Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 118
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 118 Aus. Their chief, S’ad bin Muaz, was also the chief of the whole of Aus. When Islam began to spread in Yathrab, S’ad resented it and considered how he could stop its progress. He was a first cousin of Asad bin Zararah, who had become a Muslim, and he hesit ated to speak to him directly lest this should occasion some misunderstanding between them. He therefore requested another relative of his, Usyad bin Hudhair, to go and persuade Mus’ab to stop his missionary activities and also tell Asad that Mus’ab’s acti vities were undesirable. Usyad also was a very influential chieftain among Banu Abdul Ashhal and at the suggestion of S’ad, he called on Mus’ab bin Umair and Asad bin Zararah and told Mus’ab in a tone of sharp rebuke that he should desist from his undesira ble activities, for, otherwise, there would be trouble. Asad whispered to Mus’ab to deal gently with Usyad as he was a leading personage in his tribe. Mus’ab spoke respectfully and affectionately to Usyad and requested him to sit down and hear calmly what he might have to say to him before he made up his mind. Usyad considered the request reasonable and sat down. Mus’ab recited a few verses of the Holy Quran to him and expounded the Islamic doctrine very gently to him. Usyad was deeply affected and immediat ely embraced Islam. He then said that he had been sent by someone who was so much respected among his tribe that if he believed in Islam, the whole tribe would follow him. He said he would send him to them immediately. S’ad bin Muaz arrived in a great pass ion and said to Asad, ‘You are taking undue advantage of your relationship with me and that is not right. ’ Mus’ab made his approach to him in the same way as he had approached Usyad, and S’ad agreed to listen to him.