himyer; Yemen. According to such treaties, people of Quraish could settle in various areas of this world. For the high standing and the mastery of the Hashemites upon the Arabs, they were called ‘AqdahunNedhar — Cups of Gold.’
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B. the Political Form
The Quraishi clans concluded a political form respecting distributing positions, such as the leadership, the pennon, the assemblies, watering the pilgrimages, hosting the guests... etc. This form was the furthest thing the clans could achieve. They, as a whole, were convinced that that had been too satisfactory to abuse any one's rights. The political positions are estimated as
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131 Al-Mas'udi's Muroujut-Theheb, vol. 2, page. 291.
132 Burhanud-Din Al-Halabi's As-Seeretul-Halabiyeh, part. 1, page 3-4. Ali Naseer's Al-Jami'u Lil-Ussoul Fi Ahadithir-Rassoul, vol. 3, page 419 and on. bn-Abil-Hadid's Sharhu Nahjil-Belagha, Sermon 185, part. 2.
133 bn-Sa'd's Tabaqat, part. 1, page 75. An-Nidhamus-Siyasi Fil-Islam, page 93.
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the fate of those clans that it is none's benefit to alter or change, since it is impossible to recognize the consequences of such attempts of altering or changing. It might, at least, result in losing what had been achieved. The entire clans, in addition, were pleased to such a form that arranged the affairs of the pilgrimage and the Holy House. Gradually these positions and missions became a significance of a political belief and a heritage of the forefathers. It became impermissible for any to stand against such missions.
C. Endeavors for Shaking the Form
In the years of starvation, Hashim was the only individual who committed himself to providing food to people. He was named the master of Bat'ha. His foodtables were spread in times of amenity and distress. He was wont to host the guests and the passersby and secure the troubled.
134134 UmayabnAbd Shams feared and envied him. He failed in imitating Hashim; therefore, the other Quraishi people criticized and imputed dishonor to him. Hashim rejected his challenge to argue about the more honorable of them. Owing to Umaya's insistence, he accepted it. They agreed that the loser should undergo fifty shecamels and banished. As the arbiter ruled of Hashim's being more honorable, fifty shecamels of Umaya were slaughtered and he was deported to Syria. This was the first seed of hostility between the sons of Hashim and those of Umaya. It seems that the motive beyond Umaya's challenge was his envying Hashim and the apprehension that he would be a serious danger against the political form according to which the sons of Abd Shams had been the leaders. Furthermore, He might have realized that the fame of Hashim would shake the form as a whole and would, as a result, cause people to follow him.
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D. the Augury of Prophesy
In Mecca, it was commonly spread that soon there would be a prophet to be assigned by God, and that he would be a successor of Abd Menaf. AbuSufian was one of those who believed in this foretelling and worked depending on it. He established distinguishable relations with AbdullahbnAbisSalt. According to his conception, AbuSufian was certain that the intended prophet should cancel the political form — of the
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134 At-Tabarani's Tarikh, part. 2, page 180. As-Seeretul-Halabiyeh, part. 1, page 5. bn-Sa'd's At-Tabaqat, part. 1, page 76.
135 As-Seeretul-Halabiyeh, part. 1, page 15, and An-Nidhamus-Siyasi Fil-Islam, page 170-1.
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Quraishi clans, the leadership of which was in his hand. Hence, this prophet would be forming the most hazardous factor against the sons of Umaya. After a long period of panic and suffering, he could have a term of tranquillity since he believed that the prophet would be a successor of Abd Menaf, and there was none, from among the successors of Abd Menaf, fitter than him in undergoing such a mission.
136 On that account, he should certainly be the very one intended.
E. the Declaration of Prophesy
Mohammed, the successor of Hashim, declared his being the anticipated prophet whom had been favored by God for leading the Arabs and the mankind to the right path. He declared that the evidence of his prophesy had been God's words. A little group of eloquent individuals and those who were harshly treated in this world, followed Mohammed.
F. the Hashimites' Guarding Mohammed
With all their forces, the Hashemites embraced Mohammed. The leaders of Quraish threatened that they would kill him. In fact, they spread a rumor of Mohammed's being killed. AbuTalib gathered the Hashemite men and gave each a hard bar. Walking with the sons of Hashim and his, AbuTalib raised his voice at the people of Quraish: “O people of Quraish! Do you realize what I am to do?” “No, we do not.” they answered. AbuTalib ordered his people to show what they were keeping in their hands. Each showed the hard bar he had. AbuTalib commented: “By God I swear, if you kill him — Mohammed — I will never keep any of you alive unless we both are terminated.” Accordingly, people of Quraish were defeated. AbuJahal countered the largest share of that defeat.
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G. Not for the Favor of the Pagans, It Was Envy, and Preserving
the Political Form
Led by AbuSufian, the other clans of Quraish exerted all their efforts for the sake of facing Mohammed. Nevertheless, they could not intercept him. For countering the importunity and the rejection of the Hashemites, the clans of Quraish unanimously agreed on the following decisions:
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136 As-Seeretul-Halabiyeh, part. 1, page 80.
137 bn-Sa'd's At-Tabaqat, part. 1, page 202-3.
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1. Issuing a total boycott against the Hashemites. The Quraishi clans, including Teim and Edi, ostracized the Hashemites. They restricted them in the Cols of AbuTalib for three continuous years. The Hashemites, during that period, had to have from the leaves of the trees due to the starvation they suffered. Their children, likewise, had to suck the sands due to their thirstiness. This is an indisputable fact that is as clear as sunlight. Neither Mohammed nor did the Hashemites submit to the Quraishi people. Finally, God refuted the trickeries of the Quraishi people and leaders. After a three year boycott, the blockade proved its failure.
2. As they realized that Mohammed would soon immigrate to Yathrib, where he could find supporters and could establish a base for his advocacy, the clans of Quraish decided unanimously to kill him. They selected a man from each tribe so that they would strike him together that his blood would be distributed among the entire tribes equally. The purpose beyond such a cabal was obliging the Hashemites to miss out any opportunity to revenge Mohammed. They believed that Mohammed would achieve his goals and, in sequence, divest them from their leadership and authority, if he reached in Yathrib.
They applied this cabal so accurately, but they were astonished when they found AlibnAbiTalib sleeping in Mohammed's bed. The leaders of Mecca became so perturbed that they offered big prizes as a remuneration for those who would be able to capture Mohammed, alive or dead.
In the other side, Mohammed, his companion and the guide were pushing their way to Yathrib in safe, by God's will. This is an indiscussible fact that is as clear as sunlight.
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H. Not for the Favor of the Pagans, the Wars Were Due to Envy
and Preserving the Political Form
Neither the Quraishi clans led by the Umayids, nor were the Hashemites, Mohammed and his group despondent from achieving triumph against the adversary party. The Arabs were three parties; one was supporting people of Quraish and their joint commandment. The other, even few, was supporting Mohammed. The third was waiting for the outcome for supporting the victorious. In Badr and Uhud, wars broke up between the two parties. A
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138 As-Seeretul-Halabiyeh, part. 1, page 80 and 332.
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third war broke out when the leadership of the Quraishis raised armies and allied the Jews forming the multipartite army. They advanced towards AlMadina, the Prophet's capital. Precisely, these multipartite armies failed. A while later, the Quraishi were surprised by the armies of God in Mecca, their capital. Hence, the leaders of Quraish were submitted and they had to embrace Islam. Owing to this submission, the entire Arabs were dominated by the Prophet's government and, consequently, they embraced Islam in groups.
I. the Hashemite Prophesy is An Inescapable Fate
Sparing no single sort of rejection and resistance, the clans of Quraish, led by the Umayids, opposed the religion established by Mohammed, the Hashemite. Apart from their loyalty to their pagans, the main reason beyond this resistance was their abhorrence that a Hashemite would be the one to whom this religion had been revealed. They disliked the Hashemites’ leadership. The shade of the old political form was another motive towards their resisting this advocacy.
Finally, AbuSufian was surprised by God's soldiers on the doorsteps of Mecca. AlAbbas detains him so that he should see God's soldiers with his own eyes. “I have never seen such a domination alike of which is not existed neither at Khosrow, Caesar nor the Romans.” expresses AbuSufian.
139 Before the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), AbuSufian is dragged by AlAbbas. “O AbuSufian! Woe is you! Is it not the appropriate time to realize that there is no god but Allah?” the Prophet addresses at him. “I do conceive that Allah would not affect me in any sort if there was another god besides Him.” answers AbuSufian. “O AbuSufian!” the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) reasks, “Is it not the proper time to realize that I am the messenger of God?” “Regarding this, my soul, by God, cannot receive it completely!” admits AbuSufian. AlAbbas shouts: “Woe is you, AbuSufian! Declare your being Muslim and admit that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is surely the messenger of Allah, lest you shall be beheaded.” Only after mentioning beheading, surrounding and hopelessness, AbuSufian declares his being Muslim for nothing other than saving his soul. He was gazing at the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) surprisingly when he said to himself: “By which weapon did this
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139 As-Seeretul-Halabiyeh, part. 3, page 79 and on. An-Nidhamus-Siyasi Fil-Islam.
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man overcome?” God, informed His Apostle of AbuSufian's wonderment; therefore, he came to him and said: “By Allah I overcame.”
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Thus and so, the Quraishi clans realized the following facts:
The Hashemite prophesy is an inescapable and determined fate
They, as clans, had no role, at all, in this preference. They would never agree upon this option if only they had any role in the operation.
The prophesy is a one time phenomenon.
No single clan of Quraish will be catching or joined to the Hashemites.
The political form was not only shaken, but also was it completely blasted.
Hence, the Quraishi clans worked furtively for occluding this (Hashemite) advancement towards governing the royalty besides the prophesy, the matter which results in gaining the integrity as a whole.
The most enthusiast clan towards occluding the Hashemite advancement: The clans of Quraish, altogether, believed that the Hashemite prophesy had certainly shaken the political form of distributing roles of celebrity among them in an unprecedented form. Saving the AlMuttelibbnAbd Menaf who supported the Hashemites, the Quraishi clans, as a whole, rejected this Hashemite prophesy. The Umayids, however, were the most enthusiast and denying against this Hashemite advancement. They did their best for the sake of intercepting the Hashemite from joining headship to the divine prophesy. The following are some of the reasons beyond such an enthusiastic situation:
1. Before Islam, the Umayids were engaged in considerable hostility, enmity and envy against the Hashemites.
2. Owing to the Hashemites' prophesy, the Umayids lost the headship they had enjoyed.
3. It was the Hashemites who killed the chiefs of the Umayids. Utbeh, AlWaleed and Sheibeh were killed by Hamzeh, Ali and Ubeidullah. In
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140 Ibid.
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addition to their abhorrence, the Umayids bore malice to the Hashemites. The amount of this malice is evidently reflected by Hind, Muawiya’s mother and AbuSufian’s wife. Being not sufficed by killing Hamzeh, she corrupted his celibate corpse. On account of the victory and the expansion of Mohammed's prophesy, besides the Umayids retardation to join Islam and their long and famous history in antagonizing, they could not have any opportunity to declare their plan of intercepting the Hashemites from gaining the authority, beside the prophesy, of this nation.
J. The Preeminent Trend
The notion of the unacceptability for the Hashemites to join headship to prophesy became the preeminent trend, although it was stable only in the hidden because of the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the dominion of legality and the unification of the Prophet's virtuous companions. As soon as any of these three factors is missed, the legality will be shaken and the virtuous companions will be (the like of a single white hair in a black bull's skin) as Muawiya describes. The authority, then, will be the prevailing's.
K. the Immaculate Kinship is the Statutory Base of Caliphate
The following is the argument of the three Muhajirs — immigrants to Yathrib — in the Saqeefa of BaniSa'ideh:
AbuBakr stated: “We are the Prophet's clan while you are his supporters. Thus, you are our supporters in this religion.”
Omar stated: “Two swords cannot be put in the same sheath. Nay, by God. The Arab shall never accept your being the leaders while the Prophet is another clan's. The Arab should never select but those from whom the prophesy came forth. The evident argument and the manifest evidence is ours against our opposers. Who dare to litigate with us about the authority and the heritage of Mohammed while we are his backers and people? None but the wrong, the sinful or the involved in a disaster may do so.”
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The Ansar — the supporters; people of Yathrib who supported the Prophet and his followers — shouted in one voice: “We shall select none other than
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141 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, pages 6, 7, 8.
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Ali.” Ali, however, was absent. Some of the Ansar shouted: “We shall select none other than Ali.”
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Without any respite, the matter of Mohammed's succession became in the hands of AsSiddiq, AbuBakr. As he was called for declaring his fealty to AbuBakr, Ali stated: “I am the most rightful in this affair. I am not to submit to your leadership. It is you whom are to be submitted to my leadership. You seized it from the Ansar claiming of the Prophet's kinship. Now, you intend to seize it from the Prophet's household coercively?! Have you not argued before the Ansar that you are more rightful in holding this affair of leadership due to your relation to the Prophet? And they complied to your claim and gave it to you. Now, I do provide the very same argument before you; we are the most rightful in enjoying the Prophet's authority and heritage in and after his life.. etc.”
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142 At-Tabari's At-Tarikh, part. 3, page 198. bn-Abil-Hadid's Sharhu Nahjil-Belagheh, part. 2, page 266.
