The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 164
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 164 Madīnah. 1 When news was received that the army of the Quraish had been defeated and the chieftains of the Quraish had been destroyed, a state of lamentation broke out in Makkah. Upon witnessing this state, Abū Sufyān and various other influential members of the Quraish announced that no one was to mourn the casualties of Badr, until revenge had been sought from the Muslims. In this manner, the emotional lamentation of the masses was transformed into a preparation for revenge. The shock at Badr however, was not such as could be easily repressed by the Arab nature. After a few days of steadfastness and silence, cries of mourning once again began to echo in almost every house. There was public lamentation in the streets and alleys of Makkah over those who had fallen at Badr. The inherent fiery nature of the Arabs, coupled with the destruction at Badr, resulted in a great deal of mourning and this practice continued for one month. In the beginning, the Quraish refrained from openly mourning. However, later on, they burst due to an inability in suppressing their vehemence in mourning. There is a narration which has been particularly mentioned from this time, and we record it here for the insight of our readers. Aswad bin Muṭṭalib was a chieftain of Makkah. Two of his sons and one grand-son were killed in the battle of Badr, but he was silent due to the verdict passed by the chieftains of the Quraish. He thus, continued to melt in his excessive grief. One night, while sitting at home, he heard the sounds of weeping and wailing from the street outside. This sound made him restless and he summoned his servant and said: “Go and see where this noise is coming from. Perhaps the chieftains of the Quraish have given permission to mourn. For if it is true, then a fire burns within my heart. I too shall weep to my heart’s content, so that the anguish of my heart may be somewhat relieved. ” The servant went and returned with the news that a woman had lost her camel and she was lamenting over its loss. Poetry was deeply rooted in the inherent nature of the Arabs. The following couplets flowed helplessly from the mouth of Aswad, and his repressed emotions burst from within: 1 * Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 4, p. 654, Al-Walīd bin Al-Walīd bin Al-Mughīrah, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003) * Al-Iṣābatu Fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 6, pp. 484-485, Al-Walīd bin Al-Walīd, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005)