The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 49
II - Commencement of Jihād by the Sword & Fundamental Discussion on Jihād 49 of their lives is a testimony to their faith, sincerity, love of Islām, sacrifice and indignation, how great an injustice would it be to doubt the truthfulness of their faith. Do not go far, take the example of ‘Ikramah bin Abī Jahl. His father, Abū Jahl, was thirsty for the blood of the Holy Prophet sa , and perished in this very pursuit. Even the state of ‘Ikramah himself was such that he fought against the Holy Prophet sa in every war, and exerted all his efforts to wipe out Islām. Eventually, at the occasion of the Victory of Makkah he fled from Makkah, considering subservience to the Holy Prophet sa as being a cause for humiliation. Historians write that he was among those people whom the Holy Prophet sa had ordered to be executed. However, when he finally became Muslim, the state of his faith and sincerity was such that in the reign of Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra , he exhibited unparalleled sacrifices in order to uproot the rebels. During a war when an occasion of brutal carnage ensued, and people were being slaughtered as though grass being cut with a scythe, ‘Ikramah took a few companions and leaped into the heart of the army. Various people attempted to hold him back saying, “Right now the war has taken a dangerous turn, it is not wise to enter the enemy ranks in this manner,” but ‘Ikramah did not stand down. He would move forward saying, “I fought against Muḥammad sa for the sake of Lāt and ‘Uzzā. Today I shall not stand back from fighting in the way of God. ” At the completion of battle, his corpse was found severely pierced by spears and sword wounds. His financial sacrifices were such that when ‘Ikramah would receive a portion from the spoils of war, he would readily spend it on charity, alms, and in the service of faith. He would often say that, “There was a time when I would spend in opposition to the religion of God, but now I am not put to ease until I spend in His cause. ” 1 Are these the people who were converted to Islām by fear of the sword? Desire of the Holy Prophet sa to Reconcile Rejects the Notion of Compulsion Another proof that these wars of the Holy Prophet sa were not for the purpose of converting people to Islām by force, is that he would always desire 1 * Al-Iṣābatu Fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 4 (Tatimmah ‘Ain), pp. 443-444, ‘Ikramah bin Abī Jahl, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005) * Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 3, pp. 566-569, ‘Ikramah bin Abī Jahl, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003) * Al-Istī‘āb Fī Ma‘rifatil-Aṣḥāb, By Abū ‘Umar Yūsuf bin ‘Abdillāh, Volume 3, pp. 190-192, ‘Ikramah bin Abī Jahl, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2002)