The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 69
II - Brief Note on Islāmic Equality 69 After writing this note on Islāmic equality, once again, we return to our actual subject matter. Sariyyah Dūmatul-Jandal - Sha‘bān 6 A. H. (December 627 A. D. ) Now, the sphere of Islāmic influence was beginning to widen very rapidly, and the propagation of Islām was beginning to reach far off regions as well. However, along with this, opposition was also increasing in these distant regions. Those who were inclined to Islām were forced to confront persecution from their tribesmen, and in fear of this persecution many weak-natured people remained deterred from their expression of Islām. Therefore, among the motives for war expeditions, an additional motive was added, that armies be sent towards such tribes wherein various people were inclined to Islām in their hearts, but remained deterred from accepting Islām due to fear of persecution. In other words, the purpose behind dispatching these armies was the establishment of religious freedom which was greatly emphasised by Islām. 1 Under this primary objective, the Holy Prophet sa dispatched an army under the command of ‘ Abdur-Raḥmān bin ‘Auf ra , who was sent to the far off region of Dūmatul-Jandal 2 in the month of Sha‘bān 6 A. H. 3 Readers may recall that the Holy Prophet sa also travelled to this very place in 4 A. H. for the establishment of peace himself. In this manner, the stated region had already entered into the circle of Islām’s influence two years previously and the residents of this place were not unaware of Islāmic teachings. Rather, conceivably, a group of them were inclined to Islām but did not have the courage due to the opposition of their chieftains and tribesmen. In the sixth year of Hijrah, the Holy Prophet sa dispatched a large army composed of eminent companions, towards Dūmatul-Jandal, under the command of ‘Abdur- Raḥmān bin ‘Auf ra. With relevance to the preparation and departure of this expedition Ibni Isḥāq has recorded the interesting narration of ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar ra , that on one occasion when we were sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet sa and Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra , ‘Umar ra , Uthmān ra , ‘Alī ra , and ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin 1 Al-Anfāl (8:40) 2 This word is also pronounced with a Fatḥah on the letter “D” 3 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 294, Sariyyatu ‘Abdir-Raḥmān-ibni ‘Aufin Ilā Dūmatil-Jandal, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)