Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 195
195 of the army which had engaged and put to death the fifteen Muslims who had tried only to preach. The fact that he said to al-Harth, "Perhaps you are carrying a message from Muhammad" shows he was afraid lest the Prophet’s complaint that tribesmen under the Kaiser had attacked the Muslims should reach the Kaiser. He was afraid lest he should have to account for what had happened. There was safety, he thought, in murdering the Prophet’s envoy. The expectation was not realised. The Prophet got to know of the murder. To avenge this and the earlier murders, he raised a force of three thousand and despatched it to Syria under the command of Zayd bin Harithah, freed slave of the Prophet, whom we mentioned in our account of his life in Mecca. The Prophet nominated Ja‘far bin Abi Talib as the successor of Zayd, should Zayd die, and ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah, should Ja‘far die. Should ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah also die, Muslims were to choose their own commander. A Jew who heard this exclaimed, "O Abul-Qasim, if thou art a true Prophet, these three officers whom thou hast named are sure to die; for God fulfils the words of a Prophet. " Turning to Zayd, he said, "Take it from me, if Muhammad is true you will not return alive. " Zayd, a true believer that he was, said in reply, "I may return alive or not, but Muhammad is a true Prophet of God. " 223 The following morning the Muslim army set out on its long march. The Prophet and the Companions went some distance with it. A large and important expedition such as this had never before gone without the Prophet commanding in person. As the Prophet walked along to bid the expedition farewell, he counselled and instructed. When they reached the spot where the people of Medina generally bade farewell to friends and relations going to Syria, the Prophet stopped and said: I urge you to fear God and to deal justly with Muslims who go with you. Go to war in the name of Allah and fight the enemy in Syria, who is your enemy, as well as Allah’s. When you are in Syria, you will meet those who remember God much in their houses of worship. You should have no dispute with them, and give no trouble to them. In the enemy country do not kill any women or children, nor the blind or the old; do not cut down any tree, nor pull down any building. 224 Having said this, the Prophet returned and the Muslim army marched forward. It was the first Muslim army sent to fight the Christians. When Muslims reached the Syrian border, they heard that the Kaiser himself had taken the field with one hundred thousand of his own soldiers and another hundred thousand recruited from the Christian tribes of Arabia. Confronted by such large enemy numbers, the Muslims half wanted to stop on the way and send word to the Prophet at Medina. For he might be able to reinforce their numbers or wish to send fresh instructions. When the army leaders took counsel, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah stood up, full of fire, and said, "My people, you set out from your homes to die as martyrs in the way of God, and now when martyrdom is in sight you seem to flinch. We have not fought