The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 160
Seal of the Prophets - Volume I 160 further magnified. Along with this, we learn that many letters and treaties, etc. were often prepared before the Holy Prophet sa and were continually observed by him during the period of his prophethood. As a result, he developed a recognition of letters to some extent, later on in his life. Therefore, it becomes evident from one Ḥadīth , that on the occasion of the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyah whilst the treaty was being prepared, the Holy Prophet sa crossed the words ‘Rusūlullāh’ 1 by his own hand and wrote ‘Ibn ‘Abdullāh’ in its place after the infidels objected to it. 2 It is quite possible that the use of the root word َ كَتَب in Ḥadīth about that occasion, meaning ‘to write’, could also imply ‘to get written’. This is because, sometimes, ‘writing’ and ‘to get written’ is denoted by the same word in general conversation. In this case, the meaning (of the word َ كَتَب ) would be that the portion of the treaty which the Holy Prophet sa crossed, was crossed by his own hand, but whatever was written afterwards was written by his scribe. In any case, whichever meaning is accepted, it does not affect the illiteracy of the Holy Prophet sa. Circle of Friends Prior to his prophethood, the circle of friendly relations of the Holy Prophet sa seems to be quite limited. This is because the Holy Prophet sa was one to prefer seclusion from the beginning and never intermingled with the common society of Makkah during any part of his life. However, there were a few individuals with whom the Prophet sa possessed a relationship of friendship. The most distinct among them was Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra , also known as, ‘Abdullāh bin Abī Quḥāfah, who belonged to a noble family of the Quraish. On account of his nobility and aptitude, his people looked upon him with great reverence. Next to him was Ḥakīm bin Ḥizām ra who was the nephew of Ḥaḍrat Khadījah ra. He was a man of exceptionally decent nature. In the beginning, he did not accept Islām, yet he held feelings of sincerity and love for the Holy Prophet sa. Ultimately, his natural propensity drew him to Islām. The Holy Prophet sa also had relations with Zaid bin ‘Amr. He was a near relative of Ḥaḍrat ‘ Umar ra and was among those who had abandoned polytheism even in the time of the Jāhiliyyah. He attributed himself to the Abrahamic Religion, but passed away prior to the advent of Islām. 1 Messenger of Allāh (Publishers) 2 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābuṣ-Ṣulḥ, Bābu Kaifa Yuktabu Hādhā mā Ṣālaḥa Fulānubnu Fulānin, Ḥadīth No. 2699