The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 9
I - Commencement of the Second Era of Life in Madīnah 9 please may they be granted salvation from this trial. 1 At the time, the Quraish of Makkah were so worried that they did not rely on this letter alone, but also sent their chief, Abū Sufyān bin Ḥarb to the Holy Prophet sa. He verbally lamented before the Holy Prophet sa and whilst presenting his difficulty, he began to seek mercy. Upon this the Holy Prophet sa sent word to Thumāmah bin Uthāl ra that the import and export of caravans which contained food supplies for the Quraish, should not be blocked. Therefore, the circuit of this trade recommenced and the people of Makkah received salvation from this difficulty. 2 On the one hand, whilst this occurrence is a clear proof of the unprecedented tenderness, mercy and forgiveness of the Holy Prophet sa , on the other hand, it also proves that initially the true purpose of the systematic interception of various caravans of the Quraish by the Holy Prophet sa , was not to force the Quraish’s destruction by famine. The true purpose of this was to secure the borders of Madīnah from the threat of the Quraish. This occurrence also proves that in light of Islāmic teachings, it is not permitted in normal circumstances to stop the free movement of an enemy at war to the extent that they are deprived of their bread and butter. Nonetheless, the import and export of weapons of war or other items excluding the basic necessities of life can be intercepted as per the requirements of war. If however, the case is that the enemy cuts off food supplies to the Muslims, then as per the principle teaching of the Qur’ān 3 ُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ء جَزَا , it is per missible to cut off this supply as well. As mentioned above, Thumāmah bin Uthāl ra was a very influential chieftain of his region. By his fervent preaching, many people of Yamāmah entered Islām. Later, near the demise of the Holy Prophet sa and in the beginning of the caliphate of Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra , when many Bedouins of Yamāmah were led to apostasy by the false claimant to prophethood, Musailamah Kadhdhāb, not only did Thumāmah stay firm upon his faith, but through his passionate efforts he was able to safeguard many people from the evil of Musailamah and kept them gathered under the banner of Islām. He 1 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 888, Asru Thumāmat- abni Uthālin Al-Ḥanfiyyi Wa Islāmuhu. . . , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 2 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 3, pp. 105-106, Sariyyatul-Qurṭā’i Wa Ḥadīthu Thumāmata, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 3 Ash-Shūrā (42:41)