Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 64
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 64 Prophet and persisted in his belief in the Unity of God. Abu Fakeeh was a slave of Safwan bin Umayya. He was mercilessly mistreated in the same way as Bilal; and so was Aamir bin Fuhairah, another slave, who was eventually purchased by Abu Bakr and set fre e. Thereafter Abu Bakr employed him in grazing his goats. Labeenah was a female slave of Banu Adi who had embraced Islam. Before his own conversion to Islam Umar would beat her mercilessly, and when he became tired of beating her he would take breath and start beating her again. All she said in protest was, ‘Umar , if you do not embrace Islam, God will not overlook your cruelty to me. ’ Zunairah was a female slave of Banu Makhzoom. Abu Jahl beat her so cruelly that she lost her eyesight. He used to point to her and say, ‘Had Islam been true, how could she have embraced it while we have failed to recognize its truth?’ Suhaib bin Sanan Rumi was no longer a slave and was comparatively well off, but he was often beaten mercilessly by Quraish. Khabbab bin Arat was a freedman who practised as a blacksmith. On one occasion he was seized and was forcibly held down on his back upon the burning charcoal of his own forge till the fire went out. He related this incident many years later to Hazrat Umar and exhibited his back that was studded with white patches left by his injuries. Ammar, his father Yassar and his mother Samayyah, were most mercilessly and savagely tortured by Banu Makhzoom. On one occasion when they were being tormented the Holy Prophet