Murder in the Name of Allah — Page 68
Murder in the Name of Allah some loyal tribes calling them to come to his aid. While Abu Bakr was waiting for reinforcements, Kharjah b. Hism, led by Unaynah b. Hism al-Fazari and Al-Aqra b. Habis al-Tamimi, staged a surprise attack on the Muslims. The Muslims fled in confusion, but they re-assembled and counter-attacked Kharjah's men, who were defeated. . Before the skirmish at Dhu al-Qassa, a delegation of Arab tribes went to Medina to negotiate with Abu Bakr over the question of zakat, but Abu. Bakr refused. Some early and prominent muhajirun disagreed with Abu. Bakr's decision to fight those who withheld the zakat. That these tribes were anxious to negotiate showed they had not recanted, and did not want to sever their relations with Medina, yet were not prepared to accept. Medina's control over them. The issue was not belief in Allah and His. Prophet, but the zakat (tax). A group of well-known friends led by Umar objected to Abu Bakr's decision to fight the rebels. Umar is reported to have said to Abu Bakr. 'What right do you have to fight these people? The. Prophetsa has said, "I was ordered to fight people until they say there is no God but Allah. If they say this, they safeguard themselves and their property from me. ”26. After the departure of the delegation from Medina, Abu Bakr gathered the Muslims of Medina and addressed them as follows: "The delegation has observed just how few of you there are in Medina. . You do not know whether they will attack you by day or night. Their vanguard is only a stone's throw from Medina. They wanted us to accept their proposals and make an agreement with them, but we have rejected their request. So make ready for their attack. ' Within three days they attacked Medina. 27. The war of Riddah caused a great deal of bloodshed. It was inexplicable to the subsequent historians of the Arabian state that after the death of Muhammad so many wars were necessary on Arabian soil; they accounted for this fact by a Ridda, 28 a religious movement against Islam. . The jurists, who had failed to find Quranic or sunnah authority for the execution of Muslims accused of kufr,, or war, against opposing. Muslim political powers, accepted the assumption without more ado. . Discussing the legality of Abu Bakr's war against Muslim rebels,. Imam Al-Shafi'i says: 'Riddah is falling back from a previously adopted religion into disbelief and refusing to fulfil previously accepted responsibility. 29 Recantation is not enough. It must be aggravated by allegations of the breach of an agreement. Ibn Abi al-Hadid, a scholar of a very different school, in his commentary of the Nahj al-Balaghah, clarified the matter when he said: "The tribes which refused to pay zakat were 68