Holy Prophet of Islam - Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa — Page 218
sa 218. The Holy Prophet of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa sa sa sa asked: 'What kept you back? Had you not purchased your mount?' I replied: 'Messenger" of Allāh, were I confronted by someone other than yourself, a man of the world, I could easily escape his displeasure by some excuse, for I am gifted with skill in argument, but I know that if I were to spin before you a false tale today, which might even convince you, most certainly will Allāh soon rouse your anger against me over something. On the other hand, if I tell you the truth and you are wroth with me, I might still hope for a good end from Allah, the Exalted, the Glorious. I have no excuse. I was never stronger and more affluent than when I held back from accompanying you. ' The Holy Prophet said: "This one has told the truth. Now withdraw, till Allāh issues His decree concerning you. '. Some men of Bani Salimah followed me out of the mosque and said: 'We have not known you to commit a fault before this, then why did you not put forward an excuse before the Holy Prophet like the others who had held back from the campaign? Your fault would have found its forgiveness through the prayer of the Holy. Prophet for your forgiveness. ' They kept on reproaching me so severely that I made up my mind to go back to the Holy Prophet and to retract my confession. Then I asked them: 'Is anyone else in similar situation as mine?' They said: 'Yes. Two persons met him (the Holy Prophet") who explained to him the same as you have. . They were told as you have been told. ' He said: 'Who were those?'. They said: 'Murārah bin Ar-Rabī‘ Al-‘Amrī and Hilāl bin Umayyah. Al-Waqifi. ' Thus, they mentioned two such persons who were righteous, had participated in the Battle of Badr, and in whom there was an example for me. So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me. sa sa sa sa. The Holy Prophet" directed the Muslims to stop speaking to the three of us. People kept away from us, as if we were strangers, and it seemed to me that I was in a strange land which I could not recognize. This continued for fifty days. My two companions in misery were resigned and took to keeping inside their homes. But I being the youngest of the three and the toughest used to go out and