Murder in the Name of Allah — Page 94
Murder in the Name of Allah (the Aws and the Khazraj) as a whole. . The mountains will crumble before they submit. Yet here is a rider come among them who had divided them. (He says) 'This is permitted; this is forbidden'. To all kinds of things. . But if you had believed in power. And in might, why did you not follow a tubba?³. Abu ‘Afak in effect was saying, 'The tubba was, after all, a south. Arabian king of great reputation, yet you resisted him. Now what has happened to you that you have accepted the claims of a Meccan refugee?". Meanwhile, Kab was elected chief of the Jews, replacing Malik b. alSayf who also lamented the loss of Quraish at Badr. " In an elegy he said:. Drive out that fool of yours that you may be safe. From talk that has no sense!. Do you taunt me because I shed tears. For people who loved me sincerely?. As long as I live I shall weep and remember. The merits of people whose glory is the houses of Mecca. . Obviously, the main purpose of this vulgar and abusive campaign was to sow the seeds of dissention between the Ansar and the Muhajirs on the one hand and between the Aws and the Khazraj on the other. The campaign seemed to pay off when a Jew from the Banu Qua'inq'ua,. Shas b. Qays, ordered a Jewish youth to recite some poems composed at the battle of Buath. They were recited to a mixed gathering of. Muslims, comprising the Aws and the Khazraj. Eventually, both sides got worked up and challenged each other, saying: 'If you wish we will do the same thing again. ' They both replied: 'We will! Your meeting place is outside - that being the volcanic tract. To arms! To arms!” As soon as the Holy Prophetsa heard the news he hurried to the spot with the Emigrants and addressed the men of the Aws and the Khazraj:. O Muslims! Remember God, remember God. Will you act like pagans while I am with you? After God has guided you to Islam and honoured you and saved you from paganism? After he has delivered you from unbelief and made you friends by so doing?³. The following verses of the Quran were revealed on the occasion:". O ye who believe. . . if you obey any of those who have been given the. Book, they will turn you again into disbelievers after you have believed. . When you are the people to whom the signs of Allah are given and among whom the Messenger of Allah is present, how can you disbelieve? He who holds fast to Allah is indeed guided to the right path. . 10 94