Chief of the Prophets

Chief of the Prophets — Page 109

Chapter Six 109 depending on their means. Among the prisoners included the uncle of Muḥammad sa , ‘Abbās, and Muḥammad’s son-in-law, Abul-‘Āṣ. The Anṣār pleaded that ‘Abbās should be freed without ransom, but Muḥammad sa disagreed and insisted that ‘Abbās should pay the ransom. There is another tradition regarding ‘Abbās that when he was tied to a pillar in the Masjid an-Nabawī, his painful groans would not let Muḥammad sa sleep. When the Anṣār found out, they loosened the ropes around him. Muḥammad sa noticing his silence said, “If you must loosen his ties, then do so for all the prisoners. ” Thereafter, all the prisoners’ ties were loosened. In the ransom of Abul-‘Āṣ, Zainab ra , the daughter of Muḥammad sa , who was still in Makkah, sent a few things including a necklace given in dowry by Khadījah ra. When Muḥammad sa saw this necklace, tears started from his eyes. He said, “If you agree, you can return Zainab’s things to her. ” The Companions immediately returned Zainab’s belongings to her. Muḥammad sa made a deal with Abul-‘Āṣ that instead of the cash ransom, he would send Zainab to Madīnah on his return to Makkah, and in this way the soul of a believing woman was delivered from Makkah, the abode of disbelievers. After some time, Abul-‘Āṣ accepted Islam and moved to Madīnah to unite with his wife. With regard to the migration of Zainab ra , it is narrated that when she set out for Madīnah, a few Quraish tried to stop her by force. When she refused, a wretched person attacked her with a brutal swing of a spear. The trauma and the shock of the blow resulted in a miscarriage. 1 She never fully recovered after that and faced an untimely death. 2 The literate prisoners were allowed to teach 10 boys to read and write as ransom. The acceptance of the teaching of 10 boys instead of the 4,000 dirhams clearly shows the appreciation of learning in 1 Ibni Hishām. 2 Az-Zarqānī.