The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 301
IX - Exile 301 of Ḥajj , when he suddenly spotted a few men. These people were from the Aus tribe, and had come to seek help from the Quraish against their idolatrous rivals, the Khazraj. This occurrence is also prior to the Battle of Bu‘āth, thus, their seeking assistance, was a part of their preparations of war. The Holy Prophet sa went to them and invited them to Islām. Upon hearing his address, a young man named Iyās could not restrain himself and said, “By God, to which this man (Muḥammad sa ) calls us, is greater than that for which we have come here. ” But the chieftain of that group took a handful of pebbles and threw them at his face, saying, “Be quiet! We have not come here for this purpose!” and in this manner the matter was disposed of. However, it is written that when Iyās returned to his homeland and was about to die, the words of the Kalimah were upon his tongue. 1 Sometime afterwards, when the Battle of Bu‘āth had taken place, in Rajab 11 Nabawī , 2 the Holy Prophet sa happened to meet the people of Yathrib once again. When the Holy Prophet inquired as to their genealogy, he found that they belonged to the Khazraj, and had come from Yathrib. In an extremely loving tone, the Holy Prophet sa said to them, “Can you people listen to a few things I have to say?” They said, “Yes, what do you say?” The Holy Prophet sa took a seat and invited them to Islām, recited a few verses of the Holy Qur’ān and informed them of his mission. These people looked at each other and said, “This is our opportunity, lest the Jews excel us,” and saying this, they all became Muslim. These were six people, whose names are as follows: 1. Abū ’Umāmah As‘ad bin Zurārah ra who was from the Banū Najjār, and was the very first in his affirmation. 2. ‘Auf bin Ḥārith ra who was also from the Banū Najjār, which was the tribe of the maternal kindred of ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib, the grandfather of the Holy Prophet. 3. Rāfi‘ bin Mālik ra who was from the Banū Zarīq. On this occasion, the Holy Prophet sa bestowed the entirety of the Holy Qur’ān to him, which had been revealed thus far. 3 1 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hishām, p. 306, Islāmu Iyās bin Mu‘ādh wa Qiṣṣatu Abil-Ḥaisar , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 2 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az- Zarqānī, Volume 2, p. 77, Dhikru ‘Arḍil-Muṣṭfā sa Nafsahū ‘alal-Qabā’ili wa Wufūdil-Anṣār , Dārul- Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 3 Prior to this, in the acceptance of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra , similar mention was made. In the same context, this is a second instance, which categorically proves that the Holy Qur’ān was continuously brought into writing as it was revealed. (Author)